Council of Bishops Names 32 Commission Members

The following is a press release from UMCOM: 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2016

Council of Bishops Names 32 Commission Members

Washington, D.C. - The United Methodist Council of Bishops has announced the membership of the Commission on a Way Forward.

"After three months of diligent and prayerful discernment, we have selected 8 bishops, 11 laity, 12 elders and 1 deacon to serve on the Commission," said Bishop Bruce R. Ough, president of the Council of Bishops. "This group is representative of our theological diversity."

Ough said the makeup of the 32-member commission is roughly comparable to U.S. and Central Conference membership. 

All of the members of the Commission have already indicated their willingness and availability to serve. The team of moderators --  Bishop Ken Carter, Bishop Sandra Steiner-Ball and Bishop David Yemba -- will soon convene the Commission to begin to organize their work and finalize their meeting schedule.

The Commission's mission is to  "bring together persons deeply committed to the future(s) of The United Methodist Church, with an openness to developing new relationships with each other and exploring the potential future(s) of our denomination in light of General Conference and subsequent annual, jurisdictional and central conference actions." 

The 2016 General Conference gave a specific mandate to the Council of Bishops to lead The United Methodist Church in discerning and proposing a way forward through the present impasse related to human sexuality and the consequent questions about unity and covenant. 

The Commission is a group appointed by the Council of Bishops to assist the Council in fulfilling this mandate. As such, the Council has appointed bishops from across the global connection to serve on the Commission alongside laity and clergy. While clergy and laity will vote at a General Conference on these matters, the bishops have the responsibility to lead the church. Thus, the Commission is designed to inform the Council’s leadership of the General Conference. After hearing concerns that the proposed composition did not include enough laity, three additional laypersons were added from the original pool of more than 300 nominees.

At their fall meeting (October 30 – November 2), the Council will make a decision about a called General Conference and will review a plan to conduct additional and complementary work in annual conferences designed to broaden the conversation with hundreds of lay and clergy members.

The members of the Commission are:

MEMBERSHIP

Jorge Acevedo
USA, Florida, elder, male

Brian Adkins
USA, California, elder, male

Jacques Umembudi Akasa
Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, laity, male

Tom Berlin
USA, Virginia, elder, male

Matt Berryman
USA, Illinois, laity, male

Helen Cunanan
Philippines, elder, female

David Field
Europe, Switzerland, laity, male

Ciriaco Francisco
Philippines, bishop, male

Grant Hagiya
USA, California, bishop, male

Aka Dago-Akribi Hortense
Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, laity, female

Scott Johnson
USA, New York, laity, male

Jessica Lagrone
USA, Kentucky, elder, female 

Thomas Lambrecht
USA, Texas, elder, male

Myungae Kim Lee
USA, New York, laity, female

Julie Hager Love
USA, Kentucky, deacon, female

Mazvita Machinga
Africa, Zimbabwe, laity, female

Patricia Miller
USA, Indiana, laity, female

Mande Guy Muyombo
Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, elder, male

Eben Nhiwatiwa
Africa, Zimbabwe, bishop, male

Dave Nuckols
USA, Minnesota, laity, male

Casey Langley Orr
USA, Texas, elder, female 

Gregory Palmer
USA, Ohio, bishop, male

Donna Pritchard
USA, Oregon, elder, female

Tom Salsgiver
USA, Pennsylvania, elder, male 

Robert Schnase
USA, Texas, bishop, male

Jasmine Rose Smothers
USA, Georgia, elder, female

Leah Taylor
USA, Texas, laity, female

Deborah Wallace-Padgett
USA, Alabama, bishop, female

Rosemarie Wenner
Europe, Germany, bishop, female

Alice Williams
USA, Florida, laity, female

John Wesley Yohanna
Africa, Nigeria, bishop, male

Alfiado S. Zunguza
Africa, Mozambique, elder, male

MODERATORS

Sandra Steiner Ball
USA, West Virginia, bishop, female

Kenneth Carter
USA, Florida, bishop, male

David Yemba
Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, bishop, male

Rio Texas Introduces New Project Transformation Associate Director

Kercida McClain will start her position as Assoc. Director of Project Transformation–Rio Texas on Nov. 15

We are excited to announce that Kercida McClain has accepted the position of Associate Director of Project Transformation–Rio Texas. She is currently the Director of Christian Education at Laurel Heights UMC in San Antonio and has served on the Project Transformation Advisory Board. She is one the lead champions of PT Rio Texas and has been since its inception.

Project Transformation already had two successful summers of connecting churches to communities. Project Transformation focuses on the three c’s: college, churches and children. 97 percent of PT participants at Rio Texas churches maintained or improved their reading levels. Click Here to learn more about Project Transformation.

This transition is exciting because Mrs. McClain’s past experience includes leading the new Rio Texas Children’s Initiative “Open the Umbrella.” The initiative was adopted by the Uniting Table and introduced at the 2016 gathering of the annual conference. It recommends that each congregation focus on how to best meet the needs of children in their church and neighborhood.

Rev. Laura Merrill, Executive Director of the Rio Texas Mission Vitality Center said, “Kercida’s presence on the Project Transformation team begins to align the work of PT with the overall vision of the Children’s Initiative."

Kercida begins her new position on November 15th.

Conference Leaders Elected to Serve on Wespath Board of Directors

Left to right: Teresa Keese, Bishop Robert Schnase, Wespath General Secretary and CEO Barbara Boigegrain

Two conference leaders were elected to serve on the new Wespath Benefits and Investments Board of Directors at their Sept. 7-9 meeting in Glenview, Ill. Bishop Robert Schnase will serve as Chair of the Wespath Board of Directors from 2016-2020. Teresa Keese was re-elected to serve on the board by the General Conference.  

Wespath, formerly known as the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, will have 32 members on the board. All were elected by either the Council of Bishops, General Conference or a Jurisdictional conference.

According to a press release, Wespath, “which has been in existence for more than 100 years, focuses on ‘caring for those who serve’ by providing benefits and investment services that enable over 100,000 clergy and lay workers to be secure during life’s transitions. 

Bishop Robert Schnase reflected on his election with the following statement:

"I count it a rich privilege to be invited to serve with the Wespath Board of Directors, formerly the Board of Pensions.   The Wespath staff are excellent, the mission clear, and the responsibilities immense.   Wespath provides for the financial security of over 92,000 clergy, lay church workers, and their surviving family members in the US and for another 8,000 clergy in conferences around the world, and they do so with excellence, with compassion, and with a conscientious commitment to the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church.  I look forward to working with General Secretary and CEO Barbara Boigegrain and Wespath Board of Directors during these next four years.”

Teresa Keese expressed her re-election with the following statement:

“I am thrilled to have Bishop Schnase serve as Chair of the Wespath Board of Directors this next quadrennium.  His leadership these past four years as Vice Chair has been essential in helping us have the larger conversations and keep a critical focus on the mission and needs of the church in all that we do.  He has the ideal gifts and talents needed to guide this important organization in managing the health and pension plans along with $21 billion in church assets.  Under Bishop Schnase’s expert leadership, Wespath will help lead our denomination into a brighter and more hopeful future of making disciples of Jesus Christ through caring for those who serve.” 

New national advertising messages and local church outreach tools offer opportunities for connection

The following is a press release from UMCOM:

United Methodist Communications
Office of Public Information
umcpresscenter.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2016

Nashville, Tennessee: The United Methodist Church launched a four-part advertising series across the U.S. this week, offering an invitation for seekers to connect with local churches. The ads are present on television, billboards, digital platforms and mobile devices.

The first set of ads, running now through mid-October, highlights the church’s role in disaster response and the importance of staying involved in recovery efforts until they are complete. The next two series of ads will focus on the denomination’s work in education and hunger relief.

“This campaign is an opportunity to tell the story of the good work that is happening throughout The United Methodist Church,” said Jennifer Rodia, chief communications officer at United Methodist Communications. “We hope that people will see these ads and gain a sense of how United Methodist churches offer opportunities to connect with their community and grow in their faith.”

In December, the campaign will shift to the Advent theme of finding the true meaning of Christmas: lending a hand to a neighbor in need, encouraging joy in the lives of others, and giving the gifts of time and care.

Local churches can take part in the campaign during the Advent season by utilizing customizable outreach tools, available in English and Spanish, which carry the national advertising message.

Resources available at UMCom.org/advent include:

• Up to 10,000 direct mail postcards for which churches only pay the mailing and postage costs
• Free door hangers and invitation cards
• Indoor and outdoor welcome banners and signs
• A free downloadable resource package, which includes videos, worship and social media graphics, and a printable bulletin cover, door hanger, postcard and invitation card

The national campaign is part of the Rethink Church ministry of The United Methodist Church, a movement to encourage local church congregations to look outside of their four walls, identifying needs in the community and then rising to meet them.

###

About United Methodist Communications
As the communications agency for The United Methodist Church, United Methodist Communications seeks to increase awareness and visibility of the denomination in communities and nations around the globe. The Rethink Church initiative highlights the many opportunities available within United Methodist churches to engage with the world – from literacy programs to feeding the poor. At RethinkChurch.org, visitors may interact, learn more about the church, and search for involvement opportunities.

Media Contact:
Laura Buchanan
lbuchanan@umcom.org
615.742.5413

Rio Texas at Global United Methodist Clergywomen Gathering

View fullsize

The following is an article written by Rev. Linda Montgomery: 

A gathering of Clergywomen from all over the world was held in Houston August 29-31.  About 450 clergywomen participated.  The Rio Texas Conference was well represented at the Global UM Clergywomen Gathering.  The gathering celebrated 60 years of Ordination to Full Connection of women as well as the 20 years ordaining Deacons to Full Connection.

Throughout the gathering, we heard stories from all over the world (and of course the nation) of how women in ministry are making disciples and transforming the world.  We also heard the stories of those places where women have to struggle to be heard because they are not accepted as pastors.  We discussed all kinds of discrimination both nationally and internationally.  And while we could celebrate progress, justice for all people continues to top the list of issues that desperately needs transformation. 

We, of course, were proud of the fact that included in leadership were two clergywomen of whom we can be especially proud.  The Rev. Dr. Kim Cape from Rio Texas is General Secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry sponsored the gathering.  Also present was Bishop Janice Huie who is “ours” and was participating in her last days as a bishop before retirement began on September 1. 
 
The Rio Texas Conference helped sponsor the event.  We also made it possible for a clergywoman from another part of the world to attend.  As a sponsor, we had a short time to tell those gathered about our new Annual Conference with our multi-cultural, multi-lingual ministry.  

Thank you to the office of Leadership Vitality for its work on our behalf to make sure Rio Texas was not only represented but helped make the gathering possible.  

Council of Bishops Introduces "Praying Our Way Forward"

The following is a press release from umc.org: 

Nashville, Tenn.: As plans are underway for the establishment of a Commission on a Way Forward, the Council of Bishops is setting in motion a parallel prayer initiative called “Praying Our Way Forward.”

“We are a people of prayer and enjoin the entire church to fervently pray that the Holy Spirit will breakthrough and lead us into a future with hope,” said Bishop Bruce R. Ough, Council president, in a statement following a meeting of the executive committee in July.

Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett of the North Alabama Conference, who chairs the “Council Life Together” team, and Bishop Al Gwinn, who leads the prayer subcommittee of the Council of Bishops, were chosen to design and guide a complementary prayer component that involves the whole church. 

In the first phase of the endeavor, which has already begun and continues through mid-November, the bishops of the church were asked to pledge 15 minutes a day in prayer for the selection and initial work of the Commission on A Way Forward. 

Thus far, 84 resident and retired bishops have committed to pray for the work of the Commission for 15 minutes per day between now and mid-November.  This equals 1260 minutes/21 hours of prayer a day offered by bishops for the selection and initial efforts of the Commission. 

“This initiative provides an opportunity for every member of the Council of Bishops to participate in the important work of the Commission.  Our daily focused prayer is a way for us – individually and collectively – to actively seek God’s leadership at this critical juncture in the life of our church,” said Bishop Wallace-Padgett.

The entire church will be invited to take part during the second phase, the details of which will be announced in late September. The hashtag is #prayourwayforward.

Bishop Gwinn pointed to the success of the 131-day prayer observance for the 2016 General Conference as an indication of the willingness of church members to devote time to prayer for the church’s future.

“The people called United Methodists have always been a people who believe in the power of prayer,” said Bishop Gwinn. “Our recent 131 days of prayer for General Conference has reminded all of us that United Methodists have not lost their belief in calling out to God! So, it is only natural that we should include the whole family in special prayer as the Commission moves forward in its work!”

Members of the Commission on a Way Forward are expected to be named by the end of August, with a target date of October for the initial meeting. In November, the Council of Bishops will consider the matter of a called special session of the General Conference in 2018.

###

Media contact:
Diane Degnan ddegnan@umcom.org
615.742.5406 (o) 615.483.1765 (c)