Announcement: Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship online workshop

The first presentation of the Institute for Discipleship online workshop “Maximizing Disciple in Your Church: A Workshop for Disciple Facilitators by Bishop Richard Wilke, author of DISCIPLE, and Lisa Buffum, DISCIPLE facilitator” has just successfully completed. The workshop will be offered again April 9 – 27, 2007.

This workshop is intended for pastors and lay persons who already facilitate, or would like to facilitate, DISCIPLE Bible Study in their home church. With the use of a wonderful DVD featuring Dr. Wilke, we will explore the need, purpose, structure, and expectations of DISCIPLE. The DVD also includes ten ways to mess up DISCIPLE in a church and helpful hints. There will be a new assignment every three days to give the participants time to watch a short video and read a section of the book. Discussion will center on helping DISCIPLE Bible Study to flourish in your congregation.

This is not DISCIPLE training nor is it intended to replace DISCIPLE training. The intent of the workshop is to assist currently trained facilitators and potential facilitators in the growth and use of the DISCIPLE program within their church.

To enroll for the workshop, visit www.BeADisciple.com. You must register as a user to the website first, and then log in to enroll.

If you have any questions regarding the workshop or the Institute for Discipleship, email Lisa Buffum at beadisciple@sckans.edu.

The Philippines Report on Political Murders: A Mission Comment and Commentary by R. Randy Day

The General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church joins with church leaders in the Philippines in the hope that the government of the Republic of the Philippines will take seriously a report indicating that military personnel are responsible for a wave of political murders in recent years.

Many of an undetermined number of persons killed—estimates range from 111 to 724—were political activists, including clergy, who have sided with the poor in protesting both government and business policies since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in 2001.

We have previously joined with United Methodist and other Christian colleagues in the Philippines in calling for a government investigation and action to stop the killings. The matter of human rights in the Philippines is of broad concern within the United Methodist family. Several annual conferences, including California-Pacific and California-Nevada, addressed the matter in resolutions at their 2006 meetings. A delegation from California-Nevada just returned from a visitation of concern this month. Protection of human rights was high on the agenda of a group from the Desert Southwest Conference that went to the Philippines last December.

Denominational representatives went to Manila a year ago to stand in solidarity with United Methodist bishops and others in the Philippines calling for an end to the killings.

The report holding members of the Philippines armed forces responsible for the murders was drafted by a commission named under pressure by President Arroyo last August and headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo. The report was completed in January 2007, but it took the intervention of the United Nations and demands from Philippine Christian leaders to win the report’s public release on February 23. The Arroyo government at first refused to release the document, the findings of which are strongly rejected by the military.

We commend Dr. Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings, for his endorsement of the Melo report and his efforts to win its release. We also note that some responses see the report as letting the Arroyo government “off the hook” by putting the responsibility on military personnel alone.

The Melo report leaves open the question of the number of civilians killed by the military. The report itself estimates the number as between 111 and 136. Amnesty International puts it at 244, and Karapatan, a Philippines human rights organization, says the total is 724.

While the military enjoys broad immunity in the Philippines, the Melo Commission said that some officers could be culpable and even brought to trial, singling out Retired Major
General Jovito Palparan as particularly vulnerable to charges. Some military leaders insist, in rejecting the Melo findings, that civilians were inadvertently killed in the process of defense against communist insurgents. The Melo report does not buy that argument.

The United Methodist mission board has watched and prayed as Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders in the Philippines moved to the forefront in demanding that their government protect advocates of economic and social justice. We commend their courage as they now urge government to heed the findings and recommendations of the Melo Commission.

The General Board of Global Ministries is pleased to be taking a major role in planning an International Ecumenical Conference on Human Rights in the Philippines, to be held in Washington, DC on March 12-14. Additional information on the event is available online at www.philippinesadvocacy.org.

The Melo report makes seven specific recommendations:
1. Exertion of a political will “to do what is right however great the cost” on all levels of government.
2. Prompt, impartial, and effective investigations, conducted independently of the military, of all the killings.
3. Naming of a special prosecution team to handle trials in a safe venue.
4. Effective protection of witnesses.
5. Passage of a strict law on chain-of-command responsibility within the military.
6. Enhancement of the investigative capabilities of the police and other law enforcement units.
7. Proper orientation and training of security forces.

The report also cites approval of a 2006 Amnesty International report on the Philippines that includes a 14-point program for the prevention of what is known in legal and diplomatic circles as “extra-judicial executions,” better known as “political murders.” These points include official condemnation, chain-of-command control, restraints on use of force, action against death squads, protection against death threats, no secret detention, access to prisoners, legal prohibition of such murders, individual responsibility, and investigation of charges. This report can be read in full at http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA350062006.

*The Rev. R. Randy Day is chief executive of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church.

Mission Leader Sees Hope in Six-Party Agreement on North Korea Nuclear Issue

New York, NY, February 16, 2007—The United Methodist Church’s chief mission executive is hopeful that a new six-party agreement will not only lead to a phase out of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program but also open the door to talks on a permanent peace for the Korean peninsula.

Further, the Rev. R. Randy Day of the General Board of Global Ministries sees in the agreement the possibility of increased international humanitarian aid to North Korea, officially the Democratic Republic of Korea, a country with acute food shortages.

In a surprise move on February 13, a six-nation panel, meeting in Beijing, China, announced that North Korea had agreed to freeze its nuclear arms effort to move toward an eventual phase out, and to allow international inspection; this in return for much-needed fuel oil and other assistance.

The deal would apparently pave the way for the United States to remove North Korea from the designation of a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

A complex, carefully worded agreement projects bilateral talks aimed at resolving differences and moving toward full diplomatic relations between the US and North Korea. In addition to North Korea and the US, the parties in the Beijing talks were China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Russian Federation. The talks have been on a start and stop schedule for several years.

“This agreement is potentially very good news on multiple scores,” Day said, who had strongly denounced a North Korean underground nuclear test last year. Along with a halt to further nuclear proliferation, he mentioned the goals of a permanent Korean peace and the prospect of greater openness to humanitarian aid in North Korea.

The day after the February 13 accord, South Korea and North Korea announced that they would resume talks, interrupted by the nuclear test, on a permanent peace solution for the peninsula they share. The United Methodist Church and its mission agency, in consultation with the Korean Methodist Church, are on record in support of a Korean peace plan that might eventually result in political reunification of Korea.

Reactions in the US to the agreement were mixed. Day said that while the terms are not definitive, the agreement moves “in the right directions and is a great step forward, if its conditions can be realized.”

The mission leader expressed appreciation to President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for approving the agreement, in which the US softens some of its earlier demands of North Korea.

The full text of Day’s statement follows:
The six-party agreement on North Korea, announced on February 13, is very good news on multiple scores. It shows real promise for ending the nuclear weapons program of North Korea and also for pointing toward permanent peace for the whole of the Korean peninsula. It may also lead to an end to the isolation of North Korea and open the door for greater humanitarian aid to North Korea, which has acute food shortages.

Yes, these prospects are conditional. The agreement is not yet definitive but it does move in the right directions and is a great step forward, if its conditions can be realized. Key provisions would freeze and then phase out, with international inspection, the North Korean nuclear weapons build-up. In turn, North Korea would receive large quantities of fuel oil and humanitarian assistance. The agreement would also provide for normalized relations between the United States and North Korea and could cancel the designation of the latter as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Also greatly welcomed is the announcement that on April 14, talks will resume between North and South Korea on a possible permanent peace accord for the divided peninsula.

Diplomats from the six participating nations—China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, the Russian Federation and the US--should be commended for their persistence and patience in working out the February 13 agreement. Both the US and North Korea made considerable concessions from previous positions. President George W. Bush and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have taken a very realistic look at the situation and are to be commended for approving the agreement.

The future of both Koreas is of great importance to the General Board of Global Ministries for multiple reasons. We have long stood as one with the Korean Methodist Church in the hope of an eventual single, democratic Korean nation. We have also provided, when conditions have allowed, food assistance to hungry people in the north.Further, The United Methodist Church has long-opposed nuclear weapons and nuclear testing, leading to strong opposition to the North Korean test last year.

We are encouraged by the inclusion of humanitarian assistance to North Korea in the February 13 agreement and will actively take part in conversations with other non-governmental organizations on ways that this goal might be achieved.

Let us pray that the terms of the agreement will come to fruition and that the prospect of peace will become a lasting peace.

United Methodist Site Honored for Creativity, Innovation

New UMC.org, Home to Faith-Based Social Networking Site, Wins Two Awards

Washington, D.C. — United Methodist Communications was recently honored by Kintera, Inc., for its newly redesigned Web site, UMC.org. More than two years in development, the site includes a number of innovations, including the first large-scale social networking site developed by a mainline denomination. UMC.org was launched last month via an online event which is available for viewing at http://umc.acrobat.com/p90424296/ .

“We are delighted that our site has been recognized by a company that has more than 15,000 nonprofit, government and corporate sites among its accounts,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications in Nashville. “That they appreciated our innovations when they have seen so many other amazing Web sites is truly an honor.”

The awards were presented by Kintera, Inc., at its 2007 Annual User Conference in San Diego. Kintera provides an online solution to help nonprofit organizations provide to their donors giving convenience, financial transparency, feedback about the social impact of their gifts, and a sense of belonging and appreciation.

UMC.org was awarded a trophy for "Most Creative Web Site Rebranding” for demonstrating innovation in rebranding its Web site look, feel and navigation, and a certificate of achievement in the "Most Innovative User of Kintera Sphere” category for showing technological innovation using Kintera Sphere products and solutions.

The social network at UMC.org provides a venue for people with wide-ranging beliefs to engage in online faith discussions at their convenience. Visitors can set up personal profiles, upload photos and establish networks of friends – just like at other social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook. The difference at UMC.org community is the commitment to online safety and mutual respect.

Among the site’s other features are:
Leader Resources , which give church leaders the tools to lead more effectively.
Our People section, where visitors can identify their own personal spiritual gifts, see how they can use their individual talents to make a difference, and read inspirational stories of faith about members of The United Methodist Church.
Find-A-Church , which helps visitors identify a United Methodist Church in any community in the United States.
Pray tab, where visitors can submit a prayer request asking others to remember their needs in their prayers.
Serve section, which helps people connect with volunteer opportunities in their communities.
MethoPedia , or the United Methodist encyclopedia, which offers a subject-specific view of all resources and stories from the denomination.
For more information, visit www.umc.org .


About The United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968 when The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church united. Today, The United Methodist Church has more than 8 million members in the U.S. and nearly 11 million globally. It is the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. The General Commission on Communication is charged with planning and implementing the official United Methodist presence on and use of the Internet.

About Kintera, Inc.
Kintera®, Inc. (NASDAQ: KNTA) provides an online solution to help nonprofit organizations deliver The Giving Experience™ to donors - providing giving convenience, financial transparency, feedback about the social impact of their gifts, and a sense of belonging and appreciation.

More than 15,000 accounts in the nonprofit, government and corporate sectors use Kintera's "software as a service" innovations, including Kintera Sphere™, an enterprise-grade software platform that provides a secure, scalable and reliable system for contact relationship management (CRM), a Web content management system (CMS), eMarketing and directed giving applications. Additionally, Kintera FundWare® provides award-winning financial management software developed for nonprofit organizations and governments.

Deacons celebrate milestones as their role evolves

A UMNS Report By Vicki Brown*

In the decade since the Order of Deacons was created, ordained deacons have taken The United Methodist Church outside its traditional brick walls and stained-glass windows. They have ministered to the homeless, worked with labor unions and served through fields as diverse as health care, education and even advertising and communications.

"Deacons are trying to put a swinging door on churches, going out into the world and serving and bringing people back into the church," said the Rev. Anita Wood, a deacon who is director of professional ministry development at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

The church created the Order of Deacons to enable United Methodists to answer the call to an ordained ministry that connects the church with the world - both by work outside the church and by involving congregations in ministries that heal the world's hurts. Such a call resounds with both young people in seminary and many second-career candidates for ministry.

According to the board's Division of Ordained Ministry, 1,659 people are currently candidates to become deacons within The United Methodist Church. If most are ordained, the number will more than double. Currently, there are 1,381 active deacons and 213 retired.

Deacons and diaconal ministers will gather April 19-22 in Orlando, Fla., for "Celebrating Diakonia," a convocation sponsored by the higher education board to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Order of Deacons and the 30th anniversary of the Office of Diaconal Ministry.
What do deacons do?
Even as they celebrate, deacons and candidates for the diaconate say the church is confused about their role.

"Folks are still learning what deacons do. I have to educate the people who are mentoring me," said the Rev. David Brown, an associate to the senior pastor at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church in Philadelphia and a probationary member. "As an African-American man, I've been pushed to become an elder. Could I do that? Sure. Is that true to my calling? No."

The role of deacons has evolved since the 1976 General Conference created the Office of Diaconal Ministry. When the 1996 General Conference created the Order of Deacons, many diaconal ministers were ordained as deacons.

The Book of Discipline provides for ordained deacons "called by God to a lifetime of servant leadership," while elders are "ordained to a lifetime ministry of Service, Word, Sacrament and Order." Both are clergy, theologically trained and have full membership in their annual conferences. However, elders can administer the sacraments of Holy Communion and baptism, while deacons may assist. Elders are appointed to jobs by the bishop, while deacons generally find their own employment and then are appointed by the bishop. Many deacons do specialized ministry within congregations in areas such as music, education or youth work, but a growing number serve in other settings.

The Commission on the Study of Ministry acknowledged confusion over the diaconate role in its recent draft report about the ordering of ministry. The draft recommended further study of the order, saying it now falls short of the work envisioned by the definition in the Book of Discipline.

"The church needs to identify the barriers, challenges, and possibilities for realizing the full potential of this office," the draft report stated.

'Amazing potential'
The Rev. Matt Hunter, who is in his final probationary year as a deacon, said further study of an issue is a typical United Methodist approach to such matters.

"I still think the church does not quite know what to do with deacons," said Hunter, executive director of Shepherd's Way, a ministry to homeless families in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "The order has amazing potential once we figure out how to achieve it."

Hunter concedes he could do his current job without ordination.

"But the schooling I received, the theological training, has been really helpful in what is in many ways a ministry of reconciliation," said Hunter, 36. "I just felt passionate about being committed to the church, and ordination is a very deep commitment." He also believes "the reason for my longevity is that I consider this a calling."

The Rev. Sharon Rubey, a deacon and director of candidacy and conference relations for the higher education board, said the order is "still in its infancy." She notes the commission report is a first draft and that the commission, of which she is a member, is "encouraging and expecting the church to talk back to us" through an online survey at www.gbhem.org/studyofministry/index.html.

"In a sense, we are still living into a new understanding of the ordering of ministry in The United Methodist Church," Rubey said.

Wood said she would like to see the church "fully embrace the order and affirm it." She recognizes that stumbling blocks exist, including fears about lack of accountability. "The structure is there for accountability, and it can be done," she said.

"There is also still confusion about whether it's an order that serves in a local church. We need to affirm that the ministry of the deacon is in and beyond the church," Wood said.

Ordaining a ministry
The Rev. Bob Carlisle, who was a diaconal minister before being ordained a deacon in 1997, said the 1996 General Conference action creating the Order of Deacons "validated the ministry in a way that only ordination could do." He agrees, however, that United Methodists do not know enough about the order.

"We need to work to let people know that they don't have to take the pulpit to be ordained," said Carlisle, who is semi-retired and works part time with Christ United Methodist Church in Franklin, Tenn. "We need to continue to educate people in local churches and annual conferences."

Grace Estell, a retired deaconess and diaconal minister, never saw the need for ordination. Estell was consecrated a diaconal minister in 1978 and served as a church and community worker for the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

"I think it's better to remain lay," said Estell, 82, of Asheville, N.C. "You have more freedom. If we remain lay, we are closer to the people in the pews."

Brown, who owns his own advertising and public relations firm, works in an inner-city church in Philadelphia and views his special mission as communication - currently in a cross-cultural setting. His is a primarily African-American church with a white senior pastor.

"Communication helps to bring people to the church. As a deacon, I recognize that there are more people outside the church than there are inside," Brown said.

The Rev. Alice Helfrich, 75, was one of the first three diaconal ministers ordained a deacon in 1997 at the New Mexico Annual Conference. She recalls that many did not welcome the Order of Deacons with open arms.

"Our district superintendent told us he did not approve of what the General Conference had done, but if we wanted to go ahead, he would support us. I was afraid to turn around and see who voted to accept us, but 99 percent of the conference, including that district superintendent, voted for us."

To learn more about Celebrating Diakonia, or to register online for the April 19-22 meeting in Orlando, visit www.gbhem.org/convocation07.

*Brown is an associate editor and writer in the Office of Interpretation, United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Nashville, Tenn.

Publishing House adapts to market changes

A UMNS Report by Kathy L. Gilbert*

The United Methodist Publishing House has “absolute confidence in the importance of quality literature that helps people uncover the truth that's revealed in the Bible,” says publisher Neil Alexander. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UNMS) - Declining sales, fierce competition within the Christian publishing industry and changes in church attendance have hit a staunch United Methodist institution where it hurts-in the bottom line.

The United Methodist Publishing House has seen sales slip due to declining membership and attendance in Sunday school, among other reasons, says Neil Alexander, publisher and CEO. Curriculum sales - the largest part of the agency's business - have declined since their peak more than 35 years ago.

"Long-term changes in attendance patterns have caught up with us and they've caught up with every denominational publisher that is part of the Protestant Church Publishers Association," he says.

Despite sagging sales, the publishing agency of the church has "absolute confidence in the importance of quality literature that helps people uncover the truth that's revealed in the Bible," Alexander says.

Sometimes sounding more like a pastor than a publisher, Alexander believes in the mission of the Publishing House: "To serve The United Methodist Church, the wider Christian community, and all seekers by providing quality services and resources that help them know God through Jesus Christ, love God, and choose to serve God and neighbor."

"What keeps us pumping and going is the Spirit of God at work to help us fulfill the mission," he says.

Long history
The United Methodist Publishing House was established in 1789 in Philadelphia as the Methodist Book Concern. Three branches of Methodism united in 1939, and Nashville was chosen as headquarters for publishing operations. In 1954, the building on the corner of 8th and Demonbreun was built in downtown Nashville and has been home to the Publishing House ever since.

A self-supporting agency, the Publishing House publishes and distributes curriculum and resources for clergy and laity.

According to its executives, sales peaked most recently in 1989-90 when the United Methodist Hymnal was published, then dipped before steadily climbing to another peak in 2002. Another downturn followed, with sales falling 5.5 percent below budget in 2004; 4 percent below in 2005; and 2.5 percent under in 2006. Total sales from 2006 were $108 million.

"The Publishing House is not losing money," says the Rev. Judith Smith, associate to the president with the Publishing House. "Even though our gross sales have declined in recent years, we have managed our expenses very carefully and consequently we have achieved our budgeted net operating revenue nine out of the last 10 years."

Such stewardship has enabled the agency to continue to contribute to clergy pensions and invest in future growth throughout the last decade, Smith says.

The agency supplements the United Methodist clergy pension fund through annual contributions from net revenue and has contributed more than $10 million to clergy pensions and more than $5 million in benevolence publishing projects.

Changing Market
Declines in curriculum sales remain a challenge for Christian publishers. "We have had reports from publishers that they have had a 30 percent decline in dated children's curriculum in the last six to eight years," Alexander says.

One Publishing House response has been to offer a wider variety of resources-currently seven choices for children's Sunday school including a new interactive curriculum called L.I.V.E. Big!
More resources also mean more expenses, however.

Sales in adult Sunday school Bible studies have declined from 2 to 4 percent for the last dozen years, but "we still have about 500,000 people each Sunday using our material," Alexander says.

"There is a much greater willingness among classes to pick and choose, to use different materials in different weeks. Sometimes it is a book, a video or a television show," he says. "Customers are going far afield."

Competition has increased both on the retail and publishing side of the business.

"In almost all of our churches the number of people who report being members of another denomination in recent years is very high and that is a pattern that is true across the Protestant churches," Alexander says. That translates into less denominational loyalty and more openness to "other sources" of curriculum.

"For example, thousands of United Methodist churches have used Purpose Driven Life resources developed by a Southern Baptist preacher," he says. "At one time this would have been unheard of and now it is taken for granted."

Because people are choosing from a greater array of products, they also are choosing from more vendors such as online book sellers and "big box" stores such as Wal Mart.

"In the trade, products are sold at a suggested retail price by the publisher to the retailer with a standard discount to the retailers that allows them to earn a return," Alexander explains.

"However, you cannot control the final retail price to the customer." For instance, Wal-Mart sold The Purpose Driven Life at below market value in order to draw customers into the store.

Strategies for the future
At a Publishing House board of directors meeting last fall, a committee developing a market and industry study reported that "the environment in which the United Methodist Publishing House lives is dynamic, shifting and, in many ways, unpredictable at this stage."

The board voted to allow the Publishing House to initiate a strategic research and development program financed with 8 percent-or $3.2 million-of an average of the last 16 quarters of the market value of the total long-term investment fund.

The Rev. Deborah L. Pritts, a board member from Windsor, N.Y., says the agency must stay flexible to develop products for the future.

"I think that is why we recommended a funding mechanism that allows us to be experimental and flexible rather that locking us into a particular approach," says Pritts, a member of the strategic review and directions team. "Christian publishing is very important to people and will continue to be a very strong industry."

The program's purpose is to "experiment, discover and craft methods for developing and delivering resources customers will choose, use and value for the ministries of United Methodist and other Christian congregations, their leaders and those who seek to know, love and serve God."

Alexander calls the challenge of discerning what congregations and their leaders need to help people grow in faith "a wonderful puzzle."

"It is the most wonderful calling," he says.

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

British Methodists fear fallout from new casinos

By Kathleen LaCamera*

MANCHESTER, England (UMNS) - Manchester will be the home of the United Kingdom's first super casino, ushering in new "hard forms" of gambling never before seen in the island nations, including unlimited-prize jackpot machines.

British Methodist Church officials say the new Gambling Act has paved the way for the Manchester super casino, announced on Jan. 30, and 17 smaller casinos around the country, expected to put huge profits in the pockets of the gambling industry and the UK government.

The British Methodist Church is challenging the government and industry to channel "substantial resources to help those many thousands, if not millions" who will develop gambling-related problems, said Anthea Cox, the church's coordinating secretary for public life and social justice.

"Unfortunately, evidence suggests that the new casinos, along with the increasing popularity of online gambling and the general normalization of gambling within [Britain], could result in many more people developing a serious gambling addiction over an extended period," Cox said.

Research indicates an estimated 370,000 people in the United Kingdom already have gambling problems. A poll commissioned by the Salvation Army shows 56 percent of British people (and 64 percent of British women) do not want a casino to open where they live.

Manchester officials cite regeneration of rundown areas, £265 million ($503 million) in investments and up to 2,700 new jobs as good reasons to welcome the super casino.

But the Rev. Cris Acher, a Manchester-based Methodist minister, believes his city has "sold out on this one."

Acher, who heads up the innovative Night Café ministry catering to 18-30s club-goers in Manchester's City Centre, told United Methodist News Service that Manchester already has culture, commerce and night life without the casino.

"There are potential benefits, but at what cost?" he asked.

The Rev. Keith Davies, chairman of the Methodist church's Manchester and Stockport District, challenged the city's claims about potential economic benefits. "Most of the jobs created will be low paid and the benefit for the community as a whole will be minimal," he said.

Given the potential social costs of gambling, Davies suggested a greater investment in social housing and social amenities would have a far more significant impact on people living in the area of the proposed casino site - one of the most deprived communities in the United Kingdom.

"When the act came in, we decided that we had no choice but to live with it, but we're still banging on about the problem," said Alison Jackson, a member of the Joint Pubic Issues Team for the British Methodist Church. "There's been a massive consultation since the bill became an act (of Parliament) and we've been talking to the government about how they will implement provisions to protect people from problem gambling."

The team has contributed to the design of a government study that will chart British attitudes and actions as more gambling opportunities are introduced. The first stage of a five-year study is already under way.

Church officials acknowledge there is no evidence showing how a new regional casino will affect the United Kingdom. However, they cite the U.S. experience of rising gambling-related debt, crime, bankruptcy and associated social problems - including unemployment and family breakdown - as a predictor of what could happen here.

Jackson said British Methodists are just as worried about Internet gambling, noting that recent crackdowns in the United States will push this form of gambling underground.

"There are always ways of getting your money to gambling sites on the Internet regardless of what the U.S. does," said Jackson. If Internet gambling goes underground, she said, people will be at risk both from gambling itself and from unscrupulous people who will charge extortionate rates to channel money to Internet sites.

Government officials in British cities such as Blackpool and Greenwich, which lost out to Manchester, hope more super casinos will be sanctioned, though officials overseeing the Gambling Act say they won't approve more regional casinos for the next three years.

Provisions in the gambling law require "proper monitoring" by the government of the effects of increased gambling opportunities. British Methodists say they will be "keeping an eye on the situation" to make sure the government keeps its promise.

*LaCamera is a UMNS correspondent based in England.

United Methodist bishop elected as senator in Congo

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

Bishop Ntambo Nkulu Ntanda, a United Methodist bishop in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been elected to that country's senate.

The new Senate is expected to be installed Feb. 3. Congo's Parliament has two chambers, the Senate and the National Assembly.

Ntambo, 59, has been bishop since 1996 and was active in the peace process in his region. He leads the denomination's North Katanga Area in the Congo and also serves as chancellor of United Methodist-related Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe.

In an e-mail message to United Methodist News Service, Ntambo confirmed his election by the provincial assembly of Katanga Province but said his main emphasis will continue to be on his pastoral and episcopal duties.

On Jan. 19, Congolese provincial deputies considered 1,127 candidates for the 108 seats for senator across the country. Four seats were allocated for each of the 25 provincial constituencies, with the remaining eight seats assigned to the city province of Kinshasa. Each senator has a "five-year renewable mandate," according to the All Africa news service.

The Independent Electoral Commission certified that the majority of the Senate seats - 58 out of 108 - went to candidates of the Alliance for the Presidential Majority, a coalition allied with President Joseph Kabila. The alliance, which won 332 of 500 seats in the National Assembly, is expected to control both chambers of Parliament.

According to the constitution, Parliament must meet in regular sessions twice a year.
The new U.N. secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, spoke about the political process in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a Jan. 27 press conference in Kinshasa.

Ban paid tribute to the success of that country's first multiparty democratic elections in more than 40 years and said the international community "is committed to supporting the DRC" in its post-electoral process, All Africa reported.

The United Nations helped organize those elections, which came after a six-year civil war that claimed an estimated 4 million lives, either by fighting or by hunger and disease. Kabila, who first became president of the Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2001 after his father, Laurent Kabila, was assassinated, was confirmed as that country's first democratically elected president on Nov. 27, 2006.

Ntambo's first term as bishop occurred as the civil war began. In 2004, he moderated a peace conference in North Katanga where 250 fighters committed not to fight again. The peace conference was funded by United Methodist donations, including a grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

The bishop attended seminary for four years in Mulungwishi and has a master of divinity degree from Nairobi International School of Theology in Nairobi, Kenya. He has held various denominational positions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has about a million official church members. He and his wife, Nshimba Nkulu, have eight children.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.