wfn.org | Nomination in for Commission Head

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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 (3442 notes).

Note 3442 by UMNS on Feb. 18, 1997 at 09:11 Eastern (3975 characters).

SEARCH: Harris, United Methodist Men, nomination, General
Secretary
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 Green                           88(10-31-71B){3442}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470             Feb. 18, 1997

Oklahoma district superintendent nominated to head 
new Commission on United Methodist Men

                                 
     NASHVILLE (UMNS) -- The Rev. Joseph L. Harris, an African-
American district superintendent from the Oklahoma Annual
Conference has been tapped to head the new churchwide Commission
on United Methodist Men.
     Harris, 46, ministerial supervisor of Oklahoma's Ardmore
district, was unanimously affirmed by the 23-member board of
directors of the men's commission here, Feb. 15. 
     The nomination as general secretary of the General Commission
on United Methodist Men is now before the General Council on
Ministries for election. The churchwide council elects top
executives for churchwide agencies annually.
     The 75-member council will decide on Harris' nomination by
mail ballot. If the council approves, he will begin his duties May
1.
     Before voting concurrence with Harris' nomination, some
commission members expressed concern about a clergy person
receiving the nomination as top executive of a lay organization.
     Bishop Joseph Pennel, chairman of the commission's search
committee, said many potential lay applicants had invested at
least 15 years in their businesses or vocation and found
"compensation and relocation" would make a transition difficult.
     Pennel, episcopal leader of the Richmond (Va.) Area, said his
committee considered Harris' nomination to be providential. "The
job sought the person rather than the person seeking the job," he
said. 
     Pennel said the committee looked for a person who could give
a new voice and new presence to the men's organization.  "We are
not looking for someone to take care of the organization but for
someone who has the charisma, the spirituality and the leadership
capability to inspire a movement within our denomination," he
said. 
     Since its creation, the General Commission on United
Methodist Men and the General Board of Discipleship have been
involved in discussions about which organization has
responsibility for the Office of Scouting.
     Commission members were told here that an interagency
transition taskforce concluded that the 1996 Book of Discipline
gives both agencies responsibilities for scouting ministries.
Scouting will be housed within the commission and both agencies
will pursue ongoing coordination.
     Byron Lee White, director of the Office of Civic Youth-
Serving Agencies/Scouting, told the commission that the number of
Boy Scouts in the denomination grew by 12 percent last year. He
said the 407,000 Boy Scouts in the United Methodist Church returns
the denomination to first place in Scouting after a decade.  Now,
that there is growth in Boy Scouting in the church, White said,
there will be a focus on Girl Scouts. A national consultation on
Girl Scouts and the United Methodist Church is being planned.
     After hearing the report of the interagency transition
taskforce, commission members asked for continued negotiations
with the Board of Discipleship related to:
     * additional office space;
     * "transfer" of property and funds;
     * access to Board of Discipleship cash reserve assets.
     The commission deferred to a future meeting a discussion of
its relationship to other United Methodist and para-church groups.
     Pennel cautioned the commission to be careful that "we don't
let any group get us on their agenda." He encouraged the
commission to remain focused and identify its own "niche."
     The next meeting of the commission is Sept. 19-20.
                              #  #  #
     

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