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Annual conferences focus
on starting new churches
By Linda Green

Concerns over shrinking United Methodist membership in most of the church's regional U.S. jurisdictions-and strategies for reversing those overall trends-were pervasive as the denomination's annual conferences convened in 2007.

Sixty-three U.S. conferences met during May and June as lay and clergy representatives from local churches gathered to approve regional budgets, speak on social and theological issues, establish conference programs, and address administrative and stewardship matters. They also elected most of the 992 clergy and lay delegates that will attend the 2008 General Conference, the top lawmaking body of The United Methodist Church that meets once every four years and will convene next spring in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sixty-six United Methodist conferences outside of the United States meet annually as well, but not always during May and June.

The issue of church growth was frequently addressed-consistent with the denomination's plan to make building and revitalizing congregations one of its four areas of emphasis at the dawn of the 21st century. The United Methodist Church has more than 8 million members in the United States and 11.5 million members worldwide.

In all, at least 32 annual conferences celebrated plans to start new churches and revitalize and redevelop existing ones. At least 13 began campaigns to support camping and campus ministry or received reports about campaigns and efforts under way.

The meetings also included celebrations of new church growth and updates on initiatives already in place. The Florida Annual Conference celebrated the launch of nine churches in 2006 and 10 new churches in 2007. The conference has a goal of 23 new church starts by the end of 2007. Since 1995, Florida has created 86 new churches-56 percent of which are congregations with racial, ethnic, or language diversity.

Much United Methodist growth in recent years has been in Africa. The North Katanga Conference in the Democratic Republic of Congo reports starting 150 new congregations in the past year.

In addition to new church starts, 11 annual conferences celebrated growth in membership through profession of faith, baptism, or transfer of membership.

Central Texas celebrated its 33rd consecutive year of growth, and Alabama-West Florida celebrated 27 straight years of growth.

Global connections
Members of the Florida Annual Conference celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Cuba-Florida Covenant, signed in June 1997. Members of more than 140 Florida churches have participated in the covenant, including traveling to Cuba to serve and worship there, connecting with about two-thirds of the approximately 230 Cuban Methodist churches.

Seven annual conferences called for continuation of the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino/a Ministries and also passed resolutions related to Hispanic ministries within their boundaries.

Eight annual conferences addressed immigration and immigration reform in the United States.

Resolutions and petitions
Much of the annual conference business was directed toward gearing up for next year's General Conference meeting. 

Twenty-two annual U.S. conferences noted their support of or opposition to Judicial Council Decision 1032, which gave United Methodist pastors the authority to determine a person's readiness for church membership. The 2005 ruling was prompted by a Virginia pastor's refusal to allow a homosexual man into church membership.

Twelve annual conferences passed resolutions regarding issues surrounding sexuality, homosexuality, same-sex, and civil unions.

Western North Carolina and Troy approved legislation allowing United Methodist clergy to participate in homosexual unions and giving them permission to bless whatever marriage arrangements are legal in their states.

New York forwarded two resolutions to General Conference calling for equal rights for all people regardless of sexual orientation and that transfer of membership from another denomination is not subject to evaluation by the pastor but by an appropriate letter of transfer. Another resolution called for acceptance of the declaration of faith from any person seeking membership in The United Methodist Church. North Texas adopted a resolution challenging Judicial Council's 1031 decision, declaring that "it misinterprets the authority of clergy in deciding who will be received into membership."

Arkansas United Methodists adopted a resolution calling the denomination to "a renewed commitment to the Doctrinal Standards and Discipline" while urging General Conference to maintain current language regarding human sexuality, marriage, and pastoral authority.

Baltimore-Washington United Methodists voted down proposals to petition General Conference to delete from the Book of Discipline the church's position that "the United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice to be incompatible with Christian teaching."

International issues
Twelve annual conferences adopted resolutions on the Iraq War, two approved legislation in opposition to conflict with Iran, two approved action on issues related to Israel and Palestine, four conferences took action about the war and violence in Sudan, and two approved positions about continuing to hold prisoners "hostage" at Guantanamo Bay. Ten annual conferences adopted petitions and resolutions on peacemaking.

Iowa conference members approved a resolution calling for "the United States to remove all troops as soon as logistically practical and to relinquish all military bases on Iraqi soil." A similar resolution from North Alabama calls on U.S. leaders "to use all of the diplomatic, economic, and political resources available to assist the people of Iraq in restoring order and justice to their land."

Conference members in West Ohio supported a resolution to end the U.S. military presence in Iraq and promote the efforts of military chaplains, especially United Methodist clergy who minister to the military.

Western Pennsylvania defeated a resolution calling for a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq. While North Carolina United Methodists defeated a resolution opposing the war in Iraq, the conference passed a motion to pray for peace and healing of all people affected by the conflict and to minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of soldiers, veterans, and their families.

Peninsula-Delaware United Methodists approved September 2 as a day of prayer for peace and for the armed forces, chaplains, advisors, and support staff, including families who have lost loved ones in service.

Oklahoma United Methodists approved a resolution opposing torture and urging adherence to the principles of the Geneva Conventions, but they opposed a proposal seeking to establish a U.S. department of peace and nonviolence.

Support of a "roadmap for peace" in the Middle East was approved by Tennessee. Focusing on Sudan and Israel, Oregon-Idaho is petitioning General Conference to "divest of companies that harm Palestinians and exacerbate the Sudan crisis."

The Greater New Jersey Conference passed a resolution declaring itself an "abolitionist conference" in response to the "growing evil of global slavery." A petition to General Conference asks that the church declare itself an "abolitionist denomination" and calls on companies to certify themselves to be "slavery free."

Around the nation, annual conferences also ordained clergy, licensed local pastors, and commissioned others; conducted memorial services; presented awards to churches and individuals for outstanding service; awarded scholarships; commissioned missionaries; conducted Bible studies; and participated in service activities to help the poor and hungry.

Linda Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. This story was compiled from annual conference reports.

 

Holsinger faces challenges on
United Methodist involvement
by John Lomperis

On July 12, a U.S. Senate committee held its first hearing on President Bush's nomination of Dr. James W. Holsinger to be U.S. Surgeon General. Homosexual groups have condemned Holsinger for his leadership in the United Methodist Church, which officially disapproves of homosexual practice.

In his opening statement, Holsinger acknowledged that "questions have been raised about my faith" and "about my commitment to the health and well-being of all Americans, including gay and lesbian Americans." He shared that he was "deeply troubled" by such attacks, "because I don't feel that they represent who I am, what I believe, or how I've practiced medicine for the last 40 years." 

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), committee chair, devoted over half of his opening statement to Holsinger's opposition to the pro-homosexuality movement within United Methodism. Kennedy insisted that the next surgeon general needed to be someone "who can be trusted by all."

Kennedy focused on a 6-page paper that Holsinger wrote in 1991 for a United Methodist task force to study homosexuality. The paper detailed some particular health risks associated with male homosexual practice and stressed the obvious fact of the "fully complementary" nature of the "structure and function of the male and female human reproductive systems."

Decrying Holsinger's paper as seriously "flawed," Kennedy alleged that Holsinger had "let his ideological beliefs cloud his scientific judgment." The paper advanced "a viewpoint" on homosexuality that was very "troublesome" to Kennedy. He twice demanded to know if Holsinger's views on homosexuality today were the same as when he wrote the paper supporting "his thesis that homosexuality is unhealthy and unnatural."

Holsinger stressed that it was never intended to be "a definitive scientific paper" but was rather an assignment to address very specific issues about homosexuality for "a lay audience of theologians, biblical scholars, pastors, and Christian ethicists." That is why the scientific literature cited was not as wide as Kennedy would have liked, he explained.

Because of its context and audience, Holsinger stressed that the paper should not be taken as representative of scientific writings. He said he did not cite some more pro-homosexuality scientific journal articles, as Kennedy suggested, because "much of that information had already been presented in previous papers and in previous discussion" of the church committee.

Holsinger sidestepped directly stating his current views on homosexual practice. "I don't even think the same questions are generally being asked today as they were 20 years ago," he said in apparent reference to developments in the study of public health issues facing homosexuals.

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was much broader in his allusion to Dr. Holsinger's "past statements on homosexuality." Citing them and reporting that fifty gay Arabic translators had been dismissed from the military, Brown asked, "What do you see as a greater threat to the health and safety of Americans, untranslated documents and intercepts from al-Qaeda or gay people?"

Holsinger replied that he believes that the U.S. military should have the translators it needs.

Holsinger strongly pledged to continue his commitment to serve and to value the "essential humanity" of all people "regardless of their personal circumstances or sexual orientation." Despite "intense political pressure" he reported having "fought furiously" to defend a session on lesbian health issues at a women's health conference in 2002, when he was Chancellor of the University of Kentucky Medical Center.  He stressed that as a physician, he was bound to never "do anything that would be inimical to the health of anyone."

Holsinger's nomination is strongly supported by both of his home state Senators, the Kentucky Medical Association, the Kentucky Hospital Association, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, and the officers of the World Methodist Council.

John Lomperis is research assistant for UMAction in Washington, D.C.

 

Good News Board has conversation
with Bishops Jones and Dyck

The board of directors of Good News held its semi-annual meeting on the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, July 25-27 and engaged in an unprecedented dialogue with two active United Methodist bishops: Bishop Scott Jones (Kansas Area) and Bishop Sally Dyck (Minnesota Area).

"Our three-hour off-the-record conversation with the bishops was a first for the Good News board," said the Rev. Tom Lambrecht, pastor at Faith Community United Methodist Church in Greenville, WI, and chairman of the Good News board. "Our exchange was an in-depth time of conversation with the bishops. It was candid, cordial, and honest-dealing with a number of the critical issues facing the denomination. We felt our concerns were heard. It was a profitable time and we hope it might be the beginning of more conversations with members of the Council of Bishops," Lambrecht said.

At an evening banquet, attended by board members, spouses, and friends from the area, Bishops Jones and Dyck shared the vision of the Council of Bishops for renewal and revitalization of the denomination through the Council's Seven Vision Pathways, which has been condensed into four Action Goals.

"We were encouraged to hear the bishops express their commitment to lead the church 'To Live the UnitedMethodist Way.' This is simply Wesley's vision of being a Christian, and that is an evangelical and orthodox vision," said James V. Heidinger II, president and publisher of Good News. "This is something Good News can and will affirm," he said "along with the other three Action Goals: starting new churches, reaching out to children, and working to help stamp out malaria and HIV/AIDS."

National conference
The Good News board also heard plans for a national conference for General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates to be held October 26-27 at Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis. With the theme "A Hope and a Future Through our Wesleyan Heritage," the conference is sponsored by the 2008 Renewal and Reform Coalition, which includes the Confessing Movement, Good News/Renew, LifeWatch, Transforming Congregations, and UMAction.

An Invitation Committee will soon be sending letters of invitation to all newly-elected General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates. That committee includes: Maxie Dunnam, Bill Bouknight, John Ed Mathison, Joy Moore, Gloria Brooks, and Tom Lambrecht.

Fenton on board
The Good News board also heard news that the Rev. Walter B. Fenton, a clergy member of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, has received an extension appointment from Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar to serve as Good News' Director of Development and Networking.

Fenton has served three churches in the Detroit and Greater New Jersey Annual Conferences since being ordained a Deacon in 1996 and an Elder in 1998. He is a graduate of Greenville College, Yale Divinity School, and Vanderbilt Graduate School of Religion.

"Over the past year I have had the opportunity to work for Good News half time while also serving on staff at Princeton United Methodist Church in Princeton, New Jersey," said Fenton. "I am looking forward to working full time for Good News.  For some time I have appreciated the organization's vision for renewal and reform, so I am pleased to be serving the denomination in this new capacity."

Fenton will be working with annual conference renewal and reform groups and local churches, as well as building support for Good News. He will continue to live in Princeton, New Jersey with his wife Eileen. Fenton can be reached via email at wbfenton@goodnewsmag.org or by calling (609) 497-6383 or (609) 651-6090.

Good News Media Service

 

Worldwide Methodism grows by
one million per year
by Jim Nelson

They came from Asia and Europe, from Africa, Australia, and from North and South America. They were the 250 delegates from 62 different countries who gathered at the Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center outside of Atlanta June 19-27, for the Eighth International Evangelism Seminar sponsored by the World Methodist Evangelism Institute. They attended plenary sessions, Discover Sessions, participated in an outreach ministry, and spoke at churches throughout Georgia.

The World Evangelism Division of the World Methodist Council links together 76 million people from 135 countries who are all part of the Wesleyan/Methodist Family. Their vision is "To see the Methodist Movement alive, vibrant, growing and yearning to spread the good news of Christ Jesus throughout the whole world through word, deed, and sign." Through their efforts they have been able to grow the World Methodist family by over one million souls a year.

In the opening plenary session, Dr. Eddie Fox, executive director for the World Methodist Evangelism, and the World Methodist Evangelism Institute, reminded the assembly, "we are followers of Jesus Christ in the company of the Wesleys: John, Charles and Susanna." He then quoted John Wesley, who in 1786 said, "I do not fear that the people called Methodist shall ever cease to exist either in Europe or the Americas. I only fear that they shall exist as a dead sect having the form of religion, but not the power thereof, and that undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast to the doctrine, spirit and discipline with which they first set out."

Fox explained that we must hold fast to the doctrine or the sound teachings, which comprise the essentials of the faith. That we must hold fast to the discipline, or the way we order our lives. And, we must hold fast to the Spirit, the giver of life. "If there is no Spirit," he said, "there is no power. If there is no power, there is no witness. If there is no witness, there is no conversion. And, if there is no conversion, there is no living missionary church." As Wesley said, we must not allow ourselves to become a "dead sect having the form of religion, but not the power thereof.."

Church growth in the U.S.
North Georgia Bishop Lindsey Davis spoke to the group in his capacity as part of a planning team within the Council of Bishops focused on planting new churches. Davis said that even though worldwide Methodism may be growing by one million per year, the United Methodist Church is not doing as well here in the United States. He stated that people are looking for answers to spiritual questions, but do not think our church can address their needs. "People do not see the connection between their faith journey and what we are doing at church," he said, adding, "especially young people."

Davis quoted a study that found less than 20 percent of children today have any spiritual teaching at home or in a church; they do not know the Bible nor any of the biblical stories. Another study he quoted claimed that only 7 percent of the population is in church on any given Sunday. To address that situation, the Council of Bishops' Planning Team has set a goal of planting 365 new churches every year.

To accomplish that, the United Methodist Church needs to create a network of church planters: people with leadership DNA and the necessary passion and skills to be successful at reaching new people. The bishops are putting together a national strategy since it may require making appointments across jurisdictional lines.

Celebrating 25 years
The seminar included a banquet celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute. The banquet was held at the Emory Conference Center, at Emory University. In 1981 the World Methodist Council, at its meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, voted to establish the World Methodist Evangelism Institute as a ministry of the World Evangelism Division of the World Methodist Council and Candler School of Theology, Emory University. A year later they held their first seminar.

Several of the speakers participated in that first seminar, and have been associated with the institute ever since. Consequently, they were able to relate a first hand history of the institute from its beginning through today. Then several of the current leaders of the Institute from around the world spoke of the great works they continue to do. Bishop H. Mvume Dandala, General Secretary of the All Africa Council of Churches, summed it up best when he said, "there is nothing better than knowing as an evangelist in your part of the world, that you stand with others around the world who share a common faith, and who work together."

As with any banquet, several awards were presented. Dr. Maxie Dunnam, Past Chair World Methodist Evangelism, was recognized for his years of service and dedication to evangelism. In presenting the award, Eddie Fox said they were giving him a crystal globe, "because he helped us all to see the world more clearly."

Dr. Winston O.R. Worrell, Director World Methodist Evangelism Institute, was also recognized for his tenure as Director and his dedication to the institute.

At the end of the seminar the participants returned to their countries filled with excitement and a renewed commitment to fulfill the mission of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute, "That the World May Know Jesus Christ!"

Jim Nelson is the editor of the Wesleyan Christian Advocate. Reprinted by permission of the Wesleyan Christian Advocate, Stone Mountain, Georgia.

 

Amazing Grace
How a movie intends on shining a bright light on slavery

By Steve Beard

If you've seen the movie Crash, there is a scene where Anthony, a car thief, discovers a van with the keys dangling in the driver's door. Since no one is around, he hops in and drives to a chop shop to sell off the parts. When they open up the back of the van, Anthony and the shop owner are startled to find a dozen Asian men, women, and children. In stunning immediacy, the shop owner offers Anthony $500 for each one without a tinge of reluctance-haggling for humans like used auto parts.

As the 2006 Academy Award-winning morality tale, Crash is loaded with gut-wrenching scenes meant to prick our racial prejudices and stereotypes. The chop shop scene came to mind while viewing Amazing Grace, a film about British abolitionist William Wilberforce (1759-1833). Available now on DVD, the movie's release was timed to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in England. At that time, the British Empire was heavily dependent upon the slave trade and Wilberforce dedicated his entire life to fighting the injustice.

Played by Ioan Gruffudd (King Arthur, Fantastic Four), Wilberforce was idealistic, compassionate, eloquent, and tenacious. Being the heir to a sizable fortune, he was elected to parliament at 23 years old (his boyhood friend was William Pitt, the youngest Prime Minister). After experiencing a dramatic spiritual conversion a few years later, Wilberforce struggled with his "secular" political vocation. He was not convinced that he could serve God and Parliament at the same time.

Wilberforce was ready to call it quits until he met John Newton (Albert Finney), a former slave ship captain and author of the beloved hymn "Amazing Grace" (thus the title of the film). First seen mopping the floor of a sanctuary in sackcloth, Newton is able to convince Wilberforce that combating slavery would be doing the work of heaven. "The principles of Christianity require action as well as meditation," says Newton.

In their actual historic meeting, Newton told the young legislator: "God has raised you up for the good of the church and the good of the nation, maintain your friendship with Pitt, continue in Parliament, who knows that but for such a time as this God has brought you into public life and has a purpose for you."

"When I came away," Wilberforce recalled, "my mind was in a calm, tranquil state, more humbled, looking more devoutly up to God."

Faith plays a dramatic and pivotal role in Wilberforce's actual life. While his conversion and prime religious motivation is treated respectfully in the film, it is purposefully low-key. For those who actually have read up on Wilberforce, the depiction is a considerably toned-down version of his religious pulse.

Despite suffering from perpetually bad health, Wilberforce even stopped taking the prescribed opium for his pain because it diminished his mental alertness and rhetorical agility. He collected evidence against the slave trade, introduced abolition legislation, and collected more than 390,000 signatures demanding its end.

Although his accomplishments and courage are celebrated in our modern era, Wilberforce was reviled by many within British society. He was attacked in newspapers, physically assaulted, and forced to travel with a bodyguard because of death threats.

Nevertheless, he was encouraged by lovers of justice such as Newton and John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Six days before his death, Wesley wrote what would be his final letter to encourage Wilberforce in 1791: "Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be fore you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it."

The British slave trade was shut down in 1807 because of Wilberforce's tireless efforts, yet he continued to work until the end of his life to completely abolish slavery in England. In 1833, a bill to outlaw slavery was finally passed. Wilberforce died three days later.

But even today the global battle against slavery is far from over. "Although most nations have eliminated servitude as a state-sanctioned practice, a modern form of human slavery has emerged," declares the 2006 U.S. State Department "Trafficking in Persons Report." "It is a growing global threat to the lives and freedom of millions of men, women, and children. Today, only in the most brutal and repressive regimes, such as Burma and North Korea, is slavery still state sponsored. Instead, human trafficking often involves organized crime groups who make huge sums of money at the expense of trafficking victims and our societies."

The report profiles horrific examples: "Reena was brought to India from Nepal by her maternal aunt, who forced the 12-year-old girl into a New Delhi brothel shortly after arrival. The brothel owner made her have sex with many clients each day. Reena could not leave because she did not speak Hindi and had no one to whom she could turn. She frequently saw police officers collect money from the brothel owners for every new girl brought in.. Reena escaped after two years and now devotes her life to helping other trafficking victims escape."

As sad as her story is, Reena is one of the lucky ones. In researching his book Not For Sale, Professor David Batstone traveled to Cambodia, Thailand, Peru, India, Uganda, South Africa, and Eastern Europe to investigate modern-day slavery. His findings are breathtaking. "Twenty-seven million slaves exist in our world today," he writes. "Girls and boys, women and men of all ages are forced to toil in the rug looms of Nepal, sell their bodies in the brothels of Rome, break rocks in the quarries of Pakistan, and fight wars in the jungles of Africa. Go behind the façade in any major town or city in the world today and you are likely to find a thriving commerce in human beings."

The United Nations estimates that there are 10 million children being exploited for domestic labor. Hundreds of thousands of children are forced into domestic slavery in countries such as Indonesia (700,000), Brazil (559,000), Pakistan (264,000), Haiti (250,000), and Kenya (200,000). "These youngsters are usually 'invisible' to their communities, toiling for long hours with little or no pay and regularly deprived of the chance to play or go to school," states a U.N. report. UNICEF estimates that 1 million children are forced today to sell their bodies to sexual slavery.

"The good news about injustice is that there is a God who hates it and wants to stop it," says Gary Haugen, president of International Justice Mission. His organization of lawyers, criminal investigators, and social workers has been on the frontline to investigate human trafficking, collect evidence, and work with local authorities to rescue the victims and put the bad guys behind bars.

Abolitionists like Haugen are true heroes. Despite the agonizing stories of slavery told in Batstone's book, it really is a profile of the men and women who are using their unique skills and perseverance to fight injustice. "The women who embrace the child soldiers of Uganda move in a different universe from those abolitionists in Los Angeles who confront forced labor in garment factories," he writes. "A Swiss-born entrepreneur launches business enterprises for ex-sex slaves in Cambodia, while an American-born lawyer uses the public justice system to free entire villages in South Asia."

At the conclusion of Crash, Anthony finds a moment of redemption by freeing the Asian slaves from the back of the van. That cinematic scenario is what modern-day abolitionists hope will take place when well-spread awareness is made known.

In his first speech to Parliament regarding the slave trade, Wilberforce described the unfathomable conditions upon the slave ships and the despicable practice of slavery. After three hours, he concluded by telling his colleagues: "Having heard all this you may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say that you did not know." The producers of Amazing Grace hope to relay the same message.

Steve Beard is the editor of Good News.



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