United Methodists in Global Mission

2009-10-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Wesleyan Christians wage war on hunger

SANTIAGO, Chile––The men’s affiliate of the World Methodist Council (WMC) has invited the Wesleyan Christians within the World Methodist Council member churches to help feed hungry people around the world.

Larry Malone, president of the World Fellowship of Methodist and Uniting Church Men, invited the WMC executive committee to encourage support and provide funds to package and deliver 13-ounce Stop Hunger Now food packets to hungry families.

A Stop Hunger Now packet contains rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and 21 vitamins and minerals. After boiling in water for 10 minutes, the packet will provide six meals for hungry people in Third World nations

After boiling in water for 10 minutes, the rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables and 21 vitamins and minerals in each Stop Hunger Now plastic packet provide six nutritious meals at 25 cents per serving.

Over the last 10 years, the Raleigh, N.C.-based hunger-relief agency has already provided over $56 million dollars worth of direct aid and 15 million meals to more than 70 countries.

After comparing the $500 weekly amount a typical four member family in Germany spends on groceries with $1.23 that a six-member family in Chad spends each week on food, Malone challenged the 200-member executive committee to address these inequities and declare a “Wesleyan world war on hunger.”

“If only one million of the 78 million members of the world Wesleyan family were to commit a sustained sacrificial giving gift of $1 a day,” we could sustain 4 million lives, while addressing both poverty and global health issues” said Malone who also serves as a staff executive on the General Commission of United Methodist Men.

The WMC men’s affiliate hopes to raise $1 million so when the council meets in Durban, South Africa 2011, the conference attendees will be able to package and deliver 1 million packets to the host nation. A designated account for Wesleyan giving has been established by Stop Hunger Now, at www.stophungernow.org/WMChunger.

Larry Malone, president of the men’s affiliate of the World Methodist Council joins Ray Buchanan, founder of Stop Hunger Now, during the executive committee meeting of the council in Santiago, Chile.

Malone’s report was received with enthusiasm by members of the executive committee. "Stop Hunger Now offers Wesleyan Christians all over the world a glorious opportunity to feed starving people," said North Georgia Area United Methodist Bishop Mike Watson. "We can do this in answer to Christ's call upon us to reach out in love to the least of these who are members of our human family."

The Rev. Dr. Ray Buchanan, a member of the Virginia Conference is the founder and chairman of Stop Hunger Now. He attended the meeting in Chile and was warmly received and encouraged by the support for this global initiative. “Stop Hunger Now has a vision of ending hunger in our lifetime. This is a big step in turning that vision into a reality,” said Buchanan.

2009-09-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Some reactions from 2009 Sager-Brown Volunteer in Mission Team members -- sent to team leader Gary Wedgewood

I have so many feelings about my trip to Sager Brown it has taken me a while to gather and sort them. I am overwhelmed with the history of Sager Brown, I can't stop thinking about how in the beginning the school was for orphans. A place, probably one of very few places, where black children could get an education. When I am there I see the children, I hear their laughter, I can imagine them playing on the grounds and along the bayou. Then it was reborn after a long dormant period into service a second time. Working in the Depot I tried to imagine the people who would receive the kits that were being check and packed for shipment.I could hear the laugher of school children receiving new school supplies, see the grateful smiles of mothers receiving a layette kit with beautiful new baby clothes, feel the joy of having personal hygiene supplies, things I take for granted everyday soap, toothbrush, a towel, see young ladies in the dresses they had made with supplies in the sewing kits. Sager Brown was born to service and the tradition carries on. I am so honored to have played a part during my week of working there.

There were so many things about the UMCOR Sager Brown Depot staff, volunteers, location that "do one's soul good" that the list would be soooo long! There are 4 kits to work on with 8 tables of about 4-6 volunteers at each table. Okay, so at the beginning I decide I will float from table to table just to get to know more people. After first morning, "maybe I'll just stick here for the afternoon, it's fun and I love the people here". The following morning I determinedly make a change. Well, what a hoot they were! Soooo, stuck there for the afternoon. With more resolve, the next morning I again change tables, nothing new, same old fun and camaraderie. Unfortunately, the end of our week had come and I didn't get to the 4th kit. Guess I'll have to go back!

Having gone to Sager Brown last year, I wondered if my second trip would “measure up”. It is one of those places that stayed in my mind after I left. As I think back on it, I am still amazed at the profound feeling of things being right with this mission agency of the United Methodist Church. It represents our connectional church at work. From the gracious hospitality and welcoming Christian spirit of the staff and long-time volunteers, to the fellowship with volunteers from Columbia District of the Tennessee Conference and other parts of the country, and the emotional departure of a truck packed full of kits, I loved it all. There is no way to express to someone who has not been just how you will come to feel about a place that is more than buildings and a piece of ground located along a lazy bayou. Sager Brown represents love and generous caring by thousands of individuals, and when you think about what it takes to prepare a shipment of kits from start to finish, it’s pretty overwhelming. God was in our midst. This year’s experience at UMCOR Sager Brown more than measured up.

Gary, as I said before, This was a very spiritual retreat and an awaking even for me. It was like walking around with God holding hands with you. His presence was felt so much. I enjoyed meeting everyone and getting to know them. I tried to explain all of the event to my wife and well there were not words to explain it. I told her it was something that you really had to experience to understand. I know before I went I could not believe what I was in for. Like I told you the other day at the hospital, It is had to understand how you can be dog tired, and happy, and spiritually and crying all at the same time. This is something I will never forget. I met so many wonderful people for different parts of the country and I am still amazed at how well everyone worked together to get the job done.And really with no training. It is really hard to explain. God surely had a hand in it. I just wish I could tell everyone how much I enjoyed being with them. Another thing was I was surprised to find out that at 73, I was really one of the younger ones there. So age had nothing to do with doing what had to be done. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to go and do something that I had wanted to do for so long. And Gary, I want to thank you for your leadership and for all you did to make this a very nice trip.

2009-06-06T03:55:00.000-07:00

The Russia Initiative, a mission program of the General Board of Global Ministries

The Russia Initiative began in 1991 as a renewed ministry of United Methodism in Russia. This year we celebrate the 120th anniversary of the first Methodist ministry in Russia and the 100th anniversary since a Methodist Church was officially recognized in St. Petersburg. There are 129 churches and Bible groups in the Eurasia Episcopal Area, including Russia, Ukraine and other surrounding countries of the former Soviet Union. There are 128 pastoral leaders and 5 missionaries serving in the area. In a few weeks Bishop Hans Växby will lead the five annual conferences of the Eurasia UMC in developing a “road map” as a six-year vision for the whole Episcopal Area.

The heart of the Russia Initiative is in the partnerships between United Methodist congregations in the United States and Eurasia. Relational and financial support sustains many churches in their ministries throughout a vast area of eleven time zones.

This letter comes to you at a time when we have been seeing a decline in contributions through the Russia Initiative. We are now concerned whether there will be sufficient funds over the course of this year to support pastoral salaries and various important ministries. No doubt the economic downturn over the past year has been a factor. This letter is to let you know of the critical need in the Eurasia UMC. We kindly ask you to consider making a contribution to the Russia Initiative if at all possible in the next few months.

You may be a leader of a congregation that is currently partnered with a church in Eurasia. We are very grateful for your continuing support. Your congregation may be a former partner or may have made occasional contributions to the Russia Initiative. Whether you contribute to your respective partner church or give an undesignated gift “to be used where needed” – we thank you for your support that is urgently needed for our brothers and sisters at this time.
Funds transmittal forms are available on our website at: http://new.gbgm-umc.org/work/initiatives/russia

Grace and peace,

Jim Athearn
Dr. W. James Athearn
Coordinator, Russia Initiative
GENERAL BOARD OF GLOBAL MINISTRIES
The United Methodist Church
116 Frasher Drive, Clear Brook, VA 22624
Tel: 540-662-2066 Fax: 540-662-6998

2009-05-29T03:34:00.000-07:00

Young Named Assistant General Secretary for Campus Ministry

General Secretary Jerome King Del Pino is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Bridgette Young as assistant general secretary for campus ministry in the Division of Higher Education, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

Upon the Search Committee recommendation and approval of the appointment by Bishop Michael B. Watson, Young joins the Board on July 6.

“We are delighted that the Rev. Young will join with us in addressing the challenges and pursuing the opportunities of developing principled leaders for church and society who are ‘. . . characterized by intellectual excellence, moral integrity, spiritual courage, and holiness of heart and life,’” Del Pino said.

Young has 12 years’ experience in campus ministry or chaplaincy. She has served as senior associate dean of the Chapel and Religious Life at Emory University since 2000 and was the director and campus minister at the Wesley Foundation at Georgia Tech prior to joining Emory University.

An ordained elder in the North Georgia Annual Conference, Young received her M.Div. at Gammon Theological Seminary, a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources management from the University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science in business management and marketing from Illinois Institute of Technology. She brings additional leadership and experience through her previous work in pastoring local churches, serving twice as a delegate to General Conference, and holding leadership roles in the North Georgia Annual Conference.

In her role as assistant general secretary for campus ministry, Young will oversee the promotion, interpretation, and resourcing of campus ministries and college chaplaincies for The United Methodist Church. She will provide staff support to associations of United Methodist campus ministers and chaplains, technical assistance and consultative services to annual conference and campus ministry boards, and leadership in the ecumenical arena related to campus ministry.

“She will provide leadership to The United Methodist Church in articulating the theological and practical role of campus ministry including interaction with bishops and annual conference leaders as well as others that can assist in promoting the role of campus ministry in The United Methodist Church,” Del Pino said. Young will also handle tasks associated with implementation of GBHEM’s strategic plan.

Young will be relocating to Nashville, Tenn., from her home in Atlanta.

2009-05-29T03:31:00.000-07:00

Wilke to lead Upper Room Ministries

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 28, 2009/GBOD/ — The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) today announced the election of Sarah E. Wilke as world editor and publisher of Upper Room Ministries, a ministry of GBOD.

In her new capacity, Wilke will lead an international staff of 81 with offices in Nashville and Johannesburg, South Africa. The division publishes The Upper Room daily devotional guide read by almost 3 million people in more than 100 countries in 76 editions and 40 languages.

Wilke, 46, was elected to head the Nashville-based Upper Room Ministries by the 58-member GBOD Board of Directors. She will also serve as associate general secretary.

“I am very pleased to announce and certify the election of Sarah Wilke as our new world editor and publisher of Upper Room Ministries,” said Board President Charlene P. Kammerer, bishop of the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference. “On behalf of GBOD, I welcome Sarah to our staff team. She will bring energy, passion and deep commitment to continue the excellent quality of ministry made possible through The Upper Room,” said Kammerer.

An ecumenical organization that produces resources for encouraging deeper spiritual formation, Upper Room Ministries (http://www.upperroom.org/) also publishes five other magazines and a line of books and programs for youth and adults.

“Sarah brings tremendous experience in publishing through her work at United Methodist Reporter. She links the daily, reflective spiritual practices of prayer, Bible study, journaling and worship with active expressions of faithful ministry in the church and world,” said the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive of GBOD.

“Her energy and creative ability will join well with the commitment of the staff and board to reach millions of new people through Upper Room Ministries’ work in spiritual formation,” Greenwaldt said.

Wilke has served as the CEO of UMR Communications and United Methodist Reporter, in Dallas, Texas, since 2004. She is credited with successfully turning around the operation — increasing revenue from $3.8 million in 2004 to $6.3 million in 2008. A new product line was launched that offers church communication through digital color printing. Today the organization is debt free.

“It has been such a joy to be a part of the ministry of the United Methodist Reporter and to lead UMR Communications through change and growth,” Wilke said. “I look forward to leading the Upper Room Ministries with the same level of energy and enthusiasm.”

Wilke replaces the Rev. Stephen D. Bryant, current world editor and associate general secretary of Upper Room Ministries, effective July 27, 2009. The position has a 12-year tenure limit set by General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative body. Bryant’s term ends June 30.

“We celebrate Steve’s work at Upper Room Ministries. His tenure is marked by the expansion of program ministries such as Companions in Christ and publishing ministries on the continent of Africa through Africa Upper Room Ministries, based in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said Greenwaldt.

Africa Upper Room Ministries prints nearly 150,000 copies of the devotional guide in Portuguese, English and Arabic, and broadcasts a radio edition in Kiswahili, French and Zulu.

In addition, 1 million copies of Prayers for Encouragement, a devotional for people suffering with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses, have been printed and distributed through Africa Upper Room networks.

Wilke previously served on the extended cabinet of the North Texas Conference as urban strategist and as executive director of Wesley-Rankin Community Center, a Methodist mission in inner-city Dallas. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer. She earned a master of business administration at Southern Methodist University in 2004 and a bachelor of general studies from the University of Kansas in 1984.

2009-05-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Eleven Women -- including our Annual Conference's Sherry Cothran Woolsey -- Receive Seminary Scholarships

Sherry Cothran Woolsey, 2008 Session of the Tennessee Annual Conference

The 11 women chosen to receive the 2009-2010 Georgia Harkness Scholarship will visit the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to advance their leadership development globally.

“They will meet with students and leaders of The Church of Canada, and will visit local churches. They will also share their commitment to ordained elder’s ministry. In Canada, ordained clergywomen in the local church are still rare,” said the Rev. HiRho Park, the director of Continuing Formation for Ministry at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

Park said there were fewer applicants this year. The seminary scholarships go to women over 35 who are preparing for ordination as elders in The United Methodist Church as a second career. The recipients are chosen by a committee of United Methodist elders and GBHEM staff. She believes the economy might be the reason for the decline in applicants.

“We suspect that working women might choose to remain at their job rather than starting full-time theological education,” Park said.

There was an increase of racial-ethnic applicants. “We were especially impressed to see applicants originally from Puerto Rico, Africa, and the Philippines,” she added.

Last year, the 11 scholars visited Honduras.

Harkness, the first woman theologian to teach in a Protestant seminary in the United States, dedicated her life to dismantling discrimination because of race and gender in The United Methodist Church and the world.

Harkness, who taught at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., died in 1974. She was instrumental in the 1956 decision giving women full-clergy membership in The Methodist Church.

Park said the scholarship program is a valuable investment in the future of the church, especially in light of findings from this year’s Lead Women Pastors Survey, which found that one-fourth of senior women pastors who are serving churches with more than 1,000 members began ministry as a second career.

“It is evident that these women bring life experiences and professional skills that enhance their ministry,” Park said.

The 2009-2010 scholarship recipients, their hometown, their schools, annual conferences, and church are:

· Edna Andreas of Milipitas, Calif.; Pacific School of Theology; California-Nevada Annual Conference; St. Paul United Methodist Church, Freemont, Calif.
· Robin Dillon of Indianapolis, Ind.; Methodist Theological School of Ohio; Indiana Annual Conference; Avon United Methodist Church in Avon, Ind.
· Nancy Geske of Ames, Iowa; Saint Paul School of Theology; Iowa Annual Conference; Christ United Methodist Church, Independence, Mo.
· Meg Hegemann of Fulton, Mo.; Saint Paul School of Theology; Missouri Annual Conference; Sturgeon United Methodist Church in Sturgeon, Mo., and Riggs Union United Methodist Church in Riggs, Mo.
· Wendy Inman of New Braunfels, Tex.; Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary; Southwest Texas Annual Conference; Gruene United Methodist Church in New Braunfels, Tex.
· Tonya Lawrence of Princeton, N.J.; Princeton Theological Seminary; North Georgia Annual Conference; Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Ga.
· Genova McFadden of Atlanta, Ga.; Gammon Theological Seminary; South Carolina Annual Conference; St. John United Methodist Church in Hartsville, S.C.
· Mary Miriti of Dallas, Tex.; Perkins School of Theology; North Texas Annual Conference; Lover’s Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, Tex.
· Virna Solis Ortiz of Maunabo, Puerto Rico; Jenninario Evangelico de Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico Annual Conference; pastor of Iglesia Metodista Meson de Amor in Guayama, Puerto Rico, and a member of McCabe Memorial, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
· Diana Phillips of San Antonio, Tex.; Perkins School of Theology; Southwest Texas Annual Confere
· Sherry Cothran Woolsey of Whites Creek, Tenn.; Vanderbilt Divinity School; Tennessee Annual Conference; West Nashville United Methodist Church.

2009-05-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

Methodist Review Begins Publication on May 1

Methodist Review: A Journal of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies, a new open-access, peer-reviewed electronic academic journal, begins publication on May 1.

The board of directors and the sponsors of The Methodist Review, Inc., are pleased to announce the launch of Methodist Review: A Journal of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies. As an open access, peer-reviewed electronic academic journal, Methodist Review (MR) publishes scholarly articles in all areas and eras of Wesleyan and Methodist studies, including biblical, theological, ethical, philosophical, practical, historical, biographical, and social-scientific topics and methodologies. The journal’s URL is: www.methodistreview.org.

Methodist Review is sponsored by Candler School of Theology, Emory University; Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University; the Association of United Methodist Theological Schools (AUMTS); and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church (GBHEM). The corporate office of The Methodist Review, Inc., is located at GBHEM in Nashville; the MR editorial office is located at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. Technical support is provided by the Digital Systems division of the Emory University Libraries, where MR is hosted.

Methodist Review is partly a successor to and partly a transformation of Quarterly Review: A Journal of Theological Resources for Ministry (QR), which was published jointly by GBHEM and The United Methodist Publishing House from 1980 to 2005. Russell E. Richey (Candler) and Ted A. Campbell (Perkins) serve as the general editors of MR; Rex D. Matthews (Candler) is the managing editor; and Valerie J. Loner (Candler) is the current editorial assistant.

Although its entirely digital format and blind peer-review policy are new, said Richey, MR seeks to continue a rich intellectual tradition that dates back far beyond QR, its immediate predecessor, to the establishment in 1818 of the Methodist Magazine, a North American Methodist effort to emulate John Wesley’s own Arminian Magazine which began publication in 1778.

Campbell observed that the rigorous peer-review procedure used will help to ensure the academic credibility and quality of Methodist Review. To that end, MR has assembled a large editorial board of highly qualified senior scholars, including non-U.S. Methodist/Wesleyan scholars, all of whom serve on a voluntary basis, reviewing and evaluating articles submitted for publication in MR and advising the editors about their suitability for publication in the journal.

Methodist Review will not be published on the regular schedule of a print journal. Instead, articles will be published on the MR Web site when they are ready, and registered users will be notified of their publication by e-mail. Matthews noted that the electronic format was purposely chosen for the journal to best serve an increasingly global Methodist/Wesleyan academic audience by allowing for more timely delivery of articles and lower production costs. The financial support provided by its sponsors enables MR to provide immediate access to its content at no cost to its readers. A one-time, free user registration is required to access the articles published in the journal.

The first articles to be published in Methodist Review are these:

• Sarah Heaner Lancaster (Methodist Theological School in Ohio), et al., “What Makes Theology ‘Wesleyan’?” featuring contributions by Catherine Keller (Drew University Theological School), Donald A.Thorsen (Asuza Pacific University), Dennis C. Dickerson (Vanderbilt University), and Charles M. Wood (Perkins School of Theology), with an introduction by Sarah Lancaster.
• Russell E. Richey (Candler School of Theology), “The United Methodist Church at 40: Where Have We Come From?”
• Woodie W. White (Candler School of Theology), “The United Methodist Church at 40: How Have We Done?”
• Mary Elizabeth Moore (Boston University School of Theology), “The United Methodist Church at 40: What Can We Hope For?”

The first of these articles originated in a program session of the Wesleyan Studies Group at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion. The other three derive from the plenary addresses given to the consultation on “The United Methodist Church at 40: Considering Our History, Teaching Our Traditions, Anticipating Our Future” hosted by the Candler School of Theology, 14–17 August 2008.

2009-04-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

Call Issued for More Covenant Relationships Between Congregations and Missionaries

By Elliott Wright*

New York, NY, February 27, 2009—"Missionaries feel they are in mission with local churches rather than for churches," says the Rev. Lynn DeMoss of the West Michigan Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

"I've been a missionary, and Covenant Relationships let the missionaries know that the local church feels the same way," he adds, recalling his days of mission service in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Covenant Relationships build partnerships between United Methodist congregations and particular missionaries, and an expanding number of such partnerships are needed to spiritually and financially sustain the church's missionary community.

The General Board of Global Ministries is challenging the annual (regional) conferences in the US to increase the number of their covenants by 10 this year. Most conference secretaries of Global Ministries, such as Rev. DeMoss in West Michigan, are saying, "Yes."

Covenants Strengthen the Whole Church
"Covenants between congregations and missionaries strengthen the whole church as we go about God's mission," says Rachael Barnett, a Global Ministries' staff member with The Advance, the denomination's designated mission giving channel. "Covenants involve prayer and personal contacts as well as economic support. Covenants help to make disciples of Jesus Christ, build up the church, and respond to human needs."

"Without the support of the congregations, we could not carry out our ministries that reach out to the poor and others who need new hope in life through the gospel," agrees the Rev. Emmanuel Barte, a missionary in Cambodia. He and his wife, Beverly, are among the 300 United Methodist missionaries in 60 countries available for Covenant Relationships.

At present, some five percent of all United Methodist congregations have Covenant Relationships with missionaries through the General Board of Global Ministries. In 2008, the California-Pacific conference had the highest percentage of churches that participated in a Covenant Relationship, over 10 percent. The Virginia conference contributed the largest dollar total, or $509,429. One hundred percent of all gifts through The Advance go to the designated ministry. The annual financial contribution for a covenant is at least $2,500, or five dollars per church member.

Supportive Relationships
"On the hardest days, we fight the temptation to believe that we are all alone," writes Missionaries Ardell and Gordon Graner from Bolivia. "Then we receive glimpses of God's unending faithfulness through an email from a conference mission secretary or a letter that has taken a month to come from a member of a covenant church."

Covenant Relationships underscore the advantages of the United Methodist connection in accomplishing the goals of mission. The relationship allows congregations and conferences to "meet and be in contact with real live missionaries," according to Katie Peterson, a church and community worker, a category of missionary in the US. They also give the missionaries a "wonderful opportunity to be with and in mission with people from all over the world," she adds, noting that the sense of connection helps her to share "how God's love is at work through The United Methodist Church."

"Missionaries are part of the lifeblood of the church, and the board has dedicated a considerable part of its investment income over the decades to missionary costs, pensions, and benefits," says the Rev. Edward B. Paup, general secretary of Global Ministries. "Investment income has virtually dried up in this time of economic downturn. We are increasingly dependent on World Service, the basic benevolence fund of our church, and designated giving through The Advance to maintain and increase the missionary community. Covenant Relationships are a viable means for a congregation or individual to supplement their World Service giving."

Broadening Mission Vision
Joining hands with missionaries broadens the mission vision of a congregation. Jeanne Mustain, treasurer of Cleora United Methodist Church in Cleroa, Oklahoma, recalls:

Our mission committee approached the financial committee of our church and said, "We need to be mindful about spreading God's word in more than just the local area." We are very involved locally, but when you give to God, you can't out-give Him.

The Cleora church in December 2008 established its first Covenant Relationship with Umba and Ngoy Kalangwa in Tanzania. The Kalangwas are originally from Congo. The Rev. Umba Kalangwa is an evangelist, and Ngoy Kalangwa, his wife, works in a refugee camp and leads a community center.

The Advance recently announced the opportunity for individuals to make covenants with missionaries at the level of $500 per year. It is also encouraging United Methodist youth groups and young adult groups to forge relationships with short-term young adult missionaries, such as US-2s, who serve two-year terms, and mission interns, who spend 15 months in an international placement and an equal time in a US setting.

An increase of covenants means that congregations must understand the value the relationship brings to them and their members. Often the best promotion is to invite a missionary or missionary couple to visit a church. That is what happened at the Red Bank United Methodist Church, Red Bank, New Jersey, when Missionaries Mutwale Wa Mushidi and his wife, Kabaka Alphonsine, also working in Tanzania, visited. Jane Schildge, chair of the outreach committee, recalls:

When they came to church, Mutwale preached and spoke at Sunday school…. The children in Sunday school just loved Kabaka. They sang together with the children…. I think the people in the church liked this, and we want to keep following them and their work. Our church over the years has not been supporting Global Ministries, and we should, and it was time to start. We need to reach outside ourselves."

Missionaries connect personally with their covenant congregations through a program of itineration. "Itineration is not simply visitation; it is, even more, invitation," says Fred Price, who heads the Office of Missionary Itineration at Global Ministries. "It is an invitation to take a bigger role in God's story of life in Jesus Christ."

Missionaries: An International Community
The community of United Methodist missionaries is increasingly international. This greatly strengthens mission productivity and an awareness of the global nature of the church but can be a challenge in promoting covenants. A missionary from Africa working in Cambodia does not have a natural base of support, as is often the case with missionaries coming through annual conferences in the US.

The Rev. James Gulley, a retired missionary now serving as chairperson of the United Methodist Missionary Association, tells this story:

In a recent presentation, I showed the "changing face of mission" with a photo of the Gulley family in Nigeria in 1975, then showed a picture of Emmanuel and Florence Mefor, an MD and RN, a Nigerian family, also Global Ministries missionaries, who serve at Mutambara Hospital in Zimbabwe. I emphasized the challenge of securing funding for missionaries who originate outside the US because they have no US home church or conference to support them.

The Rev. Jeff Childs of Grand Island, New York, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, and secretary for Global Ministries in the North Central New York Conference, thinks there may be a way to address that challenge and also to reach and exceed the goal of 10 new covenants per annual conference. The answer, he suggests, is to get church people to think about missionaries in general; then more specifically how "someone" should support them, and moving on to the realization that the someone could be "me" and "my" congregation!

Congregations with a strong sense of mission want connections with missionaries. Covenant Relationships bring a sense of real engagement in mission by forging partnerships that enrich the congregations and benefit the work of missionaries. In a covenant, both congregation and missionary share the journey in God's mission.

"Covenant relationships have sustained me for more than two decades," says Missionary Kathleen Masters, now in West Virginia, who has served in several parts of the world. "They form my family in Christ and have shared my burdens and joys, life and death, and we work together, thriving in God's mission. I absolutely depend upon the unbreakable nature of the covenants to sustain me in joyful service."

Developing a Covenant Relationship
For more information about establishing a Covenant Relationship, please contact the Tennessee Conference secretary of Global Ministries.
Rev. Jason Brock
304 S. Perimeter Park Drive Suite 1
Nashville TN 37211
Office: 615-329-1177
Fax: 615-329-0884
Email: jbrock@tnumc.org

Information on Covenant Relationships is also available online at www.advancinghope.org or by calling The Advance at 212-870-3718.

*Elliott Wright is the information officer of the General Board of Global Ministries.

2008-12-22T15:08:00.000-08:00

As a Christmas greeting to you, we wish to share with you the 2009 New Year letter from Bishop Växby to the pastors and leaders of the United Methodist Church in Eurasia

HANS VÄXBY
RESIDENT BISHOP
The United Methodist Church, Eurasia Episcopal Area

New Year 2009

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Members and Friends of The United Methodist Church in Eurasia,

“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

“Abundantly!” Who can talk about abundance in times like these? Newspapers, TV programs and talks with friends over a cup of tea rather describe scarcity, crisis and worries. However, when I look back on 2008, I see much that speaks another language.

– Six new Bible groups started in Central Asia
– Minnesota Annual Conference sends $600,000 for a new church and annual conference center in St. Petersburg
– Our Theological Seminary has 47 students in three different educational programs
– Krasnoarmeysk UMC buys new property for expansion; Vnukovo UMC sanctuary is completed; Saratov UMC moves into a brand new church building; the building in Tyumen raises thanks to a big gift from abroad and ongoing “second mile” offerings from members; Zhetigen buys a new church center
– Offerings continue to grow in our churches
– Bishkek UMC is finally registered
– Leadership Institute from Church of Resurrection in Kansas City reaches Northwest Russia, and is followed up at the annual conference
– Samara UMC raises their pastors’ salary far beyond the minimum 10% of offerings
– The Upper Room is published in Russian
– New edition of the Faith-Sharing New Testament in Russian launched in connection with World Evangelism Faith-Sharing seminar in Kiev
– The first Walk to Emmaus in Russia is held in Satka
– Coaching for all pastors is introduced
– 25 members of the five new annual conference boards of ordained ministry in training event sponsored by General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
– 121 indigenous pastors and Bible group leaders under appointment in 116 local churches, official Bible groups, and other ministries of the church
Taking into consideration the picture many have of Eurasia, this is “far more than all we can ask or image!” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Only the one who is fishing can catch fish
It is true that Russia and the other former Soviet republics in Eurasia not yet have experienced the Great Awakening we all waited for in the 90s. After the first wave of new interest in faith and church, Russia soon went into a blend of broad acceptance of the Orthodox Christian culture and indifference to a deeper personal faith commitment – not very different from the common Western European attitude to religion. The development in other parts of the area was similar. In recent years, we have seen how the established religion – in European parts Orthodoxy and in Central Asian parts Islam – has been used by authorities and nationalistic powers to make it difficult for Protestant churches.

Who can expect abundance for the year of 2009 under such circumstances? So-called realists, tell us that there is little of positive development to expect next year. But true (!) realists also take into consideration “the power at work within us.” Also in next year, God can accomplish “far more than all we can ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Some of the first followers of Jesus Christ were fishermen. We can learn something important from the way Jesus related to their profession. When he lets a miracle happen, so they get abundantly of fish, it never happens without an effort from the disciples as well. He tells them what to do, and they follow his instructions. The notion is so simple and obvious, that we often miss the point. God’s way to make miraculous things to happen is cooperation. His power is “at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20-21), not without us!

When he asked them to “fish for people” (Matthew 4:19), I cannot believe he expected them to forget their professional skill. They knew very well that only the one who actually is fishing can catch fish. So do we! We cannot just pray and wait the miracle would happen that a lot of people come to our church. We need to follow Jesus’ instructions, and add our own effort to it. When we actively are fishing for people, we will get the contacts, the opportunity to share our faith, and the possibility to lead people to salvation through Jesus Christ. Only a church that actually is fishing for people can catch people.

And the expectations on each United Methodist local church and Bible group still is to grow in
 worship attendance
 financial self-sufficiency
 increased lay leadership
 service to neighbors
 progress towards its own annual goals

You can actually walk in an escalator
The financial crisis is unfortunately not a matter only for politicians and investors in the stock market. When companies have troubles, workers lose their job. When members in American churches earn less money, they pledge less money for the coming year. When members promise less money, the churches cancel staff positions, and make changes in programs and support commitments. In a connectional church like The United Methodist Church, changes in the financial situation in one part of the world have impact on the ministry in another. The present crisis is so deep that it will influence ordinary people all over the world, including United Methodists and United Methodist local churches in Eurasia.

However, this does not mean that God or even people abandon us. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8) and “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29) It just means that the working conditions may look a little different for some time.

In December, we received the three first messages about partner churches telling they are not able to continue their support in 2009. We will probably receive more messages that are similar. We need to be prepared that in most cases, it will be extremely difficult to find a new partner. Until now, when a church has missed its partner, we have drawn on the “hope” account, borrowing from other funds until a new partner is found. In 2009, this will not be possible.

What will we do?

Recently, I saw something in the Moscow Metro, from which we might learn something. It was early on a Monday morning, and only a few people were travelling. The escalator bringing people up to the exit had stopped. An engineer had already arrived to see what he could do. The interesting observation I made was that the four people at the escalator did not move. They were calmly standing there waiting for the engineer to fix it! They were so used to the escalator bringing them to next level that it did not occur to them that they could start walking. After all, the escalator is a rather ordinary staircase, even if it is moving. You can actually walk in an escalator too.

What we NOT can do in 2009 is standing still, waiting that the Russia Initiative engineer will fix it for us. We need to walk ourselves up to next level. It will not be easy, since the finance situation is not an ordinary staircase, but it is possible! Mityshchi UMC, one of the churches that got the message in December, immediately started to look into how they can increase their offerings, decrease their expenses, and postpone planned projects to a later date. This is the way to go. We need to be realistic and imaginative, trusting that He who has called us is faithful, and will make it possible (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:24). It may mean that a small group loses its paid pastor; that a pastor needs to take an additional job; and that the ministry moves from suitable premises to smaller. This may not all be negative. It can also mean that we realize that our own resources are greater that we thought; that people will not disappear if they have to pay a little for the tea; and that there are members who are ready to contribute significantly more to the pastor’s salary. All because God is at work in and through the church, in and through its members, and in and through its friends.

To all generations, forever and ever
The greatest privilege and at the same time most pressing issue for us as a church is the fact that we are called not to live for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15). We bring glory to God in the church, when we bring what we have “in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever”. (Ephesians 3:20-21).

2009 will be a year when we celebrate what our church did for generations past. The first Methodist congregation in Russia was founded in St. Petersburg in 1889, and our denomination was recognized in Russia in 1909. Let us take the opportunity to remind ourselves and show the world around us that we have a task for present and coming generations as well.

The theme for the Episcopal Address at the Northern Europe Central Conference in February will be “A Charge To Keep I Have – To Serve The Present Age.” In line with this, the theme for the Eurasia annual conferences in 2009 will be “For God and His World.” This also how I wish we all can live both privately and as a church through the whole year. For this I am in constant prayer for you all.

Your co-worker and shepherd,

Hans Växby
Bishop

2008-12-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Note from the Interim President of Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary

17 December, 2008
Dear Friends,

From the family of the Baltic Theological Seminary we wish you a peace- and joyful Christmas-time and a New Year filled with the Lord’s blessings and guidance!

Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary is one of the most strategic ministries in Estonia training professional Christian workers. The 2008/2009 academic year has started with enrollment of 131 students, which makes it the largest United Methodist owned Seminary in Europe. Students come from different churches and many countries - from Estonia, Russia, Komi, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Finland and Korea. In January 2009 the very first student from South-America will arrive. Yuri Velloso comes from Brasil to study theology and join our youth work.

The year 2008 gave us six graduates who are all in active ministry. In the fall 13 new students enrolled in the Seminary.

Christmas is time to think about the gifts we give and receive. The greatest of all gifts is the love of God, revealed through His son Jesus Christ. This is the true reason to celebrate. The Baltic Theological Seminary is a manifestation of that same love. It has been a precious gift that has changed the United Methodist Church in Estonia and has made very positive impact on Christian communities beyond Estonian borders. Seminary has equipped many of our pastors and lay workers. Our graduates – school teachers and chaplains in military, prisons and police forces, have made our denomination known in the society.

Please remember to pray for the seminary’s finances. The global economic crisis has negative impact on all of us but as Christians we believe that everything is possible with God. He can provide the necessary resources to build up His Kingdom.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. (Isaiah 9:2)

It’s wonderful that we all belong to those people, which are allowed to see the great light in the midst of the darkness. We can go into the New Year with that consolation

Connected in faith and service,

Lii Lilleoja
Interim President

Narva mnt. 51, 10152 Tallinn, Estonia
Tel. (372) 6 688 467
Fax. (372) 6 688 468
e-post: seminar@emkts.ee Web: http://www.emkts.ee/

If you would like to support the work of the BMTS, please send
your donation to:
World Methodist Evangelism
1008 19th Ave South
Nashville, TN 37212-2166

Please designate your gift: BMTS Kuum or BMTS General

Alternatively, funds may be sent through the GBGM Advance:
Advance # 15021 B (Kuum Scholarship)
Advance # 15020 A (General Fund)

2008-12-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

Blessing Home Children’s Shelter: A Ministry of Hope in Pattaya, Thailand
News from the Thailand Mission Initiative

Pattaya, Thailand is a city of contrasts. On the outside it looks like a beautiful vacationland, but in reality, it is a place that is the center of the sex tourist trade in Southeast Asia. In the midst of tall buildings, massage parlors, and beer bars are women and children who are being trafficked. This has caused an epidemic of AIDS/HIV which has devastated families in Thailand and left thousands of children in Pattaya orphaned, abandoned, or neglected.

Benz (5 year old girl on the left) and her younger sister live with this woman who is not related to them but has shown compassion to them after they were abandoned. Both girls receive daily care at Blessing Home.

The people of Life Center UMC in Pattaya have hearts of mercy to these children and to the senior women who take care of them. Many times, these seniors are not related to the children, but have chosen to provide care for them. But these seniors usually cannot adequately feed or clothe the children or provide the funds needed for them to go to school. Most of the time, these young children, ages 2 to 10, must go with them into the streets during the blistering heat of the day to rummage through trash barrels for recyclables to sell for food. They work like this for 10 to 12 hours per day without having much to eat or drink.

Blessing Home is a ministry of Life Center UMC to these children. At this time, 35 children receive daily care, food, clothes, medicine, biblical teaching, and Christian love. Emergency shelter is also provided to any child in need. At this time, there is a very long waiting list of orphans and abandoned children, but there are not enough funds to hire child care workers and to provide food and other necessities.

Some of the children do not have birth certificates, and are not legally able to obtain them. Without a birth certificate, these children cannot attend school and when they become adults, they will not be able to have a national ID card which would permit them to work. Leaders of this ministry are currently seeking legal means for obtaining documents for these children so they can have good opportunities for their future.

Pastor Banya of Life Center UMC in Pattaya and Missionaries Mike and Sherri Morrissey, visit the “home” of Benz, a 5 year old girl and her young sister abandoned by their mother. The tin shack they were living in collapsed. The Christians of Life Center UMC helped to repair their home.:

Support for the orphans and abandoned children at Blessing Home can be given through Advance #00403A, Thailand Mission Initiative. Advance Gifts can be given to your local UMC treasurer or online at http://www.givetomission.org/.

2008-03-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

Sudan Project serves as model for denomination

The Rev. Mike Slaughter speaks to members of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries about the Sudan Project, a partnership of Ginghamsburg (United Methodist) Church and the United Methodist Committee on Relief. A UMNS photo by Cassandra Heller.

A UMNS Report
By Linda Bloom*

Ginghamsburg Church did not seem to be a promising assignment when the Rev. Mike Slaughter was sent there 29 years ago.

He was the first full-time pastor for the small United Methodist congregation in Tipp City, Ohio, since its founding in 1864. As part of the "rust belt," the Miami Valley area surrounding the church was losing both jobs and population.

But Slaughter stayed and the church grew--so much so that it has attained "mega-church" status, with multiple buildings and ministries on two campuses serving about 4,500 people weekly. Membership stands at 1,300.

Ginghamsburg's ministries now extend far beyond Ohio. Through its Sudan Project, undertaken in partnership with the United Methodist Committee on Relief, "we are reaching or touching a quarter million people in Darfur," Slaughter said.

Slaughter spoke about that project--which has raised $3 million in three years--during the spring meeting of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, UMCOR's parent agency, March 10-13 in Stamford, Conn.

Christmas miracle offering
He sees the project as a model for The United Methodist Church. His Christmas fundraising message is a simple one: "It's Jesus' birthday, not your birthday."

Since Christmas 2004, Slaughter has asked parishioners to make a monetary donation for Sudan mission work equal to what they spend on family Christmas presents. The effort has become known as the "miracle offering."

The project has been particularly effective because it gives local church members a sense of ownership. "When we're focusing on one major mission initiative, it will have an incredible impact and ownership in our people's lives," Slaughter said.

The $317,000 raised during the 2004 Advent season helped start a sustainable agricultural project in South Darfur, an area with less conflict than West Darfur and home to many internally displaced persons. The investment in that project "is now feeding 65,000 people with no additional funds," he said.

The initial project-promoting small-scale farming and other agricultural work, along with the distribution of non-food items-focused on about 250 families in the Ed Al Fursan community south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. UMCOR also has assisted in managing the El Ferdous IDP camp.

During Advent 2005 and 2006, the miracle offerings raised more than $1.5 million, about $80,000 of which was donated by partner churches, schools and businesses. A five-year child development program was begun in 2005 and a four-year water project in 2006.

The results include the construction of 90 schools and the training of 200 teachers serving 11,000 students, and the establishment of 10 water yards, providing 22,000 people and their livestock with water.

Each year, the miracle offering has expanded to include donations from other churches, many of them small congregations. Of the $1,145,649 raised during the 2007 Advent season, more than $200,000 came from other partners, including 17 United Methodist churches from nine states. For example, Urbana (Ohio) United Methodist Church, a congregation of around 200, has contributed $56,000 over a 12-month period.

"People want to contribute to something that has significance," Slaughter told UMCOR's board of directors.

Sharing concern Slaughter has addressed churches and schools across the United States about the situation in Darfur which, he noted, has been labeled by the United Nations as "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today." Since 2003, more than 200,000 people in Sudan have been killed and 2.2 million displaced from their homes, according to U.N. statistics.

Despite a 2006 peace agreement, a rebel offensive occurred recently in West Darfur, with responding government and militia attacks. All sides have committed killings and human rights abuses, including destruction of property and forced displacement, according to a March 10 statement by Sima Samar, the Special Rapporteur of the U.N. Human Rights Council after a 13-day visit to Sudan.

During a March 11 briefing to the U.N. Security Council, the assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations said that a peacekeeping operation cannot by itself bring security to Darfur and that the parties in conflict must be pressured to negotiate a peace, according to a U.N. news release. UNAMID, a hybrid African Union-U.N. force, is patrolling Darfur.

Because the work of the Sudan Project is centered in South Darfur, much of the conflict has been avoided, but progress was impeded at the end of 2007. "We've had, this fall, some security frustrations that have held up some of our water project," Slaughter said. Since the beginning of 2008, work has resumed on the project, located in Adilla.

Contributions to the Sudan Project can be made to Advance No. 184385MG. Checks can be dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. To make a credit card donation, call (800) 554-8583 or donate online through http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=184385&id=3018444&CFID=1736337&CFTOKEN=23850443.

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

2008-03-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

Board commissions missionaries, deaconesses

Twenty-two new missionaries, 12 deaconesses and two home missioners are commissioned by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. UMNS photos by Cassandra Heller.

By Mary Beth Coudal*

STAMFORD, Conn. (UMNS) - Twenty-two new United Methodist missionaries were commissioned March 11 to serve in churches, hospitals and community centers.

During its spring meeting, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries also commissioned 12 deaconesses and two home missioners.

The new missionaries are lawyers, doctors, pastors and agriculturalists. They come from places as diverse as Brazil, the Philippines, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Missouri and Michigan. They fall into several categories of mission service and form the largest group of United Methodist missionaries commissioned at the same time in the last four years.

Five of those commissioned are global health missionaries assigned to sub-Saharan Africa. The number of global health missionaries now stands at 11, all assigned within the last two years.

The global health missionaries are:

.Jeremias Alfiado França from Inhambane, Mozambique, the director of health ministries at Chicuque Rural Hospital, a United Methodist health facility.
.Cláudia Peres Costa Maia from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a community health worker at the Center of Hope Malaria & Community Health Project in Mozambique, and her husband, Dr. Eduardo Reis Maia, a surgeon and physician assigned to medical care at Chicuque Rural Hospital.
.Dr. Tendai Paul Manyeza of Zimbabwe, the medical superintendent and physician at Old Mutare Hospital, Zimbabwe.
.Victor D. Taryor of Liberia, hospital administrator for Ganta (Liberia) United Methodist Hospital.

Other missionaries commissioned for international service are:

.Kennedy Cruz, from the Evangelical Baptist Church in Laguna, Philippines, development and agriculture specialist in Phsa Deum Thikav, Cambodia.
.Dieudonné Karihano, a native of Burundi, agricultural coordinator for the United Methodist Cambine Mission Center in Mozambique.
.The Rev. Arthur Keith, a clergyman from Wells, Minn., pastor at the International Church of Lund, Sweden.
.Michael Keyse of Berea, Ohio, Volunteers in Mission coordinator in La Paz, Bolivia.
.Finda Quiwa of Sierra Leone, based there as a regional missionary working with youth and young adults in a large area of Africa.
.Guillermo Berman Ramirez, a native of Mexico, continuing as volunteer coordinator for the Mexican Methodist Border Mission.
.The Rev. Dong Min Seo of South Korea, working alongside his wife, Hyeyun Seo, in the Tsaiz United Methodist Church, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The National Plan for Hispanic and Latino Ministries missionaries are:

.Sonya Marie Luna of Ypsilanti, Mich., coordinator of Hispanic/Latino Ministries for the Detroit Annual (regional) Conference.
.The Rev. Lourdes Teixeira Magalhães, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, pastor in the Greater New Jersey Conference.

Church and Community Workers are:

.The Rev. Donald Edwards, serving as an immigration attorney for Justice for Our Neighbors in New York.
.Joanne Finley, executive director of the North Rampart Community Center in New Orleans, also commissioned to the office of deaconess.
.Mary Gladstone, development director for the Deaf Shalom Zone Inc., in Baltimore.
.Andrew Highland, executive director of Looking Glass Community Services, Laingsburg, Mich.
.Alexander Oatley, director of community development for the Joy-Southfield Community Development Corp. in Detroit.
.Susan Reed, an attorney with Justice for Our Neighbors in Grand Rapids, Mich.
.Janet Allyne Solomon, serving with the Lower Delta Paris Community Outreach Ministry in the Arkansas Annual Conference.

The office of deaconess in Methodism goes back to the late 19th century. The home missioner position, created by the 2004 General Conference, provides an opportunity for men to take part in the diaconal movement. Deaconesses and home missioners create a community of service and mutual support.

The new deaconesses are:

.Karen A. Caldwell, director of adult ministries of the United Methodist Church of Berea, Ohio.
.Sarah Barnes Capers, executive director of the Ruby S. Couche Big Sister Educational Action and Service Center, Jamaica, N.Y.
.Judy Davis, community outreach coordinator at Laurel Heights United Methodist Church in San Antonio.
.Joanne Finley, also commissioned as a church and community worker, executive director of the North Rampart Community Center, New Orleans.
.Nancy Garrison, executive director of the Brooks-Howell Home in Asheville, N.C.
.Doreen Grayless, director of student scholarships at Indiana University of South Bend.
.Patricia Hoerth, spiritual director and retreat leader at Turtle Rock Farm: A Center for Sustainability, Spirituality and Healing in Red Rock, Okla.
.Deborah Humphrey, program coordinator for Cookson Hills (Okla.) Center United Methodist Mission.
.Kathlyne D. Kraiza, executive director of the Sager Brown Depot, a facility of the United Methodist Committee on Relief in Baldwin, La.
.Gayle McCreery, minister of congregational care and development of the Christ United Methodist Church in Baltimore, Ohio.
.Kandi Mount, hospital chaplain at the Mercy Health Systems, Rogers, Ark.
.Jo Sheetz, education coordinator of Community Action Center in Sandy Springs, Ga.

Home missioners are:

.Haniel R. Garibay, projects coordinator for the National Association of Filipino-American United Methodists, Virginia Beach, Va.
.Matthew Morgan, project manager at The Advance for Christ and His Church at the Board of Global Ministries in New York.

A celebration of 120 years of the deaconess movement was held during the board meeting. To read an account of that event, go online to http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/news/news-1/honoring-120-years-of-deaconess-service/.

*Coudal is a staff writer for the Board of Global Ministries.

2008-03-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

Elderly women in Mozambique robbed of blankets, food

Elderly women find a home at Hanhane Women's Shelter, a United Methodist-supported ministry in rural Mozambique. UMNS file photos by Mike DuBose.A UMNS

Report By Kathy L. Gilbert*

A thief stole 32 blankets and most of the food from 42 elderly women who live in reed and thatch huts at the United Methodist-supported Hanhane Women's Shelter in rural Mozambique.

"The houses they live in have no security," said Rosália Mauricio Queface, administrative secretary for the United Methodist Women's Society in Mozambique. "Many are alone. Many have disabilities. They were threatened and were afraid to ask for help."

The theft was reported in a church publication in February and points to the need for secure, permanent housing for the women, according to the shelter's supporters.

Known as "witch daughters," these women are driven from their homes and into the shelter because their families accused them of witchcraft.

"Life for them is not easy due to the many difficulties that they face such as hunger, lack of substantial permanent houses of conventional material, and hygiene products which mean suffering from epidemic diseases," Queface said.

The shelter was established in 1982 near the town of Massinga, and the women are cared for by the United Methodist Women's Society of Mozambique. "It is such a shame to see elderly women wandering around the streets," said Judite Gemo, a member of the society.

Catherine Mudime Akale, a regional missionary with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, visited the shelter in 2003 and wrote in her report: "These are women who were accused of witchcraft, dispossessed of their property (cattle, houses, coconuts, farms) and disowned by their own biological children or other close relatives and exiled from their homes and communities after their husbands died."

Long-term needs
The theft was reported in the Mozambique Initiative News published by the United Methodist Missouri Annual (regional) Conference. The Missouri conference has a partnership with the churches in Mozambique and immediately sent $1,000 to purchase more food and blankets, Queface said.

The Women's Society wants to build permanent housing to protect the women from theft and to reduce the spread of diseases. Many of the women have asthma and arthritis and no access to medical care or drugs.

A new center would include dormitories that can house four women in each building. "This center will cost approximately $20,000, and we have a portion of that on hand," Queface said.

She called on the church to respond to a great need.

"In Psalm 71:9, an aged worshiper prays for deliverance and laments, 'Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.' My friends, we are Christ's presence to these women who suffer from aging, ailments and poverty," Queface said. "We are the church. May we hear their cry."

To contribute through The Mozambique Initiative, write check payable to "Missouri Conference UMC," marked "Mozambique-Hanhane Women's Shelter." Mail to Missouri Conference, 3601 Amron Court, Columbia, MO 65202.

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

2008-01-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

A Letter from Bishop Daniel Wandabula re: Bishop's Appeal for Peace and Reconcilliation in the Post Election Crisis in Kenya

To all brothers and sisters in Christ,

I extend the New Year greetings from the East Africa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I take this opportunity to inform you all that Kenya, a country which has been a cradle of peace in the turbulent Great Lakes region, has been hit by an unexpected outbreak of ethnic violence.

The deteriorating situation in Kenya, following the disputed December 27, 2007 Presidential Elections has claimed the lives of numerous innocent civilians. Official government estimates have conservatively put the death toll at 240 lives. However, independent reports put the number beyond 400, as of January 5, 2008. The clashes have claimed a number of casualties mainly from the Kikuyu, Luo, and other ethnic groups. Overall more than 250,000 people have been displaced from their localities making them homeless.

The 6 districts of the United Methodist Church, in Kenya, namely Nairobi, Nakuru, Naivasha, Busia (Kenya side of the boarder with Uganda), Central Nyanza, and South Nyanza, have not been spared. Many parishioners in our churches have been displaced, some killed, and many have lost property. A group of 30 people who attempted to escape the violence, by boat across a river, drowned and perished.

The United Methodist Church founded schools in Nairobi, Nakuru and Naivasha have been offered to the displaced people for shelter. Our churches have been gravely affected as many families have been displaced. A number of them are seeking refuge at Police Stations, churches, and other religious shelters, especially in the Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa localities. It is our prayer and hope that the violence comes to an end soon. We have noted that on New Year’s Day, at least 50 innocent people, many of them women and children, who had taken refuge in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church in Eldoret, were attacked by a mob and burnt to death.

One United Methodist Church in Naivasha District had so far received more than 250 people, especially children and women, in search of safety. Ms. Hendrick Ouma Alois, the Women President, Nairobi District, has been forced to accommodate over fifty people in her home in the rift valley area of Kajiado. The people have been rendered refugees, within their own country!

There is a growing number of people crossing over the national boundaries especially into Uganda and Tanzania. Our parishioners on the Ugandan side have so far received these brothers and sisters with numerous challenges. We have been relieved to learn that UMCOR is considering extending some emergency relief funding to ease the suffering within the temporary settlements here. There is great need for food, safe water, clothing, medicines, blankets, temporary shelter, mosquito nets, and basic household utensils.

We commit prayers to our brothers and sisters who are currently experiencing this stressful and critical situation. We are grateful to God that most of our parishioners, and missionaries, in Kenya have so far been spared. Indeed all churches in the East Africa region dedicated last Sunday January 5, 2008 to prayers for Peace and Reconciliation among the warring factions. As a church we empathize with all the people that have suffered from this injustice, violence, loss of lives/property, and the overall disruption of daily lives.

We pray for the return of peace to Kenya, and a more lasting settlement of the conflict. I appeal to all people of goodwill to contribute towards the settlement of the conflict through prayer, lobbying the parties in conflict, counseling, and material support to the displaced people in the various affected countries of East Africa. All assistance for relief to the affected areas should be directed to GBGM/MCR Offices in New York.

Grace and Peace,
Daniel Wandabula
Resident Bishop
East Africa Episcopal Area
The United Methodist Church

2008-01-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

Post-tsunami Sri Lanka rebuilds amid worsening war
By Paul Jeffrey*

A fisherman throws a net at Waligama on Sri Lanka's southern coast. The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, with support from United Methodist-supported ACT International, has helped tsunami survivors start over and rebuild their livelihoods. UMNS photos by Paul Jeffrey.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (UMNS) - Three years ago, Susantha Jayalath survived the tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean and devastated the coast of Sri Lanka.

He lost his fishing boat and nets, and within weeks sold his wife's jewelry to make the down-payment on a new boat. Then a war got in the way of earning a living, and life for Jayalath remains stalled long after the waves receded.

Jayalath's struggles reflect larger challenges that Sri Lanka has faced in the three years since the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami killed 35,000 people and left more than half a million people homeless on the island nation. Yet hope seems an integral element of the character of those who take to the sea in small boats, so Jayalath has not given up.

His boat is anchored in the harbor of Mirissa, a nearby village on Sri Lanka's southern coast, and has a motor and nets donated by the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, part of the massive relief effort of Action by Churches Together (ACT), a United Methodist-supported alliance of church agencies responding to emergencies.

Jayalath often sets off to resume fishing; yet each time he is told by military officials that he can't go far from shore. "Before the tsunami, there were lots of fish," he explained. "But since then, everything has changed. It's much harder to earn a living fishing today.

"I can only have a motor that's less than 15 horsepower, because if it's bigger the Navy says it could be used by the LTTE [the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]. And I can only go out 5 kilometers, even though the big fish are farther out. They let the big boats go out there, but not small fishermen like me. I don't know how I'm supposed to earn a living."

Jayalath and his family still live in a temporary shelter built on the ruins of their old house. He's not allowed by law to rebuild there, however, as it falls within a coastal buffer zone where the Sri Lankan government has prohibited new construction of family dwellings. The government offered him land 9 kilometers inland, but he said he needs to be by the sea to work. The price of suitable land closer to the coast has skyrocketed.

Jayalath's frustrations mirror those of many around the perimeter of this island of 20 million people where, by a year after the waves receded, any sense of national unity generated by the tsunami had clearly evaporated.

Renewed fighting
Despite a 2002 cease-fire agreement, renewed fighting between Tamil separatists in the north and the Sinhalese-dominated government in Colombo has killed more than 5,000 people in the last two years, taking the death toll since the war erupted in 1983 to around 70,000. The government officially terminated the cease-fire agreement on Jan. 3.

Thousands of civilians, including many displaced by the tsunami and just resettled in new homes, have been uprooted again by the renewed fighting.

To the Rev. Jayasiri Peiris, chief executive of the National Christian Council, December of 2004 represents a missed opportunity. "When the waves were crashing down on Sri Lanka, both the LTTE and the government protected the people," he said. "They both carried out rescue operations without bothering about religion or ethnic affiliation. But some mischief makers with their own political agenda didn't want that to continue."

According to a November report from the International Crisis Group, a resurgence of Sinhalese nationalism in the south has emboldened extremists and handed "established politicians a diversion from their failure to address economic weakness, social concerns and pervasive corruption."

The report also blames the "brutality and intransigence" of the LTTE, the so-called "Tamil Tigers," for the country's deteriorating political climate, and argues that the two competing nationalisms "have sapped the ability of governments to develop a consensus for a negotiated settlement and power sharing" to the long conflict.

Despite the discouraging political environment, tsunami-related reconstruction goes on. ACT-sponsored houses are being finished and families are moving in. Supplementary classes for tsunami-affected children continue to meet in makeshift schoolrooms. Livelihood projects provide critical income for people for whom the depressed fishing industry has meant continued suffering.

"The housing problem is relatively solved from an outsider's view, but for the fishing families it's not all right," said the Rev. Ramash Fernando, a Methodist pastor in Tangalle. "If you're forced to live 8 to 10 kilometers away from the sea, it's difficult to do your job. These are people who know only how to fish. And there are indirect effects as well. Many of the women who lived near the harbors earned money stitching nets, but they can't do that now if they live far inland. Many fishing families were doing fine but lived in a poor house before the tsunami, and now after the tsunami they live in a nice house but have hardly any income."

Fernando said he joined with other Catholic and Buddhist religious leaders in the area to pressure the government to relax its restrictions on rebuilding along the coast, but with no significant result.

Rebuilding livelihoods
Although it has built almost 200 new homes for tsunami survivors, much of the National Christian Council's focus over the last three years has been rebuilding livelihoods, thus sidestepping the chronic delays and bureaucratic difficulties of housing reconstruction.

"We've had a significant impact by setting people back on their feet materially and psychologically, both in the fishing and non-fishing sectors. While some nongovernmental organizations focused more on housing, we worked on equipping people with the skills and tools for them to support their families over the long haul," said Kishani de Vaz, director of the National Christian Council's tsunami recovery program.

After that, it's been up to the ingenuity of beneficiaries. P.H. Nandasini's house near Tangalle was destroyed by the tsunami. He never found his boat or nets. He got a new boat motor from ACT, which he puts on the back of his bicycle and peddles 15 kilometers to place on a friend's boat. Together they fish and then divide the proceeds.

A Buddhist, Nandasini said ACT has provided the only significant assistance in his village. "The government doesn't have money or a plan. And other groups from other countries come here and ask thousands of questions about our needs, then they come back and take pictures of us, and then we never see them again," he said.

According to de Vaz, the renewed conflict-with its security restrictions and massive population displacements-has made tsunami recovery even more complicated and expensive. "If prices and people would have just remained where they were in 2005, this would have been a lot easier," she said.

Training programs have to be constantly reworked. "We do an assessment and mark some people out for training or education, but when we go to find them they've been forced to move because of the conflict," she said.

Since the war's renewal, Sri Lanka has been a dangerous place for aid workers, and access by nongovernmental organizations to internally displaced families is often prohibited by the government. So the National Christian Council works with pastors from its eight member denominations who do have access. "There's a lot we can do through them," de Vaz said.

In the south of the country, which is strongly Buddhist, access to affected communities often was accomplished in coordination with local temple leaders. Cooperation was so successful in most areas that church leaders say Buddhist-Christian tension, which had erupted in several violent attacks before the tsunami, is today greatly reduced.

"We have always communicated with the religious leaders of an area that we had no intention of converting the people," she explained. "We were there simply to provide them assistance. As a result, there are fewer tensions today than in the past, because they've seen that our work was done to help them, not to convert them."

Relief worries
De Vaz does worry about the effect that the larger tsunami recovery effort-what some dubbed the "second tsunami"-has had on Sri Lankan culture.

"We've unfortunately become a more dependent society. In our work, we've tried hard to help people move away from wanting handouts, from waiting for someone else to come and solve their problems, and instead learn to study and work to set themselves up in a way they can support their families. Perhaps much of the relief funding came in too quickly and took away the opportunity that people had to help each other."

Most of that outside assistance came with billboards attached. Sri Lanka has become "logoland"- its coastal areas blanketed with signs explaining how houses, boats, villages and schools are sponsored by foreign aid groups, governments, corporations and churches. The National Christian Council made a conscious decision at the beginning of the tsunami operation not to engage in such branding.

Peiris thinks questions about relief funding should go even farther. "Many of us ask why so much attention got focused on this disaster," he noted.

"Is the world only compassionate when there are dramatic catastrophes? How many children die every day from hunger or the lack of safe drinking water? That's an even greater catastrophe, but the conscience of many in the western world isn't moved to respond by that," he said. "There's something wrong with the world."

*Jeffrey is a United Methodist missionary and senior correspondent for Response, the magazine of United Methodist Women. He has covered Sri Lanka's response to the tsunami for Action by Churches Together.

2008-01-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

UMCOR begins fourth year of tsunami assistance
by Michelle Scott*

The United Methodist Committee on Relief delivers boats to communities in Sri Lanka following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated coastal communities of South Asia and East Africa. A UMNS file photo courtesy of UMCOR.

NEW YORK (UMNS) - The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working to help tsunami survivors find a "new normal" more than three years after one of the world's worst natural disasters killed an estimated 230,000 people and displaced millions in 11 countries.

In Indonesia and Sri Lanka-the countries most affected by the tsunami-UMCOR offices continue to work daily to help survivors recover whatever possible. UMCOR also provided relief and recovery assistance in Somalia, India and Thailand.

United Methodists and others have contributed approximately $42 million to UMCOR's tsunami relief response since the Dec. 26, 2004, disaster.

UMCOR emphasizes a shared approach that encourages participants to take ownership of their recovery and to act as project partners in an effort to empower survivors to restore their lives.

UMCOR officials offer this update on their ongoing work in the two hardest hit countries:

Indonesia
In Aceh Province, UMCOR has helped 40,000 people directly through housing and infrastructure reconstruction, community development, income generation and livelihoods programs, and education. The agency also worked with the Methodist Church of Indonesia in Banda Aceh to help the church be a place of service to their community.

In addition to the work in Aceh Province on the island of Sumatra, UMCOR is expanding its relief to Nias Island, which was also heavily damaged by the 2004 earthquake and tsunami. In March 2005, the island was nearly leveled by a second earthquake.

In Nias, an area where many families are without access to safe water, UMCOR is conducting a large-scale water research project, which will result in a master water supply plan for South Nias and at least one water supply infrastructure project on the island.

Sri Lanka
UMCOR's recovery efforts in Sri Lanka have involved collaboration with the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, including helping Sri Lankan Methodists expand their own capacity to respond to disaster. The work is interrupted from time to time by ongoing political and military conflict in the tsunami zone.

The challenge spurred UMCOR to seek ways to overcome the causes of the violence, a determination enhanced by a partnership with Muslim Aid, an aid agency based in the United Kingdom.

UMCOR's programs support survivors of both the tragedies of tsunami and civil strife, providing homes and food, improving agriculture production, rebuilding infrastructures, and generating jobs and business development. Rural reconstruction and development ranks high on the list of priorities. More than 100,000 people have been helped through these projects.

*Scott is director of communications for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

2007-12-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

University honors Murapa's 10 years of service

Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo (left) and the Rev. Beauty Maenzanise share a dance with Rukudzo Murapa at a farewell dinner honoring Murapa’s years of leadership at Africa University. UMNS photos by Linda Green.

By Linda Green*

MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) - While Africa University has grown in size and enrollment in the past 10 years, an even greater future lies ahead, according to the school's outgoing vice chancellor.

The United Methodist-related school has more than doubled its student population to nearly 1,400 during the past decade, but Rukudzo Murapa said the university "has just yet touched its potential." Murapa told a gathering in his honor that the "greater horizon is out there," and the university community must pull together with one mind and in one direction to reach it.

"Whoever named the university 'Africa,' for whatever reason they had, has given this university a challenge," he said. "... It is a dream the size of the continent called Africa, and it must be realized for the continent."

Diplomats, business people, church and community leaders, alumni and students came together in a Nov. 30 farewell extravaganza to honor Murapa and his leadership of the pan-African school.

Last October, Murapa decided to step down as vice chancellor of the university, ending nearly 10 years at the helm. The Africa University Board of Directors appointed Fanuel Tagwira, dean of agriculture and natural resources, as the school's interim leader, effective Dec. 1.

"I will try my best, but I know that you are all going to work with me to make sure that this work is done well and that the institution continues to run smoothly as it has been doing under the wise leadership of Professor Murapa," Tagwira said.

During the Nov. 30 ceremony in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn, Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo told the crowd of more than 200 people that "Murapa makes us proud."

Murapa emphasized that he didn't lead the university alone.

"If I have done anything in the last 10 years to contribute to the growth of Africa University, one thing is clear: It was not done by one person. It is a collective role that we have all played together," Murapa said.

Africa University had only been in existence for six years when Murapa took over day-to-day leadership from the founding vice chancellor, John W. Z. Kurewa, in 1998. However, his involvement with the institution dated back to its inception. Before joining Africa University as vice chancellor, Murapa led the international planning committee that oversaw the development and launch of the Faculty of Management & Administration.

Under Murapa's leadership, demographic diversity among the students has increased along with the enrollment, despite challenges related to the increasing cost of private higher education in Africa.

In particular, Murapa has encouraged faculty and students to work at the community level on efforts to solve problems, improve quality of life and bring about sustainable development.

Changing Africa
Ntambo, the school's chancellor and chairman of the board of directors, said Murapa made Africans proud. "We are so proud of you for your commitment and for your love; so proud of you for your vision; so proud of your commitment to make a difference among many Africans."

While many Africans left the continent to be educated in Europe or the United States and never came back, Murapa was different, he said. "This man came back to change Africa for tomorrow."

Throughout the program, messages from a variety of people were read, the Africa University Choir sang, and gifts were presented.

Speaking for the Africa University Alumni Association, Cyndrella Musodza told the gathering that her matriculation at Africa University was one of the greatest educational experiences of her life. Murapa, she said, "always went out of his way to assist his students in every way he could." He surrounded himself with staff and lecturers who "provided a good dose of the word of God for anyone who had a willing heart to receive it," she said.

One of Murapa's legacies is the connections the university has made across the world, said Isdore Fungai, a member of the faculty of management and administration. "He has left Africa University with a lot of contacts, and as a networker we will not miss him because network means there is no distance."

Humble beginnings
In 1974 Bishop Felton May stood on the hilltop on the grounds Hilltop United Methodist Church and wondered as he looked down onto Sakubva, the Mutare suburb where Murapa was born, if any good thing could emerge from that place. He described it as being a "mangled housing project of shacks and shanties and some sturdy houses of residences."

May, a member of the university's board of directors, told Murapa that God "made you and gave you sufficient wisdom and power and courage to move from that spot physically, but never emotionally, and to share the gifts that you have been so richly blessed with with the world." May is the interim top executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

Caroline Njuki, a member of the board of directors, told United Methodist News Service later that from humble beginnings Murapa rose through the ranks to rub shoulders with top leaders, "without forgetting were he came from and who he is. He leaves a lasting legacy on Africa University."

Washington Mbizvo, Zimbabwe's minister of tertiary education, called Africa University a "unique" multicultural institution that is guided by Christian values. He told Murapa that the "fact that you have been able to steer the ship in the last 10 years is paramount."

Murapa began his academic career at Cornell University as an associate professor and taught in the areas of political science, African studies and public administration for more than a decade. He returned to serve at the University of Zimbabwe in 1979, holding such posts as head of the Department of Political and Administrative studies and dean in the Faculty of Social Sciences between 1979 and 1988.

During a brief stint with the Southern Africa Development Community, based in Swaziland, he served as the senior adviser on the establishment of the SADC portfolio on Human Resources Development.

In 1988, Murapa left academia to set up the first field office of a joint United Nations, World Bank/Economic Development Institute and ILO program to strengthen public sector training management training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. Before becoming vice chancellor of Africa University, Murapa served as an inter-regional adviser on Governance, Finance and Public Administration with the U.N. Department of Development Support and Management Services. His work covered many African countries and Eastern Europe, including Bosnia.

Throughout his career, he has published extensively and helped to found several professional bodies, including the African Association of Political Science; the Society for International Development-Zimbabwe Chapter; and the African Association of Public Administration and Management.

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

2007-12-11T04:50:00.000-08:00

Africa University acts to keep staff in face of weak economy

Bishop Marcus Matthews (left) and Fanuel Tagwira participate in the Africa University Board of Directors' meeting. Matthews is vice chairperson of the board, and Tagwira is the school's new interim vice chancellor. UMNS photos by Linda Green.

By Linda Green*

MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) - Africa University officials are taking steps to keep teachers and other staff at a time when many professionals are leaving Zimbabwe because of the country's struggling economy.

The Africa University Board of Directors approved a policy for staff retention during its Nov. 28-Dec. 1 meeting. The policy is aimed at keeping professional and skilled staff.

In the past three years, nearly 20 experienced staffers have left Africa University for jobs outside the country. The school has a faculty and staff of 250 people, serving nearly 1,400 students from around the continent.

News media have reported that some 25,000 teachers of primary, secondary and higher education have left Zimbabwe for greener pastures.

The devaluation of the Zimbabwean dollar, shortages of commodities and continuous power outages and water shortages are contributing to the exodus of staff across the country. The official hyperinflation rate is 8,000 percent, and news media report the current inflation of food and fuel at 14,841 percent.

"The combined impact of these and other related factors has made it extremely difficult for the university to recruit and retain critical professional staff," said Zimbabwe Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, chairman of the finance committee.

Former vice chancellor Rudukzo Murapa cited experts as saying the best coping strategies are those that address working conditions and include "an incentive and motivation system" as the most effective way to pay staff. "They maintain that attractive salaries and better working conditions are the key to retaining skilled professionals in their home countries."

Africa University has received support from numerous foundations and agencies. However, compensation of staff and staff career development are critical issues that need solutions, Murapa said.

The retention policy approved by the board:

Provides for a housing and vehicle scheme, similar to what state universities have already implemented for their staff.

Implements a retention allowance in convertible currency for eligible staff.

Provides two levels of sabbatical leave.

Offers money for research for individuals who excel in their work.

Time of transition
During the meeting, the board appointed a new interim vice chancellor to take the United Methodist-related university through a period of transition following Murapa's decision to step down after almost 10 years. Fanuel Tagwira, dean of agriculture and natural resources, took over Dec. 1 as interim leader.

"We are in a critical time of transition in the life and work of Africa University," said the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, in his report to the board about the mission and ministry of Africa University.

"Times of intensive transition are both a blessing and a burden. They offer time to anticipate and plan for new beginnings, a fresh start on a journey that continuously unfolds new possibilities and challenges. They also afford us an opportunity, retrospectively, to take stock of the big picture," he said.

Del Pino, the top executive of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, told the university board that it must fulfill its governance and policy-making role by:

Minimizing draw-downs of its reserves and holding forth the university as a tuition-fee-driven institution rather than one that's apportionment-driven.

Bringing the fees and tuition for international students more in line with those for Zimbabwean students.

Maintaining a U.S.$2 million reserve.

Helping management develop a plan for at least a 60-40 ratio of enrollment of international and Zimbabwean students to be a truly pan-African school.

Developing a comprehensive building maintenance plan.

Improving quality of life for students, including living environment, food service, nutrition, dormitory life and student support services.

Maintaining quality faculty and staff.

Initiating new programs only when human and financial resources are available and sustainable.

"While support for Africa University by the U.S.-based part of our church is indeed prominent, it cannot be assumed that continuation of the apportionment is not being strongly challenged," Del Pino said.

In other action, the board:

Adopted a recommendation that an interim dean of students be appointed within 30 days, and that the interim dean report to the board at its March 25-28 meeting on the 10 most urgent priorities for student welfare.

Approved a master's degree in intellectual property studies in the Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance, in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization, an agency of the United Nations.

Adopted a developing disaster management and recovery plan for the university.

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

2007-12-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

Africa University names interim leader

Rukudzo Murapa, Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo and James Salley congratulate Fanuel Tagwira (second from right) on his election as interim vice chancellor at Africa University. A UMNS photo by Linda Green.

By Linda Green*

MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) - The directors of United Methodist-related Africa University have appointed the dean of agriculture and natural resources as interim leader of the pan-African school.

Fanuel Tagwira, 50, took the reins Dec. 1 to carry the university through a period of transition following Rukudzo Murapa's October decision to step down after almost 10 years as vice chancellor.

"I am humbly honored by the responsibility that has been put on me," Tagwira said at a university gathering that day. His announcement was met with a standing ovation and ululation.
"I take courage in knowing that God is on our side," Tagwira said. "I feel great to serve this institution because it has brought me up, it has made me who I am, and I want to give back to the institution by serving it in a higher capacity."

A Zimbabwe native, Tagwira joined the university in 1992 as the first full-time member of the academic staff in agriculture. He has made contributions to teaching, research and community outreach efforts, as well as to the overall development of the school. He was awarded the Best Researcher prize during Africa University's 10th anniversary celebrations in 2002.

Never thinking that his tenure at the university would span 15 years, Tagwira said he is "delighted to be given this responsibility of being the interim vice chancellor. I will try my best, but I know that you are all going to work with me to make sure that this work is done well and that the institution continues to run smoothly as it has been doing under the wise leadership of Professor Murapa."

Zimbabwe's hyperinflation poses myriad challenges for the university, and Tagwira called on his colleagues to work with him to overcome them.

"I am passionate about this university, having grown so much in and with it," he said. "I caught the vision and passion that drive Africa University ... so it is a privilege to be entrusted with its leadership."

Search gets under way
A search committee, led by board chairman and university chancellor Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo, has been appointed to find a new vice chancellor. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are expected to be involved in the selection process. The vice chairwoman of the committee is Johnnetta Cole, retired president of United Methodist-related Bennett College for Women, Greensboro, N.C.

"From its inception, Africa University has been blessed with energetic, visionary and committed leadership at all levels, and in this time of transition, the board has found in Professor Tagwira someone of true commitment," said Ntambo, episcopal leader of the church's North Katanga Area in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"He is a dynamic, accomplished and principled administrator and scientist with a very intimate knowledge of the university and an incredible passion for its development and for the ongoing transformation of the African continent," he said.

With the appointment, the board has reaffirmed its commitment to enable the university to pursue a vision of excellence as the anchor institution of The United Methodist Church's mission in higher education in Africa, according to the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, top staff executive of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

"I am confident that Professor Tagwira will give collaborative and accountable leadership during this time of transition that will enable students, staff and faculty to achieve a greater level of excellence in accomplishing the primary mission of the university: to educate transformative leaders for church and society in Africa and throughout the world, thereby fulfilling the mandate of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church," Del Pino said.

Zimbabwe Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, chairman of the board's finance committee, said, "There is no doubt that (Tagwira) will lead the university well, taking up what has been entrusted to him and giving priority to the welfare of students and staff, while pursuing excellence at every level."

Setting goals
In his new role, Tagwira will work closely with James Salley, the university's associate vice chancellor for institutional advancement. Salley's involvement with Africa University dates back to 1987, when he served on the site-selection committee that chose Mutare as the school's home.

"It is my honor to serve the institution, and I frankly feel like it is my calling," Salley said. During the transition, he is taking on an expanded portfolio, which includes overseeing the university's church and external/international relations functions.

"Change is exciting," Salley said. "We have a responsibility to build from the rich foundation that has already been laid here at Africa University."

He and Tagwira will use a team approach, he said. "We will do the kind of things that will lay foundations and then turn them over."

They have already identified student and staff welfare, infrastructure maintenance, and overall academic and physical capacity limitations as key concerns.

Tagwira has pledged to pursue collective decision-making processes that allow students, faculty and staff to feel fully vested in the institution. "There are many things that need to be done, and having been on the faculty since 1992, I know the issues that are critically important to the university community - especially those related to infrastructure, compensation and professional development," Tagwira said.

As Murapa turned the leadership over to Tagwira and Salley on Dec. 1, he told the Africa University community that his 10 years at the helm have been "perhaps the greatest honor in my life." Speaking to board members, faculty, staff and students, he said that regardless of the capacity in which one serves Africa University, "it becomes indelible in you. It does not, it will not, it shall not leave you, nor shall you ever leave Africa University because it will always be a part and parcel of you."

He told Tagwira and Salley that as they navigate the obstacles ahead to remember that satisfaction comes from challenges. "Challenges are the essence of satisfaction. They are the ones that call out of you the best that you have to give."

United Methodist-related Africa University is a private school that draws students from across the continent, regardless of race, ethnicity, social standing or religious affiliation.

It promotes inclusiveness and tolerance in it programs, and focuses on improving access to professional training for women and other socially and/or economically disadvantaged groups.

The school has nearly 1,400 students in its programs, which cover the fields of agriculture, business and public administration, education, health sciences, the humanities and social sciences, peace, leadership and governance, and theology.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. Andra Stevens, director of Africa University's office of information and public affairs, contributed to this story.

2007-12-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

Ministry gives hope to AIDS orphans in Africa

A UMNS Report

By Chuck Long*

A Kenyan orphan cares for chickens at Giving Hope, a United Methodist mission that teaches AIDS orphans the skills needed to provide for their future. UMNS photos courtesy of ZOE Ministry.

Working diligently in a small vegetable garden in rural Kenya, 14-year-old Alex wears an enormous smile as he harvests a handful of kale.

The smile masks a heartbreaking truth. Alex is one of more than 16 million Africans orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.

In the face of that cruel statistic, however, a United Methodist ministry called Giving Hope is doing just that - providing AIDS orphans with the seeds needed to sow their future. The program is part of the ZOE Ministry, designed to empower orphans to care for themselves and their families.

Giving Hope nurtures relationships that bring children out of isolation and into family environments of emotional support. Once ostracized and stigmatized, youngsters develop into leaders.

For Alex, a brown and white spotted goat grazing in a nearby pen may hold a key to his future. Alex and his younger brother are learning to care for the droopy-eared animal.

A goat provides milk and a source of income for the children.

"If the goat can give out like 4 liters of milk, (Alex) can be able to sell half of it and the other he can consume with the family," explains ZOE's Reegan Kaberia of Maua, Kenya. "One liter of goat milk costs about 50 shillings, and that will be a big boost for the family."

Like many of his peers in Kenya, Alex has been forced to grow up faster than his counterparts across the globe. While many teens spend countless hours playing videogames, Alex is showing off seedlings from his starter garden.

"He will sell some of the small plants and eventually the crop and keep some to feed his family," said Kaberia. "He will start saving for shoes, which he doesn't have any good shoes, and make sure he has something in his account so he can prepare for secondary school."

Asked what his future holds, Alex beams, then speaks through a translator: "He believes when he finishes school that he would like to be a pilot."

Emotional support
Epiphanie Mujawimana, who heads Giving Hope in Africa, says skills learned by the orphans are empowering. "Children themselves have a vision for their future, and they can take action to change their lives," she says as she watches a group working in a large garden.

In addition to developing income-generating skills, Giving Hope emphasizes instruction in discipleship or how to be a follower of Jesus Christ, HIV/AIDS awareness, health and hygiene, animal husbandry and cultivating crops.

"In every meeting, we make sure they don't feel like orphans or hopeless children," said Mujawimana. "We tell them they have a heavenly father that loves them and will provide everything they need. The Bible says each of us has to work so we can survive on our work."

Giving Hope encourages cooperative relationships among children to help bring them out of isolation.

"When they gather together as a group, they can initiate a common project, they can plant potatoes or raise chicken, and once they sell it, they can use it to support one who is in need," Mujawimana said.

'Life-changing ministry'
ZOE's Giving Hope launched in Rwanda and Kenya in early 2007, and the ministry will reach more than 3,000 in the two east Africa countries by the beginning of 2008. The ministry is designed to help the orphans and their families achieve financial independence within three years.

The Rev. Greg Jenks, founder of the ZOE Ministry, calls Giving Hope "truly a life-changing ministry" and praises Mujawimana for shepherding the program. Jenks' ministry already has a big impact in parts of Zimbabwe, where it began as the Zimbabwe Orphans Endeavor.

Changing lives isn't something Mujawimana takes lightly. She understands what's at stake.

"It's been incredible to see the life change taking place among these kids who now have animals to raise, crops to tend to, and income-generating projects," Mujawimana said. "And to know that in two to three years they're not going to need us anymore because they've learned to take care of themselves. That's what giving hope is all about."

Details are available at http://www.zoeministry.org/ or by calling (919) 550-0255. Donations to the ZOE Ministry can be made through the United Methodist Advance for Christ giving program at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/advance/advance-projects/index.cfm. Giving Hope is Advance Project #982023.

*Long is a freelance producer and writer in Nashville, Tenn. This report was compiled with information provided by the Rev. Greg Jenks, founder of ZOE Ministry.

2007-10-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

United Methodist Bible College Opens in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Almaty, Kazakhstan, October 4, 2007 -- A United Methodist Bible College for laity opened in Almaty, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on September 29.

It is the first such denominational school of its kind in Central Asia, an area where The United Methodist Church is developing new congregations and social ministries. The Central Asia Mission was launched in 2003 and is part of the Eurasia Episcopal Area, led by Bishop Hans Vaxby of Moscow, who was on hand for the school's opening.

The first twelve students attend classes every Tuesday and Thursday in a term to run for eight months the first year. Depending on results and resources, a second year may be added. The primary course topics are the Bible, the Life of a Christian, and Methodist Theology and Church History.

Pastors of the Central Asia Mission have their own continuing education program separate from the new lay Bible School.

In an address opening the first term, Bishop Vaxby said that "good Christian education always involves head, heart, and feet: If you miss one of the components, you have missed the whole idea with the training." He based this advice on the words "teaching," "compassion" and "went about" in Matthew 9:35-36.

The new school has a director, Dauren Kansultanov, and three teachers, the Rev. Dmitri Lee, Viktoria Kim Syng Ri, and Rev. Kanat Khazhamuraatov.

Kazakhstan is the world's ninth largest country in land area but only 62nd in population with 15.3 million residents, according to 2006 figures. It is located immediately south of central Russia and extends from the Caspian Sea on the west to the border of China on the east. Kazakhstan is a traditionally Muslim country. Sixty-three percent of the population is Kazakhs and 23 percent Russian.

Classes at the new Bible School are held at the United Methodist Mission Center in Almaty, made possible by a $130,000 gift from the First United Methodist Church in Flushing, New York.

The United Methodist Central Asia Mission now has a total of nine congregations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. It is an initiative of the Eurasia Area in collaboration with the General Board of Global Ministries, the church's international mission agency.

The mission board currently has two missionaries in Kazakhstan. Dr. Christiana Koisey Hena is coordinator of a comprehensive community-based health care program in eastern Kazakhstan. Hee Jin Park is coordinator of evangelism and church growth.

The Central Asia Mission can be supported through the Advance for Christ and His Church, the United Methodist designated mission giving program. The Advance number is 14939A. Gifts to the Advance can be made by credit card online at http://givetomission.org, or by phone at (888) 252-6174. Checks may be sent to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO New York, NY 10087-9068, or put into the offering at any United Methodist congregated, marked "Advance 14939A."

2007-10-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Native American plan to focus on new church starts
A UMNS Report By Linda Green*

Promoting evangelism, assisting in new church starts and revitalizing existing congregations are the plans of the task force charged with encouraging Native American participation in the life of The United Methodist Church.

The evangelistic focus for the Native American Comprehensive Plan parallels the denomination's aggressive vision of "Path One," the newly organized strategy team on new congregational development under the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.

Meeting Sept. 27 in Reno, Nev., the task force visualized ways over the next four years to be part of the renewed emphasis on church growth in The United Methodist Church. The plan also seeks new ways to address poverty in Native America and provide native resources for the church and world.

In the United States, there are more than 100 United Methodist Native American churches, ministries and organizations, and an estimated 18,000 Native Americans among the denomination's 8 million U.S. members. The plan seeks to work with at least two annual (regional) conferences a year to begin new Native American churches or faith communities. The plan also seeks to help revitalize urban, rural and reservation churches.

"Our ultimate goal is to increase the number of faith communities and congregations across the United States and make new Native American disciples of Jesus Christ," according to the Rev. Anita Phillips, the plan's executive director.

Aligning with Path One
Phillips calls Path One an exciting venture because the denomination "is no longer hiding from the reality of declining numbers, but rather we are claiming a future and an identity in Jesus Christ." Path One, she said, "approaches the decline in the U.S. church by believing that Creator God has great work for the U.S church to accomplish in building the kingdom."

Since 1964, the denomination has experienced a 27 percent U.S. membership decline despite a 54 percent population explosion. The Path One team, organized earlier this year, seeks to help the church start 650 new United Methodist congregations by 2012. The new emphasis on church growth aims to return the denomination to its evangelistic heritage of starting a new congregation every day.

The Native American Comprehensive Plan and its 19-member task force were created under a mandate by the 1992 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, to help United Methodists view Native Americans as partners in ministry rather than as a mission of the church. It seeks to make disciples for Jesus Christ within the Native American community while recognizing the unique cultures and languages of native people.

Specifically, the plan's mandate is to develop and strengthen native congregations, ministries and fellowships; train and develop native leaders; and encourage their contributions to the life of the church. Key to each area are contributions that Native American cultures and spiritual expression bring to the mission of the whole church.

The focus on new church starts and revitalization of Native American congregations is the genesis behind the plan's request to the 2008 General Conference to move from the umbrella of the church's Board of Global Ministries to its Board of Discipleship, according to the Rev. David Wilson, chairman of the plan.

"We are shifting from being a mission to reminding the church of what we contribute to its life and our wanting to be a resource for the denomination. We are more than a mission. We are viable and have contributions to make to the church," Wilson said.

Studying evangelism
Beginning next Feb. 14-15 in Fort Worth, Texas, the plan begins a series of one-day "listening posts" among clergy and laity in regions where native churches and communities exist. Native Americans are invited to share information and testimony on presenting the Gospel within Native America.

"We will be trying to get feedback from local churches on how we can better talk about evangelism and new church starts," Wilson said.

Native American ministries exist throughout the United States. The Bureau of Indian Affairs recognizes 561 tribal governments in the country, and the 2003 U.S. census estimates there are more than 2.7 million Native Americans.

The plan wants to hear particularly from native people who have separated themselves from the Christian church but participate in traditional religions. "We want them to come speak to us about what might it take for you to consider taking part in some of our activities," said Phillips. "We are hoping to learn how to set the Gospel in the context of Native America in the 21st century."

The regional meetings will set the tone for a proposed Native American School of Evangelism to be held within the next four years. Phillips said the school and other proposed endeavors are the plan's way of helping the church become more aware about native identity and native Christian identity.

A writers gathering, to be held Oct. 26-28 in Tulsa, Okla., aims to nurture and encourage Native Americans "experiencing a call to write" to produce work that contributes both to the native community and the entire church. "This is an important part of the work and future of the church," Phillips said.

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

2007-07-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

South African Methodists offer hope to refugees

Children gather at the preschool and child care ministry of Central Methodist Mission in Johannesburg, South Africa. They include refugees whose families have fled Zimbabwe and are being served by the church's "Ray of Hope" ministry. A UMNS photo by Faye Richardson.

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

South African Methodists are offering a "ray of hope" to homeless asylum seekers, refugees and displaced people crowding into the capital city of Johannesburg.

At Central Methodist Mission, the refugees find shelter, food, clothing, child care, counseling and employment assistance. The mission accommodated some 900 in just the first three months of 2007, and an average of 20 new people arrive each day - the majority from Zimbabwe.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief has assisted by providing $25,000 in grants in the first half of 2007, according to David Sadoo, an UMCOR executive. The grants are "keeping the lights on," he said, and covering other infrastructure costs, "as well as supporting some of the actual programs they have with the refugees."

More than 3,000 people have received services at the mission in the past 15 months. "Since the end of the apartheid government, refugees from all over Africa have sought safety and economic opportunity in South Africa," according to a funding application to UMCOR from the staff at Central Methodist Mission, led by Bishop Paul Verryn. "The worsening situation in Zimbabwe, however, has created a near crisis situation."

The South African government does not recognize Zimbabweans as official refugees. "Individual Zimbabweans who seek to apply for political asylum are confronted by excessive levels of bureaucracy, often waiting more than nine months for their status to be assessed, as well as high levels of corruption in the South African Department of Home Affairs," the application states.

"While applying for refugee status, Zimbabweans are regularly harassed by South African police, detained and often beaten. Like other foreigners in Johannesburg, they are vulnerable to the growing levels of xenophobia and violence against foreigners which are increasingly prevalent in South African society."

Ray of Hope
Through the "Ray of Hope" project, the mission has managed to provide temporary and safe accommodations for homeless asylum seekers, refugees and displaced people; offer one substantial meal each day for temporary residents; and provide food and supplies for infants whose mothers have no financial support.

The project also ensures clean facilities for temporary residents, access to clean water for drinking and washing, and an adequate supply of basic medicines and supplies.

The Rev. Carleen Gerber, pastor of First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Conn., a United Church of Christ congregation, has witnessed the amazing but difficult work at the Johannesburg church. First Congregational has partnered with the Methodist Church of Southern Africa for 20 years and helped Central Methodist make the connection with UMCOR.

"We really have been so grateful for the level of support and the continuity of support that UMCOR has given," she said.

First Congregational has raised about $8,000 for the project. "We knew that the refugee crisis had been brewing, and there were refugees living in the building," Gerber explained. But it was not until she led a congregational trip to Johannesburg in October 2006 that they "realized the scope of the need."

The sheer numbers can be overwhelming - both for the church staff and the physical plant itself. Central Methodist, for example, has six toilets available for approximately 700 people staying there at any one time. "The conditions are exceedingly difficult," she said.

Circumstances have transformed the six-story, inner-city church into a village, according to Gerber. The offices, classrooms and social service spaces where the church's regular programs operate during the day are given over to the refugees in the evening. Everyone has communal responsibilities, and attendance is required at nightly worship services. Music and "wonderful fellowship" often follow, she noted.

Several of the bigger rooms are allotted to women and children and to married couples. "The biggest number (of refugees) would be single men," she said. "They may have left family behind. They are literally sleeping all over the floors and the stairways and outside the elevators."

Many of the refugees from Zimbabwe are teachers or other professionals and some teach classes at the church. "They're bright, often highly educated people," Gerber said.

Living the Gospel
Specific programs at Central Methodist include:

.A pre-school and extended child care for 120 of the poorest inner-city children, including many refugee children, along with an infant care program for 20 children under age 2;
.A small legal aid clinic run by two college-educated refugees from Zimbabwe who have been trained through Witwatersrand University's legal aid program. The clinic helps refugees who are trying to establish legal status, have been arrested or are threatened with deportation;
.Basic literacy, numeracy and English language programs designed to help refugees and displaced South Africans survive in a demanding environment. The classes are organized and taught by three college-educated refugees from Zimbabwe;
.A free clinic that operates two afternoons a week to provide basic health care, counseling and referrals for patients who need more advanced care. The clinic is run by two volunteer physicians, one South African and one American.

Other Methodist churches in South Africa have provided financial support to Central Methodist, which is working with various governmental and international agencies "to obtain a building which can provide temporary accommodation on a formal and permanent basis."

The efforts of Verryn and other staff at the mission made the front page of The New York Times in a June 23 article citing Central Methodist Mission's refugee work. The Zimbabwean reported in 2006 that an "endless queue" of at least five people from Zimbabwe wait each day outside Verryn's office.

Gerber said her congregation's relationship with Central Methodist has provided a teaching opportunity. "The people of Central Methodist are living the Gospel in a courageous way that should inspire each and every one of us," she said.

Donations to the Ray of Hope project can be made through UMCOR Advance No. 982540, Global Refugee Response, and dropped in local church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Credit card donations can be made online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/advance/donate.cfm?code=982540&id=3019059 or by calling (800) 554-8583.

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

2007-07-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

Emergency appeal aims to save refugees in Chad
By Diane Denton*

Responding to an emergency appeal from the United Nations, Nothing But Nets is raising $400,000 to distribute insecticide-treated sleeping nets in Chad for 200,000 refugees displaced by violence in Darfur. A UMNS photo courtesy of ACT International.

CHICAGO (UMNS) - Warning that malaria could kill thousands of refugees in Chad as the African nation's rainy season begins, the United Nations Foundation launched an emergency fundraising appeal July 16 to purchase 40,000 insecticide-treated sleeping nets.

The foundation called on Americans to help raise $400,000 to respond to the immediate need of people living in 15 refugee camps along Chad's eastern border with Sudan and its southern border with the Central African Republic.

Children are particularly at risk among the more than 200,000 refugees displaced by spreading violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. U.N. officials estimate that 25 percent of children under age 5 living in the camps will die from malaria without protection at night, when mosquito-borne malaria is usually transmitted.

The money is being raised through Nothing But Nets, a grassroots campaign to distribute the life-saving nets. The people of The United Methodist Church are among the founding partners of the 2006 initiative, which urges people to "send a net, save a life" for the cost of $10 per net.

Immediate need
Speaking at a news conference to launch the campaign, organizers said the prevalence of malaria in refugee camps is expected to rise sharply with the start of the region's rainy season in June.
"To meet this immediate need in Chad, the U.N. Foundation, through our Nothing But Nets campaign, is asking individuals to answer our call - 10 dollars at a time," said Kathy Bushkin Calvin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the foundation.

"A donation of 10 dollars is all it takes to purchase and distribute a life-saving net and educate a community health worker on its proper use."

Assistance is being sought from relief organizations working together in Chad, including UNICEF, the U.N. High Commission on Refugees and the MENTOR Initiative. Responding to an emergency request from the United Nations, the U.N. Foundation pledged to raise $400,000 to purchase, ship and distribute the nets.

Also attending the news conference were representatives from several Nothing But Nets partner organizations, including the NBA's Chicago Bulls, a local partner.

"We need about 40,000 bed nets for 15 temporary camps in Chad right now," said Bulls forward Luol Deng, a native of Sudan and a national spokesman for Nothing But Nets. "One of every four children would die in the rainy season without nets. I'm personally committed to this issue and supporting the appeal, and I'm proud to say my team, the Chicago Bulls, has taken this issue to heart."

Steve Schanwald, executive vice president for business operations for the Bulls organization, presented the foundation with a check for $10,000 to purchase the first 1,000 bed nets and pledged to mobilize basketball fans to help.

Humanity United, a U.S.-based social investment organization, has agreed to match donations dollar for dollar and net for net for the Chad effort, according to Elizabeth McKee, director of Nothing But Nets.

McKee said the MENTOR Initiative, a United Kingdom-based emergency agency fighting malaria, is working quickly to begin distributing about 1,000 per day. Each net can safely cover five people if used properly, she said.

Calling on United Methodists
Following the news conference, United Methodist Bishop Thomas Bickerton urged the church to respond generously to the emergency.

"This is just another opportunity to do what we do best," said Bickerton, the denomination's spokesman for the campaign. "The United Methodist Church has proven that when a major need arises, we are able to produce significant results to meet the need. This is our opportunity again to respond to a need in the human family."

Bickerton praised the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which has supported efforts to help displaced Sudanese in Chad since 2004 through its partnership with Action by Churches Together (ACT), an international aid alliance.

Earlier this month, UMCOR responded to a new ACT appeal with a grant that will go toward health services, wells, community services and shelter for 35,000 of the most vulnerable people living in camps along the Chad-Sudan border.

UMCOR expects to provide additional assistance in the near future, according to spokeswoman Linda Beher.

The foundation's emergency appeal came during a series of Nothing But Nets events this month in Chicago as part of a U.S. multi-city tour to raise money and awareness for malaria prevention. The Chicago events involve the people of The United Methodist Church, the Chicago Bulls, the WNBA's Chicago Sky, the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, MLS W.O.R.K.S., the U.N. Foundation and the Luol Deng Foundation.

Interfaith breakfast
More than 100 Chicago-area faith leaders attended a July 17 interfaith breakfast hosted by First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple. Together, they prayed for victims of malaria and talked about opportunities to support Nothing But Nets.

United Methodist Bishop Hee-soo Jung of the Chicago area told the group he plans to fast one meal a day for 100 days in behalf of the campaign. He pledged $10 for every meal he skips.
Others shared personal testimonies about the deadly disease.

"I grew up as a missionary child in Nigeria where malaria is as common as a cold," said the Rev. Karen Hundrieser, pastor of Worth (Ill.) United Methodist Church. "I had it so bad once that, 35 years later, I still remember the pain and thinking I wasn't going to make it through the night."
Hundrieser's church is getting pledges of $10 for a net for every $100 donated to its building repair program. "To date, we've raised enough for 45 nets," she said.

High school student Martin Kim of Roselle (Ill.) United Methodist Church said Nothing But Nets has a particular appeal to young people.

"One of the things that motivates me as a youth is when people say, 'You're just a child, you can't do that.' The fact is, with Nothing But Nets, $10 can save a life," Kim said.

Chicago Fire star Diego Gutierrez told those at the breakfast that living in a global community "has a lot of perks but also a lot of responsibility." He reminded the group that all children are important, whether they live in Europe, the United States or Africa. "We have to live in a place where children don't die just because of where they're born geographically," he said.

Malaria 'boot camp'
At a July 16 malaria "boot camp" sponsored by Nothing But Nets, players from the Bulls, the Fire and the Sky helped educate local youth about malaria and how they can spread awareness, involve others and raise money.

Speaking to the 250 youth ages 8 to 17, Bickerton reminded the crowd that "nets save kids' lives!"

"Every 30 seconds, a child dies from malaria," Bickerton said. "I think most of you in this room have a good chance of living a long, sustained life. Don't those kids in Africa deserve the same chance? Ten dollars and a kid's life has changed."

At the conclusion of his remarks, Bickerton pointed out that perhaps 15 children had died during his brief presentation. "We'd better get busy, don't you think?"

Esther Ikoro, 17, from South Lawn United Methodist Church, said boot camp gave her some good ideas. "I knew I wanted to do something to make a difference, and now I have a focus," she said.

Clarice Woods and Laura McIntee took a day off from work to bring eight youth from Chicago's St. Matthew United Methodist Church. McIntee said she learned about the campaign from the United Methodist Web site at http://www.umc.org/. The church's youth group plans to hold a car wash and bake sale to help.

Vanessa Mendenhall, 15, was among 19 youth that came from Ivanhoe United Methodist Church in Riverdale, Ill. "I learned about malaria and how many people it affects, how many people care about it, and what we can do to help," she said. "I want to see if we could help bring more people to raise money and make more people aware."

Since May 2006, the Nothing But Nets campaign has raised more than $7 million. The average donation is about $60. To donate, visit http://www.nothingbutnets.net/ or www.umc.org/nets.

*Denton is director of public information for The United Methodist Church.

2007-07-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Kenya clinic provides health care amid doctor shortage
By Barry Simmons*

Aggrey Omondi founded a health care clinic in Ugunja, Kenya, thanks to a donationof property from adjacent St. Paul's United Methodist Church. The clinic also is supported by the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund.UMNS photos by Barry Simmons.

UGUNJA, Kenya (UMNS) - In a poor farming town along Kenya's rural western border, the nearest health care provider is a nurse at St. Paul's Methodist Health Center.

The small clinic was founded three years ago next to St. Paul's United Methodist Church on property donated by the Kenyan church. It stands as a beacon of hope for those who are ill or dying with AIDS and other diseases - but has no doctor on staff.

With one clinical officer, four unlicensed nurses and a lab technician, staff members say they are overwhelmed by cases they're not qualified to treat. Together, they provide free care for nearly 300 people living with HIV. Volunteers also visit nearby homes to encourage others to get tested for AIDS.

"Why, why do we have no doctor," asks nurse Dan Rateng, "and then the patient is dying?"
Kenya suffers one of the worst health worker shortages in Africa. It's hardest on rural areas like Ugunja where few doctors want to settle. "There is a shortage," says Rateng. "Why? Because they simply go for the greener pastures."

According to the Center for Global Development, 51 percent of Kenya's doctors have emigrated so that more Kenyan doctors now work abroad than at home. After graduating medical school in Kenya, many move to South Africa, England and other nations where they can multiply their incomes 10 times.

The Kenyan government, which operates several health clinics in the region, employs just three doctors in Siaya District, which serves 450,000 people.

The dearth of available health care is among reasons that local leader Aggrey Omondi founded the clinic in 2004 after his community lost 15 people in one week to dysentery, a common ailment that is preventable with antibiotics.

"By providing this facility," he says, "we are trying to prolong the lives of the people and also make them more productive."

Omondi walks with a severe limp from a childhood cut that went untreated and eventually became infected, leaving him crippled. It is a daily reminder to him that simple medical care could ease the suffering for tens of thousands of people.

"Here we have widowers," he says, pointing to a gathering of AIDS patients at the clinic. "It's a challenging issue. How do you deal with that?"

With one out of four people infected with HIV, Ugunja has one of the highest rates of AIDS in Kenya. Omondi recently started an AIDS/HIV support group that meets each week at the neighboring church.

"Nowadays, having come together, it no longer scares us," says Sylvester Opiyo, a participant in the support group. "We've got the virus. We have to (live) with it."

"If you see those who are very sick and you get scared, really scared," says Pamea Ouko, who recently joined the group after discovering she is infected with HIV. "But when you come here together, we are taught to go on with our everyday life."

Omondi recently began work on a maternity wing for women with AIDS to provide them with drug treatments to protect their newborns. A shortage of funds has brought construction to halt, however.

Last December the clinic was so strapped for cash that Omondi was forced to release several clinical officers. The clinic would have closed permanently, he says, if the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund had not committed $10,000 to keep it open.

If the clinic closes, many of the sick will have nowhere to turn, according to Omondi. "We don't have affordable health systems in Kenya - not even health insurance, nothing like that," he says.
*Simmons is a freelance producer based in Nashville, Tenn.

2007-07-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Faith and sacrifice build new church in Zimbabwe

By Shaun A. Lane*

United Methodist Bishops John R. Schol (left) and Eben Nhiwatiwa address the congregation gathered for the Muradzikwa United Methodist Church groundbreaking ceremony in Zimbabwe. UMNS photos by Shaun Lane.

MURADZIKWA, Zimbabwe (UMNS)--The words sacrifice and faith had new meaning for members of a congregation gathered for the groundbreaking of their new church building in Zimbabwe.

The new Muradzikwa United Methodist Church will be built 300 yards from the current structure.

"Everyone is welcome here," sang the choir in their native Shona language as Dawson Pasirai, vice district lay leader of the Zimbabwe Conference, reflected on the strength of the 300-member church and the significance of the June 10 groundbreaking.

"They have had the vision of a new church for a while now," said Pasirai, "and the members here have very little money. But they walk on faith, and now they are on the verge of having a new church."

Taking part in the service were Zimbabwe United Methodist Church officials, including Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, and a delegation from the Baltimore-Washington Annual (regional) Conference, including Bishop John R. Schol.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference has been in partnership with the two Zimbabwe annual conferences since 1996.

"The Baltimore-Washington Conference partnership with us is significant in many ways," said Nhiwatiwa. "Bishop Schol has helped to equip our pastors with leadership. And more importantly, it gives us an opportunity to exchange ideas with them."

During the ceremony, Nhiwatiwa asked church members if they had the necessary materials--bricks, mortar and other building essentials--to complete the project. When they answered "yes" to all of the questions, he pronounced the church ready to begin building.

"They still need the money to build," Nhiwatiwa said. "But we cannot promise them anything. The church has to step forward."

Pasirai said the estimated cost of the project is $10,000, but he is confident the money will come.

"We will work on faith," he said. "We do good things here and we want to do more. God will provide. And our members will come through when needed."

Schol said the conference's Hope Fund and Bel Air United Methodist Church will help to close the financial gap, but the people of Muradzikwa are giving generously now.

After the ceremonial groundbreaking, congregants walked up to the groundbreaking hole and placed money in it, singing and dancing the entire time.

"They make sacrifices every day just to survive sometimes, so giving extra money for a new building will not break them," Pasirai said. "This church started in 1905 and God has provided every step of the way. This will not be any different. We serve a very good God."

*Lane is director of communications for the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference

2007-06-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

United Methodists, Muslims partner to ease suffering

By Kathleen LaCamera*

LONDON (UMNS)-Religious leaders, diplomats, British government ministers and members of Parliament are praising the new partnership between United Methodist and Muslim relief agencies as "bold," "significant" and one that "confounds stereotypes."

British government minister Stephen Timms signs the partnership agreement between the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Muslim Aid at the House of Commons in London. UMNS photos by Ginny Underwood.

The New York-based United Methodist Committee on Relief signed a partnership agreement with the London-based global relief and development agency Muslim Aid on June 26 at the House of Commons.

Stephen Timms, the British government minister who hosted the event, said UMCOR and Muslim Aid both were formed out of an "ambition to relieve suffering."

Referring to joint projects already under way, Timms said the partnership is special because the two faith groups have worked together across a divide thought to be "unbridgeable."

UMCOR and Muslim Aid already have put $9.8 million into joint projects in Sri Lanka to provide tsunami recovery and support to displaced civilians affected by renewed fighting between Tamil Tigers and government military forces. The new partnership agreement could result in as much as $15 million more to combat the effects of disaster, war and poverty around the world.

"No one should underestimate the potential for good that Christians and Muslims (working together) can do in the UK and in the rest of the world," said Timms. "This shows what distinctive faiths can achieve when the focus is on shared values."

'Only a beginning'
Signing the agreement on behalf of UMCOR, United Methodist Bishop Edward Paup said "responding to human need will make this partnership succeed." Paup, who is the agency's president, said the coming together of two organizations from different religions is "only a beginning."

"We are responding as partners to human need, not proselytizing," says Farooq Murad of Muslim Aid.

"We hope we have set the table, and we are now inviting others to join us," he added.

The Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of UMCOR's parent organization, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, said that "while we come from different theological positions, we have the same humanitarian values to relieve the suffering of those in need, no matter who they are or what they believe."

UMCOR is part of the 11.5 million-member United Methodist Church and is active in more than 80 countries.

Farooq Murad signed the agreement on behalf of Muslim Aid, an organization with a 20-year history of relief work in more than 60 countries with 500 local partners. As Muslim Aid's chairman, Murad believes that practical cooperative work across religious traditions reduces people's suspicions of faith-based organizations.

"We are responding as partners to human need, not proselytizing," he said.

Guy Hovey, UMCOR's Sri Lanka director, has seen the powerful difference interfaith cooperation makes in that nation. In 2006, when fighting broke out between Tamil rebels and government troops in Mutur, UMCOR workers met with a level of violence and threats that made it impossible to deliver much-needed aid and support to displaced civilians.

Turning to their Muslim Aid partners-who had proved so valuable in tsunami relief and recovery efforts-the two groups joined forces and reached out to Buddhist leaders as well.

"We are responding as partners to human need, not proselytizing," says Farooq Murad of Muslim Aid.

Together through grassroots community faith groups, they addressed crucial local needs such as irrigation, health care, education and security.

"We were able to walk through villages where before people would have thrown stones at us. Now they were smiling at us," Hovey told United Methodist News Service. "We built unique relationships with faith leaders. Seeing us trusting and working with each other, people felt they could trust local faith communities.

"We didn't look at it as a Muslim/Christian project," he said. "First it was a desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with those working with displaced people. It started on the ground as an effort to bring relief and development to more than 50,000 people."

Improved credibility and effectiveness
Faith-based organizations gain credibility and effectiveness when they work across faith boundaries, said British Methodist Relief and Development Fund representatives attending the UMCOR/Muslim Aid launch.

"Government officials as well as individual people can be suspicious of faith-based organizations. They worry about proselytizing. They have an assumption that these groups will only be interested in looking after their own," said Kirsty Smith, the fund's director.

In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Sri Lankan Methodist Church, one of the fund's partners, has worked closely with local Buddhists. Like Hovey, Smith said interfaith cooperation has been crucial in identifying and addressing key local needs.

While Muslim Aid and UMCOR don't have all the answers, Day said that working in partnership allows them to deliver aid more effectively without leaving aside the particularities and distinctiveness of their individual faiths. He hopes other non-proselytizing, faith-based organizations will join with UMCOR and Muslim Aid to work for peace and against poverty and suffering.

"Doing this work together we have seen that we can relieve the effects of conflict without being a part of it," Day told those gathered for the launch.

"We are two communities looking at the same problem: the outbreak of global poverty and inequality," explained Murad of Muslim Aid. "We want to increase our effectiveness together. We can do a great deal more. … The Koran says to cooperate in what is right and what is just."

*LaCamera is a United Methodist News Service correspondent based in England.

2007-06-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

The United Methodist Church in Senegal

from a report by the Rev. William E. Lovell

Ordained Class of 2007, Senegal United Methodist Church. Left to right: Dembo Diatte, Joseph Bleck, Antoine Ndecky, Jean Pierre Ndour, Dibor Fatou Ndour (Marie-Agnes), Jean Noel Diouf, Bishop Benjamin Boni, Leon MBu Kitete, Valentin Ilonga Bayemon, Jerome Bako

Woman reporter asked why the UMC came to Senegal? Pastor Djungu answered and Bishop Boni also responded by saying, “A man by the name of Mamadou Djiaye invited the UMC to Senegal because he saw many of social concerns which the United Methodist were addressing.”

Another reporter asked if the church was growing and about relations with the Roman Catholics and other groups. Djungu said, “The first missionary couple came to Senegal in 1955. After two years they returned to America and Pastor Djungu’s family came in 1997 and have been here ever since.”

Bishop Boni spoke about the influence of Wesley from the 19th century. Bishop also explained the Wesleyan organizational system. Another reporter asked what is the difference between the UMC and other churches. He also asked how the UMC was formed. Bishop Boni responded by speaking about grace, salvation by faith, social service, the Bible, and faith for the whole person.

Another reporter asked about the number of persons to be ordained and the steps of beginning the UMC here. Djungu spoke of the beginning of house churches in 1998 and how that is done even today. Bishop Boni spoke about the number of persons to be ordained.

Another reporter spoke about the role of women in the church and asked about the Biblical reference for the ordination of women. Bishop Boni responded by talking about the women as resurrection witnesses. He said that Marie-Agnes was the first woman in all Christianity to be ordained in Senegal. He emphasized the responsibility of the pastor to work with all people. Bishop Boni continued to address the issue of women pastors.

Isaac spoke about the importance of training in a pastor’s life. He spoke of the period of waiting for four years for each pastor. And that after seven years the candidate who progresses well is recommended and ordained. Ellis said, “For fifty years we have accepted women pastors in the USA. It has taken a long time to learn that. The Bible says there is neither slave nor free, black or white, male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.”

Another reporter asked if other church groups had been invited to the ordination service. Djungu answered yes, that all religious leaders had been asked to come and represent their religious group at the Ordination Celebration. Another reporter asked if women were ordained in the Roman Catholic Church. And what nationality and ages were the candidates for ordination.

Another reporter asked why Americans were present and why the word UNITED is in UMC. All questions were answered carefully. Ellis said, “At Wesley Seminary where I have been a teacher, we have 800 students and 300 of them are African-American. A reporter asked Bill “Why has Christianity not solved all the world’s problems? Has it failed? Bill attempted to answer that question by saying that Christianity had not failed but failures had come through the weakness of human beings.

2007-05-31T04:48:00.000-07:00

Christians continue work in Pakistan, despite hostility
A UMNS Report
By Rebecca C. Asedillo

The Church of Pakistan's Diocese of Peshawar runs economic development programs that include 24 sewing centers. The church is an official partner of The United Methodist Church. A UMNS photo courtesy of the Diocese of Peshawar.

What does it mean to be a Christian minority in a post 9/11 Islamic society?

Christians in Pakistan "live and move and have their being" in a context of increasing uncertainty. Sometimes that environment turns hostile.

.On Oct. 28, 2001, in Bahawalpur, Multan province, a congregation sharing worship space at a Roman Catholic Church was attacked by armed men. Sixteen people died, including several children.

.On Aug. 5, 2002, armed gunmen attacked the Murree Christian School in the Himalayan foothills, about 30 miles north of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, killing six adults but leaving the students unharmed.

.On Nov. 12, 2005, a mob, angry at a perceived insult against the Qur'an (later found to be baseless), set on fire three churches, two houses of priests, a convent, one high school and the houses of three Christian families in a place called Sangla Hill, not far from the city of Lahore. Almost 400 Christian families had to evacuate their homes before the situation could be put under control.

.On Feb. 6, 2006, following the publication of the Danish cartoon that many Muslims saw as ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad, mobs with sticks, chains and stones attacked institutions run by the church, including Edwardes College, Elizabeth Girls School and College, St. Pauls Church and School, the Mission Hospital and the Pennell High School and College in the Northwest Frontier Province.

.On May 16, 2007, BBC News reported that the small Christian community in a place called Charsadda, also in the northwest province, was threatened with violence if its members did not become Muslims.

Despite the conditions, the church's work continues.

The Northwest Frontier Province is an area where Christian communities experience an extraordinary level of tension and sense of vulnerability.

The Diocese of Peshawar, whose territory coincides with the province, is one of the eight dioceses that make up the Church of Pakistan. This diocese originally belonged to the Anglican tradition, but with the merger of the Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans (Norwegian) and Scottish Presbyterians in 1970, it is now a part of the united Church of Pakistan, an official partner with The United Methodist Church.

Servanthood ministry
The catastrophic earthquake of Oct. 8, 2005, in Pakistan killed an estimated 86,000 people. The diocese responded to the emergency by adopting a cluster of six villages in an area known as Pateka. Besides the immediate response to provide food, clothing, shelter and medical aid right after the earthquake, the diocese is now involved in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the villages. It facilitated the creation of a community-based organization to address livelihood recovery, health, education, water and sanitation, house repair and other communal needs.

Trust among Christians and Muslims in these communities has been developing, according to Ashar Dean, the diocesan staff overseeing communications and evaluation of the program. "If we give them respect, they will give us respect," he said.

In the northwest province, the majority of the people are Pashtuns (or Pathans), while most Christians are Punjabi descendants of the camp followers of the British Army during the late 19th century. In a society that has traditionally looked down on Christians not only for their adherence to what is perceived as a "foreign/western religion" but also for the fact that a majority of them come from the lower castes, the development of trust is a significant achievement.

Seventy-five-year-old Mohammad Ayub, a respected elder of Pateka testified, "During the relief and recovery phase, the diocesan staff maintained our self-respect, dignity and honor. At no point did they let us feel we were dependent on them…"

"In interfaith dialogue, we try to make our Muslim neighbors understand that we too are Pakistanis," Dean said. In the past, he explained, Pakistani Christians had followed the isolationist model of the British, who did not interact with the majority community. This is now changing. "I want the two societies - Muslims and Christians - to come together."

Women's ministries
Some of the women of the diocese discussed the low social status accorded to women in Pakistan where, according to Human Rights Watch, victims of sexual assault are deemed guilty of illegal sex rather than victims of unlawful violence or abuse. For this so-called "honor" crime, many women are imprisoned, and some are even killed.

"We are living in a country where the role of women is not up to the mark," said Reena Patrick of the diocesan women's desk. "Women are degraded and are deprived of many things in life."

However, "women now have more courage to speak," asserted a member of the diocesan women's group, which gathered for a reception with a guest from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The women's association holds seminars on women's health, legal rights and HIV/AIDS. It ministers among women prisoners who, cultural norms dictate, could not be visited by men.

While often facing obstacles in their pursuit for education and jobs within their society, the youth of the diocese are reaching out in a program for interfaith dialogue called "Youth Faith Friends." The young people are also very much aware of how suspicion of Christians has increased since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. "Because of Bush's war on Iraq, our churches have been attacked," one of the young people said.

The youth of the diocese are active in the Pateka villages, organizing sports and creative activities for the children there. They also continue to serve and strengthen their own networks through youth sports festivals, career counseling programs and participating in regional ecumenical youth events. They dream of building a center with a gymnasium and a library where they could organize discussion groups, sports events and other activities.

Education ministry
The first school in the Northwest Frontier Province was established by the church in 1853 - Edwardes School in Kohati Gate, Peshawar. Since then, the diocese has opened 12 more schools, three colleges, two hostels, a computer center and a Vocational Training Center.

The schools are highly regarded by the majority Muslim community for the quality education they provide at nominal charges, but sometimes they become targets of extremist elements. In February, reports that female suicide bombers might target schools sent officials scurrying around to beef up security arrangements.

Health needs are great in this part of Pakistan, but the resources are few. The mission hospital run by the diocese in Peshawar has obviously seen better days, with its antiquated equipment and decaying infrastructure, but its outpatient department continues to serve children with tuberculosis.

Another hospital is in a place called Bannu, a breeding ground for Islamic fundamentalists. "Why are we there, where every minute of your life could be your last?" asked the bishop of the diocese, Bishop Munawar "Mano" Rumalshah. The answer is obvious: the hospital is there to serve the needs of the people in the community. The bishop has put out a call for volunteer doctors and other health professionals to serve in this ministry.

The diocese also runs literacy and economic development programs, such as job apprenticeships training in tailoring, carpentry, computer repair and welding, and has sewing sites in 24 centers.More information is available on the Diocese of Peshawar's Web site, at www.peshawardiocese.org.

*Asedillo is an executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

2007-05-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

Encounter fund assists Methodists in Latin America, Caribbean

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

A desire to shift more decision-making about mission in Latin America to Methodist churches in the region has led to the successful development of a permanent fund to support projects in those countries.

The Encounter with Christ in Latin America and the Caribbean Permanent Fund, administered by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, uses the interest from nearly $1.5 million in principal to finance the projects.

By the end of 2006, 24 projects in 14 different countries had received support through $150,000 in grants. The projects included:

A program of the Methodist Church of Brazil to increase awareness and provide tools and skills to combat racism against people of African heritage and to promote racial equality in both the church and community.

An emphasis on mission formation and leadership for Methodist youth in Argentina, designed to reach 120 youth in the church's seven regions.

A training program for indigenous Methodist leaders in Bolivia to help them acquire the necessary skills to understand the country's social and political dynamics.

A plan by the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas to develop and produce a common church school curriculum for the region.

A project to train health care workers in Venezuela to manage small health centers in four isolated communities in the Andes Mountains.

Mission priorities
The vision behind the permanent fund began with a 1991 meeting in Antigua, Guatemala, according to the Rev. Wilson Boots, the fund's director of interpretation. The meeting brought together 60 clergy and lay leaders from the region and representatives of the Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Council of Bishops, British Methodist Church and United Church of Canada.

The fund was established a year later. "This fund provides the flexibility and the resources to seize the moment for special opportunities," he explained.

Mission priorities are evangelism and new church development, community-based health care and the needs of women, children and youth. One of the programs in Bolivia, for example, resulted in the training of 450 youth in workshops on mission and social justice.

Boots said he saw the impact that the grant had while attending the 100th anniversary of the Methodist Church in Bolivia last August, an event that took place "with the active involvement and leadership of the youth within the church. It had an immediate, direct connection for us."

Decisions regarding grants from the dispersal of interest money are made by a committee with equal representation from Latin American/Caribbean churches and Global Ministries - a process that Boots considers "historic and bold" for a new mission age.

Appeals for support
Several direct appeals for donations to Encounter with Christ are made annually to a mailing list of more than 1,000 people, according to the Rev. C. Rex Bevins, the fund's director of financial development. "Normally, our gifts come in from local churches and individual donors," he said.

United Methodist Volunteer in Mission teams also have become involved in projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over several years, for example, about 76 volunteers from the New York Annual Conference helped build 120 rural homes in Bolivia, with a tithe on each home dedicated to Encounter with Christ, Boots reported.

Churches in Western North Carolina, Texas, Oregon, Nebraska and Eastern Pennsylvania also have incorporated gifts to the fund as part of their mission trips. Conference-wide promotions in the Texas and Florida annual conferences resulted in significant gifts as well, according to Boots. The denomination's Southeastern and South Central jurisdictions have appointed people as Encounter fund advocates.

Even individuals are contributing to the Encounter with Christ Fund. A bequest from John L. Carl of Philippi, Wash., provided a gift of some $600,000 - the largest donation from an individual so far. Philippi, who was moved as a youth by a call to missionary service, was never able to become a missionary himself, but still wanted to support global mission, Boots said.

Encounter with Christ also has received financial support from the region's churches themselves, especially through the Council of Evangelical Churches in Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL) and the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas.

Contributions earmarked for the Encounter with Christ Permanent Fund No. 025100 can be dropped in church collection plates. Checks payable to the General Board of Global Ministries also can be mailed directly to the agency at 475 Riverside Dr., Room 1449, New York, NY 10115.
Those interested in deferred giving or who want to order a DVD about Encounter with Christ can contact Bevins at rexbevins@alltel.net or (402) 742-9010.

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

2007-05-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

Bishops focus on poverty in Africa and its causes

By Linda Green*

Bishop Jose Quipungo

SPRINGMAID BEACH, S.C. (UMNS) - What is poverty, and why is the word used to describe Africa?

The questions were posed during an April 29-May 4 meeting of the Holistic Strategy on Africa committee, which is made up of African and U.S. church leaders seeking to strengthen ministries of The United Methodist Church in Africa.

Africa is rich in diversity and uniqueness, but a common thread throughout the continent is degrees of poverty that adversely affect its people and their national governments.

Although the continent is rich in mineral resources, "the resources are not controlled by Africa," said Bishop Joseph Humper of Sierra Leone.

"Poverty itself needs to be redefined because Africa is not poor," said Bishop David Yemba of the Central Congo Annual Conference. "Africans have their fields, sheep, food."

The roots of poverty
The challenge, according to East Angola Bishop Jose Quipungo, is "the struggle for an African to live day to day." He said that churches, especially those in Portuguese-speaking countries, had no resources when colonialism ended and had to fight for access to education and technology.

"We started at zero to have the achievements we have today," he declared, adding that education is necessary in eliminating poverty. "Give education to the people so that they can get the education about the resources they need. We may not become like America today or tomorrow but, in 20 to 30 years, we will not be the Africa we are today."

Rukudzo Murapa, vice chancellor for Africa University and convener of the session, said that avoiding the issue of poverty "is in itself the enemy" and that any cultural traits that keep Africans from seeking knowledge need to be examined. "Ignorance is the worst form of servitude," he added. "It is one of the root forms of poverty."

Poverty is the result of slavery "when the leaders were taken away and the gap has not been filled," according to Zimbabwean Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, adding that Africa is still suffering long after the slave trade has ended.

"Poverty is a complicated subject," said Bishop Benjamin Boni of the Cote d'Ivoire Annual Conference. "It needs to be discussed over a long period of time to arrive at solutions," but "surely, churches need to be financially empowered to address poverty."

Speaking for the voiceless
East African Bishop Daniel Wandabula spoke of how ignorance, exploitation and diseases of poverty plague Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. "If the church is to be effective, these issues have to be addressed by the whole church which is entrusted to speak for the voiceless," he said.

Africa does not manufacture guns, land mines or other weapons used for killing, he added, "but the people continue to suffer from these weapons being directed at them."

Murapa shared strategies for addressing poverty, which include:

.Understanding the relationship between Africa and developed countries;
.Investing in human resources and human capital;
.Investing in higher education with disciplines and other subjects that can guarantee a return;
.Fostering a climate of entrepreneurship using models from the Nation of Islam;
.Teaching people that accumulating wealth is not a bad thing - but that how they use that wealth can be;
.Finding ways to stop the "brain drain" from poor nations, in which bright and talented people leave to work in other countries;
.Urging the church and government to collaborate in the fight against poverty.

United Methodist bishops in Africa will meet Sept. 10-13 at Africa University in Zimbabwe for further discussion about responses to poverty.

On another matter, a committee working to develop models for pension systems for pastors and church workers in United Methodist conferences outside the United States has begun working toward a $2 million campaign to fund pilot pension projects in Africa. The committee named Liberia for a pilot project in 2006 and is considering where to begin the next three pilots projects before the 2008 General Conference.

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

2007-05-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

Bishops updating 'In Defense of Creation' document
By Linda Green*

The Rev. J. Phillip Wogaman addresses the United Methodist Council of Bishops during its spring meeting. Wogaman is slated to write the church's updated "In Defense of Creation" letter. UMNS photos by Linda Green.

SPRINGMAID BEACH, S.C. (UMNS) - United Methodists are invited to assist the church's bishops in drafting a statement exploring the problems of and solutions to nuclear weapons, environmental degradation, global warming, endemic poverty and disease.

More than 20 years ago, the United Methodist Council of Bishops introduced a pastoral letter called "In Defense of Creation." The 1986 letter responded to the possibility of nuclear war and the potential for extinction of life.

"The pastoral letter ... came as an urgent reminder that this world is God's creation, a sacred gift to be received and nurtured with respect," according to an episcopal invitation to the church for conversation on a new creation document.

On May 3, the Council of Bishops heard a presentation from a task force seeking to update the 1986 statement with input from The United Methodist Church and "other persons of goodwill" as authorized by the 2004 General Conference.

When the first statement was drafted, the world faced the threat of nuclear disaster in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The original document called for the elimination of nuclear weapons and "was one of the most serious engagements by our church with public policy," said Florida Conference Bishop Timothy Whitaker, chairman of the task force.

"By taking up the task of renewing In Defense of Creation for our time ... we are building a tradition of our church being seriously engaged with public policy concerning the issues that most affect the human race," he said.

Exploring new challenges
The bishops are being assisted with their research on these complex issues by the Church's Center for Theology and Public Policy at Wesley Seminary in Washington. The center was founded 30 years ago by Bishop James Mathews and assisted in drafting the 1986 document.

"The problems facing the world have changed dramatically in the 20 years since the previous pastoral letter. It is the responsibility of the church to provide leadership and discernment to meet those challenges," said the Rev. Barbara Green, a Presbyterian clergywoman and the center's executive director.

Those challenges, she said, include global warming, endemic poverty and disease "and a world awash in weapons."

"Defending creation is important because it is God's comprehensive gift which is the basis of all life."

While the Cold War is over and the Soviet Union no longer exists, an increasing number of countries possess nuclear weapons and others aspire to become nuclear powers, the invitation notes. Acts of terrorism are part of the world's new political landscape.

The world faces a very different situation that is "more complicated by the interconnections" between the ongoing nuclear danger and realities of violence, the environment, global warming and the continuing struggles by hundreds of millions of the world's people for basic economic subsistence," the invitation says.

Two decades ago, the world was a dangerous place and a "great wave of social moral concern arose." Countries demanded an end to the nuclear arms race and In Defense of Creation "was a central part of that great awakening and moral voice," said David Cortright, president of the Fourth Freedom Forum, a Goshen, Ind.-based organization that tracks and addresses global nuclear nonproliferation and security issues.

"The danger of nuclear war has not gone away. In many respects, it is more alarming today than it was then," he said, adding that the U.S. policy of unilateral militarism drives nations to seek weapons. "While the U.S. encourages others to give up bombs, we are in the process of developing nuclear weapons" that may be acquired by terrorists.

"This danger is very real," Cortright said, "but there is also reason for hope."

Inclusion of world hunger
The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, an advocacy group seeking to eradicate world hunger, told the council that The United Methodist Church "always gets the connection between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and social transformation."

The Lutheran pastor and economist thanked the council for including poverty in its new creation document since roughly a billion people live in "subhuman conditions" and "people who live in serious poverty never are able to come close to the potential that God has built into them."

Poverty, he said, breeds violence, cynicism, disorder and environmental degradation. "It is a threat to creation and it is really right that it be lifted up in your proposed pastoral letter," he said.

Beckmann spoke about the hope to eradicate hunger, disease and poverty "in our time." Within the last 30 years, the proportion of undernourished people has decreased and, despite population growth, "there are fewer hungry people in the world today than there were in the world 30 years ago." However, while developing countries are addressing poverty, the United States has not made significant progress on the issue since the mid-1970s, he said.

The task force will host a two-day hearing in October in Washington to explore the interconnection between debt and nuclear weapons, poverty and economics and the environment.

The task force encourages annual conferences, seminaries and other constitutenties to conduct hearings, conversation and study on nuclear proliferation, the environment and poverty in 2007 and 2008. The results should be sent to the Rev. Barbara Green, executive director of the Church's Center for Theology and Public Policy (www.cctpp.org) or by mail to 4500 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016. For more information, contact Green at (202) 885-8648.

The findings will be turned into a pastoral letter and foundation document, as was done for the 1986 statement. The bishops anticipate approving a new document, written by the Rev. J. Phillip Wogaman, in May 2009 and releasing it to the church for study and action.

In a related matter, the bishops were updated about the Katrina Recovery efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi. An appeal through the United Methodist Committee on Relief has collected more than $60 million. Hurricane Katrina roared across the Gulf Coast in August 2005.

Proclaiming that leadership requires action and investment, the bishops collected $1,865 for the fund in response to an appeal from Bishop William Morris.

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

2007-05-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Mission volunteer numbers show 'incredible' growth
By Elliott Wright*

A Volunteers in Mission team from Christ Church United Methodist in New York repairs a roof damaged by winds from Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, Miss. A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose.

NEW YORK (UMNS) - The number of participants in United Methodist Volunteers in Mission climbed from just under 20,000 in 1992 to almost 111,000 in 2006, with several peaks and valleys across the 15-year period.

"This is an incredible growth of voluntary mission service," said the Rev. Clinton Rabb, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. "The growth and the appeal come from the grassroots nature of the volunteer movement."

The figures specifically chart the expansion of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, a ministry involving mostly congregation-based teams engaged in short-term construction, medical and educational service around the world.

The total number of mission volunteers registered by Global Ministries in 2006 was 112,486, including several programs in addition to Volunteers in Mission.

Short-term volunteer services are widely considered the primary channel through which United Methodist youth and young adults become acquainted with the mission mandate of the church today. "Volunteer service is woven into the fabric of congregations, district, annual conferences, and jurisdictions," Rabb explained.

Participants in United Methodist Volunteers in Mission reached an all-time high of 135,000 in 2005, which organizers attribute to the deadly hurricanes along the Gulf Coast.

Growth was slow but steady from 1992 to 1997, then saw a dramatic upswing in 1998 through 2000, with a sharp fall in 2001 as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Total participants fell into the mid-60,000 range in 2003 and 2004, down from some 96,000 in 2000.

"The figures, of course, vary with what is happening in the world," Rabb said. He said the increase in late 1998 through 2000 was attributable, in part, to the response to Hurricane Mitch, which devastated large parts of Central America, especially Honduras and Nicaragua, and moved on into Florida.

Rabb added that the phenomenal growth, especially in 2005, "strained the system but we did not fall apart. The challenge has helped us to find way to strengthen the interaction between UMVIM and the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief," he said. "As a network, we are always looking for ways to improve our outcomes and the experiences of mission service without doing damage to the very concept of voluntarism."

The 2006 UMVIM figure of 110,912 represents reports from 60 of 63 annual (regional) United Methodist conferences in the United States.

There were 7,410 construction teams and 264 medical teams - 2,074 of which took part in hurricane relief.

Volunteers in Mission is the largest component of the volunteer ministries but not the only one.

Individual volunteers, who serve from a few months to years, numbered 78 in 2006, working in 28 countries and nine U.S. states. Last year, there were 1,100 documented participants in Health Care Volunteers, with the possibility of some participant overlap with people on medical teams.

In 2006, there were 1,152 active members of NOMADS, mostly seniors who move around the United States and sometimes in Central America, living in recreational vehicles while they engage in mission volunteer work.

*Wright is the information officer of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

2007-05-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Mission Agency Approves $1.25 Million in Scholarship Aid for Students from 46 Countries

New York, NY, May 2, 2007—The United Methodist mission agency will grant $1.25 million in leadership development scholarship aid to 250 students from 46 countries in the 2007-08 academic year.

The appropriations were approved by directors of the General Board of Global Ministries meeting in Stamford, CT, on April 23-26.

Four groups of scholarships help to prepare leaders for religious and social responsibility around the world. In most cases, the recipients, including ethnic and racial persons in the United States, would not be able to pursue higher education without the grants.

“Our scholarships are of great value to the whole church and to the Christian ecumenical community,” said the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of the mission agency. “Over many decades we have educated persons who became bishops, doctors, diplomats, scientists, and educators. We strive to make allocations that are of substantial help in professional achievement.”

The four categories of scholarships are Crusade International, Crusade National, International Leadership Development, and National Leadership Development. The level of study supported ranges from undergraduate to graduate-level programs.

Some of the funds come from the annual World Communion Sunday Offering in October and are earmarked for the Crusade Scholarship program. The sum realized by Global Ministries for Crusade Scholars in 2006 was $472,298 for use in the 2007-08 academic year. Money for the Leadership Development programs comes from board endowments and supplemental allocations. Relatively small sums come through the Advance for Christ and His Church, the designated mission giving program of the denomination.

A total of 217 scholarships were approved in April, and another 35 will come before directors at their October meeting.

Church members and friends do not need to wait until World Communion Day to make gifts to the scholarship programs. Gifts can be made to either Crusade Scholarships or the Leadership Development programs through the Advance. The Crusade number is Advance 982161; Leadership Development, Advance 982468.

Contributions can be made online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org by inserting the project number in the appropriate blank; or by credit card via the telephone at (888) 252-6174, or by check made out to the Advance and bearing the project number, mailed to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068.

Designated gifts can also be placed in the offering plate of any United Methodist Church. One hundred percent of each Advance donation goes to the ministry indicated.

2007-05-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

Grants to aid ethnic minority ministries
By Kathy L. Gilbert*

WASHINGTON (UMNS) -- Minority college students will intern in areas of mercy and justice under one of four programs receiving funding from The United Methodist Church's social advocacy agency.

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society, meeting April 26-29, approved four grants totaling $104,700 to help programs serving ethnic minorities reach their ministry goals in 2007.
The Ethnic Local Church Fund was created to help the denomination's program boards support local church and annual conference ministries in each board's area of focus.

Grants for 2007 are:
.The 2007 Ethnic Young Adult Summer Internship, $65,000. Fourteen interns will live together in Washington this summer and work in organizations addressing social justice concerns. The internship has been sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society for the last 20 years.

.Students and Parents for Educational Success, Academy for Life Transformation Inc., Memorial United Methodist Church, Western North Carolina Annual (regional) Conference, $16,700. Educational testing based on the Standard Course of Study for grade level is the focus of this year-long church project.

.Inter-Ethnic Leadership Development Group at 2008 General Conference, Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group, $18,000. The project is an effort to support racial and ethnic monitors at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. Monitors will identify and support legislation most critical to racial and ethnic ministries.

.Young Adult Ecumenical Forum on Environmental Justice, Young Adult Ecumenical Forum, $5,000. The forum seeks to bring together rising national leadership to address systemic and local causes and effects of globalization from an ecological perspective.

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

2007-04-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

$7.6 Million in AID approved by UMCOR board

By Linda Beher

STAMFORD, CT, April 24, 2007—Economically vulnerable Sri Lankans who are still finding their footing after the 2004 tsunami are among those to receive aid worth millions of dollars. The action was among several approved April 24 by the board of United Methodist Committee on Relief meeting in Stamford, Conn., and adding to more than $7.6 million.

The aid bolsters a “challenging, complex and often dangerous environment,” the Sri Lanka request stated in part. Total granted to the Sri Lanka project was $4,715,395. UMCOR board president Bishop Edward W. Paup, Pacific Northwest, praised the program’s comprehensive approach. “It’s not only about what we’re doing for individual families but how our service will strengthen their sense of community,” he said.

Included in the funding was $159,764 for upgrades to disaster response capacity of the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka. Funds will be disbursed, as is UMCOR’s usual practice, based on actual expenditures in the field.

In another action, directors voted to provide aid to some 650 vulnerable families returning home to Kabul and Wardak in Afghanistan. Valued at $177,868, the funds will purchase livestock with the grant and training for the families in animal husbandry as a means to earn a living. The funds will close out the account “Love in the Midst of Tragedy,” the United Methodist response to recovery needs following 9/11.

Sri Lanka Holistic Response
Women and children, as well as displaced families and the elderly, are struggling to rebuild in Sri Lanka while in the midst of civil conflict that has intensified the damage caused by the tsunami. Church funds will augment public grants to repair or construct homes for some 150 families, many of them woman-headed, as well as provide job training or small loans to benefit another 8,000 families.

Congruent with UMCOR’s policy of providing holistic solutions in disaster recovery, small-scale rehabilitation of vital community services will also be part of the program, and will affect some 14,000 families in four towns. Examples include increasing access to fresh drinking water, repair to electrical networks, and ensuring that schools have adequate sanitation facilities. “These grants demonstrate the strength of UMCOR’s humanitarian presence in regions of the world that struggle to recover from the losses of disasters,” said Bishop Paup.

Banda Aceh Revitalization
The UMCOR board also approved $2,077,473 for community development in Banda Aceh. Rebuilding homes continues to be a priority for UMCOR in the remote areas Sumatra’s northern tip. Like the Sri Lanka programs, these will address holistic needs of new or repaired homes, the need for strengthened business skills, and restoration of roads, water sources, and schools. UMCOR partners with local communities, other international nongovernmental organizations, UN agencies and the Indonesian government for its work in Indonesia.

Pakistan, Sudan Development
Funding was earmarked for earthquake recovery in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Church World Service is UMCOR’s implementing partner in the region, serving 75,000 individuals with health programs, provision of fresh water, and other health and psychosocial benefits. UMCOR’s share in the recovery was approved at $500,000.

The board gave a nod for office construction in Yei, Southern Sudan, and ratified emergency releases, approved by a subcommittee of the board in the previous six months, amounting to $2,650,753.

2007-04-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

Caring for the Children of Kamina

The Tennessee Annual Conference has set a faith goal of $100,000 as we continue “Caring for the Children of Kamina”. For almost a decade this annual conference has been in ministry with the Children of Kamina through our partner relationship with the North Katanga Conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bishop Ntambo has spoken to the annual conference about the needs of the children who are orphaned because of the HIV/AID crisis and years of war in Africa. Together with the Memphis Conference, the Carder Bantu Home-School and the Mary Morris Orphanage have been built.

The offerings will be divided between three important children’s ministries that have been designated as General Advance Specials. These ministries include:
.assistance for abandoned/malnourished children through the Kamina Children’s Home and the external feeding program
.provide homeless and abandoned children basic necessities including medical care, clothes, blankets and school supplies
.the nutrition program which provides nutritional education for parents and meal supplements for high-risk children

Feel free to check out the North Katanga Conference website at http://www.northkatangaumc.org/ for more information and pictures of the children.

On Sunday, June 10, 2007 at 4:00P at Brentwood UMC there will be a short worship experience for the children of your congregation to bring your church’s faith offering for the Children of Kamina. Please make checks payable to Tennessee Annual Conference and mark it “Kamina”

Susan Groseclose
Director of Nurture Ministries
TN Conference Connectional Ministries
304 South Perimeter Park, Suite 1
Nashville, TN 37211
sgroseclose@tnumc.org
615-329-1177 or 1-800-403-5795 (W)
615-417-1753 (cell)

2007-04-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

Nigerian prelate receives Methodist peace award
By United Methodist News Service

His Eminence Sunday Mbang, prelate emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria,will be honored April 24 with the World Methodist Peace Award. A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose.

The prelate emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria is the latest recipient of the World Methodist Peace Award.

His Eminence Sunday Mbang will be honored during an April 24 ceremony at the Methodist Cathedral of Unity in Abuja, Nigeria. He will be presented the award by the Rev. John Barrett, chairman of the World Methodist Council.

The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Matthew Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, will represent the country of Nigeria at the event. The council named Mbang as the peace award recipient in 2006, but the presentation was delayed.

Established in 1976, the World Methodist Peace Award recognizes courage, creativity and consistency in a person or group's efforts to be a peacemaker, seek justice and reconciliation in the name of Jesus Christ and effect positive changes in society. Previous recipients include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, South African civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, President Boris Trajkovski of Macedonia and Casamira Rodriguez of Bolivia.

"Sunday Mbang, the son of a pastor, has always had a concern, vision and commitment to see a new future," said the Rev. George Freeman, the council's executive director.

The Methodist Church of Nigeria grew out of British Methodism. But conflict emerged after the church became autonomous. According to Freeman, some practices that were adopted resulted in a dramatic departure from the church order that the people had known.

When Mbang became prelate in 1984, the Nigerian church was severely divided over the sweeping changes made by his predecessor toward a more Eastern direction in its liturgy, worship practices and church leadership roles.

From the time of his installation, Mbang set aside the symbols of those changes and worked toward reconciliation, and his example spread to other countries, according to Freeman. Within two months, reconciliation teams were formed through the World Methodist Council to meet with leaders in two other nations where major conflicts threatened church unity.

Mbang forged relationships with other Methodist church bodies in Nigeria and throughout Africa and formed friendships that strengthened Christian witness throughout the country.

"His leadership has enabled Christians and Muslims in Nigeria to live together in peace," Freeman said. "He has been outspoken against corruption in government and has been a leader in movements that seek to avoid civil strife. The Nigerian government awarded him the Commander of the Order of Niger award, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the government."

Mbang received his doctorate in Old Testament studies from Harvard University. He served on the World Methodist Council executive committee from 1982 to 1991. In 1991, he became a member of the council's presidium and was elected vice-chairman of the council in 1996 and chairman in 2001.

As chairman, he led the council through its initial phase of self-study and was a strong impetus to the council's adoption of statements on "Unity and Sexuality" and "Wesleyan Witness in Islamic Cultures."

He represented World Methodism at the 2003 Day of Prayer for Peace in the World under the leadership of the late Pope John Paul II, and led a delegation to meet with Pope Benedict XVI on the progress of 40 years of dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council.

2007-04-13T03:28:00.000-07:00

United Methodists join in Sudan water mission
A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

Adel Dut holds seeds for planting outside a refugee camp in the South Darfur region of Sudan. The United Methodist Committee on Relief and a United Methodist church in Ohio are collaborating to improve water and sanitation systems in the camps. UMNS file photos by Paul Jeffrey, UMCOR.

Water is a basic need everywhere and is particularly important for displaced people in camps in South Darfur, Sudan, and their host communities.

Now a four-year relief project is focusing on re-establishing water supplies and improving sanitation in refugee camps in the war-torn African nation. The ministry is an outgrowth of a continuing collaboration between Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

The project is coming together at a time when continuing violence and political instability pose a threat to humanitarian assistance in Darfur, where at least 400,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million driven from their villages during four years of fighting between rebels and militias.

"Water is absolutely the most critical health need in Darfur," said Karen Smith, a Ginghamsburg staff member.

The Ohio church's fundraising efforts for Sudan have inspired other congregations, including a New York church where musicians and actors performed in a March 26 benefit concert called "Songs for Darfur: The Water Project."

In all, the Ginghamsburg church has raised more than $1.8 million for its work with UMCOR in Sudan, which started in February 2005.

The initial focus was on providing basic needs for displaced people but now includes ministries involving education, agriculture and health.

'Miracle offering'
The first contributions came at the end of 2004, when the Rev. Mike Slaughter challenged the 4,000-member Ohio congregation to give half of what they would spend on Christmas gifts to the Sudan offering. UMCOR and Ginghamsburg used the $317,000 raised for a self-sustaining agriculture program.

The 2005 Christmas "miracle offering" raised $530,000, and a five-year child protection and development ministry was launched with UMCOR and now serves 15,000 children.

"Our goal with the 2006 miracle offering was to raise at least $500,000 for year two (of the child protection program)," Smith explained, adding that Slaughter also encouraged the Ginghamsburg church family "to go above and beyond that."

The result was a $1 million "miracle offering," including donations of some $81,000 from other churches and organizations in Ohio, Alabama, California and Wisconsin.

Ginghamsburg approached UMCOR about the idea of starting a water project with the additional half million dollars raised. Marc Maxi, who leads UMCOR's nongovernmental division, said a need exists for clean and potable water because the same water "was being used not only by animals but by human beings."

The plan is to rehabilitate wells and drill bore holes at the sites of 10 existing water yards, which are protected areas where separate water resources will be available for humans and livestock. The project will benefit about 220,000 people.

Placing the water resources near operations for the child protection ministry - which includes education, food security, teacher training and school rehabilitation - completes "the holistic approach that we are taking," Maxi said.

The approach also enhances child protection, according to Smith, because "generally, in Darfur, it is the job of the girl children to go out and collect the water for the family."

A delegation from Ginghamsburg, UMCOR and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries will visit South Darfur in June to evaluate the ministries and get updates on peace efforts.

Widening interest
Other churches have started their own fundraising efforts to help Sudan. Last December, the Rev. Paul Dirdak, then UMCOR's chief executive, spoke about the Ginghamsburg Christmas offerings at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, United Methodist, in New York City.

Victoria Clark, a long-time member and Tony Award-winning Broadway actress for "The Light in the Piazza," was among those inspired to respond and conferred with the Rev. James "K" Karpen after the service. "Paul was the inspiration that moved me into action," she said.

St. Paul and St. Andrew already had collaborated on a benefit concert for Sudan last November with an interfaith partner, Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, which netted a few thousand dollars for UMCOR.

This time, the goal was larger and involved the New York theater and music community. Concert hosts were Clark; Jane Kelly Williams, a singer-songwriter and church member; and Cheyenne Jackson, whose Broadway credits include "All Shook Up," "Aida," and "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

"With our belief that hope fuels the brilliant writers, the wise activists and those who work diligently for peace, we are here to answer the stronger calling in each of us that believes something can and will be done so that the spirit and homes of the refugees are restored and they are freed to flourish as a people," Williams wrote in the concert program.

More than 600 people attended the concert, which raised $20,367. Because most of the expenses were donated, the bulk of the proceeds will go to UMCOR, except for a $2,000 donation to the Darfur People's Association of New York, which ships clothes and school supplies to Darfur refugees in Chad.

Included in the total was a $1,000 grant from the Children's Relief Fund in Denver, secured by Jon Mikel Zeigler, a church member and the concert director. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS also gave a $5,000 grant in honor of the participating artists.

The water project and other work can be supported through donations to "Sudan Emergency," Advance No. 184385. Checks can be dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. To make a credit card donation, call (800) 554-8583. Online donations can be made at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=184385&id=3018444&CFID=1736337&CFTOKEN=23850443.

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

2007-04-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Church campaign sends phone cards to soldiers

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

Children from St. Timothy on the North Shore United Methodist Church of Mandeville, La., display handmade greeting cards being sent to military personnel deployed to the Middle East. A UMNS photo by Bill Householder.

A United Methodist church more than 7,000 miles from the Middle East has shortened the distance for U.S. soldiers there to call home and speak with loved ones in the United States.

St. Timothy on the North Shore United Methodist Church of Mandeville, La., collected $10,700 during a churchwide campaign in March that will purchase 2,140 phone cards - almost triple its original goal.

Meanwhile, the children of the church made hundreds of greeting cards to send to United Methodist military chaplains for distribution to service members, along with the phone cards.

"This church has always been very supportive of our troops," said the Rev. Scott Adams, executive pastor at St. Timothy and an Air Force reserve chaplain.

"For service members, being able to call your family is a huge thing. It can make a world of difference in morale."

The United Methodist Endorsing Agency of the Board of Higher Education and Ministry started the phone card campaign on Veterans Day 2003 to pay for long-distance telephone minutes to help military families stay in touch with each other.

United Methodist Communications teamed with the endorsing agency in 2004 to design special phone cards featuring the United Methodist cross and flame and the message "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. The people of the United Methodist Church."

When soldiers use the cards, they hear a recorded prayer: "The people of the United Methodist Church are praying for your safety and sense of peace. Our hearts, our minds and our doors are always open to you."

Since 2003, more than 10 million minutes worth of phone cards have been sent to United Methodist chaplains to give any soldier in need of a kind word from home.

The 3,900-member St. Timothy congregation originally aimed to collect enough money to purchase 835 cards, said Bill Householder, chair of the church's mission team. A $5 donation buys one card with 120 minutes.

"The missions team decided in November 2006 to promote purchase of phone cards for our service members and started to plan a program to generate enthusiasm for the project that would involve all congregation members," Householder said.

The team's three-pronged plan included setting aside Sunday, March 11, to pay tribute to anyone in the congregation who was serving or had served in the military; promoting the purchase of United Methodist phone cards; and inviting children to make greeting cards.

"A key point was we had the support and encouragement of the church ministerial staff," Householder said. "I was very excited and proud how everything worked out. The missions team worked hard to make it successful."

For more information on the phone card campaign, contact the United Methodist Endorsing Agency, Board of Higher Education and Ministry, P.O. Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007 or visit www.gbhem.org/chaplains. The agency also can be reached at umea@gbhem.org or (615) 340-7411.

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

2007-04-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

United Methodists provide food to Mozambique
By Antonio Wilson*

Food for victims of Cyclone Favio is loaded onto ocean canoes for the journey to remote Chibo in the Machuuquele district of Mozambique.UMNS photos by Antonio Wilson.

NEW YORK (UMNS) - A severe food shortage in Mozambique caused by Cyclone Favio and its after-effects has been eased with emergency food supplies and other gifts from United Methodists in both the African nation and the United States.

But church leaders say the needs for food, shelter and medical assistance are still far beyond what the Mozambican government and various organizations are providing to the impoverished nation as it reels from a series of natural disasters.

The Inhambane North district of The United Methodist Church was "reduced to extreme poverty" by the Feb. 22 cyclone and subsequent rains, according to the Rev. Ana Maria Francisco, district superintendent. The central region already had been inundated by heavy rains since January, causing flooding and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.

Francisco is grateful that United Methodists in Mozambique - with particular support from the denomination's Missouri Conference in the United States - have distributed essential food supplies including rice, beans, cornmeal, cooking oil, soap and sugar.

"Thanks for food, for your heart of comfort and compassion as you share your resources with us," she said of the March 10-12 distribution.

The cyclone, which killed 12 people, affected the areas of Central-Vilanculos, Aeroporto, Chiruala, Mapinhane, Machanissa; Maimelane, Pande, Nhapele, Inhassoro, Chibo, Save, Mambone; and the Vilanculos and Inhambane North districts. Additional food was shipped by boat to benefit churches and communities of the Machuuquele district.

The storm's wake
At least nine United Methodist parsonages and church buildings were destroyed in the cyclone and its aftermath.

The Rev. Alberto Malangutane Mutuque, a district superintendent in Vilanculos, had never seen such a violent cyclone.

"It was a very strong wind that destroyed the roof of the district parsonage, (and) the Vilanculos United Methodist Church parsonage sustained huge damages in its structure," he said. "We had started building a Christian center and it collapsed, too. There are many more houses that were affected in the community. People have been left without food and products of immediate personal use."

Amelia Domingos, a member of Chiruala United Methodist Church, offered thanks to church partners who have sent aid.

"I give thanks to God because this happened during the daylight and this helped us to escape from the zinc sheets and other objects that were flying in high speed," she said. "We could have lost many people, I am sure."

The Rev. Aida Lambo Ngale, Maimelane United Methodist Church, was especially appreciative of emergency food supplies and mosquito nets.

"Soon after the cyclone had cooled down, we could easily witness the damages, deaths and complete uncertainty in families," she said. "There was no refuge in our neighborhood to be accommodated. I need to congratulate my church members for joining efforts and erecting some kind of shed for me and my family. They did this realizing the damages they had also suffered."

Rebuilding for the future
A permanent chapel under construction for Inhassoro United Methodist Church will need to be rebuilt from scratch, according to the Rev. Jose Jaime Joaquim, pastor. "Apart from huge damages in the chapel and parsonage, I lost my computer, my camera and church registration books," he noted. "It is hard to realize the extent of damages."

At Chibo United Methodist Church, the chapel is collapsed and a small clinic providing health assistance for the community is gone, Francisco said.

The Rev. Rita Choquico Quimbine, Nhapele United Methodist Church, lost her home and her bicycle. "It was a bicycle that helped me a lot to be able to visit my members," she explained. "I need to sincerely thank our members for erecting an alternate shelter. … They will be rebuilding the chapel as soon as they completely finish the parsonage."

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is assisting the United Methodist Church in Mozambique in their emergency response as well as working with Action by Churches Together partner agencies in the country.

Donations can dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087, with the words "UMCOR Advance #156500, Mozambique Emergency" written on the memo line. Credit card donations can be made by calling (800) 554-8583 or online at http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/advance/donate.cfm?code=156500&id=3018386.

*Wilson is the communications coordinator for the United Methodist Church in Mozambique.

2007-04-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Church leader: Africa University will survive

Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, is fulfilling its educational mission despite political and economic strife in the southern African nation. The United Methodist-related school's status was reviewed during the annual meeting of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

CLEVELAND (UMNS) - "Government leaders, presidents and dictators come and go, but institutions of higher learning remain."

Such was the assurance offered by Africa University's director of institutional advancement to more than 500 members of Black Methodists for Church Renewal during the U.S. group's annual meeting.

In a March 23 report to the church's African-American caucus, James Salley said the United Methodist university, located in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, will survive the storm of political and economic turmoil gripping the southern African country under the repressive regime of President Robert Mugabe.

In recent weeks, the government reportedly has ordered a wave of arrests, detentions, beatings, torture of citizens and other violations of human rights.

Zimbabweans are struggling to survive widespread unemployment, poverty and an inflation rate reported at more than 1,700 percent. Tensions have risen sharply in recent weeks after police arrested and allegedly beat Morgan Tsvangirai and other activists of the Movement for Democratic Change.

Meanwhile, the 83-year-old Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, resists calls for political reforms and change, according to international reports. Mugabe's ruling Zanu (PF) party formally endorsed him March 30 as its candidate for presidential elections in 2008, potentially extending his leadership into a third decade.

"We have to be careful that we are not misled when we read the news we get here," said Bishop Ernest Lyght, leader of the West Virginia Area and president of the Africa University Development Committee.

Established in 1993, the committee works with the Africa University Development Office in Nashville, Tenn., and agencies of The United Methodist Church to raise money for the school's capital, endowment and operational needs.

Fulfilling its mission
In spite of severe economic conditions and hyperinflation, the university is still functioning as a university should, according to Lyght.

"It is providing quality education, housing, food and other needs to students, faculty and administrators, while using creative ways to make ends meet," he said.

The institution is teaching students new processes for farming and the "appropriate utilization of resources," while also benefiting from its special license to buy and store fuel from outside of Zimbabwe because the country is suffering from severe fuel shortages.

Despite high joblessness throughout the country, Africa University is a major source of local employment, and its buses are often full, transporting workers and students between the campus and the nearby city of Mutare.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is "still providing significant dollars for building construction at Africa University," even though the U.S. government has imposed economic sanctions against the Mugabe regime, Lyght said.

Balanced budget
Salley reported a balanced budget with a clean audit, no debt and an endowment fund of about $41 million. "This is your Africa University today," he proclaimed to the caucus.

James Salley

"We are 15 years old this month," Salley said, "and now we have 23 African countries represented among the 1,298-member student body, 32 buildings on campus including student residences and staff and faculty housing, and 119 faculty and staff from 14 countries."

The university operates largely without interference from the government because the people and government leaders are proud of Africa University, Lyght said.

"It is a bright star in a country that still emphasizes education and where the literacy rate is very high."

The bishop cited the university's innovative, 4-year-old Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance as an important resource for the entire continent of Africa. "It will play a significant role in helping men and women become capable leaders in their various countries - leaders who can tackle tough issues and resolve conflicts," he said.

Lyght wants the current $40 million endowment raised to $100 million. "This university will not become self-sufficient in the near future because it's not a tuition-driven school," he explained.

"It is scholarship-driven, and that means reliance on its endowment.

"It will continue to need the help of The United Methodist Church," he added. "We have to keep emphasizing that. It's a critical investment in our future."

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

2007-04-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

Liberian nursing school struggles to recover

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

For many years, United Methodist-trained nurses staffed Liberia's clinics, hospitals and even the Ministry of Health.

But the long-running civil war in that West African nation destroyed the nursing school's facilities and crippled its program.

Now returned to its original location in Ganta, the school is struggling to recover, along with the rest of Liberia, according to Cherian Thomas, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

"It is a priority for us to strengthen that school of nursing," he said. "The number of nurses in Liberia is so small. Investing in nursing education is one of the best things our church can do."
United Methodist missionary Sue Porter, a full-time instructor at the school, says it is a pivotal time for the 56-year-old institution. "Right now, the Winifred J. Harley School of Nursing is going through some difficult challenges, but it has a wonderful history that makes those involved want to see it back to its former grandeur and reputation," she said.

A legacy of mission work
The school, begun in 1951 with students who had an eighth-grade education, is named after Winifred Harley, who with her husband, George, served as Methodist missionaries for 35 years at the denomination's Ganta mission. They built the hospital, church, school and several other facilities.

In 1963, the school was recognized by the Liberian Nursing School Accrediting Board and graduated its first class of diploma-certified nurses. In 2001, the Winifred J. Harley College of Health Science was incorporated into United Methodist University as its second college. The college now offers a three-year associate of arts degree in nursing.

The prolonged civil war led the school of nursing to move in 2001 to Monrovia, Liberia's capital. But by the end of 2009, United Methodist University is expected to relocate to Ganta from its current location at the College of West Africa in Monrovia.

That relocation process began when the nursing school opened its current academic year at its original home in Ganta. Located in Nimba County, the town is 167 miles northeast of Monrovia, on the border of Guinea and near the border of Cote d'Ivoire.

Many of the faculty, however, did not want to move back to the "bush," Porter reported. Currently, she and the acting dean are the only full-time instructors, although a third instructor was expected to arrive this spring to become the clinical supervisor. The United Methodist Church in Norway has provided a grant to allow the acting dean to obtain a master's degree in nursing.

"Our other faculty are some of the doctors and nurses of the Ganta United Methodist Hospital who are graciously teaching in addition to their already heavy workloads," she added.

Another problem is that too many students were admitted while the nursing program was based in Monrovia. Although maximum capacity is 80 students, 100 have been registered. "We are trying to accommodate as many students as we can, but the classes are too large, dormitories are overcrowded and it is a challenge to find them clinical sites where they can practice the theory," she explained.

Rebuilding after wars
Porter, whose previous missionary assignment was in Central Asia, has had experience with reconstruction after long periods of war, which usually means relying on aid from the international community.

"The poor are very much on the periphery of everything with a large disparity between the rich and the poor," she said. "Some people have cell phones and other electronics, but then there are extended families jammed together in burned or bombed-out houses."

In rural areas with no electricity or water systems, life is even more difficult. Liberian houses are made of mud bricks or palm leafs with tin or palm leaf roofs. To generate income, people do subsistence farming or manual labor or operate simple shops.

Disruptions in education over the course of Liberia's long civil war resulted in few qualified teachers, overcrowded schools and a shortage of books and other resources. "Because teachers make such a low salary, they may take bribes from their students or have them work on their farms," Porter said.

At the nursing school, Porter's goal is to place more Liberian nurses on the full-time faculty. But she's also interested in nurses from other countries volunteering to teach for a few weeks or even a semester.

Other immediate needs include materials, especially anatomy models for the demonstration lab; office supplies including filing cabinets; and renovation of the student dorms.

Although Operation Classroom has provided a well-stocked library, the ideal setup would be to have 25 copies of each book so students can "rent" a book for a particular class, according to Porter.

Donations for the nursing school can be made to the Hospital Revitalization Program No. 982168, an Advance project.

Checks, payable to the local church, should include the Advance code number on the check and can be dropped in church offering plates. Checks payable to Advance GCFA also can be mailed directly to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068.

Credit card donations can be made by calling (888) 252-6174 or online at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/advance/, the Advance Web site.

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

2007-03-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe hosts Social Principles training

By the Rev. Clayton Childers*

HARARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) - Facing desperate social conditions, 121 United Methodist church leaders in Zimbabwe studied the church's Social Principles as an instrument for change in a nation burdened with systemic economic, medical and political challenges.

"Overwhelming social conditions in Zimbabwe have forced the church to reevaluate how we do our mission and ministry from top to bottom," said Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, leader of the denomination's Zimbabwe area. "We can't continue in the old model."

The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church speak to human issues in the contemporary world based on biblical and theological study.

In Zimbabwe, the human issues include 80 percent unemployment and skyrocketing inflation. A confusing "para-economy," or street economy, pays 3,000 Zimbabwe dollars for every one U.S. dollar while the official exchange rate used at hotels and banks is 250 Zimbabwe dollars to every one U.S. dollar.

One in four Zimbabweans have AIDS or test positive for HIV, while the health care system is overwhelmed by a large number of medical professionals who have left the country because of horrendous working conditions.

Meanwhile, the African nation is struggling to repay a massive debt on International Monetary Fund loans. Many people identify "good governance" as the major challenge facing Zimbabwe today. Frustration is rampant and the administration of President Robert Mugabe recently began forbidding political demonstrations in areas around Harare.

Training and dialogue on the Social Principles was provided during two three-day sessions in February near Harare and also near Mutare. The event was facilitated by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, which is planning similar training events on the Social Principles this year in Angola, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

During the Zimbabwe consultation, participants discussed the rich Christian tradition of social engagement demonstrated in the Bible by Moses, Esther, Nathan and the prophets. Also addressed was the liberating ministry of Jesus Christ for marginalized people and the church's rich history of reaching out to embrace the least, the last and the lost.

Exercises allowed participants to share personal opinions about a number of the Social Principles, which have been established by the General Conference, the denomination's top lawmaking body.

Even in the midst of tremendous national challenges, the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe is thriving. A visit to Streamview United Methodist Church, a rudimentary wooden structure, found 1,200 dedicated worshippers and hundreds of children, with membership growing and vibrant worship services.

"The United Methodist Church is well known in Zimbabwe for Africa University and its many other educational institutions, community clinics, children's homes and ministries of emergency assistance," said the Rev. Lloyd Nyarota, who helped lead the training sessions.

"Still we must move on to imagine responses that carry us from ministries of mercy to ministries of justice; we must move on to address the root causes of our problems," said Nyarota, coordinator of special projects for the Zimbabwe area.

"We also must engage the government and do this at all levels," said Gabriel S. Manyangadze of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches.

"As church leaders you need to get to know your government officials. If you work with youth, find out who in the government also works with youth. Go see them. Talk to them about what you see as the greatest needs in your community. See if there are ways you can collaborate," she said.

Participants pledged to pray for Zimbabwe, lead dialogues on the Social Principles in their home communities and work through their local churches to make a difference.

*Childers is director of conference relations, United Methodist Board of Church and Society, Washington.

2007-03-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

2007 Easter Message from the Rev. R. Randy Day, general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries

Resurrection 2007: A Letter to United Methodists

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Do you ever stop to wonder why our Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ is accompanied each spring by colored eggs, bunny rabbits, baby chicks, and pounds of chocolate? I will admit that I do, and I don’t always feel charitable about these cultural trappings. An easy reaction is to blame commercial interests, but Wal-Mart, Macy’s, and Hallmark aren’t really responsible.

The “Easter-ization” of the central festival of Christianity began centuries ago as the church expanded to include various tribes and nations. Somewhere I read that it was easier for people to accept a new religion than to give up old holiday customs; the Nativity and Crucifixion/Resurrection came to overlap older Roman and northern European festivals. We inherited yule logs and Santa Clause in winter and eggs and rabbits in spring, along with the name “Easter” itself, picked up from a fertility cult especially popular in medieval Germanic lands but also quite ancient.

Christian leaders showed creativity in the cultural absorption process, and I like the image of the church being able to appreciate and use common goods and worldly symbols. That says something about the universal nature of God’s grace; after all, the water of baptism and the bread and drink of Holy Communion are common elements of life. The eggs and bunnies of Easter were interpreted in Christian circles as representing new life, rebirth, resurrection. Okay, I can accept that, to some degree, a limited degree, but I wonder whether live baby chicks colored green or baskets of red eggs and marshmallow-filed chocolate rabbits serve much gospel purpose in 2007.

No, I think there are better symbols of Christian new life than chicks and bunnies; better than lilies, dogwood, and tulips, as beautiful as those are. I am thinking more of life renewed by the power of God’s love, that same love that triumphed over death on the cross, a love that cannot be killed by any human force.

I am thinking about the more abundant life of the spirit that comes through our new congregations in Mongolia, Cameroon, Honduras, and El Paso; about the lives given futures by anti-malaria ministries; about talents assisted to flower through educational programs and scholarships; about the renewed prospects that come to towns in Sumatra and Mississippi after natural disasters; about the lives sustained and nourished by refugee and agriculture ministries in Sudan. I am thinking about movement from the shadows of darkness into God’s dawn, a light that not even the darkness of death can extinguish.

The culture at large will retain the Easter of bunnies delivering eggs, but can we shift the emphasis among ourselves, church members? Can we:

+Give a gift to feed a hungry child each time we eat a chocolate,
+Donate to foster agriculture in a poor country whenever we see a baby chick,
+Re-use last year's Easter basket as an offering plate for starting a new congregation,
+Buy a lily and make a pledge to support a missionary, and
+Dye an egg and visit the lonely and the homeless?

We have a vigorous faith—strong, resolute, and life-giving. Can we lay aside the soft and sentimental nature symbols of Easter, symbols we barely understand, in favor of vital Christian hope and the promise of life renewed by God’s vibrant love?

I think we can; I think we must. We can because we are not alone on the road that leads onward from Holy Week, the road that moves into the world from the Sunday of Resurrection. Jesus is with us, as he was with disciples on the walk from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus, and Jesus will be with us wherever our roads go. We must because we have a task, one handed to the church following Resurrection Day:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and, remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19a, 20b

Peace and grace,

R. Randy DayGeneral SecretaryGeneral Board of Global Ministries

2007-03-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Social Creed gets European flavor

By Karl Anders Ellingsen*

OSLO, Norway (UMNS) - A task force working on a new version of The United Methodist Social Creed is heading to Africa and the Philippines after meeting with church members from across Europe.

Seventeen United Methodists from several regional conferences in Europe gathered in Oslo in early March for consultations on a proposed new version of the creed that will be presented to the 2008 General Conference, the denomination's top lawmaking body.

The original creed was written in 1908 and began as a short declaration calling for "equal rights and complete justice for all men in all stations of life" and addressing other predominantly work-related issues. The creed was rewritten in 1972 and ends with: "We believe in the present and final triumph of God's Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world."

"The current creed doesn't roll off the tongue," said Jim Winkler, top executive with the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.

As the Social Creed's 100th anniversary approaches, the denomination's social advocacy agency is reminding members that the creed and its successor, the Social Principles, have played a prophetic role in advocating for social change, such as the abolition of child labor.

The board has prepared a new draft that it is taking to consultations with United Methodists in Europe, Asia and Africa. Following the Oslo event, the Social Creed Task Force will take the draft to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May and then to the Philippines, said the Rev. Neal Christie, a board executive.

Global perspective
The Social Creed Task Force formed by the board includes clergy, lay, liturgical and theological scholars and composers. Bishop Jane Allen Middleton, a member of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, led the discussions in Oslo.

"It was an amazing experience, in that we were people from eight nations, from different theological perspectives, from various settings of ministry and with obvious differences in languages," Middleton said.

"To be given the opportunity to discuss the Social Creed from a European perspective was both useful and interesting," said Bishop Øystein Olsen, episcopal leader for the Nordic and Baltic Area. "I was inspired by the level of enthusiasm and the knowledge among the participants, and look forward to seeing a global perspective in the final draft."

"Words in worship matter, and the process by which we produce a new Social Creed for use by the whole church deserves our patient and diligent attention," Christie said.

"The Social Creed Task Force was eager to hear what this Social Creed draft might look like and sound like through the many eyes and ears of our European sisters and brothers," he added.
The Rev. Knut Refsdal, assistant to Bishop Olsen, was pleased with the result.

"It was a good consultation," he said. He found it inspiring that the church is willing to invest resources to involve the different parts of the global church, he said.

"It is a good experience to meet so many different people with a heart for the same issues," said the Rev. Hilde Marie Øgreid, one of two representatives of the Northern Europe Central Conference.

"We all want a new Social Creed that expresses the theology and social interest of the church. To meet so much knowledge and hear so many relevant contributions has been excellent."

Issues and context
The participants in Oslo were dedicated to their charge, Middleton said. "They are passionate about The United Methodist Church's position on these matters. When we make statements about social issues, we will do so in awareness of the context which the whole church lives in," she said.

The March 5-6 consultation included five representatives from the board in the United States, along with four from Germany, one from Switzerland, one from Austria, two from Russia, one from Denmark and three from Norway.

Ethnicity, nationality, social, political and economic challenges, gender and age, were some of the issues that influenced the conversation in Europe.

"When the Social Creed is presented to the General Conference in Fort Worth in 2008, the product will look and sound different than when we began," Christie said. "And as a church, we will be better because of the time taken to consult and conference together across the connection."

*Ellingsen is editor for the Norway Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

2007-03-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

Campaign planned for Global Education Fund

By Vicki Brown*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - A marketing and fundraising campaign kicks off this year for a global fund to help Methodist schools around the world develop stronger and more effective leaders.

The drive includes a goal of raising $1.5 million in 2007 and putting structures in place in Africa and Latin America for the Methodist Global Education Fund for Leadership Development, an initiative of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

Planned as a four-year, $4 million program, the fund will underwrite the costs of technical assistance, improving and strengthening schools, on-site mentoring for professional development and scholarship support for leadership development.

There are 775 Methodist educational institutions in 69 countries, including 110 United Methodist-related academic institutions and 13 United Methodist seminaries in the United States.

The global fund was launched as an unfunded mandate by the 2004 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body. For 2007, the board budgeted $300,000 for structuring, marketing, fundraising and programming for the initiative. Plans include a direct mailing to church leaders, advertising, a Web site and articles aimed at increasing awareness.

Global education initiatives
The governing members of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education were briefed about the campaign during the board's March 8-10 meeting.

Ken Yamada, special assistant to agency chief the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, said the fund joins Africa University, the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities and other global education initiatives in breaking new ground to prepare leaders for the church and the world.

"Africa University is ready to move up to the second phase to expand into west, central and east Africa. Africa University was always designed to serve all the people of Africa," Yamada said.

As the first step, Africa University is providing technical assistance for the Mozambique Distance Learning project, expected to be fully operational this June. The project is a joint effort of the board, the Methodist University of São Paulo, Brazil, Africa University and the Mozambique Annual Conference.

"We hope to create a model in Mozambique for the rest of Africa," Yamada said.

Board member Kalamba Ka-Banze Monga, who is academic general secretary of higher education of the North Katanga Conference in the Congo, questioned why the project was being done in Mozambique rather than the Congo. Zimbabwe and the Congo originally were considered as sites for Africa University but, due to the unstable conditions in Congo at the time, Zimbabwe was chosen.

Now that Congo is stable and ready to receive higher education offerings from the Board of Higher Education and Ministry and Africa University, Bishop Ntambo Nkulu Ntanda, resident bishop of the North Kantanga Area, has invited officials from both entities to visit Congo in April to assess how to move forward there.

Developing Christian leaders
The Global Education Fund is part of the board's global focus that includes developing Christian leaders around the world.

The fund will cover the costs of providing technical assistance to Methodist-affiliated schools, colleges, universities and theological schools working to design leadership development programs to address local needs for clergy or lay leaders. Each of five regions - Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States - will raise or pool money and disburse the funds to approved sites and programs.

Through the Methodist Scholars program of the fund, an institution can request that an outstanding Methodist leader be placed at the institution for six to 24 months to serve as a faculty member, chaplain or administrative leader. The fund also includes scholarship assistance.

To contribute to the fund, write in the check memo line "Methodist Global Education Fund for Leadership Development, World Services Special Gift Number 05-06-04" and give to a United Methodist church treasurer or mail directly to the General Council on Finance & Administration, The United Methodist Church, 1 Music Circle North, PO Box 340029, Nashville, TN 37203-0029.

For more information, contact Ken Yamada at 615-340-7398 or kyamada@gbhem.org.

*Brown is an associate editor and writer in the Office of Interpretation, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

2007-03-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Methodism has history in Latin America, Caribbean

By Linda Bloom*

PANAMA CITY, Panama (UMNS) – The first Methodist congregation established outside of England and Ireland was in the Caribbean and its members were slaves.

Nathaniel Gilbert, a lawyer influenced by Methodism founder John Wesley, brought his witness to the island of Antigua, where the congregation was born in 1759.

During the next century, Methodists from the United States, embracing the American spirit of “manifest destiny,” spread their own missions in various parts of South and Central America.

The history of Methodism in Latin America and the Caribbean was among topics discussed during a March 1-4 consultation of churches from that region and The United Methodist Church.

Robert Harman, a retired staff executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, presented a comprehensive chronology of the “expansionist plans” of Methodist evangelism, beginning with a call for a missionary survey of South America in 1832.

Difficult mission field
Eventually, mission work was established, beginning in the 1830s in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, by the predecessor bodies of The United Methodist Church – the Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Church South and Evangelical United Brethren Church.

But obstacles, most notably the prevailing Roman Catholic culture, made Latin America more difficult as a mission field.

“They (missionaries) relied heavily upon the English language in their offerings of worship and educational opportunities and failed to penetrate deeply held indigenous values,” Harman writes. “Their efforts did not experience overwhelming results but barely established a toehold in the countries where they poured out their hearts and labor.”

The 1892 General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church called for the establishment of a South America Conference, which covered the districts of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile and Peru (including Bolivia). Four years later, more than half the total membership – 1,100 members – lived in Argentina.

The mission focus on Central America began after Benito Juarez established a republic in Mexico in 1857, receiving the backing of the United States. “Religious freedom from dogmatic authority of the Roman Catholic Church was widely welcomed and Protestants from the north began to focus their missionary efforts on Mexico,” according to Harman.

Early in 1885, the Mexico Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized. But despite assurances of religious freedom, the Catholic Church often prevailed locally. “Since there were few places without a Roman Catholic presence, Protestantism was interpreted as a force for proselytism within the faith. This reduced the appeal.”

The 1920 Methodist Episcopal General Conference reorganized mission relationships in South America, Central America and Mexico into the Central Conference of Latin America. Included were Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico. The two Episcopal areas were based in Buenos Aires and Mexico City.

Road to autonomy
The road to autonomy began in 1930 when Brazil, part of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and Mexico, which had mission work from both denominations, became autonomous churches.

In 1939, the Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Church South and Methodist Protestant Church united to form the Methodist Church. The 1944 Methodist General Conference established a Commission on the Structure of Methodism Overseas to administer worldwide mission.

In the decades that followed, social and political changes in Latin America led Methodists there to conclude that “the effectiveness of their witness may be compromised by their historical and organic relationship to American Methodism,” Harman reports. The churches also wanted a structure more relevant to the cultures of their own countries.

During the 1960s, the Methodist overseas commission, known as COSMOS, took a look at how to repair or replace the central conference system. It asked the Latin American conference to consider four structural options: a perfected central conference structure, autonomy for individual churches, an international church with regional general conferences and a World Conference of Methodist churches consisting of autonomous regional churches.

The commission’s recommendations to the 1968 General Conference, which also united the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches, called for the granting of requests for autonomy, which then occurred in 28 of the 54 countries where United Methodist work had been established.

Maintaining ties
Bishop Sante Uberto Barbieri of Buenos Aires spoke to the requests for Latin American autonomy by endorsing a world Methodist conference of regional bodies “so that all the churches therein involved could learn from each other on an equal basis and … belong to a larger fellowship in pursuit of the final aim of coming to be one flock under the leadership of the one Pastor.”

But the recommendation from COSMOS that would also grant regional autonomy to the U.S. church and create a new worldwide structure for Methodist conferences and churches never came to fruition. The newly formed Council of Evangelical Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL) did provide a way for those churches and The United Methodist Church to continue collaborating.

In 1976, the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas was recognized as a “Concordat Church” by The United Methodist Church, granting it representation at the denomination’s highest policy-making bodies. The same status is given to the British Methodist Church.

Later, the 1988 General Conference established a new category of relationships called “A Covenanting Church,” which would involve mutual spiritual growth, cultural attentiveness, sharing of resources and ideas for mission. “The nurturing intent of the proposal was attractive, but the effect of moving into this new or additional relationship was uncertain for those autonomous and affiliated autonomous churches with an historic tie to United Methodism,” Harman writes.

When the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico became autonomous in 1992, it also was granted a concordat relationship, assuring full participation and vote at United Methodist General Conference sessions.

In an interview, Puerto Rican Bishop Juan Vera Mendez noted that while gaining autonomy was a difficult process for many churches in Latin America and the Caribbean, his church’s experience was different.

“We have made the autonomous process with a new paradigm, a new model of cooperation and mission ties that have been a blessing for the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico and, I understand, for The United Methodist Church,” he said.

Today, Methodists and United Methodists have the opportunity to look at issues of autonomy and connectionalism with a different perspective. “Times have changed. In the past, mistakes were made,” Vera pointed out, “yet the experience we are witnessing at this gathering is very refreshing. It is something new and it launches us to new expectations. We hope for a better future.”

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

2007-03-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Ministry trades toys for toy guns in Iraq

A UMNS Report By Lilla Marigza*

Two small churches in rural Iowa have found a way to outsmart insurgents in Iraq, using boxes filled with soccer balls and stuffed animals to spread goodwill and save the lives of children in Fallujah.

The ministry began last year after Janet Wakehouse, a member of Turin (Iowa) United Methodist Church, heard about a sickening war tactic through her Marine son-in-law serving in Iraq. She learned how insurgents gave children realistic-looking toy guns in hopes that a U.S. soldier might mistakenly shoot a child and incite anger against the United States.

Wakehouse also read about a soldier who had traded a soccer ball for a fake assault rifle that one Iraqi boy was carrying.

Out of the two accounts, a hometown effort grew to collect safe toys to swap for the dangerous ones. Members of the Turin church and the United Methodist Church in neighboring Onawa began gathering soccer balls, backpacks, Beanie Babies and other toys for the cause.

Word spread, and one man donated 1,500 soccer balls, asking that 500 go to Baghdad, 500 to Afghanistan and 500 to Fallujah.

A young Iraqi boy happily shows off a soccer ball sent by the Turin and Onawa United Methodist churches in Iowa. A UMNS photo by Staff Sgt. Tylor Belshe.

In the end, 28 boxes were shipped before Christmas so the toys could be distributed by Wakehouse' son-in-law, Staff Sgt. Tylor Belshe, and his fellow Marines.

"People are so generous," she says. "In spite of all the bad in the world, there are wonderful people out there."

The cases of deflated soccer balls brought additional benefits, giving Iraqi children a positive activity to occupy their days. "They're not setting off roadside bombs; they are blowing up soccer balls," Wakehouse says.

The toys are a welcome treat for children who live in a war zone and face hardships and danger on a daily basis. For the girls, favorites include Barbie dolls, crayons and construction paper. "We did it to make the children happy, to help them forget some of the terrible things that have happened to them in their lives," Wakehouse adds.

The ministry has been a blessing for the two Iowa churches as well, according to the Rev. Arley Ellingson, who pastors both congregations.

"I think we are called in our role as Christians to respond to the word of Jesus Christ and to his children in any way that we can," says Ellingson. "We as a Christian people will accomplish much more if we open our eyes, see how the world is talking to us and respond as the spirit moves us, to that ministry, wherever it may be."

For Wakehouse, the calling became evident, even as she was more than 6,000 miles away from the Iraqi war. "Something within you … God says … 'You need to do something about this,'" she explains.

For her 28-year-old son-in law, the toy delivery from Iowa was a care package that he and his fellow Marines cherish, knowing that they are making a lasting impression on the children of Iraq. "He was happy, he was very happy," says Wakehouse. "It was a Christmas he will not forget."

*Marigza is a freelance producer in Nashville, Tenn.

2007-02-19T05:14:00.001-08:00

Faith reigns for new Miss America

A UMNS Feature By Linda Green*

Lauren Nelson is relying on her faith to keep her grounded during the hectic year that lies ahead for the newly crowned Miss America.

Nelson, 20, a member of Centenary United Methodist Church in Lawton, Okla., won the coveted title on Jan. 29 in Las Vegas.

"It has been a whirlwind of a first two weeks," she said in a telephone interview with United Methodist News Service. "I have been in probably six different cities already, and I will probably travel about 20,000 miles a month. I am very excited about this opportunity."

Nelson took a year off from her studies at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond to compete first in the Oklahoma state pageant, which she won, and then to vie with 51 other contestants for the Miss America crown. Her long-term goals are to earn a master's degree in musical theater and perform on Broadway.

The daughter of Mark and Sherrell Nelson of Lawton, she entered the pageant circuit at 16 to fulfill her desire to sing and perform. After winning the Miss Teen Lawton (Okla.) pageant, she went on to win Miss Teen Oklahoma.

Winning those pageants helped her to save money for college, and she continued competing. "It just snowballed into this," Nelson said. "I watched Miss America as a little girl and never thought that I could be one of the contestants in Miss America, much less Miss America herself." She received a $50,000 scholarship with the crown.

Since winning, "life has changed drastically," Nelson said. "I am traveling 20,000 miles this month. I have no home base this year. I have taken another year off from school."

Faith plays major role
In performing her "royal" duties, Nelson is relying heavily on her faith and her favorite Scriptures, Psalm 23 and Philippians 4:13, to sustain her. "They are my favorites because they are the ones I remember learning as a little girl and loving for the first time."

Nelson said faith "plays a huge role" in her life. "I grew up in church. I was baptized in the Methodist Church and have gone since I was a baby.

"So, especially this year, my faith will keep me grounded and will keep me going," she said. "This year is going to be a very hectic schedule, and sometimes I am going to doubt myself, but I have to realize that God would not have put me in this position if he did not know that I could handle it."

For Nelson, being Miss American means "representing the youth of America, representing the ideals of America. I think especially now in our society we need a strong role model, and that is what I represent, and it is such an honor to be able to do that."

She wants her faith to be seen in her actions. "You can say a lot of things, but you have to show that you are a Christian and make the right choices because of that," she said.

Throughout 2007 and beyond her tenure as Miss America, she intends "to take it a day at a time and be grateful for every opportunity, thank God for every opportunity, and use every day to glorify him and give all the glory to him."

The contacts, experiences and doors opened through being Miss America "are absolutely endless" and filled with possibilities, she noted.

"This year can take my life down a whole 'nother path," she said.

Promoting Internet safety The Miss America Organization provides outlets for young women to achieve their personal and professional goals and instills a spirit of community service through a variety of nationwide, community-based programs, according to the organization's Web site.

The organization annually chooses a national platform, and the reigning Miss America promotes that platform and raises money for it and the Miss America Organization.

Miss America also chooses a personal platform, and Nelson's personal issue is "Be NetSmart - Protecting Kids Online." Nelson chose to promote Internet safety for kids because of an incident that occurred in her youth while she and her friends talked online.

"I was actually approached as a seventh-grader," she said. "My friends and I were in a chat room and we were approached by an older person who asked for some information about us.

Luckily nothing ever came of it, but as I grew up, I realized the significance of that experience," she said. "And with my mom being an educator, having a younger brother and sister, and seeing the accessibility to the Internet not only in school but also in our home, it became a natural fit."

She advocates safety online and offline. "This year as Miss America, I will get to travel and speak to spread awareness and education on that issue, (and) hopefully I will have the opportunity to touch many people and talk to a lot of kids and even parents about this issue."

Internet safety is a two-way street involving parents and children, Nelson said.

Children should "be very guarded" and learn not to talk to strangers, not to share personal information and to involve an adult, Nelson said. "Kids have to realize that it can happen to them because every day, one in five children in America is being approached by online predators. It happens all the time, and being guarded is the most important thing to teach our kids."

For parents, Nelson said the most important thing "is to be involved" by getting online with their children and monitoring their online activities. "Know what your kids are doing," she said.

"You would not allow your child to go to a party if you did not know what they were going to be doing and who they were going to be with, so don't let them do it on the Internet."

Nelson is excited about the year ahead, and grateful for the support of the people at Centenary United Methodist Church.

"Since I was a little girl, they have supported me and encouraged me throughout every endeavor that I have had, and it has been no different for the Miss America pageant," she said.

"I want to thank them for their support, their prayer and love. I am so honored and proud to be able to share this with them."

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

2007-02-19T05:14:00.000-08:00

2007-02-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

Liberia's Ganta Hospital rebuilds in 2006

United Methodist-supported Ganta Hospital is rebuilding and expanding, thanks in part to the support of First United Methodist Church in Peoria, Ill. A UMNS photo by the Rev. Timothy Bias.

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

United Methodists in Illinois are among those helping Liberia's Ganta Hospital recover from massive looting and destruction in 2003 that temporarily shut down mission work there.

"We're committed to seeing the (new) hospital built," said the Rev. Timothy Bias, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Peoria, Ill.

Still rebounding from Liberia's long civil war, the United Methodist-related hospital completed renovations of the building that was burned and nearly destroyed during civil unrest in 2003 and has begun to construct a new hospital building. The hospital reopened in 2004 and currently has 164 employees, including three physicians, 18 registered nurses and seven certified midwives.

The rebuilding of Ganta also is helping to transform Liberians themselves, Bias said in a Feb. 6 telephone interview. "The same people who had destroyed the hospital are now building the hospital," he said, noting that ex-combatants were working at the construction site when he visited during 2006.

Other highlights of 2006 were the dedication of a new eye clinic, continued outreach for childhood vaccinations and visits by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, according to the annual report submitted by Victor Doolakeh Taryor, the hospital's administrator.

"Through the faithful support of partners and friends of Ganta Hospital, we continue to provide affordable and quality health-care services to the rapidly growing population of northeastern Liberia and the border towns of the republics of Guinea and Ivory Coast," Taryor wrote in his report.

Cherian Thomas, an executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, called Ganta Hospital a "success story" and said the Liberian Annual Conference, under the leadership of Bishop John Innis, "made a real goal of rehabilitating the hospital."

Thomas praised Taryor - who in July completed a year of study in hospital administration at the University of North Carolina - and said the Rev. Herbert and Mary Zigbuo, a missionary couple, "did a great job in laying the foundation" for Ganta's recovery.

Renovation on the burned building was completed in August, thanks to $42,500 from First United Methodist Church in Peoria, Ill., the United Nations Development Program, the Liberian government, locally generated donations and the denomination's Advance program.

The building now contains the drug depot, pharmacy, dental clinic, record room, cashier booth, six consultation rooms and two exam rooms.

The annual report said construction of the new hospital building's outpatient clinic was nearly complete, with construction of the emergency room planned next.

Covenant relationship
First United Methodist Church has worked with the church in Liberia for several years, growing from a covenant relationship between the denomination's Illinois Great Rivers Conference and the Liberia Conference.

When the Liberian church voted to build a new hospital at Ganta, the Peoria congregation agreed to raise $100,000 for that effort and accomplished that task in 90 days, according to Bias. The congregation designated $20,000 for the renovated facility and the remainder for the new building.

The congregation also collected donations of equipment from area hospitals and sent Ganta $380,000 worth of beds with wheels, gurneys and an industrial washer and dryer. "We knew that they needed equipment because much of what they had there had been taken or destroyed," the pastor said.

For example, hospital staff were using a lone refrigerator to store both food and blood, so the Peoria church provided a refrigerator strictly for surgical use. "We've had them tell us what they need," said Bias, who last visited Ganta in November. "We go out and find it here and get it to them."

Still needed is an industrial autoclave to sterilize surgical equipment - an expensive item that is hard to find used. Currently, Ganta Hospital uses two large pressure cookers for sterilization.

Because of the church's relationship with Peoria-based equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc., church leaders secured a new generator "that can run on the same amount of diesel fuel than the one they had" with twice the electrical output. The church is working to obtain and ship additional equipment to get the new generator operational.

Such efforts are the norm for the Peoria congregation, which also raised $35,000 for a church building in Estonia and is the founding church for the "Walk to Emmaus" spiritual renewal program. "It's kind of the DNA of this congregation - to be in mission in a hands-on way," Bias said.

Aiding Ganta Hospital blesses the Illinois church as well, says Bias, noting that church members worked together on various projects to raise $100,000 for the Liberian initiative. "We've had more of a community spirit and an understanding of what it is to be church through the project," he said.

The Peoria congregation is excited about other ministries related to Liberia, such as providing scholarships for children. "We're convinced, as they are in Liberia … that education is the way to get the country back on its feet," Bias said.

Success stories
Ganta's new eye clinic was funded by Christian Blind Mission International. In addition to regular on-site and outreach treatment provided under the leadership of Dr. Joseph Kerkula, the clinic was part of a national eye camp initiative in Lofa County in December. Ganta's team was responsible for 33 of the 90 cataract surgeries performed during the camp.

Besides providing routine vaccinations in 2006, Ganta staff conducted diabetes awareness programs and voluntary blood testing, identifying 70 cases of diabetes during the year. "Plans are under way to initiate a national program that will create access to medication and education for all diabetics," Taryor wrote.

Other primary health-care activities included distributing mosquito nets to pregnant women and children to protect against malaria, supervising traditional midwives, conducting community-based HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, and surveying women about vesico-vaginal fistula.

Outside of church funding, the hospital received a $50,000 subsidy from the Liberian government for fiscal year 2006-2007. President Sirleaf, a United Methodist, donated food and a used ambulance in November.

Taryor said volunteer work teams still are needed to help renovate and build at Ganta and to provide guidance with medical and administrative needs.

Contributions may be made to the following Advance funds: Ganta Hospital Emergency Fuel, No. 09214A; Ganta Hospital Emergency Support, No. 10010T; and Hospital Revitalization, UMCOR Advance No. 982168.

Donations can be placed in church collection plates or mailed to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO New York, NY 10087-9068. Make credit card donations online through the Advance at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/give/advance/ or by calling (888) 252-6174.

For more information, contact Taryor at vdoolakehtaryor@yahoo.com.

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

2007-02-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

Soldier's little sister sings in YouTube hit

Cindy Martin accompanies her 6-year-old daughter, Heather, who loves to sing.A UMNS photo by John Gordon.

CACHE, Okla. (UMNS) - Six-year-old Heather Martin, accompanied only by her mother on piano, has become an overnight Internet sensation for a song performed at their rural Oklahoma church.

Written for her brother Shaun serving in Iraq, the song became one of YouTube's most requested videos of all time in December after a member at Cache First United Methodist Church recorded and posted Heather's performance on the video-sharing Web site. The video had received 1.7 million hits as of early February.

"My friend called me Christmas Eve and she says, 'They've featured your video and the numbers are just going up and up,'" Cindy Martin said of her daughter's video. "She said, 'It's going to snowball.' And sure enough, she was right. It's snowballed."

Since then, the song has aired on radio station KMGZ-FM in nearby Lawton, Okla., and has become a hit among soldiers overseas.

"I've seen an incredible outpouring from the community and from the church," said the Rev. Jennifer Long, the family's pastor, who in 2003 lost a family member in a grenade attack in Iraq. "It's opened a lot of hearts to let out some things that people have been holding in."

Cindy wrote "When Are You Coming Home?" after learning that 22-year-old Shaun would not be home for Christmas. She and Heather performed the song to give Shaun as a Christmas gift.

"When I had told (Heather) that he wasn't going to be home for Christmas, she reacted so sadly," Cindy said. "When I was writing the words, I thought it just really made sense that … it should be written from her point of view."

The video was recorded during a church service. With her mother playing piano off-camera, Heather stands in front of the pulpit and earnestly sings the lyrics, including a chorus of:
"When are you coming home, Shaun? "When are you coming home? "We lit up the house like we always do "But it doesn't seem right because we can't hug you. "In my prayers I ask God to keep you safe. "And I'm trying to be really brave. "Tell me that the fighting's through. "Come home! "I really miss you.

"It makes me cry every time I hear it," said Judy Runnels, who saw the original performance. "I think the fact that a little girl is singing that about her brother is very touching."

The Martins' church since has posted other videos of Heather singing in church. Her version of "God Bless America" has been viewed more than 19,000 times. Members say posting such videos is a way to connect with troops far from home.

"Of the key things that I think resonates with soldiers is that it brings a little home to them," said Cache Mayor Nolan Watson, who attends Cache First United Methodist. "It's very personal. It reaches out and touches you."

Cindy's song has been interpreted by some critics as an anti-war anthem, but friend Cindy Williams, who shot the video and posted it on YouTube, said it's not meant to make a political statement. "It's simply about a family that is missing a brother," Williams says.

Cindy echoes that sentiment. "Irregardless of how you feel about the war, we've got people over there serving our country and we should just support them as human beings," she said. "And that's what I'm trying to do for Shaun and other people like him."

Since making YouTube's featured list, Heather and her mother have received an outpouring of cards and letters. Their video, meanwhile, has drawn almost 6,000 comments on the Web site ranging from supportive to vitriolic.

The mother-and-daughter occasionally are asked to perform their song at churches, restaurants and nursing homes. "Sometimes I still get emotional," Cindy said. "Sometimes I'll watch her when she's singing it and it'll get to me again."

Spc. Shaun Martin, who was deployed last June with his counter-intelligence unit near Baghdad, is due to return home sometime in 2007. Cindy says he has shared the song with other soldiers, who are able to access YouTube.

"I feel like we're singing it to our son," she says. "And it feels like it almost brings him home for a little while."

*Simmons is a freelance producer based in Nashville, Tenn.

2007-02-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

A UMNS Commentary by the Rev. Kelvin Sauls* -- We must lift every hand in responding to AIDS

Globally, 17 million women and 18.8 million men between ages 15 and 49 live with HIV/AIDS. A UMNS photo by G. Pirozzi.

Black History Month is not just another opportunity to look back and celebrate our heritage. We also must critically survey today's landscape and consider present challenges. One such challenge is HIV/AIDS.

To change the course of this pandemic, we will have to do more than sing "Lift Every Voice." It will take more than wearing African attire and romanticizing about the "underground railroad." To turn back this pandemic, we will have to lift every hand to build a railroad of compassion and acceptance above ground.

The faith community must lead the way! Churches, temples, synagogues and mosques must walk in love and solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are infected with - and affected by - HIV/AIDS.

The time has come for Christians to be intentional about demonstrating faith rooted in compassion. In our walk, we can exclaim with the apostle Paul that "nothing can separate us from the love of God" - not even HIV/AIDS.

Too many lives are being lost, while too many people are doing too little. The facts and fears are real and overwhelming! There is still no cure or effective vaccine.

More than 40,000 people are infected each year. AIDS is the No. 1 killer of African-American males ages 15 to 45. Two teenagers are infected every minute in the United States. Nobody has been cured to date.

There are also signs of "feminization" of the disease, with minorities particularly hard hit.

According to the 2004 collaborative report "Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis," African-American and Latina women represent less than a quarter of all women in the United States, but together they account for up to 80 percent of the nation's AIDS cases among women.
Globally, 17 million women and 18.8 million men between ages 15 and 49 live with HIV/AIDS. However, since 1985, the percentage of women among adults living with HIV/AIDS has risen from 35 percent to 48 percent.

In its 2004 report, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS observed: "Nowhere is the epidemic's 'feminization' more apparent than in sub-Saharan Africa, where 57 percent of adults infected are women and girls."

In the face of this challenge, people of faith are called upon to walk the talk and display compassion and care for all who are infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. To change the course, we must move from stigmatization to mobilization. It's time to take our heads out of the sand and allow our homes and congregations to become places where people with HIV/AIDS can experience acceptance, peace and love.

The time for lip service is long gone. With every crisis comes an opportunity. Our opportunity is to practice hope and love through prevention, intervention and mobilization.

Prevention can come in the form of blunt, compelling and innovative education forums to stem the tide of ignorance, arrogance and stigmatization. Hence, our faith education must include preventative health education. We must invite, teach and challenge people to make the necessary behavioral changes to end the spread of this preventable disease. Intervention can include making our congregations available as testing sites for HIV/AIDS, hosting support groups, collaborating to provide life-sustaining services for HIV/AIDS patients, and coordinating opportunities for retreat and respite.

We can mobilize our congregations, districts and conferences to influence and direct policy at the local, national and international levels. When our congregations commit to be centers of wellness, Christianity can once again become a bedrock for communities to move from disparity to vitality. We must fight to ensure that funding and HIV medications are available to all who need them. Accessibility, understanding and elimination of health disparities are keys to turning the course of the pandemic.

My brother and sister with HIV/AIDS are still my brother and sister. Now is not the time to be a spectator. Become a participator. Move from stigmatization to mobilization and make God's love, care and compassion visible and viable. Remember, "nothing can separate you from the love of God" - not even HIV/AIDS!

May God's compassion ignite us from within so we can practice a vital faith with open hearts, open minds and open doors.

*Sauls is a native of South Africa and serves as director of congregational development for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship in Nashville, Tenn. Prior to his appointment, he was a pastor in Virginia, Ohio and California.

2007-02-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

Brother and sister tie religion, globalization

A UMNS Report By Greta Gloven*

DENVER (UMNS) - Rising from humble beginnings as children of sharecropper farmers to become leaders in health care and the church, a brother and sister used their national platforms to explore how God is calling the church to respond to increasing global challenges.

The Rev. Chester Jones, top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, and his sister Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. surgeon general, declared "shalom is our mission" during the Jan. 22-24 Leadership Conference at United Methodist-related Iliff School of Theology.

Elders is the oldest and Jones is the youngest of eight children in their family from rural Arkansas. Both served as leaders in the conference focusing on religion and globalization.

"Religion is at the heart of many of the world's tensions today, so it is fitting that we explore the topic of globalization in relation to it," said the Rev. MarKeva Hill, director of the Iliff Institute.

The conference was designed to explore "a more excellent way" to globalization - a path characterized by hope, vibrant community, mutual appreciation and sustained commitment to relationships.

"Together, we have learned a lot," said Jones, reflecting on his own family's journey.

The siblings said their circle of influence - family, teachers in their segregated schools, the local mid-wife and Sunday school teachers - instilled the importance of getting an education. As a family, they picked cotton to earn the bus money to get Elders to United Methodist-related Philander Smith College in Little Rock. They also looked to the church for scholarships.

Elders recalled that Jones, who was only 5 when she was saving for college, asked his parents excitedly at the end of a long hot day in the fields, "Do we have enough? Do we have enough to send Joycelyn to school? Is this enough?"

Today, said the siblings, the church needs to ask "is this enough?" a bit more often. They also encouraged listeners to work for change through their faith communities.

"I owe a lot to The United Methodist Church," said Elders. "I couldn't have done it without them. I couldn't have done it without the United Methodist women who gave me a scholarship to go to college when I didn't even know what college was. I thank them every day."

Jones' outlook on the world also is rooted in his upbringing and early experiences.

"My first memory of international issues had to do with my uncles returning from Europe at the end of World War II," he said. "There was a clear sense of the external world and its dangers, and that Americans must be vigilant and alert to other parts of the world."

"It was my first understanding that in many ways the world is a global village, although that term had not yet been developed. Nevertheless, I grew up in a global village and under the Cold War threat of the Berlin Wall and communism," he said.

Churches everywhere are called to care for the global village. However, Jones said many local churches have failed to develop biblically based global outreach strategies to take the Gospel "across the street" and "across the sea."

"As the richest country in the world, we are the only industrialized nation that can't afford health care for all Americans," added Elders. "There is no choice for the 47 million people who do not have access to health care."

Global racism is another issue of concern. "When personal prejudice is mixed up with economic, political, military and institutional power, the result has been and continues to be racism," Jones said. "Racism equals prejudice plus power. Power is the ability to define reality and have others accept it."

Elders decried the existence of the "the 5H club" for poor children in America. "In the richest country in the world, we have millions that go to bed hungry. Many of those are children - children who are healthless with no access to health care, that are homeless, hugless with no one care about them, and hopeless," she said.

"When hope dies, moral decay is not far behind. As a church, we must reduce the poverty in this country and address the issues created by this poverty, so that we can move ahead."

Elders and Jones urged conference participants to adopt strategies such as:

+Building healthy relationships among people around the world
+Ensuring that global actions work for all people
+Improving the understanding of all religions
+Growing the church by encouraging young people to come
+Getting involved and supporting common-sense educational goals
+Encouraging comprehensive school-based health services in schools
+Educating parents
+Pushing for health care for all people - as a right
+Forming alliances, partnerships and cooperative associations

"The church needs to be a catalyst to make change happen. If we are going to transform our society, we need to change," Elders said. "We need to have the courage to change."

"It is the role of the faith community to help the world understand that we are all people made in the image of God and are part of a universal family and global village," said Jones. "When one person suffers from racism, all people suffer."

*Gloven is the director of marketing communications at Iliff School of Theology.

2007-02-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

United Methodists fight malaria through education

By Michelle Scott*

NEW YORK (UMNS) - Mrs. Monica, of Kassa, Nigeria, got to work immediately after the week-long training she received through the United Methodist Community-Based Malaria Control Program.

She asked her husband to cut down or trim trees growing around their home that could harbor mosquitoes. She emptied all containers of stagnant water that could be a mosquito breeding ground, then taught her neighbors to do the same.

She paid for malaria treatment for some of the children in Kassa and made sure pregnant women were tested for the disease as well.

But Mrs. Monica is an exception in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria is viewed simply as a fact of daily life. It is a disease that robs families of their children and makes parents too sick to work.

The United Methodist Community-Based Malaria Control Program seeks to create a culture of malaria prevention, educating people most at risk about basic measures they can take to prevent the mosquito-borne disease.

Armed with the right information, people can fight malaria by using treated bed nets, ridding the areas around their homes of stagnant water and reducing the mosquito population. The lessons begin with building awareness that malaria is completely preventable, through programs such as the training attended recently by Mrs. Monica and 36 other women from her community.

The idea of "malaria prevention and control in this part of the world is truly a strange thing because not so many people think that preventing or controlling it can be possible or even realistic," said Yolia Raymond, who works at the rural health project in Zing, sponsored by the United Methodist Church of Nigeria, and heads the HIV/AIDS and malaria program there.

The program began in 2005 in Sierra Leone when 25 people from seven countries gathered at Kissy United Methodist Health Center to learn how to begin sustainable malaria-fighting efforts in their own countries. All went home promising to spread the good word that this chronic and common disease, which steals a life every 30 seconds, can be prevented through basic measures.
What is happening in southern Nigeria under Raymond's leadership is an example of how the United Methodist malaria program is spreading all across Africa. Community leaders like Mrs. Monica are learning about malaria prevention and anti-malaria medication and prenatal education for pregnant women and are distributing mosquito bed nets to vulnerable families.

They are even working to grow their own malaria medicine. The rural health program is planting farms of Artemisia annua or sweet wormwood, a plant that normally grows in China and provides a key element in anti-malarial drugs. Having access to the plants in Nigeria will help make this life-saving medicine more accessible and affordable.

United Methodists can support the program in Nigeria and similar programs in Africa through financial contributions to Malaria Control, UMCOR Advance No. 982009. Checks to UMCOR may be placed in United Methodist church offering plates or mailed directly to: UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. Credit card donations can be made by calling 1-800-554-8583.

*Scott is a communications specialist for the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

2007-02-01T05:22:00.000-08:00

Electing delegates to 2008 conference tops annual meetings

NOTE: A list of annual conference dates and meeting locations follows this story.

A UMNS Report By Linda Green*

When United Methodists around the world gather this spring and summer, electing delegates to worldwide and jurisdictional conferences for 2008 will top most agendas.

Meeting this year at annual conferences, United Methodists across the globe also will worship together, examine issues facing the church, approve budgets, receive reports from conference boards and agencies, review ministries, pass resolutions and adopt policy and programs of mission and ministry. The church has about 10 million members worldwide.

The 63 U.S. conferences, meeting during May and June, will elect 352 clergy delegates and 352 lay delegates to the denomination's highest legislative body, the General Conference. Convened every four years, the conference will meet April 23-May 2, 2008, in Fort Worth, Texas.

The 53 conferences in Europe, Africa and the Philippines will elect 274 delegates. An additional 10 delegates from churches with concordat relationships with the denomination also will attend.

The annual (sometimes called regional) conference is the "basic unit" of the church, according to the denomination's Book of Discipline. It may include an entire state, part of a state or even parts of two or more states. There are also three missionary conferences in the United States, which rely on the denomination for funding.

The number of delegates to the General Conference is subject to change after the denomination's supreme court, called the Judicial Council, convenes April 25-28 in the Philippines. The meeting in Manila will be the first time a United Methodist Judicial Council has met outside the United States.

Depending on actions taken by the Judicial Council, General Conference delegates may take further action relative to the admission of the Methodist Church of the African nation of Cote d'Ivoire as an annual conference, a decision made by the 2004 legislative session. The delegates also may consider a recommendation proposing that the United States become a Central Conference.

The proposal introduced to the United Methodist Council of Bishops last November would end the current system that splits the United States from the central conferences that govern the church outside the United States and would revise the United Methodist Book of Discipline into a "truly general book of doctrine, mission and discipline, deleting all portions that apply only to the United States."

The five existing U.S. jurisdictional conferences would exist within one U.S. Central Conference, putting it on par with the central conferences already in existence. If approved, the changes would take effect in 2012.

The annual conferences will elect delegates to the five U.S. jurisdictional conferences, which will be held in July 2008 to elect bishops and assign them to geographic areas for the next four years. The 1,408 clergy and lay delegates to the jurisdictional conferences will elect nine U.S. bishops, and the Central Conferences will elect three bishops.

During the annual conference gatherings in the United States, Africa, Europe and the Philippines, one-year appointments of all conference clergy members will be announced, new deacons and elders ordained, and candidates for ordination approved. A bishop will preside over each annual session.

In addition to electing delegates, annual conferences will act on petitions from individuals and groups wanting to change policies, procedures and practices of The United Methodist Church. Approved petitions will be submitted to the General Conference, and those that are adopted will be included in the 2008 revision of the Book of Discipline and Book of Resolutions.

General Conference delegates can change anything in the Book of Discipline except the church's Constitution. Any recommended changes in the Constitution must be ratified by the annual conferences.

Individual and group petitions must be postmarked by Oct. 26, which is 180 days before the opening day of the General Conference. Petitions secretary for the 2008 conference is Gary W. Graves, pastor of Beaver Dam (Ky.) United Methodist Church. Instructions for filing petitions are available at www.GC2008.umc.org.

The first session of 2007 conference gatherings will be the Northeast Philippines, scheduled for Feb. 22-25. The 63 regional U.S. gatherings will begin May 2-5 when the Troy Annual Conference convenes in Burlington, Vt., and will conclude June 24 with the adjournment of the California-Pacific Annual Conference in Redlands, Calif. Some annual conferences outside the United States meet in the fall and winter.

Annual conference meeting dates and places are:

U.S. ANNUAL CONFERENCES

North Central Jurisdiction
Dakotas, June 6-9, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Detroit, May 17-20, Adrian, Mich.
East Ohio, June 18-21, Lakeside, Ohio
Illinois Great Rivers, June 6-9, Peoria, Ill.
Iowa, June 6-10, Ames, Iowa
Minnesota, May 29-June 1, Saint Cloud, Minn.
North Indiana, May 31-June2, West Lafayette, Ind.
Northern Illinois, June 9-12, Saint Charles, Ill.
South Indiana, June 6-9, Bloomington, Ind.
West Michigan, May 31-June 3, Grand Rapids, Mich.
West Ohio, June 10-14, Lakeside, Ohio
Wisconsin, June 10-13, Middleton, Wis.

Northeastern Jurisdiction
Baltimore-Washington, May 24-26, Washington, D.C.
Central Pennsylvania, June 6-9, Grantham, Pa.
Eastern Pennsylvania, June 13-15, Philadelphia
Greater New Jersey, May 30-June 2, Valley Forge, Pa.
New England, June 7-10, Wenham, Mass.
New York, June 6-9, Hempstead, N.Y.
North Central New York, June 1-3, Liverpool, N.Y.
Peninsula-Delaware, June 8-10, Princess Anne, Md.
Troy, May 2-5, Burlington, Vt.
West Virginia, June 7-10, Buckhannon, W.Va.
Western New York, June 8-10, Buffalo, N.Y.
Western Pennsylvania, June 7-10, Grove City, Pa.
Wyoming, May 31-June 2, Scranton, Pa.

South Central Jurisdiction
Arkansas, June 10-13, Russellville, Ark.
Central Texas, June 3-6, Fort Worth, Texas
Kansas East, June 6-9, Baldwin City, Kan.
Kansas West, May 23-25, Hutchinson, Kan.
Louisiana, June 3-6, Baton Rouge, La.
Missouri, June 1-4, Springfield, Mo.
Nebraska, June 6-9, Lincoln, Neb.
New Mexico, June 6-9, Glorieta, N.M.
North Texas, June 3-6, Plano, Texas
Northwest Texas, May 28-31, Midland, Texas
Oklahoma, May 27-31, Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Indian Missionary, June 7-10, Preston, Okla.
Rio Grande, May 31-June 2, Abilene, Texas
Southwest Texas, June 6-9, Corpus Christi, Texas
Texas, May 27-31, The Woodlands, Texas

Southeastern Jurisdiction
Alabama-West Florida, June 3-6, Montgomery, Ala.
Florida, June 6-9, Lakeland, Fla.
Holston, June 10-13, Lake Junaluska, N.C.
Kentucky, June 11-15, Louisville, Ky.
Memphis, June 3-6, Jackson, Tenn.
Mississippi, June 10-14, Jackson, Miss.
North Alabama, June 1-2, Argo, Ala. North Carolina, June 13-17, Greenville, N.C.
North Georgia, June 11-15, Athens, Ga.
Red Bird Missionary, May 11-12, Frankes, Ky.
South Carolina, June 3-7, Florence, S.C.
South Georgia, June 3-7, Savannah, Ga.
Tennessee, June 10-13, Brentwood, Tenn.
Virginia, June 10-13, Roanoke, Va.
Western North Carolina, June 7-10, Lake Junaluska, N.C.

Western Jurisdiction
Alaska Missionary, May 25-27, Anchorage, Alaska
California-Nevada, June 19-24, Sacramento, Calif.
California-Pacific, June 20-24, Redlands, Calif.
Desert Southwest, June 7-10, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Oregon-Idaho, June 12-16, Salem, Ore.
Pacific Northwest, June 12-16, Tacoma, Wash. Rocky Mountain, June 13-16, Denver, Colo.
Yellowstone, June 7-10, Billings, Mont.

CENTRAL (OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES) CONFERENCES
(Complete information on some conferences is unavailable.)
Austria Provisional, May 17-21, Linz, Austria
Bicol Philippines Provisional, March 15-18, Daet, Camarines Norte, Philippines
Bulgaria Provisional, Sept. 13-16, Dobric, Bulgaria
Central Congo, Katako-Kombe, Democratic Republic of Congo
Central Luzon Philippines, March 29-April 1, Guimba, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
Central Russia, June 22-24, Moscow
Czech & Slovak Republics, May 10-13, Prague-Nove Mesto,Czech Republic
Denmark, June 27-July 1, Strandby, Denmark
East Africa, Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe
East Congo, Kindu, Democratic Republic of Congo
East Mindanao Philippines, April 19-22, Obrero, Davao City, Philippines
Eastern Russia and Central Asia Provisional, May 18-20, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Estonia, May 30-31, Tallinn, Estonia
Finland-Finnish-speaking Provisional, July 4-8, Finland
Finland-Swedish-speaking Provisional, June 7-10, Grankulla, Finland
Germany East, May 30-June 3, Zwickau, Saxonia, Germany
Germany North, May 9-13, Braunfels, Germany
Germany South, June 21-24, Oehringen & Sporthalle Boeblingen, Germany
Hungary, April 11-14, Budapest, Hungary Liberia, Niva County, Liberia
Mindanao Philippines, May 10-13, Kidapawan City, Philippines
North Central Philippines, March 1-4, Cauayan, Isabela, Philippines
North of Save River (Northern Mozambique), Beira, Sofala, Mozambique
Northeast Luzon Philippines, May 24-27, Echague, Isabela, Philippines
Northeast Philippines, Feb. 22-25, Saguday, Quirino, Philippines Northern Philippines, May 31-June 3, Sanchez Mira, Cagayan, Philippines
Northwest Mindanao Philippines, April 12-15, Laguitas, Malaybalay, Philippines
Northwest Philippines, April 12-15, Salcedo, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Northwest Russia Provisional, July 6-8, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Norway, June 21-24, Porsgrunn, Norway
Oriental & Equator, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
Pangasinan Philippines, March 15-18, Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines
Poland, June 14-17, Klarysew, Poland
Serbia-Macedonia Provisional, Oct. 10-14, Kisac, Serbia.
South Russia Provisional, May 25-27, Voronezh, Russia
South of Save River (Southern Mozambique), Maputo, Mozambique
Sweden, May 16-20, Norrkoping, Sweden
Switzerland-France, June 7-10, Zofingen, Switzerland
Tarlac Philippines, May 17-20, Tarlac City, Philippines
Ukraine & Moldova Provisional, June 28-July 1, Kiev, Ukraine
Visayas Philippines, March 22-25, Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines
West Congo, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

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

2007-01-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

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