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[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

CONTACT: 	Linda Green
(10-31-71B){176}
		Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470	 March 25, 1998

Men's commission announce 
historic Pan-Methodist conference

	NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- African-American men of the Methodist
family will gather in a historic three-day conference Oct. 15-18 to
discuss issues facing them today and into the 21st century.
The "Brother to Brother" event in Atlanta will unite African-American
men in the United Methodist Church with men from the three black
Methodist denominations for the first time.
Numerous African-Americans left the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1787
when Richard Allen, a free African-American, was interrupted during an
altar prayer at St. George Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.
Allen was told that he could no longer pray at the altar, and he was
instructed to move to the balcony where African-Americans had been
forced to sit.
However, after completing his prayer, Allen left the church, rented a
storeroom and began the African Methodist Episcopal Church. From that
beginning arose the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (formerly the Colored Methodist
Episcopal Church).
The Atlanta conference was announced here by the Commission on United
Methodist Men during its March 22-23 semi-annual meeting. The 23-member
commission is the agency of the United Methodist Church responsible for
men's work in the denomination. Commission president is Bishop Ray Owen,
San Antonio, Texas.
While primarily geared toward African-American men, the conference is
open to anyone interested in attending, regardless of race, gender or
denomination.
A goal for the gathering is to have at least 1,000 white males actively
participate.
"The conference gives opportunity for men across races and denominations
to participate in acts of reconciliation throughout the event," the Rev.
Joseph Harris, executive director of the men's commission. 
The 1998 National Black Men's Conference will be a celebratory gathering
of at least 5,000 Pan-Methodist men from the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church, Harris said.

He said the gathering will be the first of its kind since the 1800s,
when African-Americans left the Methodist Church to form sister
denominations whose common heritage is Methodist doctrine and
discipline, episcopal forms of leadership, itinerancy and Wesleyan
priorities.
	The conference will be the third sponsored by the commission for
African American men in the United Methodist Church. The Pan-Methodist
approach is encouraged by the 1996 United Methodist Book of Discipline
for any major event planned by a general agency of the church.
During the commission meeting, Harris championed the goals of the
conference: partnership, reconciliation, cooperation and family.
Commission members were urged to attend because "it will assist in
forging relationships that move us toward modeling what the Kingdom is
all about," he said.
Designed by a 15-member Pan-Methodist team, the conference will offer 23
workshops dealing with issues facing African-American men. Nationally
known speakers from the four Methodist denominations will preach and
teach. More than 100 vendors will participate in a ministry fair geared
toward men's needs. Workshops will focus on training for men in
mentoring boys, the pastoral care of black men, and college and career
opportunities.
A variety of music will be offered by a 500-member male chorus
comprising volunteers from around the country. In addition, men's
choirs, choruses and soloists will present a wide range of styles, from
traditional to contemporary.
People interested in the conference are encouraged to register early
because space is limited. To register or for more information, call
(888) 8BROTHR.
In other action, the Commission on United Methodist Men voted to request
permission for a churchwide special offering for scouting programs. The
offering would begin on the second Sunday in February 2001. 
Scouting ministry is an integral part of the commission's work and is
affirmed as a means of bringing youth to a closer relationship to Jesus
Christ, the commissioners said in their proposal. The scouting ministry
is based in the offices of the Commission on United Methodist Men here.
Although Scout Sunday is already celebrated with much participation,
fervor and affirmation across the church, commissioners said that "a
sound, spiritually based stewardship initiative is required to fiscally
grow and enhance the scouting ministry locally, in annual conference and
nationally."
The United Methodist Church, primarily through the Boy Scouts of
America, has become the largest religious and denominational sponsor of
scouting, with more than 418,000 youth involved in its programs as of
Dec. 31. Other participating youth-serving programs recognized and
sponsored by the church, including Camp Fire Boys and Girls, 4-H, and
the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., number 600,000.
^From the proposed special offering, 25 percent of the money will be
retained by annual conferences for scouting ministries, said Larry
Coppock, scouting and youth-serving agencies director. The remaining 75
percent will go to the churchwide Council on Finance and Administration
for the commission to enhance, develop, train and promote scouting
programs. 
The offering can help the agency provide scouting ministries to youth
worldwide, as a complement to the churchwide bishops' initiative on
children and poverty, commissioners said. The commission provides
camperships for low-income youth throughout the world, and it develops
scouting units in inner-city and rural neighborhoods. 
The commissioners also:
*	learned that at the end of its first year, the commission was
financially solvent;
		*	viewed a new promotional video produced in
conjunction with United Methodist Communications on "The Measure of A
Man";
		*	appointed an advisory committee to assist the
director of scouting ministries;
		*	directed the staff executive to begin working on
creating a major emphasis on prayer for United Methodist Men for the
next four years and beyond;
		*	heard from the Rev. Terry Tekyl, a United
Methodist pastor, who talked about the commission expanding its prayer
advocate ministry; and
		*	affirmed the National Association of Conference
Presidents (NACP), an affiliate group of the commission, for its
purchase of a United Methodist Men's Bible. The Bible was created by the
Rev. Eddie Fox of the evangelism office of the World Methodist Council
and the Rev. George Morris of the foundation for evangelism. The NACP
will insert the commission's purpose statement on the front page and
emboss the commission's logo on the cover.
The commission set Sept. 10-12 for its next meeting.

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
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