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FROM BISHOP JOHN SCHOL'S STATE OF THE CHURCH ADDRESS

By the year 2012 we will grow 600 Acts 2 congregations.

Why must we adopt such an ambitious goal?

Several reasons: The United Methodist Church has experienced 43 years of continuous numerical decline. Our own conference has declined by 20 percent during the past 43 years, and by almost 10 percent since 1994. The decline is speeding up. There is an urgent need for Acts 2 congregations to offer renewal. I want to be clear that decline is not just about numbers; it is about people, disciples of Jesus Christ. I do not want you to think in terms of numbers but think of the lives that we are not touching with the love of Christ. We not only have churches with empty pews, we have Sunday schools that are not thriving, youth that are missing UMYF, ministries not getting done. We are talking about people whom Christ has called us to love, nurture and disciple. ...

We must pursue this goal because in our conference, in which the average age of clergy is 58, 80 percent of our clergy will retire within the next 20 years, 50 percent within the next 10 years. We have only 13 full and probationary elders under the age of 35, and only 9 new probationary Elders will be commissioned this year and yet we will retire 31 clergy.

See the full speech.

COMMENTS
 

IS THIS A RECORDING?

The Absurdist at The Blog from Nowhere writes:

Among the jobs I've held in my checkered past is interviewer conducting phone surveys for a political and market research firm. Occassionally as I was reading the introduction over the phone to a randomly dialed subject, the person would ask me, "is this a recording?"

I always answered yes.

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U.S. GENERAL NOW AGREES WITH WAR CRITICS

From the Oct. 6  editorial "War of Attrition" in the Los Angeles Times:

The U.S. generals running the Iraq war now agree with critics who contend that the presence of nearly 150,000 American troops is energizing insurgents and creating dependency among Iraqi forces. Army Gen. George W. Casey said last week that reducing the number of U.S. troops would remove one source of fuel for insurgents: the view of "coalition forces as an occupying force." That welcome realism is a far cry from rosy prewar scenarios. Nearly 2,000 U.S. troops have been killed since the invasion; one estimate of Iraqi civilian deaths is more than 29,000.

Another prewar mistake was betting on Iraqi oil to finance reconstruction. The U.S. has spent more than $1 billion, yet "oil production remains below the estimated prewar level of 2.5 million barrels per day, let alone last December's target of 3 million barrels per day. Electricity generation is about where it was before the war but below the targets of two years ago.

Iraqis who welcomed American troops and rejoiced at Hussein's overthrow now blame the U.S. for not protecting them from insurgents or even common criminals. Residents in Basra complain that the southern city is in the grip of Islamic fundamentalists more like the theocrats in Iran than the secular rulers the U.S. hoped to see run the country.
...
U.S. generals have recently backtracked on their statements several months ago that the troop presence could be substantially reduced sometime next year. The military's failure to adequately train a sufficient number of Iraqi troops is a disaster. The administration's failure to define success or provide timelines for a continued combat presence — other than expressing a willingness to "stay the course" for "as long as it takes" — undermines the public's confidence that shifting goals will ever be met.
Thanks to Workplace Spirituality for the link.
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THE COST OF THE WAR

Number of Operations Iraq Freedom and Enduring Freedom casualties as confirmed by U.S. Central Command: 2,184  For more information and photos see MilitaryCity.com or CNN.

Number of wounded in action in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense :  14,641. See Iraq Coaltion Casuality Count.

Civilians reported killed by military intervention in Iraq: Minimum 26,457 Maximum 29,795. See Iraq Body Count.

Cost of the War in Iraq

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To see more details, click here.

Thanks to Workplace Spirituality for links to this information.
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RCA PASTOR ADVOCATES INCLUSION

Stacey, a Reformed Church in America pastor serving her first year congregation, advocates for an inclusive church at Thoughts from a First-Year Minister.

She writes: "I believe that the Bible is my only rule for faith and life, and that it is completely reliable in all that it intends to teach. I do not believe that God intends to teach or commend to us every action or sentence in the Bible, nor do I believe that Scripture is ever free from the cultural and personal biases of the people involved in the process of it being written and compiled -- let alone the biases of those who read it."

She adds:  "Based on what I've found in Scripture, and how it informs the way I see the world, I do not believe that homosexual acts in themselves are any more or less sinful or 'unnatural' than heterosexual acts, but rather that these acts can be either good and faithful or harmful and sinful, depending on the larger context of commitment and intent."

Thanks to Rick for the heads-up
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I GUESS: BILL TO STOP LGBTS FROM HAVING CHILDREN IS "PRETTY CHILLING"

From theIndyChannel.com:
INDIANAPOLIS -- A proposed bill that would prohibit gays, lesbians and single people in Indiana from using medical science to assist them in having a child has been dropped by its legislative sponsor.

State Sen. Patricia Miller, R-Indianapolis, issued a one-sentence statement Wednesday about her decision to drop the proposal. "The issue has become more complex than anticipated and will be withdrawn from consideration by the Health Finance Commission," she said.

Miller said earlier this week that state law does not have regulations on assisted reproduction and should have similar requirements to adoption in Indiana.

But Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Indiana called it government intrusion. "It feels pretty chilling," Cockrum said Tuesday.
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BISHOP WILLS ON SELF-CARE FOR CLERGY

Bishop Dick Wills of the Nashville Area expects of his clergy:

1. A daily time of reading scripture and allowing it to be what we live "out of".
2. A weekly sabbath time. He encouraged pastors to take at least one day off every week, no matter what.
3. A two-day retreat (48 hours apart and away) from church, once a month to focus on spiritual growth and rejuvenation.
4. A one-month sabbatical with pay once every quadrennium.

Good advice. (Thanks to St. Phransus for this information.)

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JOHN LENNON NOT A COMMUNIST THREAT -- WHAT A RELIEF!

From today's Washington Post:

Secret FBI papers revealed that John Lennon was ruled out as a communist threat to the United States because he was always stoned, London's Evening Standard reported yesterday.

Documents show that the FBI suspected that the ex-Beatle was the head of revolutionaries planning to hijack a 1972 Republican conference, and kept him under close watch at first. But Lennon's abuse of heroin, cocaine and marijuana in the early 1970s eventually ruled him out of FBI investigations. An agent concluded that Lennon "appears to be radically oriented" but "does not give the impression he is a true revolutionist, since he is constantly under the influence of narcotics."

Marilyn Monroe , Lucille Ball and Albert Einstein were also among the suspected communists tracked by the FBI from the 1950s to 1970s.
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A KATRINA ACCOUNT

From Larry Hollon's report of his visit with Katrina survivors:

A young mother told me of a harrowing escape that continues to cause me to flinch when I think of it. Her family left New Orleans prior to the storm. They numbered nearly 50 people in seven cars. They moved north but discovered the roads clogged. They turned west but roads in this direction were also at a standstill As darkness approached they were tired, the wind was driving rain in horizontal sheets and it was nearly impossible to see the roadway in the torrent. They were sure they were trapped in the hurricane on a stretch of highway unknown to them. Death seemed imminent, she said.

Traveling in the darkness, blinded by the driving rain, a tree blew between the lead car and and the next in line. The lead car continued on, the driver unaware the caravan had been split by the huge tree. As quickly as the uprooted tree came crashing down, however, the wind lifted it up and cleared it from their path. They worked their way forward, eventually re-connecting with the lead car. But the wind lifted the tree and the remaining cars were able to continue and those family members in the lead car never knew the danger that had nearly trapped the rest of the family.

As they drove into the outskirts of Meridian, Miss., they flagged down a vehicle to get information. Miraculously, even in these conditions, the woman driver stopped and told them to follow her, she would lead them to a safe place. She led them to Central Avenue United Methodist Church which had set up a shelter for hurricane evacuees. As the young mother told this story she smiled and said they feel safe here. "Now, this is home," she said, sitting on a cot in a large auditorium in the church's educational building.
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WHEN IT COMES TO ADS, PLACEMENT IS EVERYTHING

In today's Washington Post Section A, on the top half of page 13, there is a jumped story entitled "Cities Find They Are  Often  On their Own With Evacuees." The point is that cities are being left on their own trying to figure out how to accommodate Katrina victims relocated there.

The bottom half of the page is a color ad that must have cost tens of thousands of dollars --maybe more-- that says: "When I first got to Iraq, all the troops were living in tents and makeshift shelters they built themselves. I helped move containerized housing units into the camps ... so that soldiers could have a decent place to come back to at the end of the day. We got 80,000 troops out of the sand in 3 months. It was awesome. No other company could have done that." -- Jay Patterson, operations, Halliburton
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MORE TRUE THAN WE'D LIKE TO ADMIT

Blog from Nowhere reports overhearing this remark:

"I don't go to church to get preached to."

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POVERTY KILLS, SAYS RANDY DAY

The Rev. Randy Day, general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries comments from New Orleans:

"As I have said repeatedly in the past three years, poverty kills. It will continue to kill Katrina victims and millions of others who were nowhere near the storm. I believe the United Methodist Church must make stronger efforts than ever to eliminate racism and all of its evils."

This quote is from a United Methodist News Service story by Ciona Rouse. Whatever happened to the Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty? Is it still alive? It is time for a serious United Methodist commitment to combat poverty.
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COX PREDICTS DEMISE OF RELIGIOUS HIERARCHY

The latest issue of  Foreign Policy celebrates the magazine's 35th anniversary by asking 16 leading thinkers to speculate on ideas, values, and institutions we take for granted today that  may disappear within the next 35 years.  Harvey Cox of Harvard Divinity School predicts the demise of religious hierarchy. "The notions of consumer choice and local control have stormed the religious realm, and decentralization of faith is now the order of the day," he writes. "Religious leaders who once could command, instruct, and expel now must cajole, persuade, and compete." Interestingly, he says this is true of Catholicism, Buddhism and even Islam as well as Protestantism. The advantage of this, Cox suggests, is that people who make religious choices rather than simply accept what is passed down from on high tend to be more mature believers. The disadvantage is more and more  fragmentation.
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HELP US PUT ON THE MIND OF CHRIST

I  regularly find comfort and challenge in the Rev. Mommy's prayers.  One morning this week she prayed:

"We are being overwhelmed by people this week, God. People who have lost so very much. People who have lost homes and jobs and loved ones. People who do not understand why this has happened to them.

Let my hands and my offerings show your love to them. Let my gifts that I give bless them a little.

Lord, people are losing patience with each other. We are starting to put up walls and barriers again. We begin thinking in old thought patterns. Help us break away from the old way of thinking and put on the mind of Christ.

We give you thanks and for the heroic witnesses of your people, who, in a time of death and disaster, were steadfast in their care for the sick and the dying, and loved not their own lives. Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
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A SAD COMMENTARY

Matt Lacey at the Center for Faith in Politics tells a very sad story.

A CNN reporter shared this:

"I am stunned by an interview I conducted with New Orleans Detective Lawrence Dupree. He told me they were trying to rescue people with a helicopter and the people were so poor they were afraid it would cost too much to get a ride and they had no money for a 'ticket.'  Dupree was shaken telling us the story. He just couldn't believe these people were afraid they'd be charged for a rescue."

The v in very commented: "I find it surprising that a New Orleans detective would be startled by that. No one knows how much 'public services' cost more than the poor. Be it an ambulance in an emergency or having to scrape together bus fare to get to a 'free clinic.'"
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WHY DIDN'T UMCOR SEND IN HELICOPTERS?

Jay Leno tonight: "A big announcement from FEMA: FEMA believes a hurricane may have hit New Orleans."

Harold Meyerson in the Sept. 7 Washington Post pointed out that Joe Allbaugh, who became head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2001, characterized the organization, during Congressional hearings in 2000, as "an over-sized entitlement program," and counseled states and cities to rely instead on "faith-based organizations ... like the Salvation Army and the Mennonite Disaster Service." The Salvation Army, the Mennonites, and UMCOR are doing great work, but they are no substitute for government taking care of its people. Should UMCOR have sent in helicopters to rescue people?

Meyerson adds: "Here, the business of government is to let the private sector create wealth -- even if that wealth doesn't circulate where it's most needed. ... Did [those who benefited from tax cuts] raise the levees in New Orleans? ... [or] write a tax deductible check to the Mennonites?"

New Orleans makes me even more nervous about government's current tendency to shirk its responsibilities by saying caring is the job of churches, and I worry about Christians who agree. Caring is the job of both government and faith-based organizations. Part of the job of Christians is to hold government accountable to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
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GEORGE WILL SAYS SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT LIBERALISM

George F. Will in Newsweek:

"So Katrina  has provided a  teaching moment. This is a liberal hour in that it illustrates the indispensability, and dignity, of the public sector. It is also a conservative hour, dramatizing the prudence of pessimism, and the fact that the first business of government, on which everything depends is security."
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UMCOR IS THERE

Hurricane Katrina carried heavy rains and high winds that wrought catastrophic damage to the Gulf Coast. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is there, responding to the needs of the thousands of people affected by this disaster. UMCOR will continue to provide assistance to the people left most vulnerable by this storm for years to come. 

Our contributions to UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 Global, will help people in the United States and the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Dennis, as well as those who will be impacted by future storms in this already intense hurricane season.

Our tax-deductible gifts may be placed in United Methodist church offering plates or sent directly to:  UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068.  Checks should be made out to: UMCOR. Please list in the memo area of the check "UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 Global".  Donations are also being taken by phone at 1-800-554-8583. Donations may also be made on line here.
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A JUDICIOUS SHOT WITH WATER ON THE SIDE, PLEASE

Alcohol ... a sensitive topic for Methodists. We would rather talk --and fight-- about sex, I think.

Joel has a thoughtful post at connections about General Conference changing what the Social Principles say about alcohol consumption in the 2004 Book of Discipline. Abstinence remains the highest ideal, but the Book of Discipline now also advocates " judicious use with deliberate and intentional restraint” for those who choose to consume alcohol.  (Paragraph 162 J, Social Principles). Joel believes this is practical advice, and not inconsistent with John Welsey's thinking.

Also, it would be helpful to have an update on on connections' report that Westminster Central Hall in London has applied for an liquor license. The application was reported by connections back in May. What's up? Has Westminister Hall become a pub or, maybe,  a fern bar? Inquiring minds want to know.
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TOOLEY AND PLUMMER ON CHRISTIAN DISSENT

A link to audio of the Christian Dissent interviews with Mark Tooley of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and of Troy Plummer of the Reconciling Ministries Network is available at this Christian Dissent post. The interviews are very civil. It is interesting to discover that Mark Tooley did grow up in a United Methodist church in Virginia and that his campaign to move the church to the right is a matter of personal conviction. Troy Plummer is very convincing in his argument that the church ought to be welcoming to all.
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