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News
Renfroe accepts Good News presidency upon
Heidinger retirement
For the cause of Christ: A statement from Rob
Renfroe
Korean Methodist church built on prayer
Asbury Seminary selects Tennent as new leader
Commentary: Amendments deserve debate
News Analysis
Has GBCS been faithful to the provisions of
trust document?
Dr. James V. Heidinger II, long-time President and Publisher of Good News, has announced his retirement effective July 1 of this year. In response to his announcement, the board of directors of the evangelical renewal ministry selected the Rev. Robert Renfroe to be his successor.
Renfroe is currently the Pastor of Adult Discipleship at the dynamic 8,200 member The Woodlands United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas—a position he has held since 2001.
“It is hard to imagine Good News operating without Jim Heidinger at the helm; however, his retirement is richly deserved,” observed the Rev. Dr. Charles “Chuck” Ferrara, chair of the Good News Board of Directors. “At the same time, our ministry feels blessed that the Rev. Robert Renfroe will serve as our interim President and Publisher. Rob has a long history in the renewal movement and is well respected throughout the denomination.”
From 1998 to 2001, Renfroe was Executive Pastor at First United Methodist Church, Houston, with the late Dr. Bill Hinson. For the last two years, Renfroe has been President of the Board of the Confessing Movement within the United Methodist Church. He is a gifted and seasoned leader, and is well known across the connection for his winsome preaching.
“Having served on the Transition Task Force, I remember the specific meeting when the Spirit moved and got us thinking about Rob Renfroe as the right person to lead Good News,” recalls the Rev. Ken Werlein, pastor of Faithbridge UM Church in Houston and member of the Good News Board of Directors. “Rob is just the ideal individual to lead our movement in these tenuous times. He walks the tightrope between grace and truth as well or better than anyone I know. Having Rob at Good News will bring a victorious spirit, along with his characteristic good humor.”
Leadership team
The selection of Renfroe as the interim President and
Publisher of the 42-year old evangelical United Methodist renewal ministry was
announced and approved at the Good News board meeting in Wilmore, Kentucky, on
Friday, February 27. It was simultaneously announced that the Rev. Walter
Fenton would assume the role of Chief Operating Officer. Fenton has been the
Director of Networking and Development for Good News during the past three
years.
“These are critical days in the life of our church, and we prayed for leadership that could provide a catalyzing vision for renewal as we move into the future,” said Helen Rhea Stumbo, chair of the Transition Task Force and laywoman from Fort Valley, Georgia. “We are convinced that God has provided that leadership in the persons of Rob Renfroe and Walter Fenton. As president, Rob will provide a strong and articulate voice for scriptural faithfulness and accountability. Walter will assure that the organization is run efficiently and that every aspect of the operation is designed to support the mission of Good News.”
Heidinger is fully supportive of the selection of Renfroe and Fenton. “I am filled with joy, excitement, and optimism with the announcement of the new leadership team taking the helm of this ministry,” said Heidinger. “I know these men well and believe in their ability to lead Good News in the right direction. The dual leadership approach is a creative approach which gives us outstanding leadership while being careful in the stewardship of our resources. The Woodlands has granted Rob a flexible enough schedule that allows him to lead Good News, while continuing with his ministry at that impressive and growing congregation.”
“As the chair of the board, I believe Good News has greater days ahead,” observed Ferrara, pastor of New Fairfield United Methodist Church in New Fairfield, Connecticut. “The transition will be seamless and I am excited about the future.”
Heidinger retirement
Heidinger announced his intentions to retire to the Good
News Board of Directors last August. The board responded with the formation of
a Transition Task Force. At his retirement, Heidinger will have led the
evangelical renewal ministry for 28 years.
“We are very grateful to Jim Heidinger who saw the wisdom of giving us his plans for retirement enough ahead of time that we were able to set in place a search process that would enable us to find exactly the right person for the job—and in our case it turned out to be two people,” said Stumbo. “Jim has provided wise and courageous leadership, and we knew that God had a plan to continue that tradition of excellence.”
“I congratulate Jim Heidinger for 28 years of faithful, effective leadership in the cause of church reform and renewal through Good News and the broader Association for Church Renewal,” stated the Rev. Tom Lambrecht, immediate past chair of the Good News board of directors and pastor of the Faith Community United Methodist Church in Greenville, Wisconsin. “Jim has always been at the forefront of the battle for doctrinal truth and vibrant, faithful ministry in the church. Countless pastors and laypersons have remained vital contributors to the ministry of the United Methodist Church, thanks to the wise and patient counsel Jim gave them to stay and work for reform and renewal.
“Most importantly,” Lambrecht continued, “Jim has been an example to us all with his vibrant personal relationship with Jesus Christ and his humble, winsome approach toward those who disagreed with and sometimes disparaged him. We will miss Jim’s courageous leadership and treasure the legacy of renewal he has left our beloved church.”
During his tenure as President and Publisher of Good News, he wrote more than 170 editorials and articles for the magazine and authored United Methodist Renewal: What Will It Take? (1988), Theological Malpractice (2000), and Guarding the Gospel: Biblical Faith and the Future of United Methodism (2007).
Commenting about his retirement, Heidinger said, “What a blessing and privilege these years have been for me! But now, it is clearly time to pass the baton on to new leadership. I am joyful, excited, and optimistic about the future ministry of Good News as we welcome new leaders. God’s anointing rests upon this ministry.”
—Good News Media Service
To follow in the footsteps of Charles Keysor and Jim Heidinger is an incredible (and daunting) honor. I am humbled by the Board of Directors’ invitation to serve as president and publisher of Good News. I ask for your prayers as I step into this new role and as we serve God and his church together.
All of the mainline denominations are struggling and divided. They have been that way for decades. But it is in the United Methodist Church that orthodox believers have had the most success in keeping the church’s doctrines and positions faithful to Scripture. And no group has played a larger part in that success than Good News.
For over 40 years the ministry of Good News has been one of vision, faith, and courage—exactly what was needed to renew a denomination which had been drifting from its biblical beliefs and Wesleyan core. Because I love the United Methodist Church and our Wesleyan understanding of the faith, I am profoundly grateful for Good News—and for the leadership of men like Keysor and Heidinger. United Methodists owe these men a huge debt of gratitude. It’s hard to imagine where we would be without them.
As a member of the Confessing Movement board, it has been my privilege to work closely with the Good News staff at the past two General Conferences. They are bright, creative, hard-working and committed to the cause of Christ. I am excited to be working with them.
Finally, I understand my first task to be one of listening. I have asked our technical team to create a blog where the Board of Directors and I can engage in a conversation about the direction of Good News during the months before I officially begin as president and publisher. And later I will want to expand that conversation to include those of you who support the ministry of Good News.
If you know the story, you know that Good News began as a movement to give voice to “Methodism’s silent majority.” Good News has always existed to speak the concerns and promote the views of faithful Methodists who believe in the uniqueness of Christ and the authority of the Scriptures. You can be certain that we will continue to do so.
Rob Renfroe will assume the responsibilities of interim-President and Publisher of Good News on July 1, 2009.
The spiritual foundation of the largest Methodist church in the world begins in a small dark room in the basement where at least two church members pray continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Bishop Hong-Do Kim believes in the power of prayer and says the church’s success is based on the “saving blood of Jesus Christ.”
Kumnan Methodist Church in Seoul, Korea, has a membership of 120,000 and baptizes 2,000 people every year, according to Kim. More than 90 associate pastors and 800 Sunday school teachers help Kim “harvest souls for Christ.”
“I depend on the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit,” said the 70-year-old pastor.
A 10-story church in the middle of Seoul, Kumnan has 5 a.m. prayer services every day, four worship services on Sunday morning, and another each Sunday evening. Members of a volunteer prayer vigil team take turns praying for the church in two small rooms of the large prayer space. Gleaming wooden floors are lined with prayer mats, and the basement space is open at any time for people wanting to pray or to seek prayers.
Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata, clergy leader of the United Methodist Oregon-Idaho Annual (regional) Conference, was part of a team of U.S. United Methodists visiting Kumnan last summer. The team included the Rev. Tom Carter, director with the Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and the Rev. Charles Jackson, deputy command chaplain for the 8th Army Command at the Yongsan Army Garrison.
“We were graciously welcomed and received by Bishop Kim and his staff and given opportunities to tour the church buildings and view facets of the complex ministry at Kumnan Methodist Church,” Hoshibata said.
Marbled halls, a vast sanctuary, and rows of desks and cubicles make for an imposing structure.
“I was impressed by the sheer magnitude of this church,” Hoshibata said. “Yet, what impressed me most was the fervor of the church membership and staff to participate in the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I felt overwhelmed by the devotion of those we observed and met to serving God through this church.”
The prayer room is “a remarkable example of ways that some practice personal holiness in their lives,” he said.
Kumnan Methodist Church had 10 members in 1957 when it was founded as a tent church by Hwal Nan Kim, then president of Ewha Women’s University. It had 75 members in 1971 when Bishop Kim was assigned as pastor. Over the years, its facilities have been reconstructed to accommodate the growing congregation, and its present structure was completed in 1999 with a budget of 55 billion won ($38 million).
Part of the growth can be traced to the presence of U.S. military forces in Korea.
Jackson said Kim strongly supports the U.S. presence, noting that he spearheaded three rallies protesting the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Korea.
“Without U.S. presence, Korea would not have grown to be one of the largest concentrations of Christians in the world,” Jackson said. “The Korean people are on fire for the Lord. Bishop Kim credits his success to prayer and preaching the unadulterated Word of God.”
The U.S. group attended one of the Sunday worship services. Ushered into a section of the sanctuary equipped with translation equipment, they heard Kim deliver a sermon supporting the U.S. military in Korea.
“The worship service the following Sunday was beautiful; the choir and music was an impressive part of the service,” Carter said. “I will always have very fond memories of Bishop Kim and his wonderful church.”
Kathy L. Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tennessee.
On Tuesday, February 17, the board of trustees of Asbury Theological Seminary made the announcement that Dr. Timothy Craig Tennent, 49, had been elected the new President-elect of the seminary. His impressive credentials include degrees from Oral Roberts University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the University of Edinburgh (PhD). Currently, he is professor of World Missions and Indian Studies, as well as Director of Missions Programs at Gordon-Conwell in Massachusetts.
“The board is very excited about the unanimous election of Dr. Tennent,” said Dr. Dan Johnson, chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Dr. Tennent is a scholar’s scholar, a professor’s professor. He is a world Christian with world vision who will take Asbury Seminary into wonderful new arenas.”
“I am honored to have been selected to be president of Asbury Theological Seminary,” Tennent says. “We are delighted to be moving to the historic and beautiful garden area of central Kentucky. My wife, Julie, and I have always said that wherever God sends us, we will go. God has taken us to China, India, Nigeria, and many beautiful churches in the southern United States and in New England. Now we have the great opportunity to help Asbury work with a global constituency and play a stronger role in preparing ministers from around the world for God’s work around the world.”
Prof. Tennent received his M.Div. in 1984 from Gordon-Conwell, the Th.M. in ecumenics with a focus on Islam from Princeton Theological Seminary, and did graduate work in linguistics (TESL) at the University of Georgia. He completed his Ph.D. in non-western Christianity with a focus on Hinduism and Indian Christianity in 1998 at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
In addition to his work at Gordon-Conwell, he continues to teach annually at the Luther W. New, Jr. Theological College of Dehra Dun, India, where he has served as an Adjunct Professor since 1989. He has also ministered and taught in China, Nigeria, and Eastern Europe. Ordained in the United Methodist Church (North Georgia), he has pastored churches in Georgia and continues to preach regularly in churches throughout New England and across the country. His publications include articles in various missions journals and Indian publications.
Dr. Tennent is the author of several books, including Building Christianity on Indian Foundations (ISPCK, 2000), Christianity at the Religious Roundtable (Baker Academic, 2002) and Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How the Global Church is Influencing the Way We Think About and Discuss Theology (Zondervan, 2007). He is the co-author of Revitalizing Practice, about challenges to theological education in North America (Peter Lang, 2008). Dr. Tennent is also the author of a missiology textbook entitled Invitation to World Missions: A Missiology for the 21st Century, which will be published in 2010.
He is also one of the first four graduates from a new leadership development program funded by the Lily Foundation and developed by In Trust, a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening boards and governance in North American theological schools.
The leadership training program “covered innovation in everything from theological practice, shared governance, fundraising, negotiating personal dynamics in education to working with boards,” Tennent says. “During the three-year program, I met with dozens of deans and many presidents from schools across the theological spectrum, and learned a great deal about many of the unique challenges that we are facing today.”
Tennent is passionate about classical, orthodox theological education.
“I am alarmed by the growing trend away from serious theological reflection and do not believe that the church will be adequately prepared to face the challenges of pluralism and post-modernism without a more robust theological preparation,” he says. “I am also passionate about the emergence of the Majority World Church. I believe that the Western church continues to have an important role in global missions, in partnership with the increasingly vibrant Majority World Church.”
Dr. Tennent’s wife, Julie (Myers), also graduated from Gordon-Conwell in 1984 and is a church organist. They have two children, Jonathan (23) and Bethany (21).
—Adapted from information provided by Asbury Theological Seminary. Amendments deserve debate
Over the past few issues, Good News has reported on the proposed constitutional amendments coming before every annual conference.
While proposed constitutional amendment I sounds just and reasonable, annual conference delegates should know it was proposed and supported by pro-homosexual advocacy groups that are seeking to accomplish by judicial means what they have been unable to accomplish legislatively. In short, ratification of this amendment will lead to more church trials that only undermine our denomination’s unity and morale. Furthermore, this amendment was adopted in a rush on the very last day of General Conference. Twenty percent of the 992 delegates or alternates were not even in the auditorium. Only two one-minute speeches for and against were allowed. We encourage annual conference delegates to vote “no” on proposed constitutional amendment I.
Twenty three of the amendments coming before the annual conferences have to do with one issue: the proposal to substantially alter the structure of the denomination, but in a manner that has not even been defined as yet. Put simply, these proposed amendments put the cart before the horse. Annual conference delegates should demand that the task force dealing with the world wide nature of the UM Church actually present a detailed plan before asking them to change the church’s constitution. While a relatively small number of church officials are familiar with the various plans (and ramifications), most United Methodists, here and abroad, are not all familiar with them. There should be a robust dialogue about this matter before changing the constitution. We encourage annual conference delegates to vote “no” on all the proposed constitutional amendments having to do with this matter (III, IV, V, VII, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XVI, XVIII, XX, XXI, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXX, XXXI, XXXII).
We proudly encourage annual conference delegates to vote “yes” on proposed constitutional amendment XIX (see page 7).
Finally, there are seven other proposed constitutional amendments that are important, but not as controversial as those above. We encourage annual conference delegates to “yes” on proposed constitutional amendments II, VIII, IX, XV, XVII, and XXII and “no” on proposed constitutional amendment VI.
These important issues deserve a vigorous and informed debate.
—The Good News Leadership Team
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