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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (118
notes).

Note 117 by UMNS on May 27, 1997 at 15:53 Eastern (2322 characters).

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                       305(10-21-33-71B){117}
          New York (212) 870-3803                     May 23, 1997
EDITORS NOTE: This story may be a sidebar to UMNS 304 {116}.

North Korea famine calls
for donations, advocacy

               by United Methodist News Service

      United Methodist Bishop Melvin Talbert of the San Francisco
Area -- who has seen evidence of the famine firsthand -- hopes
members of local congregations "would hear the cry from our
sisters and brothers in North Korea."
     He asks United Methodists to take two actions in response to
the famine: 
     * donate money to the United Methodist Committee on Relief
(UMCOR) and Church World Service, the relief agency of the
National Council of Churches (NCC).
     * write their congressional leaders and President Clinton
"urging them to remove sanctions against North Korea in order that
reunification between North and South Korea can become a reality."
     The Rev. S. Michael Hahm, an executive with the United
Methodist Board of Global Ministries, is encouraging local
congregations and annual (regional) conferences to take special
offerings for famine relief. For informational materials, call
Hahm at (212) 870-3685.
     Some annual conferences also are considering resolutions
regarding the famine. The Northern New Jersey Annual Conference,
for example, was to vote on a resolution asking its churches to
make "special efforts" during the next three months to send relief
assistance through UMCOR.
     The resolution also called upon New Jersey's bishop to send a
message to President Clinton, Secretary of State Madeline Albright
and the state's congressional leaders, "encouraging them to
provide necessary large-scale food aid to North Korea in the
spirit of our humanitarian principle."
     Donations to the North Korea Emergency can be made to UMCOR
Advance No. 228435-0. The agency also is encouraging members to
put together individual aid boxes for needy families. For more
information, call (800) 814-8765. For instructions in Korean, call
(800) 636-0905.     
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