wfn.org | Black church initiative celebrates accomplishments, looks to future

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Sept. 24, 1999	Contact: Linda Green**(615)742-5470**Nashville, Tenn.
10-31-71B{489}

By Denise Johnson Stovall*

DALLAS (UMNS) -- In a celebration of a great legacy as black people of
faith, some 100 African-American United Methodists were told to remember
"from whence they came" while bidding the multitudes to join them as they
journey "to the Promised Land."

About 100 clergy and laity met in here Sept. 17-19 to evaluate a four-year
initiative to "Strengthen the Black Church for the 21st Century."

The initiative was approved by the church's 1996 General Conference to help
restore, reconstruct, redeem, reconcile and revitalize the 2,500
African-American congregations within the United Methodist Church.

The emphasis seeks to strengthen black churches by linking vital churches
with congregational resources centers (CRCs) and partner churches.
Membership in the resource centers range from 500 to more than 8,000.

God's movement and work among the people is the source of strength for the
black church in the 21st Century, said Trudie K. Reed in a keynote address.
Reed is president of Philander Smith College, a historically black United
Methodist-related school in Little Rock, Ark. 

"We're only a few months away from the end of the 21st Century, an exciting
time in the history of a post modern-technical world," Reed said.  Many in
the black church are struggling with a spiritual journey, she noted, but
"are we really ready to look at the true mission that we have from God that
will make the difference?"

Through the efforts of a 19-member committee representing every spectrum of
the church, the $1.3 million initiative solicited help from 25 black
churches or congregational resource centers. These centers made a covenant
to open themselves up as partner churches to provide training, resources and
models for church development. As of Sept. 15, members from 200 partner
churches have received training from resource centers within their
jurisdictions. The aim is to empower members from 400 to 600 churches by the
end of the 2000.

Andris Salter, national director of the initiative, said that the members of
congregational resource centers have been excited about the leadership they
have given to the entire church. Offices for the initiative are located in
Dayton, Ohio.

"These 25 churches are not just thinking about themselves, they are
genuinely working toward the overall growth in other churches," she said.
"And that in itself is a success story."

Salter noted that it is hard enough to lead a congregation successfully, but
to guide other churches at the same time is "modeling what it's like to be a
witness to the love of Christ."

Examples were given of churches helping others in their mission and
ministry.  These included:
 
*	Ben Hill United Methodist Church, Atlanta, which has already
presented two training sessions. The 8,870-member church was asked to
conduct another session for more than 40 people needing additional
assistance. Nationally known throughout the denomination for its music
ministry, the church gladly gives advice on spirit-filled worship.
*	
*	St. John's United Methodist Church, Houston, which is preparing its
third training in less than six months. In between serving thousands of
homeless people daily, the CRC project team representing the 3,870-member
church has been asked to conduct an extra special training session for
churches from Louisiana.
*	
*	Gorham/Maple Park United Methodist Churches, Chicago, which shows
partner churches how to grow wherever the church is planted. With a combined
membership of 400, these congregations have unique ministries that nurture
unwed mothers while learning how to deploy the resources of senior adults.
*	
*	Downs Memorial United Methodist Church, Oakland, Calif., which
instructs partner churches on a model program of nurture and prayer for the
sick and shut-in. In addition, the 400-member church has a former navy cook
prepare 200 hot meals daily, which "are prepared with love."

	*	John Wesley United Methodist Church, Baltimore, which not
only nurtures United Methodist partner churches, but also finds time to
nurture Baptists and Pentecostal churches. These churches want to model the
610-member church with a youth-step program. The step-team includes children
and youth that march and sing to fast-paced gospel music, but learn to be
proper doorkeepers for the house of God.

One center that is bubbling over to meet the needs of anyone-and everyone-is
the cooperative parish in the Bennettsville/Cheraw Area of South Carolina.

Carol Little, a lay coordinator for the parish ministry, told the
participants that years ago, it seemed almost "impossible" for a handful of
little churches south of Charleston, S.C., to be able to serve. Once they
realized that they were sister churches with a common goal of finding,
nurturing and keeping members while making Disciples of Christ, their vision
became a reality.

"Today, we are truly thankful for the opportunity to serve as partner
churches of this program to help them learn how to make better use of the
resources given to them by God," she said. Holding a piece of raingear to
display photos of the dozens of examples of the program, she exclaimed, "We
know little churches feel lost (but) we learned that the parish concept is a
ministry that can become an umbrella of programs for the entire community."

With four pastors and a staff of three working from a tiny trailer, the
parish's 13 churches now have a combined total membership of 2,000.

"This has been a time for us to celebrate what has been happening in our
churches, but it is also a time to evaluate what has happened and assess how
we should proceed in ministry for the future," said Carolyn Johnson, West
Lafayette, Ind.

"As you prepare for the year 2000, try to help others in their image of the
black church. When we say we are strengthening the black church, it does not
mean that the general church is helping a part of the church that is weak,"
she said. "It is recognizing that there is a mosaic in strong churches and
identifying those threads in that cloth so together we can tell the story,
helping black churches to continue . . ."
# # #

*Denise Johnson Stovall is an associate editor for Dallas-based United
Methodist Reporter.

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