The Monthly Update
August 2002 Update
Bits and Pieces from across the United Methodist Church
We work so hard trying to give kids the things we didn’t
have that we don’t have time to give them what we did have.
- Dr. James
Dobson on a Focus on the Family Radio broadcast.
* * * * *
The
Good Stuff. The Flight 93 crash into Pennsylvania and
Todd Beamer’s actions on September 11th.
"I don't think
we're going to get out of this thing. I'm going to
have to go out on faith."
It was the voice of Todd Beamer, the
passenger... and Wheaton College graduate ... who said,"Let's roll"
as he led the charge against the terrorists who had hijacked United Flight 93,
the one, you will remember, that crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside. The
whole world knows how brave Beamer and his fellow passengers were on September
11th. But this week we learned more fully what buttressed that bravery: Faith
in Jesus Christ. Todd died as he lived . a faithful evangelical believer. In an
article titled "The Real Story of Flight 93," Newsweek reveals
gripping new details from the actual transcripts of the now-recovered cockpit
voice recorder. "Todd had been afraid," Newsweek relates.
"More than once, he cried out for his Savior."
After passengers were herded to the
back of the jet, Beamer called the GTE Customer Center in Oakbrook, Illinois .
He told supervisor Lisa Jefferson about the hijacking. The passengers were
planning to jump the terrorists, he said. And then he asked her to pray with
him.
As Newsweek related.
"Beamer kept a Lord's Prayer bookmark in
his Tom Clancy novel, but he didn't need any prompting. He began to recite the
ancient litany, and Jefferson joined him:
“Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name…"
As they finished, Beamer added, "Jesus, help me." And then, Beamer
and his fellow passengers prayed a prayer that has comforted millions down
through the centuries - the prayer that David wrote in a time of great
anguish:
“The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want ...
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.”
And then the famous last words: "Are you guys ready? Let's
roll."
We now know from the cockpit voice
recorder that Beamer and other passengers wrestled with the hijackers and
forced the plane to crash into the ground, killing themselves but foiling what
was believed to have been the hijackers' plan to fly Flight 93 into the Capitol
or the White House.
As Christians, we know that God can
bring good out of evil. In Todd Beamer, the world witnesses a faith that held
up in the extremity of fear: A faith that is even now comforting his widow and
two young sons. Lisa Beamer told NBC's Dateline, "You know, in the Lord's
Prayer, it asks us to forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us." "As Todd prayed this prayer in the last moments of his
life, in a way," Lisa said, "He was forgiving those people for what
they were doing, the most horrible thing you could ever do to someone."
It wasn't Todd Beamer's job to fight
terrorists. He was just a passenger, who along with several others, did what he
didn't have to do but foiled a terrible evil that might have been done to his
country.
As Flight 93 hurtled towards
destruction, Todd Beamer could not have known that his quiet prayers would
ultimately be heard by millions - that the story of his last acts on earth
would be a witness to the Lord he loved and served and a lasting example of
true heroism. [Note: Todd was also a member of the Christian organization
Promise Keepers. Assuredly, he kept the faith with his fellow Americans.] - Source: Received by e-mail.
* * * * *
Results from the Annual Conferences
Baltimore-Washington
. An
interactive satellite downlink to 37 sites throughout the conference [joined
participants] during its 218th annual
session in Washington, DC. Following two confidential clergy sessions, Bishop
Felton May released statements concerning the status of the Rev. Rebecca Ann
Steen, a transgender clergy, and following Thursday's clergy session, announced
that Steen had voluntarily returned from leave of absence and was part of the
pool of clergy available for appointment July 1. Following a Saturday clergy
session, he reported that a complaint had been filed against Steen and that ,
the cabinet began the process of placing Steen on an involuntary leave of
absence, removing “her” from the pool of clergy currently available for
appointment. Conference members also: 1) approved a $15.4 million conference
budget for 2003, representing a 5.9% increase; 2) celebrated the quick response
of the conference disaster team, the outpouring of Volunteers in Mission, and
gifts of more than $100,000 to assist in recovery from the April tornado that
struck La Plata and other Maryland communities; 3) voted to implement a
provision in the Book of Discipline that allows a conference to require all
churches receiving no new members by profession of faith to appear before an
appropriate agency to make explanation; and 4) received offerings to support
Russia's first UM seminary, hunger relief efforts in Zimbabwe, and conference
new church starts. The Rev. William Willimon preached an ordination service.
Membership is 206,830, down 1,126.
- Dean J. Snyder, as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25; and
July 19, 2002; Vol.30, No.29.
Central
Pennsylvania met at Messiah. Presiding Bishop Neil
Irons led conference members in Bible study on two mornings based on the Book
of Revelation. Conference members: 1) unanimously approved the purchase of a
48,000 square-foot building to serve as a center for mission outreach and
disaster response for the conference; 2) voted to oppose the expansion of
legalized gambling; 3) defeated a resolution calling for the closing of the UM
Lobby Office; 4) defeated a resolution calling on conference churches to
observe an annual HIV/AIDS Awareness Sunday; and 5) adopted an $11,054,869 plan
for funding ministry calling for 4.5% increase in total Conference Shares of
Ministry. Membership is 157,916, down 1,863. - Skip Spangler, as reported in Newscope; June 28, 2002; Vol.30, No.26.
Dakotas
met in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The conference's Futures Task Force presented
its report urging greater communication with local congregations, affirmed
support of each congregation wishing to be in ministry, and urged the
continuation of creative models of pastoral leadership. No district
superintendent was appointed to the NE district for 2002-2003 conference year.
Conference members: 1) approved a budget for 2003 that represents a 7.6%
increase, and discussion of the budget included a limitation of funding of the
Director of Mission Engagement only through June of 2003; and 2) approved a
proposed structure and process for capital development initiatives under the
Dakotas UM Foundation. Membership is 45,293, down 917. - Randy Cross, as
reported in Newscope; June 28, 2002;
Vol.30, No.26.
Florida.
Bishop Timothy Whitaker presided. The 986 lay and 958 clergy members voted
nearly unanimously to approve two new conference ministries: The new Office of
Congregational Transformation will take the responsibilities of church
redevelopment from the Committee on New Church Development and Church
Redevelopment, and it will also assume the responsibilities of Operation
Evangelization, a ministry focusing on reaching new people. Members also
approved a new Conference Table that will meet on an as-needed basis to discuss
matters of strategic importance to the conference. The conference held a
service of Repentance and Reconciliation for Racism, with East Ohio Area Bishop
Jonathon D. Keaton sharing the history of American Methodism and the
participation of African Americans. Conference members adopted resolutions: 1)
calling for the Florida legislature to provide DNA testing to convicts who
believe it will prove their innocence; 2) calling for increased sales tax on
cigarettes and other tobacco products to help combat use of those products by
teens; 3) supporting any referendum effort to curtail or eliminate
environmental tobacco smoke; 4)opposing Internet gambling; 5) calling the
Florida Conference to pray for peace, especially for people involved in
conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East; and 6) approving an $18,031,535
conference budget for 2003, a 3.85% increase over 2002. Membership is 334,053,
down 1,185. - Mike Wacht, as reported
in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30,
No.25.
Holston,
representing the 931 congregations in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and
North Georgia, met at Lake
Junaluska, NC. Bishop Ray W. Chamberlain Jr. presided, challenging church
leaders to reflect the light of Jesus Christ by accepting pastors regardless of
gender or race and welcoming homosexuals in the pews. Conference members: 1)
approved a $15.66 million budget; 2) shipped supply kits collected by local
churches valued at $161,035 to needy children in Zimbabwe and Liberia; and 3)
took special offerings to benefit needy children in Africa and within Holston
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($39,725), to offset conference costs ($5,290),
and to be presented as a gift to the Cuba Annual Conference by Bishop
Chamberlain when he preached there the week of June 17 ($9,000). Membership is
169,339, down 1,507.
- Annette Bender, as
reported in Newscope; June 28, 2002;
Vol.30, No.26.
Illinois
Great Rivers. Met in Peoria, IL. Bishop Sharon A.
Brown Christopher led the people in prayer, singing, worship dialogue, Bible
study, polity decisions, and community formation. Worship was led by and held
in a variety of languages and cultures, helping all to see the great diversity
in our communities and in the church. Conference members: 1) recognized and
remembered 20 churches that discontinued services the past year; 2) authorized
the Episcopal Residence Committee to secure plans to be presented in 2003 for
the building of a new episcopal residence; 3) learned that construction of a
new UM Center in Springfield, costing approximately $5.2 million, will begin
soon; 4) approved a resolution on "Christian Healing Ministries" for "persons
struggling with homosexuality," asking local churches to "reach out
with love and support to all those persons involved in homosexual practice,
offering God's love and acceptance, leading to repentance, forgiveness,
restoration, and healing"; 5) took a written ballot on a "Resolution
Affirming the General Board of Church and Society," which failed 317-422
after much discussion about the statements made by the agency following
September 11; 6) approved resolutions "Against All Forms of Gambling"
and "Against the Expansion of Gambling," which will be communicated
to the Illinois legislature, the governor of Illinois, and the president of the
United States; and 7) adopted a 2003
budget of $16,640,825, a 3.02% increase. Membership is 164,495, down 4,141.
- Paul Widicus , as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25.
Iowa
met at the Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames. For the first time the
plenary sessions of the conference were translated simultaneously into Korean
and Spanish. Also highlighted in a special service of worship was the
conference's partnership with the UMC of Nigeria and the denominational
commitment to Africa University. An offering was also collected for the
Bishop's Initiative: Hope for the Children of Africa. Conference members: 1)
voted to continue the position of Conference Justice Advocate for the
conference; 2) increased the minimum base compensation for clergy in full
connection with the annual conference by $525 per year; 3) voted to purchase
land and develop a new conference center to be completed by 2005 when the lease
on current facilities expires; 4) approved the development of conversation /
study materials on homosexuality and the church as presented this coming fall
in consultation with CUIC; and 5) increased the operating budget of the annual
conference by 4%. Membership is 199,534, down 1,009.
- Kristin Knudson Harris, as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25.
Kansas
East was held on the campus of UM-related Baker
University in Baldwin City with Bishop Fritz Mutti presiding. Conference
members struggled with the issue of clergy confidentiality, particularly as it
related to abuse of children and other vulnerable people. Conference members:
1) defeated two separate petitions that sought to establish an apportioned fund
for conference minimum clergy salaries and benefits; 2) celebrated the growing
Hispanic ministry in the conference and enjoyed a demonstration of Hispanic
worship music led by Hector and Sherri Sanchez of Emporia, Samuel Castro of
Topeka, and the members of the Hispanic congregation at Central UMC in Kansas
City; 3) approved capital campaigns for UM Homes, Inc., and Camp Chippewa; and
4) approved a 2003 budget of $4.47 million. A new church start, Faith UMC, in
Shawnee was lifted in prayer. Membership is 76,706, up 3,283.
-
Karen Robertson, as reported in Newscope; June 28, 2002; Vol.30, No.26.
Louisiana met at Centenary
College in Shreveport. Bishop William W. Hutchinson presided. Louisiana UMs
welcomed keynote preacher Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, retired bishop and
Louisiana native. Global efforts of the conference were shared through reports
from Encounter with Christ in Latin America; a video presentation featuring the
dedication of First UMC, Ekaterinburg, Russia; and a video highlighting the
efforts of Louisiana Volunteers in Mission ministry throughout the world.
Conference members: 1) celebrated their continued support of Hispanic
Ministries, conference-related institutions, Shalom Zones, and a new Vietnamese
ministry in Baton Rouge; 2) adopted a resolution to hold their annual
conference in a South Louisiana venue once every four years; 3) called for a
special session of the conference to be held in January 2003 to study and
address the effectiveness of the current number of districts in the conference;
4) recognized the 100th anniversary of Goodwill Industries and celebrated with
a presentation by Jessie Schmidt, Shreveport; and 5) held the first annual
"Walk for Missions," benefiting Hispanic Ministries, at the Centenary
Fitness Center as members walked laps in an effort to raise funds. No new
churches were started in 2001, but two have begun in the first half of 2002:
Hope Community in the Baton Rouge District and an as yet unnamed congregation
in the Acadiana District. Membership is 126,664, down 782. - Betty Backstrom, as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25.
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Memphis met in Paducah, KY. An offering of over
$55,000 was collected to support the feeding program in Kamina in North
Katanga. Bishop Nkulu Ntambo, leader of the North Katanga Area, said the
partnership has given his people hope and dignity. Ntambo preached the opening
Sunday evening worship service, saying, "The Memphis Conference has given
us hope, freedom, and dignity and has challenged us to be responsible."
Conference members opposed the institution of a lottery in Tennessee and
[resolved to] prevent the expansion of legalized gambling in Kentucky. Rev. Tom
Grey, executive director of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling,
called upon the conference to educate and mobilize the voters of both states.
Conference members: 1) established covenant relationships between the
conference and two new agencies, Hannah's Hope Inc. and Western Kentucky UM
Family Services; 2) adopted a resolution written in response to the September
11 terrorist attack, encouraging clergy and leaders within the conference to
enter into dialogue on war and peace, church and state, and related matters and
to offer balanced biblical teachings that "have led some Christians to
embrace the just war tradition and some Christians to embrace principled
pacifism"; 3) heard Bishop William Morris rule out of order a resolution
proposing that all members seeking to represent the conference at General or
Jurisdictional Conferences be required to state their positions on
controversial issues; 4) heard Bishop Morris declare September to be Open House
Month, and [heard him] ask each congregation to set aside Sunday, September 8,
2002, for "Remembering 9/11" services; 5) adopted a $9.6 million
budget, an increase of 4.22%; and 6) learned that an African American pastor
was assigned to a church in Western Kentucky for the first time in the history
of the conference. Membership is 91,382, down 429. - Cathy Farmer, as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25.
Missouri
East. After a long day of proposed amendments and
debate, the two Missouri UM Conferences voted to unite January 1, 2003. The
vote in Missouri East was 382 for and 220 against; in the Missouri West
Conference, it was 360 for and 308 against. A mixture of extended debate over
some issues and speedy disposal of others led the Missouri East Conference
session up to the morning of June 3, culminating in a joint session with the
Missouri West Conference when the vote was taken. Three hours on the opening
day of the Missouri East Conference were spent clarifying apportionments,
direct billing for health insurance, and other clergy support issues.
Consideration of the 2003 budget brought impassioned discussion on goals versus
apportionments. Membership is 73,788, down 577.
-
Dulci McCoy, as reported in Newscope;
June 28, 2002; Vol.30, No.26.
Nebraska.
The conference event moved to downtown Lincoln . Conference members: 1)
approved a study committee regarding restrictive immigration policy; 2)
approved a resolution that pastors and laity support alternatives to war; 3)
approved a resolution promoting adoption; 4) called for the abolition of the
death penalty; 5) opposed expanding gambling through a possible ballot
referendum in November; 6) called for lifting the US embargo of Cuba; 7)
collected offerings and donations totaling nearly $8,000 to benefit the
Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty in Nebraska, a local homeless
shelter, the Youth Service Fund, the Nigeria/Nebraska Partnership orphanage,
and Nebraska rural response; and 8) accepted the recommendation of the
Conference Council on Finance and Administration for a zero growth budget of
$6,478,434. Membership is 92,196, down 2,197.
- Cheryl Hahs Edwards, as reported in Newscope; June 28, 2002; Vol.30, No.26.
New
York. The opening night of the conference included
"September 11th: In Their Own Words," a dramatic presentation created
and performed by members of the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew located on
the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The script consisted entirely of the actual
words of those involved in the tragedy or its immediate aftermath. In the
opening, "Morning Has Broken" was heard. The singing of Carly Simon's
"Let the River Run" closed the performance to grateful and sometimes
tearful applause. Trustee president Robert Dutton congratulated the conference
on the establishment and completion of the new UM Center in White Plains, where
the conference offices are now. Presiding Bishop Ernest Lyght's address to the
conference reflected on the need for growth and concern for several
areas of conference life. He spoke of the carefully developed plan of the
denomination for handling questions of sexual misconduct by clergy, of the need
for safe sanctuary for children, and of the work of the sexuality task force.
Conference members: 1) adopted a budget of $8,388,625, a 1.3% increase; and 2)
approved a provision for health insurance that includes the need for pastors to
pay a portion of the premiums and, for the first time, requires that retirees
pay 20% of their health care premiums. Membership is 135,059, down 4,594.
- Donald E. Collier,
as reported in Newscope; June 28, 2002;
Vol.30, No.26; and July 19, 2002; Vol.30, No.29.
North
Alabama met on
the campus of Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, and the city at the
heart of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s became a place of
reconciliation. Conference members joined together for a Prayer
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Service of Repentance and Racial Reconciliation
and Celebration of Holy Communion that featured testimonies from African
American conference members and included video accounts of the racist past of
Alabama and the UMC. Bishop Robert E. Fannin preached a sermon entitled
"All Hearts Beat the Same." Conference members: 1) packed UMCOR
health kits to be sent to refugees in Afghanistan; 2) attended workshops to
equip their churches in many areas of ministry; 3) passed a $11,289,549 budget;
4) heard the conference will plant three new churches in the next year,
including a Hispanic congregation; 5) passed a resolution for the bishop and
cabinet to assign a Child Abuse Prevention Task Force to draft a Child
Protection Policy; 6) defeated a resolution critical of an opinion that Alabama
Chief Justice Roy Moore had written in response to a child custody case
involving a homosexual parent; and 7) celebrated the announcement that the
General Board of Global Ministries' Global Gathering event will be hosted in
Birmingham in April 2003. Membership is 159,730, down 1,042. - Danette Clifton, as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25.
North
Arkansas met at
Hendrix College in Conway; delved into a proposed Plan of Union for the Little
Rock and North Arkansas Annual Conferences. The proposed new Arkansas
Conference will encompass the entire state of Arkansas and contain nearly
143,000 lay members and 600 active pastors serving more than 700 churches.
Presiding Bishop Janice Riggle Huie preached for the Service of Ordination and Commissioning. Conference
members: 1) affirmed the UM position on family, marriage, divorce, single
persons, men, and women; 2) condemned all forms of religious persecution and
affirmed the church's position on the rights of religious minorities; 3)
expressed support for UM cooperation with Roman Catholics, Evangelicals,
Pentecostals, and other Christians; and 4) called for the formation of a
conference task force that will strive to eradicate hunger in Arkansas.
Membership is 80,271, up 1,821.
- -
Jane Dennis, as reported in Newscope;
June 28, 2002; Vol.30, No.26.
North
Carolina met under the theme "Come to the
Water...Precious Fountain, Healing Stream" with Bishop Marion Edwards
presiding. Bishop Ricardo Pereira Diaz, Methodist Church of Cuba, and Cuban
choir Monte de Sion, through preaching and singing, demonstrated God's presence
and ministry outside the conference. Missions in and outside the
conference were highlighted, including Disciple Bible Outreach, ministries to
children and others in poverty, local church sponsorship and support of local
public schools, and conference ministries in Armenia, Peru, Liberia, Russia,
and Angola. Bishop Edwards and the disaster recovery committee were each
presented "The Order of the Long Leaf Pine," the highest award for
service given by the governor of North Carolina, for work done in the aftermath
of Hurricane Floyd. Repentance and Reconciliation emphasis was continued with
historical vignettes of Richard Allen, Bishop Hood, and the establishment of
the Central Jurisdiction. Conference members: 1) voted to purchase 14.5 acres
of land for a new conference center; 2) approved a $16.5 million budget, a
5.39% increase over last year; 3) accepted a 16% increase in health premiums
with CIGNA; 4) witnessed the presentation of the Lay Ministry of the Year award
to the Bolivia Lay Ministry Outreach of Prospect UMC; and 5) heard Bishop
Edwards declare September as "United Methodist Open House Month" as
he asked each congregation to set aside September 8 for "Remembering
9/11" services. Conference members by a 23-vote margin, decided to restore
$16,000 in the conference budget for the North Carolina Council of Churches.
The funds were originally removed when the
Metropolitan Community Churches was admitted to the council. Members also
postponed indefinitely a resolution called “Freedom God Gives” which dealt with
the freedom God gives to resist sin and bring unhealthy appetites under
control. Membership is 230,836, up 1,896.
- Bill Norton, as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25; and
Annual Conference Reports on the Internet.
Peninsula-Delaware
met in Dover. The conference recognized the 100th Anniversary of Goodwill
Industries
and greeted Fonda Holland, local representative for the organization. The
Bishop's Summit Report was presented by presiding Bishop Peter D. Weaver and
other members of the task force, who highlighted stewardship, budget and
funding, and future challenges. New Church Initiatives were highlighted with
testimonies and a video presentation. Conference members: 1) approved a 2003
budget of $5,269,548, a decrease of 0.54%; 2) participated in a Service of
Repentance and Reconciliation; 3) approved resolutions for funding health
insurance cost increases and self-funding of the comprehensive major medical
program; and 4) celebrated one new church start, Connection Community Church in
the Wilmington District. Membership is 95,866, down 193.
-
Tamara Ward, as reported in Newscope;
June 28, 2002; Vol.30, No.26.
South
Georgia met in Albany. Bishop Marion Edwards of North
Carolina returned to his home conference to preach and to promote [the] Russia
Theological Seminary. In response, South Georgians contributed $52,218. James
Winkler, head of the General Board of Church and Society, addressed the
conference and spoke at a luncheon as part of his effort to
5
build bridges between church members and the
board. Conference members: 1) passed a resolution urging the state of Georgia
to provide greater financial support for children placed in its care who are
assigned to non-profit agencies; 2) asked the 2004 General Conference to review
the financial status of the National Council of Churches and, if necessary, to
work toward "creating a new agency for the expression of our
denomination's historic commitment to Christian unity"; 3) approved a
budget of $10.3 million; and 4) learned the conference will focus on the Humble
Way Project in Mukono, Uganda, as part of its emphasis on children and poverty.
Membership is 141,974, down 320.
- Alice Smith, as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25.
Southwest
Texas met in Corpus Christi under the theme of
"Building Bridges-Making Disciples: Repentance, Forgiveness, Grace."
Rev. Zan W. Holmes of Dallas brought conference members to their feet May 31
during the service of Repentance and Reconciliation with a challenge to return
to the site of their failures. The service kicked off a 12-month campaign
across Southwest Texas to promote repentance and reconciliation in local
congregations. Conference members: 1) authorized Bishop Joel Martinez to name a
conference-level Hispanic ministry task force and empower it
to draft a comprehensive plan for Hispanic ministry in Southwest Texas; 2)
supported the recommendation of St. Paul UMC, San Antonio--the oldest
historically black congregation in Southwest Texas--as a UM historic site 3)
approved a resolution from the Board of Church and Society asking the 2004
General Conference to designate 2005-2008 as a time to study the Social
Principles; 4) defeated, after extended debate, a motion to cap salary and
benefits for district superintendents at $84,974-the 2002 level-and approved
total compensation of $88,133 for 2003; and 5) adopted a $7.51 million budget
for 2003, a 6.3% increase over the 2002 budget. Membership is 120,853, up
1,383.
- Douglas Cannon, as reported in Newscope; June 21, 2002; Vol.30, No.25.
Texas
met at Houston's First UMC Downtown Campus and the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Bishop
Alfred L. Norris challenged members of the conference with his vision for
"Replicating the Kingdom of God." Conference members: 1) approved an
expansion and renovation of the UM Center, which will add a third floor to the
building at a cost of $2.2 million; 2) learned of the launch of a national
Internet Service Provider, UMCMail; and 3) heard Bishop Norris welcome Truc
Nguyen as the New Asian Ministries coordinator. Membership is 285,237, up
2,892.
- Nicole Benson, as
reported in Newscope; June 28, 2002;
Vol.30, No.26.
West
Virginia launched a $5 million campaign for new church
development, leadership training for lay and clergy, mission projects, and a
retirement community founded by the conference in 1968. In its 2003 $11.2
million budget, the conference included $40,000 to be used to provide grants
for needy pastors and their families. Worship services during the conference
session followed the theme of repentance for racism. Conference members: 1)
celebrated the ministry of small churches; 2) lamented a critical shortage of
ordained elders; 3) approved a resolution pledging to actively recognize and
resolve cases of sexual abuse by clergy; and 4) approved resolutions
criticizing cuts in state programs that serve poor families, and supporting the
efforts of American Indians and Alaska natives to protect the sovereignty over
their land. Membership is 110,634, down 2,388. - Tom Burger, as reported in Newscope; June 28, 2002; Vol.30, No.26.
Western
North Carolina met at Lake Junaluska. Presiding Bishop
Charlene P. Kammerer preached and welcomed more than 2,900 members, guests, and
friends of the conference. During plenary sessions, two items garnered the most
discussion: the conference per diem and the Middle East. Members approved a
budget totaling $20.1 million. Rev. William C. "Bill" Wyman,
conference treasurer, reported that the local churches paid 97% of apportioned
funds in 2001 and had accepted 99% of the apportionments for 2002. Conference
members: 1) approved a petition supporting the recent Council of Bishops'
statement on the Middle East, calling for an immediate cease-fire in Israel and
the Palestinian territories, criticizing both sides for using violence against
civilians, urging the US government to make peace efforts in the region
"the highest priority," and reaffirming the "right of the
peoples of Palestine and Israel to live within nations which have safe and
secure borders"; and 2) approved a petition in opposition to a state
lottery which also urges UM congregations not to accept gifts or donations that
come from lottery winnings. Membership is 291,727, up 243.
-
Dawn Hand, as reported in Newscope; June
28, 2002; Vol.30, No.26.
*
* * * *
Relationships don’t thrive because the guilty are punished
but because the innocent are merciful.
- Max Lucado in
“A Palm full of Mercy”
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