e-Review archive
Global Connection
August 2006
 

Tennessee church hosts "makeover" cast for destroyed home

Aug. 1, 2006     News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {456} United Methodist News Service HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — Some 300 volunteers clad in blue "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" shirts gathered at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church before beginning a 106-hour building blitz. Ty Pennington, hyper host of the popular ABC television program, told the July 30 gathering that producers decided to rebuild the home of Jared and Amy Hawkins after learning how Amy had saved her two children by shielding them from falling brinks and timber during an April 7 tornado. full story

Qana bombing draws more calls for ceasefire

Aug. 1, 2006     News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {457} United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Ten years ago, when the Lebanese village of Qana was bombed by Israel, the United Methodist Church adopted a statement condemning the action and dispatched a delegation to the White House to deliver it. In light of the July 30 raid on Qana by Israel — aimed at Hezbollah fighters but resulting in the deaths of more than 50 civilians, including many children - the Rev. R. Randy Day has called upon United Methodists to "reaffirm and repeat" the action of a decade ago. Day, who is chief executive of the denomination's Board of Global Ministries, issued a statement on July 31 as the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict reached its 19th day. But hopes were dim for an immediate ceasefire. full story

Black Methodist caucus certifies young lay speakers

Aug. 1, 2006     News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {458} United Methodist News Service LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Ninety youth, ages 12 to 18, recently left Philander Smith College as certified lay speakers in the United Methodist Church. The youth, representing the five United Methodist jurisdictions in the United States, gathered for Black Methodists for Church Renewal's National Youth Harambee to focus on various areas of leadership. The theme for the July 12-16 event was "Wha' cha' gone' do ... lead or follow?" based on Judges 4:8. The word harambee is South African, meaning "let's come together." The event was intended to be a celebration of the gifts, talents, and willing hearts of ethnic United Methodist youth. full story

United Methodist event encourages dialogue on sexual ethics

Aug. 2, 2006     News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {459} United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It's been called the problem that's hard to name and the sin that pastors don't like to discuss. But clergy sexual misconduct does happen, as does inappropriate sexual behavior by staff and lay persons within the church, its agencies and seminaries. When hidden under shrouds of secrecy and shame, such sins can destroy lives, tear apart families, split churches, bankrupt denominations and undermine the work of the church. During a July 26-29 United Methodist sexual ethics conference, more than 250 clergy and lay people spoke openly and honestly about "sex in the church" in an effort to help the church prevent sexual misconduct and to intervene and offer healing and "justice love" when it occurs. full story

Ten years later: safe sanctuary movement fights complacency

Aug. 2, 2006     News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {460} United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ten years after the United Methodist Church launched its "safe sanctuary" movement to protect children from sexual abuse, the attorney who spearheaded the program believes the church must guard against complacency or be prepared to face a multitude of lawsuits. According to the Rev. Joy Melton, safe sanctuary policies and procedures are wonderful — except when they are merely on the books and not followed. Then, when a child abuse incident does occur, such policies actually open up churches to lawsuits that can lead to massive settlements and damage awards. full story

Human rights abuses still a concern to Filipino church leaders

Aug. 2, 2006     News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {462} United Methodist News Service Human rights abuses remain a concern for faith leaders in the Philippines, according to a United Methodist church executive. The Rev. Larry Pickens, chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity, met with ecumenical leaders, including those from the United Church of Christ and Pentecostal churches, during a July 25-28 visit to Mindanao, Philippines. The leaders shared with him the most recent list of church workers, both laity and clergy, assassinated over the past three years, Pickens said. full story

United Methodist commission calls professor’s remarks ‘insulting’

Aug. 3, 2006     News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {463} United Methodist News Service A speech given by a professor at a United Methodist-related school was “insulting and denigrating to our African American and Latino brothers and sisters,” said the Rev. Chester Jones, top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. Richard Lamm, a professor at the University of Denver and former governor of Colorado, spoke during an immigration overpopulation conference in Washington last week. He also made some of the same remarks during an earlier speech on multiculturalism at the Vail Symposium. In a statement released by the commission, Jones said Lamm argues that African American and Latino “cultures” are the reasons for the “underperformance” of these communities. full story

COMMENTARY: Charles Wesley's hymns reflect stance of peace

Aug. 4, 2006 United Methodist Reporter Psalm 46 tells us that the Lord "makes wars cease to the end of the earth" and that He will be exalted among the nations. Yet in every age humans wrestle with attitudes about war. I have struggled in my own lifetime with the turmoil created by World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, countless wars around the globe, and now the war in Iraq. One cannot be a committed Christian and refuse to ask: What is my attitude toward war and the killing of other human beings? Can war be just? Have we taught our children the Gospel lesson of Luke 10:5, "Into whatsoever house you enter, first say, Peace"? Do we dare say, "Peace," as the first word upon entering the home of friends and enemies? What a haunting thought, that soldiers would have "Peace" on their lips as the first word upon entering the home of the enemy. full story

Church signs give motorists food for thought

Aug. 4, 2006     News media contact:   Fran  Coode Walsh * (615) 742-5458*  Nashville {465} United Methodist News Service Just off the busy Washington beltway, or driving along a winding Texas highway, motorists can find food for thought as pastors learn the power of advertising. Signs outside churches carry messages ranging from inspirational to humorous. “Always keep your words soft and sweet just in case you have to eat them,” read a sign outside North Bethesda United Methodist Church in Bethesda, Md. Another sign outside Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Md. carried a reminder to be patient--“God supplies all our needs one day at a time.” Thousands of motorists pass the signs each day on busy highways. The Rev. Debbie Scott said the sign outside North Bethesda United Methodist Church just off the D.C. beltway has become the church’s biggest outreach. full story

WESLEYAN WISDOM: Be intentional about growing together

Aug. 4, 2006 United Methodist Reporter A second-century Roman judge once said of Christians, "See how they love one another." Can that honestly be said of your church? Can we reconcile our differences? Pastors who simply "let people go" are missing a major dimension of pastoral care — a ministry of reconciliation. Laity who will not make the first move are resisting the Spirit. full story

Commentary: Is it possible to make peace by destroying bridges?

Aug. 4, 2006     News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {468}  United Methodist News Service President George Bush and Secretary of State Condolezza Rice are giving the green light for Israel, and its leaders, to unleash an impressive Israeli war machine to destroy Beirut and other areas across Lebanon. Many towns have been reduced to rubble and hundreds of Lebanese people have been killed in Beirut and across Lebanon, which is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Israel has demonized Lebanon to justify its war and the destruction it has wrought. The reality that has been Lebanon is very different. The Israeli claim that it is not targeting one group, the Hezbollah, does not wash. What has and is happening is a different reality. Innocent people, residential communities, and indeed, a sovereign nation has been crushed — with no mandate beyond the desire of Israel to kill and destroy. What the State of Israel has done is a crime against humanity. full story

Gunmen kill United Methodist local pastor in Philippines

Aug. 8, 2006     News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York  {469} United Methodist News Service A United Methodist in the Philippines who had served as a local pastor was shot dead by gunmen outside his home. According to a story in the Aug. 6 edition of the Philippine Daily Inquirer,  Isaias Sta. Rosa was found dead in Malabago, Daraga, Albay, on Aug. 3. He was near a creek, alongside another dead man with gunshot wounds who was identified as an army corporal, according to the newspaper. full story

Young people's unit sees leadership change, approves grants

Aug. 8, 2006     News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {470} United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — "I feel like I am in the Lord," William Tolentino told a gathering of youth and young adults from a pulpit in the United Methodist Upper Room. "Until today, the Upper Room has just been a dream; I have only seen photographs of this place," he said. "Being inside this room feels like I am inside the Lord." Tolentino and Mighty Rasing, youth from the Philippines, were overjoyed to be at the annual meeting of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship's Division on Ministries with Young People. Since the division was formed in 2004, this is the first time youth from the Philippines have succeeded in getting visas to visit the United States. full story

African-American leaders hear needs of damaged churches

Aug. 9, 2006     News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {472}  United Methodist News Service NEW ORLEANS — The wish list for United Methodist churches damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is a long one. "If you have it in your church, we will need it in our churches to be vital," the Rev. Martha Orphe told a group of the denomination's African-American staff. The needs cover everything from Bibles and hymnals and computers and printers to refrigerators, furniture, silverware and drywall. full story

New Orleans residents race against housing deadline

Aug. 9, 2006     News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {473} United Methodist News Service NEW ORLEANS — Aug. 29 might be the first anniversary of the worst hurricane to hit this city and the Gulf Coast, but it is also D-Day for owners of flood-damaged homes to stop the city from possibly declaring eminent domain on their damaged property. By that date, owners of those homes must clean, gut and board up their buildings under a controversial measure called the "Good Neighbor Plan." The city has said the ordinance is aimed at defining what constitutes a public nuisance and educating property owners about their options and assistance available to them. full story

Commentary: 'Standing in the gap' in New Orleans

Aug. 10, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {476} United Methodist News Service Less than a year ago, the world watched as generations of Gulf Coast residents - the poor, the physically challenged or mentally impaired, infants, families, community leaders, preachers, gang members, immigrants, seekers and good old-fashioned God-fearing people - struggled against a powerful act of nature called Hurricane Katrina. Recently, nearly three dozen African Americans formed the first all-black United Methodist team to go into New Orleans and Waveland, Miss. The visit was arranged and funded by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries in collaboration with other churchwide agencies, jurisdictional offices, annual conferences and the denomination's black church initiatives. full story

United Methodists evangelize in Lithuania with ads, brochures

Aug. 11, 2006    News media contact:   Stephen  Drachler * (615) 7425411*  Nashville {477} United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Television audiences in Lithuania saw a welcoming message from the United Methodist Church this summer, thanks to a grant from the denomination's communications agency. The spots were aired for eight days, during the July 20-30 period, as part of the church's Igniting Ministry welcoming campaign, themed "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors." The Lithuanian-language commercials, each lasting a half-minute, marked a new expansion of the advertising campaign into languages other than English. Commercials also have been produced for Spanish- and Korean-language audiences in the United States. United Methodist Communications provided a $15,554 grant to pay for the 19 spots, which aired on Lietuvos Televisio, a major television station in Lithuania. full story

Keeping the faith: Colleges help students stay spiritually connected

Aug. 11, 2006 United Methodist Reporter For most college students, that first year away from home is a time for exploration, full of new experiences: Mom and Dad aren't there, parties may involve drinking, sleeping in is a distinct possibility, class schedules are challenging, and there are plenty of new people and places to discover. Not surprisingly, many parents worry their college-aged children won't find time to get up for church anymore, or worse, might forget about their faith altogether. University administrators say it's possible for students to stay connected to a faith community and practice their faith while in college, even without parents in the picture. full story

Church members show support for soldier refusing deployment

Aug. 14, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {478} United Methodist News Service Some United Methodists are rallying in support of Army Lt. Ehren Watada, 28, who has refused deployment to Iraq because he feels the war is "morally wrong" and "a breach of American law." full story

Speaker challenges Women of Color Scholars to think 'glocally'

Aug. 15, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {481} United Methodist News Service CHICAGO — The Rev. Namsoon Kang has a different take on the popular phrase, "Think globally, act locally." The local cannot be separated from the global anymore, she said in a panel discussion at the Aug. 11-13 Women of Color Consultation. What one does at home affects what happens elsewhere, she said. "What you do here cannot be separated from what they do out there. Everything is so connected." As a result, people must think and act "glocally," she said. full story

Love affirms dignity, value of life, ethicist says

Aug. 15, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {482} United Methodist News Service CHICAGO — A United Methodist ethicist and a bishop emphasized the transforming power of love in relationships and society in remarks at the denomination's  Women of Color Consultation. In the United States, the word "love" is thought of in terms of an intimate or private relationship, not as involving the social, political or corporate aspects of life, noted the Rev. Rosetta Ross, an ethicist and chairperson of the department of religion and philosophy at Spelman College, Atlanta. Bringing both our public and private selves in harmony with each other would greatly impact social life, she said. full story

Clergywomen celebrate advances, reflect on call

Aug. 15, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {483} United Methodist News Service CHICAGO — A drum introit by Korean clergywomen and a rhythmic crescendo of "marching in the light of God" called the 2006 International Clergywomen's Consultation to order. More than 1,500 United Methodist clergywomen from around the globe arrived in Chicago Aug. 13 dancing to and singing "We Are Marching." The women are here through Aug. 17 to celebrate the advancements made in the 50 years since women were granted the same clergy rights as men in the denomination. Under the theme "The Spirit of God Is Upon Us: Celebrating Our Courageous Past-Claiming Our Bold Future," the clergywomen are engaging in theological reflection and in opportunities for nurture and empowerment. full story

Bishop praises President Bush for role in Mideast cease-fire

Aug. 16, 2006    News media contact:   Stephen  Drachler * (615) 7425411*  Nashville {486} United Methodist News Service The president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops has written a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush, praising him for his leadership in bringing about a cease-fire between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. "Thank you for your leadership in the United Nations adopting the resolution which has served as the basis for the cease fire in Lebanon and Israel," wrote Bishop Janice Riggle Huie. "We are grateful that you have worked to lay the foundation for further negotiations to bring long-term stability to the region." In her Aug. 15 letter, Huie urged the president to continue working through the United Nations to "broaden the participation of those who will build a base for a lasting peace." full story

Massachusetts church members reach out to seafarers

Aug. 16, 2006    News media contact:   Fran  Coode Walsh * (615) 742-5458*  Nashville {487} United Methodist News Service BOSTON, Mass. — Giant freighters steam into Boston Harbor bringing essentials from gasoline to road salt. The ships also carry crews that spend months away from their families and often feel isolated. Members of First United Methodist Church in Marlborough reach out to the crews by working at the Ralph L. Garrett Seafarers' Center in Boston. The center is operated by Seafarer's Friend, a nonprofit group that cares for freighter crews in Boston and other ports along the Eastern Seaboard. "It's very important," said 12-year-old Ryan Mason, who stuffs ditty bags with toothpaste and shampoo. "I do this to help the seafarers who risk their lives to transport goods like coal and gasoline for us, to make our lives easier." full story

Arabic-language 'Upper Room' editor criticizes Mideast policy

Aug. 17, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {489} United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. policies in the Middle East would change if the Christian church, a "sleeping giant," would speak out in a loud voice against injustice and violence. That opinion was expressed with strong emotion Aug. 16 by the Rev. Albert Isteero, a longtime Christian leader from the Middle East, who spoke at the weekly worship service at the Upper Room Chapel. He also described the challenges that Christians face in Muslim countries. full story

Clergywomen sign peace declaration, call for end to Iraq war

Aug. 17, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {490} United Methodist News Service CHICAGO — United Methodist clergywomen have signed on to a declaration of peace that encourages the United States to bring its troops home from Iraq by Sept. 21. The Declaration of Peace — endorsed by numerous civic, nonviolent, faith and interfaith peace groups, including Methodist Federation for Social Action — is a call for nonviolent action to end the U.S. war in Iraq. The declaration calls for people to "engage in peaceful protests"  if there is not a plan for troop withdrawal established and begun by Sept. 21, just days before Congress adjourns for the fall elections. full story

Church — it's not just for sitting

Aug. 18, 2006 General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church I'd like to describe a worship model that is being used by a number of churches that cater to postmoderns. I hesitate to call this a Postmodern Model or Worship for Postmoderns, mostly because I have concerns about it, but also because I've talked with some postmoderns who reject it. I offer it here only as an example of some of the experimental worship that is being offered. I am neither recommending nor endorsing it. full story

Conflict in the Quadrilateral

Aug. 18, 2006 General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church Each of the four elements of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral — Scripture, tradition, reason and experience — is often in conflict, not only with all the others, but even with itself. Some Scriptures say God forgives all sin; others say God doesn't. Our church's teachings on baptism and the ordination of gays are in conflict. We experience conflicting truths. This is not bad. It's how God speaks to us. We encounter perspectives in conflict with what we thought we knew, and that draws us into paying closer attention to God. So the need is not to quell the conflicts, but to create an environment in which it's safe for people to experience them, to wrestle with the angels. What's needed is a place where it is safe to believe what we believe and also to question it — to express what we trust to be true, even as we listen for what has not yet been revealed to us. full story

Bethlehem wall has 'devastating effect' on Palestinian Christians

Aug. 18, 2006 United Methodist Reporter    Editor’s note: Ashley Wilkinson, 29, is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries serving as a mission intern with Wi'am (Arabic for cordial relationships) Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine. Her task is to promote peace, justice and reconciliation through counseling, and empowerment of local women, children and youth. She hopes to share the stories of the people of Bethlehem with family, friends and community back in the United States. I was living in the United States in 2002 when I first heard about the wall being built around the West Bank. I remember feeling a sense of heartbreak, loss and division. This was coupled with disbelief, and an inability to conceive of just how much pain and suffering such a barrier might produce. I had studied in Jerusalem the year before, and I had a hard time imagining what such a wall would look like, how it would feel and what kind of effect it would have on people. In December 2004, I jumped at the chance to apply for the Mission Intern Program offered through the General Board of Global Ministries. full story

Missionary group calls for response to Philippines violence

Aug. 18, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {493} By United Methodist News Service About 60 mostly retired United Methodist missionaries and colleagues who served in the Philippines are urging the heads of the U.S. and Philippine governments to address the ongoing violence against church workers and others in the Asian country. Church employees and people who work with poor and marginalized Filipinos have been subjected to detentions, beatings and killings since 2001. The statement by the United Methodist Philippine Reunion came as news broke about a United Methodist local pastor being shot to death in the Philippines. full story

Event gives clergywomen sense of empowerment from peers

Aug. 21, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {497} United Methodist News Service CHICAGO — Car, planes and trains brought 1,500 United Methodist clergywomen together to celebrate their past and proclaim their future. Participants from around the globe came here Aug. 13-17 to hear sermons from bishops, participate in a banquet celebrating the 50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women, and purchase books by women who've written about women in ministry. full story

Bishops urge Bush to press Philippines to curb violence

Aug. 22, 2006    News media contact:   Stephen  Drachler * (615) 7425411*  Nashville {500} United Methodist News Service The president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops has urged U.S. President George W. Bush to press Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to take steps to reduce violence throughout the Southeast Asian country. In a letter to Bush on behalf of the council, bishops' President Janice Riggle Huie of Houston cited the Aug. 3 murder of Isaias Santa Rosa, a United Methodist local pastor. He was the 21st church worker killed in the Philippines since 2001. full story

Gender inequality fuels global AIDS pandemic, speakers say

Aug. 23, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {502} United Methodist News Service TORONTO — The increasing percentage of women infected with HIV and AIDS was a major concern at the Aug. 13-18 International AIDS Conference here. "Women carry a disproportionate share of the burden of the HIV and AIDS crisis," declared retired Bishop Fritz Mutti, chairperson of the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund. "Unless gender inequality also is addressed, emphasis on the familiar prevention strategy of 'ABC' (abstinence, being faithful, and condoms) will be doomed to failure." Bishop Mutti's remarks at an ecumenical pre-conference of more than 500 religious leaders were reinforced at the opening session of the six-day conference. full story

Bishop encourages U.S. churches to partner with East Africa

Aug. 23, 2006    News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {503} United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn.— A decade ago, Hutu extremists killed 80,000 Tutsis, and hundreds of thousands of Tutsis fled Rwanda for neighboring Zaire and Tanzania. Today, Tutsis and Hutus worship together in United Methodist churches in Rwanda. "It's the power of Jesus Christ," explained Bishop Daniel Wandabula, who leads the denomination's East Africa Area. "Jesus makes us brand new creatures and we no longer live under law, we live under grace. He takes us beyond tribes and beyond denominations." full story

Arizona seniors mix religion, laughter, at day camp

Aug. 23, 2006    News media contact:   Fran  Coode Walsh * (615) 742-5458*  Nashville {504} United Methodist News Service SUN CITY, Ariz. — Camp isn't just for kids. In fact, at the Willowbrook United Methodist Church here, the 30 people participating in a week of day camps are over 60 years old. This is the 10th summer the Sun City church has hosted day camps for seniors. This year, all of the week's activities revolve around the theme: "Laugh, love and live well." "We need to have a party," said the Rev. Linda De Atley, associate pastor of the 360-member congregation, "and why not make it a party that's fun as well as educational as well as spiritual and (that offers) food for thought?" full story

Chernobyl kids receive health care through Carolina church

Aug. 24, 2006    News media contact:   Fran  Coode Walsh * (615) 742-5458*  Nashville {505} United Methodist News Service CARY, N.C. — This year marks the 20th anniversary of an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in what was then the Soviet Union. Radioactive fallout equivalent to 150 Hiroshima atomic bomb blasts spewed for 10 days over 77,000 square miles. Most of the damage caused by the April 26, 1986, explosion was felt — and continues to be experienced — by the 10 million residents of the Republic of Belarus, which received 70 percent of the Chernobyl radiation. Some of the land around Chernobyl will never be habitable again. Farther away from ground zero, the effects of the radiation will be felt for generations. It is the children of these areas that a group of Americans is reaching out to help. full story

United Methodists take look at hunger in NCC documentary

Aug. 24, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {506} United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Several United Methodist leaders figure prominently in a powerful TV documentary, "Hunger No More: Faces Behind the Facts," presented by the National Council of Churches. The program takes an unflinching look at the persistent problem of hunger in the 21st century and offers solutions. It is available to NBC television network affiliates beginning Sept. 10. full story

Katrina one year later: remembering, rebuilding

Aug. 25, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {508} United Methodist News Service For many along the U.S. Gulf Coast, the countdown to the new year will start Aug. 29 - not Jan. 1. Hurricane Katrina hit Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana Aug. 29, 2005, followed less than a month later, on Sept. 24, by Hurricane Rita, which struck Texas and Louisiana. As the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, United Methodist churches everywhere will pause to remember lives lost and give praise for lives saved. Special services will be held, and congregations will collect an offering Aug. 27 for the Council of Bishops' Katrina Church Recovery Appeal. full story

Commentary: Church plays significant role in Katrina response

Aug. 25, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {510} United Methodist News Service A year ago, Hurricane Katrina and other mighty storms swept across the Gulf Coast region, doing unprecedented damage to families, communities and congregations in five states and Central America. Massive recovery efforts continue and will do so for many years. This work involves government, business, civic and community groups, and churches and other religious institutions. The United Methodist Church has played a significant role in Katrina relief and rehabilitation since the first rescue teams were on the scene. Assistance is both direct and financial. Individual members, congregations, annual conferences, and national and international agencies are represented in the ongoing ministries of restoration. full story

WESLEYAN WISDOM: Church in decline? You can grow again, if ...

Aug. 25, 2006 United Methodist Reporter Lyle Schaller used to love to open his lectures with his guttural voice saying, "Two questions. Number one, 'What time is it?' and number two, 'Which way is west?' " Then he explained. If we think it is 1957 or 1966, our denomination will continue to decline. And the primary duty of the trainmaster on the wagon trains headed west to the Oregon territory or California gold rush was to get up every morning in new territory and determine which way is west. If he failed in his reckoning, the train would drift aimlessly or circle back. I never fail to point these out out to local churches who want to grow ... again! We must face reality, both in the way things were ... and are no more. full story

'We are restoring lives,' says recovery station director

Aug. 29, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {514} United Methodist News Service SLIDELL, La. — On a hot and humid summer day, Leona Cousins is out sweeping her driveway. "I got to keep my home tidy," she says. She laughs as she points to a sparsely furnished shed behind her Hurricane Katrina-wrecked house. She has been living in the shed during the day and spending nights with a niece since Katrina hit Slidell Aug. 29, 2005. Dale Kimball, director of the United Methodist Slidell Recovery Station, says that Cousins, 95, and people like her, are the reason he does what he does. And what he does is spend six days a week driving a truck from one end of town to the other, 12 or more hours a day, helping the poorest in his hometown rebuild their lives. full story

UMCOR assumes major role in Katrina relief, recovery

Aug. 29, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {515} United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Generous responses by United Methodists to Hurricane Katrina enabled the United Methodist Committee on Relief to assume its largest role ever in a domestic disaster. UMCOR raised $64.5 million for hurricane relief, causing Newsweek magazine to rank the agency sixth in a survey of "Big Names in Katrina Relief." In addition to the amount donated for Katrina relief, United Methodist volunteers put thousands of hours into recovery efforts and donated $7.6 million in relief supplies. UMCOR now heads a consortium with nine other organizations, called "Katrina Aid Today," which received a $66 million grant through the Federal Emergency Management Association and Department of Homeland Security. The grant consists of international donations that were received after the hurricane. full story

Mission zones help New Orleans churches rebuild ministries

Aug. 30, 2006    News media contact:   Kathy  Gilbert * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {518} United Methodist News Service NEW ORLEANS — When the water receded after Hurricane Katrina hit last year, 90 churches in three Louisiana parishes were damaged and 80 pastors were displaced. The widespread devastation left a lot of holes — physically and emotionally — for Louisiana Bishop William Hutchinson and the conference to fill. After many sleepless nights and countless prayers, Bishop Hutchinson and a blue-ribbon advisory committee came up with a plan to get pastors back in ministry. full story

The best church advertising and promotion

Aug. 31, 2006     News media contact:   Dean McIntyre * 877-899-2780, ext 7073 *  Nashville {05082} General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church I was recently asked, "How can I best promote our church's upcoming fall program? What's the best means of advertising and promotion?" There are many promotion methods, and we've all used most of them over the years; but there is one method that is far and away the best of them all. It works all the time in all places. It works almost immediately upon being put into action, and it continues to work over long periods of time. It takes little preparation and no training. It doesn't take a committee working on it to put into action. There's no need for record keeping. And best of all, it's completely free — no cost to the church! full story

Commentary: All are responsible for water use, abuse

Aug. 31, 2006    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470*  Nashville {523} United Methodist News Service Water as a basic human right for all is the theme of the first 2006 issue of pers.pec.'tives, a newsletter of the United Methodist Office for the United Nations. The 2004 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, the denomination's lawmaking body, adopted a resolution on "Protection of Water" that affirmed access to water is a basic right to be used and enjoyed by all God's people. Individuals as well as societies and governments must take responsibility for the way they use, and abuse, water. full story