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Highlights from the October issue of Together

Louisiana bishop predicts huge financial toll on churches

BATON ROUGE, La. (UMNS) - The toll from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is going to be significant for the Louisiana Conference, according to Bishop William Hutchinson.

"There is not a single church in New Orleans Parish that has not been impacted by Hurricane Katrina, and now some have been hit again by Rita," Hutchinson said at a Sept. 26 meeting of Baton Rouge District pastors.

More than 90 pastors are without congregations, and the conference will need to pay their salaries plus a few other basic needs, he said. Destroyed churches cannot take up collections, he noted.

"In the worst-case scenario, over the next four months, the conference will need to pay out $1.1 million," he said. "That is a huge undertaking which the conference does not have in reserve funds." If pastors are not able to get churches rebuilt and their salaries have to be paid in 2006, the cost will rise to $3.3 million, he said.

Having more than 90 churches unable to pay salaries for their pastors also means those congregations will be unable to pay apportionments to the conference, he said. For the rest of 2005, that will mean a $700,000 shortfall, plus an additional $1.7 million if churches still cannot pay anything in 2006.

The third large impact the conference faces is the cost of insurance deductibles for church property in New Orleans Parish, which is valued at more than $100 million.

The Louisiana Conference has set up a special bishop's appeal to pay for the shortfalls and pastor salaries, Hutchinson said. The United Methodist Committee on Relief does not deal with churches or pastor's salaries, he explained. UMCOR's money goes to humanitarian relief for communities affected by the hurricanes.

In response to a request from Bishop Hutchinson of the Louisiana Area to help pay salaries and benefits for pastors in Louisiana, Indiana Area Bishop Mike Coyner has announced a "Pastors Helping Pastors Fund" for Indiana United Methodist clergy, active and retired, to contribute and help.

Pastors are asked to contribute $10 or more from each paycheck for the remainder of 2005, and to send their gifts to the Indiana Area Foundation of the United Methodist Church at 1100 W. 42nd Street, Suite 210, Indianapolis, IN 46208. All gifts are tax deductible.

United Methodists assist, assess after Hurricane Rita

HOUSTON (UMNS) - In the aftermath of Hurricane Rita, assisting evacuees living in shelters has become an immediate challenge for United Methodist's in Texas and Louisiana.

"Some of our most critical needs right now are in caring for thousands of people still in shelters in Lufkin, Longview, Carthage, Lakeview Conference Center, and many other places," wrote Bishop Janice Riggle Huie (Houston Area) in a Sept. 27 letter to church members in the Texas Conference.

Because of a serious overcrowding problem at First UMC in Lufkin - 580 people at a shelter meant for a maximum of 260 - churches in Houston and nearby communities were delivering meals and working to transfer people to their own facilities. Huie and several other church officials, including Tom Hazelwood, disaster response executive for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, spent Sept. 25-26 visiting churches and parsonages in some of the hardest-hit areas of the Beaumont District.

"All of our pastors and their families are safe," the bishop reported.

Stay-at-home mom tries to make difference for Darfurians

INDIANAPOLIS - Determined to make a difference in the lives of thousands of Darfurians at risk of genocide living thousands of miles from her home in Fort Wayne, Beth Reilly, a stay-at-home mom with three small children, spearheaded the Sept. 21 Interfaith Prayer Vigil in downtown Indianapolis.

The vigil and witness was held in front of Christ Church Cathedral on Monument Circle during a busy downtown lunch hour. Speedway United Methodist Pastor Darren Cushman Wood led the gathering of 36 supporters.

Reilly, a member of Fort Wayne's Aldersgate UMC, also brought the Rev. Joe Johns, pastor of the Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne (who has led missions to Darfur), and six Darfurians to the vigil. Of the refugees, Solomon Giddo spoke on behalf of the refugees who now live in Fort Wayne with 200 other Darfurians. Giddo heads up a group based in Fort Wayne known as the Darfur Peace and Development Organization - a peace group seeking, what United Methodists and other faith groups are seeking - an end to the genocide.

Prayers were offered by Indiana Area Bishop Mike Coyner, the Rev. Angelique Walker-Smith on behalf of the Greater Indianapolis Federation of Churches, and Marcia Goldstone on behalf of the Jewish Community Relations Council.

Following prayers at the cathedral, 20 participants walked to Senator Richard Lugar's office and Senator Evan Bayh's office, one block west of the circle, to ask for support of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (Senate Bill 1462) now before Congress. Senator Bayh is a co-sponsor. Senator Lugar is not. The group met with Lesley Reser, state director, of Senator Lugar's office and asked that Lugar also co-sponsor the bill. Doran Moreland, regional director for Bayh, met with the group in Senator Bayh's office for a similar exchange of information.

For more information about Darfur, log on to www.savedarfur.org and www.umc-gbcs.org click on World Community.

Bishop says merger of two conferences probably inevitable

Indiana Bishop Michael C. Coyner told a South Indiana Conference task force that the merger of the North and South Indiana Conferences is probably inevitable. "If that (merger) is true, then I hope we can move in that direction intentionally, with a new design for ministry and mission and not just 'cut back' to save money," he said.

This is one of five observations Coyner made Sept. 12 to the 30-member South Indiana Conference Futuring Task Force meeting at the SIC Center in Bloomington. The Task Force is composed of lay and clergy leaders of the South Indiana Conference. Coyner convened and presided over the task-force meeting.

Coyner also said, "Reducing the number of District Superintendents, and perhaps districts, is probably inevitable." He went on to explain that "many conferences are moving in that direction, some rather drastically - money seems to be driving this change." Again he said he hoped that if the conference decided to change the number of District Superintendents, it would do so intentionally and not just ask fewer superintendents to do the same job with more work.

Third, Coyner said he "believes we need to at least consider moving toward ministry teams or circuits or affinity groups for our pastors and churches.

Fourth, Coyner said he was sure that our conference budget and the Annual Conference Session would need to focus upon the purpose of the Annual Conference which is by Discipline "equipping local churches for ministry and providing a connection for ministry beyond the local church."

For the budget, he said this will likely mean budgeting just the "basics" that the conference must do according to the Discipline like pensions for clergy and general church connection, and moving other items into "mission giving" or specials which attract attention and support beyond the basics.

But again, he said, budgeting for the basics does not negate the importance of everyone working on stewardship.

Finally, he said, "I believe that we need to continue starting new faith communities to reach new population groups, including new worship services, new congregations and second campuses for some churches." He said he envisions that most of this will happen from local churches, with the conference staff and committees providing training, expertise and support.

He closed his comments by saying, "Again, this is a murky glimpse of where we are heading in the future, and not all of it is really my preference, but I believe it is the new reality we have to face and into which God is providing us with new possibilities."

Operation Doctor board hears about new operating room in Sierra Leone

INDIANAPOLIS - The directors of Indiana Area United Methodist Operation Doctor applauded the work of Hoosier supported Dr. Dennis Marke, head physician of the Kissy United Methodist Health and Maternity Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Marke gave his encouraging annual report during the Oct. 5 meeting of the board at the Indiana Area office in Indianapolis.

Highlight of the year was the opening and dedication of the new operating room by Bishop J. C. Humper of Sierra Leone in April 2005. Marke said The Wagners Surgical Operating Room, named in honor of the Rev. Joe and Carolyn Wagner, co-directors of Operation Doctor, has been used to date to perform 20 surgeries.

"During the first two months, we were blessed with the services of a volunteer surgeon from Virginia, Dr. Walter Beasley, who set up and kick started the operations of the O.R.," he said.

Marke explained that surgeries at Kissy are one-third to one-half the cost of surgeries in other Freetown hospitals, making it affordable to lower income families who make less than $15 a month.

Currently, construction is underway on the much needed surgical ward for pre- and post-operation patients. Board member Doug Ahlfeld of the North Indiana Conference said the construction team will be leaving for Freetown Oct. 27 to finish the project hopefully by the end of the year. They will be taking $35,000 with them, the projected construction costs to finish the project.

For more information, log on to www.gbgm-umc.org/operationclassroom.

McLaren encourages clergy, laity leaders to transform church

INDIANAPOLIS - Brian McLaren, accomplished author and pastor of an independent evangelical church in suburban Washington, D.C., encouraged more than 550 clergy and laity leaders from across the state to transform their congregations and the church.

In his introductory remarks, Indiana Bishop Mike Coyner said that the Sept. 17 "Coming Together" meeting was important because as church leaders we too often "don't get around to what we believe as a church."

Speaking to an attentive audience, McLaren said he believed the dividing lines between theological camps are moving, changing lines that no longer define where we are as the church in the greater society in which we live.

McLaren said that churches in United States need to plant 38,000 new churches to keep up with the growing population trend. He predicted that if we don't plant needed churches on a large scale, by the year 2050, according to current trends, church attendance in the United States will sink to less than 10 percent of the population.

No mater what the current trend is, "we can face the future with great confidence and hope, if we have faith, determination and courage," McLaren assured his listeners.

He said to understand what's going on, we need to understand Christianity from a global and historic perspective. McLaren observed that liberals saw a problem between Christian faith and science but tried to deemphasize differences and emphasized what could be agreed upon. Meanwhile, conservatives believed giving up traditional Christian beliefs was a slippery slope and threat to the Christian faith.

In the mid-20th century, American Christianity has now defined itself in reaction to each of these two viewpoints. A challenge to both groups has now come with the advent of what is known as the Post-Modern era.

McLaren proposes Christianity beyond civil religion - a post-modern theme. He said presently there are very deep shifts going on in American religious culture. We need the strengths of structure that denominational Christianity has given us and the freedom that that non-denominational Christianity gives. He said American Chrisitianity is going through a transformation.

If American Christians continues to be at odds with each other, Christianity will lose like it lost in Europe, he explained. As American Christians, we must focus on the transforming power of the Gospel, not on political power and theology.

Advance for Christ ships new DVDs to each pastor

The Advance for Christ and His Church has shipped a new DVD titled "Here I Am, Lord" to each United Methodist pastor in the United States.

The DVD, included in a bright red "Partnership in Missions" box with several other new resources, features the witness and ministries of 32 United Methodist missionaries serving in 12 countries.

The Advance, established by the 1948 Methodist General Conference, is an official program of The United Methodist Church. It offers donors an opportunity to support a project or missionary of their choice, and assures them that 100 percent of their gift will go to the ministry they select. The Advance includes projects and missionaries in more than 80 countries.

DePauw University welcomes Gorbachev to Oct. 27 lecture

GREENCASTLE, Ind. - Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union and the man credited with helping to end the Cold War, will come to the campus of DePauw University Thursday, Oct. 27, to deliver The Timothy and Sharon Ubben Lecture.

Recipient of the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize, Gorbachev will speak at 4 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium of DePauw's Performing Arts Center (the venue is subject to change). Gorbachev's address is free and open to the public.

University dedicates $12 million gateway project

The University of Indianapolis dedicated its new gateway to campus in a Homecoming weekend ceremony on Oct. 1.

The $12 million expansion and renovation of Esch Hall, the university's main academic and administrative building, includes new state-of-the-art studios for radio station WICR-FM 88.7 and office space for the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning.

Esch Hall's 50,000-square-foot addition at Hanna and Otterbein avenues includes a two-story atrium entrance to the offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, the Registrar and the School for Adult Learning, creating a striking visual impression for prospective students and other visitors.

Dole, McGovern, Messer announce book on ending hunger

WASHINGTON - In a room full of dignitaries at the National Press Club, the Rev. Donald Messer, director of the National Center for Global Parish Ministry at the United Methodist-related Iliff School of Theology in Denver, sat between former senators and presidential nominees Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and George McGovern (D-S.D.). The three men, all United Methodists, announced the release of a book on global hunger they had written together under no contract other than a handshake.

The book's subject is in accord with the United Methodist Social Principles, paragraph 163-E: "In order to provide basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, and other necessities, ways must be found to share more equitably the resources of the world."

The book Ending Hunger Now is a challenge to persons of faith to follow the bipartisan example of its authors and act on the belief that helping the hungry is a religious imperative and human priority. It is divided into chapters written by the different authors, including a trialogue between the three of them. Each of its five chapters ends with study questions for congregations or small groups reading the book together.

The book also has online support that can be found online www.endinghungernow.org  provides the full text of the foreword, written by former President Bill Clinton, links to hunger organizations and networks, upcoming hunger events, suggestions for congregations, and a discussion forum.

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