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Imagine Indiana Transition Team Information
General Information about the Area Office
North Indiana Conference Office
South Indiana Conference Office
Area United Methodist
Foundation
Seashore District Volunteer Center VIM project -- Completed
Bishop highlights three rules and five practices
Bishop Coyner began the plenary session on Friday morning by lifting up the Three Simple Rules, a book by Bishop Reuben Job, based on the General Rules of The United Methodist Church and historically attributed to the Rev. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement.
The three rules are: Do no harm, even meaning to avoid hostility; do good, that is look for ways to stretch ourselves, and stay in love with God, through the ordinances of the church.
Coyner reiterated that we grow in the three rules through worship, prayer, study, giving and more. Wesley asked clergy to not only live this way but also to teach this way to the members of his societies.
Coyner then highlighted another book, Five Practices of Faithful Congregations by Bishop Robert Schnase. Coyner said, "These are the keys to a faithful congregation."
- Radical hospitality meaning reach out and intentionally invite people to come.
- Passionate worship; it's not the style of worship but that we gather to worship allowing God to be with us
- Intentional study to help people grow in their faith
- Risk taking in mission and service. When we get involved personally. Helping with flood recovery, feeding hungry people. Discover that service is exciting. "I got more out of it than helping someone else.
- Extravagant generosity that starts with tithing and grows from there. The average UM gives 2.2 percent of income to all church and non-profits.
Coyner said he has asked superintendents during charge conferences to focus on how you are doing about these five practices of faithful congregations. "How can we help each other's congregations?"
He said another resource coming in August is a guide Cultivating Fruitfulness that tells how to take the way of five practices and put them into action.
"Our fervent prayer is that we will follow the three simples rules and use the five practices, all to the glory of God."
Operation Classroom and other reports
Wagners say 'thanks' for Operation Classroom support
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| As of Thursday evening, more than 300 boxes of supplies were donated to Operation Classroom. According to Joe Wagner, Operation Classroom coordinator, is grateful to the conference members and churches for donating home economics supplies and health kits. |
The Rev. Joe and Carolyn Wagner, coordinators of Operation Classroom, Indiana's outreach mission to the church in Sierra Leone and Liberia, thanked the support of the annual conference and its congregations. They also thanked the UM Men for $6,000 and the UM Women for 3,000 boxes of powered milk sent to Sierra Leone, which has the highest mother-child death rate in the world.
Dr. Anthony Dioh, director of OC in Liberia, was introduced. He sent greetings from Bishop Innis and reported that Liberia is returning from war to beauty. He said the Gospel continues to go out as new churches are formed. "Now we want to remake the lives of our youth to reclaim and rebuild our program."
Dioh presented a hand carved nativity set gift form Liberia, to the Bishop and Mrs. Coyner.
In other reports
- The Board of Pensions encouraged health screenings and encouraged clergy and spouses to participate in online health quotient by June 30. Pensions also reported that $150,000 has been returned by the GBPHB.
- Conference attendance - 1,064 registered
- Nothing But Nets campaign raised $3,000 with hundreds of balls still left at $10 each.
- NIUM Foundation, Inc. is discussing merger with the South Indiana UM Foundation. Planned Giving Sunday will be celebrated annually by each church. Each local church is to receive offering the third Sunday in June during Retired Ministers Day. Royce Ruckman was recognized for 12 years of service. He is retiring. The new executive director is Dennis Brown.
- Conference Evangelist Kim Reisman reported on her work with Next Step Ministries, as conference evangelist. She announced the new "What's Your Next Step" blog and highlighted the Cornerstone Celebrations.
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Lemon
Black College Fund. Eboni Lemon of Clark-Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga., was welcomed as the Black College Fund ambassador speaking on behalf of the Fund.
- Brain Beeks, one of the coordinators of flood efforts in northwest Indiana, thanked the conference for its assistance and continued support of the Disaster Assistance in Northwest Indiana (DANI). An estimated $3 million will be needed for recovery efforts. Volunteers are beginning to be called to serve.
- Gina Riendeau, NIC associate director of mission and outreach, reported we are the heartland of the country and first in Volunteer in Missions with 257 teams and more than 2,000 volunteers this past year. We have given more than $1.6 million in connectional giving through VIM.
- Brimfield UMC and Pastor Omer Niceley were recognized as a small-membership church that exemplifies connectional mission.
- The Cabinet reported the closing of Christ UMC in Fort Wayne. (This is where the Cristiana Getesmani UMC meets.); Wilmore Memorial UMC at Muncie in Muncie District; and Church of Our Savior at Wabash in Huntington District. The Cabinet also reported the merger of Central and First UMCs of South Bend.
- Camps and Conferences: The Rev. Jean Brindel, camping's capital campaign chair, provided a campaign update. In 2006, the annual conference authorized a capital campaign. After finishing a feasibility study, the report was presented to the conference. The base goal is $10 million; the challenge goal is $15 million and the breakthrough goal is $22 million.
- Shawn Bakker, director of The Advance for Christ and His Church, was welcomed.
Friday morning continued
GC delegates appreciated an atmosphere of holy conferencing
Conference Lay Leader Kayc Mykrantz and the Rev. Frank Beard head of the NIC delegation, led a report on behalf of the 10 delegates, reserves and visitors who were part of General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, a month ago.
Mykrantz said she was most appreciative of the prayers from the conference offered on the delegation's behalf for the global quadrennial meeting of United Methodist representing 11.4 million members in 48,000 congregations now in 50 countries around the world.
She said GC was 10 straight, hard days of work. What helped was an atmosphere of Holy Conferencing, working in the midst of an environment of prayer rather than an environment of hostility.
"We are a world-wide church. The global nature of the church was a main aspect of the General Conference."
She said that we will be reviewing one-third of 23 proposed constitutional amendments next year.
She comments on the issues around human sexuality reporting that the GC upheld the current stance of the church on this issue. GC also retained language of marriage between one man and one woman, extended retirement age of clergy and bishop to 72 and approved a $642 million budget based on an outcome of ministry.
"North Indiana was a visible presence. Dr. Frank Beard and Dr. Carolyn Johnson lead two legislative committees."
Following her comments, four delegates reported.
Carolyn Johnson, a veteran of GCs, expressed appreciation of the NIC leadership. She said being part of a more globally represented conference was very visible even to the point that conference was translated into nine different languages. "We must see ourselves across cultural lines."
The Rev. Bryan Siefert of Wesley UMC in Culver, a newcomer to GC, said he knew he was acclimated when be began dreaming about Roberts Rules of Order. He said, "I was surprised by how little we trust others who bear the name United Methodists."
He was also surprised to see a bishop's $10 gift grow to more than $430,000 raised for Nothing But Nets. He said he saw glimpses of justice in the midst of injustice. God is not through with us yet. There are things we know and must repent.
Ashley Moreland, a young married adult, said she thought only die-hard United Methodist would dream of General Conference. She said, "I expected deep theological thoughts. I expected amazing worship, a lot of prayer. For the most part, she said she wasn't disappointed. "Thank you for allowing me for God and you to exceed my expectations."
The Rev. Kim Reisman, conference evangelist, said her hope for the church was based on countless reasons, of which she focused on the four: Reaching new people with the Gospel, global health, poverty and raising up leaders.
She enjoyed the change of attitudes. She called it, living out of a spirit of abundance rather than a spirit of poverty.
On the issue of sexuality, she said, "There are new voices from both sides of that divisive issue that is grace filled. New voices are maintaining their theological positions, but are making space for each other as we wait for the Holy Spirit... God is not finished with us yet. That is reason enough to be hopeful."
The Rev. Frank Beard said one the touching moments for him was the Ugandan Children's Choir. Another was receiving an offering during the Indiana Area night in a local restaurant. The Bishop asked us to help raise $1,600 for the school costs for one of the Ugandan children. The delegation raised $2,000 to support a child.
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Retirees and spouses of 2008Front row left to right: Rich Frank, Denise Frank, Marilyn Dunten and David Dunten; Second row left to right: Gene Watson, Lois Rogers-Watson, Bill Kaster, Keith Schreffler; Third row left to right: Larry DeVos, Kay DeVos, Sylvia Rhine, Kay Schreffler; Back row far right: Terry Rhine Not pictured: Joseph Andrews, Douglas Hadley, Sandra Knepple, Michael Malone, Timothy Wilbur, Lark Carlson Brown, DonnaJean Gammon |
North Indiana endorses Kokomo DS Frank Beard for bishop
The North Indiana Conference delegation announced that Frank Beard had been endorsed by several Indiana UM associations. With that announcement, the conference unanimously endorsed Frank Beard as an Episcopal candidate to the North Central Jurisditional Conference meeting in July. Bishop Coyner prayed a blessing upon Beard.
Clergy women of the NIC endorsed, the Rev. Dr. Cindy Reynolds as an episcopal candidate, too. Reynolds said she felt deeply humbled but asked that the conference support Frank Beard. The conference stood with a long period of applauses.
Antigambling director adds support against legalized gambling
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Tom Grey |
The Rev. Tom Grey, field director of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, told the NIC members that this was his 20th trip in the past 15 years to Indiana against the expansion of legalized gambling. He said the mission before us is crisis intervention.
He foresees casinos in the future coming to Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, plus the push for the leasing of the state lottery.
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| Conference members stand for a unanimous vote against the expansion of legalized gambling in Indiana. |
He said, "We need to march the Social Principles and fight for the faith. We have always had the truth. We also had a network. We have the truth. We lack a plan and instant tactics. We are going to explode on this legislature. Fortunately, we have a battling bishop."
He said the bishop fought against legalized gambling in South Dakota. Grey believes Indiana has the connectional church and can decide from the bottom up.
"We don't want anymore backroom decisions made by politicians about the future expansion of legalized gambling. He said Indiana is the number two state for gambling revenue. We need to hold our politicians accountable.
He asked members to join the bishop and the statewide coalition.
The Rev. Scott Shoaff, chair of the gambling concerns committee, presented a resolution to fight against the expansion of gambling in Indiana by asking the General Assembly to pass a law requiring a public question be asked of the voters on the expansion of legalized gambling.
The conference passed this resolution with a standing unanimous vote.
2008 NIC Friday afternoon
Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis celebrates centennial
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| Dan Evans |
Dan Evans, CEO of Clarian Health Partners based in Indianapolis, reported to the Friday afternoon session on the 100th anniversary of the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He said the people of Methodist take our values seriously. Evans, a member of the South Indiana Conference, said the UMC matters for the hospital.
Evans said his great-great-grandfather raised money for the Methodist Episcopal Church more than 100 years ago during the 1899 Epworth Youth League's national meeting. His grandfather and father were also connected with both the church and Methodist Hospital.
With money left over from the youths convention held in Indianapolis, the youth began the process of living out a dream of building a hospital which opened in April 1908. Evans said from the beginning and continuing today, the hospital is open to all people.
This past year, Methodist provided charity care to more than 23,000 patients.
In more recent years of its history, Bishop Raines served on the board of trustees of the hospital for 20 years. Highlights in the hospitals include: Seven Healthnet Health Centers for the poor, a pioneer in heart transplant surgery, a regional critical care hospital and one of the largest chaplaincy programs in the country. Evans said 65 percent of the doctors taught in Indiana practice at Clarian Health.
Bishop Coyner, by virtue of his office, is a member of the Methodist Hospital board of trustees.
Conference takes sealed written ballot on Imagine Indiana
After lengthy discussion with amendments to include youth and young adult leadership at every level, the North Indiana Conference received a final written ballot on the Imagine Indiana Design Team resolutions as a single action rather than taking a hand or standing vote on each of six proposals. The ballot will be announced next week during the South Indiana Annual Conference session in Bloomington.
Bishop
Mike Coyner explained by holding the ballot, the South Indiana
Conference would have the same opportunity to conference and debate the
proposed resolution as the North Indiana Conference just completed.
The late Friday afternoon session began with a short five-minute summary given by the Rev. Cindy Reynolds representing the Imagine Indiana Design Team.
Representing the conference youth and young adults, Ashley Moreland, brought three amendments to the floor asking for more representation by youth and young adults to the conference and districts. Two of the amendments were accepted. First, the report was amended to include a seat for youth ministry, young adults, and higher education and campus ministry on the Conference Leadership Team. Second, the report was amended to include at least a part-time position for youth ministry, young adults and higher education and campus ministry at the five proposed (district) resource centers.
On other issues, a concern was expressed about the adequacy of the conferences tithing model. An amendment for more representation for ecumenical ministries was requested but failed.
At 10 minutes to 6 p.m., a motion was passed to consider all the resolutions with a final ballot vote. After a prayer by Coyner, the vote was received and sealed.
Conference members celebrate, survive dinner
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| A buffet dinner was enjoyed by all. |
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| Joel Rittenhouse of Asbury UMC in Portland, Ind.; Allison Rock of Mentone UMC in Mentone, Ind.; and Katie Hands of Otterbein UMC in Otterbein, Ind. , each received a scholarship of $1,000. |
Friday evening's all conference dinner is definitely one to remember.
As the first dishes of food were served, area weather sirens went off, forcing the evacuation of the ballrooms. The Purdue Memorial Union staff scrambled to set up the serving lines in the basement of the Union.
When the all clear was given, members reconvened in the ballrooms for the Bread and Basin awards, Higher Education and Campus Ministry's merit scholarships, the laity address in song by Kayc Mykrantz and entertainment by comedian Craig Tornquist, a member of South Bend First UMC.
This year's Bread and Basin recipients include: Sue Harris (Calumet); Ken Keller (Fort Wayne); Aimee Currie (Huntington); Jim Williams (Kokomo); John Mayfield (Lafayette); Joy and Don Wickline (Marion); Darl Bookout (Muncie); and Susan and Harry Brooks (Warsaw).
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The 2008 Bread and Basin Award Winners |
