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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (21
notes).

Note 19 by UMNS on April 16, 1997 at 15:42 Eastern (4152 characters).

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                           207(10-71B){19}
          Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470           April 16, 1997

Church secretaries learn
to defend themselves

by Peg Roberts*

     INDIANAPOLIS (UMNS) -- How to defend against attack,
something every church secretary thinks about while locking the
church and walking alone to the car at night, was a major focus of
the national Professional Association of United Methodist Church
Secretaries' (PAUMCS) annual conference here April 10-13.
     Nearly 300 members of the association came away from the
meeting with more than the expected update of their skills as
secretaries.  
     Leader for the seminar on defending oneself against attack
was Debbie Gardner, author of Survive! Don't Be a Victim.  She was
a deputy sheriff for eight years with the Hamilton County
Sheriff's Department, Cincinnati, Ohio.  Assaulted by a man with a
gun while walking to her car, luckily for Gardner, two fellow
police officers were following and rescued her.
     Most attackers, she said, fall into four categories: a thief,
a severely depressed person, one who is psychotic, or an assassin. 
The thief is the most prevalent. "The thief wants what you have,
and often will approach you to ask directions or the time."
     Don't enter into conversation, she said, say "I'm sorry, I
don't know."  "It's all right to lie."  Look at the person with
intense eyes, move back, she added.
     If he's a thief, he'll move toward you, she said. "Move back
again, keep eye control. If he continues, let him take your
purse." Never take your eyes off the person, Gardner said.
     "Crime prevention is talking, moving back, keeping eyes on
the thief," she said. "Better to lose your purse than your life."
     In a situation where you think your are being followed, she
explained, "turn your head frequently to let him know that you
know he's there; don't start to run."  If he continues, she said,
"turn quickly and yell, 'What do you want from me?' Keep your eyes
on him."
     Gardner also discussed how bodies react in crisis, which she
is detailing in a second book, Breathe and Believe.
     "We hold our breath when we're afraid; blood leaves the
extremities, we go limp," she said. "Belly breathing and gripping
our hands returns blood to our limbs and head ... gives us
strength."
     Another tip she gave was to attach keys to a handle longer
than one's hand -- a piece of metal or a magic marker.  "It makes
a useful weapon against attack," she said.
     In another seminar, the Rev. Katherine Lehman, superintendent
of the Lafayette (Ind.) United Methodist District drew on her
experience as a church secretary. Her advice was to be
trustworthy. "It's important that people can talk to you," Lehman
said. "They need to know they can trust you."
     "For church work, good enough is not good enough. Proofread
material to assure accuracy. Communication is important."
     Indiana Area Bishop Woodie W. White preached at a worship and
memorial service.  He said Psalm 139 was his "spiritual thing."
"God knows our every thought," he said. "We are all equals in
Christ's love, and God utilizes our gifts and graces."
     The association was organized in 1982 in Dallas. It now
numbers about 600 members, mostly women. Its purpose is "to
provide a supportive base for the unity and fellowship of its
members in order to provide individual growth, professional
development, continuing education and spiritual enrichment."
     Officers elected for the 1997-98 term were:
president, Joyce Townsend, West Virginia; vice president, Sheilah
Kyburz, Minnesota; secretary, Kay Hatcher, Missouri; Treasurer,
Mary McClain, Indiana; membership secretary, Janette Coffelt, 
Kansas; and newsletter editor, Donna Doutt, Pennsylvania.
                              #  #  #

     * Roberts is a freelance writer who lives in Indianapolis. 
She is a member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church there.

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