Tuesday, April 24, 2018

"50 reasons to celebrate #UMC50" The United Methodist Now: The United Methodist Church of Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 23 April 2018
It's our birthday! The United Methodist Church was born on April 23, 1968. This special edition of UM Now is dedicated to#UMC50. Spread the cheer.

50 reasons to celebrate
The people of The United Methodist Church have made a huge difference in the world. We say, let us count the ways! See what's great about #UMC50.
File photo courtesy of Pam Buck, United Methodist Communications
50 reasons to celebrate The United Methodist Church by Fran Coode Walsh*
Five decades is always an important milestone, and 2018 marks the Big 5-0 for The United Methodist Church. That’s the reason we’ve compiled a quick list of 50 reasons the world is a better place thanks to the witness and work of the people of the UMC.
There are so many more we could list and you surely have your own reasons. We encourage you to share them using #UMC50.
Our people
1.John Wesley, who was called to create a movement, that grew into a church. He could’ve been a Jedi, really.
2. Susanna Wesley, whose steadfast faith and bold witness inspired her children and made her the true “Mother of Methodism.”
3. The 750,000 members of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and 10.3 million members of the Methodist Church who came together in the tumultuous year of 1968 and created a new

Bishop Joaquina Nhanala from Mozambique is the first female United Methodist bishop in Africa . Photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS.church.
4. More than 300 missionaries who serve across the world.
5. So many amazing kids, doing so many acts of kindness for their neighbors.
6. Leaders and trailblazers like Bishop Joaquina Filipe Nhanala of Mozambique, who is the first female United Methodist bishop in Africa.
7. Young adults sharing their gifts, like blind artist Jeff Hanson who has raised millions for charity.
8. Our bishops, past and present. You can get to know more about their personal faith journeys in podcasts, like the one with Bishop Harald Rückert of Germany who had a previous career in food technology.
9. The Methodist mother-daughter team who created a holiday for moms.
10. Members of the two United Methodist churches that were the first to host Father’s Day celebrations.
Our places
The green roof at the United Methodist building in D.C. overlooks the U.S. Capitol. Image courtesy of Tricia Brumbauer, Board of Church and Society.
11. he Philippines, where United Methodists care deeply about climate change and planted more than 3,000 trees on Mindanao.
12. Washington, DC, where we have the only non-governmental bldg. on Capitol Hill and it has a green roof!
13. Honduras, where the only United Methodist church in Latin America is found.
14. Kansas, where a United Methodist Church houses the world’s largest stained glass window.
15. Congo, where ministries like the Goma Orphanage offer job skills and education to those struggling after wars.:
16. China, where United Methodists continue to support Chinese Christiansand promote ecumenical dialogue.
17. Côte d’Ivoire, where The Voice of Hope radio station transmits to more than 1 million people in 18 languages daily.
18. Alaska, where United Methodists preserve Native culture and share God’s message no matter the weather.
19. New Jersey, where “God’s Square Mile” can be found on the beach at Ocean Grove.
20. Sierra Leone, where the United Methodist University of Sierra Leoneopened in Freetown in 2017.
Our musicians
21. Charles Wesley, whose hymns were considered as influential in the Methodist movement as his brother John’s sermons.
22. Fanny Crosby, a blind, musical visionary who penned "Blessed Assurance" and more than 8,000 songs in her lifetime.
Houston native Beyonce teamed with her pastor and church members at St. John's UMC to help survivors of Hurricane Harvey. Image courtesy of Texas Annual Conference.
23. Choir members the world over, who use their talents to praise God and grow their own faith while inspiring others with their music.
24. The Amazing Grace Guitar Ministry in Dallas, that offers young people lessons and rewards them with a guitar as part of a mentorship program.
25. The Africa University Choir, who sang for South Carolina United Methodists in the wake of the 2015 shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.
26. Composer, conductor and teacher Jane Marshall who debuted in a big way with the anthem "My Eternal King."
27. Ukelele choirs like the one from Frisco, Texas with musicians aged 8 to 60, who performed at the 2016 General Conference.
28. Betty Trotter, who has played the piano for Spring Creek United Methodist Church in Tennessee for more than 70 years.
29. Beyonce, who sang her first solo at her home church, St. John’s UMC in Houston. In 2017, she teamed with her pastor Rudy Rasmus and the congregation to help survivors of Hurricane Harvey.
30. The Steel Pan Ministry at Westchester UMC in the Bronx, which combines the influences of many cultures to create a unique orchestra that serves the church and the community.
Our mission
31. To alleviate human suffering and advance hope and healing. Since 1940, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has been providing aid to families like those hurt by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
32. To focus on ministries with women, children and youth. 800,00 United Methodist Women work across the globe, including in Liberia where UMW offered meals and lifesaving information during the Ebola outbreak of 2014.
33. “To empower the ministry of Jesus Christ through men within the congregations of the UMC.” United Methodist Men offers spiritual resources, like Strength for Service devotionals for the U.S. military.
34. To volunteer in relief efforts around the world. Volunteers in Mission do construction, teach, conduct medical clinics, lead Bible study, and more.
Members of Embrace Church in northern California’s Bay Area pose for a group selfie. Image courtesy of Embrace Church. 
35. To plant new churches and encourage congregations to “see all the people.” One vibrant example is Embrace Church in northern California, which launched in July 2015.
36. To discern God’s call in our lives and use our spiritual gifts.
37. To address the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of all. The church’s Abundant Health initiative encourages members to embrace healthy living and hula-hoops.
38. To support the rights of workers and fight for a living wage. Learn ways you can support worker justice.
39. To remember our role as stewards of God’s earth and care for Creation.
40. To recognize the sin of racism and seek racial justice. Learn ways you can take a stand against racism.
Our method
41. Core spiritual practices, which led to the nicknames for early Methodists.
42. Our Wesleyan heritage, which put an emphasis on “practical divinity.”
Bishop Christian Alsted preaches at the May 12 morning worship at the United Methodist 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.
42. A history of disciple-shaping groups, the foundation of the movement.
43. The Articles of Religion and other foundational documents.
44. Four theological guidelines.
45. Sacraments and sacramental acts, which are part of our life’s journey.
46. Prayer, which comforts and connects us.
47. Our Social Principles and Social Creed, which guide our thinking and acting.
48. General Conference, which is the only body that speaks officially for the church.
49. Our history, which gives us roots and can inspire us today.
*Fran Coode Walsh is Director, Member Communications at United Methodist Communications.
Contact her at 615-742-5458.
This story was first published on April 18, 2018.
UMC.org is the official online ministry of The United Methodist Church.
© 2018 United Methodist Church.
A service of United Methodist Communications.
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UMC timeline: 1968‑present
Oh the places you’ll go…and have been! Reaching a milestone year gives us a good reason to look back and highlight some of the major events in the UMC since the Uniting Conference of 1968.
Timeline of The United Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church was created on April 23, 1968, when the Evangelical United Brethren Church and The Methodist Church merged at General Conference in Dallas, Texas.
A timeline of highlights of the journey of the new church includes notable events and actions of the church from 1968 to 2018.
Evangelical United Brethren Church Bishop Reuben H. Mueller (left) and Methodist Bishop Lloyd C. Wicke at Uniting Conference 1968. Photo courtesy of Archives and History.
Bishop Abel T. Muzorewa speaks at 2005 celebration in Zimbabwe honoring his 60 years of ministry. Muzorewa died in 2010. Photo by Kathy L. Gilbert, UMNS.
The April 2018 cover of Response magazine, a publication of United Methodist Women.
Freddie Bermudez (left), Francisco Nolla (center) and Angélica M. Rivera-Morales at 2012 MARCHA meeting. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
Barbara Thompson speaks during General Conference 1976. Thompson was elected the first president of General Commission on the Status and Role of Women in 1972. Photo courtesy of Archives and History. 
Long-time InfoServant Woodley McEachern works at her desk in 1978. Photo courtesy of United Methodist Communications. 
The Rev. Arturo “Artie” Cadar is a full-time local pastor appointed to lead CrossRoads United Methodist Church in Houston. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Arturo Cadar.
Marjorie Matthews (1916-1986) was the first woman elected bishop in 1980. Photo courtesy of Archives and History.
Bishop Elías Galván welcomes participants to the 2012 MARCHA meeting. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
United Methodist Bishop Leontine Turpeau Current Kelly preaches at the first reunion of the former Central Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church in 2004. Kelly died in 2012. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
Retired bishop Roy I. Sano speaking in 2014. Photo courtesy of the Pacific Northwest Conference.
The Dining Hall at Colorado Chautauqua National Historic Landmark. Photo by Jonathan B. Auerbach.
The 20th anniversary celebration of Africa University, March 23, in 2013. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS.

United Methodist Bishop Ruediger R. Minor (center) serves communion at General Conference 2004. Photo by John C. Goodwin, UMNS.
Jeff Cox (center) receives the Good Samaritan Award for his 9/11 Eagle Scout Project. Presenting the award are Gil C. Hanke (left) and Larry Coppock for United Methodist Men. Photo by Bob Vogt.
“Mil Voces Para Celebrar” is a Spanish-language hymnal. Photo courtesy of Cokesbury.
Children participate in the celebration of placing the cornerstone for Casa de Paz United Methodist Church, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, 2017. Photo by Kathy L. Gilbert.
Protestors in support of LGBTQ clergy line the entryway to General Conference 2016. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
United Methodist Communications’ billboard in Manhattan, two blocks from ground zero. Photo by John C. Goodwin, UMNS.
Two women sing from the Korean hymnal. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
2014 delegates to Global Young People's Convocation in Philippines. Photo courtesy Rich Rasmussen, the Florida Annual Conference.
Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño preaches during morning worship at GC 2008. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UMNS. 
Bishop Rosemarie Wenner (left) receives roses from Bishop Peggy Johnson after a "passing of the gavel." Photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS. 
Matilda Ndanema displays insecticide-treated mosquito net she received from the Imagine No Malaria campaign. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS. 
Bishop Joaquina Filipe Nhanala helps lead a worship service during the 2016 General Conference. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
Many neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, remain devastated, a year after a deadly earthquake struck in 2010. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS
The Rev. George Tinker preaches "Act of Repentance" at 2012 General Conference. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UMNS.
A young boy leaves a food distribution by UMCOR carrying food for his family following Typhoon Haiyan in Dagami, Philippines. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS
Edward L. Massaquoi broadcasts on ELUM, The United Methodist Church's radio station in Monrovia, Liberia. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.
United Methodist Bishop Karen Oliveto says goodbye to Glide Memorial United Methodist Church family after being elected bishop in 2016. Photo by Alain McLaughlin Photography Inc.
Dancers performs at 2017 dedication service for new Asia regional office of United Methodist Global Ministries. Photo by Jacob Lee, UMNS.
 1968
1969
  • Methodist churches in Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Malaysia-Singapore and Pakistan become autonomous. 
  • United Methodist Church’s Women’s Division begins publishing Response magazine.
1970
  • Because of political developments in East and West Germany, two central conferences were created to serve United Methodists there. 
  • A special session of the General Conference completes the work of organizing The United Methodist Church. 
1971
  • MARCHA (Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans), one of the denomination’s five U.S.-based racial-ethnic caucuses, is formed. 
1972
  • The newly adopted United Methodist Social Principles includes the first statement on homosexuality and recognizes divorce and the right of divorced people to remarry. The decades-long church debate on homosexuality begins. In The Book of Discipline, the sentence, “We do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider it incompatible with Christian teaching,” is added to the phrase, “Persons of homosexual orientation are persons of sacred worth.” The Discipline also makes the first reference to homosexual unions: “We do not recommend marriage between two persons of the same sex.” 
  • The Western Jurisdiction elects the Rev. Wilbur W. Y. Choy as the first Asian-American bishop. 
  • ​The Black College Fund is established to minister to individuals underserved by the U.S. system of higher education. 
  • The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and the General Council on Finance and Administration are created. 
  • Reorganized church agencies form four general boards: Church and Society, Discipleship, Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry. Three agencies are combined to form United Methodist Communications. 
1973
  • The women’s organizations in The United Methodist Church merge to form one inclusive organization with the name “United Methodist Women.”
1974
  • Garrett Theological Seminary (Methodist Church) and the Evangelical Theological Seminary (EUB) merge into Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. 
  • InfoServ, the official United Methodist information service, launches. 
1975
  • The United Methodist Gay Caucus organizes in Evanston, Illinois. 
1976
  • The first 10 clergywomen delegates are elected to the United Methodist General Conference. 
  • A new category of “local pastor” is created for people who are not ordained. They are authorized to administer the sacraments within their church or churches. 
  • The HANA Scholars program is established to assist Hispanic, Asian, Native American and Pacific Islander students. 
  • The Ethnic Minority Local Church emphasis begins. 
1977
  • The Foundation for Theological Education is created to assist clergy doctoral studies. 
  • The Upper Room Living Prayer Center opens. 
1980
  • The North Central Jurisdiction elects the Rev. Marjorie Swank Matthews as the first woman bishop. 
  • Autonomous churches in Sierra Leone and Nigeria join The United Methodist Church. General Conference then authorizes the creation of a West Africa Central Conference, comprising Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. 
  • The Methodist Church in India becomes an affiliated autonomous church. 
  • The General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns is established. 
  • General Conference grants voting rights to delegates from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. 
  • The General Conference fails to add the phrase “no self-avowed, practicing homosexual therefore shall be ordained or appointed in The United Methodist Church” to the Discipline. The conference notes the denomination “has moved away from prohibitions of specific acts, for such prohibitions can be endless.” 
1984
  • American Methodism marks the bicentennial of its evolution into a church that began at the 1784 “Christmas Conference” in Baltimore. 
  • The Western Jurisdiction marks three firsts in its episcopal elections. The Rev. Elias G. Galvan becomes the first Hispanic bishop; the Rev. Leontine T.C. Kelly, the first African-American woman bishop; and the Rev. Roy I. Sano, the first Asian-American bishop. 
  • General Conference reverses its 1980 decision and declares that “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” are prohibited from serving as clergy. The conference also inserts the phrase “fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness” regarding qualifications for ordination. 
  • The Evangelical Episcopal Church of Burundi joins The United Methodist Church, becoming part of the Africa Central Conference. 
  • 1986 
  • United Methodist bishops issue the “In Defense of Creation” letter opposing nuclear weapons. 
1987
  • The United Methodist Publishing House launches the Disciple Bible Study. 
1988
  • General Conference adopts The United Methodist Hymnal. 
  • Delegates approve the establishment of Africa University in Zimbabwe.
  • General Conference approves a study of homosexuality to report to the 1992 General Conference. 
1989
  • The Chautauqua (New York) Institution, founded in 1874 as a teaching camp for Sunday school teachers, is designated a National Historic Landmark. 
1990
  • Fifty women serve as district superintendents in The United Methodist Church. 
  • The first issue of the Korean-language magazine, United Methodist Family, is published. 
1992
  • Africa University opens with 40 students from six African countries. 
  • General Conference creates the Communities of Shalom initiative in response to the Los Angeles riots. 
  • The United Methodist Book of Worship is authorized. 
  • General Conference approves the creation of the Congo (formerly Zaire) Central Conference. 
  • After the political reunification of Germany, two central conferences reunite into the Germany Central Conference.
  • The Council of Bishops appoints Bishop Ruediger R. Minor from the former German Democratic Republic to oversee the rebirth of Methodist presence in the former Soviet Union. 
  • The Methodist Church in Russia is formally re-established when the First United Methodist Church in Moscow and the First United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg are legally registered. 
1995
1996
  • “By Water and the Spirit,” the official statement on baptism, is adopted. 
  • The Rev. Minerva G. Carcaño is elected the first Hispanic clergywoman delegate to General Conference. 
  • Two separate, distinct orders of clergy – elders and deacons – are created. 
  • The General Commission on United Methodist Men is created as a separate agency. 
  • Disability Awareness Sunday is introduced as a designated churchwide special Sunday. 
  • General Conference adds three significant points to the church's position on homosexuality: a footnote defining “self-avowed practicing homosexual,” a declaration that ceremonies to celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by United Methodist clergy or in United Methodist churches and a call for the U.S. military not to exclude people from service “solely on the basis of sexual orientation.” 
  • Bishops launch an Episcopal Initiative on Children and Poverty. 
  • The United Methodist Student Movement is established. 
  • The United Methodist Publishing House produces the hymnal supplement, The Faith We Sing, and the Spanish-language hymnal, Mil Voces Para Celebrar. 
1997
1998
  • The Philippines marks 100 years of Methodism on the anniversary of the first Methodist service by the Americans in Manila. 
2000 
  • Igniting Ministry, the first multifaceted national welcoming and advertising campaign, is launched. 
  • Find-A-Church, an online directory of churches, debuts. 
  • General Conference delegates participate in an act of repentance, confessing the sin of racism that has caused major divisions among American Methodists. 
  • General Conference votes to add to the Social Principles the language, “We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn their lesbian and gay members and friends.” 
  • The Fund for Theological Education in Post-Communist Europe is created to support United Methodist clergy training. 
  • The United Methodist Church opens the Baltic Mission Center in Tallinn, Estonia, for training church leaders from the former Soviet Union. 
  • The Puerto Rico Methodist Church becomes fully autonomous. 
2001
  • After the 9/11 attack in the U.S., United Methodist Communications sponsors a billboard near ground zero. Offering support and reassurance, it features an image of praying hands and a simple statement: “Fear is not the only force at work in the world today.” More than 600,000 people see the billboard every day of its three-month presence. 
  • By Nov. 30, the United Methodist Committee on Relief receives a total of $22.3 million through general Advance specials. This includes “Love in the Midst of Tragedy,” the church’s special offering in response to the Sept. 11 attacks. 
  • The Judicial Council rules that the central conferences have jurisdiction over adaptations of the Discipline except for matters protected by The United Methodist Church constitution. 
  • Come, Let Us Worship, an official bilingual Korean-English hymnal of The United Methodist Church, is published. 
2002
  • Boris Trajkovski, president of Macedonia and a United Methodist, receives the World Methodist Peace Award. 
2003
  • The 300th anniversary of John Wesley’s birth is celebrated. 
  • Korean-American United Methodists celebrate 100 years since their first worship gatherings in Hawaii. 
2004
  • General Conference adopts This Holy Mystery as the denomination’s official statement on Communion. 
  • The General Council on Ministries is eliminated and the Connectional Table is formed. 
  • The United Methodist Church Global AIDS Fund is started with the goal of raising $8 million by 2008 to address the worldwide pandemic. 
  • The Global Education Fund is created to assist 748 Methodist schools, colleges, universities and seminaries in 69 countries. 
  • General Conference approves the Central Conference Pension Initiative. 
  • The Division on Ministries with Young People is begun. 
  • The Western Jurisdiction elects the Rev. Minerva G. Carcaño as the first female HIspanic bishop. 
  • Chargeable offenses related to homosexuality are added to the Discipline. 
  • Delegates endorse “A Resolution on Church Unity.” 
  • The first United Methodist congregation is established in Mongolia. 
2005
2006
  • The United Methodist Church is a founding partner of the Nothing But Nets initiative, an effort to fund and distribute insecticide-treated bed nets in Africa to prevent malaria. 
2008
  • The Protestant Methodist Church of Côte d’Ivoire is received into full membership in The United Methodist Church with the Rev. Benjamin Boni as bishop. 
  • The Rev. Joaquina Filipe Nhanala is elected the first female United Methodist bishop in Africa. 
  • General Conference celebrates full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. 
  • General Conference celebrates the 100th anniversary of men’s ministry. 
  • The Advance, the mission fundraising arm of the church, celebrates 60 years. 
  • Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Liberian president and a United Methodist, addresses General Conference. She is first African leader and first female president to do so. 
2009
2010
  • A 7.0 earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, left more than 200,000 dead — including mission agency leaders the Revs. Sam Dixon and Clinton Rabb. Some $45 million in donations to the United Methodist Committee on Relief supported the church’s long-term response to the disaster. 
  • Imagine No Malaria expands on the Nothing But Nets initiative to help eliminate malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. 
2012
  • General Conference celebrates full communion with five historically black Methodist denominations. 
  • General Conference participates in “An Act of Repentance toward Healing Relationships with Indigenous Peoples.” 
  • General Conference delegates vote to make United Methodist Women a separate organization rather than a part of the Board of Global Ministries. 
  • General Conference delegates authorize a fourth episcopal area for the Congo Central Conference to accommodate church growth in that region. 
2013
2014
  • The United Methodist Church is a leader in responding to the worst Ebola outbreak in history, providing accurate information about the outbreak and how to avoid the disease as well as direct relief in Sierra Leone and Liberia. 
2015
  • The United Methodist Radio Network of Africa, formed by the directors of the denomination’s four radio stations in Angola, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, shares content in French, English and Portuguese. 
2016
2017
2018
Read more
Full coverage of #UMC50 +
The United Methodist Communications
The communications agency for The United Methodist Church
810 12th Avenue South
Nashville, Tennessee 37203, United States
UMNow@umc.org
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***
"We Pray with Bishop Daniel Wandabula and the people of the East Africa Episcopal Area" The United Methodist Church Prays in Nashville, Tennessee, United States
SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018
A prayer by Bishop Daniel Wandabula and the people of the East Africa Episcopal Area Central Conference, leading the United Methodist Church in “Praying Our Way Forward” for the week of April 22-28, 2018.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen. (Ecumenical Text)
Copyright © 2018 The Upper Room, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
The Upper Room Strategic Initiatives
PO Box 340007
Nashville, Tennessee 37203, United States
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