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July 8, 2008 NOTE: Photos available at http://umns.umc.org/. CALIFORNIA UNITED METHODISTS REACT A UMNS Report On the heels of a California Supreme Court ruling that opened the door to same-gender unions, two United Methodist legislative bodies in California have approved gay-friendly statements that are stretching the denominational promise of "open hearts, open minds, open doors." The church's California-Pacific Annual Conference, convening June 18-22 in Redlands, approved three measures that support same-gender couples entering into the marriage covenant. Each "encourages both congregations and pastors to welcome, embrace and provide spiritual nurture and pastoral care for these families," according to a June 27 letter to the conference from Bishop Mary Ann Swenson and other conference leaders. That same week in Sacramento, the California-Nevada Annual Conference approved two measures on the same issue, including one that lists 67 retired United Methodist clergy in northern California who have offered to conduct same-gender marriage ceremonies. The resolution commends the pastors' work in offering continued ministry. The statements are the strongest yet on the issue by California United Methodists and have drawn cheers from gay rights advocates, who say the church and its pastors should extend to same-sex couples the same level of support it provides heterosexual couples. Others say the conferences are on the verge of breaking a Scripturally based covenant with the rest of the 11.5 million-member worldwide denomination. The United Methodist Church, while affirming all people as persons "of sacred worth," considers the practice of homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching." Its policy book, called the Book of Discipline, prohibits its pastors and churches from conducting ceremonies celebrating homosexual unions. The denominational statements were affirmed last spring during split votes by General Conference, the church's top legislative body. The assembly, which met April 23-May 2, convenes every four years and represents United Methodists worldwide. That same month, California's high court overturned a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, making California and Massachusetts the only U.S. states to allow gay couples to marry. California began to issue licenses June 16. Pastoral choices The actions by United Methodist leaders in Southern California reflect the struggle by pastors and churches to minister to same-sex couples in the wake of actions by both the General Conference and the state's high court, according to the Rev. Frank Wulf, pastor of United University Church, a United Methodist/Presbyterian congregation in Los Angeles. "This recognizes that our pastors and our churches are already struggling with these decisions," said Wulf, who helped to author the resolutions. "It's an attempt to honor the choices they make." One resolution reads in part: "While we recognize that we are governed by the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, we support those pastors who conscientiously respond to the needs of their parishes by celebrating same-gender marriages, and we envision compassion and understanding in any resulting disciplinary actions." The second resolution acknowledges the May 15 court decision, and the third opposes a November ballot initiative in California that would reverse the court ruling and amend the state constitution to bar gay marriage. In Northern California, the California-Nevada Conference voted to support both the court ruling and the pastoral alternative offered by some retired clergy. "Some of our clergy will choose not to perform same-gender marriages, for various reasons, but would like to keep a continued ministry with families and loved ones of same-gender couples," the resolution states. "…Retired clergy in our conference are now available to perform the marriages as an aid to the congregation and pastor. …" Bishop Beverly Shamana, who presides over the California-Nevada Conference, declined to comment on the action. Responding to an elder's call, she has sent a ruling to the denomination's top court on the question of how the conference can authorize and commend its clergy to conduct an act that might violate church law. The Judicial Council is expected to consider her ruling when it convenes in October. Ongoing conversation The latest developments in the California conferences trouble United Methodists who view such actions as a challenge to both Scriptural authority and the church's covenant through its Book of Discipline. They note that General Conference has repeatedly affirmed its stance on homosexuality and homosexual unions. "We've made it clear we adhere to biblical teaching and Christian tradition," said the Rev. Eddie Fox, director of evangelism for the World Methodist Council. "Ninety-eight percent of Christians around the world believe marriage is between one man and one woman, so we're not out of step in our ecumenical relationships with Christians around the world." At the most recent General Conference, Fox helped lead the effort to keep the church's stance on homosexuality intact. He argued that "God created the maleness and the femaleness" and that this "order of creation is, at the very heart, one of those essential doctrines for us in our church." "If we don't have a clear, consistent statement on this, it will result in confusion in our church," Fox said in a July 7 interview with UMNS. "These are the Social Principles for the whole church, not for one church." The Social Principles, contained in the Book of Discipline, detail the church's position on homosexuality and other social concerns. The Rev. Maxie Dunnam urged all pastors and churches to act on the church's definition of marriage instead of secular definitions. "The church is called to be prophetic in opposing that in the culture that is clearly out of step with what our United Methodist Church, the church universal and the Christian faith affirms," said Dunnam, chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. "I would hope that people would recognize the pain that their action will cause for the whole church, especially as we seek to be a global church." The Rev. John McFarland was among California-Pacific members who questioned the wisdom of the body's decisions and the processes being used to discern God's voice. "This topic is not being debated based on Scripture," said McFarland, pastor of Fountain Valley (Calif.) United Methodist Church. "It's being debated primarily on experience without regard to tradition, reason and Scripture." Scripture, tradition, experience and reason are the four themes cited by Methodism's founder, John Wesley, as illuminating the Christian faith. "Even though wonderful and caring people practice same-sex behavior, the discussion does not end there. What concerns me is how far we've gone from trusting the Bible as the Word of God," said McFarland. He noted that 2 Timothy 3:16 says "all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness." Interpretation vs. authority Proponents of conference actions suggest the issue is not biblical authority, but biblical interpretation. "It is our UM tradition to interpret Scripture with attention to its context and purpose," said the Rev. Sharon Rhodes-Wickett, pastor of Claremont (Calif.) United Methodist Church. "We create misunderstandings when we choose some texts to be understood as literal and others not," she said. "We once excluded women as clergy based on Scriptural authority; we once justified slave-holding based on Scripture. We're doing the same thing now with regard to homosexuality." Wulf said the church's unity does not necessarily lie in the unanimity of practice in all things. "We are fallible human beings, and our covenant is imperfect. We all know that because we get together every four years to adjust it," he said of the church's General Conference. "To those of us in the West who feel a calling to offer a different kind of message to same-sex couples, there is a sense in which the whole church wants to hem us in and prevent us from following that calling," Wulf said. "… We know the world is in flux, particularly on this issue," he said. "So we do this--not as an act of disrespect to the people of Africa or the people of (other parts of the United States)--but as a way of speaking the Christian Gospel compassionately to a group of people who deal with this every day." United Methodist News In Brief - June 13, 2008 The enormous impact of the recent earthquake in China makes the involvement of nongovernmental organizations there more important than ever, according to the staff of a Chinese Christian organization. She Hongyu, assistant director of research and development for the Amity Foundation and its overseas liaison, believes it is impossible even for China's government to take care of everyone in a situation "where nearly 70,000 people have been killed and nearly 17,000 are still missing," with millions relocated. Severe storms and rising floodwaters in Iowa have forced thousands of residents from their homes and shut down numerous roads as United Methodist disaster recovery leaders provide support amid potentially staggering long-term needs. The emergency situation was changing nearly as quickly as the waters flowing in the Des Moines, Skunk, Raccoon, Iowa, Cedar and other rivers across the state. Nine rivers were at or above historic flood levels. Eighty-three of Iowa's 99 counties were declared disaster areas by Gov. Chet Culver as of June 13. National disaster designation by the Federal Emergency Management Association covered four counties. Twenty-five years ago, the Rev. Danny Morris was on a quest--but found that what he was seeking did not exist. In 1978, Morris took a sabbatical from his position at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship in Nashville, Tenn., to create a place where people could meet God. It was an academy of sorts-not one made by hands, but one shaped and created by others seeking to share in a journey of faith. What Morris helped to build is now known as the Academy for Spiritual Formation, a program of The Upper Room. United Methodists are celebrating a victory for farm workers following an agreement by Burger King Corp. to pay more for tomatoes picked by workers in Florida. The second largest fast-food chain in the United States agreed to pay an extra 1.5 cents per pound for tomatoes picked in Florida. One penny of the increase will go for wages, and a half cent will fund incremental payroll taxes and administrative costs to encourage grower participation in the pact. The May 23 agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers roughly doubles the earnings of the Florida workers. It also offers protection to farm workers who have been subjected to abuse from growers, according to Brigitte Gynther, Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida. United Methodists in Florida have worked with both the coalition and Interfaith Action to bring about change for farm workers laboring in harsh conditions for as little as $50 a day. With shouts of joy and prayers of thanksgiving, members of The United Methodist Church's South Indiana and North Indiana annual conferences approved a plan to merge the two regions into one new Indiana Annual (regional) Conference. Bishop Mike Coyner of Indianapolis announced the results of votes by each annual conference during the closing session of the South Indiana legislative gathering June 7 at the Indiana University Auditorium in Bloomington. South Indiana members voted 616-185 on June 6 to unite with the North Indiana Conference. North Indiana members, meeting May 30 in West Lafayette, voted 730-192 for the merger. The first combined Indiana Annual Conference session is scheduled for June 25-28, 2009, at Ball State University in Muncie. The merger is designed to streamline administration of the Indiana Area to bring resources closer to congregations for their support. More than 400 United Methodist students, campus ministers and young adult seminarians scattered across Washington D.C. during Student Forum 2008 to learn how they could use their voices to fight for just public policies. From a panel on the racism of mascots held at the National Museum of the American Indian to an Anacostia River boat tour focusing on the environment, the students met with lobbyists, legislative aides, United Methodist agency officials and a tenants' group that works for equitable housing. The May 22-25 forum is an annual leadership development event for United Methodist college students and is sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry and organized by the United Methodist Student Movement. Africa University presented degree certificates to 354 students from 16 African countries on June 7 at the United Methodist-related school's 14th graduation ceremony in Mutare, Zimbabwe. All seven of the university's academic units presented candidates for graduation. This year's graduating class increased the number of Africa University alumni to more than 2,600. Founded by The United Methodist Church in 1992, Africa University was the first private university to open in Zimbabwe. It has an annual full-time student population of 1,300. Judith E. Smith has been elected editor of Church School Publications by the United Methodist Board of Discipleship and confirmed for the job by the United Methodist Publishing House. Smith is an ordained elder in the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference and has served more than 30 years in Christian education, publishing and executive administration with the general church, including serving as interim editor of Church School Publications since July 2007. As editor, Smith is responsible for general editorial policy, administering the work of the curriculum resources committee and the editorial staff of Church School Publications, developing a coordinated publishing plan supported by UMPH, and assuring that the editorial content is consistent with the educational philosophy formulated by GBOD. She will be based at the Publishing House in Nashville, Tenn.
Amity Foundation: United Methodists are working with a longtime partner in China to provide immediate relief to those affected by the massive earthquake in Sichuan Province. On May 15, China's state-run media announced that the death toll from the May 12 earthquake, which registered 7.9 on the Richter scale, could reach as high as 50,000. The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Committee on Relief and Church World Service are responding through the Amity Foundation, an independent Chinese voluntary organization. Donations can be made to International Disaster Response, China Earthquake, UMCOR Advance #982450. Checks can be dropped in church offering plates or mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, N.Y. 10087-9068. Write the Advance number and name on the memo line of the check. Credit-card donations are accepted online at http://www.givetomission.org/or by phone at (800) 554-8583. United Methodist Committee on Relief: As aid trickles in to cyclone survivors in Myanmar, United Methodists and other faith-based groups are cooperating on relief efforts. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with partners in the Action by Churches Together network, including Church World Service. Local partners have distributed water purification tablets, food and materials for shelter reconstruction, according to the Rev. Sam Dixon, UMCOR's top executive. About 1.5 million people are thought to be at risk following the May 3 cyclone in the Southeast Asian nation, formerly known as Burma. The Myanmar government now puts the official death toll at 34,273, but the United Nations believes that 62,000 to 100,000 may have died. Government restrictions in Myanmar have hampered efforts by other nations and relief organizations to rush aid to the cyclone survivors. The military has ruled the country since 1962. "The United Methodist Committee on Relief is persistently pursuing all avenues to provide relief in Myanmar," Dixon said. Approved petitions regarding war and peace: The Iraq war, world peace and prayers for members of the armed forces and veterans were on the hearts and minds of delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. Meeting recently in Fort Worth, Texas, the denomination's lawmaking body approved petitions calling for an immediate end to the war in Iraq, a ban on cluster bombs, the prevention of "space weaponization" and study of the "degrading effects that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide have on the victims, the perpetrators and on those who silently stand by." Other petitions approved include a statement on war and peace and the "high toll" war exacts on young people; a call for support and services for rebuilding Iraq; and an affirmation that the U.S. military should not exclude people from service on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Clergy effectiveness and annual appointment: Delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference approved a petition dealing with clergy effectiveness and annual appointment, and also outlined conditions under which a pastor's appointment may be terminated. The petition was one of many measures approved April 30 on the General Conference's consent calendar. The denomination's top lawmaking body, which meets every four years, gathered April 23-May 2 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The church's five regional jurisdictions in the United States: With the 2008 United Methodist General Conference now adjourned, denominational attention shifts to July gatherings of jurisdictional conferences at which nine new U.S. bishops are expected to be elected. Like the worldwide legislative meeting held April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas, jurisdictional conferences meet once every four years. However, while General Conference handles denominational matters across the globe, each jurisdictional gathering covers business related to one of the church's five regional jurisdictions in the United States. The primary business of jurisdictional conferences is the election and assignment of bishops. The conferences will meet simultaneously July 16-19 in their respective regions, except for the Northeastern Jurisdiction, which meets July 13-18. The locations are: North Central, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Northeastern, Harrisburg, Pa.; Southeastern, Lake Junaluska, N.C.; South Central, Dallas; and Western, Portland, Ore. Sign language to babies: When Nancy Jayne happened across a book at the local library, she had no idea it would lead to a new way of understanding her grandson. The book was about teaching sign language to babies. "It just opened a world of communication between the two of us, and we have a great time signing," Jayne says. Now, the former school teacher volunteers her time to teach signing to infants and their parents at Trinity United Methodist Church in Whitesboro, N.Y. Domestic Disaster Response: In an unusually active U.S. tornado and spring storm season, the United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with United Methodist annual (regional) conferences that are establishing recovery ministries. Tornadoes and severe storms that erupted on May 10 raced across parts of the Plains and the Southeast, battering towns and killing at least 27 people in Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia and Alabama, according to news reports. Another storm system hit Arkansas, Mississippi and Virginia on May 1-2, injuring an estimated 200 people in Virginia and killing seven in Arkansas. UMCOR is working with affected annual conferences to meet emergency needs, assess damage and help with the long-term recovery plans. Donations can be made to Domestic Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670. Families broken apart: Textbook open, Mariela studies environmental science while her three younger sisters watch TV before bed. In a few minutes, she will help them brush their teeth and say their bedtime prayers. But the 18-year-old is not babysitting. Mariela is the primary caregiver for her sisters ages 2, 4 and 7 now that their mother is gone. U.S. immigration officers arrested Mariela's mother on April 16 at the Pilgrim's Pride poultry processing plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., during a crackdown on an alleged scam to provide fake IDs for illegal immigrant workers. Poultry plants in four other states were also raided. Mariela's mother is being held in Louisiana and awaits likely deportation to Guatemala. Her stepfather works a shift job and depends on Mariela to care for the children when she's not in high school. The dilemma is all too common for Families broken apart when a family member who is an illegal immigrant is taken into custody. "These are resilient families … but this is simply traumatic," says the Rev. Mike Feely, pastor of East Lake United Methodist Church and director of the Saint Andrews Center, an outreach of The United Methodist Church. Feely is among family advocates scrambling to tend to the needs of families such as Mariela's in the raid's wake. 12-step recovery programs: Adjusting his microphone, the Rev. Jo Campe greets about 250 worshipers at Central Park United Methodist Recovery Church in St. Paul, Minn. "I'm an alcoholic. My name is Jo," Campe says to open Sunday morning worship. Campe can relate to many of the people sitting in the pews today. He's walked the same path. His transparency in sharing his own recovery journey, along with the Gospel message of repentance, forgiveness and rebirth, are having an impact. The church hosts meetings for a dozen 12-step recovery programs, including those aimed at helping alcoholics, drug abusers and compulsive gamblers. Campe holds a second recovery service at Wesley United Methodist Church in nearby Minneapolis. "This has been kind of a miraculous growth process," says Campe, known to his congregation as Pastor Jo. "We stand back and kind of shake our heads and think to ourselves that this is certainly a miracle." Bible publishing program: Abingdon Press, an imprint of the United Methodist Publishing House, is expanding its Bible publishing program with six new Bibles this spring. The NRSV Gift Bibles are: Birthday Bible, Caregiver's Bible, Graduation Bible, Marriage Bible and Mother's Bible. Abingdon also has released a new paperback version of the New Interpreter's Study Bible, one of the most popular study Bibles used in academic settings. This edition will be available exclusively through Cokesbury. Living out their faith: Tonny Mbowa takes children living in "extreme poverty" in Africa and shapes them into singers, dancers and lovers of God's word. Mbowa is the director for the Hope for Africa Children's Choir and Academy in Uganda and is profiled on UMC.org, the Web site of The United Methodist Church, for the month of May. UMC.org profiles feature United Methodists from around the world sharing their stories and how they are living out their faith. To view an archive of all profiles, go to the "Our People" section of UMC.org. *********************** United Methodist News In Brief - May 9, 2008 AS THE NATION OF MYANMAR began to assess its damage following a catastrophic cyclone, the Methodist bishop for the area was in Virginia, working the phones to organize relief efforts and preparing to return to his devastated country. Bishop Zothan Mawia was participating in the May 9 baccalaureate service at Shenandoah University, a United Methodist-related school in Winchester, where his daughter is a freshman. He is the episcopal leader of the Methodist Church of the Union of Myanmar (Lower Myanmar). "I am sorry I am here instead of at home," the bishop told United Methodist News Service. "But I know God has a plan, and I am hoping something good comes out of it. Here I can better contact people, to reach out and help and encourage people in America to do what they can to help us. My heart is there, but I know God has a purpose for me being here." AT FIRST GLANCE, they appear to have little in common—students modeling the latest fashions and, just a few miles away, dozens of homeless men and women walking the streets in Winston-Salem, N.C. But the youth group from Centenary United Methodist Church is raising money for the Love Thy Neighbor ministry, which holds block parties for the homeless. "We began calling it Love Thy Neighbor out of the Matthew passage that says, 'love your neighbor as yourself,'" explains Lisa Waugh, 18, a high school senior in charge of the second annual Friends for Fashion show held at a local country club. The shows raise about $10,000 a year for the outreach. UMCOR—The United Methodist Committee on Relief—is challenging United Methodists to help farmers earn fair prices for their crops by participating in UMCOR's 100-Ton Challenge. The 12-month campaign encourages United Methodists to help increase the amount of fairly traded coffee, tea, chocolate and snacks purchased through The UMCOR Coffee Project and its partner Equal Exchange, a 100 percent fair trade, worker-owned cooperative. UMCOR's 100-Ton Challenge will begin May 10 in observance of World Fair Trade Day and will end on May 9, 2009. The goal is to increase awareness about fair trade in United Methodist churches everywhere and leverage fairly traded products to help promote better lives for farmers in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the United States. To order, call Equal Exchange at (774) 776-7400 or go online at http://www.equalexchange.com/. For more information, visit http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/. HEALING PLACE MINISTRIES—The Rev. Edna Morgan, a United Methodist minister who founded Healing Place Ministries in Pine Bluff, Ark., has been named "crime victim advocate of the year" by the state attorney general's office in Arkansas. Healing Place Ministries serves elderly crime victims in the Pine Bluff region with the help of a network of care providers. Founded by Morgan and her husband, the Rev. David Morgan, the ministry is housed at First United Methodist Church in Pine Bluff and funded with grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. UNDER THE THEME "a future with hope," the 2008 United Methodist General Conference completed its legislative work during its April 23-May 2 meeting in Fort Worth, Texas. The 992-delegate assembly approved a $642 million denominational budget for the next four years and created a hymnal revision committee. It generally retained the church's stances on homosexuality, including the declaration in the church's Social Principles that homosexual practice is "incompatible with Christian teaching." Delegates opened the door to significant structural changes as the church works to address its increasingly global nature. And it tweaked the denomination's mission statement to read: "The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." The next General Conference will be in 2012 in Tampa, Fla. For more news about the 2008 gathering, visit http://www.gc2008.umc.org/. A GROUP OF MARINES received copies of the wartime devotional book Strength for Service to God and Country in a presentation during the 2008 United Methodist General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Members of Marine Aircraft Group 41 received the books on May 2 from United Methodist Men and Gathering of Eagles, a national group that supports military troops. In all, approximately 300,000 copies of Strength for Service have been distributed, thanks to $1 million raised from more than 4,000 donors. The book was first published in 1942 by United Methodist Publishing House. It was republished in 2002 as an Eagle Scout project of Evan Hunsberger, whose grandfather carried the book as a soldier in World War II. Evan will be recognized at the Duty to God breakfast during the national annual meeting of the Boy Scouts of America, set for May 21-23 in San Diego.
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