United Methodist News ~ Thursday, 17 October 2013

United Methodist News ~ Thursday, 17 October 2013

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“Providing for retired pastors and spouses across the central conferences is the right thing to do and (the Board of Discipleship) is blessed to be able to contribute to this important fund.”(The Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.)

$25 million central conference pension goal reached

GLENVIEW, Ill. (UMNS) — The United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits announced Wednesday that the Central Conference Pension Initiative reached its $25 million challenge goal with a $217,000 “tithe” contribution from the Board of Discipleship board of directors. The initiative addressed the challenge to provide a long-term foundation for retirement security for dedicated pastors outside the United States who would otherwise have little or no pension support when they retire from ministry.

Central Conference Pension Initiative $25 Million Fundraising Goal Accomplished

For Immediate Release
October 16, 2013

Contact: M. Colette Nies, Managing Director, Communications
(847) 866-4296 or cnies@gbophb.org

Glenview, IL—The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB) today announced that the Central Conference Pension Initiative (CCPI) reached its $25 million challenge goal with a $217,000 “tithe” contribution from the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) board of directors, making it possible to retire the fundraising initiative once all pledged contributions are received.

Following the contribution confirmation, GBOD General Secretary Karen Greenwaldt said, "What an honor it is to contribute funds to the CCPI. Providing for retired pastors and spouses across the Central Conferences is the right thing to do and GBOD is blessed to be able to contribute to this important fund." GBPHB General Secretary Barbara Boigegrain commented, “We are so grateful to the thousands of individuals, local churches, conferences and others, and now the GBOD, who contributed over the years to make it possible for our United Methodist Church (UMC) clergy in the central conferences to also have hope for the future.”

All UMC Clergy Now Covered
The UMC central conferences are those outside the U.S. CCPI addressed the challenge to provide a long-term foundation for retirement security for dedicated pastors who would otherwise have little or no pension support when they retire from ministry. All clergy around the world, including every eligible central conference pastor, now have reliable pension support through their conference and/or government program. In January 2013, all central conferences seeking pension support through CCPI had met the necessary pension program start-up criteria. They now have their own pension programs approved and in place—two years ahead of schedule.

Boigegrain commended the efforts over the years of the CCPI team—Managing Director Dan O’Neill, Director Paul Dirdak, and Chief Financial Officer Tim Koch—for their active engagement, personal commitment and dedication to this special program. The CCPI-established pension plans today cover 2,839 retirees and surviving spouses, and more than 8,000 active pastors. Bishop Ben R. Chamness (retired), a member of the initial Central Conference Pension Committee, kicked-off and led the fundraising effort in 2007; he expressed his delight at this accomplishment: “It is truly a matter of justice that our central conference ministers have support in retirement when their careers in ministry end. This is a significant effort that now recognizes and rewards a life of service to the Lord.”

CCPI Background
CCPI began 13 years ago when GBPHB and the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) laid the groundwork for sustainable pensions for central conference retirees. General Conference 2000 focused the UMC on this need, launching an inter-agency task force led by Bishop Joe Pennel. As a result, General Conference 2004 amended The Book of Discipline and authorized GBPHB to raise the necessary funds to provide pension support to the central conferences that need it. Several agencies collaborated to provide support for the fledgling effort including United Methodist Publishing House, United Methodist Communications and General Council on Finance and Administration, in addition to GBGM and GBPHB.

Wespath Investment Management (a division of GBPHB) invests the contributions—the earning on which make the initial pension payments possible. Pension plans are different from charitable-giving programs, because ultimately, they are funded by contributions from local churches and the ministers themselves. Over time, the central conferences will grow and manage the pension program funding with contributions from their active pastors.

To date, $3.9 million has been disbursed, providing a financial foundation while giving central conferences time to build their own contribution base for future retirees. In this way, conference pension programs become self-sustaining over time.

It is important to remember that this significant achievement was realized during the most severe economic downturn in recent memory—a remarkable testament to a great Church and its generous members. Thousands of donations and pledges have been received and will continue to be taken—to date, 94% of pledges have been realized.

A Special Thanks to the U.S. Church from Rev. Francisco Ferreira
Reverend Francisco Ferreira is a retired pastor in East Angola—he has led 10 churches during his 41-year career in ministry. He typifies many ministers in the central conferences—he is putting his pension payment to use to secure his future. Since he has already replaced his roof, he now buys cement blocks every month to improve his house. They are stacked neatly in his yard—1,500 of the 4,000 he estimates he will need. In most of the African central conferences, the gift of sheets of zinc (the material used as roofing) is common at retirement—essentially giving the retired pastor a “roof over his or her head.” Through CCPI, the UMC now provides longer-lasting, ongoing support.

Reverend Ferreira expressed his appreciation to CCPI staff during one of their recent visits: “When I first retired in 2003, we did not receive any pension but I was able to grow my own food. Now, I am older and unable to grow my food, so I am very happy that pension payments started in 2010 and come every quarter to help me survive.” He wanted GBPHB to thank the UMC in America for sacrificing for the central conference retirees.

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About the General Board
The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB) is a not-for-profit administrative agency of The United Methodist Church, responsible for the general supervision and administration of the retirement, health and welfare benefit plans, programs and funds for more than 91,000 clergy and lay employees of the Church.

GBPHB is the largest faith-based pension fund in the United States and ranks among the top 100 pension funds in the country. As a socially responsible investor, GBPHB is actively involved in shareholder advocacy, proxy voting, portfolio screening and community investing.

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Wedding bells sound challenge for church (Kathy L. Gilbert)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (UMNS) — On Oct. 26, Joe Openshaw and Bobby Prince will participate in a holy ceremony officiated and blessed by United Methodist retired Bishop Melvin Talbert in the presence of their family and friends. The three are publicly defying the denomination's law book, which states marriage is only between a man and a woman and that no ordained United Methodist elder can officiate at a same-sex union. Openshaw and Prince say they feel that a holy wedding will “make their lives complete.”

Joe Openshaw, 59, and Bobby Prince, 54, met on a beach 12 years ago “and the rest is history.”

The two have been together through the ups and downs most couples face. When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional, Openshaw and Prince decided to go to the nation’s capital to be legally married.

For these two United Methodist men, the only thing missing from their love story is a holy ceremony officiated and blessed by a United Methodist pastor in the presence of their family and friends in Birmingham, Ala.

That day will come on Oct. 26, and retired United Methodist Bishop Melvin Talbert will officiate at their wedding.

Openshaw, Prince and Talbert are publicly defying the denomination’s law book, which states marriage is only between a man and a woman and that no ordained United Methodist elder can officiate at a same-sex union.

They do this knowing the consequences.

 “All my life I have been an outspoken person for justice. I just see this as a continuing effort on my part to be faithful to the gospel, to speak truth and to do it out of love,” Talbert said. “It is no more than what I did in 1960 when I sat in at a lunch counter and refused to obey the unjust law of segregation. It’s the same. The principal is the same.”

Openshaw and Prince know this opens them to criticism on what should be one of the happiest — and private — days of their lives. However they feel that a holy wedding will “make their lives complete.”

Their plans prompted the episcopal leader of the area, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, to issue a statement asking Talbert not to come to Alabama to disobey church law. She said she fears the distraction of the wedding will take focus away from the ministries going on in North Alabama United Methodist churches such as feeding the hungry, serving in ministry with the poor and welcoming all people to worship together.

“As a bishop of the United Methodist Church, I took a vow to abide by and uphold the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church,” she said. “I am also committed to continuing to focus those I lead on our mission, which is broader than any one issue. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” She declined to be interviewed for this story and stands by her statement.

Time to push

The same-sex wedding is taking place in one of the most conservative regions and jurisdictions of the church in the United States.

The North Alabama Annual (regional) Conference is in the Southeastern Jurisdiction, which includes Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Of the five jurisdictions of the church in the United States, the Southeastern Jurisdiction has the largest membership with 2,837,330 members (2011 figures).

With the law and culture changing toward acceptance of LGBTQ people, Openshaw and Prince decided it was time to push the church’s stance.

The Supreme Court ruling does not establish a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, but it does establish that same-sex couples who are legally married are entitled to equal treatment under federal law.

“We kind of knew this may be a church quake, this wedding. … We felt 100 percent certain that charges would be filed in this case,” Openshaw said.

“I grew up during the ‘60s in Alabama, and I know about civil disobedience, and I know disobedience to church law is a little bit different, but it is still the same thing. Nothing is going to change without things like this happening.”

Their wedding will not take place in a United Methodist church, which also is forbidden by the Book of Discipline.

Prince said they were doing this for friends who don’t have the funds to go to Washington or other states where same-sex marriages are legal.

“We are settled; we can be examples for younger people who have no place to turn,” he said. “It would be good to see a little modification with the church. If we are going to say we are going to be welcoming, be welcoming.

“Joe and I have both lived in Alabama all our lives. We don’t want to go to New York or San Francisco; our roots are here. If we could just bring about a little bit of change … be role models for other people.”

What would Jesus do?

People on both sides of the issue are passionate about what the Bible and The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline says — or doesn’t say — about same-sex marriage.

The Rev. Leicester R. Longden, associate professor of Evangelism and Discipleship at the University of Dubuque (Iowa) Theological Seminary, recently wrote a study paper quoting the Book of Discipline when the seminary was asked to state its opinion regarding housing in the dormitories for same-sex couples.

“The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God’s grace is available to all. We will seek to live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us.  We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.”

Longden said the church specifically declares, “Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only with the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.”

“In addition, we must not overlook the possibility that we would lose some African students if we made this change. In addition to their theological convictions, another reason many African Christians are leery of aligning themselves with Western groups who endorse homosexuality is that they live in contexts where such an endorsement would expose them to death threats and persecution,” Longden said.

“The progressive stance always claims the mantle of inclusion and inevitability. We have the opportunity to claim another kind of inclusivity. The vast majority of Christians are in agreement against same-sex marriage,” he said. “Why not remain aligned with those Christians living and dead who have maintained this stand? It is the progressive stance that narrows and excludes the orthodox position. Maintaining the traditional teaching allows us to remain in conversation, even with those with whom we disagree.”

Breach of covenant

Talbert called Wallace-Padgett to tell her a same-sex couple had asked him to officiate at their wedding and that he had agreed.

“For a bishop or any ordained or licensed minister to disregard a law of the church creates a breach of the covenant they made at their consecration, ordination or licensing,” Wallace-Padgett said.

During a planned Gathering of Orders meeting Oct. 14-16, the bishop will hold a “holy conversation” with the ordained and licensed pastors of the North Alabama Conference to discuss the wedding and talk about ways pastors can talk to congregations about difficult subjects.

The Rev. Dave Barnhart, pastor of Saint Junia United Methodist Church in Birmingham, said he is “pleased as punch” his bishop has chosen to have this conversation.

Saint Junia is a new church Barnhart started and was appointed to in 2012. The church’s vision statement is “to become a diverse community of sinners, saints and skeptics who join God in the renewal of all things.” Barnhart said the church’s target demographic is people who have been hurt or burned by the church in the past.

His October sermon series is “Just Sex: Justice, Sexuality and Christian Ethics,” which will address reframing Christian ethics and “undoing centuries of LGBTQ oppression.”

Barnhart, 40, said 80 percent of people younger than 40 don’t have an issue with homosexuality.

“And that’s who we are missing. We don’t want to alienate more people; we want to show we are a diverse church not afraid of conflict. There is so much opportunity here if we take advantage of it.”

Other pastors in the conference wonder why Talbert is coming to Alabama to perform this wedding.

“I deeply regret, though am not altogether surprised, that Bishop Talbert has chosen to cross jurisdictional lines to perform this ceremony,” said the Rev. Mark Parris, director of development for Sumatanga Camp and Conference Center in Northport, Ala.

“I have questions as to why he chose a couple in the Southeastern Jurisdiction. I would imagine he gets requests from around the country. Is this a grandstand effort to move his agenda forward, or is he acquainted with one or both men? Is he attempting to make a comparison with the church bombing and the civil rights movement in Birmingham of 50 years ago? If so, it would seem that apples and oranges are being compared here.

“For me … the bottom line is both Scripture and our United Methodist position as stated in the Book of Discipline.”

The Rev. Tom Lambrecht, vice president and general manager of Good News, calls Talbert’s decision “disturbing.” Good News is an unofficial evangelical United Methodist caucus that advocates maintaining the Book of Disciple’s stance on human sexuality.

“Bishop Talbert, who no doubt has previously told pastors under his charge that they were not free to disregard the (Book of ) Discipline as they saw fit, is now ready to do so himself, disregarding our process of holy conferencing and the will of the General Conference,” Lambrecht said.

“As a retired bishop, assured of his pension, Bishop Talbert has little to lose by taking this action. Unfortunately, his words and actions are already causing great harm to our church, and if he follows through on his plans, the resulting consequences could be devastating to the unity and mission of The United Methodist Church,” he said.

Lambrecht praised Wallace-Padgett for her “courageous and faithful” statement to uphold the denomination’s law book.

“The Council of Bishops has an opportunity to provide real leadership in this situation,” he said. “The church looks forward to the council’s (1) offering both private and public support to Bishop Wallace-Padgett in maintaining the integrity of the church and (2) (making) a proactive statement to Bishop Talbert strongly urging him to cancel his planned violation of the covenant.”

Barnhart wishes the church could create an environment where advocates are not marginalized or punished.

“This is not a showdown between bishops; it is recognition that even in a place as conservative as North Alabama, Bishop Talbert is taking his role seriously and Bishop Wallace-Padgett is taking her role seriously,” he said.

Speaking truth to power

Talbert will be the first bishop to officiate publicly at a same-sex ceremony. He is no stranger to conflict or to Birmingham.

He was a 25-year-old seminary student caught up in the civil rights movement when he landed in a jail cell with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1960. It was a life-changing experience for him. King’s commitment to nonviolence and to seeing all humans as brothers and sisters changed Talbert.

Since 1972, The United Methodist Church has said, “Homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” The 2012 United Methodist General Conference, which meets every four years and sets the laws for the denomination, retained that language and rejected a resolution that stated the church disagrees on sexuality. The next General Conference will be in 2016.

“When our 2012 General Conference failed to do the right thing by removing such derogatory and hurtful language from our Book of Discipline, I was moved by the Spirit to speak a word of hope to our LGBTQ sisters and brothers at every level of the life of our church and society,” Talbert said in a statement about why he is officiating at the wedding.

He points out the church has been on the wrong side before.

The church split over race in 1844 and in 1939, when the church merged with the Methodist Episcopal; Methodist Episcopal Church, South; and the Methodist Protestant Church, it “made a terrible deal in order to merge,” he said.

The uniting churches created the Central Jurisdiction, a unit of the new denomination based not on geography but race. The church remained segregated for nearly 30 years, until the Methodists merged with the Evangelical United Brethren to form The United Methodist Church. With that 1968 merger, the Central Jurisdiction’s churches, clergy and bishops were integrated into the denomination’s five U.S. geographical jurisdictions.

The church also refused to ordain women until 1956.

“I just think as a bishop of the church,” Talbert said, “we have the responsibility to speak truth to power and if we are charged to do that in society, I think we are also charged to do that within the institution of our own church.

“I just believe deep in my heart that this is wrong, and someone needs to speak out. I am fully aware of the role of bishops in The United Methodist Church, but I am reminded that the role of a bishop is not only to do certain things for the church; it has the responsibility to do some things to the church. That is to speak to the church regarding its official ministry and decisions,” he said.

“I love my church, I was born and raised a Methodist and I expect to die as a United Methodist. It is my church that has helped make me and mold me into the person I am today, and I’m grateful. I think I would be derelict if I did not do all I could to help this church continue being what God is calling it to be. That is all I see myself doing is being faithful to the call of God upon my life.”

Starting conversations

The Rev. Kevin Higgs, author of “Hospitality to Strangers” and pastor at Brownsville United Methodist in Birmingham, is serving as pastoral counselor to Openshaw and Prince. He has known the couple for many years.

Higgs said he has been involved in pushing for justice for LGBTQ persons for 25 years. He said all the congregations he has served — large and small — have included gays and lesbians. He said many people in the church in the South are “in the middle, sitting on the fence, not sure if they are on the right or the left.”

He thinks this wedding will start conversations that will lead to acceptance of gays and lesbians.

“This request is going to come like a tsunami … like a landslide to the church because gay folks are going to start asking their pastors to provide for them the pastoral care and blessing of the church,” he said.

“The church is going to have to change and recognize that homophobia is the sin, not homosexuality.”

At the heart of the story

Openshaw grew up in The United Methodist Church, and he introduced Prince to the denomination when they joined Discovery.

Prince said he had stayed away from religion for 15 years because he had not felt welcome in other churches.

Openshaw and Prince started and are members of a reconciling group at Discovery that is recognized by Reconciling Ministries Network, an unofficial caucus that advocates for the denomination’s greater inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Both men watched the 2012 General Conference in Tampa, Fla., via live streaming and were disappointed and hurt when the church failed to change its stance on homosexuality.

“Joe and I have a commitment. I don’t see how that can take away from a heterosexual marriage; it should have no effect on a straight couple,” Prince said.

“Gay people are vulnerable because if they don’t mature and develop and have someone to talk or turn to, they lead a very unstable life. What if heterosexuals had no marriage? What if it didn’t exist? That’s what the gay people have been going through,” Prince said.

Openshaw knows change is always slow.

“I think 50 years from now (The United Methodist Church) will be looking back on this and making an apology to gay people.”

* Gilbert is a multimedia reporter for the young adult content team at United Methodist Communications, Nashville, Tenn. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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Resources for Laity Sunday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Lay people make all the difference in The United Methodist Church, which is why the denomination celebrates Laity Sunday each year. This year's celebration is Sunday, Oct. 20. United Methodist Board of Discipleship offers resources to celebrate and cultivate lay leaders.

http://www.gbod.org/planning-calendar/laity-sunday

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Ever seen a 'John Wesley' jack-o-lantern? John Wesley jack-o-lantern is Autumn work of Rev. Jason W. Jones at McKenzie First UMC by Lane Gardner Camp, Director of Communications

MCKENZIE, Tenn. (UMNS) — For a first attempt at carving a Halloween jack-o-lantern by oneself, who attempts something as complicated as the profile of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement?

A United Methodist minister, of course.

Rev. Jason W. Jones of McKenzie First UMC in McKenzie, Tenn., guessed it had been about 25 years since he’d carved a pumpkin, but he’d never done it by himself.

This year, though, at the urging of his wife Kristy who “loves all things Autumn,” Jones agreed to create his very own jack-o-lantern without any help.

After selecting a pumpkin, Jones said the next step was deciding what to carve.

First he thought about creating the United Methodist “cross and flame” logo or John Wesley’s initials.

“I simply knew I wanted to do something unique that also had a distinctly Methodist flavor,” he said.

That’s when Kristy found the John Wesley pattern on the Internet.  

The novice carver said he almost passed over the John Wesley pattern because it was designated for those “with intermediate skill,” but then reasoned that “if it flopped,” he would carve something else or do what he called his “best rendition of Gallagher's Sledge-O-Matic.”

Jones said it took about two hours to print the pattern, tape it to his hollowed-out pumpkin, trace the pattern with a pushpin and then carve.

“It certainly isn't perfect," he winked, "but I believe it's decent for my first go round.” (Here is link to the John Wesley pattern: http://pumpkinglow.com/images/PDFpatterns/johnwesely.pdf.)

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Wesley accepting applications for leadership doctorate

WASHINGTON (UMNS) — United Methodist-related Wesley Theological Seminary is accepting applications for doctor of ministry in church leadership excellence. The application deadline is Dec. 2 for the May 2014 cohort in Washington. The program draws on the combined resources of the Wesley faculty and the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.

Doctor of Ministry

The Doctor of Ministry program offers an advanced-level curriculum integrating the experiences of ministry with the academic resources of the Seminary. As ministry is fundamentally theological in character, disciplined theological reflection is fostered as its root in all offices and functions. The Doctor of Ministry Program aims at enabling pastors to develop an integrated theology of ministry that embraces the total life and mission of the church.

The specific goals of the Doctor of Ministry program at Wesley include acquainting students with current theological trends and issues, deepening the integration of discipline and ministry, and providing students with opportunities for establishing lasting collegial ties with other students.

Apply Now for Tracks Offered in 2014. Click on Doctor of Ministry Tracks to the left for information on each track:

Life Together: Spirituality for Transforming Community - January 2014, Application deadline extended to October 25th

Additional applications will be accepted for Military Chaplaincy: Religious Leadership in a Complex, Multi-faith Environment for January 2014

Church Leadership Excellence - May 2014, Application deadline December 2nd

Vital Congregations: Missional and Emerging - May 2014, Application deadline February 1st

Criteria

Admission to any Wesley degree program requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited college. In addition, applicants for the Doctor of Ministry program must hold a Master of Divinity or equivalent from a seminary accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, and must have completed three years of ministry experience prior to entering Wesley's Doctor of Ministry program.

Admission is based on academic achievement and the Seminary's ability to meet your goals, as well as on your personal and professional qualifications for Christian ministry. Previous academic achievement should reflect a grade point average of at least 3.0 at the graduate level.

Applying

1. Complete the application form in all detail and submit the $60 processing fee.
2. Submit:
    a. A brief biographical statement that describes your career in ministry in chronological order
    b. A personal evaluation of your professional competence
    c. A statement on how you use your seminary education in the practice of ministry, especially studies in Bible, theology, and church history
    d. Your reason for pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley.
3. Request that official transcripts from all junior colleges, colleges, universities, or seminaries you have attended be sent directly to the Office of Admissions.
4. List references; download the recommendation request form and ask your referrers to submit them to the Office of Admissions.

Admission Timeline
October 1 - Application deadline for tracks beginning in January
December 1 - Deadline for complete application package for Church Leadership Excellence track
February 1 - Application deadline for other tracks beginning in May

Doctor of Ministry tracks are limited to 20 candidates. You are encouraged to apply well in advance of the deadline.

Requirements

The Doctor of Ministry program supports diverse areas of focus, or tracks, which require the successful completion of 24 core course hours and 6 hours of electives. Three hours for the Project Seminar are included in the core courses. Transfer credit is not accepted as a substitute for the required core courses. The project is generally written during the third year.

Electives may be completed through elective courses offered during the intensive terms (for those who have completed their core courses), through independent studies with Wesley faculty, or through work transferred from other ATS accredited institutions using the Doctor of Ministry program's transfer credit procedure. Up to 6 hours of elective courses may be taken outside Wesley. Work completed prior to entry into the Doctor of Ministry program at Wesley will not be applied towards the Doctor of Ministry degree. Transfer work must be done on an accredited, doctoral level and must not be applied toward the awarding of another degree.

The 30 hours of course work are normally completed within three and a half years. A limit of six years will be allowed for completion of the Doctor of Ministry degree. The faculty's Doctor of Ministry Committee will entertain requests for time extensions in circumstances of unusual gravity. Students who have outstanding work and incomplete grades from either the January or May terms will not be allowed to enroll in courses for the following term. Course work must be started within two years after admission into the program; otherwise, eligibility for admission will be reviewed.

Two months before the January or May intensive term, students receive their reading lists and preparatory assignments. Each of the two weeks of the intensive term requires 30 contact hours with the professor. After the intensive term, students have six weeks to complete course assignments. The two weeks on campus for the intensive term are devoted entirely to class interaction on the basis of the preparatory work.

Peer learning is an essential part of Wesley Doctor of Ministry programs. Doctor of Ministry core courses are normally limited in enrollment to those students in a given Doctor of Ministry track.

Ministerial setting is also an essential part of Wesley's Doctor of Ministry program. Students are encouraged to engage people in their ministry settings in a variety of ways, from personal support and accountability to participation in the projects and oral examinations.

Program Length

Wesley's Doctor of Ministry degree requires successful completion of thirty hours of course work, plus a Doctor of Ministry project and project paper. Classes are held during intensive two-week periods in January and May. The program must be completed within six years of entry.

Electives

Any combination of the following options may be used to fulfill the elective course requirements for a Doctor of Ministry track:

elective courses/seminars for Doctor of Ministry students offered during the January and May intensive terms

a maximum of six credit hours taken as independent studies under the direction of Wesley faculty

immersion study experiences, directly related to the subject of focus for a given track, for a maximum of six credit hours

advanced seminars in Wesley's M.Div. curriculum in which Wesley faculty agree to develop additional readings and assignments for the Doctor of Ministry student

approved courses at member institutions of the Washington Theological Consortium

work at other ATS approved institutions with prior approval from Wesley's Doctor of Ministry Office.

Project Paper

Finances

Costs for the Doctor of Ministry program include tuition, books, $50 facilities fee for each intensive term, housing, meals, and travel. The program requires a total of 30 credit hours; each course is 3 credits. Tuition for the 2013-2014 year is $540 per credit hour. Books are estimated at $100-150 per course. A $250 Reader's fee is charged to students when they are assigned a faculty reader for their D.Min. Project Paper. Wesley Theological Seminary's Financial Aid Office has more information on financing your education, including estimating the cost of attendance, the Stafford Loan application process, and possible outside scholarship opportunities. More>

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UMTV: Church meal for military

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — When the New Providence United Methodist Church decided to create a ministry to support members of its congregation, it became a real family affair. Located near Fort Campbell military base, the church started the Eagles’ Wings Ministry to pair military families with sponsors who help shepherd the children and spouses of deployed soldiers.

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NTRO:

Intro: When the New Providence United Methodist Church decided to create a ministry to support members of its congregation, it became a real family affair. Located near Ft. Campbell military base, the church started the Eagles’ Wings Ministry to pair military families with sponsors who help shepherd the children and spouses of deployed soldiers.

SCRIPT:

(Clarksville, TN)

Catherine Harwell, military spouse: “It’s really just about, you know, reaching a hand across the aisle.” 

Donna Markel, Eagles’ Wings Ministry chairperson: “It’s as easy as loving your own family - that’s what it’s all about.”

Pastor at church event: “Good afternoon. We are glad that you’ve come to our Eagles’ Wings kick-off meal.”

The Rev. B.J. Brack, New Providence United Methodist Church: “I’m B. J. Brack. I’m the pastor of New Providence United Methodist Church. The Eagles Wings Ministry is a program that New Providence started many years ago, basically, to support our military families in this community.”

The New Providence United Methodist Church is located in Clarksville, Tennessee near Ft. Campbell Army Base. The community knows the strain of regular deployments.

Donna Markel: “My name is Donna Markel, and I am the chairperson for the Eagles’ Wings Project that we started.”

Russ Markel, Spouse: “I’m Russ Markel, retired military.” 

Donna Markel: “When you don’t have aunties and uncles and grandmas and grandpas close by, you know, the church family can really fill that.”

At the Eagles’ Wings kick-off dinner, the sponsors are connected with the military family.

Pastor at church event:  “So, first of all… Bill and Wanda Wheeler.”

Catherine Harwell:  “We first met the Wheelers, I believe, the first time we came to church.”

Christopher Harwell, MP Officer, Ft. Campbell military base: “My name’s Christopher Harwell. I’m an MP officer, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.”

Catherine Harwell: “And I am Catherine Harwell and I am an Army wife of going on six years.”

Christopher Harwell: “They were the first family that actually came to visit us at our house, aside from her mother who was already there.”

Catherine Harwell: “She calls herself Grandma Wanda, and Charlotte just absolutely loves her- she’ll just start talking up a storm when she sees Grandma Wanda.”

Hope Murray, Military spouse: “My name is Hope Murray and my husband is currently deployed. We have two boys. One is six and the other one just turned a month old. My son was turning four and we had a birthday party for him. Well, I was new to the church, but the Wheelers came and they just made it so nice because it felt like family was there.”

Wanda Wheeler, Eagles’ Wings Ministry: “Here just recently Hope went in to have her baby. She needed somebody to take care of Xavier, her boy, while she went in.”
Hope Murray: “Bill and Wanda are a military family, so, you know, they have the background. They’ve been through it. They know what it’s like.”

Bill Wheeler, Eagles’ Wings Ministry: “I entered the Army in 1953 as a draftee for the Korean War and I stayed until 1974. We’ve seen so many soldiers were deployed about three years ago, we got a committee together, and now we sponsor those families to show our love and our appreciation to the soldiers that serve our country.”

Wanda Wheeler:  “My name is Wanda Wheeler.”

Bill Wheeler: “I’m Bill Wheeler. We’ve very, very proud of that program.”

Pastor to boy at church event: “Is that, what did you say, your favorite part of eating? The dessert?!”

Christopher Harwell: “The main reason she got me in the door was the food on Wednesdays. (laughs) I think the thing that most people get wrong when they try to deal with the military, is they try to be psychologists. And there’s a lot of times where you just don’t want to talk about it. You just want a chance to relax.”

Pastor B.J. Brack :  “There’s a book out called, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon - Ministry to Combat Veterans, and we just did a Bible study around that. And we just invited all of our military families to get together and we listened to their stories, and just tried to figure out what was needed in this community. What did they need from our church?”

Catherine Harwell: “Most of the time you just want a friend. Just someone to talk to. How is your day going? Tiny, little things like that can just really make a huge difference.”

Christopher Harwell: “The hardest job in the Army, honestly, is being married to a soldier. And it makes a little bit more comfortable when I leave to know that somebody’s going to be dragging her out of the house and making sure everything’s okay.”

Donna Markel: “It’s hard enough for a soldier not to be there, but to know that someone’s wrapped their arms around their family back home and is with them, is just a tremendous thing.”

Pastor at church event: “We give thanks for all of our military families and the sacrifice they make for this country.” 

Pastor B.J. Brack: “I think it’s what God calls us to do. I mean, we’re supposed to be opening our doors to whoever’s out there. And if you’re around a military base, these people are…they have hurts and pains.”

Hope Murray:  “We’re very family oriented and so to have that bond and make it feel like we have a family here is just. … there aren’t words to describe it.”

Donna Markel: “You anticipate giving and that being the gift, but in the end it’s what you get back that truly is the gift.”

TAG:

For more information on the Eagles’ Wings Ministry, contact the New Providence United Methodist Church at 931-647-1638. More resources for supporting the military and military families may be found at http://www.umc.org/military

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Faithful Filibuster continues at U.S. Capitol ~ Religious leaders address government shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C — Religious leaders have been standing across from the U.S. Capitol this week in front of the United Methodist Building to read the more than 2,000 verses of Holy Scripture charging humanity to care for hungry and poor. This “Faithful Filibuster” began Oct. 9. Sponsors said it will continue at the beginning of each day’s session of Congress.

The “Faithful Filibuster” aims to remind congressional leaders of the biblical mandate to protect the most vulnerable people. It is organized by the Circle of Protection, a coalition of faith leaders supporting programs that meet the essential needs of hungry and poor people at home and abroad. Participants in the “Faithful Filibuster” include Jim Wallis, president, Sojourners; the Rev. David Beckmann, president, Bread for the World; Galen Carey, vice president, National Assn. of Evangelicals; and Dr. Caroll Baltimore, president, Progressive National Baptist Convention.

Among the readers during a rain-swept day was the Rev. Clayton Childers, director of Advocacy for the United Methodist Imagine No Malaria Campaign. He is also director of Conference Relations for the General Board of Church & Society, which is headquartered in the building.

Wallis pointed out that the voices often missing in Washington’s ideological battles are the ones that need national attention. “That’s why we need a faithful filibuster, a vigil for the poor,” he said. “There are more than 2,000 verses in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures about the poor — about suffering and indifference, injustice and oppression — all with God inviting compassion and calling for justice.”

What would happen if Congress were reminded of those verses each day it is in session during this latest financial debate, Wallis wondered.

Appalled by harm

Beckmann of Bread for the World said he is appalled by the harm that the government shutdown is doing to poor people. “I am terrified by the likelihood of a financial crisis,” he said. “It will hurt all of us, and it will hurt hungry and poor people most of all.”

In Beckmann’s judgment, extreme conservatives are mainly to blame for this game of political chicken. “But it is time to move from the blame game to some resolution,” he declared.

Carey emphasized that participants in the “Faithful Filibuster” gathered as a group of Christians, representing different denominations and traditions, because at a time when one in seven Americans is living in poverty, the government is at an impasse unable to reach agreement on funding and debt levels. “Many basic functions of government have ground to a halt, and people are being hurt,” he said.

There are a variety of views on the best ways to end poverty, Carey conceded, adding that surely no one right way to do it exists. “But for those who want to follow Jesus of Nazareth,” he said, “there can be no question that standing with our most vulnerable neighbors must be a high priority for us as individuals, as churches, as communities, and as a nation.”

Both are needed

Carey expressed thanks that the United States is a country that both encourages private charity and provides for a modest public safety net. “Both are needed, and both are in need of strengthening,” he stressed.

The “Faithful Filibuster” has been called, according to Carey, because

Too many are still out of work,

Private giving has not yet recovered to pre-recession levels,

Even our most effective public programs have faced the indiscriminate cuts of the sequester,

U.S. elected leaders seem at a loss for how to reach agreement on performing their basic functions, leaving government unfunded and shut down, and

This paralysis threatens a perilous default on the U.S. national debt — “which no one wants but no one seems able to prevent.”

“We are concerned for those who are most vulnerable,” Carey said. “Those who were already struggling to survive before the current crisis that is threatening to engulf even more of our neighbors as time passes and our fragile economy is dragged down.”

Carey said the “Faithful Filibuster” is to to lift up God’s Word, and particularly its hopeful message, found in more than 2,000 verses: “God cares for poor and vulnerable people, and invites us to do the same.”

Editor's note: The Circle of Protection consists of more than 65 heads of denominations, relief and development agencies, and other Christian organizations. For more information, please visit.

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Moses Kumar: ‘It is truly all about the connection’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — In a commentary on why he is a United Methodist, Moses Kumar, the top executive of the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration, notes that “United Methodists may not always agree on the best way to solve the problems of this world. But what we do all agree on is that we can do greater work together as one body than we can do by ourselves separately.”

One thing that drew me to the United Methodist Church is the idea of the United Methodist connection.  Christians of all denominations know that it is the connection that God the Father had with Jesus that consequently benefitted us.  It is this supreme connection with our Heavenly Father that provides the grace and salvation we experience every single day. This amazing connection is the strength of our denomination and why I am proud to be a United Methodist lay person. 

I was raised in the Lutheran church and met and married a woman devoted to the Methodist church who is currently a United Methodist pastor. When I committed my life to Jesus Christ during college while working with World Vision International, I vowed to use the gifts and graces God had bestowed on me to serve His church.  It was while doing this work that I truly felt my call to serving God in administration.  From that time to the present day, I have developed a sense of purpose and gratitude for being able to do this kind of work. I rejoice in committing my service to helping the Church lead people to Christ.  This call enables me to be creative and innovative in making changes for the Church, and ultimately provides the much needed services for all of us to be in ministry to God’s people. Without a doubt, this is my passion!

1 Corinthians 3:9a tells us that we are all coworkers in God’s service. I believe that the United Methodist connection exemplifies this scripture in that we all have various gifts and talents and together we glorify God and impact the lives of God’s people.   

United Methodists may not always agree on the best way solve the problems of this world.  But what we do all agree on is that we can do greater work together as one body than we can do by ourselves, separately.  We are committed to the connection.  I have much gratitude to my United Methodist brothers and sisters as we work together to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

I will close with this scripture: Romans 12:4-5. “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”  We are united in the body of Christ and I have great joy in working with each of you in this ministry. 

Moses Kumar is the General Secretary of the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church. 

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United Methodist News Service

United Methodist Communications

810 12th Avenue South

Nashville, TN 37203 United States

Phone: (615)742~5400

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