wfn.org | UMNS News In Brief-4/28/00

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News In Brief - April 28, 2000

Brief items for use in local church newsletters
Prepared by United Methodist News Service

NOTE: UMNS will not distribute News In Brief on May 5 or May 12, during
General Conference. Publication of News In Brief will resume May 19.

Representatives of Methodist, Wesleyan and United churches of many countries
will gather July 25-31, 2001, in Brighton, England, for the 18th World
Methodist Conference. Meeting under the theme, "Jesus: God's Way of
Salvation," participants will listen to speakers, attend daily Bible
studies, and take part in seminars and hands-on workshops. Information is
available by writing to the World Methodist Council, P.O. Box 518, Lake
Junaluska, NC 28745, or sending a fax to (828) 456-9433. E-mail inquiries
can be sent to wmc6@juno.com <mailto:wmc6@juno.com>.

United Methodist bishops and agency staff will hold a brown-bag briefing on
the church in Africa for General Conference delegates and guests May 4. The
briefing will be from 1 to 2:15 p.m. at the Cleveland Convention Center. The
room will be announced at the site. The denomination's Board of Church and
Society and Board of Global Ministries are sponsoring the briefing.

About 82 Native American pastors and lay members meeting in a March 30-April
2 Native American School of Evangelism in Nashville, Tenn., developed
specific plans for evangelism in local churches and ministries across the
United Methodist Church. The participants left with a vision to carry them
beyond the "mission syndrome." Thirty-six tribes were represented at the
school. Throughout the event, they engaged in workshops dealing specifically
with urban, reservation and rural ministries. The Native American
Comprehensive Plan and the United Methodist Board of Discipleship sponsored
the school.
 
A $30 million high school, the first to be built in Prince George's County,
Md., in 24 years, has been named after United Methodist layman Charles
Herbert Flowers. Now 80, Flowers was the first African-American military
flight instructor and was one of the original 13 Tuskegee airmen. He helped
start a mentoring program for at-risk students at Ebenezer United Methodist
Church in Lanham, Md., where he is a member.  He occasionally takes students
flying after their Saturday morning tutoring sessions.
  
"Survivors," a 60-second radio series produced by United Methodist
Communications, took top honors in the 33rd Annual WorldFest-Houston
International Film Festival. Produced in cooperation with Presbyterian Media
Mission in Pittsburgh, "Survivors" received the Grand Award in the Best
Radio Advertisement category. The series is the fifth consecutive
UMCom-produced radio resource in the past five years to take a top award in
the competition. The series offers one-minute glimpses into the world of
young people, all of whom have lived through challenging times. It is
carried on more than 400 radio stations nationwide.

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