e-Review archive
Global Connection
July 2006
 

United Methodists celebrate clergywomen at annual gatherings

July 7, 2006     News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {407} United Methodist News Service At regional gatherings this year, United Methodists celebrated the 50th anniversary of clergywomen receiving full clergy rights and affirmed their commitment to helping the U.S. Gulf Coast recover from last fall's hurricanes. While those topics dominated the United Methodist Church's annual sessions in May and June, church members also tackled a wide range of other concerns, including social issues such as immigration and gay marriage, the strengthening of ministries around the globe and the possible mergers of some annual (regional) conferences. Sixty of the 63 U.S. conferences had filed annual reports by July 7, along with a handful of conferences in Europe and Africa that had gatherings in the same period. full story

WESLEYAN WISDOM: United Methodist Church is a 'bridge' church

July 7, 2006 United Methodist Reporter British Methodist William E. Sangster once called Methodism a bridge church. I have learned to appreciate that over the years as an accurate portrayal of our identity in the religious marketplace. full story

Youth to 'splat' through cultural, spiritual, global event

July 10, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {410} United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The word "splat" is usually associated with a wet, slapping sound, but for the more than 10,000 United Methodist youth from across the world expected to attend Youth2007, the word will mean "Seek, Pray, Learn, Act, Teach." The largest quadrennial youth event of the United Methodist Church will be held July 11-15, 2007, in Greensboro, N.C. Participants will experience God through multiple ministerial, cultural and spiritual opportunities. full story

Commentary: Call to ministry carries high standard

July 11, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {412} United Methodist News Service God calls all people to ministry.  As each one of us surrenders ourselves to serving God, a call is placed upon us. It is a lifelong call that you never retire from. From our day of surrender and resurrection on, we are God agents. From the beginning of the Christian movement, the church has set aside, anointed and appointed people for leadership in this community of those called by God. When a person responds to a calling by God to full-time ministry, he or she begins a lifelong struggle with that calling. Some respond right away, others deny the call, while still others delay their response. Many have witnessed the "Hound of Heaven" pursuing them, nipping at their heels, until they completely surrender and respond to that "still, small voice." The United Methodist Church has established rules and built walls, seemingly insurmountable at times, over which those responding to a call must climb. full story

Gathering brings together Sudan's 'lost boys and girls'

July 12, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {416} United Methodist News Service FAIRFAX, Va. — What gives a five-year-old the strength to survive the slaughter of her family? How does a six-year-old walk a thousand miles and survive by eating leaves and mud? Where does a seven-year-old get the courage to jump into the crocodile-infested Nile? Elizabeth Anok Kuch, Angelo Maker and James Garang will tell you in one word: "God." Like thousands of "lost boys and girls" from Sudan, they have stories of unimaginable horrors they lived through as children. Garang's parents were shot in front of his eyes. He points to the scar on his head left by a bullet that was meant to kill him as well. He faked his death by lying between his dead parents. "God has a purpose that is greater than I am," he says. "I don't know why I survived and my parents were killed. God gave me a life." full story

Friendship leads to national organization for Sudan

July 12, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {417} United Methodist News Service FAIRFAX, Va. — Spotting Susie Albert Miller and Angelo Maker in a room, you probably won't put them together as best friends. Miller is a petite brunette businesswoman full of self-confidence. Maker is a tall, lanky African man who struggles to speak English-partially because he is from Sudan and partially because he is missing several teeth. His parents pulled out his teeth when he was a child to keep him from being sold into slavery. Together, the two make a force to be reckoned with. full story

Bracelets support rebuilding along Gulf Coast

July 13, 2006    News media contact:   Diane Denton * (615) 742-5406*  Nashville {418} United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — "Rebuilding churches and communities" reads the inscription on bracelets from the United Methodist Council of Bishops to encourage support of hurricane victims along the Gulf Coast. Money from purchases of the maroon wristbands will be used for the bishops' Katrina Church Recovery Appeal. The appeal focuses on the needs of clergy, church staff and mission personnel in the affected areas and on the United Methodist facilities-churches, retreat centers, urban ministries, retirement facilities and mission centers-that were severely damaged or destroyed. Many were underinsured, with insufficient coverage for damage due to rising water. full story

Camp helps children with storm stress

July 13, 2006    News media contact:   Fran  Coode Walsh * (615) 742-5458*  Nashville {419} United Methodist News Service PASS CHRISTIAN AND GULFPORT, Miss. — The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina is indelibly etched into the memories of children living along the Gulf Coast. "I was scared, because you could hear the wind making those sounds," recalled Jenifer Truong, 12, of Pass Christian, Miss., who worried whether she "would see everyone again." Truong is one of about 250 children attending Camp Noah this summer at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Pass Christian and First United Methodist Church in nearby Gulfport.  Local churches and the United Methodist Committee on Relief are providing facilities and funding for the week-long day camps. full story

United Methodist clergy choose path to fitness and health

July 14, 2006 United Methodist Reporter Two years ago, at age 47, the Rev. Gary Brooks faced disturbing news. Already asthmatic, he learned that for the first time in his life, his blood pressure was dangerously high. A doctor prescribed medication and told the once-active bicyclist to lose weight and start exercising — a combo he said would reduce the blood pressure and might even ease the asthma. In just days, Mr. Brooks was back on his bike. He's since logged more than 7,500 miles and he's participated twice in "Bicycle Across Kansas," a 500-mile rally held each June. It's a journey to fitness he could never have managed without help from his flock at First United Methodist Church in Great Bend, Kan. full story

REFLECTIONS: Airport encounter stirs reflection

July 14, 2006 United Methodist Reporter I experienced a two-hour flight delay recently while changing planes. I wouldn't arrive home until well after midnight. I have finally learned to take these unpredictable events with little consternation. I would take advantage of the unexpected two hours by completing a rather challenging book I'd been trying to finish for months. The particular airport is especially passenger-friendly, with rocking chairs scattered throughout the terminal for travelers. I found a comfortable one and settled into the now quiet waiting lounge. Another passenger took the chair next to mine. I did not acknowledge what seemed an intrusion on "my" special place. I continued reading and rocking, hoping not to be disturbed. I was wrong. full story

UMCOR attorney wins immigration appeal

July 14, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {420} United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — An attorney for the United Methodist Committee on Relief has won an appeal from the nation's highest immigration court for a native of Guyana who is a U.S. citizen. T.J. Mills, the attorney, said the decision was particularly important "because some people who have been deported to Guyana now may return to the U.S. as full citizens." full story

Conference aims to give church wake-up call about AIDS

July 14, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {421} United Methodist News Service While HIV/AIDS has been spreading into a pandemic, the United Methodist Church has been sleeping, according to the president of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS. "The church has been sleeping for the past 25 years while the pandemic is spreading, but the Spirit of God is awakening the church, (and it is raising) people to respond with money and programs for prevention, care and treatment," said the Rev. Donald Messer, who directs the center at Iliff Theological Seminary in Denver. Messer is a former president of Iliff. Part of that response will be an upcoming "Lighten the Burden Conference" Sept. 8-9 in Washington. The gathering is designed to equip clergy and lay leaders who want to join in the global response to the AIDS crisis. The registration deadline is Aug 15. full story

Africa University sees broader role as service provider

July 17, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {424} United Methodist News Service MUTARE, Zimbabwe — A training conference for United Methodist communicators is a sign of more events to come at the denomination's Africa University. Some 28 communicators from 13 African countries met June 14-30 at the school for a training event sponsored by United Methodist Communications. It was the first such event of its kind held by the church in Africa. "It's been absolutely wonderful for us," said Andra Stevens, the university's director of information and public affairs. "This is the first time this has happened, and it's nothing short of historic." At the closing ceremony for the event, the Rev. Lloyd Nyarota-a pastor and communicator from Zimbabwe-gave the school high praise. "Africa University is the greatest blessing the United Methodist Church world over has given to this episcopal area." Nestled in the mountains near Mutare, Africa University opened in 1992 and has grown to an enrollment of more than 1,200 students from 22 countries. While its emphasis is on educating students, the school is also broadening its role as a place for conferences and other events. full story

United Methodists join pleas for end to Middle East violence

July 17, 2006    News media contact:   * ( ) * {426} United Methodist News Service United Methodists are joining other religious leaders in deploring the recent explosion of violence in the Middle East and calling for an international response. "We join others who deplore the escalating violence in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon and urge parties to mediate the conflict and end the mounting casualties among the innocent," said Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of Houston, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. "We also join those who urge President Bush to use the strength and authority of his office, with the support of other leaders, to bring the parties together for mediation." full story

Indiana interfaith coalition presses for Sudan divestment

July 17, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {428} United Methodist News Service INDIANAPOLIS — An ad hoc interfaith coalition of Hoosiers told the ambassador of Sudan that a bill calling for Indiana to divest state funds from that warring country will be introduced next year. The 45-minute call from United Methodists and other religious leaders and faith organizations to Ambassador Khidir Ahmed on July 13 sought his perspective on the Sudanese situation. They also informed him of the intent of Indiana State Sen. John Broden of South Bend to introduce a bill in December for consideration in the 2007 Indiana legislature session to divest state funds from Sudan until the Sudanese government takes action to bring peace to region of Darfur. "It's likely that will seek targeted divestments to minimize any damage to ordinary Sudanese people," Broden said during the call. "The prospect of the bill will go as we see how peacekeeping goes in the next months." The telephone conversation with Ahmed was followed by a second call with Michael Phelan, a Washington legislative aide to U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana. The conversations were proposed by Beth Reilly, a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. Lugar also is a United Methodist. full story

African United Methodists count on radio to reach masses

July 18, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {429} United Methodist News Service MUTARE, Zimbabwe — On a vast continent where large regions are "off the grid" - inaccessible by Internet or telephone - African communicators are looking to one medium to help them connect United Methodist churches: Radio. "Eighty-five percent of the population, particularly the rural population, does not have any means of getting information except through radio," said the Rev. Webster Mutamba, a communications consultant and pastor in the church's Zimbabwe Area. Without it, he said, "there is no hope for the church." Many of the 28 communicators attending a June 14-30 training conference at Africa University said they are emphasizing radio as a priority. full story

Are churches 'too feminized' for men?

July 19, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {432} United Methodist News Service Author David Murrow says a typical guy feels as comfortable in church as Tom Sawyer in Aunt Polly's parlor. "He must watch his language, mind his manners and be extra polite," Murrow writes in his popular 2005 book, Why Men Hate Going to Church. That's because the altar flowers and felt banners, mostly female Sunday school teachers and blue-haired ladies playing the organ, all make church feel like a "woman's thing." And unless a man enjoys serving on a committee or passing out bulletins, he may feel there's not much for him to do, so he steers clear. Today's contemporary worship services aren't much better: Their soft praise-and-worship songs and emphasis on relational needs are better suited to the needs of women than men, says Murrow, who is a member at a nondenominational church in Anchorage, Alaska. full story

United Methodists learn health ministry leadership skills

July 20, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {434} United Methodist News Service FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — United Methodists can build on the church's strengths to set off an "epidemic of health," a faith and health expert told participants at a health ministry training event. "Congregations are the generative engine of this epidemic of health," said the Rev. Gary Gunderson, director of the Interfaith Health Program at Emory University in Atlanta and senior vice president for health and welfare ministries at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn. "We can be systematic about what causes life as well as what causes death," he said. full story

Effective ministry requires healthy self-care, experts say

July 20, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {435} United Methodist News Service FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Taking care of yourself is essential for effective ministry, professionals in health and wholeness told leaders of the United Methodist Church. "Your ability to serve others is totally dependent on your ability to function and be healthy," said Suzanne Hawley, site director in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She was co-leader of the Healthy Leadership Training Event July 12-15, along with Judy Johnston, research instructor at the school. "If we don't engage in effective self care we can burn out," Hawley cautioned. "Some of us feel guilty that we're not doing enough - even if we are burned out. We are not meant to be in a continuous state of guilt." full story

Methodists from around world gather amid global tensions

July 20, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {437} United Methodist News Service SEOUL, South Korea — Concerns about tensions on the Korean Peninsula and bombings in the Middle East were acknowledged as more than 2,500 Methodists gathered in Seoul. Drawing representatives from churches in 132 countries, the World Methodist Council met July 18-19, followed by the July 20-24 World Methodist Conference. "God in Christ Reconciling" (II Corinthians 5:18) is the theme for the 19th conference, which is meeting at Seoul's Kum Nan Church for worship, dialogue and study. Conference participants come during a time of high tension following North Korea's recent missile tests. full story

GUEST COMMENTARY: Is church 'feminized' or has it lost its soul?

July 21, 2006 United Methodist Reporter David Murrow's book, Why Men Hate Going to Church, has hit a nerve among church leaders. His book was featured in the June 30 Reporter article, "Are Churches Too 'Feminized' For Men?" Mr. Murrow says the problem with the church is that it is too feminine to attract men. I propose a different reason for the lack of men in the church, and a suggestion for what we can do about it. I write as a theologian who teaches evangelism and spirituality, as an ordained pastor who has evangelized and mentored men of all ages, and as a female in the so-called "feminized" church. full story

'Created by God' program targets pre-teens-and parents

July 21, 2006    News media contact:   Fran  Coode Walsh * (615) 742-5458*  Nashville {438} United Methodist News Service The fifth- and sixth-graders filing into the church classroom have the enthusiasm of a slew of sloths. After all, their parents have insisted that they spend the weekend learning about, of all things, sex. Well, not sex exactly, but pending puberty and the physical and emotional changes these pre-teens are beginning to experience. As they roll their eyes and fluff the pillows they've brought from home, the kids settle on the floor to hear what the Rev. James Ritchie has to say. He is an ordained United Methodist minister and author of the "Created by God" sex education curriculum. Designed under the auspices of the United Methodist Publishing House, the program is a comprehensive look at human sexuality coupled with a faith foundation. full story

Methodists must speak out, make disciples, exec says

July 24, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {440} United Methodist News Service SEOUL, South Korea — The top staff executive of the World Methodist Council challenged delegates from around the world to make followers of Christ, noting that if the church doesn't "disciple the nations, the nations will disciple the church." In his July 21 address to the World Methodist Conference, the Rev. George Freeman emphasized the need for Methodists to speak out amid the challenges facing the world. "With AIDS/HIV, wars and rumors of war, humanity and inhumanity, racism, unprecedented violence that makes a mockery of reconciliation, the voice of Methodism and the Wesleyan family needs to be heard widely and clearly, speaking truth in love …," he said. "If the church does not disciple the nations, the nations will disciple the church." full story

Worship service focuses on Demilitarized Zone

July 24, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {441} United Methodist News Service SEOUL, South Korea — Sunday, July 23, became a new Day of Pentecost as some 300 delegates from the World Methodist Conference participated in a worship service on peace and reunification at Imjingak (the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea). full story

Commentary: Church must strengthen its lay faith education

July 25, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {444} United Methodist News Service "Why is the church doing so poorly in being a voice for social justice and change?" This question was put to me recently as I led a seminar on globalization at the Baltimore-Washington Annual (regional) Conference's United Methodist School of Mission. It's a challenging question for all of us who make connecting the church with social advocacy and action a church priority. My answer: I think a lot of the fault lies in our current system of lay faith education. It is failing us. full story

Religious, political leaders speak on immigration reform

July 25, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {445} WASHINGTON — Religious leaders from across the United States, along with several key lawmakers and a White House staff person, emphasized the importance of passing comprehensive immigration reform during this Congressional session. "Faith and Migration: Diverse Perspectives from Religious Leaders," was organized by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society and held July 12 at the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill. Bishop Roy Sano, executive secretary of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, spoke of his own journey as the son of Japanese immigrants and the trials his family faced during their internment at the beginning of World War II. full story

College distributes funds to help burned churches

July 26, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {447} BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ten rural Alabama churches that were damaged or destroyed by arson this year are receiving checks from United Methodist-related Birmingham-Southern College, which launched a fund last spring to help the congregations rebuild. Teams of students, faculty and staff have delivered checks to nine of the churches, and the remaining check will be presented in August. With the delivery of the final check, the school's Alabama Churches Rebuilding and Restoration Fund will have disbursed more than $368,000 to the burned churches, a spokesperson said. full story

UMCOR needs funds for Middle East crisis

July 26, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {448} NEW YORK — The United Methodist Committee on Relief has issued an urgent appeal for funds to assist civilians caught in the renewed fighting in the Middle East. "Our funds for Middle East emergencies are painfully low," said the Rev. Paul Dirdak, UMCOR's chief executive, on July 25. "As Christians and as a denomination, we need to equip ourselves to do our part in responding to humanitarian needs in this tragic situation." Contributions should go to the Middle East Emergency Fund, No.601740, of the Advance for Christ and His Church, the United Methodist designated mission giving fund. full story

War vets share experience at Methodist service at DMZ

July 27, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {450} SEOUL, South Korea — Three Korean War veterans and a United Methodist bishop stationed in Korea in the 1950s worshipped together during a World Methodist Conference service at Imjingak, in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. The Rev. Seung Soon Yang, a retired Korean Methodist clergyman who served for three years during the Korean War, was one of a few survivors from the Mt. Paikma battle, where he was injured. He traveled by bus to the July 23 worship service with United Methodist Bishop Robert E. Fannin, who was in the DMZ from 1958 to 1960. The pair talked about their churches, families, basic training, parts of Korea such as the DMZ, Seoul, Munsan and the Imjin River, and their faith in difficult times. full story

Real men don't worship

July 28, 2006     News media contact:   Dean McIntyre * 877-899-2780, ext 7073 *  Nashville {05082} General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church A provocative article titled "Are Churches Too Feminized for Men?" appeared in the June 30, 2006, edition of The United Methodist Reporter. Written by Managing Editor Robin Russell, the article discussed the absence of men in churches today and reasons for it, in part relying on the book, "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005). Here are some of the statistics of today's testosterone-deficient churches ... . full story

Raising grandchildren: More seniors tackle child-rearing

July 28, 2006 United Methodist Reporter When Trini Garza, a member of Dallas' Emanu-El United Methodist Church, took custody of his adolescent granddaughter, he didn't expect to find himself raising three great-granddaughters while their parents spent time in jail. But he stepped up to the plate and took home those three little girls when he saw the continual problems his granddaughter and her husband faced. And he's not alone. Thousands of grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles across the United States are doing the same thing as drugs, alcohol, illness or even military service are making parents unable to care for their own children. full story

Minister, 103, delivers eulogy for longtime colleague

July 28, 2006 United Methodist Reporter ABILENE, Texas — In May, the Rev. Vernon Henderson delivered a eulogy for a friend, the Rev. J. Edmund Kirby, who died April 12 at age 98. The gesture itself wasn't surprising; the two served long careers together in the United Methodist Church's Northwest Texas Conference. The remarkable aspect is Dr. Henderson's own age. At 103, he's the oldest ordained minister in the conference. His next birthday is less than two months away on Sept. 20 -- which, by the way, will also be the 75th anniversary of his marriage to wife, Viola, 99. full story

WESLEYAN WISDOM: Get serious about message to counter decline

July 28, 2006 United Methodist Reporter Some 8,000 United Methodist churches have new pastors this summer. Attendance may perk up about 15 percent during the honeymoon season, which may be very short-lived. For most, changing pastors is not a magic wand. We have to look realistically at the health of our church and the unchurched people in our community, and how we re-vision our local church. Itineracy is meaningless if pastors and churches use old flight manuals to fly new missions over a changed territory. The genius of Methodism is not itineracy. We need renewed passion for persons, not old polity in repetitious practice. Our choices seem to be: Live in denial as we lose the size of an annual conference a year, wait until panic sets in with a "sky is falling" hysteria, or preserve Methodism with the ploughman's work, the pilgrim's faith and the prophet's vision. full story

Book gives insights into 'living fully, dying well'

July 28, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {453} NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dying is as natural as drawing breath, but the church has done a poor job of talking about the subject, says retired United Methodist Bishop Ruben Job. To help open the door to this topic, Job, 78, has written Living Fully, Dying Well, published by Abingdon Press. The study includes a DVD featuring video segments by Job and other contributors as well as study sessions for adults and teens. Video segments feature the Rev. Rick Gentzler, director of United Methodist Board of Discipleship's Older Adult Ministries; the Rev. John Collett, senior pastor at Belmont United Methodist Church, Nashville; and Dr. David Jarvis, physician and member of Belmont. Other contributors include author Martha Hickman; Belmont member Mozelle Cor; insurance expert Charles Hewgely; nurse Bonnie Johnson; and attorney Mary Boyd. full story

Commentary: Malaria kills friends 'and we cannot stop crying'

July 31, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {455} United Methodist News Service Laurina Osseia was a beautiful young woman of 34 who lived in a suburb of Maputo, Mozambique. When she and I and Mozambique Initiative representative, Ezequiel Nhantumbo, began working together in March, she was eight months pregnant and due to deliver two weeks after I was to depart Maputo. full story