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
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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.

Iranian President fields questions at Church Center for the United Nations

by YVETTE MOORE*

New York City, Sept. 27--Ecumenical leaders peppered Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with questions about peace, Iran’s nuclear program, the Holocaust and the state of human rights in his country during a 2 1/2-hour interfaith dialogue at the Women’s Division-owned Church Center for the United Nations in New York City yesterday.

President Ahmadinejad is in the city for the opening of the United Nation’s General Assembly.

Women’s Division Deputy General Secretary Harriett Jane Olson opened the event with a welcome to the gathering that shared a bit of United Methodist Women history.

“This ‘set aside’ space is designed to offer both the hospitality and the testimony that is part of the Christian calling to stand for the ‘things that make for peace,’” Ms. Olson said. “Based on our understanding of that calling, we have offered this space to ecumenical dialog and witness since 1963.

“We know that women and children are particularly vulnerable to violence and to war, and so we stand for them. We stand with the women and children of Iraq … Israel ... Palestine … the United States.

“We engage in this work because we are part of the Wesleyan theological tradition. In our tradition, as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, we express our personal piety by taking action to make the world more loving and just.”

President Ahmadinejad cited the biblical prophets’ message of justice and peace as God’s desire for the world in his opening statement replete with religious language and concepts. Six church leaders followed in turn with comments and questions. Ecumenical panelist included Albert Lobe, executive director, Mennonite Central Committee; the Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton, Executive Secretary, Canadian Council of Churches; Mary Ellen McNish, general secretary, American Friends Committee; Fr. Drew Christiansen, editor of America; the Rev. Chris Ferguson, representative to the United Nations, Commission of the Churches on International Affairs; and Dr. Glen Stassen, professor of Christian ethics, Fuller Seminary.

When asked about human rights violations against Christians and other minorities in his country, the Iranian leader said Jews, Christians, Armenians and Assyrians have political representation in the nation’s government greater than their percentage of the population.

Church leaders who met with the leader previously said President Ahmadinejad did not deny the Jewish Holocaust, but called it part of 50 million people killed during World War II. Calls for a clear public acknowledgement of the Jewish Holocaust resulted in the president reiterating his position that it should be studied as an academic subject.

On peace, President Mahmoud said it is Iran rather than Israel or the United States that should be concerned about the use of nuclear weapons in the region.

“Who are the ones to really be concerned, you in the United States or Iranians?” President Mahmoud said. “In the Middle East, who’s the one who has 200 nuclear warheads? We’re the ones who should be concerned when 100,000 troops are on our border threatening us everyday. But we have not expressed concern. That’s the irony.”

President Ahmadinejad said international inspections confirm that Iran is enriching uranium at energy-use levels.

The dialogue was the third with President Ahmadinejad for some church leaders at the event. Forty-five U.S. religious leaders met with him in New York City September 2006 and another 13 met with him in Tehran in February.

Ms. Olson said the day’s dialogue was part of a long haul to peacemaking.

“We haven’t reached the point of hard truth-telling,” Ms. Olson said. “But this dialogue may help to de-escalate the language of hostility, which is a necessary part of building bridges.”

Ms. Olson said opening the doors of the church center for the dialogue was a decision based in the Christian faith.

“The Christian Gospel calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27); to love even our enemies (Luke 6: 27); and to open dialogue with those with whom we are in conflict for the sake of peacemaking (Matthew 18:15-17),” Ms. Olson said.

Co-sponsors of this interfaith dialogue include:

.Friends Committee on National Legislation
.American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
.World Council of Churches, Commission of the Church on International Affairs
.Mennonite Church Canada
.Pax Christi USA
.Church of the Brethren (General Board)
.World Council of Religions for Peace
.Sojourners
.Mennonite Church – USA
.Mennonite Central Committee

Women’s Division is the national policymaking arm of United Methodist Women, a nearly 800,000-member organization within the United Methodist Church in the United States. The organization’s purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice.

*Yvette Moore is an executive secretary for communications for the Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.

Volunteer creates ministry for diabetics
By John Gordon*

Registered nurse Patty Larraga, founder of the Institute of Minority Health Education and Research, discusses diabetes management at an assisted-living center in Wichita, Kan. UMNS photos by John Gordon.

WICHITA, Kan. (UMNS)-Making her rounds as a home-health care nurse, Patty Larraga noticed something unusual: a dangerous disease that seemed to hit the Hispanic community especially hard.

"Diabetes is a very insidious or sneaky disease," says Larraga. "People walk around for many years, often times, and don't even know it."

Larraga began volunteering her time to find those with diabetes--and teach them how to lead healthier lives and avoid life-threatening complications. She founded the Institute of Minority Health Education and Research as an outreach to Hispanics living in the Wichita area. A $50,000 grant from United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is helping the organization expand its programs.

"We know now that no one has to die blind, no one has to lose their feet nor do they have to end up on dialysis," says Larraga, whose husband was diagnosed with the disease two years ago. "These are the three complications that we know we can prevent."

Institute volunteers conduct screening clinics to help diagnose diabetes. The organization also holds bilingual classes to show diabetics how to manage the disease by watching their diet, exercising and regularly checking their blood sugar.

Larraga's organization has developed a relationship with GraceMed, a Wichita health clinic supported by the United Methodist Kansas West Annual (regional) Conference. GraceMed is the biggest source of referrals for the classes.

Dave Sanford, the clinic's executive director, says 12,000 patients are treated there every year. Most of them are uninsured or under-insured.

"The No. 1 chronic disease state that we address is diabetes," says Sanford. "We see a lot of health-care disparities when it comes to the minority population. And so when it comes to Hispanics or African-Americans, there's a higher rate of diabetes."

Jose Gasca knows well the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Gasca, 63, is a GraceMed patient who was referred to Larraga's classes to learn more about managing his diabetes.

"I myself have lost brothers, relatives that have left this earth way too early because they weren't getting a full guidance as how to manage their diabetes," he says.

Adjustments in his diet are also part of Gasca's plan. "With Latinos, we just love our food and we tend to overeat," he explains. "So it's important to exercise. It's something we live with, that we can manage every day."

Diana Juarez, an institute volunteer who is the group's director of education, meets those who have completed the educational courses for walks in the park to put into practice what they learned in the classroom.

"It concerns me that people (who) do not know they have diabetes will probably wait until there's a major complication to come down and learn that they have to treat it every day," she says. "So, it becomes a public health issue. Someone is paying the bill."

The United Methodist grant will allow the institute to become certified by the American Diabetes Association. According to Larraga, the organization will then be able to receive payments from Medicare and Medicaid for its educational programs, helping the mostly-volunteer group pay overhead expenses and other costs.

One of Larraga's goals is to train other health-care workers-promotores-to help spread the facts about diabetes and how to manage the disease.

"One community health worker can reach approximately a thousand people a year," she says, "and touch that many lives and make a difference. It's almost like we're cloning ourselves so they can help others."

*Gordon is a freelance writer and producer in Marshall, Texas.

United Methodists show hospitality to Jena, La., marchers
Protesters head for a rally from the parking lot at Nolley Memorial United Methodist Church in Jena, La. The church opened its doors to provide water and hospitality during the Sept. 20 march. A UMNS photo by the Rev. Dan Krutz.

UMNS Report By Linda Green and Yvette Moore*

A United Methodist church welcomed demonstrators and a churchwide agency called for equal justice in the wake of racially charged events at a high school in Jena, La.

On Sept. 20, tens of thousands of people from across the United States converged on tiny Jena to show their support for six black students facing criminal prosecution in the beating of a white student. The students, who have become known as the "Jena Six," were charged as adults for attempted murder in the beating, but charges were later reduced following protests of racial bias. The white student was treated and released from the hospital the same day and attended a school event that evening.

The beating was the latest in a series of incidents at and around Jena High School that included a group of white students hanging nooses from a tree at the school.

While businesses in Jena, a small, rural town of 3,000, were closed Sept. 20, the predominantly white Nolley Memorial United Methodist Church remained open and provided hospitality to some of the primarily African-American marchers.

The church had erected a sign with the denomination's welcoming message of "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors" at the edge of town, "but I am not sure they saw the sign," said the Rev. Lyndle Bullard, pastor of Nolley Memorial.

When he, members of the 400-member congregation and annual conference officials arrived at the church at 7 a.m., the parking lot was full, and cars were also parked in the cemetery. "We just started greeting people and finding out where they were from," Bullard said. "We thanked them for coming and welcomed them to Jena. We talked about hospitality.

"We were the only church that was open in Jena," he said. "As the sign said, we were open. We did the right thing. We could have closed and said, 'we don't want you here,' but that was not an option. It was obvious that the only option was to be open."

The size of the march concerned Jena citizens so much that many closed businesses and left town, the pastor said. One automobile dealer moved the cars out of town. News reports estimated that between 20,000 and 50,000 people attended the Jena rally.

"But the people (the protesters) were wonderful, and it was a great surprise," Bullard said.

The Rev. Darlene Moore, pastor of Camphor United Methodist Church, Baton Rouge, attended the Sept. 20 rally with members of the congregation and students from Louisiana State University.

"Throughout history, many people have had to stand up for what is right," she said. "So must the church stand up for justice. After all our country has been through, why do we have this climate today? There are things that all Christians can do to make a difference. First and foremost, we must read the Bible and live by the Bible, practicing those teachings. We can organize and participate in dialogues that build a climate of listening to one another and respecting each other."

Working for healing
"The United Methodist Church in Louisiana is continuing to play a role of support as the parties involved seek justice, reconciliation and healing," said Betty Backstrom, director of communications for the Louisiana Annual (regional) Conference. "Bishop William W. Hutchinson, along with other statewide ecumenical leaders, recently participated in conversations with church and community leaders in Jena in an effort to resolve the issues at hand. ... The entire conference is praying for justice and for healing as we assist in finding ways to work toward a godly resolution."

The Jena rally was one of many held around the United States on Sept. 20 in support of the Jena Six.

Some commentaries and editorials have observed that the Jena Six situation may have sparked the next movement of African-American youth. College students from across the United States traveled to Jena to make a stand for racial justice and equality as their parents and grandparents did in the 1950s and 1960s. They were concerned not only about the Jena Six case but about inequality throughout the country.

"It is important that young people of all races are paying attention and responding to this controversy," said Erin Hawkins, top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. "Many of them have experienced racism, violence, threats and unfair punishment from authorities. Some can relate to what has happened to their peers in Jena. Some fear it could happen to them."

Women's Division speaks out
The Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries issued a statement on the case and sent letters urging Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Donald Washington to intervene.

"What is happening in Jena is the reflection of much deeper institutional racism in our nation," the statement said. "Fifty years after the gains of the civil rights movement, we are witnessing a 'new Jim Crow' racism that functions through unequal schools, courts and police forces that disproportionately criminalize and jail poor young black and Latino youth.

"Like our Methodist foremothers whose local missionary societies led the Southern anti-lynching societies and created The United Methodist Church's first Charter for Racial Justice Policies in 1952, we are compelled to speak out about what Jena, La., means for us as a nation today."

The letter from the Women's Division called on the government officials to:
+Investigate and monitor the criminal cases against the youth;
+Guarantee the youths' constitutional right to fair and equal treatment under the law; and
+Pursue justice in the situation.

The division called on United Methodist Women members to send similar letters to government officials in Louisiana and elsewhere. The division asked members to pray for the Jena community, in particular:

+For the six young men and their families, and that they receive justice;
+For justice, healing and reconciliation for all the families of Jena;
+For the faith communities of Jena and of Louisiana, that they continue efforts to bridge the racial divide and witness to God's work of justice and mercy in the world;
+For the United States to mend "a failed criminal justice system that incarcerates black men at alarming rates in an unequal application of the law."

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. Moore is executive secretary for communications for the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

Proposed Social Creed seeks global acceptance

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - Fresh off its world tour, a "user-friendly" United Methodist Social Creed faces its biggest audience next spring in its bid to become the church's "roadmap to making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."

A small task force of six under the leadership of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society has been working on a 2008 Social Creed to replace the revised 1972 version.
The original creed was written in 1908 as a denominational statement decrying child labor and supporting the economic rights of workers, better workplace conditions, better wages and worker safety.

The 2004 United Methodist General Conference designated the period of 2005-2008 as a time of celebration, education and study of the Social Creed and Social Principles leading up to the 100th anniversary of the 1908 Social Creed.

As part of that celebration, the Board of Church and Society took on the task of writing a contemporary, timeless version to offer for future generations.

The final document was presented and approved at the directors meeting of the Board of Church and Society held Sept. 13-16. The creed now goes to the 2008 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, which meets April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Book of Discipline, the denomination's book of law, recommends the Social Creed be emphasized regularly in every congregation and used frequently in Sunday worship.

However, even Bishop Susan Morrison acknowledged that she wasn't sure what the creed said or where it could be found when she was asked to chair the task force.

"My experience is that is what has happened to the Social Creed. I have used it, but it wasn't part of me," she said. "One of the first decisions we made as a task force was to make it user-friendly."

On the road
Another priority was to make sure a new Social Creed reflects the global nature of the church. The task force took a draft to Europe, Africa and the Philippines for feedback and suggestions.
The first stop was last March in Oslo, Norway. The five European United Methodist bishops chose 12 delegates to attend.

"There were moments when I literally felt a chill at the joy of being in a setting with our sisters and brothers from across Europe and Euro-Asia and hearing them dialogue about this Social Creed," said Bishop Jane Allen Middleton, who began chairing the task force when Morrison retired in 2006.

"To be given the opportunity to discuss the Social Creed from a European perspective was both useful and interesting," said Bishop Øystein Olsen, episcopal leader for the Nordic and Baltic Area. "I was inspired by the level of enthusiasm and the knowledge among the participants, and look forward to seeing a global perspective in the final draft."

The second consultation was held May 25-26 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, where 36 participants from across the African Central Conferences gathered to review the text.

The consultation so inspired Albert Tyre that the composer and organist from Sierra Leone stayed up all night to compose an accompanying musical arrangement.

"It was a great encounter we all had in Kinshasa, and that has made a lot of difference in our lives," Tyre said. "We Africans have been so excited about the Social Creed more especially as it has been put into a song we could be singing."

Nathanael Arnel De Pano, a songwriter and musical director at Kamuning First United Methodist Church, Quezon City, Philippines, said he liked the idea of a more "reader-friendly, easier-to-digest" Social Creed.

"I like the collegial and consistent building style the participants have taken," he said of the Aug. 9-11 consultation held in Tagaytay City, Philippines. "Everyone is prepared to put forth a draft that is representative of the general disposition of the Philippines conference."

Singing creed
"At the three consultations, every time we got to the music was the most exciting time," said the Rev. Grace Cajiuat, a musician, conductor and associate pastor at Appleton (Wis.) First United Methodist Church. "Everyone got more excited about the Social Creed after experiencing it set to music."

The musical version, which was presented to the group in the Philippines and the directors meeting in Washington, was written by Carol Simpson, a 23-year-old music graduate attending Claremont School of Theology and serving as director of contemporary music and outreach ministries at Glendora (Calif.) United Methodist Church.

Her version is written in a "call and response" style. "I have attempted to create unity by choosing a melody and rhythm that all cultures can embrace," she said.

The task force will send the creed to other musicians in hopes of receiving different arrangements in a variety of genres including jazz, hip-hop, gospel and rock 'n' roll.

Marching orders
The United Methodist Social Creed has been the inspiration for other faith traditions to develop their own creeds including the National Council of Churches, according to Morrison.
The new creed is poetic and follows the sequence of the Social Principles from the natural community to the world community.

"It is written as marching orders for social holiness," said Rev. Mike McKee, a task force member. "If you read the document closely, you will see some phrases that are familiar to you from great hymns and Scripture."

The ending phrases are from Jesus' first public sermon in the Book of Luke. McKee notes that those same verses also were used by Methodism founder John Wesley to describe the character of the itinerant pastor.

"I can't tell you how profoundly we have felt the movement of the Holy Spirit in our midst," Middleton said. "Obviously we had a lot of choices from many recommendations over the last few years. But as we worked with the final language, it truly felt it was coming together as a wonderful whole."

Morrison said approving a new creed could be an important milestone at the upcoming General Conference.

"... If in the end we can approve a Social Creed that becomes part of the DNA of the future generations' faith stories, praise the Lord," she said.

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

Women Division joins call for justice in Jena, La.

By Yvette Moore*

Sept. 20, 2007, New York City – The Women’s Division joined nationwide calls for equal justice for six black students facing criminal prosecution in the wake of racially charged events at their high school in Jena, La.

The students, known as the “Jena 6,” were charged as adults for attempted murder for beating up a white student at school after a series of racial incidents at and around the school. The white student was treated and released from the hospital the day of the fight and attended a school function the same evening.

Women’s Division issued a statement on the case and sent letters urging Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Donald Washington to intervene in the case. The letters called on the government officials to:

.Investigate and monitor the criminal cases against the youth;
.Guarantee the youths’ constitutional right to fair and equal treatment under the law; and
.Pursue justice in the situation.

The division called on United Methodist Women members to send similar letters to Louisiana and other government officials. The division asked members to pray for the Jena community, in particular:

.The six young men, their families, and that they gain justice;
.For justice, healing and reconciliation for all the families of Jena;
.For the faith community of Jena and of Louisiana, that they might continue efforts to bridge the racial divide and witness to God’s work of justice and mercy in the world;
.For our nation to mend a failed criminal justice system that incarcerates black men at alarming rates in an unequal application of the law.

“What is happening in Jena is the reflection of much deeper institutional racism in our nation,” the Women’s Division stated. “Fifty years after the gains of the Civil Rights Movement we are witnessing a ‘new Jim Crow’ racism that functions through unequal schools, courts and police forces that disproportionately criminalize and jail poor young black and Latino youth.

“Like our Methodist foremothers whose local missionary societies led the Southern anti-lynching societies and created the United Methodist Church’s first Charter for Racial Justice Policies in 1952, we are compelled to speak out about what Jena, La., means for us as a nation today.”

The Women’s Division is the national policy-making body of United Methodist Women, a nearly 800,000-member organization in 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 programs and projects related to women, children and youth in the United States and around the world.

*Yvette Moore is an executive secretary for communications for the Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.

Agency calls for targeted divestment in Israel, Sudan

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

WASHINGTON (UMNS) - The United Methodist Church's social action agency wants the denomination to divest from companies providing products or services used for "illegal destruction" in Palestinian areas or that are doing business with the government of Sudan.

Resolutions on the two divestment issues will be sent to the 2008 General Conference for consideration when the church's top policy-making body meets April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The resolutions came out of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society's fall board of directors meeting held Sept. 13-16 in the nation's capital.

A related resolution calls for the establishment of a churchwide "socially responsible investment task force."

"In a world primarily defined by economic transactions, the next steps should be targeted divestment with businesses directly involved with the oppression of Palestinians and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur," said the Rev. Steve Sprecher, chairman of the Peace with Justice work area, which wrote the resolutions for the board's approval.

"Divestment and Caterpillar" calls for the church to divest from the heavy-equipment manufacturer based in Peoria, Ill., because of bulldozers and other equipment supplied to the Israeli Defense Forces used for the "illegal destruction of Palestinian homes, orchards and olive groves in the Occupied Territories and to clear Palestinian land for illegal Israeli settlements, segregated roads and the Separation Barrier."

Struggling to do the right thing
Over the past three years, the board of directors has invited comments on possible divestment from various perspectives within the Jewish, Palestinian and Arab communities as well as representatives from the United Methodist Board of Pensions and Health Benefits.

"The United Methodist Church has a long history of unwavering support for Israel's right to exist," said Sprecher. "We have also long supported human rights for Palestinians. We, like many, are frustrated by the increasing harsh conditions Palestinians continue to endure under Israel's 40 years of illegal occupation."

"We need to do something now; there is an urgency," said Toyomi Yoshida, a young adult member of the work area on Peace with Justice.

Yoshida said members of the work area struggled with the decision. "We waited too long," she said. "There was a lot of resistance but, for me, it was the right thing to do."

If approved, the resolution calls for general agencies, annual conferences, local churches, conference boards of pensions, United Methodist foundations and all other entities that invest United Methodist funds to divest of all equity and debt holdings of Caterpillar Inc., by Jan. 1, 2009.

The resolution asks every United Methodist to "prayerfully consider taking the same action with the personal and pension assets under their control, and request that other investment managers such as mutual fund companies, pension plans and bank trustees do the same."

Crisis in Sudan
The United Methodist Church has called repeatedly for action to end the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, and additional steps are needed to bring economic pressure on the government of Sudan "to end the genocide," states the resolution on "Divestment and Sudan."

"The Sudanese government is susceptible to well-placed economic pressure because of its dependence upon foreign investment," reads the resolution.

The resolution states the church "should not own or profit from companies whose products or services are used by corrupt governments or regimes to murder, suppress or displace its citizens and neighbors."

Targeted divestment from companies doing business with the Sudanese government will not harm those in need, according to the Sudan Divestment Task Force, a project of the Genocide Intervention Network.

Responsible investing
The proposed "socially responsible investment task force" would include the United Methodist boards of Church and Society, Global Ministries and Pension and Health Benefits; the United Methodist Church Foundation; and the National Association of United Methodist Foundations under the leadership of the United Methodist Church Foundation.

Its purpose would be to establish a common standard for determining prohibited investments and positive investment principles consistent with the United Methodist Social Principles.

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

Bridges to Life gives prisoners new perspectives

Inmates listen to victims speak about the impact of crime on their families' lives during the Bridges to Life program at a Texas prison near Bryan. More than 300 volunteers, many from United Methodist churches, are involved in teaching the 14-week course at 22 Texas prisons. UMNS photos by John Gordon.

By John Gordon*

BRYAN, Texas (UMNS) - Prison inmates seldom talk about their crimes and why they committed them.

But getting prisoners to tell their stories-and bringing them face-to-face with crime victims-are part of the philosophy of Bridges to Life, a program taught by volunteers at 22 Texas prisons.

"We look at confession, accountability, responsibility," says Margie Blazier, regional coordinator for Bridges to Life. "And we discuss those topics with the offenders."

Doug Wilson of Spring, near Houston, tells inmates with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Hamilton how crime has affected his family. Wilson's son is serving a life sentence for his role in a robbery and double murder.

"My son made a choice that changed his life and ours forever," Wilson says. "Two young people died, and four young people were arrested three days later."

Wilson wants inmates to understand how crime steals hope and opportunity, and how it affects other family members.

"A lot of them believe that they are not affecting anybody at all but themselves. They're looking at it from their perspective," he says. "I think once they hear it from somebody else's perspective, they realize what type of impact they've had."

Reaching out
Bridges to Life started in 1998 and was founded by John Sage, whose younger sister, Marilyn, was murdered in 1993. More than 300 volunteers are involved in teaching the 14-week course at Texas prisons, and the program also is launching at prisons in Louisiana and Colorado.

Most of the volunteers in the Bryan program come from area United Methodist churches.

"This is not a Bible study; it's not a worship or preaching group," says the Rev. Guy Pry, a retired United Methodist pastor. "But this interaction in following the steps of accountability, accepting responsibility, confession, forgiveness, reconciliation, restitution-those steps are part of it."

Attendance at Bridges to Life meetings is voluntary. But inmates who sign up are much less likely to return to prison.

Blazier said the recidivism rate for those completing the program is 13.9 percent, compared with a national average of 67 percent re-arrested for serious crimes within three years of their release from state prisons.

'I'm not all bad'
"I've started thinking about the crime that I committed and why I committed it," inmate Robert Smith tells a group of other inmates and Bridges to Life volunteers at the Hamilton unit. "It can stop with me. I have that hope for my son (that he) doesn't have to see the inside of this place."

Lonnie Jones was 16 when he killed a homeowner who surprised him during a burglary. He expects to be released soon after serving nearly 30 years for murder. He has taken the Bridges to Life course three times and hopes to counsel inmates after he gets out.

"(Bridges to Life) was the program that I was looking for all the time, all these years," says Jones. "Bridges to Life just really solidified that feeling that I am worth something. I do have some good in me, you know. I'm not all bad."

James Benson, who has served 21 months of a six-year sentence for selling drugs, is determined not to return to prison after his release. "The choices I made were bad choices," he says. "But now that I get to see how it affects other people, it makes me change my outlook on everything."
Blazier says the program's impact on other inmates is equally dramatic.

"We have had men listen to the stories at the impact panel at the very beginning. And before they even get into small groups, they're crying," she says.

More volunteers are needed, however, as the program expands to other prisons.

"Basically, (we need) just a person who wants to help, who knows that they can make a difference," Blazier says. "And if we can change one person's way of thinking as far as crime, I think we've done a lot."

*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas.

Centro Latino: “Doing Jesus’ Job” in the Immigrant Community

The Rev. Ruben Mendoza ministers to Spanish speaking people in Council Bluffs. Ron Whitlatch

CAMP WESLEY WOODS, IOWA, Sept. 7, 2007—A church within a church is thriving in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The pastor says that one of his first tasks is to help the members of his Spanish-speaking flock overcome their sorrow at being separated from families back home in Latin America.

The Rev. Ruben Mendoza, speaking through an interpreter, talked with a group of seventy Justice for Our Neighbors attorneys and volunteers meeting at Camp Wesley Woods on September 7.

Centro Latino Church meets every Sunday in the facilities of the Broadway United Methodist Church and is the first congregation of its kind in the town of 50,000. On Sunday Sept. 9, 14 more people take their membership vows. “But there is more to be done, as people still feel anguish,” said Rev. Mendoza.

His three-year assignment is at the invitation of the pastor of the English-speaking Broadway church, Rev. Marvin Arnpriester, who saw the need for outreach to the growing Hispanic population in Council Bluffs. Broadway members volunteer at the nearby Omaha, Neb., Justice for Our Neighbors clinic, one of 21 around the US providing legal services to immigrants.

Justice for Our Neighbors, a program of United Methodist Committee on Relief, serves immigrants and asylum seekers with professional legal assistance at low or no cost. Attorneys and volunteers active in the program were in Iowa for a three-day annual gathering.

Rev. Mendoza said there are about 6,000 Spanish-speaking residents in Council Bluffs, and some are undocumented. The town’s proximity to the agriculture belt of Iowa makes it a prime location for meat packing and food processing plants, and attracts workers wanting a better life for themselves and their families. Through their ministries of outreach to such communities, Centro Latino and Justice for Our Neighbors, in the words of one familiar with both, are “doing Jesus’ job” in serving “the least of these.”

Establishing the trust of a family atmosphere is only the first step in Rev. Mendoza’s ministry.

He assists parishioners who are contending with violence in the home. Depression and domestic violence are common issues faced by immigrants in the US, he said. Women whose immigration status is in jeopardy are especially vulnerable and may feel unsafe in asking for the help they need. Rev. Mendoza’s ministry also includes preaching in Spanish at local prison facilities.

Rev. Mendoza worked with the United Methodist Church of El Sembrador in his hometown of Rio Bravo, Tampulipas, Mexico, and graduated from Juan Wesley Methodist Seminary in Monterrey. Before coming to Iowa, he served two churches, provided pastoral counseling in the community, and operated a soup kitchen for impoverished children.

To his audience of attorneys and volunteers Rev. Mendoza said, “Look at your hands. These are the only hands God has.” And echoing the words of Jesus to his disciples, Rev. Mendoza said, “Whenever you provide justice to one person with your hands, you are delivering it to many.”

Support for Justice for our Neighbors can be provided through the Advance for Christ and His Church. Checks can be sent to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087, indicating Justice for Our Neighbors Advance #901285 on the memo line. Gifts may also be made by credit card online at givetomission.org or at the toll-free number 1-800-554-8583.

United Methodist interns embrace diversity, justice issues

A UMNS Feature By Xochitl Garcia*

Ethnic Young Adult interns gather on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The interns, sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, spent this summer living together while working in organizations that address social concerns. A UMNS photo by Shalom Agtarap.

On summer weekdays, interns from all over the United States flood Capitol Hill in Washington on their way to government buildings.

Once on the Hill, many of the interns head for congressional offices. But this past summer, like many others, 14 interns departed from the group and reported to the United Methodist building just across the street from the Supreme Court.

These are the Ethnic Young Adult interns, selected by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society to spend two months interning at places all over the District of Columbia. They are chosen for their leadership qualities, involvement in The United Methodist Church and ethnic heritage.

The interns range in age from 18 to 22 and represent African, African-American, Indian-American, Hispanic/Latino and Asian-American heritage.

"The internship is a unique leadership program because it is geared towards persons of color, historically representing the racial ethnic caucuses and communities of The United Methodist Church," said the Rev. Neal Christie, the board's intern program director. "It is unique in that it's multiracial, it's intentionally seeking out persons that otherwise would not be represented in Washington D.C., especially on Capitol Hill and advocacy settings."

He added that although ethnic diversity is prevalent in D.C., most of those working in the district and on Capitol Hill are Anglo-American. Having the multiracial interns on the Hill brings voices that are not fully represented and allows these young people to be seen and heard, he said.

'Changed my outlook'
Senior intern Elaine Atim -- raised in the Philippines until age 10 -- was chosen to return two years after her first internship and lead the new group.

Atim, who is passionate about justice issues, is attending Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington this fall. "This internship just seemed something great for me to try," she said. "I wanted to return this year because I had a sense of gratitude towards the program because it totally changed my outlook on life. I wanted to give back to the program and wanted to have a personal hand in impacting other people in the way that I have been impacted by the program."

Susan Jacob, a 20-year-old Indian American and student at St. John's University in Queens, N.Y., appreciated that chance to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. "I am coming to realize the importance of faith-based organizations in advocacy," she said. "Jesus worked for justice, he cared for the poor, sick, hungry and dying, and it is important for the church to stand for those issues."

The interns typically work at governmental and non-governmental offices, faith-based advocacy agencies and grassroots organizations. Every Friday at the United Methodist Building, they attend workshops designed to generate fellowship and address issues such as race in politics and policy making.

Diverse cultures
Alfonso Noel Estes, a 21-year-old student from San Francisco State University, found the internship to be a "unique experience" because of the diversity represented.

"We have students from Liberia and Gambia and then one from Georgia, so we are coming from all these different experiences," explained Estes, who is of African-American and Hispanic/Latino heritage. "It makes it real beautiful to sit down in a Friday meeting and share our different experiences at the table."

James Edward Stevenson, an African-American student at the University of Arizona, agreed. "The diversity here has changed my experience because I got to learn a lot of everybody's culture. I got to understand people and where they come from, their traditions and folklore."

Having felt the call to ministry, Stevenson said he has now found a new and more socially conscious way to preach God's word. "When I become a pastor," he added, "I won't be afraid to be outspoken. By outspoken, I mean to preach about social injustices and things that are relevant to our society, as opposed to just using the Bible as a comfort zone."

*Garcia served as a summer intern at United Methodist Communications this year, and she was in the 2006 group of Ethnic Young Adult interns at the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.

Schedule for Responding With Faith to Immigration, Blakemore UMC, Nashville, Tennessee, September 29, 2007

8:30-8:45 a.m. Registration, Coffee/Bagels
8:45 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

Panel Presentations
9:00 Jan Snider--Justice for Our Neighbors, Legal Consultation to aid immigrants to understand realities of law
9:20 Small Group interaction
9:30 Emily Snider and Steven Miles--“Stranger no Longer”
9:50 Small Group interaction
10:00 Tom Negri--Economics of Immigration
10:20 Small Group interaction
10:30 Stephen Fotopulos--TIRRC, Tennessee Immigration Reform Coalition Immigration policy
10:50 Small Group interaction
11:00 Panel response to questions from small groups
11:30 Review of Resources for further action
Presentation of Bible Study
12:00 Worship
12:30 Dismissal

A parent's dilemma: When your child is gay
A UMNS Report By Robin Russell*

Kathy and Dave England, parents of a gay son, work with the Parents Reconciling Network to help educate other parents of gay children. A UMNS photo by Robin Russell, United Methodist Reporter

Kathy and Dave England recall how stunned they were when their son announced he was gay. They were sitting around and talking on the last night of Christmas break, during his freshman year of college.

"So, what do you guys think about homosexuality?" Scott asked them.

"Well, I've never given it much thought," Mrs. England replied.

"Well, I am," Scott said.

"Boy, he caught me off guard - totally," his mother recalled.

Mrs. England didn't understand her son's "choice and his lifestyle." Her husband, then on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, responded by delivering his "speech" to Scott, who had a full ROTC scholarship.

"My advice was that he should probably consider a different career," Mr. England said. "But he was my son. He was still my son. Nothing was going to change that."

The Englands, of Bellevue, Neb., shared their story during an interview at the ninth convocation of the Reconciling Ministries Network, an unofficial, pro-gay caucus of United Methodists working for full inclusion in the church. The event was held Aug. 2-6 in Nashville, Tenn.

They are among the thousand-plus members of the Parents Reconciling Network, a parents' advocacy and education group working on behalf of gay children. The network was founded by the Revs. Virginia and Bruce Hilton, former civil rights workers who became gay-rights activists after learning one of their sons was gay. The Hiltons, of Sacramento, Calif., are also United Methodists.

It often takes awhile for parents to accept that a son or daughter is gay, even as they work through their own theological understanding of whether homosexuality is a sin.

The United Methodist Book of Discipline affirms the sacred worth of every person, while teaching that homosexual practice is incompatible with Christian teaching. It affirms that "God's grace is available to all" as "we seek to live together in Christian community."

The Book of Discipline also implores families and churches "not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends," adding that "we commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons."

Parents who accept their children's homosexual orientation say that advocating for gay rights is an often frustrating task in a denomination that excludes gays from ordination and its clergy from performing same-sex unions.

In recent years, the denomination's top court has upheld a pastor's right to prevent an openly practicing gay man from becoming a church member. The Judicial Council also will review in October the case of a United Methodist transgender clergy.

Denial and shame
The Englands say they worked through denial about Scott's sexual orientation, even though his twin sister, Laurie, who is straight, already had "put two and two together."

Finding a book at the library written by a member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians And Gays helped Mrs. England realize "I'm not the only parent in Nebraska with a gay son." And it helped that a Methodist minister's wife led a support group meeting she attended.

But as is typical of many parents, the Englands kept Scott's news to themselves, close friends and family. For awhile, they were closeted in their own United Methodist congregation.

"It's not something you just walk up to someone and say," England said.

They took another look at the "clobber verses" in Scripture used against homosexuality - including one in Romans in which Paul condemns "men (who) committed shameless acts with men" - to see if they were referring to what is today known as same-sex orientation.

Eventually, through study and prayer, they came to believe that God made their son just as he was. The Englands even visited Scott when his college hosted a gay pride festival. His buddies couldn't believe his parents had come.

Brokenness and sin
Not every United Methodist parent of a homosexual child agrees with the Englands' conclusions.
Larry and Betty Baker of Madison, Va., believe homosexuality is a sin resulting from broken relationships. Both have served on the board of Transforming Congregations, an organization that states Jesus Christ has the power "to change those who face such temptations" as homosexuality, pornography and sexual addiction.

And they believe The United Methodist Church has taken the correct stance. "We have done a lot of reading of Scriptures," Mrs. Baker said. "Both of us feel we would be unfaithful to the Lord if we took a different stand."

They also have worked hard to maintain a relationship with their gay son, now 36, whom they adopted from South Korea when he was an infant. They asked that his name not be used.
When their son was 7, the Bakers moved to a rural, conservative area. They believe his homosexuality may be the result of feeling rejected and experiencing racial prejudice as the only Asian child in his school.

By his junior year of college, their son was hanging out with only male friends. During a weekend visit home, Mr. Baker overheard his son tell a male friend "I love you" over the phone. A few months later, Mrs. Baker asked her son if he was gay. She told him it would make no difference in their relationship, that he was still their son. They also offered to help him find counseling if he wanted to change his orientation. So far, he hasn't taken them up on the offer.

"I believe that the Lord can change them, but I also know it's a long and painful struggle," Mrs. Baker said.

The family's rockiest moment came when the Bakers forbid their son to sleep with his partner at their home. "We came very near to a clean break at that point," Mrs. Baker recalls. "He called and was in tears. He said, 'This is not right. You're making this very difficult for us'."

She had a change of heart at a Christian conference, where she felt God telling her: "I didn't throw you out of my house when you were in sexual sin. Why are you throwing your son out?"
Mrs. Baker apologized to her son, then invited them to come and stay at their home. It was "awkward" the first time, but they have been back many times since.

Their son now lives in northern Virginia with his partner of 11 years. One of the Bakers' daughters is supportive and would like to see her own United Methodist congregation perform same-sex blessing ceremonies. The other has theological questions about homosexuality, but wants to make sure her brother feels loved and accepted.

"We have the best relationship possible now," Mrs. Baker said. "He knows we pray for him every day. But we don't hit him over the head with that."

Mr. Baker talks by phone each week with his son and shares a meal with the couple at least once a month. He disagrees with some parents he knows who have written off their homosexual son or daughter. "We believe that scripturally, it's wrong. But we are at odds with (those) who try to single it out as a hot-button issue," he said.

Mrs. Baker added: "Jesus did not abandon sinners, and I don't feel that we can either. I think that every one of us are sinners. This is no different a sin than gluttony."

Love the sinner
Joy Watts, a member of Parents Reconciling Network from Uniontown, Ohio, said her attempts to "love the sinner and hate the sin" didn't help her connect with her daughter Andrea, who is a lesbian.

"That doesn't feel very much like love," she said.

In a convocation workshop, Mrs. Watts said her journey from being "homophobic" to becoming a gay-rights activist was a heel-dragging process.

She and her husband, Bill, were devastated at first when their middle child told them she was a lesbian. "I never felt so alone. I didn't think I could discuss it with anyone," Mrs. Watts said.

Bill Watts told his daughter homosexuality was a sin. Mrs. Watts told Andrea she'd have to "fight those urges." Through reading about sexual orientation - Mrs. Watts now boasts a veritable "gay library" of material - and talking with other parents of gays, she came to believe her daughter's orientation is God-given.

And she began speaking up at church. "If you are ready to approach this issue," she told her pastor, "I'm ready to talk." He gave her an hour in Sunday school to share her story.

The Watts disagree with the United Methodist stance toward homosexuality and say it frustrates them from time to time. "We'd been in this church for 30 years, and my son could be married in the sanctuary, but my daughter can't? It made me furious," she said.
But for now, they're staying put.

"Even if we all leave, straight parents will still have gay children," she said. "I feel like I'm in it not just for my generation and my daughter's, but for the future."

*Russell is managing editor of United Methodist Reporter, an independent weekly newspaper for United Methodists and others, produced by UMR Communications in Dallas. This story originally appeared in longer form in that publication.