wfn.org | Poor beliefs equal poor living, Publishing House governing board

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

told

Sept. 30, 1999	News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.    10-21-71B{502}

NOTE: For more information about the "Christian Believer" study course, see
UMNS story #446.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - There is a "vast wasteland" among church members
regarding classical Christian doctrines, according to the Rev. J. Ellsworth
Kalas, writer of a new "Christian Believer" study series released recently
by the United Methodist Publishing House.

It is necessary for Christians to know who they are and what they believe,
particularly in an increasingly diverse religious climate, Kalas told the
38-member governing body of the Publishing House. The board held its annual
meeting Sept. 28-29.  

While church members have notions about what is in the Bible, Kalas said
they are usually unable to discuss doctrines such as the nature of God,
creation, existence of evil or redemption.  "Everyone has doctrines, that
which we believe and by which we live," he said. "As human beings, there is
a section of our psyche reserved for believing. It abhors a vacuum. If you
don't put something of substance in the space, it will be filled with
something else."

Where there are "poor beliefs," there is poor living, Kalas said. "We
Americans all have doctrines. Ask the average church member what they
believe and they will respond with sentiment, Americanism, memories of
grandmother and general goodwill." With that "chaos of ideas," he said, "we
can't expect to get quality living."

Kalas said he and officials at the Publishing House had clearly identified
this "hunger to believe" and had responded with a serious 30-week study
patterned after the popular "Disciple Bible Study" used in more than 10,000
churches. Along with a serious examination of Christian doctrine, Kalas said
the study includes an element of worship. "We are a people whose believing
is interwoven in our worship," he said.

While affirming the value of the study for United Methodists, Kalas said it
has been planned for use by the entire Protestant community.  Despite ethnic
and national differences, churches around the world have essentially the
same doctrines, he said.  The study book is accompanied by a book of 300
readings from theologians and church councils from the second century to the
present.

Wini Grizzle, a Publishing House staff member responsible for training,
reported that 1,026 people were trained as leaders of the Christian Believer
series this summer. Assuming each of these leaders will initially lead a
group of 12 people in the series, she said that translates to 12,312 "who
will begin to take seriously what they believe."

Grizzle praised the Publishing House for responding to the needs of the
church by "equipping people to live as faithful believers."

Board Chairman Randy Smith, an attorney from Houston, said there is an
"enormous hunger for the church to teach its people the basics, the ABCs of
the faith we profess, the classical teachings of the faith. ... This is a
project that not only United Methodists can be proud of but all of
Protestantism."

Kalas, a faculty member at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky.,
served as a local church pastor for 40 years.  He is a video presenter for
the Disciple Bible Study and serves on its national training staff.  

In his presentation to the governing board members, Kalas stressed two
things the new Believers study is not.  

"There are no hidden agendas, only the agenda to combat the ignorance of the
church," he said.  Secondly, he said the study is not meant to be the
"cutting edge ... the newest thing." He said people will be disappointed if
they think it should attack something they despise or promote something they
want promoted.

The study was created, Kalas said, to "restore to a large number of laity
and clergy a knowledge of their beliefs" and a "language of faith" regarding
doctrines. He expressed hope that Christians will be excited about what they
believe.  

"Ever since Stephen, people have died for their beliefs," he said. "What
makes people believe like that?"  He also cited a student who was shot at
Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., "who looked death in the eye and
said she believed in God.  Where did she get that?"

Staff members provided for the governing board a glimpse of initiatives
planned for the 1999-2000 fiscal year. These included "Club Can Do" vacation
Bible school materials; "Claim the Name" confirmation resources; a
supplement to the United Methodist Hymnal; a Korean hymnal; Internet online
libraries; short-studies for young adults; Cokesbury Music Service; the
launch of new curriculum for children "Exploring Faith"; and technological
services through Cokesbury.com and UMPH Web sites.

The board voted to ask the 2000 General Conference to make the new
Korean-English bilingual volume an official hymnal of the denomination.
Another petition going to the General Conference asks for flexibility in
adding up to 10 additional members to the Publishing House's board to ensure
diversity and expertise. The current rule mandates five additional members.

In his report to the board, President and Publisher Neil Alexander said the
Publishing House had assembled the people and resources "in ways that enable
them to learn and work, to share their faith and their skills, so that more
people in more places come to know and love God through Jesus Christ, and
choose to serve God and neighbor. ... We celebrate our strengths, and we are
eager to overtake our challenges, because what we do in our publishing and
distribution ministry can and does make a difference in people's lives."

The Publishing House concluded its fiscal year (ending July 31) with a net
operating revenue of $2.48 million,  $780,015 above what was budgeted. While
net operating revenue was positive, officials expressed disappointment that
the fiscal year had fallen short of total sales projections.  

Earnings from operations made it possible for the Publishing House to
underwrite missional projects costing $400,000 and to contribute $1 million
to the United Methodist Church's pension fund.

Alexander said the largest portion of the sales budget shortfall could be
attributed to a decline in curriculum sales, a common experience among all
established publishers of dated curriculum in North America.

He also addressed disruptions to customers and employees caused by a complex
multimillion-dollar changeover of major computer systems to entirely new
software and hardware that is Y2K compliant. "This massive undertaking
interrupted service to customers, affecting the receiving, fulfilling and
billing of orders," he said. "It also delayed the production of essential
business and financial reports required by managers to evaluate sales
activity that guides the redirection of efforts to attract and serve
customers."

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