Krockpot Brigade offers food, caring for cancer

Ashley Dicksa prepares chicken in behalf of the Krockpot Brigade, a ministry of Byron (Calif.) United Methodist Church that provides meals for cancer patients and their families. UMNS photos by John Gordon.

By John Gordon*

BYRON, Calif. (UMNS)-While Patty Pulley's husband was being treated for cancer, she often opened her front door to find someone bringing dinner for her family.

"It was a big help because being busy with the five kids and … going back and forth to the hospital, it was one day a week that I didn't have to worry about (cooking)," says Pulley, who is raising her grandchildren.

"I knew that the meal was going to be there. I knew it was going to be good," she says. "I wouldn't have to worry about anything."

The weekly meals were delivered to her home by members of the Krockpot Brigade, a ministry of Byron United Methodist Church. Since its launch in 2006, Krockpot volunteers have prepared more than 1,500 meals for cancer patients and their families.

"We often say when you're diagnosed with cancer, it's like a bomb going off in the living room," says church member Jan Page. "Everybody is touched by it."

A two-time cancer survivor, Page founded the church's Kaleidoscope program, which includes the Krockpot Brigade, support groups and other cancer-related services.

"What we try to do is provide the meal the day the person goes to chemo or to radiation, so that no one has to worry about it when they get home at night," explains Sharon Bonney, who co-chairs the meals ministry.

"We offer them hope," adds Sandra Baque, the other co-chair. "We offer them connection and friendship. And we do it with kindness and love."

The group has recruited more than 40 volunteer cooks, including professional caterers. Ashley Dicksa likes to use recipes passed down from her grandparents and mother.

"It gives me joy in seeing somebody else enjoy what they're eating and maybe taking just a little bit of stress that they had for that day off them," says Dicksa. "I feel like when you cook, it's something that makes people happy."

The brigade serves more than healthy food, however. Volunteers also encourage those receiving meals to take advantage of the other support services at the church.

"The support group, I think, has literally been a lifesaver for a lot of the caregivers who go and get support from other caregivers who are there," says Bonney, whose mother died of cancer.

"And they realize that they're not alone and they're not going through this by themselves."

As part of the meals ministry, a weedy lot beside the church was cleared last year for an organic garden to grow broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage and other vegetables.

"It's a lot of fun to work out here and a very good group of people to work with," says Jeff Lewis, who started the garden.

Kristine Davis is among those enjoying the harvests. She received meals and visits after her daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. "The support and the love from the Krockpot Brigade and from everyone helping, it's just a tremendous help," says Davis.

For Patty Pulley, whose husband, Chuck, died in 2007, she is thankful for the good food-and the compassion-of the Krockpotters.

"It's just like a Christmas gift," says Pulley. "They come in and they give you the gift of caring."

*Gordon is a freelance producer in Marshall, Texas.

Bikers rumble to United Methodist church

Duncan Overrein, also known as "Brother Dunk," has found acceptance, hospitality and spiritual nourishment at the biker church at Crossfire United Methodist in Moravian Falls, N.C. UMNS photos by Reed Galin.

By Reed Galin*

MORAVIAN FALLS, N.C. (UMNS)--Duncan Overrein looks every bit the middle-aged biker. A graying ponytail snakes from his helmet, twisting in the wind like a worm on a hook. Black sunglasses reveal no facial expression, but he still manages to look dangerous. A wiry goatee presses against his leathered neck as he roars down Highway 51 in the Carolina foothills with 20 of his "bros" and sisters.

Most ride Harleys. There's a lot of leather and tattoos. Overrein rides a black-and-white chopper that is almost menacing in its authenticity--the miles it has obviously seen, the lack of polish or fancy accoutrements.

He leads the clan onto a country road toward Moravian Falls.

A low rumble precedes them like a warning that trouble is coming.

It isn't.

They're going to church.

A biker church
The bikers turn into the parking lot at Crossfire United Methodist Church, but they don't stop. Parking lots are for conventional people. These parishioners peel off onto the front lawn and line up their bikes before the church door in an effortless, but noisy, choreography.

Overrein extends his hand to a visitor. The look in the biker's eyes is piercing, but not hard. The visitor instinctively understands the message: "Don't judge me by how I look; judge me by who I am, and I will give you the same respect."

When he introduces himself as "Brother Dunk," it is not just biker-speak. It is how he feels about everyone at the biker church, whether they ride or not.

It's a family thing
"I've been to churches where the welcome just wasn't there for folks like me," Overrein says. "I've sat in the back and watched Suzy-Q's looking at how Debbie is dressed and Bob is whispering to George about his new car. Man, we need to wake up and realize it ain't about what we ride; it ain't about what we wear; it's about how we need to love on people. When I hug Bubba or Catfish over there and say 'Bubba, love ya, brother,' I mean that."

Indeed, there are hugs and smiles all around as Bubba, Catfish and Brother Dunk, and their families file through the doors.

"Used to be, I thought I was a pretty bad guy," says member Gary Steelman."Now I don’t have to be that way."

The church band fires up. This is no Sunday choir. It is a rock-and-roll-style thumping bass and wailing lead guitar, but the lyrics speak of the spirit. Congregants sing along, clap, or sway with raised hands--however the spirit moves them.

A lead singer, covered with tattoos, offers biblical references between songs, and then the Rev. Alan Rice, pastor of Crossfire Church, rises from a pew. In a conversational manner, he talks about the challenge of changing from within. A young man in a skull-and-crossbones scarf nods in agreement.

Confrontational beginning
Rice reminds the congregation of how the biker church began out of a confrontation with Overrein. That was four years ago. As he explains later in an interview, the congregation-known then as Moravian Falls United Methodist Church-had dwindled to about 10 members. During a meeting to discuss the congregation's future, one of the women told Rice there was a biker outside who didn't want the church closed.

The biker was Overrein. He had been befriended by an elderly man in the church-the last remaining male of the congregation. Rice invited Overrein inside, spoke with him, then told him the meeting had to resume. Overrein said he wasn't leaving. The situation became tense. "I thought, 'There's going to be a fight,'" Rice recalls.

Not wanting an altercation inside the church, Rice suggested they step outside. They did so, and after further talk, Rice asked Overrein if the church was important to him because he had Jesus Christ in his heart. Overrein looked at him and said, "Yeah, that's right."

"I said, 'If that's true, I'll start a place where you and other bikers can have church. If you give me your hand, we'll pray over it right now,'" Rice says. "He gave me his hand, and we prayed that God would raise up a biker church."

That led to the formation of what eventually became Crossfire United Methodist Church. The group met initially in a coffee tavern, and later, a warehouse. Efforts to buy a building were unsuccessful because of zoning issues, and the congregation moved into the former Moravian Falls building.

Now the congregation is buying an old trucking building with 32,000 square feet of space on seven acres. The church hopes to have it ready for use in the fall, and it plans on sharing the space with nonprofit organizations.

Immersing new members
Crossfire Church has taken in probably 20 people this year, Rice says. "The majority of those are usually by baptism. They're unchurched people."

While one or two baptisms in the church have been by sprinkling, the norm is immersion in a creek, less than a mile away. That practice became standard after the grandma of one of the bikers said their sins wouldn't be washed away unless they were baptized by immersion. While sprinkling is most common in The United Methodist Church, pouring and immersion are also recognized.

At Easter, a number of people were baptized at the creek. "It was freezing cold," Rice says. The bikers rode their bikes back to the church afterward.

The church has grown to 138 members, with 30 to 40 percent either bikers or associated with bikers. Almost all are blue-collar or service sector workers. Several members are disabled.

Connecting with others
The church enjoys "enormous good will" with other United Methodist congregations, and the Western North Carolina has been "incredibly good to us," Rice said. The conference funded the land and a large part of the purchase of the warehouse building, and it is helping Overrein and member Dwight Smith become local pastors.

Rice became interim pastor after the former pastor left last year, and was reappointed in June to a second year. It's a ministry he performs without compensation. He also is director of rural ministry and community development for the conference and executive director of a conference-affiliated community development corporation.

The congregation has planted a church in Pennsylvania, and it is hoping to plant a biker church in West Virginia, Rice says. "Their heart is to replicate this ministry."

The Crossfire members also have a heart for making disciples and doing mission work. They participated in a mission trip to Nicaragua and stay busy helping others - building ramps, cleaning yards, holding fundraisers for people in need, operating a food ministry. Last year, Rice says, the church gave 38 percent of its income for benevolent purposes.

Changed men
Rice says he does not have to struggle to be at ease with this congregation. "There's no smugness from accumulated wealth or college degrees or family name. There is openness and a connection with other persons."

He says he has seen this group become less male dominant and accept people of other ethnicities as well. "This isn't a homogeneous place."

As a boot (rather than a collection plate) passes from person to person, Rice observes that these folks do a lot of generous things for one another and that he has seen a lot of change.

"Used to be, I thought I was a pretty bad guy," says biker Gary Steelman. "Now I don't have to be that way."

Steelman is a large man, with a thick salt-and-pepper beard and an American flag do-rag covering his hair. He still looks like a pretty bad guy, and that image is fine with him. But he has regrets about some things in his past. "Don't we all?" he asks.

"Everybody has a need to feel they belong, where they're accepted for who they are, where they are," Steelman says. "We don't have to go down this road alone."

Overrein feels he's come a long way himself. A few years ago, at the age of 52, he earned his high school diploma.

"If you met me six years ago, you wouldn't like me," he says. "I had no patience. I had a lot of hate in my life--lost my dad at a young age. The brothers I rode with we probably did a couple things illegal, you know, but when it come to helping people out, you know, we help 'em."

The last guitar riff marks the end of the service. Folks spill out the door, milling about the bikes on the lawn, laughing and hugging. One Harley fires up, and then another, but no one is in a rush. Overrein's wife, Lisa, gives the visitor some brownies for the road, and Overrein kicks his chopper to life and turns the high handle bars toward the highway.

A tiny bell hangs from his rig behind the front wheel, just above the ground. It's a leftover biker tradition to ward off the road demons. There seem to be fewer of those in Overrein's life than there used to be.

Rice notes that none of the bikers believes the bell is effective. Today, they would say, "Big Daddy" looks over them.

*Galin is a freelance producer based in Nashville, Tenn. Additional information was provided by Tim Tanton, UMNS staff.

Western Jurisdiction challenges homosexuality stance

The United Methodist Western Jurisdictional Conference convenes in Portland, Ore. UMNS photos by Linda Sullivan.

By Marta W. Aldrich*

PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS)-Challenging the United Methodist stance on homosexuality, the church's Western Jurisdictional Conference approved four statements aimed at changing denominational policies and beliefs on human sexuality.

With no debate, the legislative assembly voted July 18 in favor of resolutions that presenters said will serve as "a witness to the general church."

One resolution celebrated a May 15 ruling by the California Supreme Court clearing the way for gay marriages, which began in that state June 16. It states, in part, that the conference supports "same-gender couples who enter into the marriage covenant and encourage(s) both congregations and pastors to welcome, embrace and provide spiritual nurture and pastoral care for these families."

Another asks that church leaders look for "creative ways" to "be in full ministry with all who come to us" and declares an intention not to penalize clergy or churches "for being agents of this ministry in God's name."

A third resolution challenges decisions last April by General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, that kept intact the church's position that homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching."

"We stand with our gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender brothers and sisters, both lay and clergy, who have been shunned by The United Methodist Church in polity and deed," the resolution states. "… As a welcoming and reconciling jurisdiction, we will take steps of inclusion in the sacred trust of marriage, ordination and leadership roles for all."

A fourth resolution affirms a statement approved by the human sexuality subcommittee of General Conference. That statement, which was not approved by the churchwide assembly, says United Methodists and other Christians "have struggled to find principles for applying traditional teachings to contemporary understandings of human sexuality." The resolution encourages "the medical, theological and social science disciplines to combine in a determined effort to understand human sexuality more completely."

As the only body that speaks for the entire church, General Conference affirmed its stance while holding that all people are "individuals of sacred worth created in the image of God." Meeting in Forth Worth, Texas, the denominational assembly also retained statements asking "families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends."

General Conference represents a worldwide denomination of 11.5 million people. Of those, 390,000 United Methodists are in the Western Jurisdiction, which covers the Western United States and some U.S. territories in the Pacific.

Pushing for change
In the wake of the California high court's ruling, the Western Jurisdiction's resolutions followed others passed in June by the California-Pacific and California-Nevada Annual (regional) Conferences. Those resolutions include support of United Methodist clergy who choose to perform same-sex marriages, including one that lists and commends 82 retired clergy who have offered to perform such ceremonies.

The Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference, meeting during the same week as the Western, voiced support for those clergy as well.

In a ruling of law issued earlier in July, Bishop Beverly J. Shamana said California-Nevada's statement commending those pastors was "void and of no effect." Her ruling said the conference does not have the power to offer clergy services that could be chargeable offenses under church law, which prohibits United Methodist pastors and churches from conducting ceremonies celebrating homosexual unions.

A minority in the church
Leaders of the Western Jurisdictional Conference and its annual conferences have become increasingly vocal about including and affirming people of diverse sexual orientations in the life and sacraments of the church.

"As the population has grown in the Western Jurisdiction, people have increasingly come to know more and more people in our Christian community who are gay and lesbian people, and so there is a desire … to be a home for all of God's people," Bishop Mary Ann Swenson told United Methodist News Service.

"It's been a growing vision over time, and the majority of people in our leadership would wish for the Book of Discipline and the denomination's position to change," said Swenson, of the church's Los Angeles Area. "But the majority of people in our jurisdiction are a minority of people for the whole church."

Leah Gallardo Switzer, one of two jurisdictional delegates to vote against the four resolutions, said she represents "that silent voice in the California-Pacific Conference" that sides with the denominational stance.

"I believe everyone is welcome at God's table," said Switzer. "My issue is marriage. I believe marriage is a sacrament that God intended for a man and a woman. At the same time, I believe there are many more important issues, such as poverty and human trafficking, that God is calling us to address. These are the things I'd like to see us spending more of our energy speaking to."

*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.

Pastor is church's first openly gay bishop candidate

The Rev. Frank Wulf delivers his address as candidate for United Methodist bishop to the Western Jurisdictional Conference. A UMNS photo by Linda Sullivan.

By Marta W. Aldrich*

PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS)-Standing before an assembly that would elect two bishops, the Rev. Frank Wulf shared his problem as a candidate for one of the top clergy positions in The United Methodist Church.

"The problem is that I come as a gay man, and I know where our church stands on the issue of same-sex orientation," Wulf said in his candidacy address before the Western Jurisdictional Conference, which represents United Methodists in the western United States, Guam and other U.S. territories in the Pacific.

The delegates, who later approved four statements challenging the denomination's position on homosexuality, listened intently as Wulf continued: "And I know that the church says … a practicing self-avowed homosexual shall not be ordained or appointed within our church."

By extension, Wulf noted that his candidacy created a quandary for jurisdictional delegates in a denomination that consistently has declared homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching."

"I know that if, by some chance, I were ever to be elected as a bishop within this jurisdiction or any jurisdiction, that all hell would break loose …," he said, explaining later that he would anticipate church judicial charges, threats and hate mail.

He challenged them: "If in fact you feel this is what God is calling you to do … then I would be willing to be your bishop. But if the Western Jurisdiction is not at the point where it is willing … to deal with the maelstrom that will occur, then I am certainly not the person you should elect as bishop in this jurisdiction.
"
Wulf then left the podium-the only one to receive a standing ovation for a candidacy address among more than a dozen clergy members asking that July 16 to become bishop. In so doing, he became the first openly gay candidate for the United Methodist episcopacy. (During his 2004 candidacy, Wulf had not openly shared his sexual orientation.)

Two days later, in the late-night hours of July 18, as delegates struggled to elect their second and final bishop, Wulf went to the podium again-this time to withdraw his name from consideration. For the previous two days, he had consistently finished sixth in the balloting among 19 clergy members receiving votes. At this hour, it was apparent that he would not be elected.

"I am withdrawing from this race for the episcopacy, but I'm doing so with the hope that a gay man or a lesbian will be able to be elected bishop of The United Methodist Church. … I know that day is coming," Wulf said to applause and another standing ovation.

Mixed reaction
As word of Wulf's openly gay candidacy spread elsewhere, reaction was mixed but passionate on all sides.

"Even though he was not elected, I think it was a significant milestone for The United Methodist Church," said Mary Larson, chairperson of the pastor parish committee at United University Church, a United Methodist/Presbyterian congregation that Wulf leads in Los Angeles.

"He made the decision to run as an openly gay man, and it was a challenge to the whole church to deal more directly with this issue. … He was not a token candidate just to make a point; he was a serious candidate," said Larson, who attended the conference in support of Wulf.

Others countered that the Western Jurisdiction, which historically has supported the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the life of the church, is not of one mind on the issue. They noted that a large number side with the denominational stance on human sexuality as passed by General Conference, the church's top legislative body, which met last spring in Fort Worth, Texas. They said church law is based on Scripture and longstanding Christian tradition, and that it serves as a covenant for the entire denomination, including Wulf and others advocating for change.

Such advocacy is a perplexing statement to the world at best and a subversive act of teaching at worst, according to the Rev. David Parker, senior pastor of Central United Protestant Church, an 1,100-member United Methodist congregation in Richland, Wash.

"To change our official stance and even advocate for that change is both harmful and subversive, not only to The United Methodist Church but to the larger global Christian church and our commitment to understanding holiness in every dimension of life," said Parker. "…I haven't run into any self-avowed homosexuals willing to remain celibate and teach and advocate that God has a different and healing vision for sexual practice."

The Rev. Maxie Dunnam, a well-known United Methodist speaker, author and educator, said the fact that an openly gay person would run for bishop shows the depth of division with United Methodism.

"It also shows how far removed the leadership of the UM Church in that jurisdiction is--not only from the consistent witness of United Methodism but from the church universal and the vast majority of Christians around the world," said Dunnam, chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky.

Dunnam said bishops are to be both symbols of unity and defenders of the faith.

"What bothers me most is that our bishops in that jurisdiction (and some in other jurisdictions), while not openly violating the law of our church on the issue of the practice of homosexuality, are pastorally and prophetically supporting persons and positions that do violate our stand on this issue," he said. "I am deeply troubled that they seem oblivious to the fact that their failure to lead prophetically and pastorally in support of the church's doctrine and discipline contributes greatly to division and the threat of schism."

Jurisdictional duty
The Western Jurisdictional Conference's primary tasks during its July 16-19 gathering were to elect two bishops and then to assign all of its bishops to geographical areas of responsibility for the next four years, starting Sept. 1.

Wulf had agreed to be nominated from the floor at the urging of members across the jurisdiction's gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual community.

"There's no question that he is recognized as the community's natural leader," Larson said.

As for Wulf, he believes his candidacy represented "a growing movement within the church to understand another way."

"When General Conference ends and questions related to the Book of Discipline have been voted on, it looks like it's all settled and done. But what that uniformity of the Discipline really does for us is to disguise a disunity that exists in our church," he said in an interview with United Methodist News Service.

"I think my running provides an opportunity for us to talk across those boundaries-to listen to each other, read Scriptures together, pray together, fast together-and hopefully not just to shout insults at each other. I feel that God called me to this moment."

*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.

NEJ affirms Calif. clergy on same-gender marriages

United Methodist Western Jurisdictional Conference guests in Portland, Ore., applaud the passage of a resolution by the Northeastern Jurisdiction in support of California United Methodist clergy who choose to perform same-sex marriages. A UMNS photo by Cate Monaghan.

By Maidstone Mulenga*

HARRISBURG, Pa. (UMNS)-In sharp contrast to the action taken at the United Methodist General Conference last spring, delegates to the denomination's Northeastern Jurisdiction Conference voted July 17 to support clergy in California who choose to perform same-gender marriages.

The delegates approved a resolution expressing respect for pastors in the California-Pacific and California-Nevada annual (regional) conferences "who as a matter of Christian conscience, spiritual discernment and prophetic witnessing" opt to participate in the celebration of same-gender marriages that are not approved by the church.

The resolution also asks for lenient disciplinary action against clergy who disobey church law on the issue.

The 2008 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, voted to retain its ban on same-gender marriages and to bar clergy from performing such marriages or consecrating them in the church. Pastors who perform same-gender unions risk losing their clergy credentials. The assembly met April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Division among Northeastern Jurisdiction delegates over the resolution prompted passionate debate from supporters and opponents. Bishop Jane Allen Middleton of the Harrisburg Area, who was presiding over the session, prayed for holy discernment before the delegates voted.

On May 15, the California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-gender marriage, ruling that the state constitution protects that "right to marry."

The California-Pacific Annual Conference, which met in June, approved measures that support same-gender couples entering into the marriage covenant and encouraged congregations and pastors to "welcome, embrace and provide spiritual nurture and pastoral care for these families."

The neighboring California-Nevada Annual Conference approved similar measures, including one that lists about 80 retired United Methodist clergy who have offered to conduct same-gender marriage ceremonies on behalf of those clergy who feel they cannot do it themselves.

After the Northeastern Jurisdiction Conference resolution was passed, Bishop Mary Ann Swenson of the Los Angeles Area read it to the Western Jurisdiction Conference in Portland, Ore. Delegates and guests greeted it with a standing ovation.

The five U.S. jurisdictional conferences of The United Methodist Church are meeting to elect and assign bishops for the next four years and to handle other business. The Northeastern Jurisdiction is meeting July 13-18.

*Mulenga is a reporter for the Rochester Democrat-Chronicle, the communications committee chairperson for the Western New York Annual Conference, and a delegate to the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference.

Lease of property issue heads to United Methodist 'supreme court'

The United Methodist Judicial Council will be asked to rule whether or not Southern Methodist University can lease land for a presidential center for less than fair market value. A UMNS photo courtesy of Southern Methodist University.

By Linda Green

DALLAS-A faculty member of Southern Methodist University wants The United Methodist Church's highest court to rule on whether the leasing of property to The President George W. Bush Foundation violates the university's articles of incorporation and subsidizes a political view point.

The Rev. Jeannie Trevino-Teddlie, director of the Mexican-American program at Perkins School of Theology at United Methodist-related SMU and a delegate to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference from the Central Texas Annual (regional) Conference, asked for a decision of law that will go to the United Methodist Judicial Council this fall.

"The main thing I am most concerned about is that by leasing property to the Bush Foundation, at less than fair market value, we are in effect subsidizing a policy institute that has a specific political ideology and ideological point of view," she said, adding the denomination's law book, the Book of Discipline, allows church property "to be used for the work of the church and not to subsidize a political point of view."

In February, SMU officials approved giving the Bush Foundation a 99-year lease to build a presidential library, museum and policy institute on university property. The lease is $1,000 for 99 years--renewable for up to 250 years.

Trevino-Teddlie asked Bishop Robert Hayes of Oklahoma, who was presiding over that session of the South Central Jurisdictional Conference, for the ruling of law. Hayes said he will determine if it "was within the bounds of SMU to lease this land for the amount of money that they wanted."

"I have to examine her petition and determine whether I feel that the conference has violated the terms of the Book of Discipline," Hayes explained. "I will write and respond to her seeking a declaration of law and submit it to the Judicial Council."

The council will then examine the question and Hayes' decision and "make a ruling on whether I am correct or she is correct" when it meets in October. The council reviews all bishops' decisions of law during annual and jurisdictional conference sessions.

The delegates to the South Central Jurisdiction, owners of the Southern Methodist University, on July 17 affirmed the leasing of the land to the Bush Foundation. Along with that approval, the delegates asked that the university's integrity be protected.

Trevino-Teddlie said allowing the institute on the campus of SMU is "contrary to what the United Methodist Book of Discipline allows, and I would like to get a ruling on that."

Her question for a ruling of law asks: "Is the approval of the lease of property of Southern Methodist University by the South Central Jurisdiction and Southern Methodist University, at less than market value, to the Bush Foundation for the purpose of establishing a policy institute, in conflict with the articles of incorporation of Southern Methodist University, the rules of the South Central Jurisdiction and/or The Book of Discipline, specifically Para. 2503.4, which requires all United Methodist property to be 'kept, maintained . . . for the benefit of The United Methodist Church and subject to the usages and the Discipline of The United Methodist Church'" and said lease would subsidize a specific political and ideological point of view?"

While the library and museum have been welcomed by many United Methodists, others have opposed the institute fearing it will be a partisan think-tank.

"The issue is the policy institute," Trevino-Teddlie said. "The United Methodist Church should not be in the business of endorsing any political point of view--whether that is democrat, republican, green party--that is not what The United Methodist Church has stated the use of Methodist property is for. I think there is a violation there."

Acknowledging that seeking the question of law makes her walk a fine line with the university that employs her, she emphasized, "I am a Christian first. I am speaking out of my faith and to me that is all that is important."

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

Bishop rules Cal-Nevada statement on same-sex unions 'void' Revised to include additional comments

Bishop Beverly Shamana presides June 19 over the California-Nevada Annual (regional) Conference in Sacramento, Calif. A UMNS file photo by Paul "Spud" Hilton.

By Marta W. Aldrich

PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS)-Retired United Methodist clergy in northern California and Nevada could face disciplinary charges if they perform same-gender marriage ceremonies in the wake of a California court ruling that allows gay couples to marry, their bishop says.

While the church's California-Nevada legislative assembly approved a resolution in June commending retired clergy who have offered to perform such ceremonies, Bishop Beverly J. Shamana has issued a ruling declaring the statement "void and of no effect."

"While the resolution is a commendable gesture to the congregations of the conference in offering the pastoral counsel of a number of retired clergy to persons contemplating same-gender marriage under the laws of California, it steps over a disciplinary line when it commends these clergy to the congregations for the purpose of 'performing same gender marriages or holy unions,'" Shamana wrote in her ruling of law.

Meanwhile, an organizer of the retired clergy said the bishop's ruling would not deter the pastors from performing the ceremonies.

"Nothing has changed by the bishop calling the resolution null and void," said the Rev. Don Fado, a retired United Methodist pastor in Sacramento. "As far as we're concerned, we're available, and the conference knows we're available, and we've made our witness and will continue to do so."

Ruling of law
The ruling of law was requested immediately after the church's California-Nevada Annual (regional) Conference approved the resolution on June 21. The ruling was sent July 2 to the United Methodist Judicial Council, the church's top court, which will review the matter at its October session. A copy of the ruling was obtained by United Methodist News Service during the church's Western Jurisdictional Conference, meeting July 16-19 in Portland, where a new bishop was being elected to replace the retiring Shamana.

Sixty-seven retired clergy signed on to offer their services under the original resolution. The list has since grown to 82, according to Fado.

The resolution lists the names of retired clergy wanting to participate and states that the conference "commends its retired clergy for offering continued ministry and will communicate to its congregations the availability of the following retired pastors to perform same gender marriages or holy unions."

In her ruling, Shamana says the denomination's Book of Discipline declares that performing same-sex marriage ceremonies is a chargeable offense.

"It is not within the power or prerogative of an annual conference to offer the services of its clergy to perform acts which the General Conference has declared to be chargeable offenses against the law of The United Methodist Church," Shamana wrote.

The United Methodist Church, while affirming all people as persons "of sacred worth," considers the practice of homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching." Its law book prohibits its pastors and churches from conducting ceremonies celebrating homosexual unions. The denominational statements were affirmed in a split vote last spring by General Conference, the church's top legislative body that meets once every four years.

The Rev. Ronald Greilich, who asked Shamana for the ruling of law, said he was pleased with the bishop's conclusion.

"The Discipline is very specific that United Methodist clergy are not to do gay and lesbian weddings and they're not to be held in the churches, and to do so is a chargeable offense," said Greilich, a retired pastor in Clovis, Calif.

Greilich is writing a brief to submit to the Judicial Council in support of Shamana's ruling. "This is what our book of rules says, and if we're going to be United Methodists in covenant with one another, we should do what we promised to do when we were ordained, which is to support The United Methodist Church," he said.

Making a statement
Fado said many retired clergy in California-Nevada actually have been "doing holy unions for three years"--under the radar. However, he said, they felt compelled to make a statement about their availability in the wake of last spring's ruling by the California Supreme Court, overturning a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage.

The resolution "was a chance to make a witness on where we stand and give courage to pastors in the connection that we're willing to do it," Fado said. "… We're saying this is an act of collegiality to be of support to pastors who feel for any reason they cannot perform the ceremony."

Fado said retired clergy listed in the resolution are among the leaders in the California-Nevada Conference, which includes northern California and the state of Nevada. They include 15 former district superintendents, 11 who have been delegates to General Conference and 10 who have served as conference staff.

The church's California-Pacific assembly also passed gay-friendly statements in June in southern California, after the state began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on June 16.

Some denominational leaders have subsequently expressed concern that the two conferences are on the verge of breaking a Scripturally based covenant with the rest of the 11.5 million-member denomination, as expressed through the Book of Discipline and actions of General Conference, which is the only body that can speak for the entire United Methodist Church.

They say the church's position is based on biblical teaching and Christian tradition, which they note is often at odds with popular culture.

Gay rights advocates say gay rights are God-given civil rights that the church should support as a matter of conscience and that the church, in its quest to be more inclusive, should extend to gay couples the same levels of support it provides to heterosexual couples.

At the church's Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference meeting in Harrisburg, Pa., delegates voted July 17 to support retired California-Nevada clergy who perform the marriage ceremonies. The resolution also asks for lenient disciplinary action against clergy who disobey church law on the issue.

*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.

World food crisis especially impacts the poor

Juana Arroyo cooks food in El Bananal, Argentina, while her grandchild watches. Rising food prices and poor harvests are creating a global food crisis that is most impacting the poorest of the poor. A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey, Church World Service.

A UMNS Report
By Linda Bloom*

The skyrocketing cost of rice is affecting how Stop Hunger Now and other relief organizations do their work.

Rice is the main component of the nutritious meal packages dispensed worldwide by the group, which is based in Raleigh, N.C., and led by the Rev. Ray Buchanan, a United Methodist pastor.

"It (the cost) is having an absolutely direct impact on what we're going to do," Buchanan said.

As a result, Stop Hunger Now may have to reduce its goal to package 5.5 million meals during 2008 or rely on more donations from volunteers who put together the meals, he added.

Jeffrey D. Sachs, the well-known economist and special adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, has described the worldwide food situation as "the worst crisis of its kind in more than 30 years," according to The New York Times.

And those affected most by the crisis are the poorest of the poor, according to June Kim, who monitors hunger-related projects for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. "A lot of people living on $2 a day are now having to pay more for food and getting less food," she said.

Trouble is everywhere, according to news reports:

.In the Horn of Africa, a lack of rain, poor harvests, soaring food prices and inflation, and violence have hampered food aid.
.In Haiti, where the cost of beans, corn and rice has skyrocketed, the very poor are literally eating mud patties made out of mud, oil and sugar.
.In Australia, a six-year drought has nearly destroyed the country's huge rice industry, reducing the rice crop by 98 percent.
.In the Philippines, the government has distributed monthly cash subsidies and "rice passes" in an effort to deal with food shortages.

Perfect storm
Many say the crisis has arisen from a "perfect storm" of rising oil prices, climate change and natural disasters.

UMCOR finds itself responding to more than just specific regional problems related to food, such as drought in sub-Saharan Africa or floods in Mozambique, according to the Rev. Sam Dixon, chief executive. "It's not localized, as it often has been in the past," he explained.

Whether because of political instability, crop loss because of a natural disaster, or the increased consumption of imported food in more countries, "there are too many factors to address with one strategy," Dixon said.

The change in eating patterns has had an impact because of an increase in average income in places such as India, China and other parts of Asia. "People who are moving out of poverty eat better and they eat higher on the food chain," Buchanan explained. "All that requires enormous inputs of grain."

At the same time, in the United States alone, "a third of all the corn being produced is now going to biofuels rather than human or animal consumption," Buchanan said. The push for biofuels such as ethanol has occurred as the United States tries to reduce its dependence upon oil for energy.

The amount of grain available this year also is in question. U.S. harvests of corn and soybeans are being threatened by rain and flooding, while Australian wheat farmers are coping with drought.

Schoolchildren in Ibo Beach, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, eat food provided by Stop Hunger Now. A UMNS photo courtesy of Stop Hunger Now.

Those with nothing left to lose can become desperate, as shown by the food riots and demonstrations last spring in Haiti, Egypt, Yemen, Indonesia, Côte d'Ivoire, Thailand, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, the Philippines and even Italy.

Global security
"It's not just an issue of food," Buchanan said. "It's an issue of global security. Global leaders are understanding that this is almost like a tipping point. Right now there are at least 33 countries around the world that are politically unstable … by food insecurity."

The current crisis does seem to have a broader and more dangerous impact, agrees Richard Williams, director of the social and economic development program for Church World Service. "We feel that it is more widespread because you hear more and more about food riots in a lot of places at the same time," he said.

"Food riots can destabilize a government."
With all the factors involved, "there are no quick fixes for this one," Williams added. "This is not a food drop somewhere."

In the United States, the Society of St. Andrew, a United Methodist-related organization, is receiving fewer donations of food while also fielding more requests for food, according to Marian Kelly, director of its potato project.

When Kelly talks these days with staff at food banks and soup kitchens, "I find they're all talking about the same thing. They don't have enough food. Their shelves are all empty."

In addition, transportation "has been one huge, huge drain on our finances," she said. "We need the food desperately, but then you've got to have the money to move it from the farms to the feeding agencies."

Delegates to the June 3-5 Conference on World Food Security in Rome declared that governments and financial institutions must provide more food for the poor and increase agricultural production for the future.

Political will
The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, told the conference that more than talk is needed to solve the crisis. "Conferences and reports over many years have concluded that it is feasible to end world hunger," he said. "They have appealed, again and again, for the necessary political will. This experience has taught us that conferences and reports are not enough to build the necessary political will."

The Rev. David Beckmann of Bread for the World says that more than talk is needed to solve the world’s food crisis. A UMNS photo by Giulia Muir, FAO.

What is necessary, he said, is to strengthen advocates for the hungry and poor--ranging from neighborhood groups and religious institutions to governments, the press and political parties.

The supporters of Bread for the World--including United Methodists and those from other denominations--"mobilize hundreds of thousands of constituent contacts with the U.S. Congress each year," Beckmann pointed out, leading the U.S. government "to more than double its funding for poverty-focused development assistance during this decade."

In a statement at the conclusion of the Rome conference, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, a Methodist from Kenya who leads the World Council of Churches, expressed hope for "timely action" and said the WCC Executive Committee would address the food crisis at its September meeting.

"Ensuring food security for all of the world's people is among the greatest challenges facing humanity in the early years of the 21st century," Kobia's statement said. "The churches have an essential role to play, and to be effective we must face the global food crisis together."

Churches should advocate against the production of biofuels "at the expense of food production and the environment," the statement added, and support small farmers and the just distribution of food resources. "As churches, we must continue to accompany and support sustainable communities and movements of farmers and landless rural workers."

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

Save the Date! October 4, 2008
Celebration of Cultures

Sponsored by the Scarritt-Bennett Center and Metro Parks

CELEBRATION OF CULTURES returns for its 12th year. Mark your calendar for an amazing free day of music, dance, ethnic foods, a marketplace & children's activity area in Centennial Park from 10 am - 6 pm!

The 2008 Headline for Celebration of Cultures will be MOSCOW NIGHTS
Moscow Nights is an exciting, versatile ensemble of world-recognized, prize-winning musicians from Russia. They have already established themselves as one of the fastest rising folk groups in the United States.

These classically trained artists first took Western Europe by storm and now have brought their dazzling, toe-tapping music to North America. Led by Vitaliy Bezrodnov on Bayan Accordion, the group was initially formed under his direction in Kaluga, Russia in the late 1980’s where Mr. Bezrodnov attended Kaluga Music Conservatory. After completing his conservatory studies, he successfully reorganized the group in the United States in 1996. Mr. Bezrodnov spent considerable time traveling deep into the Russian countryside, interviewing the eldest members of each village in an effort to preserve and resurrect pre-revolution Russian culture. Moscow Nights’ current program incorporates obscure folk instruments such as percussion “Treshotki” and birch-bark whistles. Thus, the group is able to bring to audiences a unique program of a culture that had almost lost its original identity.

The music of Moscow Nights is predominantly authentic, traditional Russian folk music, and the group’s concerts offer audiences an entertaining glimpse into Old Russia through music, song, and dance. This helps bridge a three-quarter century of isolation between countries. The dazzling, toe-tapping program is broad and varied with something to appeal to everyone – from youngest to oldest and everyone in between.

Interested in being a part of the festival?
Volunteer, World Market (visual artists, import vendors & non-profits), food vendor, children's activity and other sponsorship opportunities are available now. Download the brochures (below) and get in touch with the planners of this amazing event.

World Market Brochure (pdf)
http://www.celebrationofcultures.org/images/COC_WorldMarket_broch08.pdf?PHPSESSID=bec858ef3a5fdd15d1995e2a52350f68

Food Vendor Brochure (pdf)
http://www.celebrationofcultures.org/images/COC_Food_broch08.pdf?PHPSESSID=2384c5ffde22818b79384d4b46dce0d8

Children’s Area Contact Info
http://www.celebrationofcultures.org/children_host_activity.php?PHPSESSID=69953a29c8f650bfb41a3b018e81e908

Volunteer Form
http://www.celebrationofcultures.org/images/COC_VolunteerFm08.pdf?PHPSESSID=bee3f07f1c8a9994449ad597dc6efa8d

Sponsor Info
http://www.celebrationofcultures.org/how_to_help.php

AND be sure to visit www.celebrationofcultures.org for information as it becomes available. See you Oct. 4!

Young, diverse disciples a priority at annual conferences

Children from the Florida United Methodist Children's Home sing and dance for the 2008 Florida Annual (regional) Conference. Reaching out to more young people was among topics discussed by United Methodists at numerous U.S. conferences. A UMNS photo by Caryl Kelley.

A UMNS Report
By Jennifer Lind*

The need to reach out to a broader demographic was a central theme for the shrinking United Methodist Church in the United States as 63 U.S. annual (regional) conferences met this May and June.

In the words of the Rev. Lovett Weems, a denominational researcher and speaker who addressed the Mississippi Annual Conference, "Can the church change to reach more people, younger people and more diverse people?"

The church answered affirmatively as conferences celebrated new churches, planned future church plants and worked to improve existing faith communities.

The vast majority of conferences reported membership losses for another year. Out of 50 conferences submitting reports to United Methodist News Service as of July 14, only seven reported an increase in membership. Six are in the Southeastern Jurisdiction and one in the South Central Jurisdiction. They are Central Texas, Alabama-West Florida, Holston, Kentucky, North Carolina, North Georgia, Redbird and Central Texas.

Total U.S. membership is 7.9 million, down eight-tenths of a percent from the previous year, according to the latest statistics released by the denomination in March. While The United Methodist Church is growing in Africa and the Philippines, U.S. membership has dwindled for decades.

"We have only two choices before us. We can continue to do things the way we've always done them, or we can seek better ways to address the complicated mission of making disciples in our changing world. We must choose the latter," said Bishop Robert E. Hayes in his Episcopal Address to the Oklahoma gathering.

Once a year, lay and clergy delegates from each conference meet to worship together, approve a regional budget, take up special offerings, celebrate successes and identify areas of need as they consider ways to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

This year, they took up the additional task of endorsing candidates for bishop, in advance of jurisdictional conferences meeting this week to elect bishops and assign them for the next four years.

Church growth remained a major focus.
Northwest Texas pledged $3 million to build new churches and renovate existing ones. Virginia approved its "All Things New" plan, planting seeds for 250 new faith communities in the next 30 years and revitalizing existing churches. West Ohio outlined procedures for healthy churches to remove the costs of launching new churches from its apportionments contribution.

The Foundation for Evangelism presented 94 Harry Denman evangelism awards in 46 annual conferences representing all five U.S. jurisdictions. Celebrated for outstanding leadership in evangelism, the recipients included five youth, one youth team, 45 laity and 43 clergy.

Youth and minorities
Research indicates that, based on the U.S. population, young people and people of color are underrepresented in The United Methodist United Church.

The Florida Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry set a goal to reach more than a quarter of a million college students in South Florida, envisioning a regional campus ministry there. The conference currently sponsors a campus ministry at the University of Miami and six others in the area.

Members heard about the Children's Advocacy and Ministry Coalition's work to end hunger in Florida. The coalition provides children with a healthy breakfast, along with after-school and summer meal programs.

Wisconsin created a United Methodist Youth Sunday and a task force for young adult ministries.
The need to reach racial minorities was a ubiquitous topic.

Florida heard that $750,000 will be used to launch Hispanic, Haitian, Korean and Chinese congregations. Seventeen new non-Anglo churches and missions have been active in Florida since 2005. The conference approved funding to support African-American churches and also donated to Justice for Our Neighbors, which helps local congregations respond to the needs of immigrants.

California-Nevada formed a Committee on Hmong Ministry and commissioned a Philippines Solidarity Group.

Oregon-Idaho recognized the Rev. Ron Whitlach as the newly hired director of the Hispanic Ministries Training Institute. His charge is to strengthen Hispanic ministries in the conference.

West Virginia celebrated churches in Moorefield that helped undocumented immigrants following enforcement action by U.S. authorities that left many families homeless.

West Michigan called on United Methodists to urge legislators to implement comprehensive immigration reform that provides "earned pathways to citizenship for all immigrants."

North Texas recognized an anti-racism team and a Hispanic/Latino ministry task force. The conference also approved a resolution designed to raise awareness of the U.S. environment for Hispanic/Latino Americans and other immigrant groups and recommended that 20 percent of clergy leadership be literate in conversational Spanish by 2020.

Social issues
Homosexuality, a perennial hot-button issue for decades at the church's top legislative meeting, also was a frequent subject of debate on the annual conference level.

In California, where the state Supreme Court legalized same-gender marriage in May, two conferences passed legislation in support of the court ruling. California-Pacific approved three measures, including one that "encourages both congregations and pastors to welcome, embrace and provide spiritual nurture and pastoral care for these families." California-Nevada approved a measure commending 67 retired United Methodist clergy who have offered to conduct same-gender marriage ceremonies.

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.

Wyoming established a bishop's task force to study the issue of homosexuality. Baltimore-Washington continued to support dialogue teams exploring the possibility of full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people within the life of the church. Holston voted down a resolution calling for the study and discussion of homosexuality.

West Ohio discouraged its pastors from judging homosexual people and practices, encouraging them to study materials provided by Cokesbury on heterosexism and homophobia.

Troy urged the U.S. Congress to cease funding the Iraq war. North Indiana approved a resolution creating a task force on steps to end the war. East Ohio and Central Texas went on the record opposing the Council of Bishops' resolution calling for the war's end.

Virginia featured "Eyes Wide Open," an exhibit displaying combat boots, each pair symbolizing a Virginia soldier lost in the conflict. Members unanimously called for ministries of caring and "sorrow-bearing" for families of soldiers killed or injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Arkansas and Southern Pennsylvania called for moratoriums on the use of the death penalty in their states. Greater New Jersey celebrated the state's ban on the death penalty and endorsed similar bans in Pennsylvania, New York and Texas.

Giving and missions
Detroit donated $2 million to the Central Conference Pension Initiative to support retired United Methodist pastors and their families in conferences outside of the United States. Western Pennsylvania contributed $500,000, and West Ohio donated $400,000 and pledged to do the same for the next four years.

North Texas donated $500,000 to build a new student health center at Africa University, and pledged to give another $500,000 to the United Methodist university in Zimbabwe.

Iowa donated $210,000 to the Nothing but Nets anti-malaria campaign. Greater New Jersey gave $118,250, and Arkansas contributed $90,000.

Rocky Mountain donated $50,000 to the Global AIDS Fund, while West Virginia donated $24,000 and Central Pennsylvania, $21,803.

Western Pennsylvania donated more than $20,000 to aid survivors of recent flooding in Iowa.
Louisiana recognized conference work to rebuild devastated communities, providing financial help and lifting up in prayer those affected by the disasters. Six Louisiana churches stricken by hurricanes Katrina and Rita have closed, and six have merged with other area churches.

Healthy bodies, healthy earth
At the Oklahoma conference, Bishop Robert Hayes led 300 participants in a "walk for wellness." The conference also prohibited the use of tobacco in parsonages.

Arkansas emphasized "holy healthy" living habits, drawing more than 200 participants in its first 5K run/walk event through the hills of Hot Springs. Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare hosted a health fair, offering to screen members for cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

Troy approved a resolution to educate congregations about energy production, encourage energy audits and improve churches and congregants' homes. The measure promotes the use of renewable energy by purchasing "green power" and supports "green" public policies.

Oklahoma promoted a recycling project to boost youth ministry. All members received compact fluorescent light bulbs and bare-root trees.

Boundary changes
Four conferences--North Central New York, Troy, Western New York and Wyoming--voted to merge and reduce the number of bishops in the jurisdiction from 10 to nine.

South Indiana and North Indiana approved a plan to merge and rearrange boundaries, reducing their number of districts from 18 to 10.

Both changes require jurisdictional approval.

Annual conferences in Africa, Europe and Asia meet at different times throughout the year.

*Lind is an intern for United Methodist News Service and a senior in religious studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Old Time Revival Promotes New Vision of Church, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Monday, July 28th, 6:30 p.m.

(NASHVILLE, TN) They are dressed in old-time suits, and proudly take the stage with guitar and trombone in hand to preach the gospel as they travel throughout the United States with their “rollin’ gospel revival.” However, these aren’t your traditional fire and brimstone revival preachers, in fact, their vision of church often seems at odds with the old-time evangelists of the past. Rather, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette are modern day prophets, using old-time means for calling the church to a new way of being, and they will be bringing their message to Nashville on July 28.

The Church Basement Roadshow: A Rollin’s Gospel Revival is part old-time revival, part modern book tour, featuring three leaders in a movement often called the “emerging church.” This movement attempts to look faith and church in new ways, presenting a vision of faith that is holistic and relevant to the questions of today’s world. The event is being held at the St. Bartholomew’s Church on Monday, July 28 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Jones, Pagitt, and Scandrette, have all recently written books on issues of faith and church life, and were looking for creative ways to promote their books. When a friend offered them the use of his RV for a summer book tour, the idea was born to do something different and use the image of the traditional revival as a means of presenting their new vision of what the church should be.
“We wanted to get out on the road and meet people,” said Jones, the National Coordinator of Emergent Village and author of “The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier.” “We really had no idea it would be so fun and we’ve been surprised at the response we’ve received throughout the country.”

Jones, Pagitt, and Scandrette emphasize that they are not making fun of old-time revival preachers. “We’re doing the same thing that they did,” Jones said, “traveling through the country to tell others about our faith. We are indebted to those preachers and our show is a homage to the lives and example.”

The St. Bartholomew’s Church is located at 4800 Belmont Park Terrace, just off Harding Place. Admission is free but participants are asked to make a $5 donation at the door.

For more information on The Church Basement Roadshow, visit http://www.churchbasementroadshow.com/ or call Dixson Kinser at (615) 496-2008.


Biographies:

Tony Jones is the national coordinator of Emergent Village (www.emergentvillage.org), and a doctoral fellow in practical theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of many books, including The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier and The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life, and he is a sought after speaker and consultant in the areas of emerging church, postmodernism, and Christian spirituality. Tony lives with his wife, Julie, and their three children in Edina, Minnesota.

Doug Pagitt is the founder of the network that became Emergent Village, and he is the founder and pastor of Solomon’s Porch, regularly recognized as one of the most innovative churches in the world. Doug speaks across the country and internationally about missional Christianity and church leadership, and he has appeared on ABC, CNN, PBS, NPR, and in the New York Times. He has written, co-written, and coedited many books, including Church ReImagined and Body Prayer. His forthcoming book from Jossey- Bass is titled, A Christianity Worth Believing: Hope-filled, Open-armed, Alive-and-well Faith for the Left Out, Left Behind, and Let Down in Us All. Doug lives in Minnesota with his wife, Shelley, and their four children.

Mark Scandrette is the executive director and cofounder of ReIMAGINE, a center for spiritual formation in San Francisco that sponsors city-based learning initiatives, peer learning groups, and the Jesus Dojo, a year-long intensive formation process inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus. Mark is a founding member of SEVEN, a monastic community working as advocates for holistic and integrative Christian spirituality. He is a recognized speaker and poet, and his innovative thoughts on Christian spiritual formation have gained him much acclaim. He also serves on the coordinating group of Emergent Village. Mark, his wife, Lisa, and their three children live in the Mission District of San Francisco. In 2007, Jossey- Bass published his first book, Soul Graffiti: Making a Life in the Way of Jesus.

CONTACT
Dixon Kinser
St. Batholomew’s Episcopal Church
Office: (615) 377-4750
Cell: (615) 496-2008
FAX: (615) 377-4928
E-Mail: dkinser@stbs.net

Church leaders call for fair treatment of relief workers

A UMNS Report
By Linda Green*

Concern about a lack of safety, healthy working conditions and basic rights has compelled three church leaders to call for just treatment of the day laborers assisting in clean up flood-ravaged Iowa.

United Methodist Bishop Gregory Palmer, who leads his church's Iowa Annual Conference, has joined with two other religious leaders - Bishop Alan Scarfe of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa and the Rev. Rich Pleva of the Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ - in urging employers of flood relief workers to fairly compensate them for their work.

The religious leaders want employers to provide basic necessities of housing and minimum wages, and they expressed hope that Iowa "does not follow the pattern of worker injustices that happened post-Katrina."

In a joint June 27 statement, the religious leaders requested that Iowa, as a disaster stricken state, not allow its recovery "to be built on the backs of those who are marginalized and economically disenfranchised."

Paying for gas
The plight of the workers came to the attention of the three leaders after the Rev. Catherine Quehl-Engel reported incidents of workers traveling on a bus for 14 hours without food, tetanus shots, bedding or towels for showering.

The workers received $15 a day for food and expenses and less than minimum wage compensation, according to Quehl-Engel. She wrote in an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette that some workers who work 14-hour days, seven days a week, have to pay a temporary employment agency back $49 a week for the school bus gas needed to get to Cedar Falls.

United Methodist-related Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, housing Red Cross workers, state patrol officers, displaced people, businesses, and 150 Hispanic and African American day laborers who work from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. assisting in the clean-up efforts in Cedar Rapids and other flood-ravaged cities.

"These poor, hardworking men and women are the calloused hands of Christ tending Iowa's wounds and grief. I beg the question as to whether Iowa and other flooded states will care for and protect them in return," said Quehl-Engel, an Episcopal priest serving as chaplain at Cornell College.

The workers need to know they are needed and appreciated "not only for our economic well-being but for the resurrection of our cities amid disaster," she said.

Treated like animals
Quehl-Engel also cited the example of a female worker who had suffered a heart attack after a 14-hour workday - and after having had only three hours of sleep the night before. The woman was treated, released and returned to her home in Kansas City.

"She said to me that 'we are treated like animals,'" Quehl-Engel said.

She cited reports of treatment of workers by temporary agencies and national companies and workers being placed in housing situations where several workers occupy one room. One company has workers sleeping on the bus or under the bus that transports them, Quehl-Engel said.

"Imagine that you are in this toxic goo all day long and then you are sleeping under the bus that brought you. Where do you shower? Where do you rest?" she said.

Additional reports note that until recently, inadequate basic health and safety measures and insurance had been provided. Workers had been cleaning in the muck and mire without gloves and face masks.

"A vast majority of these people signed contracts that they did not understand the terms," Quehl-Engel said. She added that the abuses of the workers are allegedly by two temporary agencies who subcontract under ServiceMaster, a company that cleans homes after disasters or damage.

Speaking to gazetteonline.com, Chad Reichert, general manager of ServiceMaster 380, said the company only works with licensed subcontractors, which must comply with state laws. "We pay the temp agencies $15 to $18 per hour, and they are responsible for their employees after that," Reichert said.

Ensuring human rights
"These situations are unacceptable, inhumane, unjust and stand in violation not only of the workers' human decency and rights, but the very communal fabric and identity of our state," the three denominational leaders said. "As faith communities, as broader communities, and as a state, (we) cannot allow the very people who are helping restore our homes, businesses and lives to be abused and exploited."

As the flood waters recede, Iowa will need multiple resources in the cleanup efforts and communities must work together to "ensure that this recovery does not come at the expense of jeopardizing human dignity, safety, health, or basic human rights," the religious leaders said.

Quehl-Engel and Cornell College have worked closely with the Iowa Conference and the United Methodist Board of Church and Society to ensure worker dignity and rights. Before workers could be housed at the college, college officials wrote health and safety clauses into the five-page contract for the employers of the workers, she said.

All parties worked to get health care, minimum wage and safety precautions for the workers. Quehl-Engel, a Hispanic Roman Catholic priest and a Catholic Charities national representative are providing pastoral care.

"Everyone is now vaccinated, they are being paid Iowa's minimum wage, food is being provided, and those in tears begging to go home are having that request honored. Local residents are filling in with supplemental food and fans," she said. Some workers are now in hotels and apartments, but they are still working seven-days a week.

In her article, she also encouraged people to inquire about exploitation of migrant workers and day laborers in their cities and towns.

"Amidst the chaos of the flood, don't lose sight of enforcement of state labor laws and standards of basic human decency, not to mention the biblical mandate to care for the poor and marginalized," Quehl-Engel wrote.

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

Church agencies voice dismay at ruling on gun control

By United Methodist News Service

Two United Methodist agencies, disappointed with a U.S. Supreme Court decision on handgun ownership, are urging church members to advocate for legislation that would tighten federal laws on gun control.

In a joint statement July 1, the United Methodist Board of Church and Society and the Commission on Religion and Race said they were "deeply disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court decision to strip local municipalities of the right to enact sensible and necessary gun restriction laws." A week earlier, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 that a Washington, D.C., ban on handgun ownership was unconstitutional.

"The Supreme Court's decision stands in direct contrast to the stance of our denomination," the church agencies said.

The denomination's top legislative assembly, the General Conference, condemned gun violence in a resolution at its April 23-May 2 gathering in Fort Worth, Texas.

"No appeals to individual autonomy are sufficient to justify our church's ignorance of this threat," the General Conference stated. "The need to prevent the incidence of firearm-related injury and death is an issue of increasing concern and a priority public health issue. The United Methodist Church is among those religious communities calling for social policies and personal lifestyles that bring an end to senseless gun violence."

In keeping with the resolution, the agencies "urge all United Methodists to continue to advocate for federal legislation in the U.S. Congress to regulate the importation, manufacturing, sale and possession of guns and ammunition by the general public." The resolution also calls upon all governments in countries with a United Methodist presence "to establish national bans on ownership by the general public of handguns, assault weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits and weapons that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal-detection devices."

The agencies noted that, following the ruling, the National Rifle Association filed lawsuits in Chicago and San Francisco to overturn other municipal laws on gun ownership.

The statement was signed by Jim Winkler, top staff executive of the Board of Church and Society, and Erin Hawkins, top staff executive of the Commission on Religion and Race. Both agencies are based in Washington. The board focuses on advocacy on social issues and international affairs, and the commission works to ensure racial inclusiveness.

The full text of the statement follows:

The Statement
The United Methodist Church's General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) and General Commission on Religion & Race (GCORR) are deeply disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court decision to strip local municipalities of the right to enact sensible and necessary gun restriction laws. Gun violence in local communities has risen in recent years due to the proliferation of weapons as powerful and well-financed gun lobbies have been chipping away at gun control regulations at the state and federal levels.

The Supreme Court's decision stands in direct contrast to the stance of our denomination. In response to the violence that so often accompanies the abundance of guns, the 2008 General Conference, the United Methodist Church's top policy-making body, stated unequivocally last month in a resolution on gun violence: "No appeals to individual autonomy are sufficient to justify our church's ignorance of this threat. The need to prevent the incidence of firearm-related injury and death is an issue of increasing concern and a priority public health issue. The United Methodist Church is among those religious communities calling for social policies and personal lifestyles that bring an end to senseless gun violence."

Unfortunately, the sensible policies in place in various municipalities are now likely to be challenged through an avalanche of lawsuits, such as those already filed in San Francisco and Chicago. This litigation will slow down our already clogged judicial system and most likely open the floodgates for weapons to pour into local communities.

Unfortunately, the decision, also opens the way for gunshops to be opened in communities that had previously banned them. The expected proliferation of weapons will profit weapons manufacturers and powerful gun lobby groups, but will bring more violence to local communities. As with legislation involving alcohol and tobacco, we know that restrictions do not prevent loopholes from being exploited. This decision will continue to make our children and youths unnecessary targets and users, while we continue to merchandise for profit the wares that doom us all.

The Supreme Court decision overturned numerous lower court rulings permitting state and federal governments to enact reasonable regulations on access to weapons. The 5-4 decision stretched the language of the Second Amendment in regard to the right of an armed militia to refer to an individual's right to keep and bear arms.

In writing the dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens pointed out, "The Court's announcement of a new constitutional right to own and use firearms … leaves for future cases the formidable task of defining the scope of permissible regulations."

With the memory of the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University shooting tragedies still fresh in our minds - and the six people killed in Kentucky just the day before the 5-4 decision was released - it is a sad day when the Supreme Court justices fail to understand the heartbreaking implications of easy access to weapons.

GBCS and GCORR, in accordance with the General Conference resolution on gun violence, urge all United Methodists to continue to advocate for federal legislation in the U.S. Congress to regulate the importation, manufacturing, sale and possession of guns and ammunition by the general public. They also call upon all governments in which there is a United Methodist presence to establish national bans on ownership by the general public of handguns, assault weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits, and weapons that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal-detection devices."

Jim Winkler, General Secretary, General Board of Church & Society, The United Methodist Church and Erin Hawkins, General Secretary, General Commission Religion and Race, The United Methodist Church

Faith leaders call for end to U.S. 'poverty train'

Families sign up for Angel Food Ministries, a grocery relief program in Allegany County, the poorest county in New York. A UMNS file photo by James Melchiorre.


By Jose Carlo de Pano*

WASHINGTON (UMNS)--Faith leaders say it is time to stop the "poverty train" in the United States and rescue its 37 million citizens living below the poverty line.

The Democratic Faith Working Group (DFWG) and the Out-of-Poverty Caucus (OPC) held a panel discussion June 12 aimed at bringing awareness to the worsening problem of U.S. poverty, as well as exploring solutions. Faith leaders from eight denominations and organizations participated in the discussion held in the Sam Rayburn House of Representatives office building.

Poverty is a "lifelong dilemma" that needs to be addressed now, said the Rev. Jim Wallis, president and chief executive officer of Sojourners. "The poverty train should stop by 2009," he said.

According to OPC, 37 million U.S. citizens live in poverty and the number increases every year. Since 2000, an additional 5 million people have fallen below the poverty line--defined as anyone with an annual income of $10,400 or less. OPC says a disproportionate number of those people are minorities and children.

Three evils
Poverty, racism and war are preventing the United States from moving forward, said the Rev. Kip Banks, director of Progressive National Baptist Convention. He said those three evils were first identified by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Poverty leads to violence," Banks said.

Poverty involves human dignity, making it not just a moral but a political issue, said Candy Hill, senior vice president for social policy and government affairs for Catholic Charities U.S.A. She pointed out that inequality by race, class and gender, which are at the roots of poverty, starts at birth.

Andrew Genszler, director of advocacy and the Washington office for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said religious faith must lead everybody to public life with a common purpose to end poverty. Some solutions, he said, include promoting local agriculture, transitioning to a new green economy and increasing road funds.

Along with the problem of poverty is the issue of immigration, said the Rev. Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. Rodriguez said that millions of undocumented individuals are suffering from indigence. Both immigration and education reform are needed to alleviate poverty, he said.

Rabbi Steve Gutow, executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, emphasized the importance of faith and social involvement in the complete abolition of poverty.

*De Pano, of the Philippines, is one of the 12 young adults from around the world participating in the United Methodist Board of Church and Society's summer intern program. The interns, from the five ethnic caucuses of the denomination, are working in social justice placements in Washington, D.C.

Church offers worship for special-needs adults

By Heidi Robinson*
LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (UMNS)

Billie George, 66, sits on the edge of her bed waiting for help with her shoes. Her ride to church will arrive soon, and she is eager to go.

Her live-in caregiver, Linda Kirksey, offers last-minute reminders.

“This necklace makes you look so pretty. Do you have your pocketbook? Your lunch is ready to go. ”

Two years ago, George didn’t like to attend church. Mentally challenged because her mother drank alcohol while pregnant, George found neither comfort nor inspiration from attending traditional worship services.

“It’s hard,” says Kirksey. “I would take her to my church. Sometimes she would speak out and then she would be embarrassed, or she just wasn’t sure what she should or shouldn’t do.

”Despite her disability, Billie works two jobs, making boxes at a produce company and cleaning a convenience store’s equipment.

Church offers service
Responding to people like George, members of Central United Methodist Church in Lenoir City created “Rejoicing Spirits,” a worship service for developmentally delayed people.

“Research showed us that families with developmentally delayed members felt alienated from the church,” says the Rev. Betsy Switzer, associate pastor at Central Church. “We felt called to do something about that.”

Some social agencies estimate there are as many as 7 million developmentally delayed adults and young people in the United States.

Highlight of the day
“Going to this service is the highlight of Billie’s day,” Kirksey says. “She feels such acceptance and such joy.”

George smiles as she tells about the singing, her favorite part of the worship experience.

“Billie, what about the hugs?” asks Kirksey. “Do you think you’ll get some hugs? You like those hugs, too.”

“Yah,” responds George with a smile.

Kirksey explains the importance of the hugs given by volunteers at the church. “These developmentally delayed adults look different and they may act differently than other folks. The world does not always open its arms to them. That’s what makes this service so important.

“Billie calls it her church,” Kirksey says. “But it’s really for anyone. You feel God’s presence there.”

Hugs and tambourines
At the church, a praise band begins to play an upbeat version of “Oh Happy Day” as the sanctuary fills. The service is held twice a month, once on a weekday and once on a Sunday.

Sue Miller greets folks at the door with high-fives and hugs. She also hands out maracas and tambourines.

“Having the noisemakers gives them an open OK,” says Miller, a retired business executive. “If they didn’t have the noisemakers they wouldn’t know if they should be as joyous.

“We want each person to know they are loved and cared about in this place where God meets their needs,” she says.

Miller introduced the idea of Rejoicing Spirits to Central Church after hearing about such a service in another community.

About 30 developmentally delayed adults and caregivers take their seats in the sanctuary as the service begins. They are joined by members of the congregation, like Barbara Caldwell, a retired supervisor with the state of Tennessee.

”I come to this service because it has such joy. It has helped open my eyes to see people who need to be served and can be served by the church,” Caldwell says.

Nondenominational program
Rejoicing Spirits is a nondenominational program used in churches in four states, including Tennessee. The program offers model worship services for the developmentally delayed community. The order of worship and songs encourages everyone to participate.

“Maybe some of the folks here can’t sing, and some can’t read the words to the hymns,” says Kirksey. “Here they can hum or keep beat, and it is making melody in their heart.”

George and three other women take their tambourines down front during the hymns. They play and sing alongside the worship leaders – Miller and the Rev. Ron Fisher, senior pastor.

“Rejoicing Spirits is characterized by spontaneous acts of worship that often leave us with tears of joy,” Switzer says. “We always start the service with a plan, and we just wait to see what happens."

No shush policy
Switzer says the service offers opportunities for everyone to participate. They read scripture, offer prayer requests and play instruments. At the heart of this service is a “no-shush” policy.

“We want people to feel acceptance at church, not alienation,” Switzer says. “This often means we have to let this service unfold.”

During Rejoicing Spirits, a young man with Down syndrome dances and plays his tambourine on stage with the praise band. His caregiver says he doesn’t initiate conversation much, but in the church service, he finds another way to communicate. Another young man sings two stanzas of “How Great Thou Art,” while some church members brush tears from their eyes.

“This worship service is a place where they can express anything they like to say and anything they like to do,” Miller says.

“We sing ‘Happy Birthday’ at the end, whether someone has one or not,” Switzer says.“It is another opportunity to express joy and celebrate each person who attends.”

*Robinson is a freelance producer based in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Hiwassee College loses accreditation, continues to fight

United Methodist-related Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tenn., is no longer accredited after losing a long legal battle with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. A UMNS file photo by Michael Thomason.

A UMNS Report

By Annette Spence*

Hiwassee College leaders say they will not close the Tennessee school's doors, but will work to regain accreditation after losing a long legal battle with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The college's board of trustees voted unanimously to "move forward" after learning of a court decision that allowed SACS to terminate the United Methodist-related school's accreditation.

Now, as faculty members greet students and parents during routine orientation meetings, they are assuring them that Hiwassee still has a strong academic program and is building its financial standing as the college reapplies for accreditation.

"We're not talking about litigation now," Hiwassee President James Noseworthy said June 27 from his office in Madisonville, Tenn. "We're talking about being faithful to our mission."

On April 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit lifted a temporary restraining order on SACS that had kept it from terminating Hiwassee's accreditation since March 2005. Hiwassee was immediately removed as an accredited institution with SACS' Commission on Colleges.
Hiwassee subsequently requested a rehearing from the same three-judge panel, which denied the request on May 6.

Legal wrangling
Founded in 1849, Hiwassee College is a two-year rural United Methodist college, affiliated with the Holston Annual Conference. Noseworthy, who has served as Hiwassee president since 2003, said the school's legal actions were "very costly, but good for several reasons."

"It kept us moving forward, and it demonstrated that we are not going to just roll over," he said.
Hiwasee's legal action started in 2004 when SACS voted to remove the school's accreditation over concerns about its financial resources. Hiwassee leaders said the college was financially sound and obtained a restraining order in 2005 to keep the school's accreditation during appeals processes. Hiwassee then sued for violations of its constitutional right to due process, filing its lawsuit in 2005 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. SACS is based in Decatur, Ga.

In February 2007, U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester rejected all Hiwassee's claims except the one claiming a conflict of interest existed when a SACS representative on the assessment team also sat on the accrediting body's appeals committee. In April 2008, appellate judges said SACS had not denied Hiwassee due process in its accreditation action and unanimously upheld the lower-court ruling.

"Unfortunately, this is just another bump in the road," Noseworthy said. "There was always a chance we wouldn't prevail … but we are proceeding full speed ahead with our mission."

"Any missional institution is challenged financially," said the Rev. Doug Fairbanks, an alumnus who is a member of Hiwassee's board of trustees and superintendent for Holston's Knoxville District. "What we have proven is that, yes, we can financially do all we say we can do. The academic program at Hiwassee has never been in question."

Hiwassee College is finishing the 2007 fiscal year with its $5.5 million budget in the black. "We have erased levels of debt, started new programs and improved our facilities. And we have done all of that with a very modest budget," Noseworthy said.

An annual fundraising campaign garnered $862,000 in June 2007, followed by $2.2 million in June 2008, he said.

School enrollment was 440 for the past academic year. About 150 students had registered to return, but some have since petitioned for transfer, the president said. Orientation sessions for prospective students are ongoing.

Regaining accreditation
Hiwassee will begin to reapply for SACS accreditation this summer--a process that could take 19 months or more for accreditation to be complete, according to Noseworthy.

The college already has applied for accreditation with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRANS). In a June 23 letter to students, Noseworthy said that TRANS accreditation is anticipated by April 2009. More than 20 colleges have so far agreed to accept Hiwassee's academic work without SACS accreditation, the letter stated.

The Tennessee Student Assistance Commission also has made provisions so that students may continue the state's Hope Scholarship eligibility. "While the scholarship for students at Hiwassee will not be funded while we are not accredited, the scholarships will be funded retroactively to the fall of 2008 if we secure accreditation in April 2009," Noseworthy said.

On June 19, the University Senate of The United Methodist Church voted to continue to list Hiwassee as a United Methodist-related college for 12 months as the college pursues accreditation. A University Senate review is scheduled for June 2009.

The senate is a 25-member body of professionals in higher education that determines the relationship of academic and theological institutions to The United Methodist Church.

In a letter to the University Senate, Bishop James Swanson of the Holston Conference affirmed his support for Hiwassee.

"Hiwassee follows it historic and continuing tradition of affording access and opportunity to a segment of the population that otherwise would not have the opportunity for a faith-centered education," Swanson said.

The average family income for Hiwassee students is $22,000, Swanson's letter stated. Forty percent of the students receive full financial support.

*Spence is the editor of The Call, the newspaper of the Holston Annual Conference.