wfn.org | May 4, 2000 GC-013

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

United Methodists most active in Habitat, founder says

CLEVELAND (UMNS) - Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller praised
United Methodists for their support of his organization's effort to build
houses for and with poor people around the world.

Speaking at the United Methodist General Conference, the denomination's May
2-12 legislative gathering, Fuller thanked church members for their work in
this ministry.

A few years ago, in a survey to determine who was involved in this effort,
he said, "United Methodists stood No. 1." 

He praised United Methodists who have helped lead him and Habitat
International into many areas of the world where they had not been. Among
others, he mentioned Harry Haines of the United Methodist Committee on
Relief, who set up a tour of Latin America for Fuller. Since that trip in
the 1970s, 5,000 houses have been built in Guatemala alone, Fuller said.

Three houses are being built in Cleveland in conjunction with General
Conference. They are sponsored by the church's Cleveland District, which has
already built seven other Habitat homes. 

Fuller lauded the church for building the homes. He said he had visited one
of the construction sites, then gone to the nearby dedication of a house
that had been built jointly by Episcopalians and Presbyterians. Next door to
that one, Baptist women were building another house.

Habitat's work, he said, is "so enormous that it can't be done just by one
denomination."

The Christian ministry welcomes all who want to work, he said. Many
recipients of the homes are not Christian. 

Habitat for Humanity practices "theology of the hammer," Fuller said. It has
brought together people who have not always agreed, he added, recalling
seeing former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, and Speaker of the House
Newt Gingrich, a Republican leader, hammering on the same piece of drywall.
In Selma, Ala., 46 churches have worked together to put up 20 homes, Fuller
said. In Ireland, Protestants and Catholics have worked together.

In 1998, the United Methodist Church had 7,340 congregations involved in
Habitat work, out of a total of 39,600 congregations of all types that
support the ministry, according to a Habitat spokeswoman.

Habitat for Humanity was started in 1967 near Americus, Ga. With the
completion of houses currently under construction, Fuller said, poverty
housing will be eliminated in that county this year.

"By what date are you going to end poverty housing in your town, your
country?" he said, challenging the General Conference delegates. Fuller
described the account of a single mother in the Southwest, who marveled that
she had seen President Carter's sweat fall into the mortar he was mixing for
her house.

"Let us put our sweat into our work," Fuller said, "and God will multiply it
beyond our wildest dreams."
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-- Joretta Purdue

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United Methodist News Service
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