e-Review archive
Global Connection
October 2005
 

Church doesn't fully understand black colleges' mission, leaders say

Oct. 4, 2005      United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Black colleges have often been misunderstood as recipients of mission, when in fact they provide ministry and mission to the United Methodist Church and to society, according to presidents of some of the denomination's schools. The presidents of the historically black United Methodist colleges focused their Sept. 27 meeting on the lack of understanding across the church regarding their schools. "There are many people who do not understand the mission of the church's historically black colleges and universities, which is to provide an affordable, education to deserving African-American students," said Trudie K. Reed, president of Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Fla. full story

Ghanaian man, church, send hundreds of bicycles to Africa

Oct. 5, 2005     United Methodist News Service WAYNE, Pa. — Abdul Manan had a dream of collecting bicycles to take back to his ancestral village of Yendi in Ghana, on the west coast of Africa, to enable children to attend school. Yendi's own school burned down several years ago during ethnic violence, and the village lacked money to rebuild it. Most families lacked the resources to acquire bicycles to make the trip to the nearest functioning school, located eight to 15 miles mile away, depending on the location of the children's homes or farms. Children, many without shoes and shirts, had to walk barefoot as far as 15 miles to school. A student at Eastern University in Rosemont, Pa., Manan, 30, shared his dream one day with Stan Petty, a member of Wayne (Pa.) United Methodist Church. That led to sharing his dream with the entire congregation during worship one Sunday morning last spring. "I felt so sad for the children," Manan said. "I had a dream of helping my village, and I wasn't able to do that until I came to the U.S. I believe this is a divine calling for me to step up and be able to do this." Born to Muslim parents, Manan has an extended family that embraces Islam, Christianity and African faith traditions. His dream inspired the Wayne congregation — along with Christ United Methodist Church of Lansdale, Synagogue Mishkan Shalom, community groups like the King of Prussia Rotary and the Upper Merion Girl Scout Troop #1326 — to partner with a host of local residents to embrace the project. full story

Stars come out for church's hurricane relief benefit

Oct. 5, 2005     United Methodist News Service Some of pop music's best-known names helped a United Methodist congregation raise nearly $35,000 for the denomination's hurricane response. Jackson Browne, k.d. lang, Dave Koz and Judith Owen were among the performers at "Songs of Strength," a benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, held Sept. 25 at First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica, Calif. The concert also featured Kyle Eastwood, Keaton Simons and the Gwen Wyatt Chorale. Nearly 1,000 people packed the church's sanctuary to hear the concert. full story

Black-college PR directors share challenges, sense of mission

Oct. 6, 2005      United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Telling the stories of historically black, United Methodist-related colleges has always been a challenge, but communication directors who came together to strengthen connections with one another and church agencies said their sense of mission keeps them going. Larry Acker, public relations director for Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, said he left his job at another historically black college a few years ago to become tourism director for a small, historic town in Texas. "I knew in six months I'd made a mistake," Acker said, at a Sept. 28 meeting of public relations staff organized by the Black College Fund and United Methodist Communications. "It was the difference between filling rooms at bed and breakfasts and helping kids graduate from college." Fortunately, Acker said, he was offered a job at Wiley College. Cynthia Bond Hopson, the new assistant general secretary of the Black College Fund and Ethnic Concerns at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, said the meeting was aimed at helping black colleges get their message out. full story

Foundation triples its matching scholarship program

Oct. 6, 2005      United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Church's popular matching scholarship program for college students is being expanded to a triple dollars concept next fall. The denomination's "Double Your Dollars for Scholars," administered by the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation in Nashville, matches $1,000 for local churches raising $1,000 for a member of their congregation enrolled or planning to enroll in a United Methodist-related college, university or seminary. Beginning with the 2006-07 academic year, the foundation, in cooperation with United Methodist colleges and universities, will expand the program to include a Triple Your Dollars for Scholars concept. The Double Your Dollars program will still exist. Depending on which school a student plans to attend, the student may be eligible for an additional $1,000 match, bringing the total possible award to $3,000, according to the foundation's board of trustees, which met Sept. 15-17 in St. Paul, Minn. full story

Korean women's response to storm shows changing face of mission

Oct. 7, 2005    United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — In a demonstration of concern for women and children affected by Hurricane Katrina, the president of Korea's Women's Society of Christian Service presented a $5,000 gift to the United Methodist Women's Division. Eun Young Choi's presentation of the check to the division's chief executive, Jan Love, symbolized how the face of Westernized mission is changing. More than 100 years ago, the Korean women received Mary Scranton, the United States missionary who began what is now one of the largest women's universities in the world, Ewha University. Mission has come full circle. The Korean women's organization, representing 800,000 women, is reaching out to women and children in the West with their gift to mission and an offer to work in partnership with the United Methodist Women organization. "We as women in Korea have seen what is happening in your country, especially in New Orleans, and we are deeply hurt," Choi told division staff. "We know that the United States is a rich country with a lot of resources, but we want to share a little token with your women for their work." full story

United Methodist HIV/AIDS camp offers hope

Oct. 7, 2005     United Methodist News Service Doug Finnell used to lie in bed waiting to die. He has been HIV-positive for 16 years, but two years ago, he attended his first United Methodist camp for HIV/AIDS patients. Spending about a week at Suttle Lake Camp and Retreat Center near Sisters, Ore., changed everything. "I'm around people I can open up to, and they have helped me to truly find my voice," says Finnell, of Portland, Ore. Finnell is a participant in "Strength for the Journey," a camping ministry founded by the late Rev. Bert All, a United Methodist pastor who suffered from AIDS. All understood the alienation from church and society that AIDS patients often suffer. The retreat allows these patients to gather in a community of understanding and acceptance. full story

Men's agency seeks mentors for kids of incarcerated parents

Oct. 3, 2005       United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Several regional conferences of the United Methodist Church will begin recruiting men and women to serve as mentors of children of incarcerated parents. That is one result of a decision by the Commission on United Methodist Men to accept Big Brothers Big Sisters as an affiliate organization. Meeting Sept. 16-18, the 23-member commission was told that over 2.5 million children nationwide face a 70 percent probability of following a parent to prison at some point. That percentage can be lowered if people of faith mentor the children. A recent study by the organization found that a child with a caring adult is 52 percent less likely to skip a day of school and 46 percent less likely to start using illegal drugs. The Rev. W. Wilson Goode Sr., former Philadelphia mayor and champion of the program, noted there are "many programs to help those in prison, but there are few viable programs to address the specific needs of the invisible children." He named the mentoring program "Amachi," an African dialect word meaning, "Who knows but what God has brought us through this child." In the program, adults are to befriend the children with whom they are matched; they are not to serve as counselors. They are not replacement parents, "saviors," or "fixers" of the child. The relationships are supplemental to the parent, caregiver, teacher, neighbor and Sunday school instructor. The program is based on the idea that the child's gifts and assets will be drawn out through a friendship and shared experiences with an adult. full story

Survey focuses on United Methodist men

Oct. 3, 2005       United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Do most men in the United Methodist Church believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God, or do they believe it is the word of God to be interpreted in the light of its historical context and the church's teachings? How much time do men spend in private devotional activities? What type of music does a man prefer in worship? How much does a man give to his congregation? These and other questions are included in an online questionnaire developed by the churchwide Commission on United Methodist Men. The commission is inviting all men who are members of the United Methodist Church to visit http://www.gcumm.org/ and click on "UMC Men's Study — Individual" to answer 45 questions about their congregation, faith, involvement, history, family and theology. The survey will enable researchers to tabulate demographic data with church activities, theological viewpoints and reasons for participating (or refusing to participate) in various groups. full story

Commentary: Christians must take Darfur crisis personally

Oct. 6, 2005      United Methodist News Service   During a visit this year with Sudanese President Al-Bashir, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice witnessed the Sudanese security staff "manhandling" reporters and staff members. The incident angered Secretary Rice, and she demanded an apology from the Sudanese government. After two years of the Sudanese government's participation in genocide, after two years of torture, rape and murder, it was a pushing incident that ignited action. This incident shows the significance of a situation becoming personal; when something affects us in a personal way, we act or react. To ensure progress in Darfur, the crisis needs to become personal, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. full story

UMCOR, relief agencies respond to Asia earthquake

Oct. 10, 2005     United Methodist News Service The United Methodist Committee on Relief and ecumenical partner agencies are responding to the Oct. 8 earthquake that shook Pakistan and India, leaving a death toll that some reports place at more than 30,000. UMCOR is sending aid to the region through its partners, the International Blue Crescent and Church World Service. The 7.6-magnitude earthquake was centered in the Pakistani-controlled section of Kashmir, where more than 19,000 people were reported killed. Another 750 people died in the Indian-controlled section of the contested area, and additional deaths occurred outside the province and in Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of people were reported injured. Villages throughout the region were destroyed, leaving as many as 2.5 million people in need of shelter, according to the Associated Press. full story

UMW looks at race, class issues raised by Katrina

Oct. 11, 2005 United Methodist News Service STAMFORD, Conn. — United Methodist Women is calling on its membership to address issues of race and class raised by Hurricane Katrina. "While we identify and address the systemic and institutional sources of injustice, we must also recognize our own culpability," said a UMW statement. "Often, protective of our own need for jobs, lower taxes and private schools over the common good, we have bought into the mentality of reducing taxes and privatizing public services, leaving larger and larger groups of people behind." The statement, "Be Repairers of the Breach," was adopted during the Oct. 7-10 annual meeting of the Women's Division, Board of Global Ministries, in Stamford. The division is UMW's administrative arm. full story

Publishing House to provide support to hurricane victims

Oct. 11, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Some of the most heartbreaking pictures of destruction confronting United Methodist churches after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are water-soaked and ruined Bibles, United Methodist hymnals and other worship resources. The board of the United Methodist Publishing House, meeting in Nashville Oct. 3-5, voted unanimously to spend up to $500,000 to restore those lost resources. "We will work hand in hand with the bishops and cabinets of those annual conferences most affected to plan for efficient and timely help for as long as it takes," said Neil M. Alexander, president and publisher. "Our aim is to support their work of rebuilding vital centers of worship, Christian formation, evangelism and mission." full story

Life in Uruguay will be focus of Ubuntu eXplorers team

Oct. 12, 2005      United Methodist News Service When Judith Siaba, a vice president of the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, went to Montevideo, Uruguay, she saw a warehouse with a history. Once infiltrated by drugs and dealers, the warehouse had provided shelter for several operations, including housing for 300 homeless people willing to fight to protect their space, and a business for sex workers trying to survive. These conditions existed until a woman from a local Methodist church gained the confidence of the warehouse residents through regular visits and taught their leaders how to advocate with the government for change. The persistence of the homeless advocates brought them community services — health care, land for building and a new life. Grants from the Women's Division and United Methodist Committee on Relief helped build homes for some of the families. With leftover bricks, the families built a church. More stories and experiences such as these can be expected when a group of United Methodist Women heads to Uruguay in October 2006. full story

Baby Boomers rule

Oct. 14, 2005     News media contact:   Dean McIntyre * 877-899-2780, ext 7073 *  Nashville {05082} United Methodist General Board of Discipleship I just returned from a worship-music conference at which one of the main speakers was Tex Sample, retired United Methodist pastor and seminary professor, author, and cultural observer, commentator, and guru. I couldn't help but recall another event nearly 25 years earlier at which Tex Sample was also the main speaker. At that event, he spoke about the Baby Boomer generation and the tremendous impact it was about to have on the society and culture, including the church. He described the coming change, using the image of a python that just swallowed a large pig for its dinner. The python is the culture and the pig bulging inside the python is the Baby Boomers (BBs). As the generational bulge moves through the cultural python, it transforms everything in its wake. full story

United Methodist disaster donations suggest new ways of giving

Oct. 14, 2005     United Methodist News Service STAMFORD, Conn. — The tremendous financial outpouring by United Methodists in response to the Dec. 26 tsunami suggests that church members are looking at giving in a new way. During the first eight months of 2005, donations to Advance special projects, along with other income received by the United Methodist Committee on Relief, exceeded donations to the denomination's general funds for the same period. UMCOR's total income during the period was nearly $63 million, compared to $58.5 million for the apportioned funds. That fact came to light during the Oct. 10-13 annual meeting of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, UMCOR's parent organization. The bulk of the $63 million came from the more than $43 million raised for UMCOR Advance special projects during the first eight months of 2005, compared to almost $3 million in 2004. Nearly $40 million of the $43 million was for tsunami relief. In total, United Methodists raised $41 million to assist those affected by the tsunami. To Sandra Lackore, chief executive of the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration, this indicates the current systems of giving may need to be adjusted to better reflect the situations that encourage donations. full story

Pakistan quake took wrenching toll on children

Oct. 14, 2005      United Methodist News Service "This is going to be the one remembered as the earthquake that killed the children." That is the viewpoint of Marvin Parvez, a Methodist and the Pakistan/Afghanistan director for Church World Service. Parvez has been on the scene in Pakistan helping coordinate the CWS response to the calamitous earthquake that, as of Oct. 14, had killed more than 25,000 people. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working to assist earthquake victims through CWS and the International Blue Crescent. While there are occasional bits of good news about rescued survivors — as he spoke by phone Oct. 11 to CWS headquarters in New York, Parvez received "beautiful news" of four children being rescued from a school — reports from the scene have otherwise been extremely bleak. "There are recovered bodies of children being set outside of schools, ready for burial," he said. "As a parent, this is very difficult to see." He added: "It's a horror story that doesn't end. You find yet another village that has been flattened by this earthquake." full story

United Methodists discuss children's needs with U.N. speakers

Oct. 17, 2005     United Methodist News Service   NEW YORK — UNICEF needs to work in partnership with United Methodists and others to end the threats to children in today's world. That was the message delivered by Rima Salah, UNICEF's deputy executive director, to directors and staff of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries during a forum at the Church Center for the United Nations. Board members traveled to New York during their Oct. 10-13 annual meeting in Stamford, Conn. They also heard from Maria Jose Alcala, author of "State of the World Population" for the United Nations Population Fund, and Ruth Engo, founder and president of Africa Action on AIDS. full story

Communicators must help people overcome fear, executive says

Oct. 18, 2005     United Methodist News Service SAN ANTONIO — One of the most profound gifts the United Methodist Church has to offer to a world living in fear is the assurance that no one is abandoned by God or by the faith community. The Rev. Larry Hollon, top executive of United Methodist Communications, told more than 75 church communicators and editors that no one should feel alone in society but that the fear of being alone is a common trait many people share. This fear impacts the work of church communicators, who are challenged to expand community in a world that uses media to replace community, he said. Church communicators must inspire community, inform community and engage community, Hollon said during his Oct. 13 keynote speech to the United Methodist Association of Communicators. UMAC's Oct. 13-15 annual meeting included workshops, an awards banquet and a roundtable discussion. full story

Church marks 50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women

Oct. 18, 2005     United Methodist News Service On May 4, 1956, in Minneapolis, the General Conference of the Methodist Church approved full clergy rights for women. Half a century later, the fruits of that action are the nearly 12,000 United Methodist clergywomen who serve the church at every level, from bishops to local pastors. A yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary includes worship services, books celebrating the lives of pioneering clergywomen and writings of other clergywomen, special observances at annual conferences, and a banquet and concert on Aug. 15 during the International United Methodist Clergywomen's Consultation in Chicago, Aug. 13-17. "The decision forever changed the face of ordained clergy. Because of the General Conference action, bishops were required to appoint every pastor in good standing within the conference. The effect was that any woman in full connection and in good standing would receive an appointment," said the Rev. Mary Ann Moman, associate general secretary of the Division of Ordained Ministry of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. "That was the first step in a long journey of acceptance for many clergywomen. The church's celebration of this anniversary is a reminder to all of us of both the joys and heartaches clergywomen experience in the journey toward full acceptance in the church," Moman said. full story

Container-size church means hope in Berlin

Oct. 19, 2005     United Methodist News Service BERLIN — White City is a place where a legacy of conflict dating back to the 1930s still intrudes into every day life. This area of Oranienburg, a suburb of Berlin, still has as many as 2,000 unexploded bombs — dropped during World War II — buried beneath its surface. Nicknamed "White City" because of its sprawl of uniform white block apartment buildings, the area was also home to Soviet soldiers during the Cold War when Oranienburg was part of what was then East Germany. When communist rule ended, Russian soldiers left White City in ruins, taking as much as they could with them, even plumbing pipes and window frames. It is here that the Rev. Heinrich Meinhardt, a United Methodist pastor, and his congregation have created a church that literally fits into a large container. "A group of my church members had been meeting in this area as a house group for three years," explained Meinhardt, who also pastors the United Methodist Lindenkirche in another Berlin neighborhood about 12 miles away. "When they started to discuss whether they should build a church, I said, 'The only reason to start a new church is if we also have a social project as our focus.'" full story

Board of Church and Society calls for withdrawal from Iraq

Oct. 19, 2005      United Methodist News Service WASHINGTON, D.C. — On a day when officials at the State Department were monitoring the results of a constitutional referendum in Iraq, a couple of miles away in a local hotel the United Methodist Board of Church and Society passed a resolution calling on the United States to withdraw its troops from the country. "As people of faith, we raise our voice in protest against the tragedy of the unjust war in Iraq," the resolution stated. "We urge the United States government to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of its troops. The U.S. invasion has set in motion a sequence of events which may plunge Iraq into civil war." Criticizing a war "waged on false premises," the resolution went on to state, "Thousands of lives have been lost and hundreds of billions of dollars wasted in a war the United States initiated and should never have fought. ...We grieve for all those whose lives have been lost or destroyed in this needless and avoidable tragedy. Military families have suffered undue hardship from prolonged troop rotations in Iraq and loss of loved ones. It is time to bring them home." The resolution passed easily on the last day of the board's Oct. 13-17 meeting, with only two no votes and one abstention. full story

Concern rises over lack of tents for Asia quake survivors

Oct. 20, 2005     United Methodist News Service Relief workers trying to assist survivors of the South Asia earthquake are racing against time and the approach of a harsh winter. New estimates by regional officials of the death toll from the Oct. 8 earthquake had jumped to at least 79,000 by Oct. 19, according to the Associated Press. But the real concern is for the survivors, according to Marvin Parvez, director of Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan. "With the 2 to 3 million affected and homeless, the government and U.N. estimates that the affected families need over 600,000 shelter kits or tents," he told United Methodist News Service. "Currently, we have a little over 100,000 available in the supply chain, so you can see we have a huge gap between demand and supply here." full story

Liberian United Methodists look to election for change

Oct. 20, 2005     United Methodist News Service MONROVIA, Liberia — As their country emerges from years of civil war, Liberians are pinning their hopes for the future on the outcome of a run-off election set for November. "We're tired of fighting, we're tired of war, we're tired of poverty, we're tired of ignorance, we're tired of darkness!" boomed Bishop John Innis from the pulpit of S. Towah Nagbe United Methodist Church, two days before the West African country's  historic elections. On Oct. 11, more than 1 million people — 74 percent of registered voters — went to the polls to participate in Liberia's first democratic elections following 14 years of civil war. The result will be a run-off election Nov. 8 between the two top vote-getters, soccer star George Weah and former Liberian finance official Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — both United Methodists. Neither of them drew the more than 50 percent of the votes needed to win. full story

Deacons take hope, medicine to Zimbabwe

Oct. 20, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A caravan of United Methodist deacons, searching for a site for an AIDS treatment project, personally confronted the needs of those suffering from the disease. "I see the poverty, the problems, the lack of supplies, and yet I see a difference being made in people's lives," said the Rev. Anita Kreuger, one of six deacons who visited hospitals and clinics in Zimbabwe. The trip was made possible by an emerging-ministry grant and a caravan grant from the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. The team which visited Zimbabwe Sept. 16-Oct. 1, gathered information about AIDS, considered sites for Project Tariro and worked on a partnership with Africa University for the new ministry. Project Tariro will provide treatment and rehabilitation, as well as respite care with home-based care for follow-up, counseling and spiritual support for people living with AIDS. full story

United Methodist Church publishes commentaries on rebuilding Gulf Coast

Oct. 21, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Church is urging local people to have a voice in the planning and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast in a paid commentary published Oct. 21 in The Washington Post and several newspapers in Louisiana and Mississippi. The commentary stated that a "renewed sense of community" came out of the crisis caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita when people came together in concern, compassion and generosity. "We pray that this renewed understanding of community will inspire the rebuilding of the devastated areas." Besides the Post, the paid commentaries appeared in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and the Baton Rouge Advocate in Louisiana; the Mobile Register in Alabama; and the Biloxi-Gulfport Sun Herald and Jackson Clarion Ledger/Hattiesburg American in Mississippi. A second commentary is planned for the week of Oct. 24. The commentaries urge commitment to a fair and inclusive process that creates better places for people to live. "These commentaries are an important part of the church's mission. As Christians, we stand at the intersection of the concerns of the world and the concerns of the church for the world," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. "The rebuilding efforts pose tremendous challenges, but also remarkable opportunities. It's important to stand with those who are poor and vulnerable and too often forgotten by society," he said. full story

United Methodist clergywoman serves Baptist congregation

Oct. 24, 2005     United Methodist News Service KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Rev. Betty Shirley uses the word "ironic" to explain how she, a United Methodist, became associate pastor of a small-town Baptist church. Last spring, the local pastor was projected for an appointment within the United Methodist Church's Holston Annual (regional) Conference, but the appointment didn't work out. Since all the other appointments had been made, Shirley found herself without a church. When the senior pastor of Rutledge (Tenn.) Baptist Church asked if she would consider joining the church staff, eyebrows surely lifted. The significance was heightened when the Baptist congregation voted unanimously to extend a call to Shirley, and Holston Bishop James Swanson appointed her to the church under the "extension ministries" category. "It's rare," says the Rev. Robert Kohler, a staff member of the Division of Ordained Ministry at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, in Nashville, Tenn. full story

Politicians, United Methodist theologian pen book on hunger

Oct. 24, 2005     United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — People of faith can end world hunger if they combine their efforts, according to a new book by a bipartisan team of veteran politicians and a theologian. Former Senators Robert Dole, R-Kansas, and George McGovern, D-South Dakota, are major contributors to Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith, published this fall by Fortress Press, an agency of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The editor and major writer is the Rev. Donald E. Messer, a United Methodist theologian on the faculty of Iliff School of Theology in Denver. McGovern is a member of the United Methodist Church. Dole is Presbyterian with strong United Methodist connections. "The problem of world hunger is soluble," said McGovern at a Washington press conference launching the book. "We are calling people of faith to be part of the solution." The former lawmaker and Democratic candidate for president in 1968 is an ambassador for the World Food Program of the United Nations. The eradication of hunger is an "imperative" that can be shared by people of all faiths, according to Messer. "This issue cuts through politics and doctrines. Christians, Muslims and Jews all share the same theological imperative for addressing the problem of hunger." Dole believes there is a link between hunger and terrorism. "I am confident that widespread hunger is one of the contributing factors that leads to discontent and creates an environment that is conducive to terrorism," he said at the National Press Club event. full story

RVs provide temporary homes for displaced pastors

Oct. 25, 2005     United Methodist News Service BILOXI, Miss. — Generally, they're called "recreational vehicles," but among some United Methodist pastors on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, they're called "home." More than 20 pastors whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Katrina are living in trailers usually used for weekend getaways and vacations. These units could be pressed into service for six months to a year. Those living in them, however, are glad to have somewhere to stay in their communities. full story

United Methodist's program helps girls avoid eating disorders

Oct. 25, 2005 United Methodist News Service DALLAS — Like a typical 10-year-old girl, Anna Jones can't wait to be a teenager. She loves sports and playing with her friends, but she dreams of the day she can drive her own car, and she tries not to worry too much about how she will look cruising down the street.  She has high self-esteem, partly thanks to her mentor, Charlotte King. "I think when kids are 10," Charlotte says, "many of them worry too much about how they look and if the other kids will like them or make fun of them." In the United States, more than 9 million kids are overweight, but on the flip side, more than 8 million young women are battling eating disorders. Mandy Golman, a fitness professor at Southern Methodist University, attributes that in part to the bombardment of skinny models on television and in fashion magazines but adds it is an unhealthy image. "Girls should be told to love the bodies they are blessed with and to take care of them," Golman says, "but reality TV is telling them 'if you don't like your body, just change it." Helping girls establish good eating habits is essential, according to Girls In Motion founding sponsor Rick McCall. His 20-year-old daughter, Elisa, died in 1996 from an eating disorder. She grew up at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas — the same church that King attends — next to the Southern Methodist University campus. full story

American University president resigns following investigation

Oct. 26, 2005     United Methodist News Service The president of United Methodist-related American University in Washington has resigned following an investigation of his personal and travel expenses. Benjamin Ladner, 63, president for the past 11 years, resigned Oct. 24 after an audit committee found that he and his wife allegedly spent more than $500,000 inappropriately in the past three years. An anonymous letter to the board of trustees alleging concerns about Benjamin Ladner's travel and personal expenses prompted an independent audit into those items. full story

United Methodist relief agency to help FEMA with case management

Oct. 27, 2005     United Methodist News Service NEW YORK (UMNS) - Eight weeks after Hurricane Katrina displaced more than a million Gulf Coast residents, United Methodist Committee on Relief officials said the agency will lead a consortium of providers in a two-year case management grant worth $66 million. The agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency will benefit 300,000 people scattered by the winds throughout the 50 states. Survivors often have a tough time knowing their rights and understanding the daunting application process, federal officials said. Using a review panel, UMCOR will select up to 12 other agencies with expertise in disaster response to help these vulnerable citizens become self-sustaining. FEMA will supervise the implementation of the grant. full story

Church court reinstates pastor who denied membership to gay man

Oct. 31, 2005     United Methodist News Service HOUSTON — United Methodist ministers do have the power to decide who becomes a member of the local church, the denomination's top court has ruled, supporting a pastor who blocked an openly gay man from joining the congregation. The United Methodist Judicial Council, holding its regular fall meeting Oct. 26-29, issued two decisions related to the case of Rev. Ed Johnson, who was serving as senior pastor at South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church until he was placed on involuntary leave of absence in June. In Decision 1031, the council dealt with the due process problems in how Johnson was disciplined. Decision 1032 was the more sweeping ruling, saying that the church's Book of Discipline "invests discretion in the pastor-in-charge to make determination of a person's readiness to affirm the vows of membership." The result of both decisions is that Johnson is to be immediately reinstated to the status he held before being placed on involuntary leave of absence, with all salary and benefits retroactive to July 1, and is entitled to receive an appointment. full story

Judicial Council reverses lower court, rules against Beth Stroud

Oct. 31, 2005      United Methodist News Service HOUSTON — The United Methodist Judicial Council has reversed an appeals court ruling in the case of a lesbian pastor, restoring the original trial court ruling and verdict that had resulted in the minister losing her clergy credentials. The Rev. Irene Elizabeth "Beth" Stroud, an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Germantown, Pa., was convicted by a clergy trial court last December after stating that she was a practicing lesbian - a violation of church law, which forbids the ordination and appointment of "self-avowed practicing" homosexuals. The trial court revoked Stroud's credentials, but a jurisdictional court of appeals set aside that ruling in April. The Oct. 31 decision by the denomination's top court restores the original decision. full story