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Election of delegates to General
and Jurisdictional Conferences
Clergy elected to General Conference are Frank Beard (head of the delegation), Walnut Creek; Mark Fenstermacher, Elkhart; Michelle Cobb, Lafayette District Superintendent; Cynthia Reynolds, Conference Council Director; Herb Buwalda, South Bend; and Brian Witmer, Fort Wayne. North Central Jurisdictional Conference clergy members are David Schramm, Kokomo District Superintendent; Robert Dexter, Marion District Superintendent; Marianne Chalstrom, Warsaw District Superintendent; David Byrum, Valparaiso, James Jones, executive assistant to the bishop; Michael Dominick, Logansport. Alternate clergy members to the jurisdictional conference are Katharine Walker, West Lafayette and Heather Olson-Bunnell, Decatur.
Laity elected to General Conference are Jack Dwiggins, Brookston; Carolyn Johnson, West Lafayette; James Ottjes, Daleville; Paula Schrock, Greentown; Pat Weeks, De Motte; Dixie Arter, Fort Wayne. North Central Jurisdictional Conference lay members are John Shettle, Orestes; Ellen Rhoades, Anderson; Edwin Fenstermacher, Marion; Danielle Burns, West Lafayette; Ruth Ellen Stone, Clayton and Craig Fulmer, Elkhart. Alternate lay members are Charles Hefley, Kokomo and Russell Phillips, Rochester.
Annual Conference Round-up
In the largest single piece of legislation, the conference approved five actions to restructure the conference's ministries to North Indiana. Actions included: transferring the district office rental space responsibilities from the conference to the conference's nine districts, empowering a Strategy Council to focus on the conference's core values and changing the title of Council Director to Director of Ministries, merging two personnel committees into one, transferring the Wesley Foundation campus ministry at Ball State University in Muncie to College Avenue Church, continuing the Wesley Foundation at Purdue University. These recommendations were initiated by the Bishop's Task Force on Ministry to increase the effectiveness of the conference's ministries.
In other business the conference:
- Approved a study to be done by the episcopacy committee in the North and South Annual Conferences merging into a single annual conference;
- Collected 1,830 blankets to be distributed to Native American nations, Henderson Settlement in Kentucky, African refugees and Operation Classroom, a United Methodist mission supported by Hoosiers in Liberia and Sierra Leone;
- Collected $5,000 for the Surviving Child Orphanage Fund Advance Special.
- Will seek ways to support Operation Classroom missionaries Joseph and Carolyn Wagner, whose support has been cut by the General Board of Global Ministries;
- Approved a $10.68 million 2004 budget, up 3.45 percent over this year;
- Celebrated the Bishop's Initiative on Children and Poverty by reporting on Bishop White's "United for Children" statewide march, with more than 400 participants, to the State Capitol on April 26;
- Acknowledged that Indiana is second in the nation for gambling activity and that the church needs to take a more assertive stance against gambling;
- Asked church-related colleges and universities in Indiana to make a greater effort to show their relationship to the church;
- Recommended that each congregation establish a permanent fund, hold a foundation Sunday and receive an offering on retired ministers day in June;
- Established equitable elder's salary for 2004 at $28,700;
- Received $16,300 from the United Methodist Publishing House for the pension fund;
- Commissioned the pastors of two new ministry starts; and
- Honored Rosalie Tucker, retiring conference services assistant.
Day 3: Three days, five minutes
Editor's note: During this year's annual conference, the Daily HUM followed Barbara Smith, a lay member from Bealls Chapel UMC near Anderson, during her first annual conference.
Day Three found Barbara Smith sitting near the bar of the conference, taking notes, watching votes, flipping through her workbook and watching as the conference wraps up its "business meeting" for the year.
While some people were making a beeline for the exits, she stayed for the entire conference. "It's amazing to me how much work goes into this thing," said Smith. "There's still quite a few people in there," as she gestures towards the main floor of the Elliott Hall of Music.
As she prepares for her five minute presentation in church, her mind is racing. "There's a lot that went on. I can't get it all accumulated at the moment."
While her mind is racing, there are several things that are crystal clear: she learned a lot and she's ready to come back for the 2004 Annual Conference.
Highlights of her three days included learning about gambling issues, Operation Classroom, and the youth offering: "Yesterday, the man holding up the $20 bill. That still gives me chills."
The man challenged others to add their $20 to his in order to come up with enough money to fund the conference youth ministry's Bishop's Convocation on Ministry. The conference raised $12,000. The next day part of this money was shared with Operation Classroom.
Another moment of faith was during the Council on Finance and Administration report about the budget: "We can't let that limit us. We have to continue to expect all that we can expect."
Some surprises for Smith included not only the worship services, but also the variety of worship opportunities. "I just thought it'd be a business meeting and that's it. I think we needed those moments to receive the spirit of Christ," she said. "The . messages given were extremely uplifting."
She was assigned to Legislative Group No. 9, which dealt with the CF&A and the budget. She reported there was a lot of debate where the money goes and how it was spent with several views. She wasn't disappointed that it might have gone a little long or seemed complicated; she was disappointed that out of the potential 150 members assigned to the group, only about one-third showed up.
Overall, her experience was good as she looks forward to next year; right after she gets through five minutes in church. "I'm not sure I can keep this to five minutes," Smith said, reflecting on what she has witnessed and what she has to sort through on the two-hour drive home. "We just have to remind ourselves that we are Christian brothers and sisters." -- Matthew Oates
Gambling opponent says Indiana ranked second in gambling activity
According to the Rev. John Wolf, retired pastor and coordinator of the ecumenical Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, reported to the North Indiana Conference that Indiana now ranks second in gambling activity. He also said, "10 years of muscle from Las Vegas have taken its toll on our state."
Unfortunately, the church has had a feeble and limited effect upon gambling here, said Wolf.
Gambling is changing the values of Hoosiers, he claimed. One negative effect linked to gambling is the fact that Indiana leads the nation in bankruptcies and foreclosures.
Wolf warned his fellow Hoosiers that Indiana is fast becoming like Nevada which has 50,000 residents (or one percent of the population) that are addicted to gambling. He said we need to pay attention to gambling issues coming out of Nevada where prostitution, "gentlemen's clubs" and pornography are also on the rise.
According to Wolf, last year more than $400 million was raised in tax revenue for Indiana's state government, making the state addicted to gambling as a source of revenue. It has been projected that next year that Indiana's casinos will contribute more taxes than any corporation based here.
"To combat the gambling industry our only weapons are truth and grassroots morality," said Wolf. Proponents of gambling have turned this destructive vise into a virtue. Unfortunately, Wolf said State Senator Pat Miller, a United Methodist, says legislators aren't hearing from United Methodists. When a state begins to promote gambling, reports show more jobs are lost than gained. Crime rates go up near the gaming interest. Gambling targets, young adults, women, seniors and African Americans.
The Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling anticipates a frontal attack on the 2004 Indiana State Legislature. The gambling industry will target central Indiana -- Indianapolis Area -- and Fort Wayne to expand their interests. Volunteers are needed, said Wolf, in both locations to begin forming public opinion to counter expansion.
For more information about ICALG, contact Wolf at 219-462-4851 or by e-mail at jwolf18046@aol.com.
Lay leader says stewardship is response to God's love
North Indiana Conference Lay Leader Jack Dwiggins said to delegates during the annual conference laity address at Purdue that we have filtered out what Jesus said about money. Dwiggins claimed we, United Methodists, don't want stewardship to be part of our spiritual journey and reminded his listeners that "stewardship it is a response to God's love which realizes our faith."
Addressing the conference's 1,100 delegates, Dwiggins said that Jesus, in the story of the poor widow who gave one coin, lifted up the widow's example because she gave all she had. Her small gift was commended, not the amount of the gift, but the sacrifice -- she gave her all. Using his imagination, Dwiggins said Scripture doesn't tell us what the synagogue leaders did with the money. That is not as important as the example, for her response was to God, not the institution.
"We, too, must trust God to work through us," the lay leader said.. Our giving is a separate act of faith. "The leadership of the North Indiana Conference is making the most of your apportionment. There is enough money to pay our full share in the ministry of The United Methodist Church, but we don't."
Dwiggins then introduced Jane Bowers, a member of Benson Chapel UMC in Covington. She said two years ago her pastor, Michael Dillon, wanted a consecration Sunday program to intentionally raise pledges for the congregation's budget. But the leaders of the church said they really didn't want to hear preaching about money.
Bowers said last year her pastor asked again. Benson Chapel had not done a stewardship campaign to their memory. This time a dedicated committee decided to have its first known consecration Sunday in January of this year. The campaign was a great success, she said. Benson Chapel has increased its pledges by 30 percent since January and has experienced $2,000 in additional giving each month.
"The real blessing didn't come from renewal of stewardship commitment, but from the renewal of our spiritual commitment," Bowers proclaimed. She said her congregation had "opened up a window to Christian stewardship."
Dwiggins encouraged conference delegates to call on the stewardship discipleship team at the conference office, reminding them that John Wesley, founder of Methodism, said to earn all you can, save all you can, and spend all you can. If we heed Wesley's warning about opulence and wealth, we will seek a right relationship with God and God's creation.
In closing Dwiggins reminded delegates that the finances of a congregation are not the pastor's responsibility, but the board of laity's responsibility. Then he added, "God will bless us in our giving." -- Dan Gangler
North Indiana's Petitions to General Conference
Petitions to General Conference call for (1) the General Board of Church and Society to support financially the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, (2) amending Discipline paragraph 1405.21 (evaluation of church-related higher education and ministries) by adding "and their commitment to uphold Christian and United Methodist values and perspectives," (3) the use of biblical language, such as "Lord," "King" and "Father," in worship and educational resources, (4) strengthening the voice of pastor-parish relations committees to retain a current pastor, (5) granting a two-month personal leave for pastors.