wfn.org | Vision 2000 to Continue

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3147 notes).

Note 3144 by UMNS on Aug. 29, 1996 at 16:23 Eastern (2350 characters).

SEARCH: Vision 2000, evangelism, church growth, Harding, Mohney

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT:  Ralph E. Baker                          430(10-71){3144}
          Nashville, Tenn.  (615) 742-5470           Aug. 29, 1996

Board assures leaders that Vision 2000
will continue, names Swanson to head program

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- Vision 2000, an evangelism and
church growth emphasis related to the United Methodist Board of
Discipleship here, will continue even though its founding director
and another primary leader are retiring.
     That assurance was given by board officials here Aug. 26-28
at a meeting of about 100 Vision 2000 leaders representing 38 of
the church's 68 U.S. annual conferences.
     The Rev.Joe Harding, founder of the movement, retired in
June; the Rev.Ralph Mohney retired Sept. 1.
     Board of Discipleship staff member Karen Greenwaldt assured
participants in the networking event here that the agency will
continue to support the movement with resources and personnel. 
New director, she announced, will be the Rev. Roger Swanson, a
staff member of the board since 1991.  She also predicted that
Vision 2000 will play a meaningful role in the church beyond the
year 2000.
     In a rousing message of encouragement, Harding urged the
conference leaders to be "leaping" not "sleeping." 
     "The problem with the United Methodist Church is that we're
not bad people, we're just sleepy," he quipped. "We tend to say,
'Do not disturb. I ... have a right to be comfortable in my
church.'"
     God's causes are destroyed by people who are sleeping and
taking up space, Harding continued.  "We've been sleeping long
enough.  Let's wake up and go with the flow of God's spirit."
     Board staff member Craig Miller, spoke of ways to reach the
"post-modern generation," those who will be 19 to 35 years old in
the year 2000, and the "milennial generation," those who will be
18 or younger in 2000.   He urged the leaders to begin planning
now for a "youth boom" in 2006.
                              #  #  #

     NOTE: Information for this story came from a news release by
Cheryl Capshaw of the United Methodist Board of Discipleship
staff.

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