wfn.org | Religion and Race covenants

[owner-umethnews@ecunet.org]

"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 3199 by UMNS on Sept. 30, 1996 at 15:56 Eastern (3728 characters).

SEARCH:   Commission, religion, race, covenants, young, Thompson
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

Contact:  Joretta Purdue                      485(10-30-71B){3199}
          Washington, D.C.  (202) 546-8722          Sept. 30, 1996

Commission on Religion and Race
creates covenants to guide work

     CHEVY CHASE, Md. (UMNS) -- Members of the United Methodist
Commission on Religion and Race agreed to a set of mutual
covenants to guide their work for the next four years when they
met at the National 4-H Center here Sept. 25-28.
     In the covenants, they pledged to work for the eradication of
all forms of racism and to model for the church and the world a
multi-cultural community of faith.
     "Shalom begins with each of us," says the document. It
includes expression of intention to be open and honest; to
actively hear, respect and care for each other; to share
leadership; and to move toward a consensus model of decision-
making.
     The commission's Native American concerns committee prepared
a letter to New York state Governor George Pataki encouraging his
efforts to find a peaceful solution to the stand-off that followed
efforts to tax on-reservation sales to non-natives. The writers
urged economic justice and respect for sovereignty of the native
nations.
     Commission members agreed to a proposal for a series of study
and action guides on racism to be prepared during the 1997-2000
quadrennium in cooperation with the denomination's Board of Church
and Society. The proposal is being submitted to that board at its
organizational meeting Oct. 3-6.
     Youth and young adult members of the commission sought and
received promises of future participation in anti-racism training,
mention in the commission vision statement, assignment of a staff
person and possible involvement in resourcing the quadrennial
"Focus on Young People."
     Voting members asked the commission finance committee to look
for ways to reallocate the budget to permit two meetings of the
full commission in 1998.
          Officers of the commission elected for the new
quadrennium are president, Bishop Clifton Ives of Charleston,
W.Va.; vice president, Bishop Elias Galvan of Seattle; and
secretary, Ruth Knutter, Kansas City, Mo.
     Elected staff appointments were affirmed for the coming year
with the exception of Elaine Jenkins, an associate general
secretary who has resigned effective Dec. 31. Barbara Ricks
Thompson is general secretary. Continuing as associate general
secretaries are Kenneth Deere, Hidetoshi Tanaka, the Rev. James
Taylor and the Rev. Yolanda Pupo-Ortiz.

                               # # #

     NOTE TO EDITORS: UMNS sent a story dated July 30, giving the
names of people from your annual conference elected to serve on
churchwide agencies. However, that list did not include additional
members elected to assure representation by gender, race, age,
geography, church size and expertise.

Additional members:
Phu Ho, California-Pacific Annual Conference
Sherri Honaberger, New Mexico Annual Conference
Leo Hsu, California-Pacific Annual Conference
Mary Kerns-Lawson, Tennessee Annual Conference
Betty Kim, Northern New Jersey Annual Conference
Ruth Knutter, Missouri West Annual Conference
Funaki Moala, California-Nevada Annual Conference
Homer Noley, Kansas West Annual Conference
Minnie Romo, Rio Grande Annual Conference
Carl Stewart, Louisiana Annual Conference
Rebecca (Becky) Thompson, Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference
Donald Washburn, Troy Annual Conference
Janet Yang, California-Nevada Annual Conference

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 To make suggestions or give your comments, send a note to 
 umns@ecunet.org or Susan_Peek@ecunet.org

 To unsubscribe, send the single word "unsubscribe" (no quotes)
 in a mail message to umethnews-request@ecunet.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------