wfn.org | Disciples News Brief - Nov. 5, 2004

["Wilma Shuffitt" <wshuffitt@cm.disciples.org>]

Disciples News Brief
Nov. 5, 2004
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Wanda Bryant Wills, Editor
E-mail:  news@cm.disciples.org 

GMP SELECTION PROCESS MOVES FORWARD
Nominations are now closed for the position of General Minister and
President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  Interviews
will be conducted with candidates over the next several weeks.	Two to
five names will be presented to the church's Administrative Committee
in late January.  That committee will then select a candidate, whose
name will be forwarded to the General Board.  For a timeline of the
General Minister and President Search, go to
http://www.disciples.org/internal/gmpsearch.htm 

SOUTH CAROLINA DISCIPLES CHURCHES HOLD JOINT ASSEMBLY 
 "One Church. One Vision. One Body in Christ" will be the theme for
Disciples churches throughout South Carolina on Nov. 12 to 14.	The
historic gathering will bring together "Assembly" (predominately
white Disciples in S.C.) and "State Convention" (predominately black
Disciples in S.C.) to one gathering, now called the South Carolina
Regional Conference of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  All
meetings will take place at First Christian Church, 1293 Orange Grove
Rd., Charleston, S.C.

"I am humbled by the fact that folks have dared to come out of their
traditions and trust one another enough to do something new," said
Sotello Long, Regional Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) in South Carolina. "We are going to be obedient to God by
becoming one church, one vision, and one body in Christ." 

The conference will include ministry group sessions, a reception and
communion worship.

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL OFFERING PROMOTES EDUCATION AND LEADER
DEVELOPMENT
Disciples colleges, universities, and theological institutions are
training more than 1,500 Disciples students to become future pastors and
leaders.  One such student is Meredith Smith, a student at Barton
College in Wilson, N.C.  

To read more about Smith and her leadership on the Barton campus, go to
http://www.churchfinancecouncil.org/pages/dmf/tgiving04/pressrelease1.htm
 
To find out more about the Thanksgiving offering and to give online,
visit the Church Finance Council website:
http://www.churchfinancecouncil.org/ 

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH PASTOR RESIGNS
Alvin O. Jackson has announced his resignation from National City
Christian Church in Washington, D.C., effective Nov. 30.  Jackson, who
has been at National City for more than six years, issued a letter
earlier this week, stating that he is resigning as Senior Pastor of the
church and President of the National City Christian Church Foundation. 
Jackson says he remains committed to the "vision of a radically
inclusive, multi-cultural ministry," although he now feels called to
serve in a different way.  For a copy of Jackson's letter to the
congregation, visit http://www.nationalcitycc.org/ 

DHM NAMES YOUTH COMMISSION
Disciples Home Missions has announced the formation of a Young Adult
Commission to design the denomination's ministry to young adults.  The
commission will initially met in February to plan its work, which will
include arranging for a full schedule of young adult events at the 2005
General Assembly in Portland, Ore. in July.  The group will work with
young adults in the Oregon Region on the General Assembly.  For more
information, go to http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/WhatsNewDHM.htm

DISCIPLES LEADER RECEIVES FORD FOUNDATION AWARD
Sandra Barnhill, a member of Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur,
Ga., has been named a 2004 winner of the Leadership for a Changing World
awards. Barnhill was among 18 awardees selected from a pool of nearly
1000 nominations.  She is the Executive Director/CEO of Aid to Children
of Imprisoned Mothers (AIM) in Atlanta.

She is also the chairperson of the Georgia Region's Reconciliation
Taskforce for the Disciples of Christ church.

Barnhill founded AIM in 1987 to address the needs of children with
mothers in prison - who are five times more likely than other youth to
go to prison themselves.  AIM provides program and services to help the
children achieve academically and socially and maintain healthy
relationships with their mothers.  Each awardee will receive $100,000 to
advance his or her work and an additional $15,000 for supporting
activities over the next two years.  A full list of awardees can be
found at http://www.leadershipforchange.org 

TIGHT BUDGET LEADS TO STAFF CUT AT HELM
Due to an increasingly tight budget, Higher Education and Leadership
Ministries regretfully has laid off a long-time employee. Kathy Carson,
Director of Program Services, has been with HELM since 1989. She has
overseen programs such as the Student Ecumenical Partnership and the
Seminarians Conference, and she served as the liaison with several
ecumenical student ministry groups. Carson's departure will be effective
at the end of the year.

"This is a very, very painful decision, but I could see no other
choice," said HELM President Dennis Landon. "Kathy has poured heart and
mind and soul into this ministry and has given exemplary leadership to
the Student Ecumenical Partnership Team, our ecumenical student ministry
relationships, and the Disciples Seminarians' Conference, among other
programs. All of these programs will continue to be led by HELM staff.
We are absolutely committed to our ministry to and with students and to
our ecumenical ties as part of our overall mission to nurture
transforming leaders for the church."

For more, visit
http://www.helmdisciples.org/helm/04/HELM-Carson-110304.htm 

####

For more information on the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
visit http://www.disciples.org.

*The Disciples News Brief is distributed weekly or as needed by
Communication Ministries. For changes, additions or deletions to our
distribution list, please contact news@cm.disciples.org.

wfn