wfn.org | BMCR, ebony bishops discuss ways to strengthen black church

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

April 11, 2001 News media contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville,
Tenn. 10-31-71B{179}

By M. Garlinda Burton*

HOUSTON (UMNS)  -- In an unprecedented two-hour session, leaders of the
United Methodist Church's national black caucus met with a majority of the
denomination's active -- and four of the retired -- African-American bishops
to discuss a myriad of issues facing the black church.
	
The 34-member executive committee of Black Methodists for Church Renewal
(BMCR) and 12 active and four retired "ebony bishops," as they  are
affectionately called, met April 5 to begin a conversation on ways the two
groups can work together to strengthen the ministry of African-American
churches. 

The gathering, held during BMCR's annual meeting, was especially noteworthy
because of the seven African-Americans elected as bishops last year, a
record number. Currently, of the 50 active bishops in the United States, 14
are African American. Elections for bishops are held every four years, and
bishops are elected for life.

Among the issues that surfaced at the BMCR consultation were:
			*	concerns about recruitment and retention of
black clergy;
			*	the possibility of a "talent bank" for
appointing black clergy across conference lines to provide top-quality
leadership to churches;
			*	ways to engage youth and young adults in the
leadership of the black church, including BMCR;
			*	building partnerships among clergy and
laity;
			*	how to insure the financial ability and
required staffing for BMCR; 
			*	raising awareness among black United
Methodists--especially new members--about BMCR's existence, history and
ongoing work.

The bishops and BMCR leaders expressed the desire to have ongoing
conversations, perhaps including a retreat to talk about issues in more
depth and develop strategies for addressing them.
On the issue of recruiting clergy,  Indiana Area Bishop Woodie W. White
declared, "The issue of ministry is not just recruitment, but cultivation.
Historically, strong black pastors were nurtured in the black church and
encouraged in their calling. BMCR may need to help [bishops] put cultivation
of ministers back on the local church agenda."

In response to the concern that some black pastors leave the denomination
because there are not churches available in their area, San Francisco Area
Bishop Beverly J. Shamana said, "And yet, there are many conferences that
have a shortage of black pastors. Maybe we can use the Internet to share
across the country what pastors are available and what conferences have
churches available."

In the United Methodist Church, bishops appoint pastors annually in their
respective areas, usually from the pool of veteran and newly ordained
pastors affiliated with their conferences. However, it is not unusual for
pastors to be appointed to churches across conference boundaries. 

Along with White and Shamana, the active bishops participating in the
consultation were: Warner H. Brown, Jr., Denver Area; James R. King,
Louisville (Ky.) Area; William W. Morris, Nashville Area; Rhymes H. Moncure,
Nebraska Area; Alfred L. Norris, Houston Area; Ernest S. Lyght, New York
Area; Felton E. May, Washington (D.C.) Area; Jonathan D. Keaton, Ohio East
Area; Linda Lee, Michigan Area, and Gregory V. Palmer, Iowa Area.

Retired bishops at the meeting were: Charles W. Jordan, Upland, Calif.;
Edsel A. Ammons, Evanston, Ill., Forrest C. Stith, Bronxville, N.Y., and
Melvin G. Talbert, Nashville, Tenn.

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* Burton is editor of Interpreter magazine.  

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United Methodist News Service
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