Kentucky Conference wins lawsuit with foundation

The Kentucky Annual (regional) Conference has won control of proceeds from the 1995 sale of Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington, Ky., following a legal battle with Good Samaritan Foundation. A UMNS photo courtesy of Good Samaritan Hospital.

A UMNS Report By Linda Green*

A seven-year legal battle between the United Methodist Kentucky Annual (regional) Conference and an affiliated foundation has ended in favor of the conference.

The outcome also upholds the United Methodist "trust clause" pertaining to local church property.

The conference and the board of trustees of the Good Samaritan Foundation were battling for control of $20 million in assets resulting from the 1995 sale of Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington, Ky.

Good Samaritan was one of dozens of hospitals built by the Methodist church in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to provide care for the poor and indigent.

When the hospital sold to a for-profit company, the foundation -- described as "a philanthropic organization dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of Kentucky's poor and disadvantaged" -- placed those assets in an endowment fund providing $1 million a year in health-related grants.

In 2000, the foundation's board of trustees stopped reporting to the conference and said it was no longer affiliated with The United Methodist Church. The conference countered with a $20 million lawsuit, claiming ownership of the hospital at the time of its sale.

Last December, Fayette Circuit Judge Gary Payne ruled that the church rightfully owned the hospital and the money from its sale and ordered that the church appoint a new foundation board. The board appealed, and the appeals court sent the case back to Payne, who reaffirmed his earlier decision.

Last spring, the conference entered into discussions with the foundation board. Under a plan announced in June, the conference and the former trustees of the foundation have named 15 members to a transitional board with the conference naming all members to the board by 2012.

The foundation will continue its mission to provide healthcare, health education and research ministries for the people of Kentucky.

"We look forward to working with the former board," said Michael Watts, treasurer of the Kentucky conference. "We are looking forward to being able to continue with the mission of working to improve the health and healthcare situation of Kentuckians."

Sally Manning, vice chairperson of the Good Samaritan Foundation, said the board is happy the disagreement is settled. "We are a unified board, united in carrying out the mission of the Good Samaritan Foundation and the work of the Lord," she said.

Trust clause
Watts said the legal battle involved control by the foundation's board of trustees, which handled the former hospital's assets and refused to give the conference an accounting of the proceeds.
"While conference did not object to the foundation's use of the money from the sale of the hospital for healthcare needs," Watts said, "the suit was filed because of the trust clause" that established the foundation's relationship with the conference.

The United Methodist Church's trust clause, which dates back to the days of Methodism founder John Wesley, declares that the local church holds its property in trust for the denomination. The clause, which has been upheld in U.S. courts throughout the 200-plus history of the denomination in the United States, has faced challenges in recent years.

According to Watts, the foundation's position "was that the trust clause was not in the documentation for the articles of incorporation, so they said they were not Methodists and the hospital was not Methodist."

In Kentucky, a trust clause does not have to be in writing, "so we maintained that we had established that trust relationship in 1925," Watts said.

"We felt we were in the right all the time as far as maintaining the trust clause is concerned."

Watts said the legal wrangling over the foundation and its assets, while difficult at times, has helped all entities understand that "the trust clause still is a vital part of our polity as United Methodists, and we certainly want to uphold the polity of the church."

Holsinger connection
The legal battle took some interesting twists and turns over the years.

The appeal of the Payne's ruling was led by James Holsinger, president of the United Methodist Church's Judicial Council, the denomination's highest court. Holsinger also served as chairman of the Good Samaritan Foundation's board.

Holsinger, who was nominated by President George W. Bush last spring as U.S. surgeon general, was quoted by Media Transparency as saying the church is "only interested in the foundation's money, not its cause."

Holsinger, who awaits confirmation as the country's top doctor, has declined interviews on all matters, including the legal battle with the Kentucky conference. His confirmation has stalled because the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is awaiting answers to follow up questions it posed to him. Last August, the committee questioned him about his views on homosexuality, an issue that has drawn opposition to his nomination from health groups and gay rights groups, among others.

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

Women’s Division, General Board of Global Ministries, endorses non-racist dialog on immigration

Washington, D.C., Oct. 17--Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries endorsed a new faith-based campaign promoting non-racist dialogs on immigration in a press conference today on Capitol Hill. Division directors voted to join the Campaign for a United America during their annual meeting Oct. 4-8 in Stamford, Conn.

The campaign initiated by the Chicago-based Center for New Community will promote a national dialogue on immigration, civil rights and citizenship that’s free of the intolerance and xenophobia that dominate current debates.

“As a part of the campaign, the Women’s Division will work to uncover the racist underpinnings of many anti-immigrant organizations that help to shape media messages and current debates,” said Carol Barton, the division’s co-executive secretary for racial justice. “We will partner with the campaign to engage United Methodist Women members in local efforts to understand and challenge these hate groups.”

Ms. Barton said extreme anti-immigrant organizations with roots in white supremacist hate groups have infiltrated the mainstream and helped shape the national debate on immigration. She cited the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) as an extremist group afforded mainstream status and respect whose rhetoric goes unchallenged.

“The campaign will focus on reaffirming our national values of opportunity, hospitality and equality,” Ms. Barton said. “This will involve helping the public to understand who FAIR and other groups are and the nature of their anti-immigrant agenda.”

Endorsing the campaign is another step in United Methodist Women’s ongoing advocacy for immigrants and just immigration policy in response to the biblical mandate to love neighbors and to welcome the sojourner. Women’s Division actions on immigration cite Leviticus 19:33-34: “When strangers sojourn with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt…”

The Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church is the national arm of United Methodist Women, an organization of approximately 800,000 members within the United Methodist Church in the United States. Its purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice. United Methodist Women members give more than $20 million a year for program and projects related women, children and youth in the United States and around the world.

Women’s Division, General Board of Global Ministries, endorses non-racist dialog on immigration

Washington, D.C., Oct. 17--Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries endorsed a new faith-based campaign promoting non-racist dialogs on immigration in a press conference today on Capitol Hill. Division directors voted to join the Campaign for a United America during their annual meeting Oct. 4-8 in Stamford, Conn.

The campaign initiated by the Chicago-based Center for New Community will promote a national dialogue on immigration, civil rights and citizenship that’s free of the intolerance and xenophobia that dominate current debates.

“As a part of the campaign, the Women’s Division will work to uncover the racist underpinnings of many anti-immigrant organizations that help to shape media messages and current debates,” said Carol Barton, the division’s co-executive secretary for racial justice. “We will partner with the campaign to engage United Methodist Women members in local efforts to understand and challenge these hate groups.”

Ms. Barton said extreme anti-immigrant organizations with roots in white supremacist hate groups have infiltrated the mainstream and helped shape the national debate on immigration. She cited the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) as an extremist group afforded mainstream status and respect whose rhetoric goes unchallenged.

“The campaign will focus on reaffirming our national values of opportunity, hospitality and equality,” Ms. Barton said. “This will involve helping the public to understand who FAIR and other groups are and the nature of their anti-immigrant agenda.”

Endorsing the campaign is another step in United Methodist Women’s ongoing advocacy for immigrants and just immigration policy in response to the biblical mandate to love neighbors and to welcome the sojourner. Women’s Division actions on immigration cite Leviticus 19:33-34: “When strangers sojourn with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt…”

The Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church is the national arm of United Methodist Women, an organization of approximately 800,000 members within the United Methodist Church in the United States. Its purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice. United Methodist Women members give more than $20 million a year for program and projects related women, children and youth in the United States and around the world.

Filipino church ministers to destitute families

Bishop Solito K. Toquero (far right) visits with some of the young girls living at the Gilead Center, a residential shelter for street children supported by The United Methodist Church. UMNS photos by Kathy L. Gilbert.

Second in a Series

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

MANILA, Philippines (UMNS) -- Kent and Vince, both age 12, were born in a cemetery in Manila, and until recently lived among the tombs with no hope of a future beyond the mausoleum walls.

They were no different than thousands of street children wandering around the 11 million residents of Manila until a United Methodist pastor saw their potential.

The boys now live at the Gilead Center, a residential shelter for street children supported by the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

The children are grateful for small things: a roof over their heads when it rains, food on the table when they are hungry and a warm bed inside a safe room at night.

"I was not afraid there because it was where I was born," Kent said of his life in the cemetery. "I like being clean now; you could never be clean there."

The Rev. R. Randy Day, then top executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, and Rebecca Asdellio, also a board staff member and a native of the Philippines, traveled to Manila in July to visit several ministries that care for street children and the poor.

Life in the cemetery
Manila North Cemetery is the city's largest cemetery. It is also where many of the poorest residents live.

Everywhere in the cemetery are signs of life. Scraps of wood and tin become walls and roofs, resting on and between the tombs.

Clotheslines heavy with wet jeans, shirts and children's clothes are strung from trees. A basket lined with rags and shaded by a torn umbrella contains a worn child's toy. Dogs and cats weave their way around the tombs sniffing for overlooked bits of food. Men, women and children walk dispassionately among graves.

Joseph Saneigo was washing a few clothes when leaders from the Board of Global Ministries, Bishop Solito K. Toquero of the Manila Area and others from the Philippines Annual (regional) Conference came to see where Kent and Vince's life began.

"I make 30 pesos a year to take care of a few of the tombs," Saneigo explained. He was buying water from his neighbors who have built homes on top of the graves. It costs 4 pesos for a bucket of water.

Saneigo said he lays a mattress on top of a tomb at night but that "the mosquitoes are very bad."

Ministry among the tombs
The Rev. Allan D. Casuco started Sta. Mesa Heights United Methodist Church outside the walls of the cemetery and has built a congregation among the people of North Manila Cemetery.

"We are a very mission-minded congregation," he said. The 200-plus members sponsor children like Kent and Vince so they can climb out of poverty.

One woman who has six children said one of her children is sponsored by the church, which means he gets fed, clothed and can attend school.

"The pastor came here to visit and he was so happy he made us want to join him," she said.

"This is truly a story of resurrection," said Day. "You have raised up a church out of the ashes."
After seeing where and how the people lived, Asedillo said she was touched by the pastor's devotion to the people living among the tombs.

"Clearly he cared for them; he wanted them to know Christ and experience his grace," said Asedillo. "Besides their spiritual needs, he was eager to provide the people access to resources that the church is able to provide -- like making it possible for some of the children to attend the church's day care/nursery/kindergarten school."

A balm for children
The Gilead Center is a calm, clean green space outside the city. Children play on swing sets and eat at long tables inside a warm, tasty-smelling dining room. The center is surrounded by mango and citrus trees.

Priscilla R. Atuel, a United Methodist deaconess and director of the center, explains the name Gilead comes from Jeremiah 8:22: "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?"

The Gilead Center is a place for healing for children living in especially difficult circumstances, said Atuel.

"The pastor [Casuco] asked if he could bring us some children from the cemetery," said Atuel. "Can you imagine children living in a cemetery?"

Most of the children in the center came from North Manila Cemetery or from Rizal Park, a large public park inhabited by many homeless people.

Local United Methodist churches and the Board of Global Ministries send money to support the children.

Currently, 11 girls and 16 boys live in two dormitories. Bright pink walls, bunk beds and bed coverings make the Ethel Lou D. Talbert Shelter for girls a cheerful place to live. The shelter is named for the former wife of retired Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, who wanted to establish a safe haven for girls living on the streets.

The blue walls and bunk beds of the Kapatiran Shelter are just as inviting to boys.

Atuel proudly talks about Jennifer Gamutia, a former shelter resident who received a nursing assistant certificate from Asian College for Science and Technology last March. "It's a dream come true for me," Gamutia said. "Now I can look forward to a better future for me and my mother."

"Jennifer stayed in Gilead Center for Children and Youth Welfare for three years where she finished her secondary education," Atuel said. "It is truly wonderful when we are given glimpses into the fruits of our labor after these years."

The center takes in children ages 7 to 13 until they are ready to be transferred to high schools. Parents visit their children as often as possible, and the church also helps parents develop skills that can provide sustainable incomes.

Atuel said graduates of the center are working toward high school diplomas, higher education degrees or certifications. "Isn't it wonderful what the church can do?" she asks.

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. She compiled this report based on her trip to the Philippines in July.

Gay Seattle clergywoman ’comes out’ during worship
By Lynne Bevan DeMichele*

Oct. 10, 2007 SEATTLE (UMNS) An associate pastor says she disclosed her homosexuality during a recent Sunday morning worship service "to share with the congregation part of my faith journey and how I've experienced God's grace."

The Rev. Kathleen Weber shared her story during the Sept. 30 service at Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church, where she has been on staff the past four years. She is a commissioned candidate for ministry in The United Methodist Church and is on track to be ordained next year.

Members of Blaine Memorial, a 700-member Asian-American church in downtown Seattle, listened silently as Weber described how she came to realize she was homosexual. Her testimony was a personal illustration for senior pastor the Rev. David Nieda's sermon series called "Into the Ring," an exploration of how the Holy Spirit leads in the midst of controversy.

"Every time we get around these (contentious) issues, we feel we have to take sides and put on the gloves, looking at those on the other side as opponents. I wanted to say there is room for dialogue, for stretching and growing," Nieda told United Methodist News Service later.

After the service, members of the congregation surrounded Weber, filling the chancel and aisles in a traditional "laying on of hands" ritual as they prayed for her and the church.

"Sunday, they shared their love and support and care for me," Weber said in an interview with United Methodist News Service. "They're a great faith community."

Discussion and disclosure
The Rev. Elaine Stanovsky, Seattle District superintendent, said Weber's comments to the congregation culminated weeks of dialogue in "concentric circles" of the church that included herself, the church administrative board and other key church leaders. Stanovsky also notified Bishop Edward W. Paup of the planned disclosure.

"I worked with her to help her clarify her intention and to ensure her own health and well-being and the health and well-being of the congregation," Stanovsky said.

The United Methodist Church, while affirming that both homosexuals and heterosexuals are people of "sacred worth," does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers the practice "incompatible with Christian teaching," according to the Book of Discipline, the denomination's book of law. Church law specifically prohibits the appointment of "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" as clergy.

“I'm not aware of anything that could be considered chargeable. There is no church law against same-gender orientation or disclosing same-gender orientation.”–The Rev. Elaine Stanovsky, district superintendent

Stanovsky attended the Sept. 30 service and said "what happened was profound, courageous and an intimate sharing of faith experience and Gospel teaching by both Rev. Nieda and Rev. Weber. It was not a discussion of church law or sexual practice."

The district superintendent said no complaints or charges have been filed against Weber and that she has no plans to launch a disciplinary process. "I'm not aware of anything that could be considered chargeable," she said. "There is no church law against same-gender orientation or disclosing same-gender orientation."

Asked if she had questioned whether Weber is in a homosexual relationship, Stanovsky answered that her conversations with pastors in her district fall into pastor-parishioner privilege and that she treats them with "utmost confidentiality."

She affirmed Weber's pastoral work. "I have no concerns about Kathleen's ministry. I have no reason to look for trouble in her ministry. She's consistently affirmed by her local church. She hasn't broken a church law," Stanovsky said.

"Kathleen Weber told a story about God's gracious action in her life, a new awareness of God's call and grace that occurred. … Part of that story included her awareness of same-gender orientation."

Hot button issue
In recent years, the Seattle District has been a hub of emotional discussion and often divisive debate about homosexuality and the church, including gays in the clergy.

In 2001, the Rev. Karen Dammann notified Bishop Elias Galvan, now retired, that she was a lesbian in a covenant relationship with another woman. That same year, the Rev. Mark Williams, who replaced Dammann as pastor at Seattle's Woodland Park United Methodist Church, announced that he was a practicing gay man. Both were accused of breaking church law but, in 2002, the church dismissed the case against Williams for insufficient evidence and, in 2004, Dammann was acquitted in a church trial.

Weber, 34, is a 2003 graduate of United Methodist-related Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. She came to Seattle as a student missionary and joined the staff at historic Blaine Memorial, where she serves as associate pastor of children and youth. She was commissioned in 2005.

“I want folks to know I'm committed to The United Methodist Church and to my congregation, and that I'm continuing to try to be faithful to my own calling and who God created me to be.”–The Rev. Kathleen Weber

Nieda, who has led Blaine Memorial for the past nine years, said the congregation is "overwhelmingly supportive" of Weber and that the members' reaction following Weber's disclosure "affirmed what I'd hoped was the essential character of the congregation … that this idea that we're one body under the banner of Christ will rise to the surface."

Church member Barbara Nagaoka called it "a very moving service." She said church leaders were braced for possible negative reactions and held a forum following the worship service, but that "members of the church continued to be supportive."

Shig Nishida, chairperson of Blaine's administrative board, acknowledged the issue of homosexuality has been a contentious one throughout the denomination but said it has not been at Blaine Memorial. "I think our church is stable and strong enough to handle adversity. We're not straying from Methodist doctrine. … Everybody knows (Weber) and the work she's done here. She's been very good for our church."

In her interview with United Methodist News Service, Weber declined to answer questions about whether she is a practicing homosexual, but instead affirmed her passion for mission and outreach and her commitment to the ministry.

"I want folks to know I'm committed to The United Methodist Church and to my congregation, and that I'm continuing to try to be faithful to my own calling and who God created me to be," Weber said.

*DeMichele is a freelance writer for United Methodist News Service and resides in Gig Harbor, Wash.

Kiowa United Methodists share culture with commission

The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race visited a Kiowa Black Leggings Society Dance held in honor of those who are serving or have served inthe military. UMNS photos by Kathy L. Gilbert.

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

OKLAHOMA CITY (UMNS) - Caroline Botone Willis interrupted a luncheon of Indian fry bread tacos at Wares Chapel United Methodist Church to teach the hungry group a Native American word.

"We are going to do it in four parts, just like I teach my classes," she said. "Repeat after me: Ok-la-hom-a."

Laughing sheepishly, board members of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race repeated after Willis. Smiling, she said, "That's just what happens when I teach that in my class." The Choctaw word means "people red."

Willis, a 78-year-old member of the Kiowa tribe, teaches her native language at the University of Oklahoma. Her husband, Henry Joseph Willis, also 78 and a member of the Mississippi and Oklahoma Choctaws, taught his native tongue at the university for five years before becoming a consultant to the Choctaw tribe in its language department. He is working on a dictionary and just finished his third grammar book.

Their daughter, the Rev. Julianne Judd, pastor of the Lawrence Indian Charge in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and a member of the commission, helped coordinate a day of immersion in the Kiowa tradition for board members during their meeting Oct. 3-7 in Oklahoma City.

Judd, the first Kiowa woman elder in her tribe, was given the name Tap-pah-tah Gohn-mak, which means "She speaks of Him woman."

Rare native speaker
Renee Grounds, a commission member, is working with her father to preserve the Euchee (Yu-chi) language. During the commission's meeting, she introduced her father in her native language.

He told commission members his daughter was rare.

"Of the 25 indigenous languages spoken, only four are being learned by children. All the rest are only spoken by elders," he said.

Richard Grounds is project director for the Euchee Language Project based in Sapulpa, Okla., working with the five remaining fluent Euchee speakers.

A Kiowa welcome
The Rev. Rev. Mike Svitak and several members of Mount Scott United Methodist Church in Lawton, Okla., welcomed the board members to their church, which is more than 100 years old.

Tiffany Quetone, wearing a traditional Kiowa dress made from seven hides, performed the Lord's Prayer in sign language. Her grandparents, the Rev. Charles and Sandra Quetone, shared stories from their tradition.

Bernadine Toyebo Rhodes, a member of the congregation, sang a hymn in Kiowa, and Svitak talked about being pastor of the 129-member church today.

"Since our last charge conference we have a total of eight baptisms - five children, one adult and two youth," he said. "We have had two professions of faith and five new members. At one time it was looking pretty bleak because our elders were dying."

Rev. Quetone said at one time the church had more than 600 members.

The next stop was Wares Chapel United Methodist Church, Anadarko, Okla., where the women of the church had been working for days on a traditional meal of Indian fry bread tacos and grape dumplings.

Sand Creek Massacre
In addition to hearing from Caroline and Henry Willis and Richard and Renee Grounds, commission members heard from Homer Flute, director of the Sand Creek Massacre Descendants Trust.

The 1862 Sand Creek Massacre was led by Col. John Chivington, a Methodist layman, who launched a pre-dawn attack on the Black Kettle village, killing and mutilating the Cheyenne and Arapahos at the banks of Sand Creek in the Colorado territory. In the attack, more than 200 Native Americans, mostly women and children were killed. Chivington was hailed as a hero.

The 1996 United Methodist General Conference, the top lawmaking body of the denomination, expressed regret and issued an apology for the "actions of a prominent Methodist."

Flute said the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns is sending a resolution to the 2008 General Conference asking for the church to contribute $50,000 to the development of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Research and Learning Center.

Dorothy Amauty asked the commission members to help support efforts to get retribution for the victims and their families and to get the government to honor the treaty signed after the massacre.

Open hearts
The commissioners ended the day by visiting a Kiowa Black Leggings Society Dance held in honor of those who are serving or have served in the military. The ceremony included the presentation of colors, singing and Native American dancing.

"The love and support and willingness on the part of the congregations to share their stories in open and honest ways with commission members was amazing," said Suanne Ware-Diaz, a staff member of the commission. Ware-Diaz is also a member of the Kiowa tribe.

"Commission members were tired after a week of work, but they had open hearts to hear what was being shared with them," she said. "I was very proud of the respect, humility and concern they expressed. Both sides learned from each other."

Native American concerns
The Native American Concerns work group of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race addresses various challenges and concerns - especially related to racial justice, visibility and inclusion - among Native Americans throughout The United Methodist Church, said Ware-Diaz.

Those concerns include increased awareness of and respect for sacred sites and traditions, indigenous languages, sovereign rights and other aspects of Native American life.

The work group has an ongoing emphasis on efforts to stop the use of demeaning Native American mascots, names and imagery by professional, collegiate and amateur sports teams.

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

Native American urges steps to save languages

Renee and Richard Grounds share a passion to save their native Euchee language.A UMNS photo by Kathy L. Gilbert.

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

ANADARKO, Okla. (UMNS) - Native American languages have been under "extreme and direct attack" for generations and many are in danger of extinction, said the director of a project working to save the Euchee language.

Richard Grounds, project director of the Euchee (Yu-chee) Language Project in Sapulpa, Okla., works with the five remaining fluent Euchee speakers left in the United States. His daughter, Renee, a board member of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, has dedicated her life to helping him keep the language alive.

Speaking in Euchee, Renee introduced her father to members of the commission at Ware Chapel United Methodist Church before his presentation on the project.

Commission members were taking a day during their Oct. 3-7 board meeting in Oklahoma City to visit Kiowa Native American United Methodist churches and to hear from Native American United Methodists.

Caroline Botone and Henry Joseph Willis greeted the group in their native languages of Kiowa and Choctaw.

"This is really a pretty special event," Grounds said. "We are hearing from our elders at this meeting in their own languages. This is what their mother spoke to them, and that's why they speak it to you."

Under attack
Grounds said the World War II generation still speaks their native languages, and most of that generation is slowly dying, taking the languages with them.

"In this state where 25 indigenous languages are still spoken, only four of those are being learned by children; all the rest are only spoken by elders," he said. "The words you heard from my daughter, Renee, speaking the language of my grandmother are extremely unusual."

The commission funded Grounds' Euchee project from 2000-2004 through the Minority Group Self-Determination Fund. The fund was established by The United Methodist Church to empower racial and ethnic minority people within and outside the church.

The tradition of passing down native languages was "crushed through a very ugly, sorted, intentional process" that took young people out of the tribes and put them in boarding schools where they were forced to speak English.

"I would guess billions of dollars were spent destroying our languages, breaking down our ceremonial ways, assaulting our traditions," he said.

Misguided faith
Churches have been complicit in the dispossession of Native Americans, he said. He told the group that Methodism founder John Wesley came to Georgia in 1835 and met the Creeks, Muskogee, Chickasaws and Euchee. Wesley wrote "really ugly things about these native nations," Grounds said.

"But he really saved his most cruel remarks for the Euchees, saying that the Euchees killed their own children - things that were not really true and things he didn't really have a basis for making the claims," Grounds said.

"Colonialism is taking other people's resources to service your own interest. It's taking the richness of others in order to build your own wealth. It was a fairly ugly process. In the context of the United States, it was done under the name of U.S. expansion, a lot of patriotic fanfare, often with a Christian veneer over it."

The use of Native American mascots and names points to the same thinking today that says "if it's Indian, it's ours. It's no longer just the resources. It's no longer just the land. It's literally the name. It's literally the identity," he said.

"We want our young people to be proud of their languages."

Globally, Grounds said, the next 20 years likely will see the loss of half of the world's languages and, in the United States, about 70 percent of indigenous languages are projected to die out.

"This is the core, the heart, of who our peoples are. This is the diversity, the alternative that is unique about people. It is all coded in those languages."

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

A worker at the Asuncion A. Perez Memorial Center hands out vitamins to children attending the Pag-aruga program. The program, run by The United Methodist Church in the Philippines, provides meals to families living on the streets of the capital city. UMNS photos by Kathy L. Gilbert.

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

MANILA, Philippines (UMNS)-It's nearly noon. More than 100 hungry children struggle to stay still in their small, green plastic chairs.

When someone walks within range, they pop up and race for a hug, grab a hand and press it to their foreheads or do elaborate jigs to gain attention.

It is safe here. Everyone who walks in is a friend. For an afternoon, the harsh realities of life on the streets are forgotten as the children eat, sing, draw, play and learn about Jesus Christ.

Pag-aruga (which means "to care" in the Filipino language of Tagalog) is a ministry for street families run by The United Methodist Church in the Philippines. The ministry takes place in the back parking lot of the church's conference office. Bishop Solito Toquero can hear the children laughing from his upstairs office.

Representatives from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries and United Methodist Communications traveled to Manila last July to visit ministries that care for street children and the poor.

Lunch and skill training
On Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays, Pag-aruga serves lunch to street families. Most of the diners are children. However, parents who attend can learn skills to help them obtain a sustainable livelihood. A micro-lending program also allows them to borrow money to start or expand a small business such as selling candy or other small items.

All the families involved in Pag-aruga are homeless. They make their living by begging. Some make a few pesos by coaxing pedestrians to hop on a jeepney, the Philippines' cheapest taxi service, or by scavenging for recyclable items. At night they sleep under trees, in doorways or any available space.

Angelito B. Meneses gets an especially warm welcome when the children see him. In a matter of seconds he is surrounded by laughing, squirming children. They know love when they see it.

Meneses is the director of the Asuncion A. Perez Memorial Center, the social service arm of The United Methodist Church in the Philippines, which includes Pag-uaruga.

"I am here because personally this is my passion-a passion to serve the least of my brothers and sisters," he explains. "So I am here actually not here for work. I am here for responsibility and accountability serving these people-these marginalized people."

Begun by United Methodist Women
The Asuncion A. Perez Memorial Center was started in 1969 by United Methodist Women. It was formally organized as a center in 1970 and was incorporated as a nonprofit charitable organization in 1972. The center was named after a renowned United Methodist social worker.

Asuncion A. Perez was the first social service worker to be appointed to the Philippines cabinet in 1948 under President Elpidio Quirino. Perez went on to serve four Filipino presidents. She was known for her unselfish devotion to others.

In addition to the program for street families, the center offers disaster response training; a comprehensive health project; women, youth and children's ministry; women's empowerment; and KaBahagika, a youth ministry.

Each of the programs is designed to teach participants that they are children who are loved by God, according to Meneses. He says his Christian faith challenged him to do something for the families living on the streets.

"It took spiritual courage to identify myself with the kind of misery they are experiencing," he adds. "It took a righteous courage to accept them without prejudiced judgment and distrust."

Children are able to attend both formal and informal classes. Most of the more than 100 street children learn basic skills such as cooking, hygiene and grooming, as well as study the Bible. The 53 children attending formal classes are taught skills that will help them get into a school.

Seven children from the program have been referred to the Gilead Center, another United Methodist ministry that houses children from 7 to 13 years of age. The center also pays for their primary education in area schools.

"They want to finish schooling and someday they want to get their family out of the streets," Meneses says.

"They have taught me to love life, to live love and to celebrate hope."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. She compiled this series based on her visit to the Philippines in July.

Healthy churches need healthy leaders, speakers say


Participants take a 10-minute exercise break at the health ministries conference. A UMNS photo by Deborah White.

By Deborah White*

WICHITA, Kan. (UMNS) - "If you're really serious about serving the Lord, you'd better start taking care of yourself," Bishop Scott Jones told health ministry leaders at a national conference.
"Empowering Ministries of Health: Starting, Implementing and Advancing" was the theme of the third annual National Congregational Health Ministries Conference, held Sept. 23-26 at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita. The event was sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

The conference continued a growing emphasis on health ministries in The United Methodist Church. It attracted 165 United Methodists from 54 annual (regional) conferences, more than double the attendance at the 2006 National Congregational Health Ministries Conference in Memphis, Tenn. A fourth annual conference is planned for Sept. 21-24, 2008, at Lake Junaluska, N.C.

"We have got to figure out how our churches become centers of healing - spiritual and physical," said Jones, who leads the denomination's Kansas Area. His opening keynote address laid a holistic foundation for the conference.

After reaching a point of exhaustion, Jones said he started paying more attention to his health. Now he wears a pedometer to count his steps, brings carrots to cabinet meetings and limits his caffeine intake.

Building healthy churches
Weaving scriptures and personal experiences, several other speakers joined Jones in emphasizing that self-care for leaders is an important step in building healthy congregations.

Participants also toured two health ministries in Wichita and broke into four workshop tracks to study aspects of health ministries including planning, evaluation, teamwork, communications, coping with stress and making self-care covenants.

"The challenge is to get healthy ourselves, to pull back from the table," said the Rev. Embra Jackson, assistant to Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of Mississippi. Jackson, Ward and 600 clergy members in Mississippi wear pedometers and walk several miles a day as part of the Amazing Pace health ministry.

In the 1950s, pastors were at the top of the health charts, Jackson pointed out. "Now we're at the bottom," he said. "We need to get well. If leaders get healthy and well, the church gets healthy and well."

Kim Moore, president of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund in Hutchinson, Kan., shared his personal struggles to stay in shape - such as lifting weights before a physically demanding mission trip and walking at 6 a.m. instead of sleeping while out of town on business.

"We increasingly know the behaviors that matter, but we struggle to incorporate them into our lives," Moore said.

The literature of health ministries says "get a team," Moore said. "Too many people believe they are essential. I thought I was essential. I took a sabbatical and found that my colleagues could run the Health Ministry Fund without me.

"We've got to get this attitude into the church: I am valuable but not essential."

Time for fitness
During his presentation, Moore used an exercise DVD to lead 10 minutes of simple exercises. The DVD, "Fuel Up and Lift Off LA," was produced by the California Department of Health Services to demonstrate how to fit fitness into meetings.

Bishop Mary Ann Swenson of the church's Los Angeles Area remarked about the growing participation in the health ministries conference. "To see how it has grown over the last three years is truly amazing," she said.

She told stories about long-distance tandem bicycle riding adventures with her husband to illustrate the principles of good teamwork: trusting each other, handling conflict in a healthy manner, building commitment, offering accountability and prioritizing results.

"Jesus sends disciples two by two," Swenson said. "It models the partnership God offers us through Christ. We are not alone. ... The one next to you is ready to go with you into the land of health, wholeness and holiness."

Bishop Ward said the health conference is an invitation to go forward with a rule of life. "Our rule of life is what we practically do," she explained.

For example, Ward exercises early in the morning. But it took her quite a while to put this practice into place in 1995. After exercising - somewhat reluctantly - for two months with her husband, she finally woke up and wanted to go. Her headaches disappeared. "I don't feel well if I don't exercise," she said.

"As we move forward in health ministries, we will engage with people who want to be well. It's important that we be rooted and grounded - and with strength that comes with humility," Ward said.

'Causes of life'
"This room is filled with people who embody faith and health," said Gary Gunderson, senior vice president for Health and Welfare Ministries at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis.
Gunderson, internationally known for his work in faith and health, outlined the "leading causes of life." He stressed that this "language of life" is a better way to communicate about congregational health ministries than the language of death.

"Public health looks for unexpected pathology. We are looking for unexpected vitality and how you get more of it," he explained.

He defined the "leading causes of life" as:

Connection. "A small congregation is the size of the connection that causes life."

Coherence. "Congregations can't help but make coherent the love of God by showing up. That's the health power that is in congregations. It makes life coherent when you are falling apart."

Agency - the capacity "to do"; making choices that matter for those who matter.

Blessing - a sense of connection that ties one generation to the next.

Hope. "Hope chains us together toward life. We live out of our expectations, our hopes."
Gunderson said using the "leading causes of life" as a framework helped pastors in Memphis set up a Congregational Health Network that connects church members with the five hospitals in the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare system.

In this network, a "navigator" representing each hospital and a liaison with each church work together to help church members when they need hospital care. The goal is to have 400 congregations in the network.

"The whole structure is to make sure a person is held in a web of intentional compassion," Gunderson said.

Setting priorities
At the closing worship, the Rev. Fred Douglas Smith Jr. of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. said Jesus came to "trouble the water," referring to the story of Christ healing the man who waited years by a pool to be healed.

"Jesus asked, 'Do you want to be healed?' The question is really why do you want to be well?" Smith said. "Do you have a reason to live? Why do you want to be healed? What is it that gives your life meaning? What is the hope you have welling up inside of you?"

Smith said people served by health ministries often do not comply with guidelines for taking care of themselves. "They have no reason to comply," he suggested. "You need to ask the question, 'Is there something more important to you - than fried chicken or drugs?' ... Jesus entered the scene full of life and full of grace, saying, 'I have a reason.'

"Life is contagious. It spreads from smile to smile, from tender touch to tender touch. If you want to live, you need to be around folks who are alive."

*White is associate editor of Interpreter magazine and served on the leadership team for the National Congregational Health Ministries Conference. Both Interpreter and United Methodist News Service are ministries of United Methodist Communications.

Women's Division wants more action on Jena crisis

The Women's Division is joining the call for equal justice for six black teenagers in Jena, La. A UMNS file photo by John Coleman.

By Linda Bloom*

STAMFORD, Conn. (UMNS) - United Methodist Women have called for renewed action on racial justice and reconciliation in Jena, La., and respect for human rights in Myanmar.

"The Women's Division adds its voice to a nationwide call for equal justice in Jena, Louisiana, where six black teenagers face criminal charges in the wake of a series of racial incidents in the town's high school," the division said in a resolution approved during its Oct. 5-8 annual meeting.

The division is the administrative arm of UMW, a denominational organization of approximately 800,000 members in the United States. The annual meeting was the first for Harriett Olson, the division's new chief executive, who was elected by directors last August.

Following up on a Sept. 20 statement about the tension in Jena, the division said it would "explore opportunities to support mutual understanding and bridge-building within the high school, churches and the community" and, while continuing to denounce acts of hate, use such incidents as "teachable moments."

On Sept. 27 - a week after an estimated 15,000-plus demonstrators marched through the small town to protest the handling of the case against the black teenagers - Mychal Bell, the last of the Jena 6 defendants still in jail, was released on bail.

The Women's Division pledged to continue "to call on state and federal officials as needed to investigate and monitor the criminal cases against the youth known as the Jena 6." UMW members are asked to pray for justice, healing and reconciliation in Jena and Louisiana, send similar letters to officials and "deepen work for racial justice in their own communities."

Speaking on Myanmar
Directors noted the "deteriorating conditions in Myanmar, extreme violations of the human rights of its citizens and danger to the safety and security of its women and children" and condemned the latest repression by the military government in that Asian nation.

They joined with the United Nations and human rights organizations in calling on the government of Myanmar to halt immediately all violent attacks on peaceful demonstrations; respect the right of peaceful assembly; release all peaceful demonstrators being held; and stop blocking Internet communications in and out of the country.

The division urged companies doing business with Myanmar to protest recent government actions and at least temporarily suspend any further business. It urged China, India and other trade partners to use those relationships as leverage "to encourage peaceful reform and full respect for human rights in Myanmar."

A focus on immigration issues was expanded as the directors agreed that the Women's Division should become a founding endorser of "Campaign for a United America." The goal of the campaign, led by the faith-based Center for New Community, is to promote a balanced national dialogue on immigration.

"The Women's Division will publicly be associated with the campaign's efforts to uncover the racist underpinnings of many anti-immigrant organizations that help to shape media messages and current debates," the adopted resolution said.

In her speech to directors, Olson spoke of both the "storied past" of United Methodist Women and the need to position the organization for the future. "We need the support of United Methodist Women in local units to stay on task … to help keep us focused on what makes a difference in their communities," she said.

In other business, the Women's Division directors:
-Approved a budget of $19,342,043 for 2008;
-Learned Andrea Hatcher, treasurer, had resigned, effective Oct. 10, and that the search for a new treasurer is under way;
-Agreed to participate in a one-day monitoring of news coverage of peace issues in the media on March 4, organized by the North American Regional Association of the World Association of Christian Communication;
-Decided to send a director and one staff member to attend the World Conference of Peace, also sponsored by the World Association of Christian Communication, Oct. 5-10, 2008, in Cape Town, South Africa.

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

Gay Seattle clergywoman 'comes out' during worship

By Lynne Bevan DeMichele*

SEATTLE (UMNS) - An associate pastor says she disclosed her homosexuality during a recent Sunday morning worship service "to share with the congregation part of my faith journey and how I've experienced God's grace."

The Rev. Kathleen Weber shared her story during the Sept. 30 service at Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church, where she has been on staff the past four years. She is a commissioned candidate for ministry in The United Methodist Church and is on track to be ordained next year
.
Members of Blaine Memorial, a 700-member Asian-American church in downtown Seattle, listened silently as Weber described how she came to realize she was homosexual. Her testimony was a personal illustration for a sermon by the Rev. David Nieda, the senior pastor, on how the Holy Spirit leads in the midst of controversy.

"Every time we get around these (contentious) issues, we feel we have to take sides and put on the gloves, looking at those on the other side as opponents. I wanted to say there is room for dialogue, for stretching and growing," Nieda told United Methodist News Service later.

After the service, members of the congregation surrounded Weber, filling the chancel and aisles in a traditional "laying on of hands" ritual as they prayed for her and the church.

"Sunday, they shared their love and support and care for me," Weber said in an interview with United Methodist News Service. "They're a great faith community."

Discussion and disclosure
The Rev. Elaine Stanovsky, Seattle District superintendent, said Weber's comments to the congregation culminated weeks of dialogue in "concentric circles" of the church that included herself, the church administrative board and other key church leaders. Stanovsky also notified Bishop Edward W. Paup of the planned disclosure.

"I worked with her to help her clarify her intention and to ensure her own health and well-being and the health and well-being of the congregation," Stanovsky said.

The United Methodist Church, while affirming that both homosexuals and heterosexuals are people of "sacred worth," does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers the practice "incompatible with Christian teaching," according to the Book of Discipline, the denomination's book of law. Church law specifically prohibits the appointment of "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" as clergy.

Stanovsky attended the Sept. 30 service and said "what happened was profound, courageous and an intimate sharing of faith experience and Gospel teaching by both Rev. Nieda and Rev. Weber. It was not a discussion of church law or sexual practice."

The district superintendent said no complaints or charges have been filed against Weber and that she has no plans to launch a disciplinary process. "I'm not aware of anything that could be considered chargeable," she said. "There is no church law against same-gender orientation or disclosing same-gender orientation."

Asked if she had questioned whether Weber is in a homosexual relationship, Stanovsky answered that her conversations with pastors in her district fall into pastor-parishioner privilege and that she treats them with "utmost confidentiality."

She affirmed Weber's pastoral work. "I have no concerns about Kathleen's ministry. I have no reason to look for trouble in her ministry. She's consistently affirmed by her local church. She hasn't broken a church law," Stanovsky said.

"Kathleen Weber told a story about God's gracious action in her life, a new awareness of God's call and grace that occurred. … Part of that story included her awareness of same-gender orientation."

Hot button issue
In recent years, the Seattle District has been a hub of emotional discussion and often divisive debate about homosexuality and the church, including gays in the clergy.

In 2001, the Rev. Karen Dammann notified Bishop Elias Galvan, now retired, that she was a lesbian in a covenant relationship with another woman. That same year, the Rev. Mark Williams, who replaced Dammann as pastor at Seattle's Woodland Park United Methodist Church, announced that he was a practicing gay man. Both were accused of breaking church law but, in 2002, the church dismissed the case against Williams for insufficient evidence and, in 2004, Dammann was acquitted in a church trial.

Weber, 34, is a 2003 graduate of United Methodist-related Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. She came to Seattle as a student missionary and joined the staff at historic Blaine Memorial, where she serves as associate pastor of children and youth. She was commissioned in 2005.

Nieda, who has led Blaine Memorial for the past nine years, said the congregation is "overwhelmingly supportive" of Weber and that the members' reaction following Weber's disclosure "affirmed what I'd hoped was the essential character of the congregation … that this idea that we're one body under the banner of Christ will rise to the surface."

Church member Barbara Nagaoka called it "a very moving service." She said church leaders were braced for possible negative reactions and held a forum following the worship service, but that "members of the church continued to be supportive."

Shig Nishida, chairperson of Blaine's administrative board, acknowledged the issue of homosexuality has been a contentious one throughout the denomination but said it has not been at Blaine Memorial. "I think our church is stable and strong enough to handle adversity. We're not straying from Methodist doctrine. … Everybody knows (Weber) and the work she's done here. She's been very good for our church."

In her interview with United Methodist News Service, Weber declined to answer questions about whether she is a practicing homosexual, but instead affirmed her passion for mission and outreach and her commitment to the ministry.

"I want folks to know I'm committed to The United Methodist Church and to my congregation, and that I'm continuing to try to be faithful to my own calling and who God created me to be," Weber said.

*DeMichele is a freelance writer for United Methodist News Service and resides in Gig Harbor, Wash.

NCC nominates Kinnamon as chief executive


The Rev. Michael Kinnamon



NEW YORK (UMNS) - The Rev. Michael Kinnamon, a longtime ecumenical leader and pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), has been nominated to lead the National Council of Churches.

His nomination by a search committee as the organization's chief executive was announced Oct. 3. If affirmed next month by the NCC Governing Board and General Assembly, Kinnamon would start in January, becoming the council's ninth general secretary since its beginning in 1950.

Kinnamon, 58, would succeed the Rev. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist who left in August to become president and CEO of Common Cause.

Clare Chapman, a United Methodist and the NCC's acting chief executive, said Kinnamon "brings tremendous skills and commitment to a very important leadership role in the ecumenical movement."

Currently the Allen and Dottie Miller Professor of Mission, Peace and Ecumenical Studies at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Kinnamon was chief executive of the Consultation on Church Union, which became Churches Uniting in Christ, from 1999 to 2002.

He was executive secretary of the World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order from 1980 to 1983 and had a major role in drafting the WCC's major planning document called "Toward a Common Understanding and Vision of the WCC."

Kinnamon is a member of the NCC Governing Board and chairman of the council's Justice and Advocacy Commission. He has overseen the commission's development of resolutions and statements on a wide range of justice and peace issues and was the primary drafter of the NCC strategic plan drafting committee over the past three years.

Challenges ahead
Acknowledging that the National Council of Churches is undergoing a reorganization and reduction in staff because of reduced revenues, Kinnamon expressed confidence that member churches will renew their commitment to the missions and ministries they carry out through the NCC.

"Because of their life together, I hope churches will engage each other in depth and with accountability," he said. "I hope to encourage member churches to pray for one another and know one another at a deeper level than simply across a meeting table or picket line."

Kinnamon earned a doctorate in the field of religion and literature from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1980, and a bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1971.

He is married to the Rev. Katherine Kinnamon, associate minister of Webster Groves Christian Church in St. Louis. The couple has two daughters, Anna and Leah.

The National Council of Churches USA is the ecumenical voice of 35 of America's Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, historic African American and traditional peace churches. These NCC member communions have 45 million faithful members in 100,000 congregations in all 50 states.

The search committee included two United Methodists: the Rev. Larry Pickens, chief executive, United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, and Jan Love, dean of the Candler School of Theology.

*The National Council of Churches supplied information for this story.

Commentary: ‘Bourne’ Movie offers churches lessons for change

A UMNS Commentary By the Rev. Kelvin Sauls*

The Rev. Kelvin Sauls

All he wanted was to be a disappearing act. Instead, Jason Bourne is targeted by the very people who gave him his purpose and mission. He struggles to come to terms with the double loss of his memory and his only love. Defying bullets, car crashes and highly trained enemies, Bourne pursues a mission to rediscover his identity and redirect his destiny.

The thriller "The Bourne Ultimatum," with its global dimensions, invites congregations to reconnect with and re-imagine the Great Commission for the transformation of the world.

This "three-quel" to "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy" holds lessons for the church in three areas: memory, identity and activity. The loss of who he was and who he loved are not excuses for stagnation for Jason Bourne. His grief gives birth to motivation for engaging in the mission at hand.

Likewise, the church cannot freeze as a result of grief and loss. God's comforting presence is about resurrection, not stagnation. Loss will affect memory. Bereavement will influence identity. Grief will have an impact on activity. Through Bourne's response to loss, the movie invites the church to employ memory, enlighten identity and exhale activity to reconnect with God's preferred future.

As Bourne slowly remembers what has been done to him, and what he has done to others, he seeks to change the present and the future. He also gives other characters permission to examine and question what they had been working for.

Ultimately, his flashbacks do not leave him stuck in what was. His memory fuels his quest to restore integrity. The restoration of his memory guides his future activity.

Instead of being paralyzed by the pain of the past, Bourne is mobilized by the possibilities of the future.

Similarly, the church must learn again to use memory for enlightenment and empowerment.

The power of memory
Memory brings enlightenment to identity. Knowledge and understanding of the church's identity are imperative. Bourne reaches back to reclaim his identity so that he can reach for his destiny.

Unfortunately, the church often survives on who it was and not who it can be. Rooted in social class and racial classification, the church's identity must be reclaimed through its Pentecostal and spiritual roots.

The journey toward congregational transformation invites leaders to rediscover the power of memory. Ultimately, congregational transformation invites laity and clergy to redefine congregational identity and redirect congregational destiny.

Bourne struggles with loss, identity and purpose. Moreover, he struggles with how to understand and undo his past, and re-envision his future. Bourne is focused and faithful, resourceful and purposeful.

Congregational transformation is an experience that requires long-term focus, multi-dimensional resourcefulness and participatory faithfulness.

By bringing meaning to memory, congregations can grow into their creating responsibility. This creating responsibility unleashes opportunities for congregations to focus attention on innovative strategies to engage our culture. Innovation paves the way for congregations to fulfill their calling in service.

Congregations must learn again to use memory and history for enlightenment and empowerment. Remembering is not an end in itself. We must remember to re-imagine! Remembering and innovating are two sides of the same coin. The historical reexamination of the church's purpose is critical for the mobilization of what is possible in the name of Jesus.

Redefining ministries
"The Bourne Ultimatum" is ultimately a movie about identity and discovery. Its momentum is really about the search for authentic internal meaning. To serve the world effectively, congregations must journey inward and seek the Creator of the world. A congregational identity rooted in "the mind of Christ" can produce a piety that is prophetic and a holiness that brings about social righteousness.

Identity guides activity with neighbor. Knowing that he cannot change the past, Jason's desire is to be "Bourne" again for a different kind of activity. He works diligently to review his past activities and reprogram his current and future activities. Rediscovering his identity gives him permission to rediscover his purpose. That, in turn, enables him to redefine his activities.

Knowing the needs of neighbors is crucial for congregations to redefine and redirect their ministries. Such knowledge and understanding will force churches to ask the hard and relevant questions. The answers will inform the Good News that congregations must express in word and deed.

"The Bourne Ultimatum" invites congregations to understand memory, update identity and upgrade activity for the purpose of reconnecting with God's preferred vision and destination.

Congregational transformation, like the Bourne trilogy, is action-packed. However, unlike the Bourne trilogy, congregational transformation is not as fast-paced. In the words of Bishop Melvin Talbert, "It's a marathon, not a sprint."

*Sauls is the director of congregational development at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. He can be contacted at ksauls@gbod.org or (615) 340-7066. A longer version of this commentary appears at the board's Web site at www.gbod.org.

WCC committee advocates for vulnerable people


A young girl carries a water jug in the Hassa Hissa Camp for internally displaced persons outside Zalingei in Sudan's Darfur region. The World Council of Churches executive committee, meeting in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, advocated protection of at-risk people in the violence-torn area. A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey, ACT-Caritas.

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*

The location of the recent World Council of Churches executive committee meeting was just as significant as the business conducted there, according to a United Methodist participant.

Meeting Sept. 25-28 in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, the committee experienced the religious influence of the host Armenian Apostolic Church, a WCC member, and the still-significant impact of a genocide that occurred nearly a century ago.

For the Rev. Larry Pickens, an executive committee member who is chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, the setting provided striking examples of how a church can survive under extreme conditions, including genocide and years of totalitarian rule by the Soviet Union.

"They have learned how to move forward without hate," he said.

The committee's visit included a trip to the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex near the capital of Yerevan. The council has long advocated for public recognition of the massacre of one-and-a-half million Armenians in Turkey and the deportation of another million between 1915 and 1917.

"In many ways, the ecumenical movement was born out of the forces of World War II," Pickens said. "It's a constant reminder that we have a stake in building humanity and in peacemaking."

With a strong history of Christianity dating to the fourth century, the church in Armenia is thriving, according to Pickens. Churches were open and accessible to the public, and committee members visited a seminary where young people are preparing for ministry.

The Armenian Apostolic Church "is a very vital church," he said. "Everywhere we went, there was construction going on, churches were going up."

Crisis in Darfur and Chad
Armenia's experiences were remembered as the executive committee took action to advocate for vulnerable people. "Meeting in the country of Armenia, where genocide nearly a century ago still casts a deep shadow, we reiterate the international responsibility to protect people at risk in the Darfur region of Sudan and in neighboring Chad," the WCC executive committee said in a "Minute on Darfur," which it approved.

Member churches are encouraged to advocate for the protection of people in Darfur with their governments and ask them to pay special attention to the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1706 on Darfur, the first time the Security Council has referred to the responsibility to protect in a specific country crisis.

Ecumenical delegations should make fact-finding and solidarity visits to the region including Darfur, as well as offer prayer and provide humanitarian aid, according to the executive committee.

Pickens said sending a WCC fact-finding delegation to Sudan "has been the subject of a lot of discussion," but that churches in the region had not deemed the time to be right in the past. He expects the WCC Central Committee will receive a report on a possible delegation visit when it meets next February.

Christians in Iraq
Concern also was raised about Christians in Iraq. The executive committee pointed out that while Christians represent only 4 percent of Iraq's population, they make up 40 percent of its refugees.

"Their fate speaks twice, informing overseas churches about both the general humanitarian needs in Iraq and the urgency of saving Iraq's Christian communities," said a statement on Iraq's humanitarian crisis.

Violent attacks, kidnappings and other traumas that affect Christian communities also impact Iraqi society at large. "The fate of Christians must not be seen in isolation from the fate of Muslims, or of other minorities such as the Yazidees and Mandeans, or used to worsen relations with Muslims or other groups," the statement said.

The statement called for prayers, support through church-related relief organizations and raising awareness about the general suffering of the Iraqi people, including its Christian communities.

"Church-only actions and joint initiatives with Muslims are both needed in order to show support for the people of Iraq and to make clear once again that policies of occupation do not have international church support," the statement said.

WCC member churches also need to advocate with their governments to remind them of obligations to Iraqis under the Geneva Conventions and "the need to break the international silence on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and provide greater assistance to displaced and refugee Iraqis through organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration."

Pickens said it is important to make U.S. church leadership "aware of the impact that (Iraqi) Christians are feeling as a result of the war."

The concern about Christian communities should extend to other Middle Eastern countries as well, he added. "If we're truly a worldwide church, these are the type of issues we are called to speak to."

Tensions over Iran In a statement on Iran and the Middle East crisis, WCC member churches were "urged to impress upon their governments their acute concern that the U.S. and its allies must settle the dispute over Iran's nuclear program through negotiations and not through the use of military force."

The council's concern is for the protection of all citizens, including those in the United States and Israel. "Years of unilateralist military incursions in the Middle East have compromised human security and national well-being across the region and left many people vulnerable," the council said.

A "Statement on the 10th anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol" called on the 174 ratifying states to fully implement its provisions. Countries that have not ratified the treaty, such as the United States and Australia, are urged to meet strict targets to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, which are considered responsible for global warming.

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

Pastor uses Internet as her pulpit, gathering place


The Rev. Jacqui King, pastor of a new church organizing in Houston called Nu Faith Community United Methodist Church, uses the Internet to preach and connect with members of the virtual church. A UMNS photo courtesy of the Rev. Jacqui King.

A UMNS Report By Linda Green*

The pastor of a newly created United Methodist church in Houston is using the Internet as her pulpit and gathering place until a physical building is constructed.

Nu Faith Community United Methodist Church, created last June by the Texas Annual (regional) Conference, exists now at http://www.nufaith.org/. The Rev. Jacqui King uses the Internet to preach, evangelize and provide ministry and to solidify a community of faith within a virtual experience.

"Nu Faith is really an opportunity to experience God in a brand new way in a brand new faith community," King said. "It is also a chance to just make disciples for Jesus Christ in a different kind of way."

King says there are people wanting to know God who have visited churches, but they did not stay because they found those congregations lacking in energy, passion and technology. "Nu Faith is a way for people to allow God to meet them right where they are," she said. "At Nu Faith, I want to be able to help them encounter God today."

The Internet allows King and a 25-member core group of wired individuals to connect with others and introduce them to the Nu Faith community. A semimonthly e-mail newsletter, called e-connection, provides information about the church, its ministry and plans.

Building on technology
Nu Faith "is a creative way to experience God through interactive expressions of love, grace and hope, which use many diverse technological formats," King said. "Virtual church helps us to reach people who are living up the street and around the world while sharing the love of Jesus Christ online."

The church will be launched next April 6 in a temporary location before a building is constructed on a 10-acre site in northwest Houston. The new church's vision is to promote peace, grace, mercy and love and be a community of believers who will pray together, worship, serve and study.

King says many churches have a presence on the World Wide Web; however, the Internet was not how those churches came into existence. "The Web was either … added after the fact or something else," said King. "They are not looking for it to be the DNA or the primary structure of the church. We are looking for technology to be our strength and major element."

In addition to promoting the new church on the Web, a Bible study is conducted online and at King's home.

A "Living into Our Faith" study of the Book of James began Aug. 30. On the first and third Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., "A Study at the House" explores a passage from James. At 8:45 p.m., the study goes online and is interactive.

"It is like having a talk show," King said. People can plug in though a site called TalkShoe, listen and talk, or they can listen to the entire taped program after the online study ends at 9:30. "It is growing," she said.

The virtual Bible study is a response to people ages 24-45, young families and those who cannot attend traditional Bible studies.

King also provides weekly audio and Web site reflections.

Reaching young adults
King says a virtual-faith experience is a way to reach a generation that is not connected to any church. She says there are many reasons for the absence of young adults in many traditional Protestant denominations, but among them is "churches and members having not helped the Word become relevant to where they are."

King said many traditional churches are "Sunday only" while the Nu Faith virtual church is everyday. A person seeking a reflection, a word or to express a concern can go to nufaith.org any time for spiritual formation. "It makes God present and real where they are," King said.

Because the Internet is an avenue that people use to make social connections today, King believes God is calling the church to make e-connections for spiritual growth.

"If I am a person living in the 21st century and technology is part of every aspect of my life, why would I ignore that in building up my spirituality? … People can find everything on the Web -- love, money, jobs. Why take Jesus out of that equation if the Scripture says our God is everywhere?"

Nu Faith is one of 13 churches to be started by the Texas Annual Conference before the end of 2008. Churches are being established in Tyler, Port Arthur and Houston and its suburbs. Several of the new church starts target specific demographics such as young adults, ex-prisoners and Hispanics.

Efforts to build new congregations in Texas are part of Path One, a United Methodist Board of Discipleship initiative seeking to help The United Methodist Church start 650 new churches by 2012. The new emphasis on church growth is a return to the church's evangelistic effort to begin a new congregation every day.

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

Mission Leader Calls on US Congress to Pass Child Health Bill Over Presidential Veto

New York, NY, October 3, 2007 -- The chief mission officer of The United Methodist Church has personally appealed to each member of the Congress to override President George Bush's veto of a bill that would reauthorize and expand a pivotal health insurance program for children.
The appeal of the Rev. R. Randy Day was being faxed to all Senators and Representatives on the morning of October 3 even as the President vetoed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Day, the general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries, also made a last minute appeal to the White House asking President Bush not to veto the measure.

SCHIP is a popular state-federal program that currently provides health insurance for some 6.6 million children and would cover some four million more under the congressionally approved reauthorization.

The mission executive appealed to the President as a "fellow United Methodist" and stated that The United Methodist Church "firmly believes that all children in the US deserve the opportunity for a healthy life."

In support of the appeal, Harriett Olson, head of the Women’s Division of the mission agency said, "One of the measures by which a society is judged is the quality of the care and support it offers to its most vulnerable. Children in this country are among the most vulnerable and it is our moral and ethical responsibility to support basic health care for them. SCHIP is a critical step to enabling our national and state government to do just that."

Health care for children is a major concern of the Women’s Division, which is the corporate expression of United Methodist Women.

At issue in the SCHIP struggle between the President and Congress is the amount of the increase in the reauthorization. Congress wrote in a $35 billion increase over the next funding period; the White House wants only $5 billion. Also at state is the upper income limit of families that qualify for the program.

The reauthorization was passed by a substantial majority in the Senate but by a slimmer margin in the House of Representatives. To override a veto in the House would mean that some 15 Republicans that voted no would need to change their vote.

Day asked opponents in both houses of Congress who opposed the bill to now swing around. He applauded the action of Senators and Representatives who initially voted for the bill and asked them to hold firm despite a veto. In explaining why SCHIP is important to The United Methodist Church and the General Board of Global Ministries, Day said in each of the letters:

United Methodists have long supported the value of public education for all children, wealthy and poor alike; we feel we have a moral obligation to work with our government representatives to insure health care for all children who need this invaluable service. In addition, with no national healthcare plan, many uninsured families in the United States are just one illness or one accident away from bankruptcy which affects the whole family.

Providing funding for SCHIP in the United States contributes to the mission of improving healthcare globally and sends a positive message to the world that we as a nation care for our children. It is a travesty that the US is one of the wealthiest nations on earth, and yet also one of the only industrialized nations that does not provide comprehensive healthcare to all its children.

The full text of Day's letter to congressional members who voted for the reauthorization follows.

On behalf of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church (UMC) and on behalf of over 9 million uninsured children in the United States, I applaud your courage and affirmative vote to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and ask that you stay strong in your convictions to override a potential Presidential veto.

Global Ministries is the mission agency of The United Methodist Church and seeks to live out the Gospel – the Good News of God's love and gifts of redemption by empowering the work of mission through alleviating suffering and promoting justice, freedom and peace in the United States and in 125 countries throughout the World.

We firmly believe that all children in the US deserve the opportunity for a healthy life and the people of The United Methodist Church strongly agree and have voiced their support for the SCHIP legislation. The substantial bipartisan support for SCHIP proves that this reauthorization is needed and worthy of your undivided support. The urgent need for this legislation can be seen in the fact that the number of uninsured children increased by one million in the past year. Children's lives are at stake if this legislation does not get enacted.

The reauthorization and increased funding for SCHIP is of utmost priority as it will allow states to continue their commitment to providing health insurance coverage to the millions of currently enrolled children, and provide the opportunity for additional children to have access to this vital health coverage so that no child is denied due to a lack of federal resources. Medicare is a program that improves the health and quality of life for seniors. I fervently maintain that the same kind of care be available for all children through comprehensive child health coverage.

United Methodists have long supported the value of public education for all children, wealthy and poor alike; we feel we have a moral obligation to work with our government representatives to insure health care for all children who need this invaluable service. In addition, with no national healthcare plan, many uninsured families in the United States are just one illness or one accident away from bankruptcy which affects the whole family.

Providing funding for SCHIP in the United States contributes to the mission of improving healthcare globally and sends a positive message to the world that we as a nation care for our children. It is a travesty that the US is one of the wealthiest nations on earth, and yet also one of the only industrialized nations that does not provide comprehensive healthcare to all its children.

Your affirmative voice that has strengthened this legislation to see it forward is critical to the health and well being of millions of children who do not have a voice or a vote, who truly are the "least of these." Thank you for your vote and support of this critical program for children.

Sincerely,
Rev. R. Randy Day

A UMNS Commentary by the Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston*: A father's reflections on 'Kid Nation'

The CBS reality TV show "Kid Nation" presents what happens when 40 children, ages 8 to 15, are left on their own to create a new town in the New Mexico desert. A UMNS photo courtesy of CBS Television.

My two kids and I recently watched the first episode of the new reality TV show "Kid Nation" on CBS. We were instantly hooked. At least, at first.

When I first heard about the show, I thought it was a neat idea that kids would be the central characters rather than the "Survivor" model of cast members in their 20s and 30s with one being voted off the show each week.

The premise is simple: 40 young people, ages 8 to 15, are "left" for 40 days in a New Mexico "ghost town." I was attracted by just the shear oddity of it. It had a unique appeal. I was genuinely interested in the sociological dimensions. Plus, I felt I could watch it with my kids. It's one of the few primetime TV shows that doesn't have the letters CSI in the title.

The children arrive on a bus from all walks of life to a deserted town called Bonanza City. Their job is to bring the town back to life. And four children have been chosen to be the town council, the leaders. The children have to do everything - cook, clean, haul water and care for their bodies and each other. The children are eventually divided into four groups. The show's host secretly gives the town council a star made of pure gold and tells the council to give one of these stars, worth more than $20,000, to one kid they think is exemplary in their ability to help the whole group.

The Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston

Like all reality TV, "Kid Nation" is only kind of real. It relies on a sense of morbid fascination in all of us - peeking into where you're not supposed to, seeing people's dirty laundry. It also requires a suspension of reality. In this case, the kids are not really alone in the desert. In actuality, the producers claim, there were more than 250 adults on the set, taking care of blisters, helping wipe tears, fixing sprained ankles. There was a full-time EMT, a psychologist, two pediatricians and a children's tour guide (I'm not sure what for), along with the TV crew. So, it's really a warped sense of reality: Kids are alone in the desert, but not really alone, and yet they feel alone. Isn't reality TV weird?

Not a church retreat
My own kids are 8 and 12. They were glued to every moment, such as the scene where one of the leaders expresses his frustrations of trying to lead the group, or when they tried to cook their first meal, or when the oldest, a teenager, picks on a leader for his inability to correctly lead. They were especially entranced by seeing kids their age whose eyes are filled with tears, such as when one of the 40 was homesick.

My enthrallment stopped - and my ability to see the show for what it really was - began when the youngest child (the same age as my youngest) decides he wants to go home because "this is too hard and I'm too young to be here."

It was then I woke up.
We're not supposed to put an 8-year-old in that situation in real life, let alone for our entertainment. Ultimately, he was crying for our entertainment.

Questions starting coming to me: Is it wise to put children on display for TV ratings? Is this child labor? Should children be handed $20,000 for being the "best"? Do I have a responsibility to help interpret the show to my children, or just stop watching it and call for its cancellation? I started Googling the show's title and discovered the program is facing potential child labor lawsuits.

I am a Christian and a father. I interpret my primary role to care for my children's spiritual wellbeing. In "Kid Nation," the town's chapel is used only by the town council as a meeting place. No spiritual reflection occurs there. Camping is one of the best places to discover your spirituality. But this is TV, not a church retreat.

Kids need grownups
You can bet that not even for a potential mega-buck gold star would I consider my child being left alone, even with a TV crew, with 39 other kids in a desert for 40 days.
The question if kids should be left alone to fend for themselves has already been answered many times over. The classic William Golding novel Lord of the Flies carefully explored this premise. Kids need us.

I'm not writing off watching the next episode. Frankly, as much as I was disgusted by the "commodifying" of children, it presented an opportunity to connect with my kids. And those times don't come along often. We had the best discussion in several months following the show. And, much to my surprise, even my 8-year-old son caught the stupidity of reality TV. He said, "Dad, you can relax. You know there's a ton of adults running the cameras, right?" "Oh, of course," I said.

So, we're a "Kid Nation" family, I guess. We know all the warts and laugh at them. We don't support the show so much as use it in ways the producers never guessed. We make fun of it and then have deep spiritual discussions.

*Horswill-Johnston is director of communications and brand strategy for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.

NCC reorganization cuts 14 staff positions
By Linda Bloom*

NEW YORK (UMNS) - A reorganization of the National Council of Churches, effective Dec. 1, will result in the elimination of 14 staff positions.

The reorganization plan - announced Sept. 27 and approved earlier in the week by the ecumenical body's governing board - will leave a pared-down staff structure in place but should not be viewed as a sign of insolvency, according to Clare Chapman, a United Methodist serving as the NCC's acting chief executive.

The council's multimillion-dollar financial reserves were able to absorb a deficit of more than $1 million occurring during the fiscal year that began July 1, 2006, and ended June 30, 2007. That deficit, Chapman said, stemmed from lower-than-expected income from two of three main revenue streams for the NCC - denominational member contributions, foundation grants and royalties from resources.

"Our bills are being paid," she told United Methodist News Service. "The council is financially stable. This was an action to keep it that way in the future."

The NCC announcement noted an expected budget shortfall for the 2008 fiscal year as well and stressed the governing board's commitment "to operate on available revenues" and not draw from reserves.

Top staff members, whose tenures stretch up to 30 years with the council, are among those whose jobs are being eliminated, including two deputy general secretaries and six associate general secretaries.

"We celebrate the ministry of all these staff and lament their departure," Chapman said.

She noted that in addition to the standing positions of general secretary and development director, six new positions will be created under the reorganization. Current staff will be able to apply for those positions as chief operating officer, three program positions, a media specialist and a database manager.

In 2006, the NCC General Assembly approved a strategic plan leaving in place the five commissions that form the basis of its programmatic work: communications, justice and advocacy, ecumenical and interfaith relations, education, and faith and order. The new structure will reflect that strategic plan, according to the governing board.

The NCC is in the process of selecting a new chief executive to replace the Rev. Bob Edgar, who left the organization in August to lead Common Cause in Washington. A decision on a nominee, to be elected during the Nov. 6-8 General Assembly in Woodbridge, N.J., is expected at the end of September.

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