e-Review archive
Global Connection
August 2005
 

Building community with children, focus of conference

Aug. 1, 2005 United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Leaders of children's ministries must ensure that children know themselves as members of God's beloved community. During the July 26-29 Focus event at Brentwood (Tenn.) United Methodist Church, speaker after speaker emphasized the importance of raising the quality of the care for children in the church and raising the vision of what it can mean to be in ministry with children in the truest sense. The 2005 Focus conference was designed to show those who teach and care for children how they can build community with children, both collectively and individually. "It is not just about Sunday School or sending them out to play. It is about including them in the whole of the church community," said Mary Alice Gran, director of children's ministries at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. full story

United Methodist Women meet to advance public education

Aug. 2, 2005     News media contact:   Kelly C. Martini * 212-870-3729*  New York Women's Division, General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church NASHVILLE, Tenn. — More than 150 United Methodist Women members active in public education in local communities around the nation exchanged information, experiences and strategies to advance their faith-based efforts to support and protect U.S. public education at a summit called by the million-member organization at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, Tenn., Jul 28-31. The summit was part of the United Methodist Women Campaign for Children: Phase III: Public Education in which members are urged to go into their local schools and school boards as volunteers and advocates for the needs of students. Also, members of the organization have been studying issues surrounding the status of U.S. public education through United Methodist Women's Schools of Christian Mission program, which offers classes on selected topics around the country each year. "We've had two years of study on U.S. public education that's helped to build an awareness of the issues," said Julie Taylor, summit coordinator and executive secretary for children, youth and family advocacy for the Women's Division, the national administrative body of United Methodist Women. "The purpose of this summit is to listen to what our members are doing and learning as they engage the public school systems in their communities." full story

Women offer hands-on help to public schools

Aug. 2, 2005     News media contact:   Kelly C. Martini * 212-870-3729*  New York Women's Division, General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Braber Spell leafed through a two-inch binder filled with her research on the numerous incarnations of a proposed "Put Parents in Charge" bill that she and the South Carolina Conference United Methodist Women helped defeat in the state legislature earlier this year. "It's a voucher system in disguise," she said, explaining their opposition to the measure in the exhibit area during the United Methodist Women Public Education Summit in Nashville July 28-31. "It doesn't benefit those it says it's to benefit. It's a pay up front type, and if you're poor, you can't afford to spend four or five thousand dollars to send your children to school." The bill granting tax credits to parents sending their children to private schools and giving dollar-for-dollar tax credits to businesses donating to private school scholarship organizations was unacceptable to South Carolina United Methodist Women dedicated to improving and protecting public education in the United States. full story

United Methodist Women advocate for improvement in schools

Aug. 2, 2005 United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Democracy and economic well-being in the United States depend on education, the foundation on which many possibilities are built, said a former college professor and leader of United Methodist Women. Jan Love, chief executive of the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, was among the speakers focusing on education and improving America's schools during a July 29-31 summit in Nashville, Tenn. One hundred-fifty women from rural, urban and suburban settings, with various experiences in the education system, engaged in conversations to set direction for the 1 million United Methodist Women in the United States and to give them tools to advocate for public education. full story

Woman adopts children who otherwise might not have chance

Aug. 3, 2005     News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {438} United Methodist News Service FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Sue Tom has been honored as "Woman of the Year" at the California state capitol in Sacramento. A film on her family, "My Flesh and Blood," took the grand jury prize for documentary direction at a Sundance Film Festival and has aired on HBO. Aug. 2 the 50-something single mother from Fairfield, Calif., returned to a new home — one built in five days courtesy of the ABC-TV reality show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Being whisked away for a Hollywood-style dream vacation while cranes crunch your home doesn't happen every day. And while the bright lights have been dazzling, and the accolades stunning, ask anyone who knows about Susan Tom and the story of her 11 adopted children, and you will hear that what makes her happiest is being a mom. full story

Hai-yaah! Pastor uses karate for Christ

Aug. 4, 2005 United Methodist News Service What began as a way for the Rev. Rod Brayfindley to drop weight and lower his blood pressure has dramatically increased his ministry, and now people are flocking to his United Methodist church to strengthen their spiritual muscles. Wearing karate clothes in the fitness center of the Church of the Joyful Healer in McKinleyville, Calif., Brayfindley might not fit someone's perception of a pastor. In fact, this holder of a third-degree black belt often uses karate moves during his Sunday sermons to illustrate scriptural points, such as not running away from problems but realizing that the Lord's power is enough to face any challenge. Brayfindley, 47, teaches the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of the ancient art of karate to more than 120 church members, New Agers, Muslims, Jews, agnostics and others from the eclectic religious community in Northern California. They go to his church to train their bodies and minds — and Brayfindley said he hopes they'll return for even more. full story

New United Methodist health ministry targets malaria

Aug. 2, 2005     News media contact:   Elliott Wright * 212-870-3921*  New York General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church NEW YORK — The mission agency of The United Methodist Church today announced a new health ministry aimed at helping eradicate malaria, a controllable disease that kills a child every thirty seconds. The United Methodist Community Based Malaria Prevention Program will be launched in Sierra Leone in the fall and will be extended from there.  It will involve existing church-related health facilities and personnel. "We are acting in faith in this program," said the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the General Board of Global Ministries. "We believe United Methodists will rally to this cause as they learn about the increasing ravages of the mosquito-borne parasites that cause malaria and ways the disease can be prevented and treated." full story

Controversy surrounds upcoming event at Lake Junaluska

Aug. 9, 2005 United Methodist News Service LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — This placid United Methodist retreat center has found itself in the center of a summer storm over rental of its facilities by the Reconciling Ministries Network, which advocates full participation in the church by people of all sexual orientations. E-mail and official statements have passed back and forth in recent weeks, and church-related blogs and internet forums are buzzing about the gathering. Several hundred participants are expected for the "Hearts on Fire" event Sept. 2-5 at Lake Junaluska, a Southeastern Jurisdiction ministry about 30 miles west of Asheville. "SEJAC does not approve of or disapprove of the 'Hearts on Fire' conference program, said Jimmy L. Carr, executive director of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. "The participants in the event will use the facilities of SEJAC and we will host them, as we do other groups who are our guests, in a gracious way that is exemplary of the wonderful United Methodist Church that we so love and desire to serve in the name of Jesus Christ." full story

United Methodist is likely frontrunner in Liberia's presidential race

Aug. 11, 2005     United Methodist News Service MONROVIA, Liberia — It is likely a United Methodist will become the first woman elected president of Liberia, according to interviews with faculty members and students at Liberia's United Methodist University. University faculty members and students identified Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, formerly an official with the United Nations, the World Bank and Liberia's finance agency, as the frontrunner in Liberia's presidential race during impromptu conversations and interviews. The faculty members interviewed included, among others, a political scientist, a theologian, and the university president. Johnson Sirleaf is a "very strong, very focused leader," said university President J. Oliver Duncan. Many Liberians "are dreaming of bringing forth the first woman president of Liberia," he said. Johnson Sirleaf, an active member of First United Methodist Church of Monrovia, is one of more than 50 aspirants who have announced their intention to run for the nation's highest office. Some will run as nominees of Liberia's 30 political parties; others may run as independents. Campaigning officially begins Aug. 11. The election will be Oct. 11. full story

Church schools confront challenges in post-war Liberia

Aug. 11, 2005     United Methodist News Service BUCHANAN, Liberia — "Give me pen, not guns" reads a hand-written poster on the cafeteria wall of J.F. Yancy School at Camphor Mission near Buchanan. The slogan is not hyperbole. Beginning in the early 1990s, boys as young as 12 and 13 years old were recruited or forcibly drafted into rebel armies, given guns, and deployed to fight and kill other Liberians for more than a decade. Since 2003, when former president Charles Taylor finally stepped aside and the United Nations deployed peacekeeper troops, Liberia's deadly 14-year civil war has largely subsided and order has been restored to much of the nation. Yet the chaotic war took countless lives and has left the nation's buildings, roads, schools, businesses and government in disarray. Liberia has no centralized systems for providing electricity, sanitary water, safe disposal or trash collection. Unemployment is estimated at 95 percent. In an election scheduled for Oct. 11, Liberia will select a new president, and many people hope the nation once considered the "jewel of West Africa" will be able to rebuild. In the meantime, Liberian United Methodists are eager to get the nation's children back into the classroom. full story

Internships allow experience with U.N., aging issues

Aug. 12, 2005      United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Stephanie Oduro has always been fascinated by the United Nations, but a recent internship with Global Action on Aging gave her a more realistic picture of how the U.N. operates. Oduro understands, for example, that change rarely happens quickly. "I've learned that diplomacy is very slow and very tedious," she said. A native of Ghana and resident of Jersey City, N.J., Oduro was finishing a summer internship at Global Action on Aging in August, along with Ruo Fu of Beijing, China, Priya Sharma of London, Ontario, and Cindy Chin, a New Yorker and resident of Queens. Global Action on Aging was founded in 1994 by Susanne Paul, former staff with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Over the years, the nonprofit organization has received support from various United Methodist agencies, including the board's Women's Division, the Board of Discipleship, and the Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Under Paul's guidance, Global Action on Aging — which "advocates by, with and for older persons worldwide" — has progressed from a start-up venture to a recognized nongovernmental partner for social justice programs sponsored by the United Nations. In the past year, the agency has doubled its office space at the United Methodist-owned Church Center for the United Nations, allowing for an expansion of interns and volunteers. full story

Lutherans approve interim agreement with United Methodists

Aug. 12, 2005     By United Methodist News Service Representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have overwhelmingly approved an "interim Eucharistic sharing" agreement with the United Methodist Church. The 877-60 vote occurred Aug. 11 during the ELCA's 2005 Churchwide Assembly, in Orlando, Fla. The assembly is the denomination's chief legislative authority. Bishop William Oden, ecumenical officer of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, was at the assembly and called the vote "an historic moment" for both denominations. "We have invited each other into each other's house," he said. full story

United Methodist mom questions son's death in Iraq

Aug. 15, 2005    United Methodist News Service CRAWFORD, Texas — As President George W. Bush's motorcade sped by, Celeste Zappala stood behind a police line, singing and waving a cross bearing the name of her fallen son. Zappala wanted to meet the commander in chief and ask him about his rationale for starting the war against Iraq. Her son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker, 30, died there last year. "He literally was killed looking for the weapons of mass destruction that never existed," she said, standing under the sweltering Texas sun at a makeshift anti-war camp set up near President Bush's ranch. Zappala, a United Methodist, traveled from her home in Philadelphia to Texas to support a friend who also lost a son in Iraq. Cindy Sheehan is making international headlines after pitching a tent alongside the country road leading to the president's ranch. She has vowed to stay there through his monthlong vacation unless he agrees to meet and listen to her concerns about the war. "I now live in a different universe than I used to live in," Zappala said. "I try to keep my grief in check so I can function and I can work, and at least twice a day, I fall apart." Zappala said her faith and her church, First United Methodist Church of Germantown, have helped her through the ordeal. Several of the denomination's leaders joined her in Crawford to hold a prayer service Aug. 12. full story

WCC sets young adult event in Chicago

Aug. 16, 2005     United Methodist News Service An event for young adults focusing on peace and justice work, sponsored by the World Council of Churches, is set for Oct. 8-10 in Chicago. "Shift Your Space - Transform the World" will take place in Hyde Park, home to the University of Chicago Divinity School, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and McCormick Theological Seminary. Tied to the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence, the event will draw upon the wisdom of seminarians from those and other institutions, according to Jenny Phillips, event coordinator. The purpose is to help young adults build ecumenical connections and use the strength of church unity for peace and justice work. full story

Deacons, diaconal ministers find connections in work

Aug. 17, 2005    United Methodist News Service Some 400 deacons, diaconal ministers, and deaconesses from 31 countries struggled with language barriers and financial differences but still managed to find a common thread in their work of servant ministry during a worldwide assembly. "Diaconal ministry is about the church itself being on the margins, looking at what it might mean to be a marginalized church, instead of seeking out people to work on the margins on behalf of the church," said the Rev. Sharon Rubey, director of candidacy and conference relations at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. "I think it is a challenge that we as deacons are called to communicate to the whole church." Deacons from at least 10 denominations, including United Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians and Presbyterians, found inspiration for their work during the 19th World Assembly of DIAKONIA World Federation in Durham, England, July 20-27. full story

Church finds new life by ministering to community needs

Aug. 18, 2005 United Methodist News Service LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In the 1970s, Theressa Hoover United Methodist Church was on its way to permanently fading out. Then the Rev. William "Paw Paw" Robinson Jr. stepped in. "I was not convinced that the regular, traditional United Methodist membership would take off and grow fast enough to support and sustain a ministry in this building," he said. "I just saw an opportunity for this building to fill a void." Robinson has been a key part in creating a series of programs through a United Methodist ministry called Black Community Developers to serve the community of Little Rock. The programs include Paw Paw's Day Care, after-school and summer youth programs, gang intervention, a faith-based substance abuse program, housing for formerly incarcerated men, Jobs Partnership, affordable housing and a partnership with the Minority AIDS Network. full story

African communicators meet, share ideas for future

Aug. 19, 2005     United Methodist News Service MUTARE, Zimbabwe — Most United Methodist communicators in Africa work without access to a working landline phone, Internet, transportation and, in some cases, reliable electricity. For church communicators in many African countries, a pen, paper and even a chair are sometimes hard to find. Identifying communications challenges and solutions was the subject of a two-day consultation held July 20-21 at Africa University. The meeting was the first to bring together 13 annual conference communicators representing nine African countries — and speaking three languages — to look at ways to advance communications. The meeting was sponsored by United Methodist Communications, in cooperation with the university, as part of the Central Conference Communications Initiative approved by the 2004 General Conference. full story

Communications association formed in Africa

Aug. 19, 2005    United Methodist News Service MUTARE, Zimbabwe — Thirteen United Methodist communicators from nine African countries braved traveling nightmares, struggled with language barriers and forged new friendships that ended with a communications association. The United Methodist Association of Communicators — African region was formed at the end of a two-day communications consultation sponsored by United Methodist Communications and held at Africa University July 20-21. "Even though we are expressing ourselves in different languages we can go back and tell our people, 'God loves us all, there are no communication barriers,'" said the Rev. Konah Parker, director of communications for the United Methodist Church's Liberia Area. full story

Katrina: Church World Service emergency response teams readying for emergency needs assessments, long term recovery plans

Aug. 30, 2005     News media contact:   Jan Dragin * 781-925 1526; jdragin@gis.net * New York Church World Service NEW YORK — Responding to what it anticipates may be the largest U.S. relief and recovery effort in its history, humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS) says its Executive Director and CEO Rev. John L. McCullough will travel to Hurricane Katrina-devastated  Louisiana Aug 31 to personally assess emergency and long-term recovery needs and to meet with area faith leaders. "Church World Service is particularly concerned about the plight of what we anticipate to be a high percentage of poor people, the elderly and other vulnerable populations throughout the affected Gulf Coast area and beyond," he says. "Stories of individuals who had to stay in their homes  because they couldn't afford to evacuate personify that crisis." CWS issued a national fund-raising appeal for survivors of Katrina Aug 29 and has directed an initial shipment of emergency supplies it hopes will reach Baton Rouge Aug. 31 for distribution. full story

United Methodists help Hurricane Katrina refugees

Aug. 31, 2005     United Methodist News Service United Methodists found opportunities to be in ministry with hurricane evacuees before volunteer teams were allowed to enter communities torn by Hurricane Katrina's fierce winds. Volunteers were asked to stay away from areas affected by the hurricane until the completion of all rescue and assessment, but displaced residents of Louisiana and Mississippi found shelter and community with United Methodists. full story

New songbook will offer contemporary, diverse mix

Aug. 22, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A songbook that captures the essence of 21st century worship in the African-American church is one step closer to reality, and Sept. 30 is the deadline for submitting music for possible inclusion. Zion Still Sings! For Every Generation is the title of the new resource, which will become available in January 2007 from the United Methodist Publishing House. The book will provide congregations with a resource for corporate singing with a black church flare, according to the editorial committee, which met Aug. 17-19 in Nashville. full story

Church announces $2 million advertising push, 'The Journey'

Aug. 22, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Church will begin airing its newest television commercial Aug. 29, inviting millions of Americans to join in a journey of faith. The spot, titled "The Journey," is the newest element of the denomination's advertising and welcoming ministry, said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive at United Methodist Communications. The agency manages the ministry with the theme of "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors." "We are on a journey that leads us toward God," Hollon explained. "This spot shows that persons seeking a path for their faith can find a home in the United Methodist Church." The commercial, shown in 15-, 30- and 60-second versions, shows several people following various trails of items. The paths come together with an invitation to visit a United Methodist church. The commercial will air on 18 cable networks, including three Hispanic networks, Aug. 29 through the week of Sept. 18. Hollon said the commercial would broadcast more than 1,200 times during the back-to-school period. The denomination is paying $2 million for the advertising time. full story

Criminal Justice Summit aims to address prison ministry needs

Aug. 23, 2005      United Methodist News Service Paul Dame lived and worked with prison inmates for more than two decades, carrying a gun and enforcing discipline as a correctional officer, then rising to the rank of captain and a job in prison administration. When he ventures behind bars again, Dame wants to bring hope. "I can't say the aim is so much to change the prison system as it is to reach out to those individuals who find themselves caught up in it," Dame said of his plan to become a prison chaplain. "I found myself with a cynical attitude toward people and prisoners," he said, recalling his years as a correctional officer, mostly in the Washington, D.C., area. Dame, now a student at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, will be among seminary students, chaplains, and members of local congregations gathering Sept. 16-18 in Atlanta at a Criminal Justice Summit sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. full story

Church offers homeless musicians place to jam, find support

Aug. 24, 2005     United Methodist News Service With guitar picks in hand and a song on their lips, homeless musicians are finding a place in the walls of North Sacramento (Calif.) United Methodist Church. "I walked through these doors and this place greeted me. It has such an atmosphere here, such a soul of its own," said Lonnie Smith, a formerly homeless person who initiated weekly open jam sessions at the church. Each Wednesday, homeless and formerly homeless musicians step off the streets of Sacramento and into the church building for music and sanctuary. The music of congas, drums, and acoustic and electric guitars fill an upstairs room of the church, where the musicians play in whatever genre moves them that day — blues, rock 'n' roll, folk music. For the homeless, having a weekly jam session in a safe, alcohol- and drug-free environment adds stability to life at least once a week, said the Rev. Linda Kelly, a United Methodist minister who directs a spiritual companions program at Loaves and Fishes. Kelly attends North Sacramento. full story

Zimbabwe's problems pose 'deep concern,' missions chief says

Aug. 24, 2005    United Methodist News Service The United Methodist missions agency is trying to expand its humanitarian work in Zimbabwe in response to the country's food crisis and homelessness problem, the agency's top staff executive said. "The current situation in the nation of Zimbabwe is of deep concern to the United Methodist family and other Christian churches worldwide," said the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, in an Aug. 23 letter. Addressing church members and ecumenical mission partners, Day responded to questions the board is receiving about how it is responding to crises in the sub-Saharan African country. "A severe drought and food shortage have gripped the land for more than two years," Day said. "More recently, hundreds of thousands of people — perhaps a million — have been left homeless and jobless because of a government program to tear down urban shelters and commercial stalls considered illegal structures. We receive heart-rending stories of families and children living in the open during the cold months." The board has missionaries and mission volunteers working in Zimbabwe, as well as church-related health care programs, humanitarian projects and child-care ministries assisted by two of the board's units: the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the Women's Division. full story

United Methodist bishop denounces televangelist's remarks

Aug. 24, 2005   United Methodist News Service A prominent United Methodist bishop has called on televangelist Pat Robertson to apologize for remarks that suggest the United States "take out" Venezuela President Hugo Chavez. "I join the mounting Christian protest against Rev. Pat Robertson's recent statement proposing to 'take out' Venezuela President Hugo Chavez," said Bishop Peter D. Weaver, who heads the denomination's Boston Area and is president of the church's Council of Bishops. "Rev. Robertson's stand calls us to perpetuate the Cold War, urges us to join the terrorism we reject and pushes this world into a deepening spiral of violence," Weaver said. "On the basis of the Bible, the spirit of Jesus Christ, and Christian tradition, I urge Rev. Robertson publicly to apologize and renounce his misguided statement." In an Aug. 24 letter sent to the White House, Weaver also asked President George Bush to reject Robertson's call for violence against Chavez. full story

Lighthouse offers ray of hope for international students

Aug. 25, 2005     United Methodist News Service OCEAN CITY, Md. — What used to be a rowdy bar near the Ocean City boardwalk has undergone a dramatic change. Now known as the Lighthouse International Student Ministry, it has been transformed into a haven for international workers, thanks to a United Methodist pastor and volunteers from his church. Thousands of college students from Russia, Romania, Poland, Ireland and other countries flock to Ocean City during the summer and fall to work in busy shops, restaurants and hotels along the boardwalk. But even surrounded by hundreds of thousands of tourists, they often feel lonely and isolated, far from their homes and families. "Most of them, this is their first time in America," said the Rev. Jay Hurley, a pastor at Stevenson United Methodist Church in nearby Berlin. "They come and often get homesick, and sometimes they have trouble finding housing." The Lighthouse offers international students a place to relax and check e-mail. American students from Campus Crusade for Christ also offer tutoring in English. And every other week, church members don their aprons and cook up a free meal that usually draws more than 200 students. full story

United Methodists begin response to Hurricane Katrina

Aug. 29, 2005     United Methodist News Service United Methodist churches around the Gulf Coast are responding to the needs in their communities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, after the Category 4 storm made landfall in Louisiana Aug. 29. Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast twice Monday morning as a Category 4 storm with winds as high as 140 miles per hour, landing in Louisiana. United Methodist churches in and around the New Orleans area were shut down over the Aug. 27-28 weekend as residents of the city participated in an unprecedented mandatory evacuation. Eighty percent of the population fled in advance of the storm, according to news reports. full story

United Methodists assess hurricane damages

Aug. 30, 2005     United Methodist News Service As Hurricane Katrina moved inland after pounding the Gulf Coast, United Methodists resolved to provide whatever help they could to the most affected areas. "Southern Mississippi has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, but in these difficult days, United Methodist people are confident of God's love and care for all, and we seek to be a healing presence for all affected by the storm," said Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the Mississippi Area Aug. 30. Officially declared disaster areas by President Bush, parts of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi were devastated by the Category 4 storm, which made landfall on the Gulf Coast Aug. 29 after striking Florida a few days earlier. The death toll by late Aug. 30 was estimated at nearly 70-mostly in Mississippi-but state officials predicted the final number would be higher. full story

Bishops plan to model relationship-building at caucus events

Aug. 31, 2005     United Methodist News Service Amid questions and protests from United Methodists and others, Bishops Sally Dyck, Scott Jones and John Schol will participate in a panel discussion at an event being held by a group that advocates the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the life of the denomination. The three bishops aren't stopping there, though. A few weeks later, they will attend a conference being held by a conservative group that advocates for doctrinal precision in the United Methodist Church and opposes the ordination of homosexuals. The first convocation, set for Sept. 2-5, is sponsored by the Reconciling Ministries Network, an unofficial United Methodist group supporting the participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the church. That annual event has stirred emotions around the denomination, in part because it's being held at Lake Junaluska, N.C., a United Methodist facility and a bastion of the church's largely conservative Southeastern Jurisdiction. Some United Methodists have protested the meeting being held there, and the furor has attracted the attention of the Ku Klux Klan, which has said it will picket the event. The second conference is the Sept. 22-24 national gathering in Cincinnati of the Confessing Movement, an unofficial United Methodist group that disagrees with the Reconciling Ministries Network. full story