wfn.org | Re: United Methodist Daily News note 3500

[owner-umethnews@ecunet.org (United Methodist News list)]

Reply-to: owner-umethnews@ecunet.org (United Methodist News list)
"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 (355 notes).

Note 355 by UMNS on Sept. 29, 1997 at 16:47 Eastern (7986 characters).

Contact:  Joretta Purdue                  	   543(10-71BP){355}
		Washington, D.C.  (202) 546-8722  	Sept. 29, 1997

Note: Photos available with this story.

World Methodist Council
makes history in Rome

	ROME (UMNS) -- History has been made in Rome for centuries, but the World Methodist Council (WMC) added a page Sept. 23, when
its first woman president, Frances M. Alguire, New Buffalo, Mich., presented the 1997 World Methodist Peace Award to the
Community of St. Egidio -- the first group to receive the prize.
	The following day, most WMC executive committee members, attended Pope John Paul II's weekly audience in St. Peters Square and
were greeted by the pope. 
	Some people chose not to attend papal the audience. Among these was the Rev. Valdo Benecchi, president of the Italian Methodist
church, who said that although progress has been made in relations with Protestant and Catholics in Italy, attendance "could
appear as a recognition of the role of the pope as defined by Roman Catholic doctrine," which would disturb Italian Methodists
and Italian Protestants of all denominations.
	In the last 20 years, the World Methodist Peace Award -- which first went to an Irish woman of faith who courageously met with
the men of violence in Ireland -- has been given only to individuals.
	Among the recipients were such peacemakers as Anwar Sadat (1978) of Egypt, Jimmy Carter (1985) and Judge Woodrow Seals (1987) of
the United States, Mikhail Gorbachev of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1990), Elias Chacour of Israel (1994) and
Mmutlanyane Stanley Mogoba of South Africa (1996).
	The World Methodist Council includes 73 Methodist or related united church organizations from 107 countries and was organized in
1881.
	Because the 180-member WMC Executive Committee was meeting in Rome this year, participants were able to attend the peace award
presentation in the beautiful and ancient Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere here. This church, founded in A.D. 38, features
gold mosaics from the 12 century in the apse and from the 13th century on the facade. A colorful gilded ceiling was decorated in
1617.
	The Executive Committee was joined by members of the Community of St. Egidio, the Italian Methodist church, four television
crews and several still photographers, officials of the Roman Catholic Church and government dignitaries.
	In making the presentation Alguire cited the community's courage, creativity and consistency in working for peace. Members of
the group negotiated the 1992 agreement that settled a civil war in Mozambique and continue to work on the world hotspots.
	The Roman Catholic group founded among high school students in 1968 includes both lay and clergy members who try to live out
their faith by ministering to the most needy both in Rome and other cities and countries.
	The World Methodist Peace Award medal, certificate and check for $1,000 were accepted by Professor Andrea Riccardi, president of
the community, who noted that in giving the award, the World Methodist Council "underlined how this work is rooted in the
gospel." 
	He said it is "unacceptable" for Christians that since World War II 24 million people have died in about 160 conflicts -- many
of these hardly noted by the rest of the world. 
	Welcoming the participants was Monsignor James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for Laity and former
Archbishop of Denver, who had served from 1976 to 1986 as co-chairperson of the Roman Catholic-World Methodist dialogue with the
late United Methodist Bishop William R. Cannon.
	For the Sept. 21-26 meeting of the council' executive committee, delegates met in Domus Mariae, a former convent on the western
side of Rome.
	At this meeting a substantial part of one morning was spent on the council finances. The finance committee, chaired by Donald V.
Fites, Peoria, Ill., introduced the idea of a major campaign to create an endowment fund for the new millennium.
	A previous address by Alguire, who reported on peace conferences that she and other members had attended at their own expense,
noted, "Financial needs continue to be an ongoing concern." 
	The report of Joe Hale, general secretary, focused on the need for Methodists from different countries and cultures to stand
together in faith, but it too spoke of the need to better fund existing and needed work of the council. Hale was prevented from
attending the Rome meeting because his wife needed surgery as a result of a wheelchair mishap enroute.
	The World Methodist Council has been supported almost entirely by contributions from member churches but some of these are
located in areas of difficulty -- a reality that makes the transmission of funds difficult -- and others are faced with increased
need and declining resources at home.
	The annual operating budget for 1997-2001 includes a deficit each year even if income expectations are fully realized. No money
was carried over from the previous five-year period, although there had often been such funds in the past.
	To deal with these problems, Fites, chairman of the board of Caterpillar, suggested exploring the possibilities for creating an
endowment fund. Some income from the fund would be used to supplement the member church contributions to the operating budget,
and the remainder would be reinvested to protect against inflation, Fites said.
	After extensive discussion, the group authorized the finance committee to proceed with initial steps that will be reported to
the officers, who are empowered to act on the matter for the council. 
	The executive committee does not meet again until 1999. Officers of the council will meet in 1998. The council, a membership
organization, meets in conjunction with the larger celebratory World Methodist Conference every five years. Having met last year
in Rio de Janeiro, the council next meets in the year 2001.
	In other business the executive committee: 
	*  Approved a letter to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank calling attention to the role of global debt in
increasing the suffering of the poor;
	*  Endorsed the Jubilee 2000 campaign, which proposes remission of unpayable debt for the poorest nations;
	*  Agree to plans to participate in the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ;
	*  Created a work group on economic justice;
	*  Participated in an evaluation of the World Methodist Council held in Rio de Janeiro last year;
	*  Heard about extensive work of the World Evangelism program of the council, including the creation of 11 additional
congregations this year and several institutes and conferences; and
	*  Passed a resolution on peacemaking in the Middle East that censured "those who use power to provoke fear by intrusive
military occupation, illegal seizure of land, inhumane destruction of houses, vexing construction of settlements," restricted
movement and unjust distribution of water. 
	On Sept. 26, the same day that Boris Yeltsin in Russia signed new legislation restricting religious groups who were not
operating in the country with Soviet government approval 15 years ago, the council executive committee voted to send a letter to
Christian communions in Russia expressing deep concern. Though ostensibly aimed at cults, the legislation is expected to restrict
the freedom, including right of assembly and property ownership, of groups like the United Methodist Church.
	A resolution calling for some changes in the nature of the World Methodist Council, its executive committee and the world
conference and the frequency of each was referred to the officers for study by the Rio conference. Their report prepared in
January 1997 and suggestions from various standing committees were the subject of heartfelt discussion. The matter was again
referred to the officers with encouragement to use electronic means to include and inform more members.
	More than $2,300 was received in a special offering for the work of the Methodist church in Italy.
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