wfn.org | Bishops Share Stories With Children

[owner-umethnews@ecunet.org (United Methodist News list)]

Reply-to: owner-umethnews@ecunet.org (United Methodist News list)
"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 (440
notes).

Note 436 by UMNS on Nov. 6, 1997 at 16:21 Eastern (6321 characters).

CONTACT: Thomas S. McAnally			    624(10-71B){436}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5479   	 Nov. 6, 1997

EDITORS NOTE:  Photo being mailed to editors*

Bishops share stories
with North Carolina children

	LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS) – A panel of six local children listened intently
here Nov. 4 as several United Methodist bishops shared what church members are
doing to meet the needs of children and the impoverished.
	The story-telling, which took place during semi-annual sessions of the
denomination’s Council of Bishops, provided an update on what has been done
since an episcopal initiative on children and the poor was launched in 1996.  

Representing several ethnic backgrounds, the young children paraded into the
meeting room behind a large banner and sat on a platform in front of the
bishops.  
The children led the assembly in a prayer written by the Children’s Commission
of the European Methodist Youth Council.  Titled "Free Us From the Chains of
Poverty," the prayer addressed lack of money, hunger, unemployment,
loneliness, abuse and family relationships, and closed with Jesus’ admonition
to "let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of
heaven belongs to such as these."
Bishop Alfred Johnson told how United Methodists in New Jersey are addressing
the issue of health insurance.  As a new bishop, he said, he has sought to
make his office an inviting and friendly place for children.
Bishop Walter Klaiber of Germany told how two churches have banded together to
provide supervision for children in a city park.
Bishop Charlene Kammerer, episcopal leader in Western North Carolina where the
children reside, reported on efforts to provide sustainable health care and
safe places for children in two of the area’s most impoverished counties.
Bishop Roy Sano of the Los Angeles Area shared how a congregation is providing
housing and job training for single parents.
With a pair of tennis shoes hanging around his neck, Louisiana Bishop Dan
Solomon strode to the front of the room and told the children that 30,000 such
shoes had been collected by Louisiana United Methodists for children in
Africa.
Chicago Area Bishop Joe Sprague told how his conference is trying to address
inequities in immigration legislation that threaten to tear families apart.
Members of a community children’s chorus sang for the bishops and joined them
for dinner.  While at the dinner tables, the children did face-paintings on
the bishops and their spouses, using colors and images from a new episcopal
initiative logo unveiled earlier in the day.
Following dinner, the bishops participated in what was billed as a first-ever
Internet chat experience for the bishops with children around the world. While
direct connections with children in other countries didn’t materialize,
primarily because of the time difference, the bishops did interact with adults
in Palestine, England, and Antigua.
The technical equipment and Internet access were provided by LDDS WorldCom,
Jackson, Miss., one of the nation’s largest Internet and telecommunications
companies.  "We have a long way to go as a church in the use of this new
technology," said the Rev. Mike Stanton-Rich, director of communications for
the Mississippi Conference, "but this was a good start."
It did not go unnoticed by the bishops that the individual operating the
complex technical equipment was an employee of WorldCom who is only 17 years
old.
A checklist of 75 concrete actions a congregation can take, divided into nine
categories, is included in a new resource shared with the bishops. Titled, "A
Church for All God’s Children", the resource is provided by the churchwide
boards of Discipleship, Higher Education and Ministry, and Global Ministries,
and is available only from bishops who choose to use it.
The new resource includes a checklist, guidelines, resource list and reporting
form to churches that want to qualify as "A Church for All God’s Children." 
Churches that successfully complete the required activities on the checklist
will be recognized by their bishop and presented with a certificate.
Congregations are urged in the resource not to undertake the effort lightly
and are reminded of the bishop’s challenge to communicate and live the gospel
of Jesus Christ "with all children and intentionally reaching out to
impoverished persons as recipients and means of God’s grace in Jesus Christ."
The bishops viewed an 18-minute, ABC-TV "Prime Time" segment hosted by Diane
Sawyer, which described research showing how the brain is formed by the
nurture given a child during its first three years.  Considering the state of
America’s children, Sawyer called the latest scientific research a "desperate
wake-up call"  for the nation. 
A Newsweek Special Edition on "Your Child" was also distributed to the
bishops, compliments of the publisher.  The magazine also points to the
importance of what happens to a child from birth to three.
Bishop Jack Meadors of Mississippi is chairman of the task force that
developed the initiative.  He has been assisted by his wife Hannah.  Serving
as a consultant for evaluation is Mackie H. Norris, Albuquerque, N.M., wife of
Bishop Alfred Norris. 
Bishop Kenneth Carder of Nashville, Tenn., a task force member who helped
develop the initiative, reiterated his hope that the council in its work with
children and the poor will keep the effort "biblically motivated and
theologically grounded," emphasizing, "That’s where the power will be." 
Otherwise, he added, the initiative could become "just another social service
delivery system."
Presiding over sessions of the Council of Bishops here Nov. 1-7 was Bishop
Emerito Nacpil of the Philippines.  The council includes 50 active bishops in
the United States, 17 active bishops in Europe, Eurasia, Africa and the
Philippines and 76 retired bishops.  Retired bishops participate fully in
council sessions but do not vote. 
#  #  #

* EDITORS NOTE:  A copy of the initiative’s new logo, in color, is available
by mail. Call (615) 742-5470.  A color photo of Bishop Dan Solomon of
Louisiana visiting with the panel of children is being mailed.  We cannot
provide photos online until Nov. 19 when Mike Dubose returns from his trip to
North Korea. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 To make suggestions or give your comments, send a note to 
 umns@ecunet.org or Susan_Peek@ecunet.org

 This article sent to both the umethnews list <umethnews-request@ecunet.org>
 and also to the Worldwide Faith News list wfn-news <majordomo@wfn.org>
 Look at the header files to figure out which this is.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------