wfn.org | Re: United Methodist Daily News note 3201

[owner-umethnews@ecunet.org]

"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3212 notes).

Note 3212 by UMNS on Oct. 4, 1996 at 15:36 Eastern (3809 characters).

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

: Thomas S. McAnally                             498(10-71B){3212}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470              Oct. 4, 1996

(Photo available)

Leaders announced for WMC
North American Section

     LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS) -- Leadership of the North
American Section of the World Methodist Council, representing nine
independent and autonomous denominations, has been released by the
organization's office here.
     Elected to a five-year term as president at the Section's
organizational meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 9 was
Bishop Neil L. Irons, Harrisburg, Pa.  First vice president is
Christian Methodist Episcopal Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt Jr.,
Shreveport, La.
     Vice presidents who will represent the other major member
churches are: Bishop John R. Bryant, Dallas, African Methodist
Episcopal Church; Bishop Cecil Bishop, Charlotte, N.C., African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; Bishop Richard Snyder,
Indianapolis, Free Methodist Church; Bishop Graciela Alvarez
Delgado, Mexico City, Methodist Church in Mexico.
     Other vice presidents are the Rev. Brian Thorpe, Vancouver,
Canada, United Church of Canada; Bishop Gary Walsh, Mississauga,
Ontario, Canada, Free Methodist Church of Canada; the Rev. Earle
L. Wilson, Indianapolis, The Wesleyan Church.
     General Secretary is the Rev. Joe Hale, Lake Junaluska, N.C.,
a United Methodist.  Treasurer is James W. Holsinger Jr.,
Lexington, Ky.; assistant treasurer is Edna Alsdurf, Lake
Junaluska, N.C.
     World Methodist Council officers from the North American
Section also serve on the North American executive committee:
Frances M. Alquire, New Buffalo, Mich.; Bishop Donald G.K. Ming,
Fayetteville, Ga.; and the Rev. Maxie D. Dunnam, Wilmore, Ky.
     The North American churches represented in the Section have a
combined membership of approximately 15 million, almost half the
total membership of the World Methodist Council.  The world body
includes 73 Methodist churches and United Churches.
     According to Hale, the North American chruches are drawing
closer to one another through various initiatives and programs. 
Some are looking to future organizational ties, and others are
joining in efforts for mission, witness and world evangelism.
     The Church of the Nazarene is not a member of the World
Methodist Council but stands in the Wesleyan/Methohdist tradition
and is a partner in world evangelism.
     Irons succeeds as president another United Methodist bishop,
L. Bevel Jones who recently retired as episcopal leader of the
Charlotte, N.C. Area and has joined the faculty of Candler School
of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta. 
     At the North American Section meeting in Rio, Jones held
before the 225 participants the possibility of a "mega-event"
which the Section might explore as one option leading up to the
turn of the millennium when Christians throughout the world will
celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' birth.
     Jones reported that during each of the past three, five-year
periods the Section had offered experiences that enabled large
numbers of North Americans to be involved in epic international
events.  These included the 250th anniverary of Aldersgate in
England; an apologetics study experience to explore early
developments in the church at the sites of seven ecumenical
councils in Asia Minor; and most recently, a people-to-people
event in Bethlehem.
     The larger World Methodist Council is planning ways to help
members of the global Wesleyan family connect with Christians
living in the Holy Land leading up to the 2000th anniversary of
Jesus' birth.
                              #  #  #

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