wfn.org | UMNS# 04432-Men want church involvement to make a difference

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Men want church involvement to make a difference 

Sep. 23, 2004	 News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470* 
Nashville {04432}

NOTE: A sidebar, UMNS story #433, and photographs are available online at
http://umns.umc.org.

By Tom McAnally*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - If men are to be attracted to United Methodist
churches, they must feel that at the end of the day they have done something
that makes a difference, according to the newly elected president of the
denomination's Commission on United Methodist Men.

Gil Hanke, a layman from Nacogdoches, Texas, challenged members of the
commission, meeting Sept. 20-22 in Nashville, to help men recapture a "doing
spirit." The lack of church leadership by men is "frightening," he said, and
the participation of men under 40 "pathetic."	 

In his long involvement with the church, Hanke, a speech and language
pathologist, said he has observed that the most popular activities for men
are Scouting, prayer life, hunger relief, missions and Christ-centered
fellowship. "All these have in common the desire to be 'doers of the word',"
he said. 

Hanke was elected president by the 23-member commission as it organized for
the 2005-08 quadrennium. The commission became an independent organization in
1996 after being a division of the Board of Discipleship in Nashville.
Bishops headed the commission during each of the first two quadrennia, or
four-year periods. Hanke becomes the first layman to serve in that capacity. 

The Rev. Joseph Harris was re-elected staff executive of the commission, a
post he has held since 1996. In his address to the commission, Harris
stressed the importance of "reaching the hearts of men," particularly the
next generation. "Younger men want to experience the faith, not just be told
about it," he said. "They want to be participants, not spectators."  

Continuing the theme of "doing," Harris urged the commission to give priority
to hands-on ministry to help those in need during the next four years.

Acknowledging the presence of new commission members from the Congo and the
Philippines, Harris emphasized the importance of reaching men around the
globe for Christ. Harris is the first president of the World Fellowship of
Methodist and United Church Men, which will hold a global gathering in Seoul,
South Korea, in 2006.  

Commission members heard initial plans for the Ninth National Gathering of
United Methodist Men, set for July 15-17 at Purdue University, Lafayette,
Ind. The event, held every four years, usually attracts more than 4,000 men
for inspiration, education and fellowship.

The commission took several actions to strengthen the financial base for its
work. About 25 percent of the commission's $1.2 million annual operating
budget comes from the denomination's World Service Fund. The rest is raised
through charters of local church United Methodist Men's organizations, the
United Methodist Men Foundation, sale of resources, and individual
contributions of $30 per year called, "Every Man Shares in Evangelism,
Mission and Spiritual Life." United Methodist Men support and fund many
mission activities, including the Society of St. Andrew, Upper Room Prayer
Ministries, Lifestyle Relational Evangelism and Hope of Hearing.

Commission members approved a "Legacy Builder" program that will seek monthly
contributions from men to support the goal of "setting the hearts of millions
of men on fire for Christ within and through the United Methodist Church."   

During the next four years, the United Methodist Men Foundation, created in
1981, is committed to funding entirely the commission's Office of Scouting
Ministry, according to staff member Larry Coppock. A campaign to support the
foundation will be officially launched at the gathering of United Methodist
Men at Purdue in July, but $1.3 million has already been pledged toward a
goal of $5 million.   

The United Methodist Church is the second-largest sponsor of the Boy Scouts
of America, with almost 400,000 youth meeting in 12,200 units in 7,500
congregations.	Adding other groups, such as Girl Scouts, Camp Fire and 4-H,
United Methodist churches serve more than 600,000 youth in about 27,000 units
across the United States.    

The United Methodist Church has nearly 37,000 local congregations. Of these,
about 7,000 have chartered United Methodist Men's organizations.   

The church's General Conference, meeting in Pittsburgh in May, asked the
commission to conduct a study of men in the church. Harris said the study, a
first for the denomination, will "put some facts behind our theories" and
will be "critical to the future of the United Methodist Church as we address
why men are not participating in our churches in greater numbers."

Commission member Bishop Hee-soo Jung of Chicago is chairing a task force to
guide the study. "God is doing a wonderful work in our church and around the
world," he said.  "Let us not be discouraged." A survey form will be
developed by December and will be ready for distribution early next year, he
said.

Staff member Larry Malone said the commission is working to change the
perception of men's ministry from being "one of meetings and events to
empowering the local church to become a place that truly welcomes and
attracts men, as it helps them grow spiritually and resemble Christ in their
attitudes and actions." Two commission goals, he said, are to connect and
build relationships with all local congregations and with all male members of
the denomination.

Malone said the certification and study programs approved by the General
Conference will glean critical information from local churches about what is,
and isn't, happening with men and what is going on in their lives, hearts and
minds. He outlined plans for identifying and emulating churches that are
successfully reaching men, and a leadership and support plan that calls for
men's ministry specialists working within local churches and other units in
the denomination.

Among other actions, commissioners:
7	Elected officers for the 2005-08 quadrennium. Elected in addition to
Hanke were Bishop James King, Louisville, Ky., vice president; Dan Henry,
Bolingbrook, Ill., secretary; Rod Erskine, Cleveland, treasurer; and Glenn
Wintemberg, St. Charles, Mo., president, National Association of Conference
Presidents.
7	Agreed to make communications a priority, using the electronic media
and a Web site.
7	Approved as affiliate organizations the United Methodist Men
Foundation, the National Association of Conference Presidents, the National
Association of United Methodist Scouters, and the Society of St. Andrew
hunger relief organization.

*McAnally is a former director of United Methodist News Service. 

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

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United Methodist News Service