Cookson Hills center and The Advance turn 60

By Adam Neal and Barbara Wheeler*

A groundbreaking is celebrated for a new ministry center at Cookson Hills Center in Cookson, Okla. The center, a project funded by The Advance for Christ and His Church, serves Native Americans in the area. A UMNS photo by Adam Neal.

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS)—In 1948, the same year in which The Advance for Christ and His Church was set up as the Methodist-designated mission giving channel, two nurses, sent by the then-Woman's Society of Christian Service, established a health clinic in Cookson, Okla.

Sixty years later, The Advance is a major player in global mission, and the Cookson Hills Center is an Advance project (No. 582161) engaged in ministry with Native Americans, primarily Cherokee. The anniversaries are intertwined.

An Advance staff member made a visit to Cookson Hills on the way to Fort Worth to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, where the 60th birthday of the Advance is being celebrated. The Rev. Meridith Whitaker, director of Cookson Hills, is attending the Fort Worth gathering.

"Talk about the United Methodist connection -- you can see the reality of our mission linkages in the interplay between Cookson Hills and the General Board of Global Ministries," said Shawn Bakker, director of the Advance, a mechanism for giving through the mission agency.

Whitaker is a missionary related to the board through the Church and Community Workers' program.

Cookson Hills today focuses on cottage industries that create economic development opportunities for the community. These include sewing, T-shirt printing, craft-making, and producing homemade jellies and preserves. In addition, Cookson Hills works with children and youth through daycare and after-school programs.

The center provides food packets for children, prom dresses for teenagers and baby products for new mothers. It ministers to seniors and provides community service opportunities for people sentenced in county drug court.

Employing ex-offenders
Most of the 21 staff members in the cottage industries at Cookson Hills are ex-offenders. One example is Jackie, a Cherokee man who just celebrated a year of sobriety. He makes outdoor mats out of used tires and recycled water bottles and sells them to earn money for the center. Yet, like most families in the Cookson community, Jackie makes less than $12,000 a year.

Product sales account for 27 percent of Cookson Hills' annual income for mission.

"My hope for the future of Cookson is that we would work ourselves out of a job, that the community would generate employment opportunities and take care of each other," Whitaker said.

"When we started our senior citizen nutrition program that gives seniors two meals a week, we saw a decrease in the amount of food leaving our food pantry," she explained. "The garden seed program helps them grow their own food. The things we do help people live within the means that they have."

Continuing the original emphasis on health care, Cookson Hills will soon open a health resource center that will be a place for community residents to go for referrals, as well as health and wellness information.

Organized by two volunteers, this program represents the important roles volunteers play at Cookson Hills. United Methodist Volunteers in Mission teams visit the center throughout the year. Volunteers from the surrounding Native American community also contribute to the mission.

Celebration held
A 60th anniversary celebration, held April 19 at Cookson Hills, was attended by many community members, donors, and church leaders from around the United Methodist Oklahoma Annual (regional) Conference and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. Local Cherokee musicians played native music, and children entertained the crowd by singing in the Cherokee language.

The Rev. Joe Harris, assistant to the bishop of the Oklahoma Conference, and the Rev. David Wilson, superintendent of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and a Global Ministries director, participated in the celebration.

Cookson Hills' mission work within the community continues to expand. Following the celebration, ground was broken for a new ministry center to replace many of the buildings originally built in the 1940s. The Rev. Bill Foote Sr., pastor of the Mary Lee Clark United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, officiated at the event.

"The new building will be a ministry center that will house programs, our offices, a thrift store and youth room," Whitaker said. "The building we are using now is 60 years old and about to fall down. It's had a lot of wear and tear."

Contributions to Cookson Hills Center can be made through the Advance: #582161 at Givetomission.org.

* Neal is a Mission Specialist for The Advance, and Wheeler is editor of Response, the magazine of United Methodist Women.

More support for Katrina relief needed, bishops say

Elizabeth Cumbest sings a song she wrote to help raise money for the reconstruction of Seashore United Methodist Assembly, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. With Bishop Hope Morgan Ward in the background, Cumbest sang during the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. UMNS photos by Mike DuBose.

By Linda Bloom*

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS)—United Methodists have been generous in their response to Hurricane Katrina relief—but more is needed.

During a “Katrina Report” on April 28 to delegates of the church’s General Conference, Bishop William Oden of Dallas thanked church members for the $3 million raised so far for the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal, but he noted that “Katrina fatigue has set in.” He called for a recommitment to the rebuilding and reconstruction of the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Established by the Council of Bishops, the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal is helping to restore hurricane-damaged United Methodist facilities; pay salaries for clergy while their congregations cannot do so; establish new congregations or consolidate existing ones; renew church-based community ministries such as day-care centers; and provide such worship necessities as Bibles and hymnals to churches in need.

More than 40 United Methodist churches were destroyed or severely damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Through the United Methodist Committee on Relief, church members raised more than $60 million for humanitarian aid to Katrina survivors, and that assistance is continuing. Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of Jackson, Miss., pointed out that 11,000 families in Mississippi had received help so far from the denomination.

She left a gift of “broken things” on the desks of delegates and asked them to pray with her to the God “who is the healer of hearts, restorer of communities and our strong hope.”

300 calls a week

The United Methodist Mississippi Annual (regional) Conference still receives 300 calls a week for assistance from Katrina survivors, according to Ward, and more than 7,000 families in the state continue to live in housing provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Elizabeth Cumbest, a church member from Ocean Springs, Miss., performed a song for delegates that she wrote to help raise funds for the conference’s Seashore United Methodist Assembly. About $45,000 has been raised so far.

Bishop William Hutchinson of Louisiana asked delegates for continued prayers, work teams and financial gifts for Katrina recovery. “The work is not finished,” he said. “We continue to be in great need.”

During a press conference following the report, Ward said her conference had received about $1 million so far from the Katrina Church Recovery Appeal to assist congregations with costs above insurance reimbursements. In Mississippi, 340 United Methodist churches had some damage, with 27 churches destroyed or badly damaged.

“Twenty-seven of our United Methodist clergy lived in FEMA housing for a year, some for two years,” she added.

Insurance needs

Mississippi churches fared better than their counterparts in Louisiana, according to Ward, because the water came in and out like a tsumani wave rather than a flood. The devastation in Louisiana has slowed the return to church buildings, and salary support for clergy remains a major need there, she said.

“One of the greatest unmet needs in Louisiana and Mississippi is insurance for our properties,” she added. “Anything we build on the coast has very, very high property insurance.”

Mollie Stewart, chairwoman of the board of trustees of Gulfside Assembly—a historic United Methodist retreat center in Waveland, Miss., destroyed by Katrina—spoke of plans to rebuild. Wood from the property was used to create the altar furniture at General Conference.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service writer based in New York.

Church basketball teams ‘hoop it up’ for Nothing But Nets

Ugandan children, members of a choir touring the United States, cheer during a fundraising basketball game between teams from United Methodist congregations in Texas.

By Deborah White*

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) — “Malaria, malaria, malaria – the horror, the killer,” 23 children from Uganda’s Hope for Africa Children’s Choir chanted April 26.

The chant came during a skit before United Methodist basketball teams squared off in championship games of a tournament held to benefit the anti-malaria Nothing But Nets campaign.

The 3-on-3 basketball games, played at First United Methodist Church in downtown Fort Worth, pitted teams of boys and men from the North Texas Annual (regional) Conference and the Central Texas Conference. Five United Methodist bishops took time out from attending General Conference 2008 to speak at a pre-game news briefing and to show support for Nothing But Nets.

In the boys’ division, First United Methodist Church of Alvarado in the Central Texas Conference beat Hamilton Park United Methodist Church of Dallas in the North Texas Conference in a close 24-22 game. Men from Whaley United Methodist Church in Gainesville won 34-27 over First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth.

“At the end of the game, because of the cause you are playing for, there are no losers,” said Bishop Thomas Bickerton, who serves as spokesperson for Nothing But Nets.

$300,000 raised

The tournament between the two Texas conferences began at the local church level in June 2007. To participate, all players paid $10 – the cost to buy and distribute one bed net to prevent malaria-carrying mosquitoes from biting. Through proceeds of the basketball tournament and offerings, the two conferences have raised $300,000 for Nothing But Nets.

At the news briefing, Bishop Ben Chamness of the Central Texas Conference introduced the other bishops and members of the choir, pointing out that the children “have been orphaned by malaria, HIV/AIDS and war.”

Nothing But Nets has raised more than $20 million since the campaign began in 2006. The United Methodist Church is a partner in the campaign with many other organizations. “To blanket the continent of Africa, we need $330 million,” Bickerton said. “Until we reach that goal, we need to do whatever it takes to cause malaria to be a word in the back of our minds historically.”

Bishop Daniel Wandabula of the East Africa Area said malaria is the main killer disease in his region, which includes Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and Sudan. “Through the distribution of nets we are able to bring life to people,” he said. “We will enable people to live longer lives … and be able to make a difference.”

Creating awareness

Bishop David Yemba of the Central Congo Area said, “Nets have not been distributed yet, but we know it is coming. People are aware of the efforts of The United Methodist Church.”

Yemba added that it is encouraging to witness the participation of youth and young adults. “The awareness this effort is giving you goes beyond this project,” he said.

Awareness of hunger was on the minds of four of the seven players on the Hamilton Park boys’ team because they were in the middle of a 30-hour fast during the tournament. “We were fasting for the children of Africa who don’t have food,” said A.J. Williams, a sophomore at Allen High School.

In a prayer before the games, Bishop Alfred Norris of the North Texas Conference asked for God’s blessings for “the mission to stamp out the killer diseases of poverty, particularly malaria. Thank you for the hope we have that in the day to come, this disease will be a thing of the past.”

*White is associate editor of Interpreter magazine.

Potato drop yields 20 tons of food for area hungry

By Linda S. Rhodes*

Bishop Kenneth Carder helps load boxes for the Potato Drop

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) — As the hot, Friday afternoon sun beat down on the Fort Worth Convention Center, delegates, bishops, general agency staffers and visitors to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference left the center’s air conditioning to help load 40,000 pounds of sweet potatoes into trucks, vans and trailers for distribution to area social service agencies that feed the hungry.

The bulk of the sweet potatoes – more than 17,000 pounds – went to the Tarrant Area Food Bank, a Second Harvest central warehouse that sends food to 300 central Texas soup kitchens, food pantries, senior citizen centers, after-school programs and other agencies.

“On average, every pound is a meal,” said Susan Frye, the food bank’s community events director. “So, you guys are donating 17,000 meals to us today.”

Frye said the food bank supplies food for 30,000 to 40,000 families per month. “Nowadays, with the high cost of food and groceries, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get quality, nutritious food to distribute,” she said. “It’s a tough time. Everybody’s dollars are tight. So, it’s a real boost for us to get fresh produce. That’s hard to get these days.”

The “potato drop” was sponsored by The Society of St. Andrew, a national hunger relief agency based in Virginia, and the Task Force on Hunger of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church. The potatoes were provided by Texas Sweet Potato Distributing Inc., a division of W. E. Bailey Produce of North Carolina.

Carol Breitinger, Society of St. Andrew communications director, said another 15,000 pounds of potatoes went to the North Texas Food Bank and 5,000 pounds went to United Community Centers. First Street Methodist Mission received 2,000 pounds and 1,000 pounds went to Arlington Urban Ministries.

“This 20-ton load of sweet potatoes will provide about 120,000 servings of nutritious food to individuals and families in the region within days, perhaps hours, of the spuds being donated to the agencies serving the needs of the poor throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” Breitinger said.

Frye noted that 35 percent of those receiving food from the Tarrant Area Food Bank are children.

“A lot of those children aren’t looking forward to summer,” Frye said, because they will not be getting school lunches provided by the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program.

Frye told a story about a 13-year-old girl who told her that when she didn’t have enough food, she ate grass “because it was like eating salad.”

“There is hunger right here in Fort Worth,” Frye said. But, she added, the potatoes will help fight that hunger. “The United Methodists are making a difference, and we really appreciate that.”

The Society of St. Andrew is a nationwide, nondenominational, nonprofit organization that salvages fresh produce that otherwise would go to waste and distributes it free to those in need throughout the continental United States. It is headquartered in Big Island, Va., where it was founded in 1979.

The organization has submitted a petition to the General Conference asking the denomination to designate it as “the principal nationwide organization within The United Methodist Church to alleviate hunger in the United States.”

The Rev. Ken Horne, Society co-founder, said the petition is intended to make ending domestic hunger a priority of the church, adding, “Only when we forge a ‘critical mass’ of people demanding an end to hunger will it become a national priority.”

*Rhodes is Director of Communications of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church

Dr. Gwendolyn Rees and Clark Memorial United Methodist Church work together to revitalize spiritual life at the College of West Africa

Editor's Note: Dr. Gwendolyn Rees looks to Tennessee Conference Churches for help in collecting hymnals for her high school alma mater, the College of West Africa. We share this letter from Dr. Rees and Clark Memorial United Methodist Church with an introduction by Ruth Moore.

This is an excellent letter from Dr. Rees of Vanderbilt and Clark Memorial UMC It is so inspiring. I was unable to let go of my books until this project came along and I read about the need for books in Africa. I then gathered all my Christian education books, boxed them and added them to the collection. So many children in Liberia have never even SEEN a book, much less own one. I cannot think about all the books that are placed in the garbage in the USA even by churches What a great waste !! I'll bet if clergy and Christian educators would bring books we could send another load to Africa. Books have influenced my faith. Just an idea but might be worth consideration. You really want peace in this world. Then let's share the gospel and the hymns of our faith.
Ruth Moore


Dear friends:

First let me just tell you a little bit about the College of West Africa (CWA) in Monrovia, Liberia. The school was founded by Melville B. Cox , a Methodist missionary.

Melville Cox had a singular determination that mission efforts be established and maintained in Africa. His well-known words, "Though a thousand fall, let not Africa be given up!" were sadly prophetic, for he died very shortly after his arrival in Liberia.

However he had purchased land on which a school was to be built; and in 1839 the College of West Africa was established. CWA is unique because it is the oldest continuously operating school of its type on the continent of Africa. Also another consideration of CWA's uniqueness is that it is actually older than Liberia, which was established as a Republic in 1847!

Support needed for the College of West Africa Here are the items that I feel are essential and that I would love to see go to my old high school Alma Mater, the College of West Africa:

1. Methodists hymnals (150-200)
2. Two pianos (one to use for the devotions in Cox Memorial Auditorium and one for the Sunday services at First Methodist Church, with which CWA is affiliated)
3. Usable portable cassette tape recorders (6” x 9” size recorders)

I can tell you that in my own journey through life, it was God's word, and faith in His word that made the difference between success and failure and even life and death for me. I obtained inspiration and strength many times just from the recollection of phrases from some of the hymns that were sung in the daily morning devotionals at CWA. When you have sung the words to hymns like , "Be strong we are not here to play, to dream to drift; we have hard work to do and loads to lift! Shun not the struggle, face it! 'Tis God's gift, Be strong! Be Strong!" from the 7th through the 12th grades, those words stay with you!

Currently I am working with the help of my church, Clark Memorial UMC to send a second shipment of books to help restore CWA's library. Though my quest for books for the school's library has been quite successful, I am still hoping that Methodist Hymnals and pianos might be included with this book shipment.

Respectfully,
Gwendolyn M. Rees, Ph.D.
Gwendolyn.rees@vanderbilt.edu

To donate hymnals or pianos contact Dr. Rees at the above email address

Feb. Storm Update

Long Term Recovery Committees (LTRC’s) are in full swing in Sumner/Trousdale, Macon, and Williamson/Hickman. We provided significant energy to get these efforts started and have our local churches very involved with the leadership and operation of these efforts. UMCOR provided us with a $10,000 emergency grant and 2 Case Management trainings (2nd to be held next week). We have received over $50,000 in donations from our local churches, $5,000 from the Kansas West Conference, $3,125 from the Kansas East Conference, and $3,000 from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Shortly, we should know the told estimate for long term recovery rebuilding/other needs and will be requesting an additional grant from UMCOR.

Currently, only Macon County Long Term Recovery is beginning to schedule work teams for rebuilding, although still on a very limited basis. At the invitation of Macon and Sumner, the Church Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC), has sent teams who are currently doing long term recovery assessments. When they have completed their work, both LTRC’s will know better the long term needs, be able to start casework, and be able to start scheduling more teams. Macon has a website at www.LTRMC.ORG where you can find info on their efforts and the Volunteer Coordinator’s phone number and email link. When Williamson/Hickman and Sumner/Trousdale are ready to schedule teams, we will get that information out to you.

If your church is located in one of the many other counties affected by the Feb. and April storms and needs assistance aiding community members in their recovery, please have someone from the church contact me to see how we might help.

Gulfside trees transformed into Lord's table

The Rev. Lloyd Calcote saws through a tree on the grounds of Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Gulfside Assembly, a United Methodist conference center in Waveland, Miss. The downed trees have been fashioned into a communion table and other worship aids for the 2008 General Conference. A UMNS photo by Scott Bell.

A UMNS Report

By Woody Woodrick*

Juanita Franklin remembers the sound of chapel chimes carried on ocean breezes echoing among the tall trees at Gulfside Assembly in Waveland, Miss.

It's a special memory of a special place, and she'll likely never hear it again. Gulfside, a historic United Methodist conference center whose entrance was across the street from the Gulf of Mexico, was literally wiped off the map in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina.

However, something of the spirit that moved through those trees will be kept alive when the 2008 General Conference, the denomination's top lawmaking body that meets every four years, convenes April 23 in Fort Worth, Texas. The meeting's communion table, altar rail, baptismal font, lectern and a table have been crafted from trees salvaged from the 64-acre Gulfside property, which served as a retreat center and meeting place for African Americans before the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

"I thought it was the most marvelous thing I had heard when I heard it from (Bishop Hope Morgan Ward)," said Franklin, 75, who lives in Foxboro. "Having been there during the time of the tall and beautiful trees, it's sort of like having a great-grandchild. Having all the old memories of days when the chapel was there, and when you got up in the morning they played the chimes and it reverberated through the trees, it's a marvelous thought."

'A natural thing'
Clay Smith, executive director of the Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville, N.C., led a group of craftsmen who built the furniture.

Clay Smith stands at the lectern that he helped to craft. A UMNS photo courtesyof Clay Smith.

The idea developed at a meeting of the Commission on the General Conference, which plans the denominational meeting. Mollie Stewart, coordinator of local church ministries for Hinton, serves on the commission.

When a logo was selected, a treetop was incorporated. Marcia McFee, one of the worship leaders for the General Conference, brought up the idea of remembering Katrina. Stewart, who chairs the Gulfside board of directors, then suggested using the trees from Katrina-ravaged Gulfside.
"Someone said it would be wonderful if we knew someone to make a table," Stewart said. "I said I knew a woodworker. Clay said he was more than delighted."

Smith called the woodworking assignment "a natural thing to be doing."

"I had been to Gulfside on numerous occasions. I appreciated the long history Gulfside had and its ministry with African-American Methodists through the generations and the new things they were beginning to do. It all came to a stop because of Katrina."

For decades, especially during the civil rights era, Gulfside served as a beacon for African Americans. It often was the only place in the Deep South where groups of African Americans could gather for conferences and retreats or even just to spend the night. When Katrina roared into Waveland on Aug. 29, 2005, all of that history was lost, including a brand new building open for just a few weeks.

Tree-borne tribute
One of the first challenges for the General Conference project was transporting the wood from southern Mississippi to North Carolina.

Smith went to Gulfside in October and selected a big red cedar and three red oak trees that were still alive. The Rev. Jerry Mitchell, who serves on the boards of directors of Hinton and Gulfside, contacted retired pastor the Rev. Lloyd Calcote of Summit about cutting the trees into boards. Calcote owns a portable saw mill and agreed to help.

The logs were cut into boards in October, and Smith hauled them in a rented truck to a small lumber company that agreed to dry the boards in its kiln. The actual furniture-building began in January.

"John Freeman, who used to teach at Candler School of Theology, was interested in working on it. John and I worked out a design for the furniture," Smith said. "We also had some help from some people from a local church in Hayesville. We've had about six people altogether working on it, including four current or former United Methodist pastors.

"We've been meeting one or two days per week building these pieces. The baptismal font will incorporate a bowl made by a local potter. We showed him the size we needed, and he turned the bowl for us."

The tabletop, 6 feet in diameter, is made of cedar, and part of the tree's trunk serves as the base. The other items are made of red oak.

"It's been challenging," Smith said. "Cedar is easy to work with. It's easy to shape, but also easy to scratch and mar. As long as you protect it, it's OK. The red oak, when dried in the kiln, kind of crinkled up like a potato chip. We spent a great deal of time getting the pieces flat and square."

The pieces will have a natural look. Based on discussions with McFee, the woodworkers allowed the shape of the boards to dictate the shape of the pieces. "We tried to let the wood speak to us in getting some sense of what the pieces ought to look like," Smith said. "It's been very satisfying to have a hand in helping prepare for worship at General Conference."

A Gulfside presence
All of those involved in the project believe the furniture will draw attention to Gulfside, its history and rebirth.

Plans for rebuilding Gulfside are advancing, according to Stewart. Architects and contractors have been chosen for a new ministry center and housing, and the city of Waveland has given preliminary approval to the plans. After General Conference, the furniture is to be returned to Mississippi.

"When folks are sitting at General Conference, Gulfside will be present and the Mississippi Conference will be present," Stewart said. "People will be seeing that the materials are from the Gulf Coast. The remains of Katrina can be pieces of hope. The trees may not be living, but they will be there and serving generations to come."

Smith agrees. "It brings some recognition to a ministry and center that really for the most part has not been on anybody's radar screen," he said. "People in South Mississippi are aware of it, but United Methodists across the country have never heard of Gulfside.

"Gulfside has this wonderful past, a sometimes very painful past. I've had some African-American friends, clergy and lay people tell me that when they were young, the only place to go for conferences or training was Gulfside."

Franklin said she hopes some of that history is shared at the conference. "I hope they don't just have it sitting there and don't make them know it comes from something near and dear to the hearts of many people," she said.

*Woodrick is editor of the Mississippi Advocate, the newspaper of the United Methodist Church's Mississippi Annual Conference.

Golden Cross Sunday offering for benevolent care, McKendree Village -- May 11, 2008

Dear Friends in Christ:

Founded in 1963 by the Tennessee Conference, McKendree Village isn’t a place or institution. It is home to hundreds of middle Tennessee seniors living in a variety of residential settings—independent cottages and apartments through assisted living to complete skilled nursing care.

In good faith, the founders of McKendree Village decided that no resident living at McKendree Village for a minimum of ten years would be asked to leave due to outliving their financial resources. Today, cost of care continues to climb above the ability to pay for some of our residents. Through generous support of the McKendree Village apportionment and the Golden Cross offering by United Methodist churches in the Tennessee Annual Conference, McKendree Village has made good on the founders’ commitment for over 43 years.

Sunday, May 11, is the conference designated date for the Golden Cross offering for benevolent care at McKendree Village. 100% of your contributions to McKendree Village go directly to benevolent care. Of course, this support is done confidentially with dignity, love and respect.

In your congregation, it is your option to choose another date more appropriate for the Golden Cross offering. Some congregations are utilizing a communion offering. The date or manner of your Golden Cross offering is up to your local congregation. But, please know that your support of this ministry is crucial.

Golden Cross Sunday resources should arrive at your church during the week of April 18.

If you need additional information or resources, please call the McKendree Village Foundation at 615-871-8598 or e-mail information@mckendreefoundation.org.

Thank you, in advance for your continuing support of this covenant ministry that together we provide in the name of Christ.

Sincerely,

Rev. John H. Collett, Jr.
Chairperson, McKendree Village Foundation
Board of Directors

Kent McNish
Executive Director, McKendree Village Foundation

P.S. Please send Golden Cross offerings directly to the Tennessee Conference Treasurer.

Faith community examines disaster response

By Matt Hackworth*

The Rev. Mary Gaudreau of the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Bob Arnold of Church World Service compare notes during the 2008 Church World Service Forum on Domestic Disaster Ministry. A UMNS photo by Matt Hackworth, Church World Service.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)--Two years ago, the Rev. L. George Abrams stood for the last time in his parish pulpit in Oregon, and told his United Methodist congregation he was leaving full-time church ministry to follow a new calling.

"I am called to disaster ministry," Abrams said. "I haven't really understood what that means, and then all of the sudden I see this conference advertised on domestic disaster ministry."

Abrams, the disaster response coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Annual (regional) Conference of the United Methodist Church, met in Nashville with peers from other conferences and denominations for the 2008 Church World Service Forum on Domestic Disaster Ministry.

The third biannual gathering, held March 29-April 1 at Scarritt-Bennett Center, brought together people who provide disaster response--from volunteers to professionals and academics.
"It's a chance for us to gather and network, to discuss changes and talk about how we can better practice disaster ministry," said Bob Arnold, associate director for training with Church World Service.

It is also a chance for spiritual renewal for a community that, given the rapid pace of recent U.S. disasters, needs recharging. The forum included several opportunities for worship and reflection.
A committee appointed by Church World Service spent about 18 months planning the four-day event in conjunction with the Rev. David Lowes Watson, a United Methodist theologian.

"He's worked with us over the last several months to make sure we have a deep theological foundation," said the Rev. Mary Gaudreau of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, who also served on the planning committee.

Watson led several worship services that helped participants examine the conflict between a hopeful faith and disaster-caused pain.

"We know we have colleagues in other organizations who do (disaster response) just as well as we do," Watson said as the forum began on March 29. "But we have a particular role to play."

The role of the faith community in disasters is not to proselytize, Watson warned, but to act as signs directing the way to God's love amidst situations where control is lost.

"People sense that in the Christian there is one whose life is no longer under their own control," Watson said. "There's a force in our lives that's taken control, whether we wanted it to or not. We do not choose to be a Christian; we finally surrender to God. What better place to testify to that than when we're on the job in disaster relief?"

Under the theme "Economics and Justice in Disasters," the forum featured dozens of presenters. Academics shared research-based issues on economics and justice while faith-based responders painted a practical picture of how issues of economics and justice take shape on the ground, post-disaster.

Abrams hopes the mix of the practical experience and theoretical context will help him define his new place.

"Disaster ministry is huge," Abrams said. "I'm looking for what does it mean for me on a practical level. This is the place for it."

*Hackworth is a reporter with Church World Service.

Training helps Florida churches prepare for storms

Florida United Methodists simulate how to respond if a tornado hits their community during a disaster ministry training session in Moore Haven, Fla. A UMNS photo courtesy of the Florida Conference Disaster Recovery Ministry.

A UMNS Report
By Steven Skelley*

With weather researchers predicting an active 2008 hurricane season along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, United Methodists in Florida are preparing to help their neighbors weather whatever storms might strike.

Initial forecasts predict above-average hurricane activity, with 13 named storms and seven hurricanes. Three of those hurricanes are expected to be Category 3 or higher. The official hurricane season is June through November.

"We know we will have disasters eventually," said the Rev. Thom Street, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church of Moore Haven.

Moore Haven was one of two locations in 2007 that offered a pilot training program called "Community Arise: Basic Disaster Ministry Training" through the Florida Annual (regional) Conference Disaster Recovery Ministry.

However, disasters don't mean hurricanes only. Churches often are called upon to help in the aftermath of tornadoes, flooding and manmade crises.

"The better prepared we are as a church, the more quickly we'll be able to reach out to those who are hurting," Street said.

Neighborhood lifeline
Churches wanting to be a lifeline for their neighbors have other opportunities to learn all they need to mobilize. This year, another session was held in March, and two more are planned.
"We have some trainings coming up over the next couple of months in various locations in the conference that are geared toward providing a good overview of disaster for churches," said Pam Garrison, manager of the conference's disaster recovery ministry and staff liaison to the Florida Conference United Methodist Volunteers in Mission.

The 2007 events were well received by participants from both United Methodist churches and other denominations, according to Garrison.

Annette Reyes-Burnsed attended the first pilot training, held in Lake City. As a staff member of Community of Faith United Methodist Church in Davenport, she said it was great training for office workers, church staff people and volunteers who provide physical works such as clearing branches and other debris.

Beth Long, a member of Vamo United Methodist Church in Sarasota, drove three hours to attend the second training in Moore Haven. She learned where to go to get funds and supplies to help people in distress. The training also offered advice on setting up a phone tree to contact and check on church members who may have been affected.

The one-day training is based in part on "Community Arise: A Disaster Ministry Curriculum," which was developed by Church World Services in collaboration with other faith-based organizations, including the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Lutheran Disaster Services, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Catholic Charities and other groups providing disaster response.

The training is just one way the conference's disaster recovery ministry is working to fulfill its mission to effectively manage resources-information, supplies, volunteers and financial assistance-available to churches when disasters occur. Staff and volunteers work closely with district and church disaster coordinators and outside relief agencies to coordinate those resources and make sure lines of communication are open and clear.

UMCOR, in its role as the global humanitarian aid organization of The United Methodist Church, is a partner in those efforts, providing assistance in planning, preparation and disaster response. UMCOR also provides grants that supplement donations from churches and individuals, funding much of the conference's disaster response work.

Physical, emotional and spiritual care
The goal of upcoming training events is to teach church members "how to identify and address unmet needs of all survivors, particularly people who were vulnerable before a disaster, and how to provide a larger vision of life that includes emotional and spiritual care, as well as physical rebuilding to assist in long-term recovery of those in need," according to the Community Arise training Web site.

It's designed to give church members a practical foundation for responding to disasters in their community in cooperation with other churches, emergency management officials and the conference's disaster recovery team. The training also is geared toward helping people understand the importance of communicating and collaborating to meet the needs of disaster survivors and of being the church in the midst of crisis.

Garrison and other disaster recovery staff are quick to note that neither the Florida Conference nor UMCOR are first responders after a storm or disaster.

Trained professionals-firefighters, police, paramedics and emergency medical technicians, and county, state and federal personnel-are responsible for first response. Only after they have secured an area and invited other groups to assist can the conference disaster response team deploy trained volunteers and teams to begin the relief process-cleanup, debris removal, information, referral and spiritual care-and the more challenging phase of long-term recovery.

Upcoming conference-sponsored training sessions are planned for May 17 at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Naples and June 7 at Cokesbury United Methodist Church in Margate.

There is no cost for the training. To register, go to http://www.flumc2.org/page.asp?PKValue=1377.

*Skelley is a staff writer for e-Review Florida United Methodist News Service.

Fishin’ and Mission, May 4-10, 2008, Andros Island, the Bahamas

The kind and caring people of the Bahamas are quite proud of their island’s natural resources. The beaches, water, and fishing are some of the best in the Caribbean and the lack of tourist activity on Andros Island gives you an unique opportuntiy to explore realtively untouched flats. When the tides aren’t moving, we get moving on the island providing emergency home repairs for residents who are not in a position to maintain their homes. Construction experience is not required.

Program
The Fishin’ and Mission program is designed for fishermen who also enjoy helping others. Work days are followed by fishing days. A fishing day is followed by a work day. A typical week may look like this:
Sunday – Travel day to Andros Island
Monday – Work on housing project
Tuesday – Bonefishing with a fellow fisherman and experienced Andros guide
Wednesday - Work on housing project
Thursday - Bonefishing with a fellow fisherman and experienced Andros guide
Friday – finish work project in the morning, wade fishing on our own in the afternoon
Saturday – wade fish in the morning, if time permits, prior to going to the airport for the trip home

What’s Included
Roundtrip air transportation from Ft. Lauderdale, roundtrip transportation from the Andros Town airport to Camp Makepeace, 3 meals a day, lodging at Camp Makepeace, two days of fishing (fly or spinning rod) with a guide, all tools and supplies for construction projects, emergency medical insurance via UMVIM*, Bahamas Methodist Habitat Columbia Fishing Shirt. Not included – gratuities for guide and baggage handlers, snacks, fishing equipment, PASSPORT REQUIRED.
*UMVIM – United Methodist Volunteers in Mission

Costs
7 Day/6 Night, Fishin’ and Mission Trip.......................$950
Round Trip Air, Ft. Lauderdale/Andros Town............$350*
Total.................................................................................$1,300
* Airfare has been estimated; actual airfare will depend on the size of the group but is not expected to exceed $400 under any circumstances. Private pilots are welcome to fly their personal planes and transport volunteers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact:
Jeff Hearn, President, Bahamas Habitat
Cell 1-727-642-7295
Office 1-727-896-0848
Email Jeff.Hearn@raymondjames.com
Email rayjhearn@mac.com

Abraham McIntyre, Director
Bahamas Methodist Habitat
Office 1-615-469-7974
Email MethodistHabitat@gmail.com

To Make a Reservation
The following information is needed to make a reservation:
1.Your Name or Group Leader's Name
2. Street Address
3. City/State/Zip Code
4. Phone Number (s)
5. Number of participants for this registration
6. Event Name: Fishin and Mission
7. Number of Participants x $950 = $___________
8. Estimated Airfare. Number of Participants x $350 = $__________
9. Total of lines 7 and 8 $__________

Include 50% deposit with registration and make checks payable to: Bahamas Habitat
Complete Information, enclose check and mail to:
Bahamas Habitat
c/o Jeff Hearn
105 Maron St. NE
St. Petersburg, FL 33704

This notice comes from:
Rev. Jason Brock
Mercy, Mission, and Justice
TN Conference United Methodist Church
304 S. Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 1
Nashville, TN 37211
615-329-1177 (phone)
615-293-8594 (mobile)
615-329-0884 (fax)
jbrock@tnumc.org