wfn.org | Number of ethnic members down

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3193 notes).

Note 3193 by UMNS on Sept. 26, 1996 at 16:43 Eastern (2151 characters).

SEARCH: ethnic, minority, governing, GCOM
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Thomas S. McAnally                  479(10-30-71B){3193}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470           Sept. 26, 1996

Percentage of ethnic minority governing board
members down, but not as much as some feared

     
     DAYTON, Ohio (UMNS) -- When delegates to the 1996 General
Conference of the United Methodist Church decided to cut the total
number of people serving on governing boards of denominational
agencies, concern was expressed that the voices of ethnic
minorities might be eliminated or stifled.
     Statistics released here by the General Council on Ministries
(GCOM) indicate there has been a slight drop, not as much as some
had feared.
     According to GCOM staff member Don Hayashi, 205 of 599
members, or 34.22 percent, are from ethnic minority groups within
the United States compared to 36.5 percent in the 1993-96
quadrennium and 34.7 percent in the 1988-92 quadrennium.  An
additional 51 members will come from Central Conferences in Africa,
the Philippines and Europe.
     "Even with the slight reduction, the United Methodist Church
took seriously the value of inclusiveness and provided significant
participation of ethnic/racial persons as voting members of general
agencies," Hayashi said.
     A break-down by ethnic minority sub-groups indicates there are
99 African Americans, 32 Asian Americans, 43 Hispanic Americans, 24
Native Americans, and seven Pacific Islander Americans.
     With the creation of a Commission on United Methodist Men at
the General Conference, the number of churchwide agencies has
increased from 13 to 14.
     How the church is organized after the year 2000, depends
largely on the work of a Connectional Process Team authorized by
the General Conference.  An organizational meeting of the 38-member
committee will be held Sept. 28-29 at a location near the O'Hare
Airport in Chicago.
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