e-Review archive
Global Connection
November 2005
 

Opposing groups share similar experiences, bishops learn

Nov. 1, 2005      United Methodist News Service They advocate vigorously for very different views on scriptural interpretation and, more specifically, the church's stance toward homosexuality. Yet members of the Confessing Movement and the Reconciling Ministries network share similar experiences that lead them to their perspectives, say three United Methodist bishops who attended gatherings of both groups this fall. In early September, Bishops Sally Dyck, Scott Jones and John Schol attended the convocation of the Reconciling Ministries Network, a group that advocates for full participation of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in the United Methodist Church. Three weeks later, they attended the conference of the Confessing Movement, a group that promotes faithfulness to church doctrine. It also opposes the ordination of self-avowed practicing homosexuals and clergy-blessed unions of homosexuals. full story

Fight against malaria needs everyone's attention, United Methodists say

Nov. 2, 2005     News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New York {615} United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Bishop Joao Somane Machado sees children in Mozambique dying of malaria on a daily basis and he wants the world to pay attention. "This is not an African issue," said Machado, who leads the United Methodist Church in Mozambique. "It's not only for poor countries. It's global." The bishop and the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, spoke about the church's new initiative to combat malaria during a Nov. 1 press conference in New York. They were joined by the Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of the bestselling book, The Purpose-Driven Life. The press conference occurred during the opening of the Nov. 1-3 TIME Global Health Summit, which is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The summit drew together leaders in medicine, government, business, public policy and the arts to discuss how to make real change on global health issues. On Oct. 30, the Gates Foundation announced the funding of three grants, for a total of $258.3 million, to fight malaria through the development of an advanced vaccine, new drugs for treatment and improved insecticides and other mosquito control methods. full story

United Methodist bishops affirm church membership open to all

Nov. 3, 2005       United Methodist News Service LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — Homosexuality is not a barrier to membership in the United Methodist Church, the denomination's bishops said Nov. 2, two days after the church's top court supported a pastor's refusal to allow a gay man to join. "While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier," the bishops said in their pastoral letter to the people of the United Methodist Church. In a ruling announced Oct. 31, the Judicial Council supported the Rev. Ed Johnson of South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church in his decision not to allow a gay man to join his congregation. The man was a choir member and had been meeting with Johnson about transferring membership from another denomination. Johnson was placed on a yearlong involuntary leave of absence by fellow pastors during the clergy session of the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference last June. The Judicial Council upheld Johnson's action, citing the authority given to clergy by the church's Book of Discipline. The court ordered that the pastor be reinstated to his previous status. The ripple effect of the court's decision was felt immediately in Lake Junaluska, where the Council of Bishops is holding its weeklong fall meeting. The council spent at least four hours in closed session working on a statement responding to the ruling. "With the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, we affirm 'that God's grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in Christian community,'" the bishops said, quoting from the Social Principles in the Book of Discipline. "'We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.' "We also affirm our Wesleyan practice that pastors are accountable to the bishop, superintendent and the clergy on matters of ministry and membership," the bishops said. The Council of Bishops unanimously adopted the pastoral letter in closed session. full story

Bishops launch appeal to help gulf churches build anew

Nov. 4, 2005      United Methodist News Service LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — The United Methodist Church's bishops are launching an appeal aimed at helping the denomination's congregations in Louisiana and Mississippi recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina. The Council of Bishops approved the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal during its Oct. 30-Nov. 4 fall meeting. The appeal will focus on building new ministries, rebuilding facilities and addressing a wide range of other local church and conference needs, such as paying clergy salaries and covering an untold amount of uninsured losses. full story

Summit covers health concerns from avian flu to TB

Nov. 4, 2005      United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — Old diseases — malaria, tuberculosis and measles — still account for significant death rates in some countries. Newer diseases — HIV/AIDS and emerging threats like the avian flu — have an even larger global impact. Issues surrounding such health crises were addressed during the Nov. 1-3 Global Health Summit in New York, sponsored by TIME magazine and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. United Methodists were among the participants from medicine, government, business, nonprofits, public policy and the arts. full story

Church's leaders urge Bush to provide plan for Iraq withdrawal

Nov. 7, 2005 United Methodist News Service LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — The United Methodist Church's bishops are calling on President George Bush to draw up a plan and timeline for withdrawing all U.S. forces from Iraq. The resolution, adopted Nov. 4, updates a statement that the Council of Bishops issued in May 2004. During the final session of the council's weeklong fall meeting, no bishops voted in opposition to the resolution, though some abstained from voting. full story

Church World Service expands tent village for quake survivors

Nov. 8, 2005      United Methodist News Service NEW YORK — As many as 200,000 tents are still needed for survivors of the Oct. 8 earthquake in Southern Asia, along with food aid for more than 2 million people. The United Nations reported in early November that it has received pledges of less than a quarter of the $550 million it is seeking to respond to the earthquake, which resulted in at least 73,000 deaths and nearly as many injuries. Relief workers consider the situation a race against time because the approaching winter will make it difficult to reach remote villages in the Himalayas. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan to assist earthquake survivors, particularly in northern Pakistan and Kashmir. full story

Connectional Table discusses vision for church

Nov. 8, 2005      United Methodist News Service LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — "What are the concerns facing the United Methodist Church all over the world?" "Where is God leading the church in the future?" Those were some of the questions United Methodist leaders from around the world discussed during the Nov. 4-7 meeting of the Connectional Table. Created by the 2004 General Conference, the Connectional Table brings together bishops, staff executives and officers of denominational agencies, and representatives of ethnic caucuses and jurisdictions around the world to help guide the mission and ministries of the global church. The 60-member table, led by Bishop John Hopkins of the Ohio East Area, met for the first time in January. full story

Ending hunger is achievable, book says

Nov. 9, 2005      United Methodist News Service Two decades ago, the horrors of famine were thrust upon the world through photographs of hollow-eyed, starving children in Ethiopia. This year, the starving children can be found in Niger — and Malawi, Zimbabwe, and several other countries in southern Africa. Some 12 million people across the region are in urgent need of food aid, according to the United Nations' World Food Programme. But the Rev. Don Messer, a United Methodist theologian at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, believes the problem of hunger can be solved, despite situations like those in Niger. full story

New video explores 'gifts of aging'

Nov. 10, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A new video produced by the United Methodist Church's Board of Discipleship drives home the point that God's call doesn't end when a person retires and neither does the retiree's value to the church. "God didn't call us to be Christians just until we reach a certain age," says the Rev. Hazel Bennett, chairperson of the United Methodist Committee on Older Adult Ministries and one of the voices on "New Beginnings: The Gifts of Aging." The 20-minute video features vignettes demonstrating the active role older adults are playing in the life of the church and society. In the United States, 35 million people are over the age of 65, and that number will rise to 70 million by 2030. In the United Methodist Church, about 62 percent of the members are 50 or older, says the Rev. Richard H. Gentzler Jr., director of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship's Center on Aging and Older Adult Ministries. "We cannot afford to allow the faith, wisdom and experience that abound in older adults to be lost or under utilized," he says. "The church has the opportunity to reframe the experience of aging and help cultivate among older adults the qualities of spiritual maturity." full story

Health disparities research tops NIH agenda

Nov. 11, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Health disparities research is at the top of the agenda for the National Institutes of Health, along with creating consistent "streams of funding," according to a top official of the agency. "There are amazing differences in life expectancy and death in this country," said Raynard Kington, deputy director of the National Institutes of Health. African Americans are at the bottom of "almost every measure in health status and well-being." "Absolutely," he concluded, "health disparities research is at the top of our agenda." Kington's remarks kicked off an Oct. 30-Nov. 2 summit examining the unequal burden of illness and disease borne by Nashville residents who are racial or ethnic minorities. United Methodist-related Meharry Medical College sponsored the second annual event, called Nashville Community Health Disparities Summit2. full story

96 bishops decry 'unjust and immoral' situation in Iraq

Nov. 11, 2005     United Methodist News Service Ninety-six United Methodist bishops have signed a statement repenting "of our complicity in what we believe to be the unjust and immoral invasion and occupation of Iraq." The signers include more than half of the denomination's active and retired bishops, both within the United States and in the Central Conferences outside the United States. Bishop Kenneth Carder, one of the signers, told United Methodist News Service on Nov. 11 that the statement had been nearly six weeks in the making. The statement confesses "our preoccupation with institutional enhancement and limited agendas while American men and women are sent to Iraq to kill and be killed, while thousands of Iraqi people needlessly suffer and die, while poverty increases and preventable diseases go untreated." While the sacrifices of military personnel are valued, true security does not lie in the weapons of war, the bishops pointed out. full story

Selling Christmas wreaths helps hard-pressed families

Nov. 14, 2005     United Methodist News Service SALEM, Maine — Wes Moody measures the tree branch against his forearm, with the tip just touching his elbow. "We reach in, measure the tip with our elbow and ..." Snap! That 14-inch-long tip of a balsam fir tree will soon become part of a Christmas wreath. Displaying wreaths is a Christmas tradition, but in this area of Maine, the time-honored decoration represents something much more: a financial life-saver for local families. "A lot of the jobs that people had for years and years are gone now," says Kay Webb, a local pastor and director of United Methodist Economic Ministry. "Factories have closed down. "People are working several part-time jobs, more hours for less money, and no benefits." United Methodist Economic Ministry has roots in the mountain communities of rural western Maine dating back to the late 1960s. The ministry's role during the wreath-making season is crucial. full story

Methodists respond to disasters in Mexico, Central America

Nov. 15, 2005     United Methodist News Service United Methodists are helping provide relief to hurricane-stricken areas of Central America and Mexico. At the beginning of October, Hurricane Stan caused flooding and landslides in Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. In Guatemala alone, more than 1,500 people were dead or missing, and dozens of deaths were reported in the other four countries. The disaster also killed cattle and destroyed houses, roads and cultivated areas. "Conscious of the situation in the affected areas of Chiapas, the Methodist Church of Mexico has opened its doors in many parts of the Federal District as storehouse centers," said Bishop Moisés Valderrama, with the Methodist Church of Mexico. "These centers are receiving donations." The United Methodist Committee on Relief is helping the affected people through the Native Ecological Federation of Chiapas. The flood ruined the coffee crops, and UMCOR is working to reach the area with help. In Guatemala, UMCOR has started a relief program in the disaster areas and is determining the best way to provide long-term help. United Methodist missionary Eunice Arias is working on site to evaluate the situation. full story

Torture is unacceptable, NCC assembly says

Nov. 15, 2005     United Methodist News Service Any use of torture is "unacceptable and contrary to U.S. and international legal norms," according to religious leaders. The condemnation of torture came when the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches USA and Church World Service met Nov. 9-11 near Baltimore. Assembly delegates, including United Methodists, commended the U.S. Senate's "anti-torture provisions" in the 2006 Defense Appropriations bill, which is before the House of Representatives for action. The resolution also criticized those in government who would fail to approve such legislation. full story

'Shadow Voices' documentary addresses mental illness

Nov. 16, 2005      United Methodist News Service In many local churches, mental illness remains an unknown and unaddressed social issue. The Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder, a United Methodist pastor in San Diego, Calif., has firsthand knowledge of this problem. Diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, she is "doing very well" with medication and is coordinator of mental health ministries for the denomination's California-Pacific Annual (regional) Conference. Gregg-Schroeder is featured in "Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness," which will begin airing Dec. 4 on ABC-TV affiliates. The one-hour documentary was produced by Mennonite Media and the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission, which includes United Methodist participation, for the National Council of Churches. The program follows 10 individuals who have dealt with mental illness, and it offers expert analysis from mental health specialists, counselors and religious leaders. full story

Alumni fund helps Africa University students stay in school

Nov. 17, 2005     United Methodist News Service MUTARE, Zimbabwe — Nineteen students have officially returned to classes at Africa University following weeks of uncertainty about their financial status. But that's just half of a group of 38 undergraduate students who were in danger of dropping out this semester due to financial hardship. Eleven weeks into the semester, the students, from five of the school's six academic disciplines, could not pay their fees. They'd applied for financial assistance from the university, but with the regular scholarship and financial aid funds exhausted, the school could not provide the level of help needed. Unable to register, the students remained on campus, praying for a miracle. For 19 of the 38, that miracle came in the form of grants from the university's Honorary Alumni Fund, created in 2000 to assist financially challenged students. "It's amazing," said education student Mercy Mwanyisa. "I'm so emotional, I can hardly believe it because it's such a breakthrough for me." Mwanyisa is one of five Zimbabweans who got a reprieve. The other 14 students are from a variety of countries, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. full story

Liberian church members voice support for Johnson-Sirleaf

Nov. 14, 2005    United Methodist News Service MONROVIA, Liberia — United Methodists throughout this West African country are expressing support for Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who appears to have won the Nov. 8 presidential run-off election. While final results have not yet been announced, Johnson-Sirleaf was firmly in the lead with 59 percent of the vote, after 90 percent of the votes cast had been tabulated. If she is confirmed the winner, she will be Africa's first female head of state. Many United Methodists around the country worked hard to galvanize support for the former finance minister, whom they felt was the most capable person to lead the country. full story

United Methodist billboard 'gift' kicks off holiday season

Nov. 14, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Church is kicking off its holiday advertising campaign with a giant billboard screen above New York City's Times Square. "The Gift," a message about sharing one's gifts with others, is expected to reach an estimated 2 million people flowing daily through Times Square. The 30-second spots will be shown on the 30-by-40-foot screen eight times a day for a two-week period, including during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. "The holiday season is a time when many people are feeling alone or are perhaps seeking some deeper meaning and purpose in their lives," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. "One of the gifts that the United Methodist Church has to offer is the sureness of hope that we are neither abandoned by God or by the faith community. Our doors are open for anyone who is seeking a deeper understanding of their place in the world to come and participate in that search in relationship with others." In addition to advertising on one of the world's most famous outdoor video screens this holiday season, the denomination will air two television commercials on 18 cable networks Dec. 5 through Christmas Eve. The second spot, titled, "I Believe," is about how the church embraces diversity. full story

Storm relief stations established throughout Louisiana

Nov. 21, 2005 United Methodist News Service BATON ROUGE, La. — First Street United Methodist Church, located in the central part of New Orleans, is one of six storm relief/recovery stations being established in areas of Louisiana affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with the Louisiana Annual (regional) Conference in setting up the stations, carefully chosen to offer close proximity to storm victims in hard hit areas. "First Street United Methodist Church offers a prime location for one of these stations," said the Rev. Lance Eden, pastor. "Although our facilities were blessed to virtually be spared from the devastation, the area surrounding the church for miles was severely impacted." Each storm relief/recovery station is staffed by a director, a construction director, a case management director and a part-time administrative assistant. "The director works with volunteer teams coming in the area to provide relief and recovery assistance. We are still in the relief phase for most areas," said Jim Bailey, director of the Slidell United Methodist Storm Relief/Recovery Station at Aldersgate United Methodist Church. full story

United Methodists help schools keep operating in Congo

Nov. 21, 2005 United Methodist News Service Hundreds of United Methodist-affiliated schools, ranging from primary schools to seminaries, are educating children in the Democratic Republic of Congo with very limited funds or supplies. Most of these schools are almost completely supported by both the United Methodist Church and the government, said Robert Mpoyo, executive secretary, Africa Office for the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The Advance for Christ and His Church, the denomination's second-mile giving program, has had a major role in helping fund all levels of the Congolese schools, Mpoyo said. "The Advance is a channel for funds. It helps pay for the salary of the teacher, but it can only do so much," he said. full story

GCFA resolution notes United Methodist generosity

Nov. 22, 2005    United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The generosity of United Methodists will be needed more than ever for the remainder of 2005 and throughout 2006 as the Louisiana and Mississippi Annual (regional) conferences struggle to recover from Hurricane Katrina. That fact was noted in a resolution passed by the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration, which met Nov. 17-20 in Lake Junaluska, N.C. The resolution requests that annual (regional) conferences increase their support for the church's global outreach to help reduce the financial shortfalls congregations along the Gulf Coast have suffered since the hurricane struck Aug. 29. full story

2012 United Methodist General Conference to be in Virginia

Nov. 22, 2005    United Methodist News Service LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — The 2012 international gathering of the United Methodist General Conference will be held in Richmond, Va., the denomination's Commission on the General Conference announced Nov. 22. The gathering of 1,000 delegates from the U.S., Europe, Africa and Asia will be held at the Richmond Convention Center, April 25-May 4, 2012. In addition to delegates, about 4,000 additional persons are expected to attend and participate in the conference. The General Conference is the United Methodist Church's top legislative gathering. The conference meets every four years to consider changes to church law and to take positions on theological and social issues related to the church's work around the globe. The next conference will be April 23-May 2, 2008, in Forth Worth, Texas. Richmond, Orlando and Tampa, Fla. were the three finalists considered by the Commission on the General Conference during the site selection process. The commission's site selection team visited the sites before recommending Richmond. full story

Scholar denounces hijackers of religion

Nov. 23, 2005     United Methodist News Service NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Politicians, liberals and conservatives have hijacked Christianity and polarized Americans, according to Huston Smith, author of 14 best-selling books, including The World's Religions, which has sold 2.5 million copies in 12 languages. In the week of the baseball playoffs, Smith lectured at Vanderbilt Divinity School. He pitched a slider at conservative Christians for being "trapped in a dogmatic literalism which isn't true but is held to dogmatically." He tossed a curveball at liberals for being "unqualifiedly secular and having little to offer church members other than rallying cries to be good." Smith saved his brush-back fastball for politicians. However, his anger at politicians who use religion to baptize war would frighten major leaguers. "We live in a scary time," said Smith. "In war, both sides need strength and they want to win, so they call on God and assume they are doing God's will. At the same time, they demonize the enemy." full story

Two Judicial Council members add opinions to decision

Nov. 29, 2005      United Methodist News Service Amid the debate about the United Methodist Judicial Council's recent ruling on a pastor's authority to determine membership, two people who were directly involved in the decision have weighed in with their own opinions. The two additional opinions became part of the official ruling for the Judicial Council's Decision 1032, which was issued Oct. 31 and can be found on the denomination's Web site at http://www.umc.org. full story

Judicial Council decisions stir debate across church

Nov. 29, 2005      United Methodist News Service In the weeks following important United Methodist Judicial Council decisions related to homosexuality, conversation at all levels of the denomination has concerned little else. Almost all of the caucus groups related to the church have made statements concerning either the decisions of the court, a pastoral letter written in response by the Council of Bishops, or both. The decisions have raised fundamental issues regarding membership, the authority of the pastor and what it means to be Christ's church. full story

Commentary: Council stands guilty of legislating from bench

Nov. 29, 2005     United Methodist News Service A lot has been in the news lately about selecting candidates for appointment to the United States Supreme Court. One of the most often heard criteria is that the person be someone who will not "legislate from the bench." The role of the highest judicial body in the United States is to adjudicate cases based on whether or not they meet the test of constitutional application. In a recent ruling, the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church (our highest judicial body) issued a ruling that, in my opinion, was blatantly "legislating from the bench." full story

Commentary: Judicial Council ruled properly in Virginia pastor case

Nov. 29, 2005     United Methodist News Service The United Methodist Judicial Council recently rendered two decisions in the case of the Rev. Ed Johnson of Virginia, a pastor who was disciplined by his bishop for not admitting a self-avowed, practicing homosexual into church membership. In overturning the bishop's actions, the court upheld existing church law, as determined by many General Conferences. There was nothing new in the decisions. Yet, there has been a flurry of debate and interpretations in the church. What do the decisions say? What do they not say? How do we process the impact of these rulings on the nuances of the homosexual debate in our church? full story

Earthquake survivors still living on the edge

Nov. 30, 2005     United Methodist News Service Winter weather has left hundreds of thousands of South Asian earthquake survivors still without proper shelter, according to relief organizations. As a consequence, the first cold-related deaths were reported Nov. 29 by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Two children died of pneumonia and a man died of hypothermia, according to the United Nations. The Oct. 8 earthquake killed an estimated 80,000 people and left up to 3 million homeless. Snow has started to block delivery of relief supplies by helicopter or road to the affected villages in the Himalayas. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with Church World Service to assist earthquake survivors, particularly in northern Pakistan and Kashmir. full story