e-Review archive
Global Connection
June 2005
 

United Methodist students hone leadership skills, develop connections

Jun. 2, 2005     News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {330} United Methodist News Service JACKSON, Miss. — Students made global and local connections exploring the diversity of the United Methodist Church as they considered their own voice within the church at Student Forum 2005. "The main thing for me is that it's opened my eyes to how many diverse people make up the (United) Methodist Church and expanded my ideas about my faith and how I do ministry,'' Bryana Clover, a student at Adrian (Mich.) College, said of the May 27-29 conference at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. The theme of the Memorial Day weekend gathering, "Thy Kin-dom Come, Becoming the Body of Christ," spoke to connections as some 375 students, campus ministers, young seminarians, United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry staff, and workshop leaders worshipped, sang, prayed, and considered resolutions introduced by delegates to the conference of the United Methodist Student Movement. full story

Africa University conducts 11th graduation

Jun. 3, 2005 United Methodist News Service MUTARE, Zimbabwe — Tears flowed freely on the Africa University campus as an over-capacity crowd witnessed the university's 11th graduation ceremony. The hundreds of people who turned out for the May 28 ceremony filled every inch of the open-air venue. They came to celebrate the achievements of the largest graduating class in the institution's history. The years of sacrifice, hope and hard work have paid off for Pipa Ferraz de Liberdade Nazare and she could hardly believe it. "I'm almost without words to describe how I feel," she said. "Leaving this place is a big achievement in my life." full story

Christian T-shirts become hot front for evangelism, fashion

Jun. 6, 2005     United Methodist News Service    If it's true that clothes send a message, imagine the fashion statements in wearing in-your-face T-shirts declaring "Get Stoned Like Paul" and "Satan, You're Fired!" or labeling Jesus on the cross as a "Rebel with a Cause." Clothes, hats and accessories with edgy Christian slogans or imagery are speaking to a growing market of teenagers and young adults who want to both carry Jesus in their hearts and wear him on their shirts. But these fashions tend to be bolder, wittier and carry more bite than the quietly introspective "What Would Jesus do?" style of fashion slogans popular in the 1990s.  full story

Young seminarians struggle with stereotypes, build network

Jun. 6, 2005     United Methodist News Service When young adult seminarians look around their classroom, most of their fellow students are old enough to be their parents or grandparents. So the chance to simply talk with others who have also been told they looked cute in the pulpit, or had everyone assume they will be the youth minister, is one of the biggest benefits of the Young Adult Seminarian Network. Missy Meyers, a student at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, said her fellow young seminarians feel strongly that the group, formed last year, must be about more than the members' own personal needs. full story

Church, society need new perspective on aging, advocate says

Jun. 6, 2005       United Methodist News Service It was on a youth retreat that 16-year-old Larry Minnix felt the call to ministry-a ministry that led him to dedicate three decades to serving and advocating for America's oldest citizens. "This is what I'm supposed to be doing," says Minnix, now 58 and chief executive officer of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging in Washington. "We're having a positive impact on Congress and the (Bush) administration. There is still lots of work in front of us as our old system of care and services is starting to break down. We're putting new wine in old wineskins that are starting to crack." full story

Close Up: Does video game violence teach kids to kill?

Jun. 7, 2005     United Methodist News Service In June 2003 in an Alabama police station, 18-year-old Devin Moore allegedly grabbed a pistol from police and went on a pre-dawn shooting rampage that left two officers and a dispatcher dead. "Life is like a video game," Moore reportedly told police after his capture. "Everybody's got to die sometime." Turns out the teen-who had been brought to the station on suspicion of stealing a car-had been playing the video game "Grand Theft Auto" day and night for months. Using his Sony PlayStation 2, Moore had repeatedly shot, decapitated, burned and massacred virtual police officers in a simulated game that critics charge turns impressionable teenagers into trained killing machines. full story

Industry, critics disagree on threat posed by video games

Jun. 7, 2005     United Methodist News Service Since 1994, video games have been rated for content by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, an industry-sponsored, New York-based group that rates the products in six categories: EC for early childhood, E for everyone, T for teens 13 and older, M for players 17 and older and AO for adults over 18. Despite the voluntary ratings system, studies indicate most retailers routinely ignore the guidelines. A 2003 Federal Trade Commission survey found 78 percent of children ages 13-16 could easily buy M-rated games. Meanwhile, 92 percent of children play video or computer games, of which about 40 percent are rated M. The industry insists it does not prey on children and teens and that it provides a variety of entertainment choices for all ages. According to the Entertainment Software Association, the average American video game player is 29 years old, and parents are involved in the purchase or rental of games 83 percent of the time. It also argues that violent crime, particularly among the young, has decreased dramatically in the United States during the 1990s while video games have steadily grown in popularity. Critics don't buy it. full story

United Methodists advocate for hunger awareness

Jun. 8, 2005 United Methodist News Service United Methodists joined with some 1,500 other Christians in Washington to advocate for hunger awareness. They were participants in "Hunger No More: An Interfaith Convocation," sponsored June 6 by Bread for the World at the National Cathedral in Washington. Bread for the World's partners include the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Jim Winkler, chief executive for the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, said he met June 6 with Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the House Democratic leader, to express concern about the budget that was passed by Congress and the cuts that social service programs face. full story

The pressure is on for fast food and human rights

June 9, 2005     News media contact:   Kelly C. Martini * (212) 870-3729 *  New York Women's Division, UNited Methodist General Board of Global Ministries When you drive through for fast food, have you considered that the lettuce and tomatoes on those hamburgers you are buying are picked by farm workers who are among the worst paid and worst treated people in the United States? That's the question that the United Methodist Women's Division is asking its one million members. This spring, United Methodists celebrated the end of the Taco Bell Boycott that assured fair wages and safe working conditions for Florida farm workers. However, the work is not done, says the division. The division wants similar pressure for fair wages and safe working conditions applied to three more fast food giants — McDonald's, Burger King and Subway. full story

'Road less taken' leads Denver man to Guatemalan ministry

Jun. 10, 2005 United Methodist News Service Mark Ely made a decision in 2001 that changed his life and continues to change the lives of children in Guatemala. After several years of "living large" in Denver, Ely quit a lucrative software consulting job with a federal agency, gave away almost everything he owned and headed to the Central American country he first had visited on a 1999 mission trip. Today, his journey of faith has materialized into a Denver-based nonprofit organization called Pura Vida, or "pure life," a Christian ecumenical ministry aimed at sharing "First World resources with Third World communities in a meaningful, respectful and long-term way." The primary focus is on providing educational opportunities for Third World children through scholarships, tutoring and support of local schools. full story

Church offers support for family of teen missing in Aruba

Jun. 10, 2005     United Methodist News Service LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — While the search for clues to the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway continues on the Caribbean island of Aruba, a United Methodist church in Arkansas is surrounding her grandmother and other family members in prayer and support. full story

Officials investigate after 258 people fall ill at church meetings

Jun. 10, 2005 United Methodist News Service Texas health officials are seeking anyone who attended two United Methodist gatherings in Corpus Christi, Texas, where more than 250 people fell ill. The outbreak of the gastrointestinal illness had affected 258 people as of June 10, said Douglas Cannon, communication and public witness director for the denomination's Southwest Texas and Rio Grande annual conferences. full story

Africa University, Zimbabwe being considered as vaccine testing site

Jun. 13, 2005 United Methodist News Service MUTARE, Zimbabwe — Researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. say Africa University and Zimbabwe are good potential partners in an initiative to test the effectiveness of an HIV vaccine on people in Africa. "This would be a first for Africa," said Dr. Karen Slobod, co-leader of the HIV Therapeutics and Vaccine Development team working at the Children's Infectious Disease Center at St Jude. Slobod and her colleagues have been working on the vaccine for a number of years. Described as bold and ambitious in terms of what it hopes to accomplish, the vaccine is designed to cause the immune system to respond to multiple strains of the virus from different parts of the world. It is also to offer protection against infection from those strains and others that may develop as the virus mutates. full story

Amity Foundation expands social outreach in China

Jun. 15, 2005 United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — In the 20 years since its founding, the Christian-related Amity Foundation has expanded its social outreach programs in China to include education for migrant children, assistance for the disabled and support for people with HIV/AIDS. But many church members in the United States know the organization because of the Amity Teachers Program, which remains an important part of its work, according to Zhang Liwei, the executive in charge of international relationships. In fact, he is issuing a challenge to U.S. churches to increase their participation in the teachers program, which has dwindled from a high of 49 teachers from the United States in 1987 to 16 U.S. teachers this year. "We still have a huge need for both long-term and short-term teachers," Liwei said. full story

African-American songbook 'preparing heart and soul' for worship

Jun. 15, 2005 United Methodist News Service From the coasts of Africa, to the plantations of the south, from the churches of renaissance Harlem, to the radio waves of today, African-American religious music tells the story of a faith journey that guided people through oppression and freedom. Music of the African-American heritage brought people together when the United Methodist Board of Discipleship created Songs of Zion in 1981. Abingdon Press published the songbook and it was sold through the United Methodist Publishing House and Cokesbury. The first hymnal compiled by African Americans and published by a predominantly white denomination, Songs of Zion has since sold more than one million copies worldwide. Its appeal is ecumenical and racially diverse, as congregations of all backgrounds purchase the hymnal. full story

Whatever it is, the 'emerging church' is turning heads

Jun. 15, 2005    News media contact:   Matt  Carlisle * (615) 742-5470*  Nashville {356} United Methodist News Service Ask anyone to define the "emerging church," and they'll likely hesitate. "Good luck," jokes the Rev. Jay Voorhees of Antioch United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., who describes his congregation as an "emerging church." A grassroots initiative that is not associated with any particular church denomination, the emerging church is a concept that's hard to define and full of paradox. For example, it is rooted in evangelism but — in a rare crossing of today's cultural divide — is steeped in social justice values often associated with liberalism. It welcomes innovation in worship but also holds to traditional Christian beliefs. To a growing number of young Christians, this ambiguity is the allure to what some call a movement but others call a "conversation." Either way, the emerging church has set out to transform churchgoing from the inside out by questioning some of its most basic traditions. full story

No two 'emergent' congregations look alike

Jun. 15, 2005    News media contact:   Matt  Carlisle * (615) 742-5470*  Nashville {357} United Methodist News Service What does an "emergent" congregation look like? "That's almost impossible to answer," says Mark Oestreicher, whose San Diego company has organized national conferences exploring the topic. "It's a movement driven by theology, so the application is different at each congregation." No two emerging churches are the same. For some, the worship feels New Age with candles, chanting and meditation. They include Taize or compline services rooted in old Christian traditions. Others use spiritually inspired rock music such as U2. And others make no outward change at all. full story

Women's Division letter takes up rights for detainees

Jun. 16, 2005 United Methodist News Service United Methodists will have opportunities this summer to take up the cause of South Asians, Muslims and Arabs who are detained or being deported from the United States without consideration of their basic human rights. A plea to become the voice of these voiceless persons is being made by the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries to more than 20,000 women, clergy and lay people taking part in the denomination's Schools of Christian Mission. It comes in a letter linked to a study on India and Pakistan. The India-Pakistan study focuses in part on how globalization, interfaith relations and the war on terror affect these countries. A related concern is how Pakistanis and South Asians are being treated within the U.S. borders. The division's letter asks United Methodists to approach the media on behalf of the detainees' rights and their human dignity. More information is posted at http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/, the division's Web site. full story

United Methodists see 'freedom' as ex-Klansman found guilty

Jun. 22, 2005    United Methodist News Service Two United Methodists who have been fighting for justice in a 41-year-old civil rights murder case hope healing can begin following the conviction of a former Ku Klux Klansman. Edgar Ray Killen, 80, was found guilty of manslaughter June 21 in the 1964 deaths of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. The conviction came on the 41st anniversary of the deaths, which occurred in the small, rural town of Philadelphia, Miss. While the conviction took four decades, the two United Methodists who have followed the case say it is time for the community to enjoy a taste of freedom. "When Martin Luther King Jr. talked about 'free at last,' in some degree, that's what the people in Neshoba County are experiencing," said the Rev. Jerry Beam, superintendent of the Seashore District and, until a week ago, pastor of Philadelphia (Miss.) First United Methodist Church. "They are free from the burden of not doing anything about this and having it hang over their heads for years and years." Beam was pastor at First United Methodist Church for five years and part of the Philadelphia Coalition, a citizens' group that worked to reopen the investigation into the slayings. The coalition holds its meetings in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist. He was recently appointed superintendent. "The reaction is one of relief, one of realizing the manslaughter conviction is a compromise, but at least something did occur. The community took a stand," he said. Beam said his wife was part of the grand jury that indicted Killen last January, and the couple has "been on a roller coaster ride" ever since arriving in Philadelphia. full story

Tony winner gets cheers from her United Methodist congregation

Jun. 23, 2005   United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — When Victoria Clark won the 2005 Tony Award for best actress in a musical, it was recognition for what has been the role of her career. As Margaret Johnson in the new musical, "The Light in the Piazza," by Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas, Clark has impressed critics and theater-goers alike with her emotional depth and extraordinary voice. But at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, United Methodist, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, she also has won raves for directing the children's Christmas pageant. The congregation has cheered her on as "The Light in the Piazza" progressed from runs in Seattle and Chicago to Broadway. "People knew that she'd been working on this role as kind of a life's work," said the Rev. James "K" Karpen, the church's pastor. full story

Short mission trips will allow women to build friendships

Jun. 24, 2005    United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — The Women's Division and Mission Volunteers office of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries are forming a partnership that will enable U.S. women to build friendships on short mission trips in Zimbabwe, Uruguay, Cambodia, Sierra Leone and Cote D'Ivoire. The goal of the program, called "Ubuntu eXplorers," is to enable U.S. women to understand and share together the daily life, struggles, culture, challenges and opportunities of women from one of the countries. During the one- to two-week trips, members of United Methodist Women also will get a firsthand look at the programs and projects supported by their annual giving of about $20 million. The program will begin in 2006 with an April visit to Zimbabwe. Trips to Uruguay in August and Cambodia in September will follow. In 2007, the Women's Division and Mission Volunteers will host trips to Sierra Leone and Cote D'Ivoire. full story

Six months after tsunami, recovery underway but needs continue

June 24, 2005     News media contact:   Ann Walle * 212-870-2654 *  Elkhart, IN Church World Service NEW YORK / BANDA ACEH — Nearly six months after December’s deadly tsunami struck, assistance to people whose lives were torn asunder in Indonesia’s Aceh Province still revolves largely around sanitation and access to water and food, reports humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS). But concurrently, and in coordination with the Indonesian government, Church World Service’s Indonesia staff and other aid agencies are working to assist survivors in re-establishing livelihoods. full story

Bolivian Methodists join push for justice

June 27, 2005   United Methodist News Service After a period of political tumult in early June, the situation in Bolivia has stabilized, according to a United Methodist missionary based in La Paz. Dakin Cook, who serves as the area financial executive for the Board of Global Ministries, said that while many issues still must be resolved, he believes the country can work through the problems. Cook also coordinates Volunteer in Mission teams and promotes projects of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia. The push for change in Bolivia has come from its indigenous majority, which first obtained full citizenship rights-such as the rights to vote and attend school-after a revolution in 1952. "It has taken these 50 years since the revolution to get representation in Congress and begin to participate in the democracy," Cook told United Methodist News Service. full story

Religious leaders call on G-8 nations to end poverty

June 28, 2005     United Methodist News Service WASHINGTON — For the first time in history, human beings have the ability to eradicate poverty from the face of the earth, leaders of several religious and faith-based groups in the United States said at a June 27 press conference. United Methodist Bishop Peter Weaver was among the leaders who spoke at the conference, held right before the group traveled to London for the first Transatlantic Forum on Global Poverty. The forum is being held just ahead of the Group of Eight Summit. "Now is the time when people are coming together, and we can stop extreme poverty," said Weaver, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops and leader of the church's Boston Area. "The first objective Jesus announced for his ministry was announcing 'good news to the poor,' quoting from Isaiah in Luke 4:18. "An historic convergence of commitment and strategies to end extreme poverty is emerging all around the world," Weaver said. "The G-8 Religious Forum calls on the G-8 nations to boldly take the next steps needed to end poverty in this generation." The G-8 comprises governmental leaders from Canada, France, Italy, German, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia. It will meet July 6-8 in Gleneagles, Scotland. full story

Iliff regains good standing in United Methodist Church

June 28, 2005    United Methodist News Service Iliff School of Theology, placed on a warning list by the United Methodist Church following an investigation last fall, has regained positive standing with the denomination. "We welcome this. It is a constructive response to the efforts we've made this year," said the Rev. J. Philip Wogaman, the seminary's interim president. "I think Iliff is a better school because of what we have been through this year. We will build on the legacy of the past as we move into a new future." Iliff is one of 13 theological schools affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The church's University Senate determines college and seminary affiliation with the denomination. At its June 23 meeting, the senate removed previous sanctions from the 110-year-old Denver seminary, and the school regained positive status. full story

Ten Commandments rulings show 'reasoned' approach

June 29, 2005    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {371}  United Methodist News Service The U.S. Supreme Court sent dual signals in its June 27 rulings on cases related to the display of the Ten Commandments, but struck a balance on the issue of government promotion of religion, according to a United Methodist official. "I think that the high court took a reasoned and balanced approach that, in effect, allows the courts to address issues of Ten Commandments displays in courthouses on a case-by-case basis," said the Rev. Larry Pickens, chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. "In instances where religious displays are permissible, according to the court, they must be 'portrayed neutrally in order to honor the nation's legal history.'" As the court ended its 2004-2005 term, it handed down different decisions on cases involving the display of the Ten Commandments on government property. full story

Angolan women teach literacy for social change

June 30, 2005   News media contact:   Kelly C. Martini * (212) 870-3729 *  New York Women's Division, General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church With a national election coming up in 2006, church women in Angola are helping their sisters — 70 per cent of whom are illiterate — understand the issues and prepare themselves to vote in a country long at war. Their work will be expanded with support from the United Methodist Women's Division, working with Church World Service (CWS), the ecumenical relief and rehabilitation agency that is often a partner with the General Board of Global Ministries. A division grant of $30,000 in June is being matched by a CWS donor. The joint initiative will bring to the African continent the Division's successful Bible Women program, which has spread across Asia and the Pacific and has literacy as a major component. full story

Church makes pitches for Jesus with baseball training center

June 30, 2005   United Methodist News Service BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The cracks of baseball bats echo through the metal building as the boys of summer practice for the next big game. But the building would have been nothing more than a pile of rubble if members of First United Methodist Church had not stepped up to the plate.  Instead of razing the building, church members decided to start a ministry that would teach baseball and character-and, they hoped, attract new worshippers. full story