Talking about 'The Things That Make for Peace'
NEW YORK (UMNS) — Bell-ringing, dancing, music and calls to action opened an International Day of Peace symposium at the Church Center for the United Nations. Seventeen organizations, including United Methodist Women, invited participants to discuss "The Things That Make for Peace."
Churches join people's march for better earth
NEW YORK (UMNS) — United Methodists were among the faith groups that gathered together on a midtown Manhattan block and then joined hundreds of thousands in a two-mile march to draw attention to climate change.
Photo by James K. Karpen, UMNS
Members of the United Methodist Church of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew make their presence known as they walk in the People’s Climate March Sept. 21 in New York.
Church members join climate change march
By Linda Bloom, NEW YORK (UMNS)
Gabriel, who is “almost 5,” was trying to stand patiently with his father, Tim Emmett-Rardin, a United Methodist from Philadelphia, until the signal came for them to sweep into the throng that became the People’s Climate March.
It had been a long wait Sept. 21 on the New York block where pennants held aloft on poles announced the presence of United Methodists, Lutherans, Hindus, Episcopalians and numerous other faith groups stationed there by march organizers.
Baptists clad in green T-shirts demanded “Climate justice for all God’s creation” and Hare Krishna danced joyously. The music and amplified speeches offered from various faith perspectives did not always rise above the din of the crowd.
“He keeps asking when we’re going to start moving,” Gabriel’s father said.
Early on, organizers estimated that 100,000 people would come to midtown Manhattan to demand significant commitments by world leaders to deal with the climate change issue.
On Friday, Bill McKibben, a United Methodist from Middlebury, Vermont, and president of 350.org, a group that helped organize the march, mentioned that 200,000 people might show up.
By midafternoon Sunday, organizers released an estimate of 310,000 people based on the crowd density along an expanded march route. That estimate later was increased to nearly 400,000.
“At 5:00 p.m., march organizers had to send out a text asking marchers to disperse from the march route because the crowds had swelled beyond the route’s capacity,” said a press release from peoplesclimate.org.
Gabriel had a lot of company.
WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES
The Book of Discipline, which contains the denomination’s laws and teachings, includes multiple statements on being caretakers of God’s creation.
• On Water, Air, Soil, Minerals and Plants: We support measures designed to maintain and restore natural ecosystems.
• On Energy Resources Utilization: “…We call upon all to take measures to save energy. Everybody should adapt his or her lifestyle to the average consumption of energy that respects the limits of the planet earth.”
• On Global Climate Stewardship: “[We] support efforts of all governments to require mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and call on individuals, congregations, businesses, industries, and communities to reduce their emissions.”
Read more church teachings on the "Natural World."
Crashing the party
The march preceded the Sept. 23 Climate Summit at the United Nations, arranged by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon — who also took part in the march — to spur political action on global warming and encourage leaders from government and the private sector to announce new initiatives.
McKibben, who spoke about the march during an International Day of Peace symposium on Sept. 19 at the United Methodist-related Church Center for the United Nations, was skeptical about what the summit might accomplish given what he considered the “complete failure” of the U.N. Copenhagen summit on climate change in 2009.
“We don’t have much hope that this week, in New York, the world leaders will get us much farther,” he said. “That’s why we decided to invite ourselves to crash this party and come, too.”
March participants — representing government entities, labor, neighborhoods, environmental and social justice groups, faith communities and indigenous groups, as well as families and individuals — began assembling Sunday morning on Central Park West.
A few blocks away, Rosina Pohlmann — the energetic “Green Team” coordinator at the Church of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, United Methodist — had worked with the pastors and church staff to arrange for four days of housing at the church for up to 60 young people attending the march.
“There is a spirit of maturity and peace at the core of this movement, and I think that spirit is issuing in great part from the active participation of so many religious and faith groups,” she said.
The Rev. Jenny Phillips of Seattle was among a group loosely organized through United Methodist Women and the United Methodist Boards of Global Ministries and Church and Society who gathered at Saint Paul and Saint Andrew before the march.
She had come to promote Fossil Free UMC, a project calling upon the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits and other United Methodist institutions to divest from fossil fuel companies and reinvest in clean energy.
Phoebe Crismo had extended a U.S. visit from the Philippines to attend the march and other climate action events. As staff of the Philippines Central Conference, she helped produce a campaign on climate change for children, youth and local churches. She is concerned about the impact of deforestation and open-pit mining on her country.
“With the forest gone, when the monsoons come, down comes the mud as well,” she explained.
Michael Black, a member of Decatur First United Methodist Church in Georgia, and an active participant in Caretakers of God’s Creation, is a veteran of similar, if smaller marches and considers such activities as essential to his faith. “If you’re not speaking out about the problems, you can’t complain (when) there aren’t solutions,” he said.
Intertwining faith with action
A group from United Methodist-related Drew University gathered near the “seminaries” pennant in the interfaith block. The group included Tyler Kaufmann from Nebraska, part of a student group called Transforming Ecological and Religious Resources into Action, and Laurel Kearns, an associate professor of the sociology of religion and environmental studies who helped found the Green Seminaries Initiative.
Nikki Edelman, a part-time Drew student and a New York Conference member from Pawling, New York, said she was motivated to march by her background in chemistry and her concern as the mother of an 8- and 10-year–old.
“I’ve always been interested in the ecology and biology of the earth,” she added. “To me, it’s totally wrapped up in faith.”
Not far away, the Rev. Carol Windrum and Tim Fickenscher, a United Methodist couple from Omaha, Nebraska, were preparing to walk, shaking off the fatigue of a 27-hour Greyhound bus ride.
Both expressed concern about how climate change will impact younger generations. Windrum directs the Micah Corps, a 10-week summer internship program for young adults focusing on social justice issues, for the Great Plains Annual Conference. Flickenscher is a high school teacher.
“If we don’t do something now, it will be too late,” he said.
Bill Ewing, who had a shorter journey, was one of the congregational members carrying the large banner of First United Methodist Church of Germantown in Philadelphia.
“We’re in the process of doing real damage to the planet,” he declared. “We need to get people’s attention to stop it.”
Pat and Dave Herber, members of Calvary United Methodist Church in Frederick, Maryland, simply showed up.
“We were in the city for the weekend and didn’t know about this until we saw the news coverage and decided to join in,” explained Dave Herber, who teaches environmental science to high school students. “I do look at this as caring for God’s creation.”
At a crossroads
Education about climate change is a personal and vocational priority for Tim Emmett-Rardin, who stood with Gerry Felix, a fellow member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Philadelphia, and Gabriel, who was hoping the parade would begin soon.
“It really feels like we’re at a crisis point, at a major crossroads,” he said.
Emmett-Rardin is starting a new job promoting wind energy in Pennsylvania that will have an educational component. “It’s probably the easiest way to help congregations evaluate renewable energy,” he said. “It’s a small step but it’s an easy one for people to take and it makes a difference.”
Finally, shortly after 2 p.m., it was time to march, with the Cross and Flame held high and the banners of the Germantown church, United Methodist Women and Saint Paul and Saint Andrew following.
Pohlmann of the Church of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew hopes other United Methodists will feel inspired to connect with faith-based climate action groups and join what she considers to be a “historic push” for change.
“The march created a huge, unprecedented opportunity,” she said. “But an opportunity only matters if it is seized, and in order to seize this one we need to start now.”
Bloom is a United Methodist News Service multimedia reporter based in New York. Follow her at http://twitter.com/umcscribe or contact her at (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org
U.N. 'has its hands full,' says United Methodist observerNEW YORK (UMNS) — As world leaders flock to the United Nations this week, the Rev. Liberato (Levi) Bautista, head of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society's United Nations office, reflects on the new U.N. session in a Q&A. Watch sexuality discussion live on Nov. 1
CHICAGO (UMNS) — The Connectional Table's Human Sexuality Task Force plans to hold the second of three live stream events from 8 to 10 a.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 1. The panelists are members of the Council of Bishops who contributed to the book "Finding Our Way: Love and Law in The United Methodist Church," as well as the publisher and president of United Methodist Publishing House.
Young adults can apply for 2015 mission program
NEW YORK (UMNS) — Generation Transformation applications are now available for 2015 mission opportunities for young adults aged 18-30 years. The program is an initiative of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Taking inviting pictures of your church
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Just as a house with great pictures does better on the real estate market, a welcoming image can help bring visitors to your church. Gavin Richardson, writing for United Methodist Communications, offers tips and techniques. DRC agricultural training means 'decent income'
NEW YORK (UMNS) — Beatrice Monga, a mother of seven in Kamina, Democratic Republic of the Congo, was struggling to pay hospital and school fees when she learned about the agricultural training program offered by the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Julia Kayser Frisbie writes about how the program helps participants earn "a decent income."
Bishop: Apple has failed us!
DES MOINES, Wash. (UMNS) — Greater Northwest Area Bishop Grant Hagiya, an avowed "enthusiastic fan" of Apple products, argues that the profitable company could be a better corporate citizen. He specifically calls on the company to use more of its cash reserves for the social good. North Georgia plans special conference session
PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. (UMNS) — Bishop B. Michael Watson called a special session of the North Georgia Conference for 10 a.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 25. The session will be to discuss the sale of the Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center property, which the conference voted earlier this year to close.
Looking ahead
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have an item to share, email newsdesk@umcom.org and put Digest in the subject line.
Deadline to register for online course "United Methodism 101," Tuesday, Sept. 30 - United Methodist Communications will offer the course Oct. 1-Nov. 12. $9.99. Details.
Free webinar "Education in and for Mission," Tuesday, Sept. 30 - 6:30 p.m. CT, how to provide "hands-on" experiences in Christian discipleship. Details.
Deadline to apply for Central Conference Theological Education Grants, Tuesday, Sept. 30- Applications for the 2015 grants for theological education in Africa, Europe and the Philippines are available. The Central Conference Theological Education Commission expects to award an additional $1 million to theological institutions, Boards of Ordained Ministry, and agencies integrally related to training United Methodist pastors. Details.
Free webinar "Covenant Discipleship with Children," Wednesday, Oct 1 - 10 a.m. CT, the webinar explains covenant discipleship and why it's important for children to go deeper in their understanding of loving God and loving neighbor. Details.
Deadline to apply for two discernment events for Deaconesses and Home Missioner Ministry, Wednesday, Oct. 1 - Events are Friday-Sunday, Nov. 7-9, in St. Louis and Friday-Sunday, Nov. 21-23 in Tempe, Ariz. A discernment event is an opportunity to explore a sense of call to lay ministry with a group of fellow discerners. Details.
Free "iKids Webinar 2 - The Digital Child and Digital Brain," Thursday, Oct. 2 - 10 a.m. CT. This session will talk about the Three Laws of Digital Life and will focus on how brain development in children is influenced by digital media. Details.
Free webinar "Missional Advent - Living Advent Outside the Church," Thursday, Oct. 2 - 6:30 p.m. CT. Explore ways we can follow Jesus to be the church in the world during Advent.Details.
Free webinar "Focusing on the True Meaning of Christmas with Children," Thursday, Oct. 2 - 7-8 p.m. ET, ecumenical webinar shares how to teach children the true meaning of Advent and Christmas through crafts, games, drama, music and snacks. Details.
Moving Beyond Prejudice workshop, Saturday, Oct. 4 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT, Paul Saltzman, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, will lead workshop at The Great Hall, McDaniel student center, Oklahoma City University. The Oklahoma Commission on Religion and Race is the sponsor. $25. Details.
"Builders, Boomers and Busters: Bridging the 21st Century" conference, Saturday, Oct. 4- 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT, Older adult ministry experts will speak at St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas. $25. Details.
World Communion Sunday, Oct. 5 - United Methodists observe World Communion Sunday by celebrating communion with other Christians around the world on this special Sunday. Churches are also encouraged to receive a special offering to support ethnic undergraduate and graduate students, which often enables first-generation students to attend college. To download the World Communion Sunday pastor's kit. World Communion envelopes.
Early-bird registration deadline for Reach New Disciples Conference: "Taking Church to the Community," Monday, Oct. 6 - Lewis Center for Church Leadership Conference is 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 1 at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington. $40. Details.
Class for the Native American Course of Study, a national school for Native American local pastors and local pastors who work in Native ministries - "Personal and Social Ethics," Monday-Friday, Oct. 6-10 in Window Rock, New Mexico. Details or contact the Rev. Fred Shaw at fashaw@juno.com.
Online courses from Upper Room in October, November and December - Oct. 6-31: "A Quiet Pentecost;" Oct. 20-31: "Living into the Answers: A Workshop on Personal Spiritual Discernment;" Nov. 3-7: "Companions in Christ Small Group Facilitator Training;" Nov. 20:"Speaking Your Mind to God;" Nov. 30-Dec. 27: "Taste and See: Experiencing the Stories of Advent and Christmas." Details.
Webinar "Overcoming Obstacles to Change in Your Church Two-Part Series," Tuesday, Oct. 7 and Monday, Oct. 20 - Both sessions are 7-8 p.m. ET, Practical strategies for overcoming six major obstacles to local church change. $20 for both. Details.
2014 Wright Lectures: Practical Approaches to Emerging Ministries, Sunday-Tuesday, Oct. 12-14 - Gathering will be at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center near Portland, Ore.Keynote speakers include the Revs. Jim Walker and Jeff Eddings, co-founders of Hot Metal Bridge, an emergent church in Pittsburgh that is a joint ministry of United Methodists and Presbyterians. Details.
South Central Jurisdiction Church Planting Convocation, Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 13-14, and New Church Leadership Institute, Tuesday-Thursday, Oct. 14-16 - Gathering in Dallas to celebrate church-planting successes and equip church planters. Details.
Deadline to apply to be part of 2015 Generation Transformation, Wednesday, Oct. 15 - Generation Transformation, an initiative of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, offers mission opportunities for young adults aged 18-30. Details.
"Peg-leg Flamingos: Native American Youth Leadership Training," Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 16-19 - The Native American International Caucus of The United Methodist Church will hold the gathering at Gretna Glen Camp and Retreat Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The gathering is for seventh-graders through high school seniors. $70. Details on PDF.
| NOTE: This is a digest of news features provided by United Methodist Communications for Sept.22-26. It includes summaries of United Methodist News Service stories and additional briefs from around the United Methodist connection. Full versions of the stories with photographs and related features can be found at umc.org/news.
Top Stories
Lockdown: Door-to-door bid to stop Ebola beginsFREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UMNS) — The usually busy and chaotic streets were virtually empty, creating an eerie ghost city. Friday was Day One of the nationwide three-day lockdown - a desperate effort to stop the deadly Ebola virus from spreading. Communicator Phileas Jusu writes about the lockdown. 
Photo by Phileas Jusu
Deserted streets in Freetown, Sierra Leone, made the city seem like a ghost town.
Lockdown: Door-to-door bid to stop Ebola begins
By Phileas Jusu*
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UMNS)
The usually busy and chaotic streets were virtually empty, creating an eerie ghost city. Friday was Day One of the nationwide three-day lockdown – a desperate effort to stop the deadly Ebola virus from spreading.
But inside homes, people crowded around the trained teams of health workers, community volunteers, and volunteers from non-government organizations moved from house to house with bars of soap, stickers and handbills to inform people about the hemorrhagic virus that has killed more than 2,600 people in West Africa— more than 500 in Sierra Leone—since the outbreak began.
In all, 7,136 teams of four mobilized for the Sept. 19-21 lockdown that has ground the country to a halt.
The campaign began slowly due to logistical issues. Steven Ngaujah, the Emergency Operations Center coordinator, said the first priority was to reach out to distant districts and communities or those with bad road networks.
The second day of the lockdown was also mostly uneventful, although some volunteer teams complained they didn't have enough stickers to put on houses they visited, or enough soap. On Sunday, published reports said the volunteers identified dozens of new infections, but also said there were food shortages.
Objectives of the house-to-house campaign, which ends Sunday evening, are fivefold:
Reach 1.5 million households across Sierra Leone with accurate information about Ebola
Increase community acceptance of those affected by Ebola, especially children
Promote hand-washing with soap (1.5 million bars of soap will be distributed)
Rebuild public confidence and trust in the health system
Install neighborhood watch structures at the community level.
In a television and radio address Sept. 18, President Ernest Bai Koroma referred to the lockdown as a time for family reflection, prayers and education.
Before his broadcast, the president met with a cross-section of religious leaders, appealing to them to ask their members not to defy the lockdown. He called the meeting after receiving a tip that religious leaders of the two main faith groups in the country – Christians and Muslims – were dissatisfied that the government chose to impose the lockdown during the three most important days for worship in the week – Friday for Muslims, Saturday for the Seventh Day Adventists and Sunday for Christians— without consulting them.
Be sure to add the alt. text
 Volunteers placed stickers on buildings they visited to show contact had been made. Photo by Phileas Jusu
Crisis shopping and theft
Panic buying in Freetown on Thursday may have increased the number of contacts people had with each other, possibly undermining the aim of minimizing body contact with the three-day lockdown.
Huge crowds in the markets rushed for goods and services, standing in line everywhere from bread shops to fuel stations. Many walked long distances as the few vehicles on the roads were not enough to convey all the people to and from the places they had to shop.
Dr. Thomas Yormah, a university lecturer, described his experiences in an e-mail.
“The desperate efforts by some of our compatriots to prepare for the three days stay-at-home . . . left me a sore victim – as all three of my phones got pinched,” Yormah wrote. He also said he heard a violent knock on the driver’s side of his car and knew someone was trying to steal from the car.
As he turned to rebuke the man knocking on his car, he saw him grabbing his phones. “Under normal circumstances I would have grabbed the fellow’s hand and prevented him from getting away with the phones, but at a time the Ebola virus is spreading like wildfire, one doesn’t go around grabbing the hands of strangers – especially of fellows living around the Frederick/ Sithorpe/Regent Street drug joint.”
Household visits
The government hope is that people staying at home will both ensure that teams reach every household with information to counter the flood of misinformation about Ebola and how it spreads, as well as minimize chances people can become infected by reducing their contacts with others.
The teams will find out what the families in each household know about Ebola and provide correct information, answer any questions and try to dispel rumors. They will explain what to do if a family member gets sick during the outbreak, including the need to go to a health facility early, call the emergency 117 number, or call the district health number.
A sticker will be placed on each home a team visits to signify a team has been there, and the teams will also distribute printed materials about Ebola.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Read full coverage of The United Methodist Church’s response to the Ebola outbreak at www.umc.org/ebola and donate online to United Methodist Communication’s efforts to help the denomination distribute information about the disease.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief has to date sent $400,000 in grants to Sierra Leone and Liberia.Donate online.
Emergency referral teams
Teams will not enter homes to look for sick persons or dead bodies. Teams will stop by a compound and enter homes only where they are invited.
If the teams encounter sick people or bodies, they will refer the information to the surveillance contact, referral or burial teams of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. If they do not respond, family members should call 117.
But published reports from Sierra Leone warned that the lack of a large-scale treatment center meant many had to wait in holding centers for transports to facilities several hours away – if an ambulance could be found the carry them. The outbreak is worst in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. In Guinea, a team of eight health care workers trying to raise awareness about Ebola was killed by villagers this week.
Families are advised to call district emergency referral teams for non-Ebola-related life-threatening emergencies, such as pregnant women going into labor or situations involving diabetes, high blood pressure, or injuries from an accident.
*Jusu is director of communications for The United Methodist Church in Sierra Leone.
News media contact: Vicki Brown at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
A new front in the Ebola crisis
in Communications and Media,Global Citizenship,Global Health,Media & Culture
United Methodist Bishop John K. Yambasu, chairman of the religious leaders task force, demonstrates to participants a new way of greeting instead of the traditional handshake. New traditions are being created to help prevent the spread of the Ebola virus. Photo by Phileas Jusu, UMNS.
Bishop John K. Yambasu, chairman of the Religious Leaders Task Force in Sierra Leone, demonstrates a safe way of greeting instead of the traditional handshake. Photo by Phileas Jusu, UMNS.
With the killing of a delegation of health officials, journalists and a pastor by a mob of rural villagers in Guinea, an even more tragic page has turned in the Ebola crisis.
The mission of the group was to dispel rumors about the outbreak, but the villagers thought they had come to spread the virus. The people attacked the group with rocks. Eight bodies were later found, bearing signs of having been attacked with machetes and clubs.
The event is a severe example of the irrational fears that are rife across the region. In Sierra Leone, the government’s Emergency Operations Center issued a release to dispel a rumor that soap to be distributed during the three-day lockdown, known locally as Ose to Ose Tok (House to House Talk), had been infected to spread the virus.
Fear drives these rumors. The immediate challenge is to arm trusted local people with accurate information to correct the inaccuracies and dispel the fear. The Ose to Ose Talk during the three-day lockdown in Sierra Leone is an example.
Correcting misinformation
In addition, commentaries on television, radio and in print by trusted leaders such as Bishop John Yambasu, the United Methodist leader in Sierra Leone, are helping to correct misinformation and encourage cooperation with health programs to halt the spread of the disease.
United Methodist Communications is providing text messages to clergy in rural areas as well as cities in Sierra Leone and Liberia. These messages are consistent with those developed by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control. The church’s advantage lies in its grassroots network of clergy and leaders who live in the affected regions and are trusted.
Two messages are sent daily. The morning message is usually about health practices. For example, these messages were sent this morning:
Community health workers are trained to help us all and are essential to beating Ebola. Please cooperate with them during the lockdown. – Bishop J. Yambasu (Sierra Leone)
In the Ebola crisis, handle animals with protective clothing. Thoroughly cook animal products (blood and meat) before eating. – Ad., WHO (Bishop J. Innis) (Liberia)
Each afternoon a message based on Scripture is sent. For example: Do not worry … in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) – Bishop J. Innis or Bishop J. Yambasu
We are also distributing solar cellphone chargers to give these messengers a cost-free means of keeping their phones charged.
The long-term challenge
This crisis underscores a truism: Poverty breeds social discontent and mistrust of unresponsive government. Liberians clearly do not trust their government. At the outset of the crisis, the rumor spread that the outbreak was false, created by the government to bring more foreign dollars into the country to pay corrupt government officials.
In the long term, the challenge is to provide education that leads to better understanding of disease and how to prevent infections. This will require effective public education. It is also necessary to build effective, accessible public health systems, and equally important to establish responsive, transparent governance.
Building public infrastructure that is common in societies in the global North, such as sanitary sewers, clean water, and Wi-Fi and mobile phone systems, is also a long-term solution.
Addressing inequities
Africa’s leaders must gain the trust of their citizens by ending corruption and conducting government affairs with transparency, and citizens must have access to the information they need to make responsible decisions. Access to information is a human right in this information rich age. It’s essential to good citizenship.
The stark realities of the Ebola crisis make clear the need for these basic changes. The world must stem the immediate crisis. But that is not enough. We must address the underlying deficits that periodically surface and remind us that inequities in the world make all of us less secure and threaten global well-being when systems break down.
Photo by Julu Swen, UMNS
The new Ebola Center in Ganta City, Liberia.
New Ebola holding center opens in Ganta City
By Julu Swen
GANTA CITY, Liberia (UMNS)
Clinics that were part of the United Methodist hospital facilities here are now a holding center for patients believed to have Ebola.
In response to criticisms about slow government action in fighting the outbreak, the government opened the center in two buildings that formerly held eye and fistula clinics.
ArcelorMittal, a steel and mining company with a presence in more than 60 countries, refurbished the two buildings at a cost of $42,000. The company made the improvements at the request of Fong Zuagele, the Nimba County superintendent.
Prayaga Sreenivas Prasad, general manager and chief technical officer of AcelorMittal, said his company was glad to support the Liberian government in its fight against the Ebola virus.
“We will stand with you in every way possible to this virus and if possible kick it out of Liberia,” Prasad said, pledging the company’s support in any lifesaving venture. Prasad spoke at a ceremony during which keys to the refurbished buildings were given to county officials.
“I wish the county did not have to use these facilities for the Ebola virus,” Prasad said.
Zuagele thanked AML officials for refurbishing the facilities and thanked The United Methodist Church for making the buildings available to the county.
“This hospital is the heartbeat of this county when it comes to providing health services in this part of Liberia,” the superintendent said. He said The United Methodist Church’s Ganta Hospital and the staff are a shining example of what a health facility should be in times of crisis.
The hospital remained open throughout the Ebola virus outbreak even in the absence of adequate protective gear, Zuagele said.
Musu Duworko, a World Health Organization representative who was at the ceremony, said the outbreak is worsening in Nimba County due several factors — including persistent denial by the people of the county that there is a problem.
She said that as of Sept. 13, there had been 135 Ebola cases in the county with 91 deaths. In addition, she said there had been about 600 contacts that health workers or Ebola Task Force members could not easily trace to ensure early treatment.
Duworko said WHO was committed working with the Nimba County Health Team to staff the holding center with trained personnel and to provide adequate protective gear.
“We do not want to lose any more health workers in this fight against the Ebola virus,” she said.
Swen is a communicator in Liberia.
News media contact: Vicki Brown, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Composite by Kathleen Barry, UMNS.
Maps courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, labeling of United Methodist hospitals and clinic by United Methodist Committee on Relief.
Life-saving Ebola messages in 160 characters or less
By Kathy L. Gilbert
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)
Amid the most horrific Ebola outbreak in history, The United Methodist Church is sending out hope and life-saving information to Africa twice daily – in 160 characters or less.
Hope is in desperate demand in the Ebola outbreak and so is a clear message about what the disease is, how to prevent it, and how to avoid spreading it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts the highly contagious and deadly virus could infect 1.4 million by the end of January. Hardest hit are the West African countries Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Read full coverage of The United Methodist Church’s response to the Ebola outbreak at www.umc.org/ebola and donate online to United Methodist Communication’s efforts to help the denomination distribute information about the disease.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief has to date sent $400,000 in grants to Sierra Leone and Liberia. Donate online.
Traditional forms of media do not reach all the people in Sierra Leone and Liberia where the church has congregations and some members are dying from Ebola. Older forms of messaging—megaphones, posters and non-smart mobile phones—work best in remote locations without television and Internet connections.
The Rev. Neelley Hicks, director of ICT4D church initiatives at United Methodist Communications, said Freeplay Assist Radios designed specifically for humanitarian purposes are going to Sierra Leone and Liberia. The FM/AM/SW radios have built in flashlights, siren and emergency mobile phone charging capability. They can be hand-cranked or solar powered. ICT4D stands for information and communications technologies for development.
Radio is an important and more available form of communication. The Liberia United Methodist Annual Conference has a radio station that has been broadcasting messages about Ebola since the first cases were reported in that country.
FrontlineSMS, a free, open-source texting service that doesn’t rely on Internet connection and can send out messages to groups, is being used by the church to send out text messages twice a day that both inform and soothe.
Informative messages such as: “Ignore rumors such as ‘Simply saying Ebola’ aloud transmits the disease. That is false!” are mixed with words from the Bible to inspire hope.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” another text states.
UMC in West Africa
The messages go initially to 160 active ordained United Methodist pastors in Sierra Leone and 24 district superintendents in Liberia, but are intended for sharing across their individual networks and, exponentially, beyond their networks to reach as many people as possible. By having trusted clergy leaders relay the messages, the church aims to counter the rumors and misinformation still swirling about the outbreak.
The spiritual messages come from Bishop John Innis, Liberia; and Bishop John Yambasu, Sierra Leone. There are 225,000 United Methodists in 324 churches in Sierra Leone and 148,382 members in 609 churches in Liberia. There are 404 active ordained clergy in Liberia.
United Methodist Communications is sending the messages from Nashville on behalf of the bishops and the denomination.
“In the Ebola crisis, communication precedes prevention and treatment,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, top executive United Methodist Communications.
“The contagion seems to be growing exponentially according to international health officials. Along with medical personnel, facilities for treatment and containment, and medical supplies, communication is essential. However, new cases are outpacing the installation of treatment facilities. Because of this, containment is moving to home health care. People will need instruction and health kits. In these conditions communication is becoming even more important,” Hollon said.
Communicating on the ground
The FrontlineSMS text messages started in mid-August.
“The goal is to develop more same-day communication systems for people on the ground,” said Hicks. The text messages “leap frog” over email and reach people who don’t have access to computers and Internet connections. ICT4D stands for information and communications technologies for development.
Ken Banks, developer of Frontline SMS, recently wrote a blog for How We Get To Next about the technology being used by the church in this health crisis.
“With a large international effort under way, United Methodist Communications is leading the field on the technology front. UMC have been using tools such as FrontlineSMS for some time to help disseminate and collect all manner of information through mobile phones, and today it is turning its attention to helping communities use the technology to deal with the Ebola outbreak,” he wrote.
A multimedia team of reporters from United Methodist Communications was in Sierra Leone to report on a major mosquito net distribution in Bo in early June when the first reported cases of Ebola were coming into a clinic in Kenema. Since then, United Methodist communicators Phileas Jusu in Sierra Leone and Julu Swen in Liberia have been filing almost daily reports.
Yambasu and Innis also immediately starting preaching and spreading the word about Ebola from pulpits, and through YouTube videos, radio, television and Internet outlets.
The messages are coming in loud and clear in scriptures, precautionary tips for homes, community and churches and in prayers. All in 160 characters including “Amen.”
“God of compassion, with you and your children, we weep. Comfort all who have no one to weep for them. Amen.”
Gilbert is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Church's domestic violence response predates NFL news MERIDIAN, Miss. (UMNS) — United Methodists have been confronting family violence long before the NFL's response to players' assault charges was making headlines. Still, advocates - including leaders of United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men - say church leaders can do more to address a problem seldom mentioned from the pulpit. |  | A photo illustration by Ronny Perry, United Methodist Communications | Domestic abuse Photo illustration by Ronny Perry, United Methodist Communications | Church’s domestic violence response predates NFL news | By Heather Hahn | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) | What does the face of domestic violence look like? | It could belong to the person sitting next to you in church each Sunday, says Ginger Grissom. | She knows from experience. For eight years, as executive director of the United Methodist-supported Wesley House Community Center in Meridian, Miss., she has helped abuse survivors rebuild their lives. She is also a survivor, she says. | United Methodists, like Grissom, have been confronting family violence long before the NFL’s response to players’ assault charges was making headlines. | United Methodists for decades have helped support shelters for women and children. They also have worked with policymakers and law enforcement to treat domestic violence not simply as a private matter but as a crime. | In the past five years, United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men have collaborated to provide training and advocacy on the issue. Other United Methodist agencies, including the Commission on the Status and Role of Women and the Board of Church and Society, also are involved in advocacy. | Still, Grissom and other advocates — including UMW and UMM executives — say church leaders can do more to address a problem seldom mentioned from the pulpit. | A May survey by LifeWay Research, which included United Methodists, found about four in 10 — 42 percent — of Protestant senior pastors “rarely” or “never” speak about domestic violence. Nearly three in 10 — 29 percent — said they believe domestic violence is not a problem in their church. | Those pastors are wrong, Grissom pointed out. | “The church needs to be open (to the fact) that domestic violence happens,” she said. “It’s happening to people in every church in the United States. The only way that we can fight it is to know that … and to be open to bringing in professionals who deal with it every day.” | Daunting statistics | The numbers bear her out. About three in 10 women and one in 10 men have experienced violence or stalking by a partner, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. | WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES | The United Methodist Church addresses domestic violence in its Book of Discipline, which contains the denomination’s laws and teachings. Here is what the book says about “Family Violence and Abuse." | Domestic violence crosses all racial, cultural and socioeconomic lines. Perpetrators can include plumbers, business professionals and even clergy. | The people affected include not just abuse victims themselves but also their loved ones, especially their children. | Mississippi Area Bishop James E. Swanson Sr., like Grissom, has personal experience with the costs of domestic violence. When he was 18 in 1968, his mother was killed by his stepfather because she refused to give him money for alcohol. | His loss has shaped his ministry and has given him better understanding of why people stay in abusive relationships, he said. | “A lot of times, they are trying to be a savior of that man that they love,” he said. | “Pastors have to know that when they first offer assistance, they are probably going to be turned down. But if you remain a non-anxious presence, sooner or later that person will turn to you and you can offer resources to her.” | No matter the victim’s educational or financial background, leaving an abusive relationship is tough. | “Why do people stay? Most of the time it’s because of fear,” Grissom said. “And absolutely that fear is substantiated by statistics. The most dangerous time for any victim of domestic violence is when she chooses to leave. People die.” | Grissom said it took her 15 years to leave. Her story is similar to many other abuse survivors’ firsthand accounts. She found herself isolated from family, banned from eating fattening food and under financial and spiritual control. | “The fact is that I am survivor, but I am a survivor by the grace of God,” she said. | Working with men | Gil Hanke, the top executive of United Methodist Men, told a recent meeting of his commission that only men can stop domestic violence. | RESOURCES ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE | Resources from United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men | United Methodist Women’s Facebook page on domestic violence | Resources from United Methodist Board of Church and Society | United Methodist Women and FaithTrust Institute offer free webinars this fall. All are 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET (11 a.m. to noon PT). | Building Partnerships to End Domestic Violence, Thursday, Sept. 25 | Working with Survivors from Diverse Religious Traditions, Thursday, Oct. 9 | Making Connections for a Coordinated Community Response, Wednesday, Oct. 29 | Men’s Role in Ending Violence, Thursday, Nov. 13 | U.S. Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233/ 1-800-787-3224 (for deaf) | Women historically have done a great job of drawing attention to the issue and protecting those escaping abuse, he told United Methodist News Service. Now, men must step up. | “It has to do with how they view women, how they talk about women, how they tolerate the demeaning of women in the media and in their everyday conversations,” Hanke said. “Principled Christian leaders who are men don’t talk like that and don’t listen to things like that, and they do not assert their position at the cost of someone else.” | People have the misconception that domestic violence results because the man is angry and has lost control, Hanke said. “In fact, it’s all about control.” | He now leads workshops that help men to think about how they treat and talk about women and help to raise awareness about domestic violence. United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women also work to connect churches with resources in addressing the problem. | For example, the United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women groups in the Baltimore-Washington Conference plan to offer Domestic Violence Church Team Training on Oct. 11. | What more the church should do | "Faith can either be a resource or a roadblock to ending violence," said Jane Fredricksen. She is the executive director of FaithTrust Institute, which educates religious groups in addressing sexual and domestic violence. The institute works with United Methodist Women to provide training. | "A victim of violence may experience a crisis of faith questioning 'Why did God let this happen to me?' or 'I can’t divorce my spouse because God hates divorce,'" Fredicksen said. | A church needs to be a safe place where the battered can disclose their doubts and fears and still be reminded they are children of God. | Harriett Jane Olson, the top executive of United Methodist Women, urges pastors to discuss domestic violence with their congregations. But she warns that if they do, they should be prepared for people who feel trapped in abusive relationships to come forward. | Grissom stresses that when confronted with an abuse survivor, pastors should not try to go it alone in trying to help. | “When someone has been abused, they need someone with real skills devoted just to that,” said Grissom, who also is president of the Meridian District’s United Methodist Women. “If churches would pull in organizations that are already doing it, then they have resources so when — not if — it happens, ministers don’t have to be put in the middle. They don’t have to choose between the man and the woman.” | Swanson also advises pastors “not to try to be Superman” and save the day. For one thing, he said, doing so could put that pastor at risk. | But he urges clergy to get to know local law enforcement and make resources available to congregants. He suggests putting resources in restrooms where women can look at them privately. | Swanson, who is president of United Methodist Men, said he sees God at work in the attention the NFL’s troubles have brought to the problem of domestic violence. | “I realize that the church has to do so much,” Swanson said. “If there is anything I have learned as bishop, it’s that there are so many forms of evil out there that we are called to address every day. | “But this is one I think that can unite as a church across so many different lines. If nothing else, we can create a groundswell of awareness.” | Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org |  | Photo by Linda Bloom, UMNS. | Victor See Yen, left, and Ron McBee of Heritage O.P., an acoustic percussion and vocal ensemble, drum for peace during a symposium Sept. 19 at the Church Center for the United Nations. Photo by Linda Bloom, UMNS. | Talking about ‘The Things That Make for Peace’ | By Linda Bloom, | NEW YORK (UMNS) | When the U.N. Peace Bell rang across the street from the United Methodist-related Church Center for the United Nations, those gathered in the center’s chapel rang their own small bells in response. | Video clips of people ringing bells from the Philippines to the Democratic Republic of Congo followed, along with messages of peace. One video message from an Iraqi woman pleaded for urgent international action for those suffering in her country. “Let’s build up peace in Iraq that will enhance world peace,” she said. | The U.N. General Assembly has declared the International Day of Peace, celebrated on or near Sept. 21, “to be a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.” | To mark the day, United Methodist Women and other religious and nongovernmental groups organized a symposium, “The Things That Make for Peace.” | Morning speakers and afternoon workshops focused on the intersection of basic needs — food, water, and health — with issues of gender, climate insecurity and conflict. | “Today, we’re emphasizing the inextricable links of peace and just development,” said Harriett Jane Olson, top executive of United Methodist Women. “We will share and examine what are those things that make for peace, real peace, peace that can last.” | Growing out of conflict | Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, top executive of the World YWCA and moderator for the morning event, grew up in rural Zimbabwe during the war. “I am a daughter of conflict,” she said. “I know what it means.” | She also recognizes what can help end such conflict. “I lead a global market of 25 million women and girls,” she explained. “Their everyday work is one of the things that make peace happen.” | Helen Clark, administrator of the United Nations Development Program, had just returned from a visit to Lebanon, where the spill-over effects of conflict are threatening to engulf that small country. | Currently, Lebanon’s population of under 4.5 million is hosting just under 1.2 million refugees. “Per capita, it hosts far more refugees than any other country in the world,” Clark noted. “And there are huge concerns there over whether the country’s stability will hold with the Syria conflict continuing and spilling over into Lebanon itself. | “We see, as you do, peace and stability as a prerequisite for human development,” she said. “We see these conflicts taking scarce resources away from development and costing developing countries hundreds of millions of dollars a year.” | Women and girls also are bearing the costs of conflict, said Lakshmi Puri, deputy executive director for UN Women. | “Women continue to be disproportionately affected by conflict situations and are often excluded from development planning… despite the fact that women head, on an average, 40 percent of households in post-conflict settings,” she said. | Women’s knowledge, wisdom and commitment to future generations, Puri pointed out, is what “makes them such critical peacemakers and peacebuilders, but also conflict preventers.” | Week of action in New York | The symposium marks the beginning of a week of action before the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 69th Session, including the Peoples Climate March Sept. 21, the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, Sept. 22-23, and the U.N. Climate Summit, Sept. 23. | “Everything discussed there will have a bearing on whether our world is capable of building a peaceful, equitable and just future,” Clark said. | But Bill McKibben, a United Methodist and well-known activist from Middlebury, Vermont, calls next week’s gathering of world leaders “the sideshow to the main event.” | More important, he told symposium participants, was Sunday’s climate march in midtown Manhattan. “It’s going to be by far the largest demonstration about climate change the world has ever seen,” he said. “It’s going to be filled, among other things, with people of faith.” | McKibben, whose 350.org movement is one of the march’s organizers, said that a video message from former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a call from Cardinal Timothy Dolan for area Catholics to join the march shows “a spirit moving and it is beautiful to see.” | Bloom is a United Methodist News Service multimedia reporter based in New York. Follow her at http://twitter.com/umcscribe or contact her at (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org | Interfaith declaration on climate change |  Participants in Interfaith Summit on Climate Change in New York. Photo: WCC/Melissa Engle Hess | As hundreds of thousands of people flooded through the streets of New York City on 21 September in a march for action on climate change, 30 faith leaders representing nine religions signed their names to a statement calling for concrete actions to curb carbon emissions. | The document was the centerpiece of an interfaith conference jointly hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), a body that includes 345 churches representing about 560 million Christians worldwide, and Religions for Peace, an interfaith coalition with members in more than 70 countries. Signatories hailed from 21 countries on six continents. | “When in January I listened to the general secretary of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon, calling the world’s heads of state for a summit on climate change, I thought we also have to get together as leaders of faith communities to offer our contributions,” said Rev. Dr Olav Fkyse Tveit, the WCC general secretary. Large changes require “deep and strong conviction” which, he said, can be found in the “beliefs, rituals, symbols, sacred texts and prayers of faith [that] give meaning and direction for a large portion of the world’s population.” | The statement, titled Climate, Faith and Hope: Faith Traditions Together for a Common Future will be presented to the deputy-secretary general of the UN, Jan Eliasson, in advance of the UN climate summit that is set to begin on 23 September. | It calls on “all States to work constructively towards a far-reaching global climate agreement in Paris in 2015” which will be “ambitious enough to keep temperature from rising well below 2° Celsius; fair enough to distribute the burden in an equitable way; and legally binding enough to guarantee that effective national climate policies to curb emissions are well funded and fully implemented.” | As faith leaders who together represent a huge swathe of the world’s religious adherents, “if we change, everything changes. So we have to commit ourselves,” said Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp, founder of the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values in The Hague, the Netherlands. “The march is visible. What we are doing here is visible. The march and the signed documents together make an impression,” he said. | “Although there is always the emphasis on the beyond, on the eternal life, we are extremely eager for earthly life for people,” said Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. “Climate is a central issue for human life. So we have to try as a church to ensure the best possible conditions.” | For some of the signatories, climate change is threatening the very countries they call home. The nation of Tuvalu sits on a small collection of reef islands and atolls in the Pacific Ocean. Salt water has entered the underground water table on which the people rely, and scientists suggest the islands will eventually be subsumed as sea levels continue to rise. | “For my church, this means life, because our very existence is challenged. And anything that challenges the livelihood and the life and life continuity of a people is a mission from God to us as believers to fight against it,” said Rev. Tafue Lusama, general secretary of the Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu (EKT). | Yet, he said, he didn’t want Tuvalu to become “a symbol of defeat” for other low-lying countries that may eventually face the same fate. “If we can stand our ground and tell the world they should do something and act on it now, even if Tuvalu goes down, we can save the others,” Lusama said. | In the face of the crisis affecting the world, it is imperative for people of faith to speak out in hope, becoming a moral voice that speaks “to our deepest convictions and commitments as human beings,” said the WCC general secretary. “I say it is immoral not to speak of hope in this time.” | “I see a lot of hope, even just these three days,” said Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, who spoke to the gathering during a morning session. “There’s the public mobilization that we’re seeing today, corporate mobilization that we’re going to see, and the political mobilization. It is a very encouraging sign that people are standing up to be counted. Yet it is not enough. We have to build on that to get to the final solution.” | “We cannot despair, said Sheikh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, president of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies in Abu Dhabi and co-moderator of Religions for Peace. “This hope is our address. This is where we live.” | WCC news release written by Connie Wardle, senior writer and online editor at the Presbyterian Record, Canada. | Statement from the Interfaith Summit on Climate Change 2014 | To save the earth, all must change their ways, says Ecumenical Patriarch (WCC news release of 19 September 2014) | Website of the Interfaith Summit on Climate Change | WCC’s work on climate justice and care for creation | Connectional Table to host human sexuality live stream | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | September 24, 2014 | The Connectional Table to host human sexuality live stream event Nov. 1 | Seeking input and questions from United Methodists | Chicago, Ill.: The Connectional Table’s Human Sexuality Task Force is hosting the second of three live stream events on Saturday, November 1 from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. Central Time. The Connectional Table is a 59-member body which is responsible for guiding the vision, mission and ministries of The United Methodist Church. | The panelists participating in the live stream are members of the Council of Bishops who contributed to the book Finding Our Way: Love and Law in The United Methodist Church, as well as the Editor and President of United Methodist Publishing House. | Confirmed participants include: Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Bishop Michael J. Lowry, Bishop John K. Yambasu and Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, and Neil Alexander. | They will be discussing their perspectives on human sexuality based upon their chapter in the book. Viewers are encouraged to read the book prior to the live stream discussion. United Methodist leaders are also encouraged to gather church members for viewing and joining the discussion on Saturday morning. Additional resources to support the discussion can be found at http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/human-sexuality-homosexuality. | United Methodists who would like to participate in this discussion are encouraged to create a YouTube video explaining a personal story that pertains to unity and/or human sexuality and pose a question about Finding Our Way to one of the bishops or the editor. Videos must be no longer than 2-3 minutes. Tag the video using #cttalks and email a link to aboggan@umc.org prior to Friday, October 17, 2014. Three videos will be selected and shown at the event. | Additionally, participants may ask questions about the book via Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #cttalks during the live stream on November 1 from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. Central Time. The panel will answer relevant questions from these platforms. | To view the live stream, go to http://umc.org/connectional-table-webcast on the day of the event. | Members of the Connectional Table hope these events will foster ongoing dialogue to provide an opportunity for them to listen and consider varying theological perspectives, as well as to create an ongoing conversation in the wider church. | Contact: | Ashley Boggan | aboggan@umc.org | 773-714-1517 |  Left to right are recently commissioned Global Mission Fellows Marcharkelti McKenzie, Hye-In Lee, Connor Kenaston, Krystal Norman, Paola Ferro, Alyson McCoy, Elfie Grace Tangunan, and Edward White | Mission Service Opportunities through Generation Transformation | New York, Sept. 2, 2014 — Generation Transformation (GT) applications are now available for 2015 young adult mission opportunities. Generation Transformation is an initiative of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries offering service opportunities for young adults ages 18-30. With three different mission tracks to choose from, GT offers a program to fit the mission desires of all who wish to serve. “Generation Transformation is for all who are willing to go, and ready to respond to God’s call,” says Rachel deBos, a Mission Interpreter for Global Ministries. | lobal Mission Fellows pose on a staircase wearing the prayer shawls they received during the commissioning service this past July. |  (above) Commissioned in Cavite, Philippines, Global Mission Fellows pose on a staircase wearing the prayer shawls they received during the commissioning service this past July. General Secretary Thomas Kemper (second row, center with blue tie) spoke with them for about an hour after their commissioning to answer any questions they had. Photo: Melissa Hinnen | Generation Transformation is a movement of young adults using their faith to address injustice and work for systemic change around the world. It is often said that United Methodist missionaries go “from everywhere to everywhere,” making GT truly a global initiative. | “Global Ministries is committed to offering mission service opportunities for young people all around the globe,” says Judy Y. Chung, who leads missionary services. “As young people are mobilized to serve in mission, integrating faith and justice, the movement will inspire and transform the world.” | Three different programs offer a variety of options for young adults who are interested in missionary service: | Global Mission Fellows sends young adults ages 20-30 out of their home context for two years of mission service. This is a faith- and justice-centered opportunity that grew out of the historic US-2 and Mission Intern programs. The Global Mission Fellows aim to engage with local communities, connect the church in mission and grow in personal and social holiness. “The program’s revised structure will better reflect the Global Ministries mission to ‘connect the church in mission,’” writes Elizabeth Chun Hye Lee, the program’s executive secretary. “Local United Methodist leaders — lay leaders, pastors, missionaries and/or campus ministers — will provide mentorship and support, helping Fellows navigate opportunities and challenges that arise when pursuing a life of mission.” | Global Justice Volunteers is a short-term service opportunity for young adults ages 18-30. Small teams of volunteers spend 10 weeks during June, July and August exploring the links between faith and social justice. They work with grassroots organizations around the world.Learn more about this program at www.umcmission.org/gjv. The application deadline is February 1, 2015 | Individual Volunteers offer individuals and couples the flexibility to volunteer for a period of two months to two years. Volunteers serve at placement sites all over the world, including the United States. Every effort is made to accommodate placement preferences. Learn more about this program at www.umcmission.org/individualvolunteers. Applications are accepted throughout the year. | Generation Transformation is changing the world one young adult missionary at a time. 2015 service applications are now available. The priority date for submission is Oct. 15. If you’re a young adult committed to working for justice through faith, or know someone who is, you’re encouraged to apply now and share these opportunities throughout your network! These programs develop strong young leaders who are committed to building just communities and a peaceful world. | Learn more about Generation Transformation at www.umcmission.org/GT or email gmfellows@umcmission.org. Follow @umcmissionGT on Twitter for program updates. Please keep these young adults in prayer along with the communities they will serve. Financial support can be made through Advance #13105Z. | Media contact: Melissa Hinnen, Director of Content & Public Information, mhinnen@umcmission.org. | Agriculture Training in DR Congo |  | “Today, with my production, I am a happy woman,” says Beatrice Monga. Photo: Courtesy of Foods Resource Bank. | By Julia Kayser Frisbie* | September 22, 2014—Beatrice Monga is a mother of seven who lives in Kamina, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). At this time last year, her situation was desperate, but through her hard work and dedication, with support from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), she and her family are now thriving and helping others to do the same. | A year ago, Monga’s husband was out of work, they couldn’t afford their children’s school fees, and the youngest child fell seriously ill. When church friends encouraged them to take the child to the hospital and helped pay those fees, it was an answer to prayer. But Monga knew it was a temporary solution. She wanted to find work that would sustain her family for the long haul. | Then a friend told her about an agricultural training program offered by UMCOR. The friend was participating in the program and told Monga, “In agriculture, we could earn a decent income.” So Monga went looking for UMCOR. | UMCOR has eight program offices around the world where UMCOR staff work with local communities in development projects. The UMCOR country office in DRC has a field presence in Kamina. The agricultural program there that Monga heard about is funded by UMCOR partner, Foods Resource Bank. It offers committed individuals a year of training in how to grow food. | Even in a country like DRC where there are many subsistence farmers, this training can be a great advantage. That’s because the push toward technology and easier agricultural methods that use chemicals have devalued traditional, local knowledge of how to grow nourishing food while also stewarding land and water resources. | In addition, climate patterns that were reliable for generations have become less so because of climate change. And big agribusiness has pushed many families off their historic plots and onto less productive land. | All of these factors contribute to food insecurity and malnourishment among subsistence farmers in DRC. | A new way to farm | So, on land that belongs to The United Methodist Church in DRC, 90 farmers have been learning a new way to farm with a minimal amount of chemistry. Organic methods such as composting, creating organic pesticides and seed preservation are emphasized. One of the major obstacles facing smallholder farmers in DRC is the lack of affordable and quality seeds and fertilizer for sale in local markets. | Margot Bokanga, program manager for UMCOR’s work in DRC, explains: “This community relies solely on the middleman and the traders because of the lack of a good transportation system.” Getting supplies this way is costly. | The training aims to help farmers gain independence from this cycle. “It is helping people move from below subsistence levels to having a small enterprise. It is enabling them to ensure that the family has reliable access to food, health care, education and other life necessities that we take for granted,” says Alice Mar, executive secretary of UMCOR’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security programs. | When Monga arrived at the UMCOR field office in Kamina, she made her case. “I told them that I am eager to get trained in agriculture. UMCOR informed me that I was not living within the targeted community, but since I pleaded that my request be granted, I was accepted to receive training.” | In return, she committed to passing on her newfound knowledge to others in her area who were struggling to survive. That’s another way that this program seeks to be sustainable: after each cycle, the students become teachers for a new cohort. | Training bears fruit | In Kamina, there are two growing seasons: wet and dry. Monga’s training started in April with the planting of vegetable seeds. Vegetables, both for the families and for the markets, are grown throughout the dry season. Meanwhile, latrines, wells and household water filters are built in each community where the training is offered. That’s because nutrition, access to safe water and basic sanitation are inextricably entwined; waterborne diseases and parasites can undermine nutritional and health gains. | When the rainy season starts in September, the last of the vegetables are harvested. Then, traditional staple food crops are planted: maize, cassava and beans. Soy and moringa are also grown during the rainy season to provide an affordable source of protein and vital nutrients and minerals. Participants are trained in basic nutrition as well as agriculture. | “I got the training,” says Monga, “and at the same time, [I implemented] learned skills on my field. I started to produce vegetables—and I’m still doing so. My vegetables are selling well in the market.” | She already has earned the equivalent of about $290 in US dollars this year. That paid for supplementary food, healthcare and school fees for her family, and she even had some money left over to donate to less fortunate members of her extended family. | “Today, with my production, I am a happy woman,” she says. “All I can say is thank you to UMCOR and all the facilitators and donors. May God bless you all.” | Today, Monga is working to pass on that gift by training other people in her neighborhood. How will you pass along the gift? Donate to Congo (DRC) Development, Advance #198400, to support programs like this one in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. | APPLE HAS FAILED US! | Written by Bishop Grant. Posted in Bishop's Blog, Mission | “What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?” | -Luke 9: 25 | Apple, Inc. has failed us. I never thought I would say that. As an enthusiastic fan of their products, often over and against their competitors, that is a difficult thing to say. |  Apple_logo_black.svg | Apple Inc. logo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. | One might question my sanity on the eve of their iPhone 6 launch which may prove to be one of their most successful product launches ever. The fact that the pre-order website crashed under the sheer volume of orders, some 4 million within 24 hours, is an indicator of impending, commercial success. | However, I am standing by my original statement: “Apple has failed us!” The failure has nothing to do with design, technology, or business, and in fact these are all at an all-time high for them. | Apple’s failure has to do with the social responsibility it owes to the global society, particularly when it presents itself as a company that will make the world a better place by “seeing things differently.” Chasing profit is hardly being “different.” | Starting from Apple’s founder, the late Steve Jobs, who was approached by Bill Gates to turn to philanthropy and turned down flatly, Apple has neglected any obligation to improve the world’s conditions. Jobs wanted to revolutionize the world through technological design and innovation, but did not include compassion and generosity as part of that revolution. The corporate stinginess that Jobs’ represented has been inculcated throughout Apple’s culture, and largely remains part of his negative legacy. | I recently met the Superintendent of Schools in the Columbus, Ohio area, and he explained that they have a corporate account with Apple to supply iPads for all of their students. They spend 1.5 million dollars per year for this supply contact, and recently, they were holding a fundraiser in which they asked Apple to donate one laptop. They were turned down flat, and by way of explanation, their representative said that it is against their corporate policy. They don’t do that for anybody. 1.5 million dollars, and they can’t donate one measly computer! | It is estimated that Apple has cash reserves in excess of between 137-147 billion dollars – that’s billions with a “B!” This is more cash reserve than most of the countries of our world. And despite some positive moves by Jobs’ successor, Tim Cook, in launching a charitable, corporate-matching program, the vast majority of their wealth is not being used or leveraged for any social good. Even if they released one percent of the interest in a socially responsible way, hundreds of thousands would benefit. | I am not calling for a boycott of Apple products, and the irony is that I am writing this blog from a Mac. However, we must prophetically challenge Apple to be more socially responsible. Instead of making corporate profits the solitary bottom line, they should step up in philanthropy and social change to the same degree that they want to revolutionize the world technologically. | The iPhone 6 will launch this week, and later the Apple Watch and other products will continue to roll out. In the frenzy of buying these products, let us as United Methodist Christians remind Apple of its obligation to better the world in compassion and charity, not just in technology and design. | According to their PR, Apple’s goal is to transform the world. Their only hope of truly accomplishing that is when their compassion equals their technology. | Be the Hope, |  | Bishop Grant | Notice of Called Session of Annual Conference | Bishop B. Michael Watson announces today that he is calling a special Annual Conference session at 10 a.m, Saturday, October 25, 2014 at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. The purpose of the session will be to receive a report from the Conference Board of Trustees regarding offers for the Simpsonwood property. Members who must attend are defined in 2012 Book of Discipline paragraph 602 (clergy) and 602.5 (lay). Members should expect to hear and act on a motion for a closed session of Annual Conference in order to hear and discuss the report of the Board of Trustees, followed by an open session of the Annual Conference to consider and to take action on the resolution presented by the Board of Trustees. | From 2012 Book of Discipline | ¶ 602. Composition and Character - 1. The clergy membership of Annual Conference (¶ 370) shall consist of deacons and elders in full connection (¶ 333), provisional members (¶ 327), associate members, affiliated members (¶¶ 344.4, 586.4), and local pastors under full-time and part-time appointment to a pastoral charge (¶ 317). (See also ¶ 32) | ¶ 602.5 The lay member or alternate, whoever was last seated in the Annual Conference, shall be seated in a special session of the Annual Conference when convened, provided that no local charge shall be deprived of its lay member due to death, serious illness or cessation of membership. Under such circumstances, another lay member may be elected by the charge conference. (See ¶ 32.) |
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