Faith-based TV, radio spots address campus shootings

A gentle waterfall provides the backdrop for United Methodist-produced television spots airing in southwestern Virginia following the Virginia Tech shootings. UMNS photo illustrations courtesy of United Methodist Communications Igniting Ministry.

A UMNS Report By Marta W. Aldrich*

The region surrounding Virginia Tech University is receiving a faith-based message of comfort and hope from the people of The United Methodist Church through television and radio spots and newspaper ads addressing the campus massacre.

Beginning this week and running for one week, more than 300 television spots and radio tags are reminding listeners and viewers in southwestern Virginia that The United Methodist Church in Virginia is praying with them.

"In this time of local and national tragedy," says the TV narrator, "we are all filled with questions. Why did this happen? What do we say to our children? How will we heal?

"We may never find answers, but we can comfort one another as we seek peace and understanding."

The spots invite people to visit the Roanoke District Web site (www.roanokeumc.org) for a listing of practical suggestions about how to talk with children about the shooting to help them feel safe in a sometimes violent world. The site also helps visitors search for a local United Methodist church.

"We wanted to make sure the church is putting out its own response and that it is clear we have an answer to what ails the world," said the Rev. Stephen Hundley, district superintendent in Roanoke, who helped organize the media response and also provided narration.

"There are desperate people in the world who are alone and lost. I believe the answer is that we all need to seek the transformation that comes from living a life of faith in Jesus Christ."

The message emphasizes children.

"We're concerned that we might get so focused on what this means to our young adult population that our children and youth -- the groups who will follow them in college -- are sometimes being left out of the conversation," Hundley said.

"They're seeing their parents cry, and they're seeing them upset. They know something has happened, and we want to be a resource agent for useful information in behalf of the church."

The message also encourages seekers to visit United Methodist churches or other congregations in search of spiritual understanding and hope.

"People are searching for comfort and looking for answers in a time like this and often come to church to find those answers, even when they normally don't attend," said Linda Rhodes, director of communications for the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference. "We think it's important to help people find a local church quickly."

Reaching a larger audience
The media response has included a full-page ad that ran Sunday, April 22, in The Roanoke Times, proclaiming that "fear is not the only force at work in the world today" and reminding readers that the church is praying with them.

The 30-second television spots will run for one week beginning April 25 throughout the greater Roanoke, Va., area during network and cable news programming. The 15-second radio tags began running April 23 throughout most of southwest Virginia surrounding Blacksburg, where 33 people, including the lone gunman, died in the April 16 campus shooting rampage.

The church's $32,000 media response is expected to reach approximately 378,000 households, or 83 percent of the Roanoke area market, and is being funded by various sources within the Virginia Conference and grants from United Methodist Communications and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

It comes on the heels of a United Methodist media campaign during the season of Lent that sprinkled the Roanoke District with billboard messages such as "for all the days that end in 'why'" and "another force but fear."

"It was interesting that those (messages) … were selected because they're certainly very appropriate now," Rhodes said.

The Lenten media campaign also established an advertising presence in the Roanoke District that enabled the church to respond quickly and place new spots soon after the shootings. Rhodes said the Roanoke District and Virginia Conference are working aggressively with United Methodist Communications to purchase more media placements for the spots.

"We think it's a very powerful message, and we want to reach out to as many people as we can who were affected by this tragedy and are truly hurting," she said.

Responding after tragedies
The United Methodist Church began offering a media response to national tragedies following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001. It continued to "project the voice of the church into situations of human suffering and great tragedy" after the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean and Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast in 2005, according to the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications, which produces media spots for the denomination.

"What is important in these situations is that people are questioning deeply how to explain human suffering and to comprehend a role for God in human suffering," Hollon said. "This gives us the opportunity for the people of The United Methodist Church to say that God suffers with us, is present with us as a source of strength and is a force for healing and hope and not a cause. And that we are not abandoned."

Being able to respond quickly -- to both develop the spots and place them before wide media audiences -- is especially important, he said.

"In today's media environment, if the church is able to turn on a dime to be a presence in the public conversation, the church can offer a word of hope," Hollon said. "It can offer healing. It can be a grounding presence for us when we are in grief and in shock and attempting to make sense of situations that are beyond rational understanding."

*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.

United Methodist Agency Steps Up Missionary Recruitment

Stamford, CT, April 24, 2007—The United Methodist Church is launching a long-term missionary recruitment campaign.

"We need missionaries," the Rev. R. Randy Day told directors of the General Board of Global Ministries at the opening of the mission agency's semi-annual meeting in Stamford, CT. on April 23. Rev. Day is chief executive of the international mission and service agency.

The campaign theme is: "The Face of Today's Missionary: Is It Yours?" Personnel are needed for work in evangelism, church development, education, medical care, agriculture, legal services, and financial administration. A majority, although not all, assignments are outside the United States.

"Our recruitment initiative is quite broad," Day said. "It covers regular, or 'standard support,' missionaries as well as persons in special categories, including short- term young adult service, Hispanic ministries, and our Church and Community Workers program. It also includes a new category, Global Health Missionaries, which is currently focused on sub-Saharan Africa."

Extensive information on the recruitment campaign in five languages can be found on the website of the General Board of Global Ministries at www.ummissionaries.org. The languages are English, French, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Day indicated that there is no numerical goal for the campaign. "While we need new personnel in the immediate future, we are thinking long-range. We need to cultivate people with a mission call, to help young people make the educational choices that will equip them for mission, and to identify existing professionals who may want to use their talents and skills in missionary service."

Four years ago, financial shortfalls resulted in a slow down of new missionary recruitment and placement. The fewer numbers in a three year period, especially among standard support missionaries, increased the impact of retirements in 2006 and 2007. The typical term of a standard support missionary is three year, subject to renewal.

Day said that several new groups of missionaries are in the final stages of placement. Nine Church and Community Workers were commissioned in Stamford on April 24, 2007. Sixteen standard support missionaries, including six in the global health category, will be commissioned and assigned to work in Africa in May, and 20 short-term young adults will be commissioned in July of this year.

He pointed to the multilingual approach of the recruitment campaign. "We are an international mission agency and we are looking for missionaries from throughout our connection."

United Methodist missionary assignments are carried out in collaboration with partner churches around the world and with annual (regional) conferences and church-related or ecumenical institutions in the U.S.

The General Board of Global Ministries currently has some 220 standard support missionaries, mostly outside the U.S. Partial support is provided to another 120 persons, mostly in the US. These include Church and Community Workers, Hispanic/Latino Plan missionaries, Alaska missionaries, and short-term young adult missionaries. These persons are "commissioned" personnel. "To commission" means to send forth for special service.

Another 100 persons are "non-commissioned" mission personnel, and the agency helps to support 293 "persons in mission" selected by partner churches around the world. (Deaconesses and home missioners are commissioned by the board but are not salaried by the agency unless they enter one of the missionary categories.)

The qualifications for missionary service can be found online at www.ummissionaries.org.

Women's Division addresses Middle East, immigrants

By Linda Bloom*

STAMFORD, Conn. (UMNS) - The Women's Division of The United Methodist Church, which went on record in 2002 opposing the war in Iraq, issued a new call for withdrawal of all U.S. troops there.

In a resolution focusing on Iran and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, directors of the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries also supported legislation to end funding for the war in Iraq, except for resources that guarantee safe withdrawal of troops.

The action took place during the division's April 20-23 spring meeting in Stamford, where directors and staff also held a noon prayer vigil on April 20 outside the Marriott Hotel.

As shoppers and downtown workers walked and drove past the vigil, participants held signs proclaiming "Blessed Are the Peacemakers," "Support Our Troops: Bring Them Home Now!" "No U.S. Attack on Iran!" and "Pray and Act for Peace."

Recommendations adopted April 23 by directors "toward a just peace in the Middle East" follow resolutions adopted in 2001 to press for peace in the Middle East and a 2002 resolution opposing war "as the instrument for resolving the continuing conflict in Iraq."

Since the beginning of the Iraq war, UMW members have posted prayers for peace at the Web site for United Methodist Women (www.umwmission.org). UMW members will participate in a 2007-2009 mission study on Israel and the Palestinian territories.

New recommendations
The new recommendations also call upon the United States to provide humanitarian aid and reparations for Iraq; observe the Geneva Convention and end the practice of torture by any group; and close Abu Graib prison in Iraq and the detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Women's Division directors -- the organization's administrative arm -- opposed any U.S. intervention or military action regarding Iran and supported United Methodist participation in peace delegations to Iran.

The division also called for an end to "uncritical" U.S. support of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan Heights. It asked both the U.S. and Israeli governments to support cleanup of unexploded cluster bombs in southern Lebanon.

UMW members are being encouraged to actively participate in a June 10-11 action for mobilization called "The World Says No to Israeli Occupation." The rally, teach-in and lobby day in Washington is being organized by the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, of which the Women's Division is a founding member.

Women's Division directors also endorsed the "Liberty & Justice for All Campaign" of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and will ask UMW members to sign a pledge and act in defense of the civil liberties of immigrants living in the United States.


Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, UMW members have been encouraged to help establish civil liberties safe zones in their neighborhoods to ensure the preservation of freedom of speech, religion, assembly, privacy, rights to counsel and due process, along with protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Women's Division also has an emphasis on immigrant rights and civil rights and became part of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights last fall.

Finances and personnel
In other business, treasurer Andréa Bryant Hatcher reported that operating revenues for 2006 were up by $1.4 million from the previous year. While expenditures increased by $2.6 million - mostly due to the closing of the division's Service Center in Cincinnati - the shortfall was covered by an appreciation in investments and sale of property.

Hatcher said the division changed investment managers at the end of 2005. In her report, she pointed out that 20 percent of operating expenditures cover pensions for retired missionaries and deaconesses sent by the division and its predecessor organizations.

"This expenditure is covered by restricted funds," she said. "Actuaries from two sources have assured us that our plan is fully funded and we have ample resources to meet future needs."

The Women's Division is continuing to rectify recent financial issues by identifying all sources of income together in a comprehensive way, "which is a different way of looking at the budget," according to Hatcher.

Fund development is now a priority. Two retired staff executives, Barbara Campbell and Betty Letzig, helped the division create a new endowment through a gift of property which was then sold. The $170,179 raised from the sale provided the opening principal balance for the Legacy Fund, which will offer ongoing financial support for administrative needs.

Kyung Za Yim, Women's Division president and chairwoman of its search committee, gave an update on the hiring of a new chief executive to replace Jan Love, who left the division in December. Lois Dauway currently serves as the interim chief executive.

Prospective candidates are being identified, and interviews will be conducted in May and June. A recommendation from the search committee is expected in late July for action by division directors at their August meeting.

In other personnel matters, resignations were accepted for Jorge Obando, executive secretary for communications, and Dana Jones, director of communications and editor of Response Magazine. Obando will leave on April 30 and Jones will leave Aug. 31.

Two new positions were filled. Esmeralda Brown, a resource specialist for the Women's Division at the United Methodist Office for the United Nations, will be the executive secretary for global justice, effective May 1. Carol Van Gorp, a consultant for both the Women's Division and United Methodist Committee on Relief, will become the executive secretary for international ministries on June 1.

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

‘Town hall' gathering offers snapshot of the church

By Marta W. Aldrich*

Emily Reece (left) hosts a "town hall" teleconference for The United Methodist Church as Sandra Lackore waits to present a report on denominational membership, attendance and giving trends. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- The vision for The United Methodist Church in the 21st century includes starting 650 new U.S. congregations by 2012, doubling the number of young people serving as pastors and church leaders, and expanding ministries in behalf of the world's impoverished people.

Those were among the highlights from a first-ever teleconference inviting United Methodists worldwide to an April 17 "town hall" meeting with denominational leaders to talk about the church's membership, ministries, missions and challenges for the future.

The teleconference was timed with the release of a report by the United Methodist Council on Finance and Administration, presenting and analyzing local church data about membership, attendance and giving trends. Called "This is Our Story," (http://www.gcfa.org/PDFs/THISISOURSTORY.pdf) the report presents The United Methodist Church as "a faithful, generous people in dozens of nations who continue to make a difference in the lives of people around the world," said Sandra Lackore, the council's chief executive.

Among the specifics outlined in data for 2005 -- the most recent complete data available - are that:

The church's membership is growing throughout the world but shrinking in the United States at a time when 50 percent of the U.S. population has no ongoing relationship with a faith community.

Worldwide professing and baptized membership is 13.75 million in more than 50 countries, compared with 11.35 million in 1995.

U.S. professing membership is 7,995,429, compared with 8,075,010 the previous year, a decline of nearly 1 percent. Membership has decreased by more than 1.9 members, or 19 percent, since 1974.

While 35 percent of U.S. churches grew in membership, 41 percent did not report a single profession of faith.

The church gave almost $5.9 billion during 2005 -- representing an increase in giving for the 15th straight year when adjusted for inflation.

U.S. giving included more than $200 million for disaster relief and $475 million in additional benevolent giving. U.S. churches reported more than $4.3 billion given as offerings for local church ministry, operations and benevolences, and an additional $1 billion raised through capital campaigns and memorials.

Spending on benevolent causes has increased more than 36 percent in the last decade, while staff salaries and benefits increased 46 percent and clergy salaries and connectional clergy support increased about 11 percent.

United Methodists in the United States volunteered their time to more than 600,000 leadership positions in church schools, and more than 138,000 reported lending a hand by working in more than 11,000 Volunteer in Mission groups.

"There is a sense that God is leading The United Methodist Church to do something different," she said, citing the work of the Council of Bishops, the Connectional Table and church boards and agencies to write "a new chapter of our story."

"But the real work of our denomination, and the places where lives are changed, remains in the hands of our churches and the faithful people who call them home. The future of our church depends upon our leadership at all levels capturing this vision and being willing to work hard -- each of us -- lay and clergy."

Opening the door to conversation
Lackore was joined on the town hall panel by Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the Rev. R. Randy Day of the Board of Global Ministries, the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt of the Board of Discipleship, Jim Winkler of the Board of Church and Society and the Rev. Larry Hollon of United Methodist Communications.

More than 200 callers participated and, at the close of the presentation, some asked questions about issues ranging from starting new churches to preserving the environment.

"We liked it and we learned a lot," said Jo Ann Ramsey, 70, a member of Skycrest United Methodist Church in Clearwater, Fla., who listened in along with several other members of their church growth committee.

"We're mostly an older congregation, and we wanted to learn more about training and new techniques (of church growth)," she said following the teleconference. "You hear a lot of negativity about the decline of The United Methodist Church, so I was glad to hear the positive comments."

The Rev. Jacqui King, pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Port Arthur, Texas, was glad he tuned in as well. "Although there is great movement in the Texas Conference, it was good to hear about the growth throughout the church on a worldwide scale," King said after the teleconference. "This use of technology is phenomenal and really helps spread the word in an awesome manner."

Among the issues presented was a proposal by the Connectional Table to emphasize four goals -- called the "provocative propositions" -- to set the future course of the denomination's work and life. The proposals will be presented to the 2008 General Conference, the church's top legislative body, and would emphasize developing new leaders; starting new congregations and strengthening existing ones; ministering to the poor; and addressing global health by fighting poverty and expanding access to health care for all.

"We believe these are vital elements for the transformation of the church," said Huie, president of the Council of Bishops.

Leadership, new churches and missions
Del Pino addressed the church's "leadership crisis" and called this "a crucial moment in history, when seismic demographic, social, cultural and religious shifts are redefining our global reality."

He cited 2005 research showing there were only 850 commissioned and ordained clergy ages 35 or under in the entire United Methodist Church in the United States. "This is only 4.69 percent of current elders and reflects a decline from 15.05 percent of the elders serving in 1985," he said.

"The church must build a streamlined structure for the development of young leaders that will result in doubling the number of young people in positions of leadership as pastors and specialized clergy and lay ministries."

Reminding listeners that "church planting is a biblical mandate," Greenwaldt said the church must invest its leadership and financial resources to start more new churches. Currently, the denomination starts an average of 90 a year in the United States.

She highlighted a new initiative that aims to train 1,000 new church planters to start 650 U.S. churches by 2012. The initiative also aims to train bishops and district superintendents in strategic church planting and to develop a "rich database, a library of best practices" to help them in their decisions.

Day, who oversees global missions, reported the church has mission personnel and projects in more than 125 countries.

"We are a growing church in Africa, parts of Asia and Eastern Europe," Day said. "I believe that this growth is helping the entire denomination to reconnect with our roots in the theology of (Methodism founder) John Wesley, who taught that personal holiness, the private side of faith, is never complete unless it is also expressed in social holiness, including social ministries and mission."

'An active faith'
Hollon reported on the proposed Initiative on Global Health to address the diseases of poverty and significantly reduce the incidence of malaria and HIV/AIDS. It will include leveraging funding and creating new partnerships to increase health ministry, communicate about health and advocate for changes in public policy.

"It is unlike any initiative attempted before in that it seeks to engage congregations at the grassroots, annual conferences and the general agencies to address the diseases of poverty with the full resources and skills of the global United Methodist community," Hollon said. "It will require deep and meaningful collaboration as well as long-term commitment."

Winkler, who heads the church's social advocacy agency, reminded the church that "ours is an active faith" that must address issues of justice, peace and poverty.

"Our ministry with the poor goes beyond feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless and clothing the naked. It requires challenging the principalities and powers that profit from the misery of so many," Winkler said.

Organizers said the town hall meeting offered a new forum for presenting a snapshot of the denomination and sparking greater dialogue in an informative and interesting way.

"The willingness of our leaders to be transparent in this forum and to be open to questions from any source is very positive," said Hollon, who oversees the church's communications agency.

"Our church leaders are to be recognized for their openness."

*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.

Statement from Bishop Charlene Kammerer, Virginia Annual Conference, on the April 16 shooting massacre at Virginia Tech

Bishop Charlene Kammerer

"Our hearts have been deeply saddened by this tragic event at Virginia Tech. We have a very strong Wesley Foundation ministry on campus. We have hundreds of United Methodist students who go to Virginia Tech with family members spread across Virginia. We have gathered in prayer and concern for all who lost their lives, their family members and friends, the administration, faculty and student body at Virginia Tech and the wider community of Blacksburg.

At our Conference Center this morning, the Virginia cabinet and the entire conference staff met for a service of worship and prayer. We were led by Angie Williams, our director of youth and young adult ministries. She offered a time for prayer, reflection and grieving. She also delivered a powerful, prophetic message called "For Such a Time as This."

We were able to hear clearly the voice of youth and young adults in our society today spoken through Angie. Not only do we grieve the loss of life, we grieve for the many problems in our society that create people with no hope and no sense of the future who commit violent acts.

We commit our pastors and laity around Virginia Tech and across the conference to continue to respond. We are grateful for the many expressions of prayer and support that have come to us from across the connection and beyond."

Va. Tech Wesley Foundation offers safety, solace

A UMNS Report By Kathy L. Gilbert*

The Wesley Foundation Center next to the Virginia Tech campus opened its doors to students as a safe haven in the wake of the April 16 shooting that left 33 people dead. A UMNS photo courtesy of the Wesley Foundation.


The Wesley Foundation of Virginia Tech University became a safe haven for students immediately after a deadly shooting spree -- and a spiritual hub for grief and prayer as the campus community began to come to grips with the tragedy.

"It has been helpful to come here and talk about this together. It is starting to set in how real this is," said Amanda Rader, a senior civil engineering major.

Rader, a member of Mt. Olive United Methodist Church in nearby Newport, Va., lost a friend in the April 16 shooting. She spoke with United Methodist News Service on April 17 from the campus ministry's offices, adjacent to the school's campus.

"I went to high school with one of the students who was killed and actually had a class with him this semester," she said, softly crying.

Thirty-three people were dead and 15 wounded in the wake of the massacre that ended when the lone gunman turned his gun on himself.

The Rev. Glenn Tyndall, United Methodist campus minister, opened the doors to the Wesley Foundation Center immediately after the shootings so students would have a "warm, comfortable, safe" place. They shared a prayer service, and about a dozen spent the night in the building, Tyndall said.

"It is becoming more personal with every hour," said Tyndall, as the names of the dead were being released on April 17.

None of the students who attend the Wesley Foundation were hurt, but a handful lost close friends.

"That not only affects those individual students but affects those of us who are their friends and co-workers because it personalizes it for all of us," he said.

Prayers, encouragement and offers of help were arriving from across the United States to the Wesley Foundation offices. Tyndall said he had heard from other campus ministers "saying they were praying for our campus and having services for us."

"People all over the nation and world are thinking about you," wrote W. David Miller, president of the Wesley Fellowship at Birmingham-Southern College, in a message to the Blacksburg Wesley group.

"We are all crying with you," wrote Newell and Nita Randall, Virginia Tech alumni from the Class of 1979.

The shooting came as Wesley Foundation students and staff planned for their annual Wesley Weekend on April 21-22, inviting all Wesley students, parents, alumni and friends to celebrate the work of the campus ministry in the community.

A worship service previously planned for April 22 to celebrate Virginia Tech Student Day will now take on a different tone, according to Bishop Charlene Kammerer of the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference, who plans to attend the service at Blacksburg United Methodist Church, three blocks from the campus.

Kammerer said United Methodists across the connection were grieving with the Virginia Tech community.

"Not only do we grieve the loss of life, we grieve for the many problems in our society that create people with no hope and no sense of the future who commit violent acts," said Kammerer. She spoke to United Methodist News Service while en route to Blacksburg to attend an April 17 community memorial service.

The bishop asked for prayers for those in ministry on the Virginia Tech campus, including Tyndall. "They are all tired, but energized by the work before them. And they are thankful for the support and prayers they are receiving."

Tyndall said students and campus staff need prayers more than anything else right now.

Rader said "it is going to be tough to come back from this," but that fellowship and community are more important than ever for herself and her fellow students.

"We need the support of each other and ... just somebody to lean on everyday," she said.

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

Event to explore Charles Wesley's work, legacy

By Melissa Lauber*

Charles Wesley's life and legacy will be remembered at a 300th birthday celebration July 20-22 in Chevy Chase, Md. Artwork by Frank Salisbury, courtesy of the World Methodist Museum.

COLUMBIA, Md. (UMNS) - While history may have cast him in the shadow of his brother John, it was Charles Wesley who set Methodism to music and gave the church a song to sing.

The writer of an estimated 9,000 poems, Charles Wesley's works and legacy will be explored during his 300th birthday celebration July 20-22 in Chevy Chase, Md.

Participants will sing some of the 41 Wesley-penned hymns that are in today's United Methodist Hymnal, including: "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" and "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus."

They also will explore the character and faith of this man who lived from 1707 to 1788 and called together a group of like-minded men to form the Holy Club at Oxford University in London, laying the foundation for what grew to become the Methodist Church.

John Wesley, the acknowledged founder of Methodism, was "a man of angles and straight lines. Charles was a man of curves, parabolas and ellipses," said ST Kimbrough Jr., the founding president of the Charles Wesley Society.

Poet with a mission
In 1985 at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Kimbrough debuted in a one-man show about Charles Wesley titled "Sweet Singer." The baritone, who performs opera on international stages, has enacted Wesley's story more than 500 times.

In the process, he has gained many insights about faith from this "poet with a mission."

"One of the things I've learned from Charles Wesley is that music opens the door to mystery in a magnificent way," Kimbrough said. "In 'And Can it Be,' he wrote, 'Tis mystery all.' Charles Wesley was willing to stand firmly in that mystery with faith."

For both Wesley and Kimbrough, it is art that keeps opening the door to the mystery of the unknown. "Art provides a continual affirmation that God continues to renew that which sustains us as we journey through life," he said.

Love also plays an essential role in Wesley's theology, Kimbrough said. In 1738, when Wesley had "heart palpitations" as he experienced his conversion (three days before his brother John's heart was "strangely warmed"), he discovered of God that "thy nature and thy name is love."

"Almost inevitably, if you read his poetry carefully, that four-letter word 'love' will usually be the culmination of what he is saying," said Kimbrough. "Love is the full nature of God. Love should be the full nature of human beings who emulate God on this earth."

Time in America
Shortly before his conversion, Wesley spent time in America, where events conspired to send him on a quest for inner peace. What he experienced in the Colonies also found its way into his music, according to Kimbrough.

For example, Wesley witnessed a slave being nailed up by his ears, beaten and soaked in scalding water. It took the man four months to be able to move again. Two years later, he wrote, "Come thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free."

"Those words are not only about salvation," said Kimbrough.

Knowing the life experiences that shaped the man and his hymns adds another dimension when singing these sacred songs.

The tercentenary celebration is being held in conjunction with the sixth historical convocation of The United Methodist Church. The event will include the annual meetings of the Historical Society of The United Methodist Church, the Charles Wesley Society, the Southeastern Jurisdiction Historical Society and the General Commission on Archives and History. To register by June 10, visit http://www.gcah.org.

Kimbrough also is participating in other events and activities during 2007 to honor the acclaimed hymnist. In addition to a music festival at Oxford and creating two music CDs, he has written on Charles Wesley's experience in America for Methodist History magazine.

*Lauber is associate editor of the UMConnection newspaper in the Baltimore-Washington Conference.

The United Methodist Racial/Ethnic Clergywomen’s Consultation, Los Angeles, January 3-5, 2008

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry is planning to have The United Methodist Racial/Ethnic Clergywomen’s Consultation for United Methodist racial/ethnic clergywomen who reside in the United States on January 3-5, 2008. We are meeting at the Radisson Hotel which is located at the Los Angeles Airport. Our theme is Rising From Our Common Ground: the scripture we have chosen says, "Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? Isaiah 43:19.” (The Message)

We are expecting to have 500 participants. The last gathering of racial/ethnic UM clergywomen was held in 1982 and this is the second denominational gathering in 25 years.

The Goals of this consultation are as follows:
.To respond to the Council of Bishops’ one of Seven Vision Pathways: expanding racial/ethnic ministries primarily a vision for U.S. conferences.
.To address the findings of a 2005 study, The Status of Racial-Ethnic Minority Clergywomen In The United Methodist Church by GBHEM
.To affirm racial/ethnic clergywomen’s ministries and their leadership in the church
.To engage in dialogue among racial/ethnic clergywomen and seek strategies to reinforce actions for change
.To theologize and articulate racial/ethnic clergywomen’s experiences
.To sensitize the Church to racial/ethnic clergywomen’s issues.

This is a new beginning for racial/ethnic clergywomen as they come together seeking unity among them to rise up for the best of humanity. This event is more significant since our denomination celebrated the 50th anniversary of clergy rights for women in the Methodist tradition in 2006 and it is time for us to seriously reinforce actions for change.

Please encourage racial/ethnic clergy and candidates for ministry in your conference to come to this event. Please visit www.gbhem.org/recc/ and follow the link to www.gbhem.org/clergywomen/ for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact me at hpark@gbhem.org or 615-340-7409.
Shalom,
HiRho Y. Park, D. Min. Director of Continuing Formation for Ministry

Korean American Methodist leaders hold summit

A UMNS Report By Kathy L. Gilbert*



The first-ever Korean American United Methodist summit opens a session with prayer. The event in Englewood, N.J., brought together church leaders from across the United States. UMNS photos by Keihwan Ryoo.

In the first meeting of its kind, leaders of the Korean American United Methodist community gathered to share celebrations and challenges and develop a vision to renew and embolden their ministry in the United States.

The March 18-20 summit in Englewood, N.J., brought together 32 church, annual conference, district, general agency staff, Korean American caucus, seminary and laity leaders. Bishops Hee-Soo Jung and Jeremiah Park led the event.

Organized by the United Methodist Council on Korean-American Ministries, the gathering was designed "to empower us, to give us strength and resources to work toward the future," according to Jung.

"We believe our church will continually grow and lead the turnaround movement in our denomination."

There are approximately 60,000 Korean American United Methodists, with 310 churches in 40 states, according to the Rev. Keihwan Ryoo, editor of United Methodists in Service, a Korean-language magazine published by United Methodist Communications. Korean American Methodism celebrated its centennial in 2003.

Visioning doesn't happen in a vacuum, said the Rev. Youngsook C. Kang, describing the importance of the summit.

Kang, of the Rocky Mountain Annual (regional) Conference, is the first Korean woman to serve as district superintendent. "I maintain hope that a new future will be created where justice is reality and the weak are made strong," she said.

Participants hope this first meeting leads to more connections in the community.

"There were plenty of disappointments and celebrations within the Korean United Methodist community," said Yooeui Sohn, a lay leader from Korean Church of Atlanta, Duluth, Ga. "To bring them up and to find how well they were shared by the fellow Korean United Methodists impressed me. It is a beginning that can go a long distance."

Jung said the Korean American United Methodist community has much to share including a strong mission and passion for disciple-making. "The general church may learn from Korean United Methodist community about our commitment to the global mission in places such as Russia, Mexico, SouthEast Asia, Central Asia and all other regions," he said.

The Korean American community is enthusiastic about planting new missions in many former communist areas in partnership with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, Jung said.

The Rev. Paul H. Chang, executive director of the Council on Korean-American Ministries, identified the community's greatest challenges as growing and revitalizing Korean American congregations, dealing with the issue of changing identity for the Korean American United Methodist community and developing more English-speaking, next-generation churches.

"For me, one of the greatest challenges for the Korean American church is recruitment and development of pastoral leadership who can minister in the English-speaking context or multi-cultural context," said Kang.

"Without such leadership development, the growth of the first-generation-oriented Korean American Church in the present may cease to occur. Certainly it is a great challenge to provide connections to English-speaking generations who feel disconnected with the first-generation churches."

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

Volunteer pages, marshals needed at 2008 assembly

By United Methodist News Service

Volunteers are being sought to serve as marshals or pages at the The United Methodist Church's 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

About 150 volunteers are needed to serve delegates, officials and visitors to the denomination's top legislative body, conference planners say. The General Conference depends on volunteers - especially marshals and pages - for everything from assisting disabled delegates to distributing documents.

Marshals and pages travel to and work at the conference at their own expense.

Volunteers may apply online at the General Conference Web site by going to http://gc2008.umc.org and clicking the Online Marshals/Pages Application button.
Applications must be submitted by July 31, and applicants will be notified of their status by Sept. 30.

The General Conference, which gathers every four years, will meet April 23-May 2, 2008.

Jokomo, former bishop of Zimbabwe, dies at 64

By United Methodist News Service

Bishop Christopher Jokomo, 64, former episcopal leader for The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, died April 7 at his home in Harare.

The current episcopal leader, Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, is working with the family on arrangements for the funeral, which is set for April 11.

Jokomo was elected to the episcopacy by the denomination's Africa Central Conference in 1992 and became bishop for life after being re-elected four years later. He served the Zimbabwe Area until retiring in 2004 because of health problems that included a stroke several years ago.

Jokomo "was the right person for the right time" in the Zimbabwe United Methodist Church and had a major impact on Africa University, said Jim Salley, associate vice chancellor for institutional advancement for the United Methodist-related school in Mutare, Zimbabwe.

"He was integral in the development of Africa University and provided leadership on the finance committee," Salley said.

"When you look at … the Zimbabwe Annual Conference and the Africa Central Conference, he provided stellar leadership with his focus on empowering people to be all that they can be. His focus on evangelism and partnerships with other annual conferences can be a model which all other annual conferences could emulate. He will be greatly, greatly missed."

A lifetime of ministry
Born on Dec. 27, 1942, in Murewa, Zimbabwe, Jokomo was ordained deacon by Bishop Roy Nichols in 1976 and elder by Bishop Abel T. Muzorewa in 1978.

He served congregations in Zimbabwe and was headmaster and chaplain at the Mutumbara United Methodist Mission School and the United Methodist mission school in Murewa. He earned a master of theological science degree from United Methodist-related Perkins School of Theology in Dallas and later received an honorary doctorate from Morningside College in recognition of his leadership and educational service to the denomination.

His work on behalf of Africa University led the school in 2001 to name its library the Jokomo/Yamada Library - also named after Ken Yamada, a staff member with the denomination's Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

The Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, served with Jokomo on the university's board of directors and saluted his leadership abilities.

"Bishop Jokomo had the distinction of presiding over the 100th anniversary of The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe," Day said in a statement. "He was also the episcopal leader who helped to bring Africa University to maturity as a church-related institution of excellent reputation throughout the continent."

That leadership extended throughout Zimbabwe, according to Day. "The bishop also showed vision and courage in his determination to provide HIV/AIDS education to the people of Zimbabwe," Day said. "Despite both cultural and governmental coolness to the idea, Bishop Jokomo set up AIDS education programs through United Methodist congregations across Zimbabwe.

"He also worked with the General Board of Global Ministries in initiating a landmark program in the care and education for children who lost their parents to AIDS."

Missionary leadership
Under Jokomo's leadership, the Dendera Mission in eastern Zimbabwe grew from a center providing basic services for needy people into a laboratory for economic and educational development. The denomination supported a church building, a medical clinic, an ambulance and a school at Dendera.

Through Methodist Rural Industrial Development, a ministry of the Zimbabwe Annual Conference's Council on Ministries, Jokomo opened a sunflower oil-processing plant, a demonstration farm and a reforestation project at Dendera Mission. The projects boosted the local economy and brought new jobs to the area.

In 1997, Jokomo and Bishop Felton May, then leader of the Baltimore-Washington Annual (regional) Conference, announced a formal partnership between United Methodists in their areas to deal with issues such as poverty and drug addiction in Zimbabwe.

Jokomo is survived by his wife, Edith Munjoma Jokomo, and two children, Runyararo Pennelope Verna, 19, and Rutendo Grace, 17.

May will represent the United Methodist Council of Bishops at the funeral. Bishop Ernest Lyght, who is en route to the Africa University board of directors meeting in Zimbabwe, also will attend.

United Methodists Invited to Join in Celebrating a Generous Church

NASHVILLE – United Methodists are invited to join in a town hall meeting Celebrating A Generous Church! via teleconference on April 17, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. CDT.

The event will bring together key church leaders to discuss findings from a new report entitled “This is Our Story,” as well as to talk about the four “provocative propositions”—leadership development, congregational development, ministry with the poor, and global health. Participants will also hear stories about remarkable United Methodist churches having an impact in the world.

“This is Our Story” is a new report produced by the General Council on Finance and Administration that portrays where the church is and where it’s going.

“The United Methodist Church is working together – congregations, annual conferences, agencies, and bishops – in new and exciting ways to reach out and touch people in the name of Jesus Christ,” said Sandra Lackore, top executive of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA). “We’re seeing a renewed commitment to supporting ministries across the church.”

The “provocative propositions” were developed by the general agencies and commissions in support of the Council of Bishops’ vision pathways. Chosen through careful research, the four proposals represent areas where the boards and agencies will work collaboratively in new, positive ways to focus the church’s spiritual and financial resources.

A portion of the event will be devoted to an interactive question and answer session with the audience and panelists.

Listeners are encouraged to congregate in small groups to participate in the call, then perhaps to have their own discussion afterwards, but you need not be part of a group to join in.

WHO:
Sandra Lackore, General Council on Finance and Administration
Jerome DelPino, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
Randy Day, General Board of Global Ministries
Karen Greenwaldt, General Board of Discipleship
Jim Winkler, General Board of Church and Society
Larry Hollon, United Methodist Communications

WHAT: A roundtable discussion celebrating where we are as a denomination

HOW: Call toll-free 1-800-868-1846 and enter participant code 63761235

WHEN: April 17, 2007, 2:00 p.m. CDT

Church's black caucus observes 40th anniversary

By John Coleman*

CLEVELAND (UMNS) - United Methodism's African-American caucus celebrated four decades of advocacy for racial justice and inclusion by challenging itself to develop ministries that make a difference in people's lives.

More than 500 people attending the March 21-23 meeting of Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) heard speakers recount the genesis and growth of the nearly 5,000-member caucus and list its challenges and possibilities for the future.

"Our full understanding of the past leads to our expectations of the future, which ultimately gives us marching orders for the present," said Erin Hawkins, a staff member of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.

Hawkins challenged caucus members to demonstrate integrity in honoring commitments and stay authentic to their cultural identity and values.

"The reason we still struggle on so many levels and things don't work is because we are lacking in authenticity and integrity," Hawkins said. "There is power in acknowledging that we are, in many ways, our own problem and we can be the solution."

Hawkins urged members to embrace and interpret to younger generations the whole story of their past - from struggle and solidarity, to survival and salvation by the grace of God - and then to use the best parts of that heritage as motivation to forge a positive future.

Looking back
The history of Black Methodists for Church Renewal began when a group of black Methodists met in 1967 in Detroit, followed by a larger organizing meeting in Cincinnati in 1968, just before The United Methodist Church was created through a merger.

The mission of the caucus is to develop prophetic and spiritual leaders to advocate for the unique needs of black people in The United Methodist Church and society. Advocacy and empowerment was the focus of the 40th anniversary event.

"We decided to be an agitating force to call The United Methodist Church to renewal," said Bishop Woodie White, bishop-in-residence and instructor at Emory University's Candler School of Theology.

"My hope is that BMCR will be as faithful in calling this church to renewal and justice in the future as it has been over the past 40 years."

The bishop, a respected interpreter of black Methodist history, described that heritage beginning with early American Methodism's "ambivalence regarding race." He described the divided church's stand for and against slavery, its early refusal to ordain black clergy as elders and bishops, its founding of schools and colleges to educate freed slaves and their descendants, its racially segregated Central Jurisdiction and, finally, the desegregation that led to the merger and efforts to make the new denomination more inclusive.

"Racism is a strange creature with many tentacles and manifestations of evil," White said. "But what some people mean for evil, God can turn to good."

Recalling early fears - even among blacks - that the caucus would be a separatist organization linked to the rebellious Black Power movement, the bishop drew applause while reading the names of those who nonetheless attended the first meeting in spite of warnings and threats. He recalled how the caucus picketed the United Methodist Publishing House in 1968 to challenge its practice of racial discrimination, and he lauded some of the caucus' other contributions to the church.

Among historic church initiatives influenced by BMCR are:
.The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race (1968), monitoring the church on racial issues. White was its first head from 1968 to 1984;
.The Black Community Developers Program (1968) of the Board of Global Ministries;
.The Black College Fund (1970);
.The Missional Priority on Strengthening and Developing the Ethnic Minority Local Church (1976-1988);
.The Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century Initiative (1996)

"While you are spending so much time addressing the needs of the majority culture in this majority-white denomination, what are you doing to address the needs of your own people?" Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan Keaton asked both himself and the BMCR membership during worship at historic Cory United Methodist Church.

As chairman of the denomination's Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century initiative, Keaton said the decade-old initiative has helped hundreds of struggling black churches connect with successful ones to gain insights and encouragement for their ministries.

Today and tomorrow
Bishop Gregory Palmer, leader of the Iowa Area and the next president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, urged members to "not try to pay back what can't be paid back," referring to those who suffered indignities and other sacrifices in the quest for racial justice and equality. Instead, he said, "pay it forward, for we are called to live in the now and in the future."

Palmer challenged the caucus to honor its history but also to "raise critical questions for the future."

There are 2,402 African-American churches and nearly 427,000 black members in the denomination in the United States, or "less than 5 percent of the total membership" of 8.1 million people, said Cheryl Walker in her state-of-the-caucus report.

Walker, who is both national BMCR chairwoman and director of African-American ministries at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, highlighted a new strategic plan, with core values and a vision for a renewed BMCR, including a call for overall caucus membership growth, more higher-paying life memberships and more Harry Hosier memberships to build the BMCR endowment fund from its current level of about $100,000.

"Can you imagine us being a growing, self-sustaining advocacy organization and truly a voice for the elimination of racism in The United Methodist Church?" Walker asked. "We must move from being reactive to truly living into that vision and mission."

Members support the organization by paying annual dues and through reaching the status of life member and Harry Hosier member by contributing $500 and $1,000 respectively.

Reaching youth
A panel of four young adults described characteristics, interests, needs and values of their generation and discussed ways to attract more young people to join churches and the caucus.

"It's important to use 21st century technology to reach youth and young adults or we will lose them and the future of this organization," said Russell Goodwin of Louisville, Ky., a United Methodist Communications' intern in the Minnesota Conference.

The panelists described their peers as generally diverse, well-informed, technology-savvy and unafraid of change, but also as desensitized to painful issues - partly due to media saturation, self-absorption and an unwillingness to make sacrifices.

"We've got to bridge the growing gap between young people and older or more mature adults and to bring new life into this caucus and into many of our churches," said Nicki Spencer, a local caucus and church leader in Little Rock, Ark. She added that churches need to make their ministries and Gospel message more outward-focused, going into the streets and to places where young people can be found.

"Sincerity is key," said Henry Stewart, a political lobbyist, local church leader and seminary student in Washington, in response to a question of how to overcome fear and uncertainty in relating the Gospel to urban youth and young adults.

"Introduce yourself, and then ask me who I am and what I care about," he answered. "You don't have to be like me; just accept me. If you want to share what you know and respect what I know, we can talk."

Caucus members listened to and applauded about a dozen youth who energized the gathering with their report on the caucus' National Youth Harambee event last July at Philander Smith College in Little Rock. They represented about 100 mostly African-American United Methodist youth who attended the retreat, 88 of whom completed training there to become local church lay speakers. The organization's Southeastern jurisdictional caucus holds a larger annual Harambee youth retreat, scheduled for June 28-July 1 at historically black Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C.

BMCR members heard reports from church agencies and several constituency-partner groups and also viewed "Black Methodism: Legacy of Faith-Revival," an updated, 31-minute DVD of the 1994 production "Legacy of Faith." The 2007 offering was co-produced by the caucus, the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race and United Methodist Communications.

The caucus approved several resolutions for the 2008 General Conference, calling for continued support for the Black College Fund, Africa University and the African American Methodist Heritage Center, located at the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History in Madison, N.J. and Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century.

The caucus' 2008 annual meeting is scheduled for Feb. 27- March 1. The site is to be announced.

*Coleman is director of communications for the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race

Retired United Methodist Relief Executive Dies at 89

The Rev. Dr. J. Harry Haines, director of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) from 1966 to 1983, died on March 29 at the age of 89. He suffered a heart attack in Eugene, Oregon, where he and his wife, Loma, lived in retirement.

“Harry Haines was a saint, a model of Christian commitment, hard work, and inspiration,” said the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the General Board of Global Ministries, the parent organization of UMCOR. “For years he was Mr. United Methodist Relief, rallying the church to aid people affected by natural disasters, wars, and poverty.”

Haines, a native of New Zealand, was a missionary in China in the 1940s and later in Malaysia. He then worked in the division of interchurch aid, refugees, and world service of the World Council of Churches.

At UMCOR, he was a tireless advocate for service to those in need and for education about the impact of poverty and political oppression on millions of people.

“He was a man of great energy and contagious hope,” Day said. “He wrote widely on the themes of mission and humanitarian assistance, which he saw as closely linked. He was a dynamic speaker, and loved nothing more than to visit congregations to tell them the story of how the church responds to disasters and humanitarian needs."

He wrote seven books published by Abingdon Press, a part of the United Methodist Publishing House, including an analysis of China and its 20th century political revolutions. Haines continued to be active on behalf of mission after his retirement.

Haines was a strong supporter of economic self-development of people in poor countries and among the marginalized in more affluent regions. He was quick to observe the growing global gap between the richer North and the poor South. In 1984, shortly after his retirement, Haines made an urgent appeal to the church to “realize that we’re living in a bitterly divided world [and] we have limited resources, therefore, we have to be specialists in designated areas in the least developed countries.”

J. Harry Haines was born on June 29, 1917. He and his wife, the former Loma Housley, the daughter of missionaries, married in 1944. Two of their four sons predeceased him.

Haines received his early schooling in New Zealand, Australia, and England. He was awarded the Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Maryland University, Westminster, and his theological degree from what is today Wesley Theological Seminary. He held the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Princeton University.

He held membership in the Virginia and Switzerland annual conferences of The United Methodist Church. Haines served for 38 years with the General Board of Global Ministries and its predecessor organizations, including his 21 years as a missionary. Plans for a memorial service in the near future are pending.

Commentary: Mozambican women step out in faith

United Methodist women in Mozambique gather in Maputo for the Mozambican Women's Seminar on the Social Principles, facilitated by Linda Bales (left) of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. A UMNS photo courtesy of Linda Bales.

MAPUTO, Mozambique (UMNS) - The room was quiet as Lidia Zacarias began to speak quietly, sharing one of the most cherished chapters in the Bible - 1 Corinthians 13.

"Love is the most important action we take for ourselves and others," Lidia said. "We cannot do our work without it."

The love passage served as a closing devotional during the Mozambican Women's Seminar on the Social Principles, which brought together 20 United Methodist women to study the denomination's biblical and theological positions on a variety of contemporary human issues. The March 14-16 event in Maputo was sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.

The spirit of loving oneself and one's neighbor permeated the gathering as evidenced by spontaneous singing and a willingness to seek out God's word through Bible study followed by discernment on the critical social issues of the day facing women. The women came to pray, learn and act!

The primary issue addressed was HIV & AIDS.

"We have to do something about this!" declared a woman named Enia after listening to a conversation about men having multiple wives or partners - resulting in increased HIV infections. The session highlighted the trend that marriage has become a risk factor since many women are now contracting the virus from their husbands.

Challenging some of the cultural practices in Mozambique was among pledges made by these bold and courageous women and, no doubt, they will face opposition.

Other issues addressed were domestic violence, mental health, depression and suicide, women's rights and how to develop a political consciousness.

"This special seminar is a blessing and will transform our country and world. We say thank you," said Ilda Suzana, staff person on women's concerns for the Mozambique Conference.

The spirit-filled women face an uphill battle in their desire to correct some of the injustices happening in their country, given the dire statistics.

Mozambique has a population of 19 million and is twice the geographic size as California. On the Human Development Index, it ranks last out of all the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, having a literacy rate of 48 percent and only 50 percent of its women educated. Life expectancy has dropped from 43 in 1990 to 39 in 2006 due to the AIDS pandemic. An estimated 1.8 million people have the HIV virus and more than half are women.

One reality facing the women is the lack of open discussion about sexuality and the transmission of disease. According to one participant, women can talk about sex, but when a man enters the room, the conversation stops. A related cultural taboo is the belief that sex is not discussed when a daughter-in-law and mother-in-law are in the same room.

While there are laws protecting women against domestic violence and guaranteeing inheritance rights, they are rarely enforced. Women are routinely discriminated against either through patriarchal systems in place or cultural practices denying basic rights.

Several of the seminar participants will visit the United States in April to meet with the Board of Church and Society and representatives of the Women's Division of the Board of Global Ministries. They also will speak in local churches in the Virginia Annual Conference - one of their partner conferences.

Instituting a Department of Social Principles within United Methodist Women was an action idea identified at the seminar's conclusion. The department would sponsor ongoing training and education on the Social Principles for women throughout the conference with the hope of bringing higher quality of life to women, children and families.

*Bales is program director of the Louise and Hugh Moore Population Project and children's concerns for the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.