By James V. Heidinger II,
President and Publisher
GOOD NEWS PERSPECTIVE – No. 9, December 17, 2007
Welcome to this issue of Perspective, Good News’ e-mail newsletter sent out every two weeks to United Methodists across the nation. We hope you find it helpful and informative. If you do, forward it to family, friends, or persons in your local church who might be interested in receiving it. The e-mail is free. To subscribe, send your e-mail address to: perspective@goodnewsmag.org. E-mail addresses will not be sold or shared.
LEADERS SEEK WAYS TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE HEAR CALL TO MINISTRY – In recent months, United Methodists have learned some sobering statistics. The number of ordained elders under the age of 35 has declined from 3,219 in 1985 to only 850 in 2005. Saying it another way, young elders as a percentage of all UM elders dropped from 15.05 percent in 1985 to just 4.69 percent in 2005.
This is a time when all of us should be praying that our brightest and best young people might meet Christ in a personal and life-changing way, become mature disciples, and hear His call on their lives for full-time ministry, including ordained ministry. It is Good News’ conviction that we need young people who are sensing God’s “call” on their lives to enter the ministry, rather than the church “recruiting” persons for ministry to meet its pastoral needs. Fortunately, there is increasingly more talk these days of “hearing God’s call” (i.e. Exploration 2006) and this is a good sign.
Representatives from 13 annual conferences gathered October 28-30 in Dallas, Texas, to share what works and to map strategies for assisting young people who are called to ordained ministry. Participants came from annual conferences that are already engaging in some of the best practices for developing young clergy.
Seven of the 13 annual conferences experiencing some success
are from the Southeastern Jurisdiction, which has the most young elders—42
percent of the total! For the full story about the initiative of these 13
conferences, see Linda Green’s UMNS article at: http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?
c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2433457&ct=4703173
CLAREMONT SEMINARY LOSES, THEN REGAINS, ACCREDITATION – A United Methodist theological school that lost and regained its accreditation this year has until February 2008 to show that it can operate within its budget and a new business plan.
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges meeting in November reversed its decision to terminate the accreditation of Claremont ( California) School of Theology and placed the seminary on “Show Cause” status. The association’s accrediting commission for senior colleges and universities had decided at a June 22-23 meeting to terminate Claremont’s accreditation effective August 10, 2007.
At a November 8-9 meeting, the commission considered a review of its decision which was filed by Claremont’s leadership, and withdrew its action to terminate the seminary’s accreditation.
While acknowledging that the school is out of compliance with a number of accreditation standards, the commission acted to allow the new leadership of the school the period until the February 21-22, 2008 meeting of the commission to demonstrate that it has fully met the WAC Accreditation Standards,” the association said.
For the full UMNS report by Linda Green, go to: http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.2286559/k.6C82/
Claremont_seminary_loses_regains_accreditation.htm
UNITY COMMISSION DEALS WITH MAJOR CHANGES IN ECUMENICAL WORLD – This was not just your ordinary fall meeting of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (GCCUIC) when it met in Birmingham December 4-6.
For starters, the Commission dismissed its General Secretary, the Rev. Larry Pickens, who was not re-elected for 2008. Bishop Albert “Fritz” Mutti has been appointed as the commission’s interim leader. (This is the second major UM agency head not to be re-hired. At the fall meeting of the General Board of Global Ministries, its chief head, Rev. Randy Day, was not re-hired.)
After the vote in the commission meeting not to re-hire Pickens, three members from the historic African-American Methodist Churches—the African Methodist Episcopal (AME), the AME Zion, and the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) —unhappy with the process used in Pickens’ dismissal, left the meeting.
The Commission also expressed concerns about the health of the National Council of Churches, which is undergoing another round of staff reductions and restructuring because of budget deficits due to decreased financial support from a number of denominational members.
The focus and future of Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) was also discussed. When the Consultation on Church Union (COCU) was reformed in 2002 to become CUIC, the nine member denominations identified “eliminating racism” as their top moral agenda item. However, the African Methodist Episcopal and AME Zion Churches have pulled out of Churches Uniting in Christ, noting concerns that participants in CUIC have changed the major focus from eradicating racism to finding agreement on the issue of historic episcopate (the belief in an unbroken line of bishops back to the earliest days of the Christian Church).
United Methodists will also be considering our involvement with Christian Churches Together, a new ecumenical group of which the United Methodist Church is currently a provisional member. Again, the AME Church and AME Zion Church have chosen not to join Christian Churches Together.
There is more in this fascinating UMNS report by Linda
Bloom. For her full story, go to: http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?
c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2433457&ct=4780951
CONGRESS ON EVANGELISM 2008 SET FOR JANUARY 2-5 – A great way to begin the New Year would be to join hundreds of other United Methodists for the Congress on Evangelism 2008 Conference set for Savannah, Georgia, January 2-5, 2008.
With the theme “Spirit of Faith Come Down,” the Congress will focus on the great contribution of Charles Wesley’s hymnody to world Methodism. The Congress is sponsored by the Council on Evangelism, the Foundation for Evangelism, and the General Board of Discipleship.
For more information on the Congress’s outstanding program, speakers, and workshop leaders, go to www.CongressOnEvangelism.org.
HOW TO START A PRAYER ROOM IN YOUR CHURCH – Between now and General Conference next April, we will be talking much about the church being at prayer on behalf of that critically important legislative gathering. We will be urging folks to make a commitment to regular prayer on behalf of the delegates and other leaders who will assemble there in Ft. Worth.
Pastor Jim Leggett wrote an excellent article for Good News magazine on starting a prayer room in your church. This is worth reading again, especially as we are making preparations for General Conference. You will appreciate Jim Leggett’s practical article, which outlines clearly the six-steps he took in establishing a prayer room, which increased the prayer focus of his entire congregation. To read his article, go to: http://www.goodnewsmag.org/library/articles/leggett-jf96.htm
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