wfn.org | COSROW plans Women's Congress

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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 (3199 notes).

Note 3198 by UMNS on Sept. 30, 1996 at 15:55 Eastern (3702 characters).

SEARCH: Commission on Status and Role of Women, Women
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Linda Bloom                             484(10-71B){3198}
          New York (212)870-3803                    Sept. 30, 1996

COSROW's goals for new quadrennium
include Women's Congress for leadership

     EVANSTON, Ill. (UMNS)--Sponsorship of a "Women's Congress" to
promote leadership skills among a diverse cross-section of the
United Methodist Church is one of the goals of the denomination's
Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW).
     In a Sept. 26-29 orientation meeting here for the next
quadrennium, new and returning commission members agreed to set
aside $20,000 from current general funds for the event.
     Joyce Waldon Bright of Orlando, Fla.--who was elected
president--told members the idea of the Women's Congress was
conceived in 1994 as a way to motivate women and find new
leadership for the church. That need, she said, is now "even more
important and more critical."
     The original vision called for a large national event with
1,000 participants reflecting the diversity of the church's female
membership. "Reality set in when we sent our proposed budget to
GCFA," Bright said.
     Now, plans call for a scaled-down event to serve as a model
"that the jurisdictions and annual conferences can...replicate,"
she added.
     The Rev. Stephanie Hixon, COSROW's co-general secretary, said
one of the aims of the Women's Congress will be to reach women who
traditionally do not have access to leadership training positions.
"It may challenge us to even think again about what we mean by
leadership," she explained.
     Other issues which COSROW may tackle over the next four years
include further work on sexual harassment, concerns of clergy
spouses and ex-spouses and relations with United Methodist Men.
The commission also will to continue to provide on-site monitoring
of agencies and seminaries and links to annual conferences.
     As befitting a body which relies on consensus for its
decision-making process, a chief focus of the orientation was to
acquaint members with one another.
     One afternoon, for example, the commission split into groups,
visited four United Methodist-related social service agencies in
the Chicago area and then shared a meal together before returning
for the evening work session.
     Named by consensus to the COSROW's coordinating committee for
1997-2000 were Bright; the Rev. Taka Ishii of New York, vice
president; Charlotte Fitzsimons of Baton Rouge, La., secretary;
Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of Little Rock, Ark., personnel
committee chairperson; Chuck Hefley of Kokomo, Ind., finance
committee chairperson; Efrain Maldonado of Caguas, Puerto Rico,
evaluation and review committee chairperson and Beth Brown of
Union City, Tenn., nominating committee chairperson.
     Work unit chairpersons on the coordinating committee are Doug
Grove-DeJarnett of Johnson City, Tenn., Issue
Development/Education/Advocacy; the Rev. Gail Murphy Geiss of
Colorado Springs, Co., Monitoring and Research; the Rev. Francis
E.W. Guidry of Houston, Annual Conferences/Constituency Services
and the Rev. Terri Rae Chattin of Arnold, Md., Legislation.
     The commission's other co-general secretary is Cecelia Long.
     COSROW has a total of 43 commission members, reduced from 48
during the 1992-96 quadrennium. Three of the newly-appointed
members resigned before the orientation meeting and will be
replaced, according to Hixon.
                               # # #
     

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