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Friday Morning Worship
As ministers, we need to be anchored in Scripture says White
Highlights of Friday morning's sermon by Bishop Woodie White, former Indiana Area bishop.
On May 26, 1969, I was involved in a meeting at a New York City hotel. Following an all-night session, I went back to my room only to get messages that I had become a father for the third time with another daughter.
At this meeting, we were having a tense session. I could not support a proposal that was put forth for faith reasons. A colleague said, you are beginning to believe the stuff you preach. I do believe what I preach - then and now.
When we are grounded, life makes more sense. I believe their needs to be Scriptural grounding for all that people of faith want to do.
For example, let's say a law is passed that no one could have a Bible and that all Bibles must be destroyed. However, one provision is made - you can tear one chapter from the Bible. Which one chapter would you keep?
We need to love and know this Scripture, so that when life comes to you unexpectedly, you will know where to find the Scripture you need.
For people of faith, Scripture has a guide point, a place on which life can rest. I know that I would be the poorer, the weaker, if I didn't know the Scripture. My ministry would have been less effective. Scripture is a valued resource.
Today as we welcome new candidates to ministry, I hope they have a ministry Scripture that speaks to them and holds them in place. I have such a Scripture - "We commend ourselves to the side of God. We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. We have this treasure in clay jars. We do not lose heart" (2 Corinthians 4). What is your ministry Scripture, whether you are lay or clergy?
Our ministry is God's ministry by God's mercy. This ministry doesn't come by brilliance of our worth but out of God's mercy. God has chosen each of us to be in ministry in a special way.
Even the Apostle Paul had to be reminded that it wasn't his ministry but God's ministry. We proclaim Christ as Lord.
It's not our church, ministry, conference or vision. It is Christ's. We proclaim Christ, not ourselves. Even in our disappointments and persecution, we are not to loose heart. Keep on going. Christ never leaves us alone or forsakes us.
Paul reminds us that we are never destroyed; we are never alone; we are never forsaken for Christ is with us.
In a world so broken, keep singing, keep preaching, keep telling the story - "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so."
Conference celebrates Black College interpreter
De Silva is serving as a Black College interpreter, traveling to annual conferences on behalf of the Black College Fund, which provides funding for the UM-related historically black colleges. Funding comes through gifts and giving through the General Church apportionment. De Silva is a graduate of Rust College and received her master's from American University and her doctorate from Howard University. She has served internships with UM Communications, Board of Church and Society, Board of Discipleship, Southeastern Jurisdictional Council and Commission on Religion and Race. |
On
Friday morning, the Conference welcomed Juliana de Silva, Ph.D.,
assistant professor and program director of communications arts at
Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Ky. Friday morning Summary
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Matt Landon |
Darfur - Matt Landon, young adult from Fort Wayne, thanked the conference and was grateful to the UMC for its support of the Sudan divestment resolution at the Indiana State General Assembly. Uphold - pray for those who need justice. Bishop Coyner prayed for the people of Darfur caught in ethnic conflict and for peace and reconciliation in Sudan.
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Bill Cross |
Cokesbury presented a check for pastor's pensions to the conference in the amount of $14,000. The conference gave the money to the Central Conference Pension Fund which will first go to the pastors in Liberia.
Bill Cross, the Cokesbury bookstore manager at conference for the past 35 years, is retiring and was given a $500 Cokesbury gift certificate in his honor for resources to Africa University.
Members registered for annual conference - 493 clergy and 589 laity totaling 1,082 present at this 2007 session.
Mississippi - David Cumbest and Larry Davis of the Mississippi Disaster Relief thanked the conference for its support of Katrina Hurricane disaster relief.
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Ken Vance |
Missionary Ken Vance, previous pastor in NIC, said we need to support the economic funding of African countries to make them self supportive so they aren't totally dependent upon funding from America. We need to focus on the least of these, the poorest of the poor - widows, AIDS survivors, to change peoples' lives, people who have earn less than a dollar a day - that's not life. Vance leaves next Thursday to attend the first Zambia conference at the end of June. He is going back to continue his work and greatly appreciates support of the North Indiana churches.
Kentucky's Red Bird Mission K-12 school Principal Bob Ferguson asked for support for: community outreach program with community store providing jobs for 12 local people; assistance with local artisans in getting crafts to market; community housing improvement. "We need financial support through the Advance," he said. "People have responded to our plea to financially support our school. It will remain open for another year." Support Red Bird through gifts, Campbell bar codes, clothes, volunteers and prayer.
Africa University ask you to support your AU fund at 100 percent. The fund provides for the day to day operations of the university. NIC churches gave more than $49,000 in 2006. Other ways to support AU is through scholarships for students, help with special projects like the agricultural projects NIC supports.
In a partnership between Higher Education and the Africa University committee, an AU intern will be coming to the Wesley Foundation at Purdue University.
Indiana Area Foundation's Jim Gentry presented each ordinand a certificate for a study tour to the Holy Land.
Conference considers petitions, resolutions on consent calendar
Consent calendar items lifted for consideration
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Lifted GC-3 Science and Technology - item as written line 29-30 "methaphorical interpretation of the Bible."
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Operation Classroom section 4 - The conference lifted a sunset policy on agencies receiving funds from the conference. Local churches are not picking up on funding these agencies as anticipated. Allows for a year-by-year review and decision.
Petitions to General Conference approved by consent
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Establish a study group to review tithing as a basis for General Church apportionments.
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Gives Elders and Licensed Pastors the responsibility to determine the readiness for those who wish to profess membership in the church.
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Ask the General Church to support basic health care coverage to all citizens.
Petition to the Annual Conference to:
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Increase the priority status of campus ministry in North Indiana.
Resolution approved by consent
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Sudan Divestment asking congregations to pray for the people of Darfur and for Sudan's government to administer in just and fair ways and that the conference advocate for the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits to target divestment of funds in Sudan.
What's in the Bishop's Bundle of Books?
Bishop Mike Coyner has asked the clergy to read and discuss these five books during the next conference year:
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The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion by Leonard Sweet,
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The Book of Hard Choices: How to Make the Right Decisions at Work and Keep Your Self-Respect by James A. Autry and Peter Roy,
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Provocative Grace: The Challenge in Jesus' Words by Robert Corin Morris,
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Keep the Call: Leading the Congregation Without Losing Your Soul by Jill Y. Crainshaw, and
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Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism by Martha Grace Reese.
The bundle is available at the Cokesbury Bookstore on the ground level of Elliott Hall.
Greetings from Mississippi: 'We're rebuilding.'
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Help Heal Hearts and Homes: David Cumbest and Larry Davis (right) host a booth on the lower level of Elliott Hall about rebuilding needs in Mississippi. |
When many Hoosiers go to the Gulf Coast, they just aren't going for the sun, warmth and beaches. Some are grabbing hammers, paint brushes and other tools to help rebuild areas destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
David Cumbest, pastor of Heritage UMC in D'Iberville, Miss., and Larry Davis, East regional disaster relief coordinator for the Mississippi Conference, were on hand to thank Hoosiers for spending time to rebuild the Gulf Coast.
"We're rebuilding," said Cumbest. There are currently 27,000 FEMA trailers still in their region that house 70,000 people. They have helped 2,700 families back into their homes and 1,000 are pending.
"It you went from one town to another, you wouldn't know it," said Cumbest.
"The people are optimistic," said Davis. North of I-10, it is as if the hurricane never came. "When you come below I-10, you still see slabs. It can be pretty demoralizing."
The need for volunteers is still great: "We're still getting a fair flow," continued Davis. "We're staring to see a small decline in the number of volunteers." Davis added that August and September are wide open for volunteers.
With so much devastation still around and people still in need, people still are adapting. "You just live in the moment. That's what you can do. We're doing this too," said Cumbest. Heritage UMC held a service of death and resurrection after the hurricane to bring closure. Many of the members said time and time again that they just lost "stuff." "It was grandma's china. It was family pictures. We needed a time to mourn and let things pass," said Cumbest.
He added that Heritage is almost back to "normal" in regards to attendance and activities. The Sunday school program didn't rebound yet, but they are eager to break ground for a new addition to the church.
Davis spends his days going from work camp to work camp, reviewing cases, visiting families and job sites and working with his staff of 19 people. Cumbest works with his congregation and community resolving issues and providing help.
"We live in a place where the church is significant. We see a renewed faith of what we can do as a church and what the body of Christ looks like. We see a lot of positive things," Cumbest said as he reflected on Romans 5: hope never lets us down. "Even the volunteers seem to go back home with renewed hope."
Davis added, "The most positive thing is seeing Christ in action. People are coming from across the country. We have a lot of people who keep coming back. That has been a time to witness to the coast as well."
Funding is available to the conference through 2010 for rebuilding. "But there will always be scars of Katrina."
For more information on how to support Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, log on to www.seashoredistrictumc.org.
Retiree luncheon
What are you doing tomorrow?
Imagine not having to prepare a sermon or work to fill a nominating slate or even have to deal with a budget. Imagine moving closer to one's family, taking up new hobbies, traveling, participating with mission trips and still being involved in ministry in a variety of ways. It's now a reality for the Class of 2007 retirees.
Bill Alenduff of Weavers Chapel UMC in the Lafayette District is on his fourth retirement. "I'll fill in if I'm asked," he said. But they better work around his fishing schedule. "I can go fishing anywhere," he said, telling of the Snake River in Washington State. It was after his third open heart surgery that he felt the call to ministry. "Through the power of prayer I asked what I had to do to become a local pastor," he said. "It's a lot of hard work. It was enjoyable."
Dexter Garman is finally moving home into the house his family bought nine years ago in Granger and he's looking forward to serving in South Bend at River Park, St. Paul's and Epworth UMCs. "We're going to see what we can do" to recapture their visions and dreams. "That's our purpose for being." Retirement is both exciting and a relief to Garman, who survived a brain aneurysm. "It's just a doorway you walk through." In addition to continuing ministry, Garman and his wife look forward to spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Larry Newberg is looking forward to splitting time between Kokomo and Florida, but will continue to be a visitation minister at Kokomo Grace UMC, even after 47 years of ministry. But also look for Newberg to have some fun. "I am going to play some golf."
In other action at the retirees' luncheon:
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Approved the officers for 2007-2008: Richard Kistler, president; Riley Case, 1st vice president; Erma and Hugh Rohrer, 2nd VP; and David Hogsett, secretary.
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Encouraged members to learn more about and support the Ministers' Aid Fund, supported by the North Indiana Foundation at a fundraising event on Sept. 25 in the Fort Wayne District.
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| Conference Council on Youth Ministry members (from left) Andrea Whealy, Lindsey Bowser and Mike Ferguson sport Impact 28:18 T-shirts during a more casual Friday session. |
Friday afternoon
Reports show a vital, alive conference in service
Church development - Dixie Arter recognized Oscar Ramos for his service to Hispanic ministries for six years. He will be commissioned by the GBGM to New Orleans. Given gift certificate for $500. Lambs Chapel UMC was used as a model for church development. A proposal was approved to the conference that expects each congregation to begin a new church or faith community. Packets were distributed to conference members.
Fort Wayne District Superintendent Lamar Imes announced that the NIC chartered the first Hispanic UMC (Cristiana Gesemani) in Indiana at Fort Wayne last Sunday. He introduced the church's pastors, Sergio and Janie Reyes, to the conference. Bishop Mike said it's been a while since we have had a new church chartered in North Indiana. Janie Reyes said, "Reaching out, disciplining and serving people. This is what we are all about." This has been a gift from God.
Leadership Development - Kaye Patton reported on leadership development which provides training and mentoring to congregations and members across the conference. Spiritual Growth provided a conference-wide prayer ministry. Discipleship Training provided a DVD with Bishop Mike in membership training. Higher Education and Ministry provides leadership for the next generation such as the campus ministry at Wesley Foundation at Purdue. A video was shown which highlighted the ministry of the conference praise team and the leadership development it has provided to many band members.
Imagine Indiana - Cindy Reynolds thanked all the conference members that took time to conference with the team yesterday. What exactly are we voting on? If approved, an implementation team would bring back a detailed implementation plan with dates.
If both conferences vote "yes" this year, we will have another chance next year when reviewing a detailed implementation plan. The planning team didn't give details, but provided a broad direction of where we as a team wanted to move. A second reason for details, when we did this we didn't want details to get in the way of the main question - What is God wanting us to do? Do we think God is calling us to a new conference to open doors in new ways to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Do we believe God is calling us for a new conference?
Paul Arnold of CF&A said we will have some legal and actuarial costs in implementation planning.
Discussion comments included:
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Try to eliminate the word "merger." It's a creation.
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I want to vote against it because of the law of unintended consequences, looking back to the 1968-1970 merger of previous conferences into NIC.
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This will not become a topic of General Conference but of Jurisdictional Conference which must approve this in July 2008.
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Health-care insurance plan question. Cost to the local church? We don't know.
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A "yes" vote means we are moving toward unity.
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A plan can be amended next year to the detailed plan of unity.
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Let's look forward, not back to 1968.
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This is intent to move forward, but this is not binding in a legal sense.
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Anxieties about what this decision means. Is this engagement or marriage?
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It's time for change.
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New conference we have bishop to focus on one vision, possibility of reallocating resources rather than duplicate staff resources, a wider pool of pastors for experience and leadership improved.
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Is this of God, will God provide for us? Joshua said, who will you serve this day? I know that God is with us.
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I want one conference in supporting me as a student working toward ministry.
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It barely makes sense to Imagine Indiana as a resident of the Calumet area. I hear "Imagine Northern Illinois."
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We have brought many of these things before. Laboring to support the merger. I don't think people will buy into program and make happen what we want to make happen.
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I want our Bishop to be able to go to the Governor to speak with one voice.
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Creating a new conference needs to be a priority when this is taken to South Conference.
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How is God going to be glorified? How are we going to make new disciples?
A written ballot vote was taken and sealed. The ballots will be counted when South Indiana Conference ballot is taken and counted. The decision of both conferences will be e-mailed to the Indiana Area e-HUM list serve and posted at www.inareaumc.org.
Elected
Laity elected to General and Jurisdictional Conferences include: Kayc Mykranz, Carolyn Johnson, James Ottjes, Paula Shrock, Edwin Fenstermacher. Laity elected to Jurisdictional Conference include: Pat Weeks, Charles Hefley, Ashley Loomis, Kenneth Adams, Ruth Ellen Stone with reserve delegates Albert Bohnstedt and Manet Shettle.
Clergy elected to General and Jurisdictional Conferences include: Frank Beard, Kimberly Reisman, Bryan Siefert, Cindy Reynolds, Michael Dominick. Clergy elected to Jurisdictional conference: Michelle Cobb, Mary Eileen Spence, Chris Nunley, Gregg Parris, with reserve delegates Robert Dexter and Jean Brindel.
Last updated on 06/07/2007