wfn.org | Covenant Relationship

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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 (25
notes).

Note 25 by UMNS on April 17, 1997 at 15:58 Eastern (5330 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: Linda Green                            213(10-31-71B){25}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470            April 17, 1997

Two African American churches in Kansas
enter covenant relationship

by Kathy Kruger Noble*

     WICHITA, Kan. (UMNS) -- Two African-American United Methodist
churches recently entered a covenant relationship and became a
model for a churchwide emphasis on strengthening black churches.
     St. Mark United Methodist Church, here with more than 1,300
members and the 200-member Quayle United Methodist Church, Salina,
Kan., celebrated their new covenant relationship, last month in a
church covenant service. 
     The Rev. Mark Conard, Salina district superintendent, called
the new covenant the linking of "two great congregations."
     Entering this relationship, they agreed mutually to support
each other, provide spiritual encouragement, share resources and
foster new methods of mission service.
     This is the first relationship of its kind in the Kansas West
Conference, Conard said. It is also a model for the
denomination-wide emphasis on "Strengthening the Black Church for
the 21st Century," he said. 
     The initiative is a $1.3 million plan to match vibrant,
growing black congregations as mentors with struggling churches.
The plan calls for the formation of 25 congregational resource
centers across the country by the year 2000. Each center will
train 10 to 15 teams from local churches annually. The goal is to
transform 100 black churches in the United Methodist Church.
     St. Mark is one of the largest and fastest growing
congregations in the Kansas West Annual Conference and one of the
fastest-growing African-American congregations in United
Methodism. The Rev. Tyrone Gordon is senior pastor.
     The Rev. Sherdeill Breathett is the pastor of the Quayle
church and also associate pastor at St. Mark. Since he began
making the weekly trips from Wichita to Salina last fall, the
Quayle congregation has experienced growth in worship attendance.
    When the General Conference approved last April the
denominational focus on strengthening black churches, Gordon said
he expected St. Mark to be one of the resource churches. The
congregation in north central Wichita is recognized across the
denomination for its neighborhood outreach ministries as well as
its numerical growth.
     Gordon called the emphasis "a new way of church
revitalization [that will be] a model for the whole church." He
serves on the task force developing the plan for strengthening
black congregations.      
     Conard said Quayle faced an uncertain future when the Rev.
Clyde Calhoun died last spring. He had served the church on a
part-time basis for several years. A few weeks later, during the 
General Conference, Conard heard the report on the model for
strengthening black churches and the emphasis on "linking
congregations. It sounded like a good idea."
     The Rev. Charles Winkler, Wichita district superintendent,
said covenanting affirms the thinking "we are stronger together
than apart ... [by] multiplying gifts and talents ... we are
mixing them together and coming out with more than we had
imagined."
     The covenants of relationship approved by the Quayle and
Saint Mark administrative boards call for the two congregations
to:
     * model cooperation that would be helpful to both and model
the spirit of Christ in their relationship;
     * share a vision of growth in the ministry of Quayle and help
produce it;
     * pray for one another in each others' ministry; and
     * be of assistance whenever possible.
     Quayle also has agreed to "allow members of St. Mark to serve
as consultants in leadership development," while St. Mark agrees
"to participate with Quayle in leadership development and
training" and to allow various members of the senior staff and
leadership team to serve as consultants in leadership
development."
     Using Luke 5:4-6 as the text for his sermon during the
covenant service, Gordon encouraged the worshippers to "Learn how
to be innovative, learn how to be obedient and then get ready for
the increase."
     He said the new covenant signifies that neither Quayle or 
Saint Mark are competing against anybody "but the devil. ... We
are coming together to prove we serve a mighty God."
     Saying, "within all of us is the desire to do and be the best
we can be," he urged the people present "not to be content with
mediocrity in any form or fashion ... certainly not in the
church!" 
     He told both congregations to recommit themselves to being a
church that will be seen as a "saving and restoration Station."
     Gordon specifically urged the Quayle members to "hold on to
your faith ... (with a) big heart, a big love and a big vision,
God will take you places you never believed you could go."
     Salina will not be the same, he concluded, "folks won't
believe it. We're a witness." 
     The service ended with an altar call to recommit to the new
ministries of covenanting congregations.
                              #  #  #

     * Noble is associate director of communications for the
Kansas West Conference.

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