e-Review archive
Global Connection
July 2005
 

United Methodist mission leader calls on rich nations to do more to combat global poverty

July 1, 2005     News media contact:   Elliott Wright * 212 870-3921 *  New York General Board of Global Ministries NEW YORK — The top mission leader of The United Methodist Church has called on the heads of the world's eight richest nations to expand their efforts to assist the poorest countries. The Rev. R. Randy Day made the appeal on the eve of the 2005 meeting of the G-8 (richest) nations in Gleneagles, Scotland on July 6-8. "The richest nations stand under the judgment of history and, some of us believe, under the judgment of God, to find hearts of compassion in response to global poverty," he said. Day expressed the hope that the G-8 meeting in Scotland would build on an early June action that cancels $40 billion in debt owed by 18 poor countries.  The General Board of Global Ministries, the international mission agency Day heads as general secretary, has personnel or programs in 12 of those countries. full story

Church leaders call on U.S. to change Iraq policy, end war

July 1, 2005      United Methodist News Service On July 4, the National Council of Churches will release a statement opposing the war in Iraq, calling it dishonorable and urging a change in U.S. policy. The council's governing board members, who wrote the statement, say Iraq's future "remains as uncertain as ever." They characterize the rationale for the invasion as "at best a tragic mistake, at worst a clever deception," noting that no weapons of mass destruction or evidence linking Iraq to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were ever found. "This is not a statement that a handful of persons have acknowledged, but over 15,000 people have endorsed — all people of faith throughout the country from 44 different states and the District of Columbia," said the Rev. Bob Edgar, top staff executive of the council and a United Methodist. In addition, more than 600 religious leaders have signed the statement, Edgar said. The statement will be sent to President Bush. full story

International youth event will focus on sharing faith

July 5, 2005     United Methodist News Service More than 400 young Methodists from nearly 40 countries will gather this month at Teresopolis, Brazil, for the eighth International Christian Youth Conference on Evangelism. This is the first year the event has been in South America, said the Rev. H. Eddie Fox, world director of World Methodist Evangelism. Brazil was chosen for the July 19-26 conference at the invitation of the country's Methodist churches. "We try to make sure we go to the different parts of the world," said Fox, whose Nashville, Tenn., office is part of the World Methodist Council. "The purpose (of the conference) is for young people to experience Christ in their life and to be encouraged and empowered by word, deed and sign in the world," he said. "This is one of the most exciting missions. The young people are dynamic and alive and open to the Holy Spirit." full story

United Methodist shepherds minor league baseball wives

July 5, 2005     News media contact:   Matt  Carlisle * (615) 742-5470*  Nashville {378}  United Methodist News Service Since Nicole Zapp married her high school sweetheart in 2001, the couple has moved more than a dozen times, bouncing from team to team and coast to coast in the nomadic world of minor league baseball. "Sometimes it's difficult to go to a church by yourself in a new city," says Zapp, 26, whose husband plays ball most Sundays with the Louisville Bats. "And by the time you find a church you're comfortable with, you have to move on." Then there's the stress of husbands on the road, caring for children without nearby family, and anxieties about sports injuries, finances and the future. It's a typical scenario for professional baseball families — especially those in the minor leagues — but one that Colleen Endres is trying to address. full story

Surfing pastor helps others find God on beach

July 6, 2005     United Methodist News Service The Rev. Leonard "Len" Ripley III may preach from Psalm 23, but "still waters" are not ideal when he's ready to surf. The 54-year-old pastor of Folly Beach (S.C.) United Methodist Church spends much of his free time riding the waves. "When the church members can't find me, they know there's good surf," he says. Ripley took up surfing as a teenager but abandoned it when he went to college. When he was appointed to the Folly Beach-St. John charge, he got back into it by accident. Part of Folly Beach's tightly knit surfing community, Ripley says he leads devotions before surfing competitions and has been known to hold informal worship services for two or three gathered together on surfboards just beyond the breakers. His two passions work well together, he says. full story

Federation provides students with network of solidarity

July 7, 2005      United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Christian students were practicing globalization long before that term became a corporate concept. "It's not a globalization of greed and of selfishness but a globalization of solidarity," said Michael Wallace, an Anglican from New Zealand and chief executive of the World Student Christian Federation. That century-old network of solidarity is particularly important today, he believes, to challenge young people to live out their faith. "We're in a climate that encourages young people to be insular, self-referential and hopeless," Wallace explained, adding that the World Student Christian Federation offers "an alternative world view." Wallace and Ken Guest, a United Methodist serving as the federation's president, spoke about the need to strengthen the student Christian movement during a June 30 briefing at the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. They were leaving for Montreal the next day to attend a meeting of the federation's North America region. The Board of Global Ministries has been a longtime supporter of the World Student Christian Federation, which was organized in 1895 by John R. Mott, a U.S. Methodist, and Karl Fries of Sweden. Mott, who won the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize, became the federation's first leader. full story

British Methodists help those caught up in London bombings

July 7, 2005    United Methodist News Service LONDON — In the early moments after bomb blasts rocked the city, Methodist churches in the city center did whatever they could to help people caught up in the explosions. News agencies reported that 37 were dead and as many as 700 wounded following the July 7 blasts. Located across the street from the train station where one of the rush-hour bombs exploded, Kings Cross Methodist Church opened its doors to those who were wounded, in shock or stranded in the immediate aftermath of the blast. full story

Methodist leaders voice support for London, decry attacks

July 7, 2005     United Methodist News Service Methodist leaders in the United States and Africa expressed sympathy and support July 7 for the people of London following a series of explosions that authorities believe were set by terrorists. "Our hearts go out to the families of those who have been lost in this early morning attack," said United Methodist Bishop Gregory Palmer, in a statement to Iowa Area church members. "We pray for healing for the injured and for strength for the emergency services and medical personnel who are, even now, caring for so many." The Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, wrote a letter of sympathy and concern to the Rev. David Deeks, top staff executive of the Methodist Church of Britain. "In my letter, I recalled the importance of the expressions of support that came to the board from around the world at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington D.C.," Day said in a separate statement. "Terrorists are cowards in that they attack the most vulnerable-in the London case, men and women, young and old, on the way to work on a Thursday morning. Such action is senseless and cannot foster any cause," he said. Nearly 40 people were believed killed and more than 700 injured, but British authorities were still assessing the toll July 7. A group purporting to be an al-Qaida organization in Europe claimed responsibility, but the authenticity of the claim could not be confirmed. full story

United Methodists focus on missions, evangelism at yearly meetings

July 8, 2005      United Methodist News Service United Methodists, gathering for their yearly U.S. meetings, welcomed new bishops, focused on issues such as health care and diversity, and raised millions for tsunami relief and missions. Evangelism and disciple-making inspired the central themes for many conferences this year, as members focused on the United Methodist Church's basic mission of making followers of Jesus Christ. Bishops encouraged members to get out of their comfort zones and share their faith. full story

Commentary: Now's the time to end extreme poverty

July 11, 2005    United Methodist News Service Following the Group of Eight leaders' meeting in Scotland, one fact is clear: The world is in a position to end extreme poverty in this generation. The technology, resources and cooperative networks are in place to get it done. No longer does a child need to die every three seconds of preventable causes. No longer do more than one billion people need to live with little or no food, education or health care. No longer do the poor need to become poorer because of trade injustices. Jesus' vision of good news for the poor and the human family is within sight. This was the first objective for his spirit-anointed ministry, according to Luke 4:18. The United Methodist Church is playing a role in the expanding movement aimed at ending poverty. Before the G8 summit opened, I was part of a broad-based, 11-member U.S. delegation that met in London with about 40 religious leaders from Africa and Great Britain. The group was called together by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. This show of solidarity for the poor demonstrated our unity as Christians and challenged the world's leaders to take bold steps to grant debt relief, increase aid and develop just trade policies in developing countries. full story

United Methodists respond to Hurricane Dennis

July 11, 2005    United Methodist News Service United Methodists in the Florida Panhandle and along the Gulf Coast, still recovering from a hurricane 10 months ago, are thankful that the damage from Hurricane Dennis was less than expected. Church-related agencies and regional conferences were beginning damage assessments and calling for volunteer help on July 11. full story

Japanese Christians express concern over militarism

July 12, 2005   United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Sixty years after the end of World War II, some Christians in Japan are concerned about the increasing militarization in their country. Besides promoting nationalism and passing more stringent laws on wiretapping and military emergencies, Japanese politicians have targeted Article 9 of the constitution for change, according to the Rev. Toshimasha Yamamoto, chief executive of the National Christian Council in Japan. The government also has sent its Self-Defense Force to Iraq. "Article 9 holds that the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation," he explained. full story

United Methodist attendance rises, but membership continues down

July 12, 2005 United Methodist News Service Two United Methodist annual conferences grew by more than 7,000 members during 2004. In addition, average attendance at morning worship grew by a small margin while membership in the denomination in the United States declined by more than 71,000 from the previous year. full story

Girl, church grow up together with 'quinceañera'

July 13, 2005   United Methodist News Service GLENDALE, Ariz. — It's a hot summer day at the Zapata household in Glendale, and the house is in chaos. Relatives are gathered, and kids are playing. In a quiet back room, 15-year-old Brianna Zapata is oblivious to the hum of the house. Quietly inspecting a white satin gown, she says, "I'm nervous." Brianna's trepidation is understandable because tomorrow she will make the symbolic transition from child to adult, when she celebrates her "quinceañera," a Hispanic tradition in which 15-year-olds celebrate their birthday and embrace religious traditions, as well as the virtues of family and social responsibility. Brianna's quinceañera is unusual because both her pastor and her church, First United Methodist, will be going through rites of passage with the ceremony. full story

Two United Methodist gatherings urge selective divestment from Israel

July 14, 2005    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {396} United Methodist News Service United Methodists in New England and Virginia have endorsed campaigns to divest from companies that support Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The action came as church members in those areas gathered for their annual conferences this summer. Meeting June 8-11, the New England Conference approved a resolution urging the divesting of funds from companies that support the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. The approved resolution calls for voluntary, selective divestment from companies that profit in a significant way from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. It also urges "our United Methodist funding agencies and our local churches to support with our prayers, presence and money those Israeli, Palestinian and international organizations, which bring Israelis and Palestinians together in dialogue." Virginia United Methodists, meeting June 12-15, affirmed Israel's right to exist within permanent, recognized and secure borders, and Palestinians' rights to self-determination and the formation of a viable state. They also called upon the United Methodist Board of Pensions to review its investments and undertake a process of phased, selective divestment from any multinational corporations profiting from the illegal demolition of Palestinian homes, destruction of the Palestinian economy and confiscation of Palestinian land, following United Methodist guidelines which require a period of information gathering and evaluation of alternative means of intervention before undertaking a boycott. full story

Hurricane Dennis takes emotional, physical toll

July 14, 2005    United Methodist News Service Enduring yet another hurricane has taken an emotional toll on those affected by Hurricane Dennis, according to a United Methodist relief official. The Rev. Tom Hazelwood, U.S. disaster response coordinator for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), said that toll was evident as he began traveling around the Alabama and West Florida coast July 13 to assess hurricane damage. "The significant thing that I've seen, more than anything else, is the impact on people's emotional and spiritual lives," he told United Methodist News Service. In areas that have not yet recovered from the effects of Hurricane Ivan some 10 months earlier, at least half a dozen people have told Hazelwood that the anticipation of Hurricane Dennis and the time just before it hit land "was the most excruciating time they can ever remember." full story

Annual conferences confess to racism

July 15, 2005  United Methodist News Service United Methodists around the United States are working to reconcile past actions spurred by racism. During annual conference (regional) gatherings this spring, several of the sessions acted to remember and redeem past wrongs. full story

Food security is UMCOR priority in Sudan

July 18, 2005     United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Concentrating on food security, the United Methodist Committee on Relief is assisting both displaced people and local communities in the Sudan. In April, UMCOR directors approved a start-up budget of more than $1 million for the work in Sudan. The focus is on the distribution of non-food items, agriculture work and promoting small-scale farming in Southern Darfur. full story

UMCom provides digital solutions, enhances technological offerings

July 18, 2005    United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — United Methodist Communications has a "digital solution" to help every congregation in the denomination fulfill its mission of making disciples. On July 18, the communications agency launched Digital Solutions, a network of tools and services to assist local churches of all sizes, annual conferences and other ministries to communicate efficiently and effectively. Digital Solutions is United Methodist Communications' expanded technological offerings to help digitally connect the entire denomination and to provide affordable ways for churches to use the Internet to enhance their ministries. It includes an upgraded UMC.org, the official denominational site, with new content and features to enable churches to minister in a digital way. full story

Let us set our addictions aside and proclaim hope and healing

July 19, 2005     News media contact:   Elliott Wright * 212-870-3921*  New York General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church KITWE, Zambia — United Methodist leaders from throughout Africa ended 10 days of sharing, training and planning at the Mindolo Ecumenical Center in Kitwe, Zambia, with the exuberant sound of African drums and song. In a moving sending forth service on the eve of the 25th anniversary of his consecration as bishop, retired Bishop Felton Edwin May urged congregants to set aside their own “addictions to power games, prestige and separation by conference ... and reach out to others, love them and treat them as God treats them and bring wholeness and healing to their lives.” The 10-day conference, Shaping the Future with Hope, Healing and Deliverance, brought together both clergy and lay leaders from 19 of the 20 United Methodist annual conferences on the continent. Sponsored by the Special Program on Substance Abuse and Related Violence (SPSARV) of the General Board of Global Ministries, the gathering offered an opportunity for networking among the annual conferences. Those with active ministries in the areas of alcohol and drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, counseling, drug-related violence and trauma healing shared their experiences and the resources they’ve developed. full story

Campus ministers seek stronger church connections

July 19, 2005    United Methodist News Service When William Johnston became president of Iowa Wesleyan College, one of his first actions was finding money to hire a full-time campus minister, something the college had not had in 17 years. "I wanted us to provide an environment and have an individual on campus who supports church relations," Johnston says. "I would hope that person supports the values of — and helps the college community support the values of — our church." Johnston believes hiring the Rev. Robert Koepcke, initially done in part with a $25,000 annual conference grant, has already paid off in the enrollment of more United Methodist students. "We had 40 or 50 United Methodists enrolled, and now we have about 75," he says. He attributes that partly to Koepcke's practice of visiting area churches and taking students with him. Such connections between campus ministries and churches need to be strengthened, says the Rev. Frank Wulf, campus minister at the University of California, Los Angeles, since 1997. full story

United Methodists hold church's first global deaf conference

July 20, 2005    United Methodist News Service BALTIMORE — An international gathering of deaf, hard-of-hearing and late-deafened people drew more than 200 participants for the first ever Global United Methodist Conference of the Deaf. The July 14-17 event, hosted near Baltimore by the Northeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Congress of the Deaf, was the culmination of years of hopes, dreams and plans. Mainly, it was about missions. "Our dream is to see the mission outreaches that we've all been in contact with under one roof," said the Rev. Peggy Johnson, pastor of Christ United Methodist Church of the Deaf in Baltimore, one of only three deaf congregations in the denomination. "This is a conference where people will tell what's happening in mission in their country" in the deaf community, she said. The Methodist family has a long history of sending missionaries outside the United States to provide education and resources for deaf people. As far back as the 1850s, Methodist missionaries were running schools for the deaf in Korea. full story

United Methodist Men get new home, ensure future ministry

July 21, 2005    United Methodist News Service WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The United Methodist Men's organization will reach true adulthood by the end of 2005, when its headquarters moves to a new building. Participants at the 9th National Gathering of United Methodist Men cheered upon hearing the announcement that the Commission on United Methodist Men will be moving into the facilities being vacated by the Nashville, Tenn., office of the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration. The men's organization, once part of a division on men's ministry at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, became a churchwide agency in 1996, but has been housed in a suite of offices at the discipleship agency. The commission has been seeking its own office since then. full story

Volunteer teams needed for Hurricane Dennis cleanup

July 22, 2005     United Methodist News Service Volunteer teams will be needed this fall in Alabama and Florida for continued cleanup after Hurricane Dennis. The Rev. Tom Hazelwood, U.S. disaster coordinator for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, said some teams already scheduled for the continuing Hurricane Ivan repair work were diverted to cleanup duty after Dennis came ashore July 10. But more assistance, in the form of both unskilled and skilled labor, is needed from Labor Day through the fall. "There is a great need for teams," he told United Methodist News Service. "At this point, there's still a lot of debris to clean up." full story

Bennett College to welcome Clinton, Dole for fund-raiser

July 22, 2005    United Methodist News Service GREENSBORO, N.C. — Bennett College will party like it's 1996 when it hosts former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole for a major fund-raising event. In a July 21 news conference, Johnnetta B. Cole marked her third anniversary as president of the historically black United Methodist women's school by again pledging that she will continue in the position until the school "is fully on solid ground" financially. Cole also offered a series of updates and said the theme for the coming school year would be, "Bennett College on the move from good to great." "At the center of this celebration is my recommitment to help Bennett reclaim her rightful place in American higher education as she continues her rich legacy of transforming girls into phenomenal women," Cole said. "I am deeply grateful to my sisters and brothers in the Bennett College extended family who have contributed to the enormous progress we have made in just three short years. Now we are moving on to greater heights." The black-tie gala involving Clinton and Dole will be Sept. 21 at the Grandover Resort and Conference Center in Greensboro. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the program at 7. Tickets are $500 per person, or $5,000 to sponsor a table. full story

Education must adapt to globalization, Methodist academics say

July 25, 2005    United Methodist News Service Educators must teach a broader vision of what it means to be human in a world struggling with the effects of globalization, speakers told staff and students from Methodist-related schools in 19 different countries. "Unless we equip young people to become more fully human and take a stand, we are not fulfilling our task as Methodist educators," said Peter Vardy, vice principal at Heythrop College, University of London. Vardy and others explored the ethical challenges globalization raises for Methodist-related education at the fourth meeting of the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities, held July 11-14 at Westminster School in Adelaide, Australia. Speakers warned that much education today is "outcome dominated" and fails to deal with what it means to be human amid the complexities of our global world. full story

Protestant leaders condemn abuses in Philippines

July 25, 2005     United Methodist News Service MANILA, Philippines (ENI) — Filipino and foreign Protestant church leaders have condemned what they describe as "massive human rights violations" and outright killings of innocent people perceived as "subversives" under the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. "We demand justice for all victims of massive human rights violations and desecration of human lives under Arroyo's watch," said Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes, chief executive of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, in a July 21 statement. Ruiz-Duremdes asserted there has been a "wave of killings" of peace advocates in the country, including church people. She said it has alarmed international church leaders and organizations, such as the Geneva-based World Council of Churches. full story

Pastor denies membership to homosexual, placed on leave

July 26, 2005 United Methodist News Service A United Methodist pastor in Virginia has been placed on "involuntary leave of absence" for refusing to allow a homosexual to become a member of his congregation. The Rev. Edward Johnson was placed on a yearlong involuntary leave of absence, effective July 1, by action of the clergy of the denomination's Virginia Annual (regional) Conference on June 13. He will receive medical benefits but no salary. The clergyman, pastor of South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church for six years, could be reinstated as a United Methodist pastor in good standing if he fulfills recommendations from the conference's board of ordained ministry. The Rev. William Anthony "Tony" Layman, who was district superintendent when Johnson was placed on leave, said the pastor's unwillingness to allow a homosexual to become a member of the church led to the filing of a complaint against Johnson. Layman told United Methodist News Service that he worked with Johnson for four months before filing a complaint against him in April for refusing to allow the person membership into the congregation. full story

Native Americans suffer from 'historical trauma,' researcher says

July 27, 2005    United Methodist News Service REDLANDS, Calif. — The treatment given to American Indians as the United States pushed its boundaries westward has resulted in an ongoing emotional condition that a Native American social worker-researcher calls "historical trauma." Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, research associate professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver, described her work at the 2005 Native American Family Camp, held July 19-23 at the University of Redlands. The annual event is sponsored by the United Methodist Church's Native American International Caucus. Historical trauma has a layering effect and is the "cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the life span and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma," she said. Historical or intergenerational trauma is similar to that suffered by the Jewish people as a result of the Holocaust, the Japanese Americans interned in California at the beginning of World War II and African Americans suffering the aftermath of slavery, she said. full story

Pastor challenges Native Americans to use culture in worship

July 28, 2005    United Methodist News Service REDLANDS, Calif. — The hymn "Amazing Grace" is frequently sung at United Methodist gatherings — but not in seven Native American languages at one service. The different versions were sung by representatives of tribes attending the 2005 National Native American Family Camp, held July 19-23 in Redlands. The Rev. Mel Gaines, pastor of the Dallas Indian United Methodist Church and music leader for the annual camp, spontaneously asked all who knew a Native American version to come forward. The result was a moving experience as the participants took turns - as soloists and in small groups — to sing from memory in their native tongues. During the morning worship service, the Rev. Gabriel Ward, pastor of the Body of Christ Church in Thermal, Calif., challenged his listeners by saying that a blindfolded person attending an Indian church service would not know he was in an ethnic setting. "You know immediately if you're in an African-American or Latino church," he said, citing examples. Native Americans should incorporate more of their culture and traditions into their church services, he suggested. full story

U.S. Filipino group joins criticism of killings in the Philippines

July 29, 2005     United Methodist News Service An organization of Filipino-American United Methodists has joined with groups condemning the recent killings of a Protestant pastor and others working with the poor in the Philippines. The National Association of Filipino-American United Methodists also commended the "prophetic stance" on that situation taken by the Rev. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Bishop Solito K. Toquero of Manila, and Bishop Elmer Bolocon of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. They called for a full and fair investigation of the May 12 murder of the Rev. Edison Lapuz, among others. The action came as more than 500 participants gathered at the association's July 10-14 meeting in Las Vegas. full story

New program to help seniors weigh Medicare prescription options

July 28, 2005 United Methodist News Service If senior citizens want to benefit from the new Medicare program on prescription drugs, they will have to carefully consider their options. To assist with that process, the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries is introducing a program called "Serving America's Seniors" in cooperation with the Coalition to Advance Prescription Drug Education (CARxE). The program is open to congregations and social service organizations of all faith traditions. In 2006, prescription drug benefits, known as Part D, will be added to Medicare. A variety of choices for prescription drug plans will become public Oct. 15 and the enrollment period will be Nov. 15 to May 15, 2006. full story