wfn.org | June Digest

[DISCNEWS.parti@ecunet.org]

June 1997

Downsizing proposal forwarded to General Assembly
 
     OAK BROOK, Ill. (DNS) -- The 1997 General Board of the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) has forwarded a proposal to the General Assembly that
alters a previous plan aimed at reducing its main planning bodies. 

     The initiative endorsed by the  97 General Board, meeting here April 26-29,
reduces board voting membership to 121. This action overrides the group's 1996
recommendation of just 96 voting members. The expanded figure is the direct result
of an increase in the number of voters chosen to represent regions. Regions with large
memberships would be allowed one extra representative for each 10,000 members.

     If approved by three-fourths of the assembly, the proposal to "reformulate"
the General Board and Administrative Committee will amend portions of The Design
and the Standing Rules for both decision-making bodies.  

     The reformulation plan grants voice and vote to five regional ministers, three
general unit presidents, and one theological education representative, none of whom
previously had voting privileges. Currently, all 35 regional ministers and 11 general
unit presidents are ex officio members without votes. The change to a representative
system for these persons will result in reductions of 38-40 members on the board.

                      *****

     Disciples take part in volunteer summit

     INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Three Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
members were among the 4,000 participants in the recent "President's Summit for
America's Future." Saundra Bryant, Los Angeles, Calif., the Rev. Kaye Edwards,
Indianapolis, and the Rev. Brenda Cardwell, Suitland, Md., journeyed to Philadelphia
to take part in the national salute to volunteerism. 

     Bryant is executive director of All Peoples Christian Center in LA. An active
laywoman and member of All Peoples Christian Church, she also is first vice
moderator of the Disciples General Assembly. A long record of volunteer service with
United Way led to Bryant's selection as a summit participant.

     Edwards is an associate for children's and family ministries for the Disciples'
Homeland Ministries division and attended the gathering as a denominational
representative. Cardwell, pastor of Pilgrimage Christian Church in Suitland,
represented the National Council of Churches. Pilgrimage operates an NCC-funded
"Safe Place" project for children and youth threatened by violence in the Washington,
D.C., suburb.

     The overall goal for the summit was to enhance the quality of life for youth
by community involvement and citizen service. Planners want citizens' groups and
community organizations to be able to provide "five fundamental resources for
children and youth": ongoing relationships between youth and caring adults; safe
places and structured activities before and after school; marketable skill development
through education; improved health services; and youth volunteer opportunities.

                      *****

       Wheeler named fifth president of CTS

     INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Christian Theological Seminary has called the
Rev. Edward L. Wheeler, Tuskegee, Ala., as its fifth president. The unanimous
decision by the CTS board of trustees was announced May 12.

     Wheeler, currently dean of chapel and professor of religion at Tuskegee
University, will succeed the Rev. Richard D.N. Dickinson. Dickinson retires from the
post June 30. The new president-elect and his spouse, Mary Susan, anticipate moving
to Indianapolis during the summer.  

     Highly regarded as a community leader and educator, he served from 1985-1991 as pastor of  Zion Baptist Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was honored by
the city for "Outstanding Service and Leadership." During his tenure at Zion, Wheeler
also was a professor of church history at United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. 
 
     The Georgia native earned a bachelor of arts degree from Morehouse
College, a master of divinity degree from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School,
Rochester, N.Y., and a doctor of philosophy from Emory University, Atlanta.

                      *****

   Parker called as Virginia regional minister

     INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- The Rev. George L. (Lee) Parker has been called
as regional minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Virginia. He
assumes the new position June 16.

     Parker currently is an associate regional minister with the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) in Kansas. He has worked with the Kansas regional staff since
1994, serving as Central and High Plains district minister. The North Carolina native
previously held pastorates in his home state, as well as Alabama, Kentucky, and
Mississippi. 

     Parker received a bachelor of arts degree in religion and philosophy in 1972
from Barton College, Wilson, N.C. He then attended Lexington (Ky.) Theological
Seminary and in 1978 earned a master of divinity degree from Duke University
Divinity School.

     The Virginia regional minister-elect has an extensive background in youth
ministry, having served as a youth advisor and camp coordinator in several regions.
He also has served on regional boards of directors in Alabama, Mississippi and North
Carolina. Parker's ecumenical involvements include numerous ministerial associations,
Habitat for Humanity and the Kiwanis. He also has been a police department chaplain.

                      *****

Disciples higher education division calls new president

     INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- The chief executive of a 10-college consortium
of liberal arts institutions has been called as the next president of the Division of
Higher Education in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

     The Rev. Dennis Landon, Bethany, W. Va., was called to the new post May
5 by the DHE board of directors. He begins the new assignment July 1. He currently
is executive director of the East Central College Consortia. He has headed the
education group, which has schools in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, since
1990.

     In addition to his background in higher education, Landon also has served
pastorates in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Active in his local
community, he has been a member of the Bethany Town Council and served as an
acting municipal judge. 

     He holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia University, New York City. He
earned master's (1973) and doctoral (1986) degrees from the University of Chicago
Divinity School.  

                      *****

   Phillips Seminary plans campus move to Tulsa

     INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Anticipated financial savings and a potential for
increased student enrollment have led to a plan to move the primary campus of
Disciples-related Phillips Theological Seminary from Enid, Okla., to Tulsa. 

     The move was approved by the PTS board of trustees, meeting in Enid May
16-17. The former Phillips University graduate school was incorporated as a separate
institution in 1987. PTS now serves 220 students on the two campuses, both of which
have full degree programs. 

     The decision stems from a 1996 task force recommendation to consolidate
the programs at one campus. The committee, however, encouraged the continuation
of off-campus course offerings. 

     Expenses involved in maintaining separate academic and administrative
structures sparked the initial decision to consolidate programs, according to the Rev.
Stephen V. Cranford, Jefferson City, Mo. With the May meeting, the regional
minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Mid-America finished his
term as president of the seminary board of trustees.

                      *****

    CBP closes Indianapolis production office

     INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Christian Board of Publication will cease
operations June 30 at its Indianapolis production office in the Disciples Center.

     The production office has provided duplication, printing, typesetting and
design services to Indianapolis-based general units since 1994. Insufficient business
volume made it financially unfeasible to continue the operation, according to CBP
president and publisher Cyrus N. White.

     Christian Board of Publication will continue to provide publishing and
production services to general units through its St. Louis-based offices, White added.

                      *****

Former USA Today columnist to address  98 Quadrennial Assembly
 
     INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Former USA Today columnist Barbara Reynolds
headlines the list of speakers for the 1998 Quadrennial Assembly of the International
Christian Women's Fellowship. The theme for the June 1998 event at Purdue
University is "Rekindle the Flame."
 
     Reynolds, an ordained minister, will address the assembly June 26, according
the Rev. Claudia Grant, Quadrennial coordinator.  Other assembly speakers include
Jim and Kathy McGinnis, authors and founders of the Institute for Peace and Justice,
and Ophelia Ortega Suarez, president of the Evangelical Theological Seminary,
Matanzas, Cuba. The McGinnises will speak June 27. Suarez addresses the gathering
June 25.

     Kicking off the assembly June 24 will be the Rev. Cynthia L. Hale, pastor of
Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, Ga. Speaking during the June 28 closing
ceremony will be Susan Shank Mix, a Disciples laywoman and president of Church
Women United.

                      *****

 Oklahoma/Cameroon survivors share C.O.U.R.A.G.E.
 
     INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- C.O.U.R.A.G.E.! That's what survivors of
tragedies half-a-world apart shared in a special 10-day cultural exchange project.

     In this case C.O.U.R.A.G.E. also means "Cameroon/Oklahoma Uniting for
Recovery and Growth Through Exchange." Ten survivors of the 1995 bombing of the
Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City and four recovery specialists recently
journeyed to the West African nation of Cameroon.

     While there the group shared its plight with survivors of another tragedy --
the Lake Nyos toxic gas explosion. More than 1,500 people were killed Aug. 26,
1986, by toxic gas released after an underwater volcanic explosion.

     The determination suggested by the project acronym is particularly
meaningful as both groups "have needed courage to face the future in response to
terrible disasters," said the Rev. Robert L. Hill, Kansas City, Mo. The senior minister
of Community Christian Church, Kansas City, is the "spiritual director" of the U.S.
delegation. The group left April 19 and returned May 6. Hill also is chairperson of the
Week of Compassion Committee for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  

                      *****

     Gift of mobile homes aids flood victims
 
     INDIANAPOLIS  - Many Disciples have provided aid for spring flood
victims through gifts of money and service. One Indianapolis church member gave a
more unusual, but much needed gift, a mobile home. A family in Sparta, Ky., is
overjoyed.

     The combined efforts of a generous individual, three Disciples congregations
and Week of Compassion have given a single mom a new home. The family's mobile
home was destroyed by spring flooding March 1 when the waters of Eagle Creek, a
tributary of the Kentucky River, overflowed.  The family's income was too high to
qualify for immediate federal aid, but not high enough to replace the home. 

     That's where the Sparta Christian Church, average worship attendance 45,
stepped in. An aid committee surveyed the community to help match those needing
assistance with services. For this family the church looked to Week of Compassion for
help. An Indianapolis Disciples member, responding to a Palm Sunday plea in his
congregation for contributions toward flood relief, donated a mobile home. 
 
     The mobile home was moved from Indianapolis to Sparta April 23, after
workers from Providence Christian Church, Bargersville, Ind., prepared the home for
its trip. The Rev. Kevin Russell, pastor of the Sparta Church, flew to Indianapolis and
then accompanied the home to Kentucky. 

                      *****

  Common Global Ministries Board looks at future
 
    INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- New directions for world ministries in the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ highlighted the
April 17-20 agenda of the Common Global Ministries Board. 

    In the third meeting of the Common Board, directors discussed several
recommendations which emerged as part of the strategic planning process. Among
them were suggestions to close the New York office and move office staff to
Cleveland or Indianapolis, and to establish a common treasury operation for the
Disciples and UCC world ministry units.

    Several key executives of the CGMB work out of offices in the New York
Interchurch Center. Economic issues, along with more effective staff management
were among the reasons cited for closing the office. Board members opposing the
move said the Common Board's access to the National Council of Churches and other
ecumenical partners would be diminished. It would also limit relations with visiting
international church leaders, for whom the Interchurch Center is a frequent stop.

    Some kind of presence is needed in New York, board members said. Offered
as an alternative was a branch office to act as a liaison with the United Nations and
NCC, and to welcome visiting church leaders.

                      *****

CCU board explores new models for doing ecumenism
 
    INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- New models for doing ecumenism in the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) and next steps in the partnership with the United Church
of Christ highlighted a recent meeting of  the Council on Christian Unity board of
directors.  

    While meeting here April 15-17, directors discussed the first national "spiritual
retreat" sponsored by the board in February. The group also considered a proposal
asking Disciples congregations to sponsor "unity feasts" as a way of doing local
ecumenism.

    Forty Disciples pastors and lay leaders gathered in Nashville in February for
the initial spiritual retreat, according to the Rev. Paul A. Crow Jr., CCU president.
The agenda comprised 48 hours of prayer, Bible study, worship, dialogue and
learning about biblical insights into the unity of the church. 
 
    The unity feast proposal calls for Disciples congregations to sponsor
ecumenical fellowship suppers with neighboring churches. The gatherings also would
involve Bible study, reflection on the churches' ecumenical heritage and Communion.
Ten Disciples congregations will participate in the pilot project, offered by board
member Lee Yates. He is a student at Lexington (Ky.) Theological Seminary.  

                      *****

Memorial services held for Disciples accident victim

    INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Memorial services were held June 1 for Bob
Combs, Columbia, Mo., who died as a result of injuries sustained in an April 19
accident. 

    Combs was critically injured when his vehicle was broadsided by a pickup
truck. Combs was driving General Minister and President Richard L. Hamm to a
workshop at Broadway Christian Church, Columbia. Hamm was treated and released
from an area hospital.

    "I am deeply saddened by Bob's death and ask that everyone please keep his
wife, Gertie, and their family in prayer," said Hamm. 

    Combs was a retired professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

                      *****

Memorial services held for Humberts' granddaughter

    INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Memorial services were held May 10 in Cleveland
Heights, Ohio, for Jessica Long.

    The 17-year-old granddaughter of retired General Minister and President John
O. and Joanne Humbert was killed May 5 in a single-car accident. Jessica was a high
school junior and the daughter of Debbie Humbert, daughter of John and Joanne
Humbert, Indianapolis.

                      *****

    Scholarships granted for future ministers

    INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Homeland Ministries has granted $103,500 in
scholarships for persons preparing for ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ).

    Seventy persons were recommended for assistance by HM's ministerial and
Star Supporter scholarship committees. Twenty-seven of the 70 applicants were
renewals from 1996, according to the Rev. Charles Webb, associate for black
ministry.

                      *****

DISCNEWS - inbox for Disciples News Service, Office of Communication, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), PO Box 1986 Indianapolis, IN 46206, tele. (317) 635-3100, (DISCNEWS@ecunet.org) Wilma Shuffitt, News and Information Assistant; (CWILLIS@oc.disciples.org) Cliff Willis, Director of News and Information; (CMILLER@oc.disciples.org) Executive Director