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CWS relief coordinator to arrive in Myanmar

May 8, 2008 United Methodist News Service A coordinator for Church World Service is expected to arrive in Myanmar on May 9 to begin preparations for cyclone relief efforts there. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is partnering with CWS on emergency relief for the nearly one million people that the United Nations estimates were left homeless after Cyclone Nargis struck the Southeast Asia nation May 3. Up to 100,000 people may have died and tens of thousands are missing. full story

Myanmar bishop monitors situation at home

May 8, 2008      United Methodist News Service As the nation of Myanmar began to assess the damage following a catastrophic cyclone, the Methodist bishop for the area was in Virginia, working the phones to organize relief efforts and preparing to return to his devastated country. Bishop Zothan Mawia will participate in the May 9 baccalaureate service at Shenandoah University, a United Methodist-related school in Winchester, Va., where his daughter is a freshman, before returning home. He is the episcopal leader of the Methodist Church of the Union of Myanmar (Lower Myanmar). Mawia came to the United States in April to attend a meeting of the United Methodist Council of Bishops meeting and then General Conference, the denomination's top legislative gathering, in Fort Worth, Texas. He then saw his elder daughter graduate from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan., another United Methodist-related school. "I am sorry I am here instead of at home," the bishop said during a May 7 interview with UMNS, "but I know God has a plan, and I am hoping something good comes out of it. Here I can better contact people, to reach out and help and encourage people in America to do what they can to help us. My heart is there, but I know God has a purpose for me being here." full story

Teens help homeless with fashion show

May 8, 2008      United Methodist News Service WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — At first glance, they appear to have little in common-students modeling the latest fashions and, just a few miles away, dozens of homeless men and women walking the streets. But the high school and college students walking down the runway are more than friends of fashion. The youth group from Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem is raising money for the Love Thy Neighbor ministry, which holds block parties for the homeless. "We began calling it Love Thy Neighbor out of the Matthew passage that says, 'love your neighbor as yourself,'" explains Lisa Waugh, 18, a high school senior in charge of the second annual Friends for Fashion show held at a local country club. The shows raise about $10,000 a year for the outreach. full story

Commentary: Seeking balance at General Conference

May 8, 2008      United Methodist News Service When the 2008 General Conference was over, I headed to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport with my eyes barely open. As I checked my luggage, a couple of delegates standing next to me asked, "So, what is the order of the day?" We laughed. On the plane to Denver, another group of United Methodists asked, "What calendar items are you going to present?" We were all happy there were none left to deliberate! The underlying issue we faced was a basic daily scheduling structure. Delegates felt pressured with each day's tight schedule, which began at 8 a.m. and ended at around 11 p.m., with two less days to work than at previous General Conference meetings. full story

Church focuses on poverty, leadership

May 3, 2008 United Methodist Reporter FORT WORTH, Texas—Do United Methodists really want to welcome the poor and downtrodden? Or do they prefer those sitting in the pews to “look just like us?” Bishop Felton May posed that question to General Conference delegates during an April 24 presentation on four areas of focus that will guide the future work of the denomination’s general agencies. “Somehow, in our 40 years, poverty became acceptable to us,” he told the legislative gathering. “But here, at our 40-year anniversary, for the love of God, the United Methodist Church declares, no more!” full story

Delegates reject petitions on evaluation of ineffective clergy

May 2, 2008                                                               United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference rejected two petitions dealing with clergy ineffectiveness and guaranteed appointments. The delegates followed the recommendations of the ministry and higher education legislative committee and voted 824-25 to not amend paragraph 334.1 of the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The petitions asked that bishops appoint an ineffective pastor to less than full-time service. full story

Justice petitions address welfare, hate, torture

May 2, 2008                                                                United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — New resolutions adopted by United Methodists touch on a variety of social justice issues, including a living wage, hate crimes and the use of torture. The resolutions were among the consent calendar items approved by the denomination’s General Conference during its April 23-May 2 legislative event at the Fort Worth Convention Center. full story

Assembly approves $642 million churchwide budget

May 2, 2008                                                                                       United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Following a declaration that “the budget defines who we are and what we believe” as the church, the 2008 United Methodist General Conference approved a $642 million denominational spending plan for the next four years built around four areas of mission and ministry. “(The budget) is our mission statement of what God is calling us as people of The United Methodist Church to be about in the world,” said Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, president of the church’s finance agency, in presenting the proposed budget on May 2, the final day of the 10-day legislative assembly. With minimal discussion, the delegates approved the budget by a vote of 750-28 and later approved the “apportionment formula” by which it is funded through money requested of the church’s 63 U.S. annual (regional) conferences and their local congregations. Less than 2 percent of the money placed in local church offering plates goes to fund denominational ministries and administration. full story

Church tackles difficult subject of abortion

May 2, 2008                                                                                                 United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas —The United Methodist Church will continue to “sit at the table” and retain its 35-year membership with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. In a May 2 vote of 416-384, the 2008 General Conference affirmed continued membership of the denomination’s Board of Church and Society and the Women’s Division of the Board of Global Ministries in the organization. Fourteen denominations including the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalism, Conservative Judaism and others are also full members of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. full story

Church supports justice for migrants

May 2, 2008                                                                                                 United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas —The United Methodist Church is urging justice for migrants worldwide and reform of U.S. immigration laws. Delegates to the denomination's top legislative body, meeting April 23-May 2, adopted resolutions covering both global migration and immigration issues in the United States. full story

United Methodists reject divestment from Israel

May 2, 2008                                                    United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — United Methodists have rejected attempts to have the denomination endorse divestment from Israel as a way of addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict. The actions occurred during General Conference, the church’s top legislative body, meeting April 23-May 2 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. A number of petitions, including five from U.S. annual (regional) conferences, were folded into one petition on “divestment” that called on the denomination’s pension board and finance agency “to review and identify companies that profit from sales of products or services that cause harm to Palestinians and Israelis and begin phased selective divestment from these companies.” That petition was rejected May 2 by General Conference delegates as they voted on a special consent calendar. full story

Commentary: Deliberating under the influence (of too little sleep) at GC 2008

May 2, 2008                                                                United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — As we reach the end of the 2008 General Conference, some of us delegates are feeling a little like the 87-year-old John Wesley, who, as he neared death, wrote to a friend, “I am half blind and half lame; but by the help of God, I creep on still.” General Conference delegates have done their very best while deliberating under the influence of too little sleep and too few breaks. And we, like Wesley, creep on still. General Conference sessions are always tiring and long, but this year was the worst, according to many experienced delegates. The organizers of General Conference, in a praiseworthy effort to save money, cut two days from the General Conference calendar. And with the addition of some new events and speeches, we were left with even less time for legislative committee deliberations. And it showed. full story

Agency focuses on centennial, health initiatives

May 2, 2008                                                                United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — Leaders of the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits told the 2008 General Conference about 100 years of accomplishments and pledged to focus on the health of clergy and lay workers in the future. The agency’s history is a “legacy of care and concern for the welfare of those who are called to serve--clergy and lay workers alike,” said Bishop Ben R. Chamness, chairman of the agency’s board of directors. The Board of Pension and Health Benefits, one of the top 100 pension funds in the United States, cares for more than 74,000 participants. It has grown from managing $200,000 in assets to managing $16 billion today. It also has become the largest denominational investor in affordable housing in the United States, with commitments of more than $1 billion. The centennial celebration came the same week that General Conference approved a series of health-related petitions sponsored by the Board of Pension and Health Benefits. full story

‘Christian conferencing’ follows demonstration

May 1, 2008                                                    United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Relationships established before the 2008 United Methodist General Conference began helped temper a May 1 response to that body’s decision not to change the denomination’s current positions on homosexuality, according to some participants. During a press conference after a “witness” was made on the General Conference floor by supporters of lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgendered people, Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, said he had a “deep sense of gratitude” for both how the witness was handled and how delegates and bishops responded. The 15-minute demonstration was in reaction to the April 30 decision to retain the denomination's decades-old proscription describing homosexual practice as “incompatible with Christian teaching.” One protester, Audrey Krumbach, read a statement declaring that the "anti-gay policies of The United Methodist Church are wrong and sinful in the sight of God." full story

Demonstrators call church's ‘anti-gay’ policies sinful

May 1, 2008                                                                            United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — In an act of witness in front of delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, more than 200 people declared that the denomination's policies and practices against homosexuality are “sinful” and that “sexuality is a gift from God.” full story

Wrap-up: Constitutional amendments, Gates speech

May 1, 2008                                                                          United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Following an emotional day in which delegates debated issues related to homosexuality, Chicago Area Bishop Hee-Soo Jung told The United Methodist Church’s legislative assembly that people on each side of the controversy are living out Christian values. He said both those who want the church to be more flexible — more open — and those who want the church to be clear about boundaries — more pure — embody biblical values, “and both are right.” Speaking at a May 1 worship service of the legislative arm of the 11.5 million-member denomination, Jung invited United Methodists “to live in the tension that is created by holding both values — holiness and hospitality — together at the same time.” full story

Church supports people of Tibet, Sudan, Taiwan

May 1, 2008                                                                United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — United Methodists have officially affirmed support for “the people of Tibet and their struggle for independence and autonomy.” The action came May 1 as General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative body, met at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The petition on Tibet was among the consent calendar items approved that day. full story

United Methodists expand global health campaign

May 1, 2008                                                                                            United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — The United Methodist Church “ramped up” its commitment to fight malaria by agreeing to enter into a capital campaign to raise $75 million to $100 million for global health. “This is a milestone in the church’s long history of caring for the poor and the whole person,” said Bishop Janice Riggle Huie on May 1 in announcing the 2008 General Conference’s approval of the Global Health Initiative. Agencies and boards of the church will join with the United Nations Foundation and other organizations to combat the diseases of poverty: HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The initiative represents an expanded global partnership, Huie said. The hope is that the partnership, led by the people of The United Methodist Church and organized by the U.N. Foundation, will raise $200 million to fight malaria in Africa. Development of the partnership has received support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. full story

Gates thanks United Methodists for partnership

May 1, 2008                                                                            United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — United Methodists have decided to wipe out malaria because “brothers and sisters don’t sit back and let each other die,” said William H. Gates Sr., co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “I am here today to thank you,” he told the 2008 United Methodist General Conference on May 1, during its worldwide legislative meeting. “We are proud to be your partner in this campaign to end the world’s worst killer of children. We believe the campaign cannot succeed without you.” full story

United Methodists will pledge to ‘witness’

May 1, 2008                                                                                        United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — People who join United Methodist churches henceforth will promise to be faithful in “their witness” as well as in their “prayers, their presence, their gifts and their service.” The 2008 United Methodist General Conference voted April 30 to add the witness phrase to the liturgy the church uses when a person makes a profession of membership. The new phrase highlights the mission and evangelistic responsibility of church membership. full story

Four jurisdictions will each lose one bishop under new plan

April 30, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — Delegates to the 2008 General Conference of The United Methodist Church approved a plan that will result in one less bishop in each of four of the five U.S. jurisdictions, beginning in 2012. In an April 29 legislative session, delegates agreed that savings from those reductions will be used to fund new episcopal areas outside the United States. Those new areas — each to be led by a bishop — will not be created until the 2012 General Conference. full story

United Methodist mission statement revised

May 1, 2008                                                                United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — United Methodist General Conference delegates have refined the denomination's mission statement to infuse a mission directive into the life and work of the church. The statement now reads, "The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." The latter phrase was added in the revision and will now appear in the United Methodist Book of Discipline, the church's official law book. full story

Interpreters assist General Conference delegates

May 1, 2008                                                                United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — A 140-member team of interpreters and technicians is making it possible for nearly 300 international delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference to participate in worship, committee discussions and floor debates. Interpreters for the April 23-May 2 legislative meeting are available for nine languages: American Sign Language, 3; French, 30; German, 6; Korean, 6; Mandarin Chinese, 4; Portuguese, 27; Russian, 10; Spanish, 10; and Swahili, 26. full story

Wrap up: Assembly retains stance on homosexuality

April 30, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — After a long and emotional debate, the 2008 General Conference voted April 30 to retain statements in the Social Principles that the “United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” The final action replaced a “majority report” from a legislative committee, which called for recognition that “faithful and thoughtful people who have grappled with this issue deeply disagree with one another; yet all seek a faithful witness.” The assembly replaced the majority report by a 517-416 vote. full story

United Methodists uphold homosexuality stance

April 30, 2008                                                                         United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Delegates to the 2008 General Conference on April 30 rejected changes to the United Methodist Social Principles that would have acknowledged that church members disagree on homosexuality. Delegates instead adopted a minority report that retained language in the denomination’s 2004 Book of Discipline describing homosexual practice as “incompatible with Christian teaching.” The adopted wording in Paragraph 161G also states that “all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God,” and that United Methodists are to be “welcoming, forgiving and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us.” Delegates also approved a new resolution to oppose homophobia and heterosexism, saying the church opposes “all forms of violence or discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual practice or sexual orientation.” full story

Display of boots represents ‘human cost of war’

April 30, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Four United Methodist bishops and a top agency executive spoke passionately about the human cost of war April 29, calling for an end to the war in Iraq during a prayer service for the Eyes Wide Open exhibit. The temporary display, which remained in General Worth Park until 8 p.m., included a pair of combat boots for every service person from Texas who has died in Iraq and Afghanistan. About 200 pairs of civilian shoes were also on display, representing civilian casualties. General Worth Park is across from the Fort Worth Convention Center, the site of General Conference 2008. “This bears witness to the cost of war,” said the Rev. Darryl Fairchild, a delegate from West Ohio, who helped organize the exhibit and service of prayer and witness. He is a board member of the American Friends Service Committee, which created the Eyes Wide Open Exhibit. full story

Delegates celebrate 100th anniversary of men’s ministry

April 30, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — General Conference delegates celebrated on April 30 the 100th anniversary of ministry to men in The United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations. “This is huge,” said the Rev. David C. Adams, top executive of the Commission on United Methodist Men, in a six-minute video presentation. “Other men’s ministries over the years have come and gone. But United Methodist Men has been steadfast.” full story

Liberia President Sirleaf addresses United Methodists

April 29, 2008                                                                         United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told a worldwide gathering of United Methodists that her country and her church share a common commitment to eradicate poverty. Sirleaf, a member of the Monrovia (Liberia) United Methodist Church, greeted delegates to the denomination’s top lawmaking body as “fellow Christians and fellow Methodists” many times during her April 29 address to the 2008 General Conference. “This is a special honor for me,” she said. “I am the first African leader and the first female president to address the General Conference of The United Methodist Church.” full story

United Methodists, Lutherans look toward cooperation

April 29, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Bishop Melvin Talbert felt “a song in my heart” when the United Methodist General Conference approved a full communion agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). For Bishop William Oden, April 28 — the day the vote was taken — was a “banner day” for The United Methodist Church. Both bishops were instrumental in shepherding the denomination to the vote. Oden is the ecumenical officer of the United Methodist Council of Bishops and Talbert was co-chairman of the most recent United Methodist-ELCA dialogue team with ELCA Bishop Allan Bjornberg of Denver. The dialogue was facilitated by the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. full story

Wrap up: Assembly tackles items with price tags

April 28, 2008                                                            United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Still recovering from a fun-filled Sunday Area Night  party and past-midnight sessions of legislative committees, weary delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference assembled April 28 for a full day of legislation. The 992 delegates had even more reasons to be tired at the end of a day when they wrestled with all proposals dealing with financial matters. After proposals with price tags were approved, they were sent to the General Council on Finance and Administration and the Connectional Table for advice and final recommendations. These items are generally considered again on the final day of the 10-day gathering. Delegates created a new fund for theological schools in Africa and launched two new study groups. full story

Assembly creates new study group on church structure

April 28, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — After lengthy debates lasting through the dinner hour, delegates to the 2008 General Conference took a hesitant step toward reorganizing the 11.5 million-member United Methodist Church so it does not appear to be a U.S. church with satellite communities in Africa, Asia and Europe. The last time the quadrennial legislative assembly met in 2004, nearly 1,000 delegates from around the world created a Task Force on the Global Nature of the Church. That six-member group proposed the possibility of making the United States a “central conference” similar to other conferences outside the United States. The task force submitted 23 petitions that would amend the constitution to allow for the creation of a regional conference for the United States and change the name “central conference” to “regional conference.” In response to the proposals, delegates asked the Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table to create a 20-member committee to consider recommendations of the study group and suggested that the six members of the early study be included in the new committee. The new group will also consider the financial implications of proposed changes in structure and report back to the 2012 General Conference. full story

Cleaver: Social, economic problems hurt poor most

April 28, 2008                                                                         United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — “We are walloping the poor” and blaming them for their problems, said U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II during a luncheon sponsored by the social action agency of The United Methodist Church. “Poor people are being blamed for being poor people,” said Cleaver, a United Methodist pastor, who was the keynote speaker at the United Methodist Board of Church and Society event. The April 28 luncheon was held at the start of the second week of the 2008 General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly. full story

Uganda children’s choir awes General Conference

April 28, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — “I was just praying to God in my heart that I would perform well,” said Solomon Mutende, 10, of Uganda. Thousands of teary-eyed United Methodists know God answered that prayer after watching Solomon and the Hope for Africa Children’s Choir perform before a worldwide gathering of United Methodists. The energetic performance on April 28 was one of the most blessed moments of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the church’s legislative assembly meeting through May 2 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The appreciative crowd gave the youngsters an impromptu standing ovation after the children sang and danced to one song during a planned “celebration moment.” The audience even demanded an encore. full story

United Methodists formally admit Côte d’Ivoire

April 27, 2008                                                                        United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas —The United Methodist Church in Côte d’Ivoire, the largest regional conference of the worldwide denomination with almost 700,000 members, has received its full rights and responsibilities. The action came April 27 at the 2008 General Conference, which meets every four years to conduct the business of the church. As a result, United Methodists in the West African country, which has only two delegates at this General Conference, will receive significantly greater representation at future assemblies. Expenses related to its bishop will now be covered by the United Methodist Episcopal Fund instead of by its own conference. full story

Sixty years later, the Advance still offers hope

April 28, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Justa Mamani came from her home in Bolivia to deliver a message of thanks to delegates at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. “I want you to know that the donations you give to The Advance are what sustain my community today,” she said, during an April 28 presentation on the denomination’s voluntary giving program at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Sixty years ago, as a response to the devastation and humanitarian toll of World War II, the "worldwide Advance" was created as both a ministry of relief and message of the gospel. Since then, more than $1.3 billion has been channeled through The Advance for Christ and His Church as a “second-mile” giving program. full story

More support for Katrina relief needed, bishops say

April 28, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — United Methodists have been generous in their response to Hurricane Katrina relief — but more is needed. During a “Katrina Report” on April 28 to delegates of the church’s General Conference, Bishop William Oden of Dallas thanked church members for the $3 million raised so far for the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal, but he noted that “Katrina fatigue has set in.” He called for a recommitment to the rebuilding and reconstruction of the U.S. Gulf Coast. full story

Church task force to examine global warming

April 27, 2008 United Methodist News Service The top lawmaking body of The United Methodist Church has directed United Methodist agencies and organizations to look for ways to care for the earth and reduce global warming. A task force will report to the 2012 General Conference on a plan for evaluating how the denomination’s churches, institutions and staff contribute to global warming. Specific recommendations are sought to guide the church “in reducing our carbon impact and ecological footprint upon creation and finding alternative renewable energy resources to use in carrying out our call to care for the earth as part of Christian discipleship.” full story

Delegates extend plan strengthen the black church

April 27, 2008                                                 United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — The transformational power of the initiative that empowers African-American churches with a renewed sense of ministry was approved by the delegates to the 2008 General Conference. The 12-year-old initiative, known as Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century  (SBC-21), has helped hundreds of struggling black churches connect with successful ones to gain insights and encouragement for their ministries. The General Conference delegates, in a vote of 739 to 15, approved the initiative that is "taking revitalization from the pew to the pavement,” said the Rev. Dorothy Watson Tatem, a member of the project's coordinating committee and delegate from the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference. Delegates approved a budget of $1.4 million for 2009-2012, which will not become final until a total budget is presented by the denomination's Council of Finance and Administration and approved by the 2008 General Conference. full story

Leaders remember Central Jurisdiction’s dissolution

April 27, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — General Conference 2008 honored men and women who worked 40 years ago for the end of a separate Central Jurisdiction for black Methodists and who sacrificed to integrate The United Methodist Church. “We honor you today for your life witness and your stand as an ambassador of justice and reconciliation in the church,” said Erin Hawkins, chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. Hawkins led the April 27 celebration of the dissolution of the Central Jurisdiction, which was formed in 1939 as a segregated place for black Methodists in the merger of the Methodist Protestant Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It was dissolved in 1968 as part of the union of The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church that established The United Methodist Church and formed the five current geographic jurisdictions in the United States. full story

Gallup poll gives Methodists highest positive ratings

April 27, 2008     News media contact:   Diane Denton * (615) 742-5406*   Nashville United Methodist Communications Office of Public Information Methodists have the highest positive ratings of religious and spiritual groups in the United States, new research by the Gallup Panel shows. full story

United Methodists look to Latin America

April 26, 2008                                                           United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Tracing a “shared journey of faith,” a United Methodist committee is calling on the denomination to more fully embrace the church’s counterparts in Latin America and the Caribbean. The request came during an April 26 presentation by the General Conference Study Committee on the Relationship between The United Methodist Church and the Autonomous Methodist Churches in Latin America and the Caribbean. Delegates will vote on the committee’s report and recommendations. full story

Pension Initiative needs millions for retired pastors

April 26, 2008                                                            United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — For many retired United Methodist pastors serving in Africa, the Philippines and Eastern Europe, retirement often becomes “a transition to homelessness,” said Barbara A. Boigegrain, chief executive of the church’s Board of Pension and Health Benefits. Boigegrain made that statement in a video during an April 26 report from the Central Conference Pension Initiative to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the church’s top legislative body that meets once every four years. Bishop Benjamin Chamness, Fort Worth Area, told delegates the initiative has raised $7.8 million but needs $20 million to fully fund pensions for retired pastors in areas outside of the United States. He challenged delegates to contribute to the fund while at General Conference. full story

Rally urges inclusion regardless of sexual identity

April 26, 2008 United Methodist News Service “Change is coming,” says one young adult leader who says The United Methodist Church is getting closer to welcoming everyone regardless of their sexual identity. “Don’t worry; it will happen because nothing can stop the force of this generation,” said Rachel Birkhahn-Rommelfanger, chairperson of the United Methodist Student Movement. Birkhahn-Rommelfanger was among speakers who addressed more than 200 people gathered for a noon rally on April 26 to support inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons in the denomination. full story

Delegates seek General Conference ethics panel

April 26, 2008                                                                                     United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference have called for the establishment of an ethics committee after hearing concerns about gifts given to central conference delegates. On April 26, a motion from Ralph R. Oduor, a lay member of the New England Annual (regional) Conference and retired attorney, asked the Commission on General Conference to establish a General Conference ethics committee to address those concerns. The 992 delegates overwhelming approved the motion, asking the current commission to propose to the 2012 General Conference guidelines for such a committee, including its composition, scope and authority. full story

Doubts arise following gifts of cell phones

April 25, 2008                                                             United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Delegates and church officials attending General Conference are wondering if democratic processes have been compromised because a renewal group provided some African and Filipino delegates with cell phones. The Renewal and Reform Coalition created myriad conversations among delegates, church leaders and visitors after they learned that the Confessing Movement, Good News/Renew, Transforming Congregations, and UMAction provided free cell phones to more than 150 African delegates to use during the General Conference. Some delegates and officials expressed concern that the coalition is trying to sway the votes of African delegates who are typically more conservative than their U.S. counterparts. They fear the coalition might use the phones to offer suggestions on how to vote on particular issues. full story

Church leaders support sanctuary for immigrants

April 25, 2008 United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas  — The plight of immigrants is a “humanitarian crisis, a moral outrage and an affront to God,” said a United Methodist pastor during a press conference on providing sanctuary for immigrants. That’s what the Rev. David Farley, pastor of Echo Park United Methodist Church in Los Angeles told an April 25 press conference. He was joined by the Rev. Walter Coleman, pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago. Both pastors are on the frontlines of the sanctuary movement. The press conference was organized by the United Methodist Task Force on Immigration and moderated by San Antonio Area Bishop Joel Martinez. Panel members called attention to resolutions going before the 2008 General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking body, meeting April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth. United Methodist bishops, agency executives and an immigration lawyer were part of the briefing held at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). full story

$5 million grant boosts Global Health Initiative

April 25, 2008 United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — To fight malaria and other diseases of poverty, The United Methodist Church will receive a $5 million grant from the United Nations Foundation with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bishop Thomas Bickerton has announced. Bickerton made the announcement on World Malaria Day, April 25, during proceedings of General Conference, the church’s top policy-making body. “With the affirmation of this General Conference, we hope to use this $5 million to support a fund-raising and educational campaign to help prevent deaths related to malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis,” said Bickerton, president of the United Methodist Commission on Communication. “The goal is to raise $100 million over the next several years for malaria programs in Africa and the Global AIDS Fund.” full story

COMMENTARY: Can UMC restore community?

April 25, 2008 United Methodist Reporter United Methodism has done well at building up an institution over the years, but an institution is no substitute for a sense of community, says Dick Turner. full story

GEN-X RISING: What GC 2008 can and can’t do

April 25, 2008 United Methodist Reporter General Conference offers quite a bit of excitement when it rolls around once every four years. There’s something for everyone: a chance to think about ourselves as a truly global Church, to debate constructive proposals designed to strengthen the church’s witness, and, of course, always a little bit of culture-war controversy. There is always the tendency to pin our hopes for the church on what the General Conference can accomplish while it is in session. But that’s a tall order, and it might be helpful for us to look realistically at what the conference can and cannot do for the church. full story

Q&A: Liturgy can enhance deeper Christian walk

April 25, 2008 United Methodist Reporter Christians who once dismissed traditional liturgy as outdated are now re-discovering it, says Mark Galli, senior managing editor of Christianity Today and author of a new book, Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy (Paraclete Press). He spoke recently with staff writer Mary Jacobs. full story

Daily wrap-up: Legislative work begins, follows day of speeches

April 24, 2008 United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — Delegates to the United Methodist General Conference began to sink their teeth into some 1,500 petitions during the evening of April 24. The 992 delegates gathered in 13 legislative committees following a day of speeches, presentations and reports. full story

Transgender United Methodists share stories

April 24, 2008                                                                                   United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — For three decades, United Methodists have debated at General Conference gatherings whether gay Christians can participate fully in the denomination, including being ordained as clergy. This year, persons who have changed their gender are adding a new angle to that debate. full story

Invitation, personal ministry make disciples, laity told

April 24, 2008                                                                                                  United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — If the laity of The United Methodist Church want to reclaim the Methodist heritage of winning communities for Christ, they have to invite people to church, carry the name of Christ with them and claim a personal ministry. That is the advice Lyn Powell, lay leader of the North Georgia Annual (regional) Conference, gave to the 992 delegates attending the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. full story

Young people call church to action now

April 24, 2008                                                                                                United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Six young people stood before United Methodists from around the world and challenged the church to listen, be bold and believe the church’s future is in good hands. At times, delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference cheered and clapped in response to the multimedia presentation, which included videos, photos, drumming and singing. At the end of the presentation, the young people were given a standing ovation. full story

Finance report emphasizes abundance over scarcity

April 24, 2008                                                                         United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — In a world that has embraced the “myth of scarcity” amidst a “culture of consumption,” God offers abundant life through Jesus Christ — a spiritual truth that the church must live out and reflect in managing its own finances. Speaking on behalf of the finance agency of The United Methodist Church, Los Angeles Area Bishop Mary Ann Swenson delivered that message April 24 to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the church’s top legislative session held once every four years. “The idea that ‘more is better’ … is an American idea that has spread around the globe, and it has become toxic,” said Swenson, president of the board for the General Council on Finance and Administration. “It is a turbulent, muddy river that has flooded and polluted our ability to see the abundance of what God has already given to us.” The 992 delegates are scheduled to vote on a churchwide budget on May 2, the closing day of the 10-day gathering. The proposed $642 million spending plan would fund denominational ministries during the four-year period beginning in January 2009. full story

‘Join us in choosing hope,’ church leaders urge

April 24, 2008                                                                         United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — When Katherine Commale learned at age 5 that — somewhere in the world — a child dies from mosquito-borne malaria every 30 seconds, she said, “Mom, we need to send them bed nets right away.” Her mother, Lynda, agreed. Now age 7, Katherine has collected more than $40,000 to send insecticide-treated sleeping nets to Africa as part of the Nothing But Nets campaign, supported by the people of The United Methodist Church. In a convention center arena filled with thousands of delegates and guests, Katherine told the 2008 United Methodist General Conference that she wants “everyone who needs one to have a bed net.” full story

Church focuses on poverty, health, people, leaders

April 24, 2008                                                                                                 United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Do United Methodists really want to welcome the poor and downtrodden into their midst? Or do they prefer those sitting in the pews to “look just like us?” That question was posed by Bishop Felton May to delegates at General Conference during a May 24 presentation on four areas of focus that will guide the future work of the denomination’s general agencies. “Somehow, in our 40 years, poverty became acceptable to us,” he told the legislative gathering. “We permitted ourselves to join the rest of the world in complacency. But here, at our 40-year anniversary, for the love of God, the United Methodist Church declares, no more!” full story

Pathways can lead to transformation

April 24, 2008                                                                                                 United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Offering examples of positive ministries, Ohio West Area Bishop Bruce Ough told General Conference 2008 delegates how clergy and lay members are helping cast a vision for the people of The United Methodist Church. “Early in this quadrennium, (the Council of Bishops) looked across the landscape of United Methodism to seek out the best qualities of who we are and the most fruitful practices of our discipleship,” Ough said. full story

United Methodist delegates receive message of hope

April 24, 2008                                                                                     United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — The 992 delegates and visitors attending the legislative assembly of The United Methodist Church were provided with a message of hope, reconciliation and a blueprint for Christian life. In a prayer for the church and the rest of the world, Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher of the Illinois Great Rivers Annual (regional) Conference said people "in God's human family" hunger for hope. Hope was the theme of the Episcopal Address, delivered on behalf of United Methodist bishops to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. That address, the Laity Address, along with a first-ever Young People's Address, are highlights of this April 23-May 2 meeting, which brought delegates and visitors from around the world together to discuss and handle matters for the denomination. full story

Daily wrap-up: United Methodists begin legislative marathon

April 23, 2008                                                                                                 United Methodist News Service   FORT WORTH, Texas — Meeting once every four years, 992 delegates from United Methodist churches in the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe, opened their 10-day legislative sessions with the singing of “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and “Are We Yet Alive.” Some 5,500 visitors, conference officials and choir members observed the pageantry from the galleries of the Fort Worth Convention Center. full story

Church can be key to fighting AIDS crisis, speakers say

April 23, 2008                                                                                                 United Methodist News Service FORT WORTH, Texas — When it comes to solving the global AIDS/HIV crisis it is time to “pray and pay,” said the Rev. Donald Messer, author of Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence — Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis. Messer shared the sobering statistics of the virus during the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Committee’s “Lighten the Burden II” event at First United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, April 22. On the eve of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the denomination has only raised $2.5 million of an $8 million commitment made in 2004 to help put a stop to the world’s greatest health crisis, according to the executive director of an ecumenical global AIDS action network. full story

WESLEYAN WISDOM: Hopes, fears rest on General Conference

April 18, 2008 United Methodist Reporter Donald Haynes shares a history of best and worst General Conference moments, as well as his prayer for this year’s assembly. full story

GEN-X RISING: Gen-X’ers looking for ‘A Future with Hope’

April 18, 2008 United Methodist Reporter Andrew Thompson takes a look at General Conference issues that could affect how young adults discern and follow a call to ministry. full story

General Conference: a good investment?

April 18, 2008 United Methodist Reporter What does the United Methodist Church get from General Conference? And are the sacrifices that delegates make to attend worth it? full story

United Methodist project develops clergywomen

April 16, 2008     United Methodist News Service A new United Methodist project aims to support clergywomen who lead churches with more than 1,000 members, research their leadership styles and establish a mentoring program for women who have the potential to serve such churches. "After having a great celebration of 50 years of full clergy rights of women in Methodism in 2006, I believe that now is the time to reflect on something new and creative," said the Rev. HiRho Park, director of continuing formation for ministry at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Of the 44,091 clergy in The United Methodist Church, 9,749 are women, and 64 have been identified as serving churches with membership of more than 1,000. A retreat for lead women pastors of large churches will be held Sept. 14-16 in Nashville, Tenn. full story

Commentary: Developing a new hymnal in harmony

April 16, 2008     United Methodist News Service What might a new United Methodist hymnal look like in the United States? Which hymns will be included? Will we sing or speak the psalms? What worship services will be included? Will we call God mother or father — or both? Will a new hymnal include more contemporary praise and worship songs and choruses? How about some rap, responsories, revival songs or reciting tones? Will it have more newly composed hymns in traditional style? Will we lose or gain Wesley hymns? The directors of both the United Methodist Board of Discipleship and the United Methodist Publishing House have proposed to the 2008 General Conference that now is the time to begin production of a new United Methodist hymnal for the United States. They also have proposed a four-year study into the need for and possible publication of an official United Methodist hymnal for African-American and Africana congregations. full story

Texas church builds on eco-friendly foundation

April 15, 2008  United Methodist News Service CEDAR PARK, Texas — At The Rock United Methodist Church, people are not only interested in saving souls, but nurturing God's green earth. "This congregation sees our neighbors not just as the people who live across the street from us, but also the deer that live on this property," says the Rev. Kristina Carter, the church's pastor. With a degree in engineering chemistry and a Ph.D. in applied chemistry, Carter is not your typical pastor. She worked 10 years in environmental remediation and even wrote parts of a 1997 mercury report to the U.S. Congress. full story

Shifting paradigm: Global church hears Africa’s voice

April 15, 2008     United Methodist News Service United Methodists are contemplating what being a global church means as membership and leadership numbers grow beyond the United States. Traditionally, the denomination's agency offices and the majority of its members and leadership have been based in the United States. The denomination often has viewed the rest of the world as a mission field ripe for evangelism, church growth and ministry. Such a mission appears to be a success as United Methodist numbers globally increase. The impact of the shift will be reflected at the General Conference, which sets church policy and officially speaks for the denomination, when the assembly meets April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. The delegates will see a stronger presence from the church's regions in Africa, Europe and Asia, and they will hear about the emphasis of the general church's agencies in those parts of the world. full story

Distance learning center launched in Mozambique

April 14, 2008     United Methodist News Service MAPUTO, Mozambique — A newly launched distance learning center will help train future leaders of The United Methodist Church and connect its Mozambique Annual Conference to the rest of the world. After three years of planning, the Africa Training and Learning Center was dedicated March 31 as a satellite campus of Africa University, a United Methodist-related school in Zimbabwe. The center is housed in the church's Mozambique conference offices in Maputo. full story

Africa University to blanket continent against malaria

April 14, 2008     United Methodist News Service JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Africa University is partnering with a U.S.-based manufacturer to blanket the continent with specialized blankets that ward off disease-carrying mosquitoes and pests. The Africa University board of directors, during its March 24-28 meeting, applauded the university's collaboration with the United Converting Co. LLC of Silver Spring, Md., to distribute Insect Shield blankets to regions of Africa in the fight against malaria and other insect-borne illnesses. full story

Korean-American caucus challenged to grow church

April 14, 2008    United Methodist News Service ATLANTA — The new president of the Korean-American caucus of The United Methodist Church has challenged pastors and lay leaders to launch 500 Korean-American churches in five years. The Rev. James Chongho Kim, elected president by the National Association of Korean American United Methodist Churches, issued the challenge during the national caucus meeting March 30-April 3. full story