Foundation Establishes Martha "Twick" Morrison Endowment

NASHVILLE: The Foundation for United Methodist Communications announced today the establishment of the Martha “Twick” Morrison Endowment to provide financial support from investment income to support programs to help United Methodist communicators in the Central Conferences enhance their communication skills.

“The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to create this special endowment in remembrance of a very special person,” said Sue Sherbrooke, President of the Board of Trustees. “The Morrison Endowment will celebrate Twick’s deep interest in communication and empowering the lives of the ‘least of these.’ We felt that Twick would want us to celebrate her life by creating a fund that will help carry others on their journey of faith.”

Mrs. Bob “Twick” Morrison (76) died February 7, 2008 after a long and valiant fight with cancer. Twick is remembered throughout the church for her selfless 50 years of service with The United Methodist Church at her home church in Vicksburg, Mississippi and by her mission trips around the world. Mrs. Morrison, a Kentucky-born daughter of a minister, served in numerous capacities as an active member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church in Vicksburg. She was the Conference Lay Leader of the Mississippi Annual Conference and was one of five lay representatives on the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches, as well as Vice President of the Women’s Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. She served ten years on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for United Methodist Communications and as its president from 2004 to 2006.

“As president of the Foundation for United Methodist Communications, Twick brought enthusiasm and generosity to the Foundation’s work,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. “She energized others and inspired us all to work harder for our mission to communicate effectively about poverty and to provide the means for those without a voice to have the tools, training and capacity to tell their stories.”

Twick planned her funeral service as a celebration. She wrote,

“As we say the Lord’s Prayer together, I hope that it will not be just a perfunctory repetition, but rather an incredible opportunity to pray with Jesus. In the last few years, the most important line for me has become “Thy will be done on earth.” As I have worshipped with Haitian youth on a rocky beach; heard bombs (U.S. made) dropping on farmers’ crops in El Salvador; comforted Vietnamese young women unable to have babies because of Agent Orange sprayed on their villages; watched the vibrancy of Christians in worship in Cuba; celebrated “Victory Day” in a church service in Moscow; seen the devastation of poverty in the slums of Bombay, the favelas in Rio, remote villages in Africa, and the back alleys in Vicksburg; I realize that the prayer emphasis of my faith journey needs to be “Thy will be done on earth.” Here, now, “on earth” and not some distant “bye and bye” of heaven is God’s important call to me as a Christian.”

Gifts of Remembrance to the Endowment may be mailed to the Foundation for United Methodist Communications, P.O. Box 320, Nashville, TN 37202, or online at the Foundation’s web site: www.umcom.org/foundation.