Highlights from the January issue of Together
Each year, United Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White writes a letter
to the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in advance of King's Jan. 15
birthday. White, 68, was the first staff executive for the
denomination's Commission on Religion and Race, where he served from
1969 to 1984. He was elected a bishop in 1984 and led the church's
Illinois Area for eight years before being appointed to the Indiana
Area in 1992. He wrote his first "Dear Martin" letter in
1976. --more--
By Linda Green
A UMNS Feature
Forty years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his
"I have a dream" speech, African Americans have achieved
success on many levels - professional, social and political. --more--
Guest Editorial
One wouldn't expect to be "spiritually mugged" at the sanctuary door,
but that was the crime scene. Ironically, I suspect my attacker meant well; I am
sure he only intended a small mischief. Even so, his words were bruising. The
assault was not on me personally, but on seminary education generally and our
denomination's commitment to serious theological inquiry. --more--
INDIANAPOLIS - Take up the carpet and sweep the floor, Indiana's
Bishop Woodie White will lead in the theme "Dancing to the Song
of Life" during the upcoming clergy retreat next month in
Indianapolis. --more--
Bishop Woodie White's Convocations on Evangelism is scheduled for
Saturday, Jan. 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First United Methodist
Church, 1225 Michigan Ave. in LaPorte, Ind. --more--
Acts of the Apostles
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - A shopping spree at the mall took on different
meaning this past Christmas season at the Old North United Methodist
Church in Evansville. --more--
GREENCASTLE, Ind. - Thanks to the efforts of DePauw University
junior Stephanie Yee Loong, the revered book, DePauw: A Pictorial
History is now available online. --more--
INDIANAPOLIS - Together has joined an interfaith
anti-smoking campaign intended to curb smoking in Indiana where,
according to statistics, one in four adults smokes. Faith groups
including United Methodists and health providers see smoking as a
threat to public health. --more--
By Steve Smith
Associate Editor, United Methodist Reporter
At least 18 United Methodist bishops will retire in 2004, including
Indiana Bishop Woodie W. White, and a General Conference proposal
would reduce the number of episcopal leaders eligible for election
this year by five. --more--
Indiana Area Bishop Woodie W. White encourages the youth of Indiana
to consider a call to Christian ministry.
--more--
Tax Packet for clergy and congregations receives facelift
EVANSTON, Ill. (GCFA) - The Tax Packet now posted on the General
Council of Finance and Administration Web site at: www.gcfa.org/TaxPacket.html
GDFA also has changed the packet's presentation. It is now
organized in an outline format that hopefully will make it much easier
to find the specific material of interest to users.
Beginning this year, the tax packet will be available solely online
via the Web. There are several reasons for this change. Many users are
only interested in specific topics or portions of the tax packet and
have no need for a printout of the entire document. Also, distributing
the entire document by mail was becoming cost prohibitive. If you have
limited Internet access, most public libraries have Internet access
for patrons.
There is one other significant change. The tax packet will no
longer be an "annual event." In the future, there will be no
such thing as the "2002 Tax Packet," or the "2003 Tax
Packet." Now there is simply the "Tax Packet" that will
be continuously posted and updated on the GCFA Web site.
New pension fund available
EVANSTON, Ill. (GBOPHB) - The new Inflation Protection Fund became
available on Jan. 5 for Personal Investment Plan (PIP) and Horizon
401(k) Plan contributions, made available through the United Methodist
General Board of Pension and Health Benefits. The IPF is a low-risk
fund designed to help investors keep pace with inflation, and brings
to seven the total number of funds available to PIP and Horizon 401(k)
investors. United Methodist pension participants can receive an
investment election form on the pension Web site at www.gbophb.org/invest/funds/ipf.html.
Young adults from across the United States are invited to apply for
an annual justice program through the United Methodist mission agency.
--more--
Ten volunteers in mission from North Indiana and two from Ohio made
a trip in October to northeast Brazil to bring healthcare to the
people of Recife, many of whom had never seen a physician. --more--
NEW YORK (UMCOR) - The United Methodist Committee on Relief is
providing an emergency grant of $10,000 to faith-based partners in
Bam, southeastern Iran. --more--
Body, Mind & Spirit
This past summer, I was blessed by a 12-week sabbatical from
pastoral ministry. In part, this sabbatical came about because my wife, Rebecca,
had been diagnosed with breast cancer some months before. This experience had
changed our outlook on life in some profound ways. The goals of the sabbatical
included quality time in which to pray, to be refreshed and to write about our
cancer experience. And yet, this time afforded me so much more. --more--
News Briefs
No one asked me, but ...
Let's be honest: It's not just our public schools that have failed us. So have
our Sunday schools. If you don't believe me, just look around at the folks in
your congregation. Many of them are members of the Sunday School Alumni
Association. Yet, even after years of earning perfect attendance pins, starting
way back with the Cradle Roll, how many of them would still think the epistles
are the wives of the apostles? --more--
|
