Volume 5Number 6July/August 2005

INDEXCALENDAR............ 2MEMORIUM .......... 3THE NATION ......... 4THE WORLD .......... 5CLASSIFIEDS ........ 12

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Renewing the covenant at Conference andbeyondBy Suzy Keenan

The Eastern Pennsylvania Con-ference met June 15-17, returningto Philadelphia, PA for the firsttime in 35 years. The theme was“Renewing the Covenant.” In hissermon during Opening Worship,Bishop Marcus Matthews said, “Atthe core of our covenant is mak-ing disciples for Jesus Christ andthen sending them out into theworld to minister. How are weliving out this covenant?”

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Matthews urged delegates tobe prayer warriors for Jesus,boldly going forward ratherthan waiting for permission.The Matthews were warmlywelcomed to their first confer-ence in Eastern Pennsylvania.The conference celebrated min-istry Wednesday evening withmusical performances of theTsunami Prayer Chorale by Dr.Ken Morrison and The Festivalof Hymns Choir of Janes Me-morial UMC. Rev. KarenGreenwaldt, general secretaryof the General Board of Dis-cipleship, led Bible study on the

Four Greats: Great Command-ment, the Great Requirement,the Great Commitment, andthe Great Commission.

Both Governor Ed Rendellof Pennsylvania and MayorJohn Street of Philadelphiagreeted the 1200 clergy, laity,and guests, affirming the vitalimportance of churches inproviding much needed socialservices. A visit by thePhillies Phanatic highlightedUM Night at the Phillies onAugust 20, 2005. Members ofthe conference participated inone of four missional oppor-tunities: helping preparemeals and serve clients in thesoup kitchen at TindleyTemple UMC alongside BishopMatthews, taking sacrificedand donated meals to home-

less persons after dedicatingthem in a prayer service atArch Street UMC, assemblingUMCOR health kits, andtaking faith and prayer topeople in the streets in theFaith in Motion walk. Theconference remembered forty-one clergy and clergy spousesin a memorial service, whereRev. Greenwaldt spoke ofbeing part of a covenantcommunity bound together inlove, assuring that God trav-els with us on this desolatejourney during the darkesthours. The Denman Evange-lism Award was given to theRev. Albert Mosley ofSchuylkill Haven: First UMCand to Ms. Laura Sambrick,lay person from LivingWaters UMC.

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Church raises the dead and finds new lifeBy Suzy Keenan

“Here comes Menno. Heraises the dead!” jokedfriends of Rev. Menno E.Good at Annual Conferencethis year.

Good officially retired in2000. In reality, Good longedto continue his ministry, andasked to be appointed. Hewas sent to minister to Mont-gomery Square United Meth-odist Church in MontgomeryTownship, PA, where thecongregation saw that theymust move or write theirown epitaph. The last twentyyears in Montgomeryvillehave been marked by trafficcongestion, exploding com-mercial development, and the

limitations of burials in thegraveyard right up to the foun-dation walls of the churchbuilding.

The congregation, foundedin 1842, voted unanimously tosell the site and relocate thechurch, and voted 70 to 2 torelocate the cemetery.

With a mortgage from theEastern Pennsylvania Confer-ence Loan Fund, the churchhired the archaeology firmKise Straw & Kolder of Phila-delphia to excavate the cem-etery and move the 250 gravesand markers.

According to Good, the 250graves turned out to be 420,including a pauper’s sectionthat never had any markers.Civil War re-enactors form a salute to veterans and non-veterans alike at

the re-dedication and consecration of Montgomery Square UMC’scemetery after being moved to a new location in New Britain. See CHURCH P10

See RENEWING P6

Bishop Marcus Matthews welcomes Mayor John Streetwho remarked on the importance of churches providingsocial services in our communities. Photo by Paul C. Davis.

Bishop Marcus Matthews welcomes Eastern Pennsylvania delegates tothe 2005 Annual Conference and challenges them to live out theircovenant. Photo by Paul C. Davis.

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NEWNEWNEWNEWNEWSpirit submissionrequirementsSubmit an article or photographs to the NEWSpiritusing e-mai or U.S. Mail in only the followingformats: Microsoft Word document (.doc), RichText format (.rtf), or Simple text file (.txt). We preferphotos sent as actual photographic prints or,electronically, as .tif or .jpg. We cannot use picturesless than 800 pixels wide. Please send logos orother graphic art in either .wmf or .eps format.

Email your items to communications@epaumc.org.

July 16EPA Conference Church SoftballTournamentThe EPA Conference UMC SoftballTournament will be held on Saturday,July 16, 2005. To register or receivefurther information, please contactRoss Brightwell, tournament coordi-nator, day or evening, at 215-643-1269,or at rossbrightwell@worldnet.att.net.

July 164th Forum on Social Principles:Health Care for all9:30 to 11:00 am.The speaker will be Marilyn Clement,National Coordinator of the Cam-paign for a National Health Program(NOW), formerly the Executive Secre-tary for Economic Justice of theWomen’s Division of the GeneralBoard of Global Ministries. Shewrote regularly on justice issues for“Response” magazine. The forum willbe held at Tindley Temple UMC, 750 S.Broad St., Philadelphia, PA. Everyoneconcerned about health care is invitedto come and learn what individualscan do to help create a single payorhealth program that will providehealth care for everyone.Sponsored by Eastern PA ConferenceChurch and Society Work Team.Contact person: Barbara Drake,Chairperson, Church and SocietyWork TeamBedrake15@aol.com or 610-446-1394.

July 19Senior Days at Gretna Glen -Summer SensationCome enjoy a fun-filled day plannedjust for Senior Adults. The day in-cludes music, lots of entertainment, adelicious hot noon meal, and ofcourse plenty of time to sing andsocialize with friends. Cost is $20 perperson. Tuesday, 9:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m.Call the camp at 717-273-6525 for anyquestions or to register yourself or agroup. All are welcome!

July 19West Chester Area Interfaith Sum-mit on “The State of HIV/AIDS inChester County”8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.The Church of the Open Door is co-sponsoring this event. It will be heldat the West Chester University Gradu-ate Business Center, 1160 McDermottDrive, West Chester, PA (Room 126).There is no fee for the program andbreakfast and lunch will be served.Please e-mail hub@umcod.org forreservations by July 11, 2005. LaterInterfaith Summits are planned forthe Coatesville, Kennett andPhoenixville areas.

July 22-24Christian School of Mission

Please register early for the Schoolof Christian Mission, which will beheld at De Sales University in CenterValley, PA, located near Quakertown.De Sales is a beautiful campus of mod-ern buildings with state of the artlearning facilities and amenable ac-commodations. For additional

information on the Eastern Pennsyl-vania School of Christian Missioncontact: Mary Ann Repsher, Dean, 164South Ninth Street, Bangor, PA 18013;610-588-1084; email: merlinr@enter.net.

August 3-5Youth Alpha CampPocono Plateau Camp & RetreatCenter is hosting Youth Alpha Camp.It is a fun way to learn about basicChristianity. The program consists of:youth speakers, day and night games,video clips, music and family discus-sion groups. It also includes theregular camp activities: waterfront,boating, campfires and low ropes. Thespecial cost of this 3-day overnightcamp is $95 per person and includes allmeals and activities. Hurry! Space islimited! Contact Pocono Plateau Camp& Retreat Center at 570-676-3665 or visitour website: http://www.poconoplateau.org.

August 5-7Laity Academy and Christ ServantMinistries CoursesLaity Academy - Sheraton Hotel,Reading. Registration begins Friday,August 5 at 5:30 pm. For informationcontact Dr. Mary White, (610) 519-9812.For more information about theChrist Servant Ministries courses,contact George Hollich at 717-838-2812or email: hollich@comcast.netFind more information on the newChrist Servant Ministries website:http://www.gbgm-umc.org/csm.

August 20United Methodist Night at thePhillies(See ad p3.)

September 245th Social Principles Forum: AUnited Methodist WitnessThe fifth Social Principles Forum willbe on Saturday at a location to beannounced. The speaker will bePenny Staver, Executive Director of AUnited Methodist Witness in Pennsyl-vania. She will explain the work ofUM Witness and discuss how peoplecan impact the legislative process.For info on any of the forums contactBill Seybold at 610-696-3699.

September 243rd Annual Alcohol & DrugRecovery Expo “Learn More - Suffer Less” hosted byUnited Methodist Church of theResurrection, 181 Sharp Lane, Exton,PA 19341. ”In celebration of the 16thAnnual National Alcohol and DrugAddiction Recovery Month, theChurch will host Recovery Expo 2005on Saturday in partnership withChester County Drug and AlcoholServices. We believe that the morepeople learn about addiction and theprocess of Recovery - the less they andtheir families will have to suffer. Foradditional information, please contactWendy Beck @ (610) 363-6164 , email herat WBeck@Coadgroup.com.

September 30-August 1Marriage Enrichment WorkshopHost: Bethany United MethodistChurch, in Allentown, PA. Programstarts on Friday evening and endsSaturday night. Marriage Enrichmentis an affiliated program of the UnitedMethodist Church, and serves to“make good marriages better. Formore information, contact Charlie orAlenda Gardner at 610-395-3258,charles.e.gardner@verizon.net. Visitthe Marriage Enrichment website atwww.marriageenrichment.org.

October 16-18“In Essentials, Unity” ConferenceA Gathering For Eastern Pennsylva-nia, Sunday evening through Tuesdaymid-day. .75 ceu’s will be awarded toattendees. Location: Plateau Campand Retreat Center. This conference isdesigned to connect people around thecore convictions of our faith. KeynoteSpeaker: Dr. Chuck Yrigoyen “UnitedMethodism’s Doctrinal Standards:Who Cares?” Three workshops will beoffered on a rotating basis so all threecan be attended: Dr. Rod Shearer(Ph.D., Drew) will lead “The Old Testa-ment Not Contrary to the New;” Dr.Yrigoyen’s will be “The Groundworkof United Methodist Doctrine” and Dr.Chris Fisher (Ph.D. Edinburgh) willlead our discussion on “The Faith-Science Dialogue.” For more informa-tion contact: Rev. Joe DiPaolo atwayneumc.pastor@verizon.net, orJohn Longmire atmemorialumc@cnonline.net.

October 21-22EPA Older Adult ConferenceSponsored by the Nurturing DisciplesResource Team Older Adult TaskForce, this conference will featureBishop Marcus Matthews and Dr.Richard Gentzler, Director of theCenter on Aging and Older AdultMinistry of the General Board ofDiscipleship, Nashville. It will be heldat the Days Inn Conference Center, 1151Bulldog Drive, Routes 22 & 309 inAllentown. For further information orto receive “The Elder Sage” Newslettercontact: Dorothea Burnett, OlderAdult Coordinator, 116 South 53rdStreet, Philadelphia, PA 19139; 215-476-5504 or othea9@netzero.com.

October 21-22“Exploring our Faith Journey”Retreat for WomenMaria Wald Retreat Center in Reading,PA. Seeking and Celebrating Together.

Published 10 times per year byThe Eastern Pennsylvania Conference ofThe United Methodist Church

Valley Forge Corporate Center980 Madison Avenue, Norristown, PA 19403

Bishop Marcus MatthewsSuzy Keenan

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Philadelphia Area BishopDirector of CommunicationsGraphic Design and Layout

Annual subscription $12Please submit articles for publication by the 10th of the month to:

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Conference CalendarEnter this weekend experience withan attitude of reflection, explorationand sharing. Enjoy a presentation byKelli Martini who serves on the Gen-eral Board of Global Ministries of theU.M. Church as CommunicationsDirector of the Women’s Division.There will be time to examine ourpersonal journeys through prayerforms, music and the arts. Opportuni-ties to use a labyrinth and to gather insmall groups to focus on the themesof whole person wellness, achievingbalance in your days, meditation andsocial justice issues. Taize Prayerservice Saturday afternoon in conclu-sion of the retreat experience. Arrival-Friday 4pm - Departure- Saturday 5pm.Cost: Single $70.00, Double $60.00,Triple $55.00. Fee includes Fridaydinner, Saturday breakfast and lunch.Deposit required- $20.00 by August 15th

(limited accommodations). Checks to:Elam U.M. Church, 1073 SmithbridgeRoad, Glen Mills, PA 19342, Attn:Randy C. Schaffer.

October 29The Gala - Delaware ConferenceRemembrance...40 yearsWyndham Hotel, 8th & King Streets,Wilmington, DE 19801. HonoraryChairpersons: Bishop MarcusMatthews and Bishop Melvin G.Talbert. Reception: 4:00 PM, Dinner/Program: 7:00 PM; Keynote Speaker:Bishop Violet Fisher; Extended recep-tion 10:00 PM; Black Tie event. Tickets:$ 50.00 per person, table of 10: $500.00.Commemorative booklet and hotelinformation available. For more infor-mation, contact Rev. Hebert Coe at 610-876-8152; Ms. Betty Henderson at 215-226-5268; Rev. Herbert Palmer at 215-236-6223; or Ms. Anne Williams at 215-223-1391.

May 2006Cruise to Alaska(For more information, see p12).

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Ancient practice provides compass for those seekingGod

In MemoriumDr. Nancy Jean Seiders, wife ofretired elder, the Rev. Marlin D. Seiders.She was 78 years old. She died onMonday, May 30, 2005. Rev. and Mrs.Seiders resided at Cornwall Manor.Rev. Seiders had been a Navy chaplain,and served Lebanon: Covenant UMCfrom 1984-1991. He retired in 1991. Shealso is survived by a son, Marlin D.Seiders, Jr. Condolences may be sentto Rev. Seiders at: Cornwall Manor,Gateway 4B, P. O. Box 125, Cornwall,PA 17016.

Mary Beamesderfer, widow of theRev. Harold E. Beamesderfer (who diedMarch 8, 2003). She was 87 years old.She died on May 30, 2005 at the home ofher daughter, Cheryl Lohman, ofRobesonia. Rev. Beamesderfer servedMt. Aetna; Palmyra: First; Grantville-Manada Hill; Berne; Shoemakersville;Steelton: Centenary; Lebanon: Trinity;Phila.: Juniata Park; and Jonestownand retired in 1980. Besides Cheryl,Mrs. Beamesderfer is survived by sonsEdward (106 N. Sheridan Road,Newmanstown PA 17073) and Thomas.

Isabel Zehner, widow of The Rev. Dr.Henry Zehner, on the evening of June6. Mrs. Zehner was 91 years old. Herhusband passed away earlier this year,on March 17. Rev. Zehner served thefollowing appointments: Phila.:Juniata Park; Brooklyn: St. John’s;superintendent in the (old) East Dis-

trict from 1960-1969; superintendent ofthe (old) Northeast District from 1969-1972. He retired in 1972. From 1972 until1974, he served Washington CrossingUMC in retirement. She is survived byher three children, Gayl Koster, MartaZehner, and Mark Zehner, four grand-children and three great-granchildren.Condolences may be sent to GaylKoster, 327 W. Durham St., Phila. PA19119.

Evelyn Boohar, widow of The Rev.Kenneth R. Boohar on June 12, 2005.Evelyn was 95 years old. She is sur-vived by a daughter, Jean Freeze, at8133 Birch Drive North, Newburgh IN47630. Also surviving is daughter,Anne Lovegrove, and a brother, Rich-ard Boohar.

The Rev. Rollin T. Reiner, retiredelder, on June 26, 2005. He was 85 yearsold. Rev. Reiner served West LawnUMC from 1942 until 1982, when heretired. He was a former member ofthe Eastern Conference (EvangelicalUnited Brethren) Pension Board and along-time member of the AlbrightCollege Board of Trustees, includingmany years as secretary of that Boardof Trustees. He is survived by his wife,Elizabeth (Betty), who lives at 2416Lexington Drive, Wyomissing PA19610. He also is survived by threedaughters: Rebecca A. Harris, RachelM. Auman, and Stephanie E. Mays.

Mrs. Anne D. Nicholson, the wife ofthe Rev. Blake E. Nicholson, Jr., retiredelder, on Saturday afternoon, July 2,2005. Anne was an active leader in ourconference for many years. She waselected delegate to General Conferencesix times, from 1976 through 1996, andserved on the General Council onMinistries. She served as a EqualizingLay Member to Annual Conferencefrom the Southwest District for manyyears; had been active in local, district,and conference United MethodistWomen, including serving as Confer-ence UMW president; chaired the Con-ference Nominating Committee andConference Council on Ministries, andwas secretary to the Conference Coun-cil on Finance and Administration.Most recently, she was editor of theConference’s Retiree Newsletter.Anne was active in ministry with herhusband, Blake, who servedMarshallton; Memorial UMC inQuarryville; Glenside; Friendship;Gladwyne; Wesley UMC in Strasburg;Emmanuel in Allentown; Bensalem;and Milton Grove UMC. Condolencesmay be sent to Rev. Blake E. Nicholson,Jr., 108 Washington Street, Strasburg,PA 17579-1304. She is survived byhusband Blake, children Blake E. IIIand Gary L., and four grandchildren.In lieu of flowers, donations in hermemory may be made to The MissionSociety (for United Methodists), P OBox 922637, Norcross, GA 30092.

By Susan Cole

Spiritual direction is an ancientpractice that is becoming importantto many United Methodists today. Inthe early church, people sought outthe “desert fathers and mothers” forspiritual counsel. The monasticmovement of the middle ages madethe practice a discipline. In the pastthirty years, spiritual direction hasmoved into the Protestant world, andnow has reached Judaism. Here areanswers to frequently asked ques-tions about spiritual direction.

What is spiritual direction, any-way? Essentially, it is an on-goingrelationship between one personseeking a deeper relationship withGod (the “directee”) and another (the“director”) who offers prayerful atten-tion to the Spirit’s presence inseeker’s life experiences. Director anddirectee meet for an hour regularly(about once a month). The focus is onGod’s presence in the directee’s life.

What brings a person to spiri-tual direction? Here are some rea-sons why people might seek spiritualdirection: a hunger for meaning orpurpose, a yearning for somethingthat is missing, the need to discernhow God is leading, or what God iscalling the person to be or do. Otherreasons might be a quest for discover-ing who God is, or a desire to person-ally answer Jesus’ question, “Who doyou say that I am?” Some people come

to a spiritual director while longingfor a more intentional spiritual life ora deeper understanding of significantspiritual experiences that are difficultto speak of in ordinary life settings.

Who comes for spiritual direc-tion? Religious professionals (pastors,rabbis, monks, nuns, Christian educa-tors, youth directors) seek out spiri-tual direction for accountability andsupport in their spiritual lives. Laypeople from a variety of religiousbackgrounds and occupations seekout spiritual direction as well. Theyseek help around vocational discern-ment. Some come in midlife, in themidst of an outwardly successful life,seeking deeper meaning for theirlives. Some have experienced alien-ation from their religious community,and seek guidance in negotiating anew spiritual path.

What does the spiritual directordo? He or she companions a seeker ona journey of discovery and deepeningrelationship with God. A spiritualdirector does not really tell a personwhat to do; God is the real “Director.”A spiritual director is always listen-ing for “the stream beneath thestream of a person’s life,” for mo-ments of encounter with the Holy.The director asks questions about andfocuses attention on these moments,which can occur anywhere in life – inprayer or any life experience. A clas-sic spiritual direction question is:“Where is God in the midst of thisexperience?”

Who are spiritual directors?Spiritual directors are laypeople,

clergy, or members of religious orders.What they have in common is a gift ofspiritual companionship recognizedby others who have sought them out.They have received additional trainingto sharpen their skills for this special-ized ministry. All spiritual directorsare expected to have a spiritual direc-tor themselves and to receive supervi-sion for their direction ministry on aregular basis.

What is the difference betweenspiritual direction and therapy?Therapy is goal-oriented; a personenters therapy to resolve personalissues. Spiritual direction is an ongo-ing relationship during fruitful timesand difficult times. One’s relationshipwith God is primary, not problem-solving. People meet with spiritualdirectors less frequently because it isnot crisis-driven and because theyhave a regular spiritual practice. Thequestions are different. Therapistsinquire why a person might feel or actin a certain way. Spiritual directorsinquire where and in what circum-stances a person has experienced God(or freedom, joy, peace, love).

How do I find a spiritual direc-tor? Begin by asking yourself somequestions: Would I feel most comfort-able with someone of my religiousbackground or a different back-ground? Someone in this Annual Con-ference, or outside it? Who is the samegender, or the opposite? Then beginyour search, planning to interview atleast two directors to find a goodmatch. Ask friends and colleagues forsuggestions. Consult Spiritual Direc-

tors International, atwww.sdiworld.org. Ask United Meth-odist directors for their thoughts.Here are some nearby UM directors(not a complete list): Beth Abbott,Doylestown; Rev. Susan Cole, Philadel-phia; Maria Gullo, Mt. Laurel, NJ;Randy Schaeffer, Glen Mills; Rev.Karen Covey Moore, Wilmington, DE;Rev. Sara Davis Shappell, Southeast;Rev. Scott Widmer, Honey Brook; CarolMcGinley, West Chester.

The Rev. Susan Cole is an elder in theEastern Pennsylvania Annual Confer-ence. After serving in several Philadel-phia churches for the past 25 years, mostrecently as Senior Pastor of Arch StreetUMC, Rev. Cole is now devoting herselfto the ministry of Spiritual Direction inthe Chestnut Hill section of the city. Shemay be reached at 8008 Winston Road,Philadelphia, PA, 19118. Telephone: 215-242-0611, voicemail#2. email:susancole7@verizon.net.

18th Annual United Methodist

Church Day with the

Saturday, August 20, 20057:05 pm

Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Sponsored by the Eastern PAConference, Peninsula-Dela-ware Conference and GreaterNew Jersey Annual Confer-ence.

Up to $5.00 for each ticketsold will benefit conferenceyouth programs.

Contac Ross A. Brightwell,215-643-1269;rossbrightwell@worldnet.att.netfor details.

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than 230 homes throughout Michiganand in Windsor, Canada. A specialaddition to this year’s work projectwill be the presence of His HolinessKarekin II, Supreme Patriarch andCatholicos of all Armenians. Karekinwill preside over an announcement ofthe Armenian Church’s partnershipwith Habitat for Humanity to build inArmenia, the United States, and othercountries.

• ECUMENICAL GROUPThe launch of a new ecumenicalgroup, Christian Churches Together,was postponed during the June 1-3meeting of 67 Christian leaders inPalo Alto, Calif., which was to be theinauguration of the group. So far, 31churches and national Christianorganizations have formally decidedto join, and 20 additional church lead-ers from denominations consideringmembership attended the meeting asobservers. Larry Pickens, generalsecretary of the UM General Commis-sion on Christian Unity and Interreli-gious Concerns, said the decision to

• YOUTH SURVEYIn a new report by the National Studyof Youth and Religion, researchersfind that UM teens ages 13-17 are lesslikely to say that “faith is very orextremely important in shaping dailylife” than all teens surveyed together.The new report, “Portraits of Protes-tant Teens,” identifies 45% of UMteens as saying faith is very or ex-tremely important, while 61% of teensin the Evangelical Lutheran Churchof America would identify similarly.Even when looking at regular churchattendees, only 63% of UM teens citethe importance of faith in their lives,compared with 71% of ELCA teens.

• HABITAT FOR HUMANITYBob Edgar, general secretary of theNational Council of Churches USA,will join former president JimmyCarter and volunteers from 50churches June 19-24 to build 40 homesduring Habitat for Humanity’s 2005Jimmy Carter Work Project in Michi-gan. Volunteers will complete more

The Nation in BriefThe Nation in BriefThe Nation in BriefThe Nation in BriefThe Nation in Brief

In The Nation

By Amy Green

Ask anyone to define the “emergingchurch,” and they’ll likely hesitate.

“Good luck,” jokes the Rev. JayVoorhees of Antioch United Method-ist Church in Nashville, TN, whodescribes his congregation as an“emerging church.”

A grassroots initiative that is notassociated with any particular churchdenomination, the emerging church isa concept that’s hard to define and fullof paradox.

For example, it is rooted in evange-lism but - in a rare crossing of today’scultural divide - is steeped in socialjustice values often associated withliberalism. It welcomes innovation inworship but also holds to traditionalChristian beliefs. To a growingnumber of young Christians, thisambiguity is the allure to what somecall a movement but others call a“conversation.” Either way, theemerging church has set out totransform churchgoing from theinside out by questioning some of itsmost basic traditions.

Leaders say the emerging church -so named because it is still emergingand evolving - is the beginning of atransition to a new era of churchgo-ing. They say churches have not keptup with the evolution of art andculture from a modern era of empiri-cal analysis to a postmodern era ofquestioning and searching. Thereason? They blame, in part, thechurch’s reluctance to question thesacred. The emerging church, theysay, welcomes questions. It seeks tomake church more relevant in today’s

culture and ultimately help Chris-tians live and worship authentically.

Whatever the emerging church is,it’s grabbing attention. In only a fewyears, the dialogue has spread acrossthe Web through chat rooms and“blogs,” spawned a variety of booksand resources and pushed congrega-tions and denominations to rethinktheir traditions and curricula. TheUnited Methodist Publishing House inMarch authorized spending $62,000 toresearch the emerging church as thepublisher searches for new markets.An “emerging church” conference inMay drew 650 religious leaders,pastors and Christians to Nashvillefor four days of discussion andworship.

The emerging church is gainingground because Christians have adeep desire for a stripped-down, moreauthentic time of worship, says BrianMcLaren, leader of the loose networkknown as the Emergent Village. Atheologian and author of the 2001book A New Kind of Christian,McLaren was named in February byTime magazine as one of the nation’s25 most influential evangelicals.

“It feels like the church communityin our society today is about a lot ofthings, but it feels like we’re too oftenfar away from the essential messageof Jesus, of compassion for yourselfand your fellow neighbor,” McLarensaid in an interview with UMC.org.

The emerging church is led espe-cially by young adults who relish itsnon-institutional nature and innova-tive worship but hold to traditionalChristian beliefs. At the conference inNashville, the dress was casual,

worship services included harps and amasseuse worked the hallway withother vendors. The discussion in-cluded “Preaching Without SoundingPreachy” and “The Sacred Way:Ancient Spirituality for Life, Ministryand the Church.”

These emerging church evangelistsare serious about winning newfollowers by adapting church for anew era. Innovative worship such as

praise services alone won’t do, theysay. Christians are searching for realchange, something deeper, somethingmore contemplative.

“I see it as ... a thirst for a genuinerelationship with God,” says LillianSmith of the United MethodistDivision on Ministries with Young

Whatever it is, the ‘emergingchurch’ is turning heads

Brian McLaren is consid-ered a founding leader ofthe ‘emerging church.’

delay was reached after participantsaddressed the fact that no AfricanAmerican churches “are presentlyrepresented at the table as partici-pants.”

• BODY, MIND, SPIRIT FOCUSRecognizing the importance ofhealth—in body, mind and spirit—willbe a focus of several United Methodistagencies during the next few years.United Methodist Communicationswill help coordinate that focus byproviding a communications strategy,which will include the creation of aWeb site and finding ways to linkpeople with volunteer opportunitiesand models of health-related pro-grams, according to the Rev. LarryHollon, chief executive. Denomina-tional representatives met in earlyMay in Washington to start shapingthis focus on health and wholeness.The United Methodist Board of Pen-sion and Health Benefits adopted“health as wholeness in mission”when it realized that clergy were mak-ing a higher than usual number of

People. “Young people want to be in acommunity where they can askquestions, ... where they can wrestlewith the angel themselves.”

Browsing the conference bookstore,23-year-old Matt Wilson, a youth andassociate pastor of the 200-memberCedars Church of Christ inWilmington, DE, talked of how“emergent” ideas have changed hisview of evangelism. It’s no longerabout just saving people, he says, butabout getting to know them, listeningto them and learning from theirdivergent views. His church is consid-ering an “emergent” service thatwould be more casual and contempla-tive.

Is the emerging church merely a fad?McLaren describes it as a “conversa-tion”; he says it’s too early to call itmovement. But Voorhees sees some-thing more.

“I think those of us who are deeplyinvolved in this conversation reallyunderstand this is how we are authen-tically following Christ ... and thenreally deconstructing how much ofthat really came out of Scripture andhow much was really based on theassumptions of modern society,” hesays. “We would understand the storyof faith is an ongoing story.”

Amy Green is a freelance journalist inNashville, Tenn.

This stirring fable captures a new spirit ofChristianity-where personal, daily interac-tion with God is more important than insti-tutional church structures, where faith ismore about a way of life than a system ofbelief, where being authentically good ismore important than being doctrinally“right,” and where one’s direction is moreimportant than one’s present location.Brian McLaren’s delightful account offersa wise and wondrous approach for revital-izing Christian spiritual life and Christiancongregations.

health and disability-related insur-ance claims, according to BarbaraBoigegrain, the agency’s chief execu-tive.

• JUDICIAL COUNCILThe Judicial Council of the UnitedMethodist Church will hear oral argu-ments in the case of Irene Elizabeth(Beth) Stroud Oct. 27 in Houston.The Oct. 27 hearing, open to the pub-lic, will begin at 9 a.m. at theStansbury Building on the WestchaseCampus of First United MethodistChurch, at 10570 Westpark Dr. inHouston. Representatives of the East-ern Pennsylvania Conference andStroud will be allowed 30 minuteseach to present their arguments.

• ARCHIVES AND HISTORY The Rev. Robert J. Williams has beenelected top executive of the UnitedMethodist Commission on Archivesand History. He will replace the Rev.Charles Yrigoyen Jr. on Jan. 1, 2006.Yrigoyen will retire on Dec. 31, afterheading the agency for 24 years.

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By Kelly Martini

The Women’s Division and MissionVolunteers office of the United Meth-odist Board of Global Ministries areforming a partnership that will enableU.S. women to build friendships onshort mission trips in Zimbabwe,Uruguay, Cambodia, Sierra Leone andCote D’Ivoire.

The goal of the program, called“Ubuntu eXplorers,” is to enable U.S.women to understand and share to-gether the daily life, struggles, cul-ture, challenges and opportunities ofwomen from one of the countries.During the one- to two-week trips,members of United Methodist Womenalso will get a firsthand look at theprograms and projects supported bytheir annual giving of about $20 mil-lion.

The program will begin in 2006 withan April visit to Zimbabwe. Trips toUruguay in August and Cambodia inSeptember will follow. In 2007, theWomen’s Division and Mission Volun-teers will host trips to Sierra Leoneand Cote D’Ivoire.

“Ubuntu” is an African word andproverb meaning, “I am human be-cause you are human.” According toUbuntu psychology, “Sharing our-selves and our gifts with others opti-mizes our collective and individualhumanity. Even in the sharing and thegiving, the individual or ‘other’ groupreceives the gifts and the glories ofhumanity.”

Jeanie Blankenbaker, staff execu-tive for Mission Volunteers, said theidea of “Ubuntu eXplorers” came as

an answer to a prayer fromGrace Musuka, coordinatorof women’s work for theUnited Methodist Church inZimbabwe.

“A couple of years ago,Grace asked me if it wouldbe possible sometime forjust women to come to Zim-babwe to worship with herwomen, to share in laughterand cry in sadness, to enjoyeach others’ company inChristian love, as sisters offaith, letting the women inZimbabwe know they werenot alone,” she explained.“When we called Grace toask if she’d still like us tocome, she immediately said,‘Can you come yesterday?’”

Karen Prudente, staffexecutive for internationalopportunities with theWomen’s Division, saidgrass-roots women’s organizations,supported by United MethodistWomen, will host the visitors.

“Participants will learn about thecultures of the area, travel, pray, sing,cry, teach, work, listen and tell stories,and engage as Christian sisters,” sheadded. “They will visit and have amission experience at institutionssuch as schools, clinics, women’straining centers, hospitals, nurser-ies.”

The experiences will differ depend-ing on the trip chosen. “UbuntueXplorers volunteers might teach at aworkshop where local women ex-change tips on Bible study and devo-

Short mission trips will allowwomen to build friendships

The WThe WThe WThe WThe World in Brieforld in Brieforld in Brieforld in Brieforld in Brief

• BISHOP MEETS WITH POPEMeeting June 16 at the Vatican withPope Benedict XVI, Samuel Kobia, aKenyan Methodist and general secre-tary of the World Council ofChurches, proposed collaboration bythe WCC and Roman Catholic Churchon issues of understanding of thechurch, spirituality, and ecumenicalformation. Kobia also invited the popeto visit WCC headquarters in Genevaas another “step in our long journeytowards visible unity.” The pope as-sured Kobia that Catholics are eagerto continue cooperation with the coun-cil and said “the commitment of theCatholic Church to the search forChristian unity is irreversible.” TheUnited Methodist Church is a majorsupporter of the WCC.

• INSTRUCTOR DEPORTEDA former volunteer instructor at Af-rica University has been deported forviolating Zimbabwe’s censorship andimmigration laws. Howard S. Gilman,68, who was arrested May 27, was avolunteer geography instructor at the

UM-related school in Mutare, Zimba-bwe, until 2004, when his three-yearteaching tenure expired. He remainedin the country to work with orphansand the community and is reported tohave been paying school fees for 73children. Gilman, a member of Cov-enant UMC in Montgomery, Md., wasarrested for filming police demolishingthe shacks of urban poor and chargedwith breaking media laws. He spentten days in jail. More than 200,000people have been reported to be home-less due to government cleanup ofshacks and trading stalls. Takingphotographs of police dischargingtheir duties is illegal. A court on June6 did not convict him underZimbabwe’s media laws, which imposea two-year jail term for practicingjournalism without government per-mission, according to internationalmedia reports. He was charged withviolating censorship laws and immi-gration laws for overstaying his visa.Gilman was deported June 6. Pub-lished reports quoting Gilman’s attor-ney, Innocent Gonese, say Gilman wasfined a total of US$33 on alternative

Around the World

Zimbabwean women work in the gardens at Isheanesu, the Shalom Zone project at HilltopUnited Methodist Church in a high-density suburb of Mutare, Zimbabwe. The gardens feedchurch members and children in an after-school program. The Women’s Division and MissionVolunteers office of the denomination’s Board of Global Ministries are forming a partnershipthat will enable U.S. women to build friendships with women in countries such as Zimbabwe.A UMNS file photo by Dean Snyder

tions, basic health and nutrition,artisan crafts, singing and liturgicaldance,” Prudente said. Participantswill share their experiences upontheir return home.

Team leaders for the first three pilotprograms have been selected, andteam members of 10 to 12 women—with at least one member being ayoung adult—will be recruited.Costs will be under $2,500, and teammembers will be asked to provide onesuitcase of resource materials sug-gested by the host organization.

For more information and registra-tion forms, go to http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/ or http://gbgm-umc.org/vim/ubuntu.htm. Interested

women may also call Mission Volun-teers at (212) 870-3825 or the Women’sDivision at (212) 870-3911.

Kelly Martini is the information officerfor the Women’s Division.

charges of breaking the country’scensorship and immigration laws.

• ECUMENICAL DELEGATION An ecumenical delegation from theWorld Council of Churches and theChristian Conference of Asia will visitthe Philippines July 15-21 to collectfacts about political repression andoffer pastoral support to affectedchurches and families. United Method-ist Bishop Solito Toquero of Manilaand Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes,chief executive of the National Coun-cil of Churches in the Philippines,urged the visit. “Now more than ever,we are seeing the church under siegeonly because she has decided to takeup her cross and follow Jesus throughhis Via Dolorosa,” they wrote in a May16 invitation. “Church people who havewalked alongside our strugglingpeople have joined the myriads ofpeace advocates and human rightsdefenders whose lives have beensnuffed out.” The council hopes to setup meetings with President GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo, military authori-

ties in Central Luzon and EasternVisayas, and representatives of theDepartment of National Defense andthe Senate Committee on HumanRights, as well as church leaders andmembers of nongovernmental organi-zations.

• AFRICA UNIVERSITYTears flowed freely on the Africa Uni-versity campus as an over-capacitycrowd witnessed the university’s 11thgraduation ceremony. The hundredsof people who turned out for the May28 ceremony filled every inch of theopen air venue. They came to celebratethe achievements of the largest gradu-ating class in the institution’s history.The years of sacrifice, hope and hardwork have paid off for the 391 youngpeople in the graduating class of 2005.There are students from 14 Africancountries represented—Angola,Burundi, Democratic Republic ofCongo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi,Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, SierraLeone, Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia andZimbabwe.

Join us on an Ubuntu Journey!VisitPrayLaughTeachCrySingLove

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6 6 6 6 6 JULY/AUGUST 2005

The conference affirmed its supportof ministry with children in povertyin both eastern Pennsylvania andNigeria. Six churches received Hopefor the Children Awards for ministry

with children in poverty in EasternPennsylvania, including the topBishop’s Award of $10,000 going toSalem UMC in rural Manheim, PA.Other awardswent to Mt.Zion UMC innorth Philadel-phia, CristoRey inLandenberg,CovenantUMC inLancaster,CovenantUMC in Leba-non, andHancock St.John’s inPhiladelphia.The conferenceaffirmed con-tinued part-nership withNigeria andsupport of itsRural HealthInitiative.

In business,the conference:

• Approved a Structure Review andrecommendations submitted by aconference task force

Renewing(cont’d pg1)

• Approved a budget of $3,717,342 forEastern Pennsylvania ministries and$2,642,161 for the General Church andWorld Service, totaling $6,359,503

• Approved twenty-seven resolu-tions including one creating a Racial-Ethnic Ministries taskforce under theumbrella of the Calling Disciples Re-source Team. Congregations consider-ing opening their doors to Racial-Ethnic constituencies or congrega-tions will be required to have the taskforce consult and advise on matters ofcultural sensitivity

• Approved several resolutionssubmitted by A United MethodistWitness in Pennsylvania opposing thedeath penalty and alcohol sales

• Approved a resolution affirmingChrist Servant Ministry (CSM) oppor-tunities for all laity who seek to beservants of Christ, and to take advan-tage of training opportunities pro-vided by CSM

• Approved a resolution designatingforty programs and ministries of theAnnual Conference as Advance Spe-cials, for designated giving purposes,for the year 2006

• Passed a resolution which desig-nates Simpson House as a HistoricSite within United Methodism

The Rev. Hilda Campbell, director ofhuman relations and leadership, hon-ored Ms. Winnie Kensill for her workin the Healing the Wounds of Racismprogram. The conference receivedthree offerings: scholarships for stu-dents in Eastern Pennsylvania, $5,001;

Hope for theChildren Ini-tiative forchildren inpoverty, $6,096;and AfricaUniversityScholarships,$3,951. Confer-ence lay leader,Lenora Thomp-son empha-sized leader-ship develop-ment and theChrist ServantMinistry pro-gram for laity.

The laity andclergy in fullconnectionapproved eightConstitutionalAmendmentsto the Disci-

pline of The United Methodist Churchfrom General Conference. BishopMatthews presented the Rev. MicheleWright Bartlow, Dean of the Cabinet,

The remarkable 90-member “Festival of Hymns” Choir of Janes Memorial United Methodist Church, under the direction of Harrilese DuRant Miles, graced ourconference with their voices lifted in song on Wednesday evening. Photos by Paul C. Davis.

The Philly Phanatic joins Ross Brightwell andSamuel Ramnit to encourage participation at UMCNight at the Phillies, August 20th at 7:05 p.m.

with an engraved gavel celebratingher service, and named the Rev. RalphBlanks as Dean of the Cabinet begin-ning July 1. Eight-two new appoint-

ments were celebrated including threeto extension ministry.

In a Service of Ordination atTindley Temple UMC, one person wasordained deacon, five were ordainedelder, seven were commissioned to-ward elders orders, and one ordaineddeacon in transition. BishopMatthews preached on being “thearoma of Christ in the world, making

sure that aroma is pleasing toGod.” He urged all to “Let noth-ing come between me and mySavior, so that His blessed facecan be seen.”

Membership in 2004 was128,496, a decrease of 2247 over2003’s number of 130,743. Wor-ship attendance in 2004 was52,485, a decrease of 1968 over2003’s figure of 54,453.

Clergy Session was held priorto the conference on Monday,June 13 at Hempfield UnitedMethodist Church. BishopMarcus Matthews hosted a lun-cheon for 52 clergy on extensionministry beyond the local church,during which the Rev. RobertKohler spoke on the importanceand tradition of ministry beyondthe parish beginning with JohnWesley.

Laity Session was held on themorning of June 15 at the LoewsHotel. Ms. Fran Sokso celebrated

the United Methodist worldwide con-nection, offered tips and resources fornew lay members of annual confer-ence, and introduced conference layleader, Lenora Thompson. The Rev. Dr.

Charles Yrigoyen, Jr. spoke on theorigin of small groups, an importantand early part of life in Methodism;Paul C. Davis shared current smallgroup ministries; and the Rev. HelenFleming encouraged churches to seekinformation that enables them toreach out and serve their communi-ties.

Suzy Keenan is director of communica-tions for the Eastern Pennsylvania

Eleanor Weiser (left), Support Associate for theEPA Conference, joins delegates as they assembleUMCOR kits.

A Wing and a Prayer is the sound, lights, and video media team, made up ofyoung adults and youth from across the conference ranging in age from 15-24.Team WP dedicated their work this year to the memory of Greg Kane, formerTeam WP member, who died so suddenly this year.

The Praize Team from New Life UMCdance at Opening Worship.

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By Vicki Baker

In the final morning of AnnualConference, Lenora Thompson, Con-ference Lay Leader, gave the LaityAddress. Our Lay Leader since July1998, Ms. Thompson relayed to thegathering her continued love for herrole and her enthusiasm for sharingher faith, connecting with others,continuing to develop her skills andcelebrating the joy of our joint faithwalk. Under Ms. Thompson’s leader-

Resolution #2005-001 Relating toDiscontinuance of Olivet-BethanyUnited Methodist Church/SoutheastDistrict: passed with amendment(see below *)Resolution #2005-002 Relating toDeath Penalty: A Moratorium and ItsElimination: passed w/friendlyamendment: “within the therefore be itresolved add lines 37-38 from resolution2005-012 : “...that we instruct the Confer-ence Secretary to forward to the appro-priate elected officials at both the federaland state levels this action taken today.”and add: “and ask the Conference Secre-tary to include a letter to governmentstating what we would like studied andhow many people this resolution repre-sents.” Resolution #2005-003 Relating toAlcohol: Oppose the Proliferation ofAlcohol Sales: passedResolution #2005-004 Relating toHousing Allowance for RetiredClergy: passedResolution #2005-005 Relating toHealth Insurance Contribution Sched-ule: passedResolution #2005-006 AdoptionAgreement to the MPP and CPPand Pre-82 Funding Plan for Year 2006:passedResolution #2005-007 Relating toParticipant Medical Insurance Contri-bution: passedResolution #2005-008 Relating toSale of District Parsonages as needed:passedResolution #2005-009 Relating toRelationship with Chester HeightsCamp Meeting Association: passedResolution # 2005-010 Relating toEncouraging the State of Pennsylva-nia to Act on Global Warming: passedwith the following amendments:Line 15 “whereas, a contributing causeof global warming is the burning of

fossil fuels—coal,” In line 41, please add “and will do so bysending a letter from the 2005 EPA con-ference stating our support for said bill.”Friendly amendment: send letters sup-porting HB 500 to all members of the PAAssembly and senate as well as the gov-ernor.Resolution# 2005-011 Relating toEncouraging Individuals andChurches to Slow Down Global Warm-ing: passed with the followingamendment:Ammend line 16 to “… a contributingcause….” Instead of “the primarycause.”Resolution #2005-012 Increase theMinimum Wage: passedResolution # 2005-013 Amend Con-ference Rules for Elected Membership:defeatedResolution #2005-014S Relating toChild Abuse Credentialing of allworkers with children and youth inlocal churches: passed with friendlyamendment line # 30 change fromSeptember 1 to December 31Resolution #2005-015 Relating toRacial Ethnic Ministries Task ForceSeeking Official Status: passed withemphasis on the work team caringfor its language omit “Korean andIndian Asian” as these fall underAsianResolution #2005-16A ResolutionDesignating Simpson House as aUnited Methodist Historic Site: passedResolution #2005-017 Relating toRecognition of Christ Servant Minis-try Opportunities: passedResolution #2005-018 Relating toSmall Membership Churches: passedResolution #2005-019: withdrawnResolution #2005-020S Relating toSalary/Benefits Recommendations(Equitable Compensation): passed

Laity focus on leadership developmentLaity focus on leadership developmentLaity focus on leadership developmentLaity focus on leadership developmentLaity focus on leadership development

Resolution #2005-021 Relating toinequity of mandated costs by theconference between small countrychurches with limited membershipand larger churches with hundreds ofmembers: passed with friendlyamendment “that this be referred tothe New Task Force created by theBishop to study conference funding.”Resolution #2005-022 Relating toConference Advance Specials for Year2006: passedResolution #2005-23A Relating toDisaster Response Offering: passedwith the following amendment“THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,that the 2nd Sunday of Advent, or suchother Sunday which the local churchdetermine, be designated DisasterResponse Sunday and that a specialoffering be received for disaster re-sponse.”Resolution #2005-24A Relating toDiscontinuance of Falls United Meth-odist Church/East District: passedwith amendment (see below *)Resolution #2005-25A Relating toDiscontinuance of Frankford CentralUnited Methodist Church/East Dis-trict: passed with amendment (seebelow *)Resolution #2005-26A Relating toMerger of La Resurreccion-LindleyUnited Methodist Church & JuniataPark United Methodist Church/EastDistrict: passedResolution #2005-28A Relating toDiscontinuance of Tabernacle Memo-rial United Methodist Church/ EastDistrict: passed with amendment(see below *)Resolution #2005-29A Relating toDiscontinuance of Rehoboth UnitedMethodist Church/East District:passedResolution by Ruth Dougherty (lastminute entry) “I move that ½ the moneygiven to Eastern Pennsylvania Confer-ence by the United Methodist Board of

Publications be given to the CentralConference Pension Fund for the urgentneed of our United Methodist clergy andtheir families in Africa.” Passed withamendment “change ½ to ALL themoney given….” (Please note that theamount given totaled $12,073.)Structure Review Report: Submit-ted by the Structure Review TaskForce and presented by Brenda Tildenwas passed with the following amend-ment: “ line 77 ... Our vision is in andremains in the will and Holy Word ofGod.” (On page 2 line 77)Budget Report with recommenda-tion # 5 on page 38 amended: After “bein consultation with ConferenceCouncil on Finance and administra-tion, ADD “and Human Resource Com-mittee.” - passed

Proposed Constitutional Amend-mentsAmendment I. Yes 550 votes, NO-16votes, Blank-1Amendment II. Yes 560, NO-6, Blank-1Amendment III. Yes 557, NO-8, Blank-2Amendment IV. Yes 552, NO- 14, Blank1Amendment V. Yes 562, NO-4, Blank 1Amendment VI. Yes 552, NO-14, Blank1Amendment VII. Yes 552, NO-15, Blank0Amendment VIII. Yes 364, NO 197,Blank 6

Total Ballots: 567 Tallied by Bev. Connorand Mercedes Case* For resolutions # 001,24A, 25A, and28A replace the last resolved of each“forwarded to the archives at St.George’s United Methodist Church inPhiladelphia” with “deposited for per-manent safe keeping with the commis-sion on Archives and History of theConference.”

ship the Board of Lay Ministry haslived out its mission within the Con-ference by focusing on leadershipdevelopment, celebrating the Board’sministries and improving communica-tion with laity across the conference.She indicated that the Board’s tirelesswork is closely linked to theConference’s calling persons toChrist, nurturing disciples and ad-dressing community needs.

The ministries of the Board provideopportunities for individuals to grow

in Christ. The Annual Academy forLaity provides training and supportfor new disciples and the Christ Ser-vant Ministries program trains andsupports laity who lead, speak andcare for others in their communitiesand congregations. Through thisprogram 700 Christ Servant Ministershave been commissioned. On a per-sonal note, Ms Thompson also ex-pressed her gratitude to SimpsonHouse’s “benevolent care” program.This outreach, caring ministry pro-vided free, expert care for her mother,Alma Thompson, during her last fewweeks of life. This touched her familyand friends so much that gifts made inAlma Thompson’s memory continueat a rate and amount never experi-enced before by Simpson House.

Ms. Thompson introduced GeorgeHollich, Director of the Christ Ser-vant Ministry program to lead a pre-sentation describing the transforma-tion of Lay Speaking program to ourcurrent Christ Servant Ministry pro-gram and presenting resolution 2005-017, which affirms the work of thelaity and encouraging laity to becomeChrist Servant Ministers. The resolu-tion passed. The presentation contin-ued with Anne Taylor describing whothe “ordinary people” are that becomeChrist Servant Ministers. VernaColliver described the multiple, up-coming training opportunities forpersons to begin the journey to be-

coming Christ Servant Ministers. TheBasic Course and Advanced Courseare being offered in each District atleast once during the year. Personswere encouraged to seek out informa-tion on District sponsored coursesand to also avail themselves to LaySpeaking Ministries courses offeredand approved by the General Board ofDiscipleship and Conference Board ofOrdained ministry.

There are several other trainingcomponents and ministries availableto the laity. Randy Schaffer describedcourses in Caring Ministries, BillMatthews on training in Leadershipand Mary Louise Hutchinson onspeaking ministries. Alicia Julia-Stanley described opportunities forlocal ministry speaking when pastorsare not available, serving congrega-tional needs such as visitation andcommitting to ministry to others.

The work of Christ Servant Minis-ters is significant in all churches andwas described as an important compo-nent for growth in small memberchurches. Resolution 2005-018 waspresented by Dr. Alfred Maloney,Northwest District Superintendent. Itemphasized the importance of smallmember churches to membershipgrowth and their vital part of the mixof churches making up the EasternPennsylvania Annual Conference.The resolution passed. This portionof the morning ended with a Serviceof Covenant led by Bishop MarcusMatthews. Christ Servant Ministersrenewed their commitment and thecongregation affirmed their supportof their ministry.

Annual Conference business reportAnnual Conference business reportAnnual Conference business reportAnnual Conference business reportAnnual Conference business report

Conference Lay Leader Lenora Thompson addressess Laity Session attendees. Photo byBill Thompson.

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Walking in FaithBy Hilda M. Campbell

During the Faith in Motion Walk,we greeted strangers on the streets ofPhiladelphia by asking them to prayfor the children of this community,this country and the world.

Many wanted us to pray with themright then, others just wrote down aprayer request. There were twopersons who stood out in the crowd.The first was a young man who saidhe was a failure as a father andwanted to do better so he could have arelationship with his children. I toldhim the first step was to stop claimingfailure as the final destination and becommitted to making a change in hisactions.

The other was a young man whowas covered with tattoos. When I

By Laurabeth Shearer Krpata“But those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles,they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:31As we prepared for our Faith in

Motion walk, while God sprinkled uswith refreshing raindrops, our Dis-trict Superintendent leaders called usto pray. As we circled up and bowedour heads, I glanced up and noticedtwo men looking at us from theirbasket perch near the top of City Hall.It was a fleeting observation, but Iwondered what it might be like towork on restoring an old buildingfrom a such heights.

With great enthusiasm, we followedRev. Al Maloney and began our wit-nessing experience. My husband,Christopher, and I paired up and ea-gerly approached many individuals.We had the privilege of meeting manyof God’s people: in the dry protectionof the bus stop, near a splashing foun-tain, waiting for a taxi, resting on abench, using cell phones, and attempt-ing to rush home from work. Many ofthese people voiced deep prayer con-cerns: for their children, for work, for

Four avenues forputting my faith inmotion

By Stacy MartinThis is my first Conference, both as

a United Methodist and as FoundationDirector for the Eastern PennsylvaniaConference. I had a difficult time de-ciding which of the four ministryopportunities for faith sharing Iwanted to join. So, I signed up to bringsupplies for five UMCOR kits and alsoto participate in the Faith in Motion(FIM) walk in one of the speciallydesigned (FIM) t-shirts.

On the first day of conference, Iplaced the health kit supplies I pur-chased in the appropriate room, andfigured all I had left to do was partici-pate in a walk with friends from mydistrict going west down MarketStreet.

I joined my district’s group at CityHall, we received prayer cards that wecould share with people on the streets,instructions, a prayer from theDistrict Superintendent, and finalinstructions from Dorothy WatsonTatem: “It’s cancelled if it rains, justhead back to the hotel.” Of course, itstarted to pour! We quickly figuredout we had two choices for the nexthour. We could brave the rain and getour new shirts and comfy shoes wet,or, head for the concourse level of thecity transportation system just beforerush hour. My partners and I chosethe concourse.

This was my first experience withthis kind of faith sharing ministry. Iwas nervous because I spent manyyears as a commuter and I know allthe moves to avoid someone approach-ing me. We each struck out into thecrowd, keeping a team eye on eachother. Some folks shared prayers ortheir faith easily, others passed -stating their life was good. Others

declined, affirming their own churchconnection. I felt good about pushingmyself in sharing my faith, and betterabout writing down prayer concernspeople in the concourse had sharedwith me. When we ran out of prayercards, we headed back to the hotel.

There we found two fellow UnitedMethodists waiting for the rain to endso they could deliver the last load ofboxed dinners (meals that conferenceattendees sacrifice to donate to thehomeless) to Arch Street UMC to bededicated in prayer before being takento the homeless shelters. We con-firmed these were indeed the lastmeals, and helped the pair with theirdelivery - back I went onto the streets!Upon our return to the hotel, Idelivered the prayer concerns to thewaiting hands of the UM’s in theballroom. Now I have covered three ofthe four missions!

Upon returning to the hotel, I foundconference delegates assemblingUMCOR health kits, trying to wrap upbefore the rest of the delegatesarrived for dinner. I was thrilled to beable to help! We categorized the lastkits, identified the missing items, andmoved the boxes and supplies to oneend of the dining room. Four mis-sions in two hours - talk about goodstewardship of time! I found myexperience to be wonderful, motivat-ing, and inspiring.

Stacy J. Martin is executive director,Eastern Pennsylvania-Peninsula UnitedMethodist Foundation, Inc.

Faith in Motion Stories

UMCOR kitsAs part of the witness of the East-

ern Pennsylvania Conference on theafternoon of June 16, around threehundred delegates to Annual Confer-ence assembled Health Kits from itemsbrought from churches conference-wide. In addition a number ofchurches sent containers full of com-pleted kits. Altogether they filledPastor Carol Campbell’s SUV, and a tenfoot truck loaded to the ceiling. PastorCampbell drove her SUV directly toMission Central, Mechanicsburg, onSaturday, June 18, while Pastor LesterGroves and Conference Mission Secre-tary Dick Howarth took the rest forstorage at Tindley Temple. They wereaided by Tindley Temple’s delegateJohn Crapper and others. The kitswere taken from storage via a ten foottruck to Mission Central on Tuesday,June 21. A cross section of the entireconference was involved in this effortand in providing kits throughout theyear.

Although Dick Howarth has enteredretired ministerial status, he will con-tinue to serve as Conference Secretaryof Global Ministries. Currently, he isseeking churches throughout theconference to serve as collectionpoints. He will continue to securetransportation of kits to MissionCentral. The new collection pointswill be announced as soon as they areestablished. Churches interested inserving in this way should contactDick at 610-792-4822 or e-mail him atrwhjwh@earthlink.net. Dick remindschurches seeking directions on thecontents of UMCOR relief kits thatthey may find them in the UMCORWebsite at http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor or, you may contact Dick di-rectly if you do not have internet ac-cess.

asked if we could pray with him, hesaid sure. He said his mother alwaystold him he was not worthy ofsalvation. After I prayed for him, heasked if he could pray for me. Hethanked me for stopping to talk withhim and for not being turned off bythe tattoos. He then gave me a cardand invited me to come to his artshow. Our not-so-chance meeting ledme to see his amazing work on exhibitJuly 1-31 at Highwire Gallery inPhiladelphia.

If you leave yourself open to newacquaintances you may encounter ablessing also - they don’t have to looklike you to be good.

Hilda Campbell is the director ofhuman relations and leadershipdevelopment for the Eastern PAConference.

a new home, for a sister goingthrough drug rehab, for protection forour country, and more. One gentle-man asked us to pray that he wouldget home because many of the trainswere not working! We knew rightthen that stalled trains were a true“God-incidence” because that meantmore people would be walking on thestreets for our Faith in Motion teammembers to meet! I felt the strengthof our connected ministry when I sawseveral people carrying and enjoyingthe box lunches that had been distrib-uted by fellow United Methodists justa few blocks away. My husband askedone young woman whether we couldpray with her right there, standing onthe sidewalk and she said “yes!” Ifound myself wondering what mightbe holding all of us back from thistype of boldness and ministry in ourhome communities?

As we looped back around to ourstarting point, we were determined tohand out all our prayer cards. I hadtwo left in my pocket and saw two menapproaching. We began to talk and Ilearned that they were visiting fromPoland. They pointed upward to thetop of City Hall and told us they havebeen working to restore the eagles

Conference delegates and volunteers gathered to serve dinner at the TindleyTemple UMC soup kitchen during the witnessing event. Photo by Jose Urdaneta.

near the top of the tower. I recognizedthem as the men in the basket perch.They recognized us by our T-Shirts! Iwas tickled to learn that they hadbeen taking pictures of us becausethey thought our matching shirtslooked so neat! Before we departed,they asked us to pray for peace intheir country as well for their safetyon the job.

As I reflected on the experience, Icould not miss God’s message to mefrom the experience of walking andwitnessing. In my own faith journey,I have been praising God for His graceand restoration in our marriage, asmy husband and I continue to enjoythe blessings of recovery. It was en-tirely God’s timing that I wouldglance upward to that basket perch.It was also God’s gift that I wouldlater meet the men working to restorethe eagles perched high above the citystreets. Their work, and our friendlyconversation, clearly reminded me ofthe scripture text in Isaiah 40:31. I,too, continue to learn what it meansto put my hope in the Lord so I cansoar like an eagle.Laurabeth Shearer Krpata is a memberof Myerstown: Zion UMC.

Restoration and hope on the streets of Philadelphia

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By Rebecca Parsons

Who is the team responsible forprojecting the Bishop and others upon the screen at annual conference?

Team WP is the sound, lights, andvideo media team, and made up ofyoung adults and youth from acrossthe conference ranging in age from 15-24. This year’s participants includedRobert Jones, Mark Jones, SylvesterWarren, Aaron Wells, Brandon Young,Natasha Warren, Faith McCloud, AlanMorgan, Jordan Heath, JosephDrayton, Shantaye Connor, and DanteMilligan from Cookman UMC; JonRyan, from Quakertown; and JennyParsons and Rebecca Parsons fromWooddale UMC. Of the fifteen teammembers, four are equalizing lay del-egates with full voting rights.

Members of Team WP also served asthe praise dance team who raised ourspirits on Wednesday Night of AnnualConference: Aaron, Brandon, Robertand Mark.

Over the last five years Team WPhas served faithfully to make sure theproduction of Annual Conferenceproceeds as smoothly as possible. Forthe three days of Annual Conference,we arrive early and stay late into thenight to ensure the conference is seenand heard successfully.

As a member of this team and thusas part of the only consistent youthand young adult representation for

Growing up with Team WP(Wing and a Prayer)

the last half a decade, I am offer thisconference a challenge: create anarena where youth and young adultshave the ability to participate in an-nual conference. Show the youngpeople of this conference that you areinterested and we will come to join inthe ministry of the United MethodistChurch. You might say, “Great chal-lenge, but how does she expect us todo that?” It is easy: start by nominat-ing young adults as equalizing del-egates of your districts and nominatethem as lay delegates from the localchurches. Elect youth and youngadults to Conference Committees sothat we may share the table with ourpresence and our gifts.

The United Methodist StudentMovement (UMSM) is very activenationally, and offers the young peopleof this conference another chance toparticipate in the life of the church.Therefore, make it a point for a delega-tion from this conference to attendthe annual MSM Forum. These arejust a few ways to get youth andyoung adults involved in this confer-ence. The possibilities are endless ifyou give us a chance. Team WP will beat Annual conference next year, soconsider yourselves challenged!

Please note that Team WP dedicatedtheir work this year to the memory ofGreg Kane, former Team WP member,who died so suddenly this year.

The Eastern Pennsylvania AnnualConference of The United MethodistChurch passed Resolution 2005-14S atAnnual Conference which requiresthat “all workers with children andyouth” shall have on file current ap-propriate Child Abuse clearances inorder to continue such work. Thisrequirement shall go intoeffect December 31, 2005. For the fulltext of this resolution, go to: http://www.epaumc.org/NewsDetails.asp?pageID=951

Note:“all workers with children andyouth” shall be interpreted to meanall persons who work with childrenages birth through 12 and youth ages12 through 18 in any regular capacitysuch as Sunday School teacher, youthgroup leader, choir director, regularvan or other drivers, regular foodservers, and general helpers on a regu-lar basis. “A regular capacity” shallmean anyone working on a schedulethat repeats such as weekly, monthly,quarterly. In addition to the “regularworker” anyone participating on-siteor in transporting children or youthfor an overnight or longer program,even if only a one-time volunteer, willbe required to file clearances.

It is suggested that prospective staffwill pay for their clearances as a partof their qualification for work. Forvolunteers, it is suggested this cost beborne by the local church, unless thevolunteer wishes to pay it as a contri-bution to the work of the church. It isrecommended that the Staff-ParishCommittee Chairperson, along withthe Pastor, will be responsible to check

for such clearances and shall main-tain them in locked files along withother personnel records.

If churches batch their clearances,they can pay with an official churchcheck. The State Police forms are thefirst “wave” to be completed, with theChild Abuse clearances to go in ac-companied by the State Police results.It is much quicker to file the StatePolice forms online. When the site isavailable (it’s been down a lot due tohigh volume), the turn-around time isabout 24 hours. Also, it is importantto know that persons who have notlived in PA for two years or longer - orwho currently live out of state, i.e. inNew Jersey - will need to get FBI clear-ance. It’s more complicated, but ismost easily accessed through the localpolice departments.

To obtain Child Abuse Clearanceforms, go to: http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/child/childabuseneglect/003671038.htm

Safe Sanctuaries resourcesavailableFor information on how to order SafeSanctuaries materials, go towww.discipleshipresources.org

Safe SanctuariesReducing the Riskof Child Abuse in the ChurchBy Joy Thornburg Melton

Safe Sanctuaries contains sugges-tions, sample forms, and more to helpyour congregation develop and imple-ment a substantive plan of childabuse prevention. Unique features

include: 1. A step-by-step plan for de-veloping policies and procedures toprevent child abuse; 2. Forms forscreening workers, checking refer-ences, and reporting suspected abuse;3. Suggested training session for allpersons who work with children oryouth; 4. Sample worship service cel-ebrating the adoption of policies/procedures. 8.5" x 11" (1998)

Children and Youth Video and DVDReducing the Risk of Abuse in theChurchBy Joy Thornburg Melton

Following up on her two bestsellingSafe Sanctuaries manuals (Childrenand Youth), Joy Thornburg Meltonnow brings you a video to use intraining and in raising awareness inyour local congregation. The threekey segments address the ‘Why’ and‘How’ of developing and implementinga policy to reduce the risk of abuse inyour church, and provide necessaryforms to use in the process. VHS, 1:10.(The DVD also includes an interviewwith Joy and real-life stories fromdiverse congregations.) (2004)

Safe Sanctuaries for YouthReducing the Risk of Abuse inYouth MinistriesBy Joy Thornburg Melton

Attorney Joy T. Melton has takenthe initiative to develop a resourcedesigned to help churches assess riskand implement processes to helpcongregations take steps to reduce thelikelihood of abuse or allegations ofabuse in their youth ministry.

Safe Sanctuaries resources arealso available in Spanish atwww.discipleshipresources.org.

Child abuse clearancesrequired for all workerswith children and youth

Santuarios SegurosPrevención del abuso infantil yjunvenil en la iglesia

Traducido por Janette MarieChévere y María ColonePor Joy Thornburg Melton

Este libro es una guía para lascongregaciones que estáncomprometidas a ofrecer ministeriosenriquecedores para los niños/as yjóvenes. La autora, Joy ThornburgMelton describe, paso a paso, elproceso dedesarrollo depolíticas yprocedimientosparareconocer yreducir elriesgo deabusoinfantil yjuvenil en laiglesia.Santuariosseguroscontieneademás:·Formularios para examinar yseleccionar a las personas a trabajarcon niños/as y jóvenes, revisarreferencias, y cómo reportar sospechade abuso·Sugerencia de una sesión deadiestramiento para todas aquellaspersonas que trabajan con niños/as ojóvenes·Sugerencia de un servicio deadoración para celebrar la adopciónde las políticas y procedimientosEsta traducción es una combinaciónde los libros Safe Sanctuaries y SafeSanctuaries for Youth.

Methodist Home for Children is the Child Welfare Agency of

The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference

Celebrating 126 years of outreach to children, individuals and families throughout the

Eastern Pennsylvania Conference

Join us for Founders Day Dinner and Silent Auction

Thursday, September 29, 2005 5:30 p.m. at Drexelbrook

Bishop Marcus Matthews is the Honored Guest and Keynote Speaker

Call 215-877-1926 x 109 today for your reservation or reserve online at

www.methodistservices.org

4300 Monument Road Philadelphia, PA 19131-1616

The official registration and financial information for Methodist Home for Children may be obtained from the

Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free (within Pennsylvania) 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

www.epaumc.org

10 10 10 10 10 JULY/AUGUST 2005

By Jennie Parsons, youngest member ofthe CORE Team

I was 11 when I meet Wanda at aHealing the Wounds of Racism work-shop. She wasn’t certain an 11 yr. oldcould grasp the concept of racism, butwas open to learn that all ages couldbenefit from training regarding theinherent evil racism causes. Wandaleft a legacy of values to participantsof all ages.

Wanda Lofton’s leadership and guid-ance was transformational for WinnieKensill, recipient of a new award inmemory of Wanda Lofton. This year,during Annual Conference, the CORETeam presented the award to Ms.Kensill, who has contributed to themonumental task of “DismantlingRacism.” She has worked diligently inthis Healing Ministry several years.Ms. Kensill was devastated when com-ing to an understanding of racism ather first training in 1998. She felt theneed to attend three more sessions onher own, because she realized therewas too much for her to grasp in thefirst couple of sessions. She also at-tended the Level Two workshop twice.

Wanda Lofton impacted many liveswithin and outside of the EasternPennsylvania Conference. Many re-sponded because she met them wherethey were, and they were moved toaction. Others answered the chal-lenge because they saw the need for achange and were prepared to be thecatalyst. She often talked about aposter on her door that read, “All arewelcome here as long as I don’t haveto change to accommodate you.”

I realized one thing Wanda did wasvalidate many of my experiences andfeelings. There is a book, “CareEnough to Confront” which sharesthat some things need to be said eventhough we may not be comfortablesaying them. Many Christians believethat if you are doing the right thing,everything should be viewed throughrose-colored glasses. This was notChrist’s mode of operation, notWanda’s perspective, nor that of manyother Christ-centered leaders I’veencountered. She always delivered thepunch of truth with grace and mercy.

When Wanda became ill with cancer,it didn’t stop her work. She becamemore determined. There evidentlywere many things she felt she neededto accomplish. I see this now, but hadno idea she was as ill as we woulddiscover. When we returned fromNigeria after the first exchange,Wanda got up from her sick bed tofacilitate an all day retreat at CampInnabah to deal with and discussissues that would impact this ongoingrelationship. One of the major con-cerns when doing missionary ex-changes is the giver/recipient mental-ity. This work must be done so thateveryone benefits.

I can remember her saying veryearly in our relationship that I neededto be doing this work full-time. As Ikept saying no, she just kept pouringin, more time, more information,more patience, more understandingand topped it off by highlighting theneed for more tolerance. Tolerancewas not my most prominent charac-teristic.

Tolerance is something that can belearned when the student is inter-ested and determined to take on thechallenge. In doing this work youmeet and make friends from all as-pects of life. Everyone is on a jour-ney, not all pursuing the same desti-nation, or even having the samegoals. Wanda’s view was to meetindividuals where they were and thenwork on getting to where we shouldbe to resemble the worker Christwould have us to become.

This work is not to make individu-als feel beat up - just enlightened.Join us to discuss the very importanttopic of “We Are One,” so says Christ.

A testimony to Healing the Wounds ofRacism and the legacy of Wanda Lofton

By Hilda Campbell

The celebration highlighted by theOffice of Human Relations atAnnual Conference focused onactivities within the healercommunity. My own testimonyrelated calling the office of a pastorwhere the voice mail cheerfullyopened with “Welcome to the LittleWhite Church on the Hill.” I’m surethey were referencing the color ofthe building, but I responded bysaying that this message probablywould not be received in the samelight by a new person in thecommunity. Our conversation laterled to greater understanding,transformed thinking, and a newmessage.

As part of our presentation, weheard from Jennie Parsons. She willtake a leave of absence fromparticipating in the CORE Team toattend the Fashion Institute ofTechnology in New York. The CORETeam gave her, our youngestmember, a blanket to keep warmwhile away. At 11 years of age,Wanda realized that Jennie couldgrasp the concept of “racism” andopened registration to the Healingthe Wounds of Racism (HWOR)Workshop to her (see story at left).

Ted Newton next told histransformation story and acknow-ledged the need to change our desig-nations of black and white asstatistical categories. Being a mathperson, he shared how God hadtaught him “new math.” There arethree kinds of people: those withmore than enough, those with lessthan enough, and those with just theright amount. After attending theHWOR training he said, “If thosewith more than enough would sharewith those with less than enough,we would all have the right amount.”He was so impacted by the training,that he started a fund with his owndonation for those who need toattend HWOR, but have financialdifficulties.

We presented an award to WinifredKensill in honor of our past HumanRelations Director, Wanda Lofton.She received a handcrafted butterflyto represent transformation. Winniehas worked with the CORE Teamsince its inception. She is currentlyone of the trainers, and remainscommitted to the ongoing work offighting racism and its effects on thechurch, people and community.

Hilda Campbell is the director of hu-man relations and leadership at theEastern PA Conference.

Healing theWounds ofRacism

Malvern United Methodist Churchcelebrated disciple-making in anextraordinary way on Sunday, June 19,2005. Malvern’s pastor, the Rev. DavidMyers, baptized five persons in onefamily, from three different genera-tions. Rev. Myers baptized JaneMorgan, her two adult daughters,Alice DiGiavanni and CathyLittlefield, and Cathy’s two children,Morgan Hanson Littlefield, 3 ½ years;and Cooper Thomas Littlefield, 6months.

“I never heard of anyone baptizingthree generations at once,” said Rev.Myers. “It was fun and deeply moving.The family wanted to get involved in alocal church. It was exciting for thecongregation, too, to feel a part of thisspecial occasion.”

Rev. Myers characterized Malvernas a small membership church fromthe beginning. Although he sensedthat the church may have beensuspicious that he was sent to

Malvern to close the church sevenyears ago, he saw the older persons in“this amazing little church” stay andwork with newcomers. Although thechurch has no children’s SundaySchool, they will need one soon.After baptizing nine babies in the lastfour years, they now have a nursery.

Malvern makes disciples in allgenerations

They found people buried right up tothe walls, including under the airconditioner. Good said he was sur-prised at the number of children inthe cemetery, many of whom died inthe 1918 flu epidemic.

“We’ve made enormous strides inthe last 100 years in health care andwater purification. We take thesethings for granted.”

Good added, “Earth to earth, ashesto ashes, dust to dust – it’s absolutelytrue. Of the 420 graves, 100 of themhad no human remains left.” Archae-ologists were able to find these gravesonly because the wood of the coffinsleft a black outline marking theburial. Soil samples from the centerof the outlines of those 100 graves,tested to see if there were any re-mains, revealed only minerals. In thegraves where only dirt was found, the“remains” were treated as crema-tions, and a handful of dirt wasplaced in a sealed plastic bag. Somefamily members wanted the remainsback to keep or scatter, but most willgo to a columbarium. The high watertable at the site contributed to decayof remains and coffins.

Records for the cemetery were keptby volunteers over 150 years, but weredestroyed when the shed in whichthey were kept was struck by lighten-ing and burned to the ground around1950. Fortunately, researchers foundmaps and records of the cemetery,which the church had sent to a li-brary in the late 1940’s.

Many of the lots had been sold for$10 – including perpetual care. It costabout $700,000 to move the cemeteryto its news site: Beulah Cemetery onRoute 202 in New Britain, BucksCounty. A Memorial Day Service ofre-dedication and consecration at-tended by 150 people brought to clo-sure the difficult and emotional task.

Next in store for the church is mov-ing to temporary quarters while theybegin the planning and building pro-cess at a new ten-acre site three milesaway on the corner of County LineRoad and Limekiln Pike in Montgom-ery Township. A preliminary drawingbegins the master plan for the tenacres, which includes an octagonalchurch building.

The new land cost $500,000, of which$490,000 has been paid so far, and theremaining $10,000 is expected to bepaid off this year.

The congregation has an agreementof sale with Commerce Bank for $2.5million, and hopes to go to settlementby next spring. At that time, the$700,000 mortgage from the LoanFund for moving the cemetery will bepaid off.

“We’re very much alive and stillgoing,” said Good, who anticipatesgrowth in ministries and membershipas the formerly small country churchbuilds its new building and buildsGod’s kingdom on earth.

Church(cont’d pg1)

“Wanda trusted in the love andgoodness of God. As an accomplishedmusician, she used her special, internalmelody and rhythm while touching thehearts of all people. She was devotedto her race but wanted justice for all.She spoke and taught with profoundwisdom while doing this legendarywork.”

The Core Team

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Offerings for the students at AnnualConference 2005 and on Student Day,November 27, 2005

By Stacy Martin

At Annual Conference this year, thehistory and purpose of the Scholar-ship Team was presented. In 2001 theFoundation joined the Office of Officeof Urban and Global Ministries tocreate a Conference Scholarship Teamto care for the scholarships to beawarded students in Eastern Pennsyl-vania. As a result, all conferencescholarships have now been movedunder the Scholarship Team in orderto bring equality to the evaluationprocess and prompt award of all funds.The. Rev. Dr. Dorothy Watson Tatemand I are co-conveners of the team,which includes Lenora Thompson, theRev. Timothy Thomson-Hohl, and theRev. Felicia Kumar.

Candidates for scholarships includeundergraduate students and seminarystudents. Other graduate school pur-suits will be considered as well. Allcandidates must be active members ofa Conference United MethodistChurch for two years prior to applica-tion and the application deadlines areNovember 1 for the Spring Semesterand March 1 for the Fall semester.

Applications, as well as lists ofscholarships and awards, are availablevia the Eastern Pennsylvania websitewww.epaumc.org or by calling theFoundation office 800-828-9093 or the

Office of Urban and Global Ministriesoffice 800-866-6855. It is important forthe application to be completed thor-oughly and for the income and livingexpense information to be clearlystated. Due to the high price of educa-tion and all the attendant costs, stu-dents are encouraged to seek othersources through their local churchand by researching opportunitiesonline, at their local library, or at theirschool.

Now let’s review a few of the awardsavailable. We have taken an offering atthe first service of Annual Conferencefor the past three years. The purposeis to divide the funds among qualifiedstudents who have applied for scholar-ships but for whom we have no fundsas they are not attending a UnitedMethodist school or there is someother obstacle. The goal of the Team isto award at least $500 to each qualifiedapplicant.

We are pleased to share with youthat the offering received at this year’sconference totaled $5,101.54! This ismore than two times last year’samount! The largest gift this year wasmade by Pocono Lake UMC. Not onlydid they demonstrate their commit-ment to the ministries honored at thethree offerings during this Conference,but the members of Pocono Lakeplanned in advance and prepared one

check for all three! Their commitmentand stewardship is a model for stew-ardship and giving.

Another opportunity to provide forstudents is the Conference MeritAward. It is awarded to a studentattending a United Methodist school.This award is funded by a rebate of10% of our Conference’s Student DayOffering. This entire ministry is in thebusiness of transforming lives. This isa very tangible way to help studentsboth nationally and locally throughthis rebate program! What other in-vestment can you name that pays a10% annual return?! This year’sStudent Day offering will be taken onNovember 27th – the Sunday of Thanks-giving and Homecoming Weekend.Please help us invest in our collectivefuture by donating generously!

The Scholarship Team would like tothank Bishop Matthews and the Del-egates to this year’s Annual Confer-ence for their generous offering thisyear. With your offering on StudentDay on November 27th, the students ofthe Conference will know that we arewith them as they pursue their studies.

Please contact Stacy Martin, East-ern Pennsylvania-Peninsula DelawareU.M. Foundation with any questions800-828-9093 x247 or email:stacy.martin@epaumc.org.

Paula M. SharpThe Central District welcomes PaulaM. Sharp as the new District ResourceAssistant (DRA). Paula has been anactive member of Janes Memorial inPhiladelphia since 1993. FormerlyPaula worked for Janes MemorialUnited Methodist Church as thechurch administrator from 1998 untilJune of 2005, and for Prudential In-surance Company in the AARP De-partment as a Claims Supervisor,where she was employed 10 years. Sheis the mother of two boys, Taylor (12)and Jared (7).

Sheila M. HyunThe Northeast District welcomesSheila M. Hyun as the new DistrictResource Assistant (DRA). Mrs.Hyun is an active member ofWescosville: Bethany UMC where sheserves as a music minister and as aworship leader for Sunday schoolchildren (K-2). She is a graduate ofRutgers University with a B.A. inCommunications and minors inSpanish, music, and theater. Her workexperience includes being a computeroperator with IBM, public relationsassociate with Schering-PloughInternational (Kenilworth, NJ), newsassistant with WOWK-TV13 (Hunting-ton, WV), marketing coordinator for

Clinical Regional Advisory Board(Victoria, VA), and co-owner &operator of Tech-Wise (Farmville,VA). Mrs. Hyun has served as a musicdirector for an Emmaus MovementWomen’s Walk and as a music minis-ter for Marriage Enrichment. Sheilaand her husband, Michael, are theparents of Daniel (8). She is returningto the out-of-home workplace after aperiod as a stay-at-home mom.

Montene M. WagnerThe Northwest District welcomesMontene M. Wagner as their newDistrict Resource Assistant (DRA).Ms. Wagner has been a member of theFirst United Methodist Church inSchuylkill Haven for 14 years.Montene graduated from PottsvilleArea High School and has a technicaldegree in Microsoft Windows andExcel. Her work experience includesbeing a shipping clerk, teacher’s aide,administrative assistant and a pay-roll administrator. In addition toworking as a DRA, she is a Mary KayConsultant and waitress at a localrestaurant. She is the mother of twochildren, Shain (10) and Gwendolyn(8). In her spare time, she is anassistant cub scout den leader and acheerleading squad coach.

Berwyn United Methodist Churchhas been recognized by United Meth-odist Communications as an official“Welcoming Congregation.”

“Welcoming Congregations are aselect group of United Methodistcongregations nationwide that meetcertain criteria including embracingnewcomers and providing opportuni-ties in discipleship. The recognitionprogram is part of the Igniting Min-istry campaign.

The Rev. Dr. Richard J. Rimert Jr.,the congregation’s pastor, statedthat the certification comes as theresult of a focused and intentionaleffort to increase the congregation’sefforts to welcome guests to visit thechurch. We have benefited signifi-cantly from the training provided bythe Igniting Ministry program aswell as observing what otherchurches are doing in this area. Weare also deeply indebted to the minis-try of the late Kay Bailey, a staffmember of Hempfield United Meth-odist Church, who conducted severalexcellent hospitality workshopsattended by several of our members.

“Open hearts, open minds, opendoors” is the theme of the denomina-tional effort, which includes a seriesof national cable TV ads, supple-mented by regional and local churchparticipation, The overall aim of theeffort is to invite people, particularlythose between 25 and 54 years old, toenter into connection with theChristian community as they seekmeaning and purpose in their lives.

Churches who have earned thiscertification receive a plague fordisplay at their church, as well as aspecial seal identifying the churchas a certified ‘Welcoming Congrega-tion” on the denomination’s website.

Berwyn joins Bethel Park UMC asthe only two congregations in theEastern Pennsylvania Annual Con-ference to earn this recognition.According to the Igniting Ministrywebsite, a total of 197 U.S. congrega-tions have obtained this certifica-tion. To learn more about how yourchurch can earn this certificationcontact the Igniting ministry officeat (877) 281-6535 or by visiting theIgniting Ministrywebsite:www.IgnitingMinistry.org.

Congratulations toCongratulations toCongratulations toCongratulations toCongratulations toBerwyn UMC!Berwyn UMC!Berwyn UMC!Berwyn UMC!Berwyn UMC!

Beyond 30 seconds -Developing a WelcomingCongregation

$49.95This group resource is designed forany congregation wanting tosharpen its welcoming skills.

Stained GlassRestoration Course

Learn the art of repair andrestoration with renowned stainedglass artist Michael Mezalick atFrankford Group Ministry, 4620Griscom St. , Philadelphia, PA 19124.Ten week course to be held Wednesdayevenings beginning September 14.Fee $300 plus cost of tools. Call 215744-2990, ext. 250 for more informa-tion.

www.epaumc.org

12 12 12 12 12 JULY/AUGUST 2005

ClassifiedsClassifiedsClassifiedsClassifiedsClassifiedsDIRECTOR OF CAMPING ANDNURTURE MINISTRIESDirector of Camping and NurtureMinistries - The Eastern PennsylvaniaConference of The United MethodistChurch. The position reports directlyto the Conference Executive Directorof Conference Resourcing/Director ofConnectional Ministries, and operatesout of the conference office in ValleyForge. Primary responsibilitiesinclude overseeing at $2.7 milliondollar Conference-wide Christiancamping and retreat program. Thereare additional responsibilities in theguidance and consultation of age-levelministries. A full ministry descriptioncan be obtained by calling the Confer-ence Office at 1-800-828-9093. Minimumrequirements for this position are abachelor’s degree or equivalent from afour year college or graduate schoolwith experience and/or training incamp and retreat ministries. Equiva-lent experience in an administrative/managerial field for a minimum of fiveyears will be considered. Extensivetravel throughout the Conference isrequired. Salary will be determinedbased upon experience and educationalbackground. Applications will be

Join Bishop Marcus and Mrs.Barbara Matthews in anextraordinary travel opportunityopen to members of The PhiladelphiaArea, their families, and friends.

In cooperation with Educational Opportunities, we are offering a 7-dayAlaska Scenic Cruise aboard Holland America’s Oosterdam cruise shipdeparting Seattle, Washington, May 20, 2006.

During the cruise you will develop a profound understanding of the beauty ofGod’s creation through the awesome Alaskan scenery. Our theme will be “God’sGlory in Creation.” Scripture will come alive in special devotions, which will helpprepare us spiritually for seeing the sites on the itinerary.

You will also enjoy the following benefits:* Share in scriptural growth as we worship, sing, pray, and commune

together * Discover your natural leadership potential as a servant of Christ* Develop a new awareness of stewardship of God’s Creation* Create new and lasting friendships among laity and pastorsThe District Superintendents from both Annual Conferences will serve as

our spiritual leaders and guides for this cruise program. The Deans of theConference Cabinets will serve as Coordinator and Program Director.

Experience the beauty of God’s creation on this memorable Alaskan cruise.Contact Educational Opportunities at 863-648-0383, ext 407 for more details or callthe Conference Office at 800-828-9093 for a brochure.

Pampered guests will enjoy unsurpassed, stylish comfort on the ms Oosterdam withinternet/email data ports in every stateroom, expanded spa facilities and three spar-kling pools.

WWWWWelcomeelcomeelcomeelcomeelcomeAboard!Aboard!Aboard!Aboard!Aboard!

accepted until the position is filled.Anticipated start date is October 1,2005. Interested candidates should senda letter of intent, resume and salaryhistory to the Office of the ExecutiveDirector of Conference Resourcing/Director of Connectional Ministries,PO Box 820, Valley Forge, PA 19482.

CAMPUS MINISTERThe Wesley Foundation of Philadel-phia is looking for a United Methodistto fill the full-time position of campusminister for Drexel University’sAsbury Protestant Ministry. Locatedat Drexel’s main campus, The AsburyMinistry is poised for incrediblegrowth seeking to integrate faith,spirituality and values with studentexperiences on or around campus.The chosen candidate will workclosely with the non-profit corpora-tion known as the Asbury ProtestantMinistries of the Wesley Foundationof Philadelphia. The campus ministerwill communicate regularly with theboard members and work closely withits various committees as the Boarddirects, will actively facilitate theBoard’s direction, vision, mission,recruitment, and funding, and willcoordinate meetings. We are lookingfor a United Methodist with ministe-rial experience in working with young

adults, a passion for impacting livesthrough worship and teaching, and avision for Drexel’s campus. The campus minister would provide pasto-ral care, ministerial presence, pro-grams and services to students &faculty at Drexel University. He/Shewould be responsible for mobilizingstudents to participate, get con-nected, and practice spiritual disci-plines. If you are a self-starter with aheart for challenging and inspiringstudent ministry and meet the qualifi-cations, then please submit yourresume to Moses Kumar, Treasurer/Executive Director AdministrativeMinistries, Eastern PennsylvaniaConference of The United MethodistChurch, PO Box 820, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0820; moses.kumar@epaumc.orgor 1-800-828-9093, ext. 209.

YOUTH MINISTER (PT)Stroudsburg United MethodistChurch is seeking a part-time YouthMinister to lead youth in grades 7 - 12. The program is aimed at meeting thespiritual, social and emotional needsof youth in the church and commu-nity. Full position description can beacquired by calling StroudsburgUnited Methodist Church at 570-421-6020 or contacting the church atsumc@stroudsburgumc.com. Inter-ested candidates should send resumesto Stroudsburg United MethodistChurch.

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC (PT)St. Matthew’s UMC of Valley Forge,located in Wayne, PA, seeks a part-time Director of Music to lead a Chan-cel Choir, a Children’s Choir, and aBell Choir. The Chancel Choir per-forms every Sunday; the Children’sChoir performs once a month; and the

Bell Choir per forms every 4-6 weeksfrom September through May. TheDirector of Music is also responsiblefor arranging special music for wor-ship in the summer months. A moredetailed job description is available.Resumes may be sent to St. Matthew’sUMC of Valley Forge, 600 Walker Roadin Wayne, PA 19087 or emailed topastor@stmatthewsvf.org.

ORGANISTSt. Andrew United Methodist Church,New Berlinville, PA is searching for anorganist for a traditional service. Thisperson would accompany the choiralso. This is a part-time position, avail-able immediately. Contact the churchat 610-367-7043.

MUSIC COORDINATORThe Stroudsburg United MethodistChurch is seeking a Music Coordina-tor. In addition to directing the choir,the Music Coordinator will help plan,organize and execute the total musicprogram for the church year. Fullposition description can be acquired bycalling the Stroudsburg United Meth-odist Church at 570-421-6020 or contact-ing the church atsumc@stroudsburgumc.com.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTPosition available in the GermantownArea! Church Administrative Assis-tant, full-time, with basic understand-ing of Windows XP, Microsoft Word,Publisher, Excel, Access, and WordPerfect. Must have excellent telephonecommunications and interpersonalskills. Starting salary $24,000 withbenefits. Mail resumes to JanesMemorial UMC, PO Box 44017, Phila-delphia , PA or fax to 215-843-5355.

By Rene A. Perez

Every year duringthe 4th of July week,The Latino Minis-tries of our Confer-ence hold theirLatino Camp weekat Gretna Glencamp. This yearmore than 100 chil-dren and youthcelebrated on theirlast day their an-nual talent showand showed off theirtalents by worship-ping God.

Although the camp is heavily at-tended by the children and youth ofthe Latino churches, some of thecampers are also from the differentcommunities of Philadelphia, Allen-town, Lancaster, Columbia, Lebanonand Reading. For some of the Latinocongregations, camp has become auseful tool to reach children andyouth of their communties. Laity andpastors worked together to make surethat this was a place of fun for thecampers and a place where God wascentral to their experience.

Latino camp week - it’s thebomb!

Under the leadership of Pastor Jose(Ricky) Ayala of Columbia UnitedMethodist Church, the Latino camphas taken new life and has become anew adventure for the Latino congre-gations of our Conference. Thanks toall the laity and pastors who servedduring this week, and to the staff atGretna Glen.

The Rev. René A. Pérez is the EPAdirector of Outreach and ChurchMultiplication and Latino Ministries.