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 (3240 notes).

Note 3240 by UMNS on Oct. 21, 1996 at 16:10 Eastern (4552 characters).

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

:    Ralph E. Baker                        526(10-21-31-71B){3240}
          Nashville, Tenn.  (615) 742-5470           Oct. 21, 1996

EDITORS NOTE: This story may be used as a sidebar for UMNS #525
{3239}.

Urges committee to make personal investment
in program to strengthen black churches

by Denise Johnson Stovall*

     HOUSTON (UMNS) -- Members of the national committee to
transform 100 black churches in the United Methodist Church were
told to "put your money where your mouth is," by supplementing
general church funding of a new churchwide initiative.
     During the organizational meeting for the quadrennial focus,
"Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century," here Oct.
9-10, the Rev. Walter L. Kimbrough asked the 19-member committee
to dig deep in their pockets and "make a personal investment of
$100 a year" to support this program.
     "We felt a need to say to the general church that we are very
serious about it," said Kimbrough, pastor of Cascade United
Methodist Church in Atlanta. "If the general church does not give
the full amount of the budget [through apportionments], it doesn't
matter. We will pick up the difference, between what is received
and what our budget requires.
     In a report from the finance subcommittee, Kimbrough
explained that the reason for this action was because it was
learned that new churchwide programs traditionally do not receive
full askings from local churches.
     Therefore, the original black church project's budget of $1.7
million might not be received.
     According to C. David Lundquist, general secretary of the
General Council on Ministries, at least $1.3 million is expected
for the project.
     In addition to donations by the 19-member coordinating
committee, donations will be collected from the black churches:
     * $1,000 a year from the 100 churches designated as vital
congregations. In addition, the model congregation may be asked to
absorb most of the "in-kind costs" of directing the project from
that church facility.
     * $100 per participant congregation selected to receive
assistance through the project.
     "We don't submit this saying that it will be necessarily
easy," said Kimbrough, "but if we are serious about it, we must do
it."
     The 1992 General Conference -- the church's top legislative
body -- directed the General Council on Ministries -- the
churchwide coordinating body -- to evaluate black church programs
during 1972-1993.
     It recommended a process of "assessing, visioning and
designing creative and new ways to further strengthen the black
church in the United States.
     The plan of action to strengthen black churches is:
     * to establish 25 United Methodist congregational resource
centers across the country by the year 2000;
     * to organize a trained team of lay and clergy from vital
congregations who will serve as resource people in a covenant
relationship with other congregations;
     * to pin-point 100 geographically diverse model churches that
can meet the needs of similar churches, whether urban, rural or
suburban;
     * to have a strong and intentional focus on the laity.
     In other business, the committee clarified its role with
general church agencies; established a staff budget; set criteria
for hiring a congregational resource coordinator; and elected
officers to preside over the committees during the next four
years.
     Bishop Jonathan Keaton, Ohio East Area, was elected committee
chairman; Carolyn Johnson of West Lafayette Ind., vice chairwoman;
and Valerie Earvin of Atlanta is secretary.
     The black church coordinating committee, which relates to the
General Council on Ministries, also went on record to make regular
reports to Black Methodists for Church Renewal -- United
Methodism's black caucus -- that co-sponsored the proposal.
     "At the dawn of the 21st century, black United Methodists are
as aware as ever that 'Our time under God is now,'" said Johnson,
reading a statement from the proposal to the 1996 General
Conference, as a reminder to the committee of its four-year task.
     " ... The hope continues that we may increasingly share the
ministry in the church and world with all our brothers and sisters
within the United Methodist Church."
                              #  #  #

     * Stovall is associate editor of the United Methodist
Reporter newspaper, based in Dallas. 

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