logo

News

World Methodism prioritizes
evangelism for future

At its most recent conference in July, delegates of the World Methodist Council meeting in Seoul, Korea, established evangelism as its worldwide priority for the next five years. Worldwide, Methodism is growing at more than one million persons per year, despite the fact that United Methodist membership in the United States is declining.

Dr. Maxie Dunnam, chairperson of the Evangelism Division of the World Methodist Council, reminded delegates that Methodism is the only world communion to have an evangelism division, a full-time director of evangelism, and an Evangelism Institute for extensive worldwide evangelism training.

Dunnam declared, "What World Evangelism is doing in leadership development, faith-sharing, and Connecting Congregations throughout the world Methodist movement is one of the most powerful dynamics in contemporary Christianity."

Dr. H. Eddie Fox, Director of Evangelism for the World Methodist Council, rallied the 2,500 Methodists from 71 countries at the Conference around the theme, "The Bells Are Ringing." He told the dramatic story of the bell in the Methodist Church in Varna, Bulgaria, which rang from the bell tower for seventy years before it was removed by the communist regime in the 1960s. Then, three brave young men, pretending to be workers, secretly moved the bell from the church grounds and buried it in a garden where it laid silent in its tomb for forty years.

The conference responded with applause when Fox declared, "Evil never has the last word! The bell was raised from its tomb and when a new church was erected in the heart of the city, the bell was placed in a new tower, in the highest point above the city skyline. The congregation would not ring the bell until the church was dedicated. Through World Methodist Evangelism, a family made a huge sacrifice to help finish the church on September 29, 2002 and the bell rang again!"

Fox then announced that Bulgarian Methodist Superintendent Bedros Altunian was one of the three youth who originally hid the bell and Fox introduced Altunian's son, Samuel, who was a delegate to the conference in Korea.

Fox's message resonated with the audience as he declared that the bell rang at creation, through the message of the prophets, in the songs of the Psalmist and, uniquely, in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He declared, "The bells are ringing around the world today through the power of the Holy Spirit."

Fox said, "The moment is urgent" and declared that it is "not God's intent that we should live in a world of violence, destruction, and war. We are called to ring the bell of salvation, healing, and hope in the world."

Fox carried the bell image throughout his presentation, sharing how the bell rings through the World Evangelism outreach, including:

. International Youth Conferences on Evangelism attended by more than 6,000 young people;

. EvangeMed (medical), EvangeBicy (bicycles), and EvangeBread (food) continued as ministries;

. Faith Sharing New Testaments distributed, some half-million copies in 38 languages;

. Connecting Congregations established on every continent since the ministry began in 1992;

. Training programs conducted for more than 6,000 leaders through the World Methodist Evangelism Institute;

. The 800 young pastors trained as members of the "Order of the FLAME (Faithful Leaders As Mission Evangelists) are committed to "doing the work of an evangelist and carrying out the ministry fully" (2 Timothy 4:5).

Fox reminded the delegates that they would have to make sacrifices if they were committed to the world evangelism mission, "'That the world may know Jesus Christ!' Our unity is in Christ Jesus, full of grace and truth." He indicated that, "There are parts of our movement which are in decline, and in denial, who are suffering from 'truth' decay." 

Referencing the song "If I Had a Hammer," he reminded delegates that the second verse begins, "If I had a bell." He concluded, "You have a bell, the name is Jesus, and we are called to be the bell ringers through word, deed, and sign in the world!"

At the conclusion of Fox's presentation, the meeting hall was filled with the sound and video images of Methodist church bells ringing. The entire conference stood with sustained applause and delegates received "bell labels" to attach to their official name tags as signs that they were "Bell ringers of the good news 'That the world may know Jesus Christ!'"

The "bell ringing" emphasis continued as many of the delegates gathered around the Peace Bell at the Korean Demilitarized Zone following Sunday worship services during the conference, declaring that the bell would ring in the name of Jesus Christ for all the people on the Korean peninsula. Dr. Fox and the new Chairperson of the Evangelism Division, Bishop Robert Fannin, joined with other delegates in that unique moment.

Adapted from Joan G. LaBarr's on-site reports from Seoul, Korea, through the United Methodist News Service coverage.

 

Methodist king of Tonga dies at age 88

Tonga's King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, a lay preacher in the Free Wesleyan Methodist Church, died September 10 at Mercy Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. Tupou, 88, had been critically ill for the previous two months, and had been receiving medical treatment in New Zealand since April.

"His Majesty King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was a great leader and witness in the Methodist movement," said the Rev. H. Eddie Fox, a United Methodist and director of evangelism for the World Methodist Council. "His passing is a loss, not only for his people, but for persons in the World Methodist movement."

For 41 years, Tupou served as monarch of the 169 Pacific islands that compose the Kingdom of Tonga. He ascended to the throne following the long reign of his mother, Queen Salote, also a well-known leader in the World Methodist movement.

Fox says that he has expressed condolences to Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho and to the Rev. Alifeleti Mone, the royal chaplain, a member of the World Methodist Council and president of the Methodist Church in Tonga.

Fox met King Topou on a 1977 visit to Tonga, and he visited the king and queen several times over the years. The royal family invited Fox and his wife, Mary Nell, to be its guests for the 2005 World Pentecost Celebration, where 5,000 Methodist Tongans gathered in the national stadium in Nukalofa.

The queen also wrote the Upper Room devotion for Pentecost 2005. "Because our country is located in the western Pacific Ocean near the international dateline, each new day on earth dawns first in Tonga," wrote Queen Mata'aho. "The 'Tongan Pentecost' transformed our land into a Christian nation. We became a missionary people, and we shared the good news of Jesus Christ with our island neighbors."

About 40 percent of the 108,000 Tonga people are members of the Free Wesleyan Church, according to a recent census.

Everyday life in Tonga is heavily influenced by traditional Christian practices. For example, all commerce and entertainment activities cease from midnight Saturday until midnight Sunday, and the constitution declares the Sabbath to be sacred forever.

The death of Tupou is described as a "big loss for the Tongan people" by the Rev. Kalatini Ahio of the First Tongan United Methodist Church in San Bruno, California. About 8,200 Tongans call the Bay Area home, according to the 2000 Census. "He means a lot to the local population," Ahio said.

Shortly after the death of his father, Crown Prince Tupouto, 58, took the oath of office from Tongan Chief Justice Anthony Ford to become King Taufa'ahau Tupou V. His coronation is likely to be in a year. That coronation will follow in the line of His Majesty King George Tupou I, who dedicated Tonga to Jesus Christ and established the national motto, "God and Tonga are my inheritance."

At age 14, King Tupou IV was one of Tonga's top athletes. He could pole-vault more than 9 feet, played tennis, cricket, and rugby, and rowed competitively in a racing skiff. In the 1990s, he led his 108,000 people on a diet and exercise regime aimed at cutting the levels of fat in a nation where coconut flesh and mutton flaps are dietary staples. From a weight listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the heaviest for any monarch-462 pounds-the king shed around 154 pounds.

United Methodist News Service

 

Sudan relief continues during
uncertain period

by Linda Bloom

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) work is continuing in Sudan, despite uncertainty over security in the near future. Safety has only become a concern in the past two months in the areas of the south where UMCOR operates, according to Jane Ohuma, head of mission in the region, during a visit to the agency's New York headquarters. The heavy presence of the military, both on the ground and in the air, has curtailed the movement of all nongovernmental organization staff. Ohuma said that the agency takes basic safety precautions and relies on national staff for access and information.

Concerns about security were partly alleviated September 20, when African Union President Blaise Comparoré announced that the AU peacekeeping mission in Sudan would be extended until December 31. The news followed a meeting of AU Peace and Security Council members.

The peacekeeping mission's mandate was set to expire September 30. United Nations officials had forecast that if the African Union's 7,000 troops pulled out of Sudan's troubled Darfur region, access by humanitarian workers would drastically deteriorate and more civilians could be killed in areas that aid workers can't reach, according to Reuters news service.

Some 2.5 million already have been driven from their homes because of the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

At the United Nations on September 19, U.S. President George Bush called on that body to take action on Darfur, while Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Sudan's president, said he would not accept a U.N. peacekeeping force.

UMCOR, which has offices in Khartoum, South Sudan, and South Darfur, has received major support for its Sudan work from the Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio.

The relief agency and other organizations closed their South Darfur offices in El Daein one day in September during demonstrations in which American-based agencies and those connected with the United Nations were rumored to be targets, but nothing happened, Ohuma reported. "Our staff is still going out," she added. "Our programs are still running as usual."

The agricultural program, based in the El Daein region of South Darfur, gathered seeds repaid by farmers and distributed them this year "to benefit additional farmers." The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization also provided seeds and tools to the program and funded a pasture rehabilitation project.

UMCOR continues to run its reception center in El Ferdous for those coming to settlements and camps in South Darfur, although the number of internally displaced people arriving has decreased, according to Ohuma. The center also "is suffering from lack of funds" and has few shelter materials, blankets, or cooking utensils to distribute to newly arriving families.

Ohuma said that the education program funded by Ginghamsburg UM Church, focusing on child development and protection, is "running quite well" and will benefit about 15,000 children. UNICEF is providing a complimentary program. A food distribution project with the U.N. World Food Program also benefits about 50,000 people a month.

UMCOR works in both rebel-held and government-held territories in South Darfur, which is why it can sometimes maintain programs when other organizations can't. "If one side is inaccessible, we still have the other side to continue our program," Ohuma explained.

One of the biggest challenges is the need for water. She has drawn money from other programs to help meet this need. "To see a grown man shedding tears just at the sight of water-you feel you have done something," she said.

More funding is needed for UMCOR's projects in Sudan, according to Ohuma. Donations for "Sudan Emergency," Advance No. 184385, can be dropped in church collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. To make a credit card donation, call 1-800-554-8583.

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

 

'Created by God' program targets
pre-teens and parents

by Jan Snider

The fifth- and sixth-graders filing into the church classroom have the enthusiasm of a slew of sloths. After all, their parents have insisted that they spend the weekend learning about, of all things, sex. Well, not sex exactly, but pending puberty and the physical and emotional changes these pre-teens are beginning to experience.

As they roll their eyes and fluff the pillows they've brought from home, the kids settle on the floor to hear what the Rev. James Ritchie has to say. He is an ordained United Methodist minister and author of the "Created by God" sex education curriculum. Designed under the auspices of the United Methodist Publishing House, the program is a comprehensive look at human sexuality coupled with a faith foundation.

Ritchie picks up his guitar and begins singing about "he-bodies" and "she-bodies" as he lyrically affirms that we are all "wonderful, marvelous, glorious" creations of God. After the song, he holds up the kids' self-portraits depicting their facial expressions when their parents told them they would spend the next three days involved in the course.

 "I have the kids draw a picture of what their face looked like when they first found out they were going to be taking part in a study," he says. "It is a great cathartic experience for the kids. They get all their feelings out about not wanting to be there, the basketball games, the soccer games they're missing, the birthday parties, whatever, or just their basic resistance."

But somewhere amid the songs, the artwork, and the get-to-know-you exercises, it finally occurs to his audience that this classroom isn't like anything in school. "Created by God" is an opportunity for the kids to open the door to communicating about their sexuality.

Ritchie travels the country acting as a facilitator at churches. Group leaders are recruited at the local level to help. While the study is available for a church to present on its own, Ritchie says congregations often opt to have him come in to discuss this sensitive material. "Churches are more comfortable bringing in an outside resource person to do that," he says.

The kids call him "Dr. J," a nickname that began at his local church in Pennsylvania. "I have found that when I put on my 'Dr. J.' nametag, it's like putting on your superhero suit," Ritchie explains. "I can answer any question the kids ask."

Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, hosts the seminar once every two years. "The greatest benefit of offering the 'Created by God' study is that it opens the door for communication between children and their parents," explains Rebecca Griffith, director of children's ministries.

On the first evening of the study, Ritchie exposes the parents to some of the material their children will cover. He begins by handing out cards with anatomical terms. Within minutes, the grown-ups whisper among themselves and laugh nervously. The words are more often spoken by physicians than in passing conversation.

The vocabulary is necessary to connect the parents and kids to the conversation. "Parents and kids are saying words that have never come across their lips before," Ritchie says. "All of a sudden they have the communication tools, they've had this experience, they have a common vocabulary to work from."

Laughter is essential in situations like this, he says. "It's not because we're trivializing the whole issue of God's gift of sexuality, but it's because it's just sort of the way we're wired. It's one of those things that helps us get beyond it."

During the study, kids are given the freedom to ask any question they want by putting their queries on index cards and leaving them in Ritchie's "question box." There's no limit to the number of cards they can insert.

Their curiosity ranges from, "Why does it hurt to get kicked in the groin," to more weighty inquiries like, "How can I be popular and not have sex?"

Kids often ask for definitions to particular slang terms, and Ritchie has no qualms about using those and connecting additional street language to their queries. He then introduces the correct vocabulary and discusses the meanings and implications.

"They feel like they're safe and respected, and in that context they're willing to ask, and excited about asking, all of the questions they have. And they have a lot of them," he says. "There are times when kids ask questions for which there is no answer. And sometimes, the response is, 'This is one of those things you need to talk to your parents about.'"

The boys and girls take the course together. Boys ask questions about girls and vice versa. Ritchie directs the kids to be sensitive to the other sex about their changing bodies and not to tease one another.


Intimacy and abstinence
Griffith says her youth were initially upset and nervous about being involved. "They were also extremely embarrassed that they were in mixed company to discuss the dreaded anatomy and puberty. By the second day, the kids were much more comfortable saying the terms and talking with the adult facilitators."

By the end of the study, Ritchie has stressed the importance of waiting to have sexual relations until marriage, the wisdom of dating in groups, the celebration of one's own body, its rate of development, and the need to continue dialogue with parents and trusted individuals.

Most importantly, he emphasizes intimacy. Intimacy with God is primary. "I tell the kids I hope that some day you'll find that person with whom you have the deepest form of intimacy," Ritchie says. "It takes somebody who is really committed and earnest to develop an (intimate) relationship."

During his spiel, Ritchie pauses. The children get quiet. Then, with deliberate delivery, he introduces the term, "abstinence." He explains what it is and why it makes sense.

Parents whose children have gone through the study have reported to him that the "wait until marriage" message hit home. Ritchie recalls a father approaching him four years after his son went through the program. "He said, 'My son says that his whole value system around sexuality he traces back to his involvement in 'Created by God.''"

By the middle of the second day, the kids are absorbing the information eagerly. All of a sudden, they are "in on" what all that sex stuff is about. They still act like kids, and the new discoveries don't seem to have unhinged anyone.

When parents are reintroduced to the seminar on the third day, they approach the subject matter more gingerly than their children. The tweens perform skits and then break off into groups consisting of them and other kids' parents. They participate in a communication-building exercise that invariably concludes with laughter and excitement.

Finally, the parents sit individually with their own children in the classroom. Ritchie calls out subjects for them to discuss. He might ask the parents and kids to briefly discuss guidelines and rules for using the Internet, or have them talk about the best way to let a boy or girl know that they are attracted to them.

Over the weekend, things have changed. "There's a lot of growing up on the part of everybody," Ritchie says.

This method of addressing human sexuality is not embraced by many churches, but Griffith is a staunch advocate of the study.

"What other place than church are we supposed to come together and discuss the difficult subjects in life?" she asks. "Church is one of the foundational places in which children learn about who they are and how they fit into the world. It is imperative that children learn that they are part of God's creation, and as part of creation, they are created to be sexual beings."

Ritchie says his work allows him the opportunity to respond to a clear calling of the United Methodist Church. He explains that the church's Social Principles outline a commitment to children.

"We are responsible for being advocates, making sure that children have access-actually that all ages have access-to education related to human sexuality," he says. "And so, I think it really is responding to what's in the Book of Discipline, telling us that this is what we should be doing as United Methodists."

Jan Snider is a producer for United Methodist News Service in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

Boy Scouts do good deeds for hurricane victims

by John Gordon

Their red shirts and caps say SEMA, but they are not to be confused with staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a federal organization that has been criticized for its sluggish response to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

SEMA stands for Scouting Emergency Management Assistance, a title coined by Boy Scout Troop 566, sponsored by Trinity United Methodist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia.

"We've come here seven times now," said Michael Hilton, 13, a member of the Georgia troop that rebuilds homes on the Mississippi Gulf coast.

SEMA's latest project was to repair homes in D'Iberville, Mississippi, and to deliver $5,000 worth of equipment to the Waveland, Mississippi, Fire Department.

In D'Iberville, the Scouts are familiar faces at a tent city that has housed more than 4,000 volunteers who have contributed more than 160,000 hours to the recovery effort. The Scouts tore down walls in a house damaged by floodwaters and mowed the grass for another homeowner.

The troop also put up insulation in a home being built by Russell Baygents. "Right after the storm, I had enough money to build this house," said Baygents. "But as prices went so high, now I don't have enough money to build this house. And if I don't have some volunteers to help me some, then I'm not going to be able to finish it."

After working in D'Iberville, the troop delivered tools, equipment, office supplies, furniture, and bottled water to the Waveland Fire Department, located some 40 miles away. The gift of bottled water was appreciated since Waveland residents are still unsure about the safety of the municipal supply. Waveland's downtown fire station, the post office, and other businesses were swept away by the storm surge.

The troop also gave the fire fighters a lawn mower and a weed cutter to trim around overgrown fire hydrants. "When you're faced with what you're faced with, some people just want to give up," said Mike Smith, Waveland's assistant fire chief. He said a lot of groups "have come along to give all of us hope to rebuild." He expressed appreciation to the Scouts and called their efforts "incredible."

 "These items would have taken awhile for us to regain them again, because of the magnitude of the storm and the financial situation that we're in," he said.

"We're helping out people and that's just what Scouts do," said 11-year-old Patrick Nakayama.

The Scouts spent several weeks collecting donations from friends and businesses before loading up two trailers and making the seven-hour trip to Mississippi. Many have been shocked to see the devastation first-hand.

"When I first came here, it made me cry," said Clifford Aungst, 12. "I mean, they had nothing there on the slab. They just had nothing."

Ben Leon, 13, said the values he learned in the scouting program led him to volunteer for the Mississippi trip. "You just know you're doing a good thing. It makes you feel good," he said. "It's just my duty."

Also on the trip was John Bishop, 19, a former scout who is now one of the troop's leaders. "They need a lot of help," said Bishop. "They are very grateful for every minute that you help them."

Billy Miller, assistant scoutmaster, said D'Iberville residents and Waveland firefighters were not the only ones helped by the outreach. He said the troop is planning more trips to help Gulf coast residents.

"I think it's changed all their lives," Miller said. "I have brought several boys down here, and I've never taken one back. They've all gone back as young men."

John Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas. Distributed by United Methodist News Service.



Click here to send your response plus the title of this article to us at Good News.

Good News | 308 East Main St. | P.O. Box 150 | Wilmore, KY 40390 | 859-858-4661 | 1-800-487-7784
info@goodnewsmag.org | About Us | ©2007 Good News magazine