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Bishops act on Episcopal Address, global concerns

Nov. 8, 2005

NOTE: Photographs and related coverage are available at
http://umns.umc.org.

By Tim Tanton*

LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS) - The United Methodist Church's bishops have
chosen Sharon Brown Christopher to deliver their Episcopal Address when
the denomination's top legislative assembly meets in 2008.

Christopher, who leads the church's Illinois Area, was chosen during the
Council of Bishops' Oct. 30-Nov. 4 meeting in Lake Junaluska.
Christopher became the council's first woman president in 2002, serving
in that role for a one-year term. Elected in 1988, she is one of the
council's longest-serving active bishops.

The Episcopal Address is developed with direction and input from the
entire council, and it's a highlight of the church's General Conference,
which meets every four years. The 2008 assembly will be in Fort Worth,
Texas.

The address is the council's "prayer for the world and the church,
uttered out loud before the General Conference," Christopher said in a
statement. "Such prayer requires the Council of Bishops to listen deeply
to God, the world and the church.

"I am both surprised and deeply honored to be chosen to work with the
council in its listening processes and in its shaping of its best
articulation of God's hope for the world and the body of Christ," she
said.

During their fall meeting, the bishops addressed a wide range of other
topics and issues, including the crisis in Darfur; World AIDS Day; the
death penalty; the focus on making disciples for the transformation of
the world; and participation in next year's International United
Methodist Clergywomen's Consultation and a delegation trip to North
Korea.

Making disciples

Continuing the work on their focus, "Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
for the Transformation of the World," the bishops adopted seven "vision
pathways" along which they will lead the church:

*	Developing new congregations.
*	Transforming existing congregations.
*	Teaching the Wesleyan model of forming disciples of Jesus
Christ.
*	Strengthening clergy and lay leadership.
*	Reaching and transforming the lives of the new generations of
children.
*	Eliminating poverty in community with the poor.
*	Expanding racial/ethnic ministries (primarily a vision for U.S.
conferences).

The pathways were referred to the denomination's Connectional Table and
general agencies to guide their visioning, strategic planning and
funding work.

After the meeting, Bishop Peter Weaver, president of the council and
leader of the church's Boston Area, described how the bishops are
focusing on helping their congregations make disciples. "It's amazing
what's happening in the annual conferences and in local churches as God
moves through our work to connect us in that great mission," he said.

Global concerns

Other areas addressed by the bishops included:

*	Darfur - The bishops approved a resolution that the council
continue to keep the people of Darfur in prayer, and that local churches
be encouraged to take action to relieve the pain and suffering in that
region of Sudan.

*	World AIDS Day - The bishops received a draft letter that they
may use as a model for urging church members to support the Global AIDS
Fund. The 2004 General Conference committed to raising at least $8
million during the 2005-08 period. A gift of $1 per church member would
meet that goal. Contributions can be designated for Advance No. 982345.

*	Capital punishment - To support efforts to eliminate capital
punishment, the bishops committed to visit death rows in their areas and
to share the Gospel with inmates, inmates' families and prison staffs.
The council also requested that bishops meet with government officials
and lawmakers to express the church's official opposition to the death
penalty, and that each bishop appoint a task force or charge the
conference board of church and society with addressing the theological
and ethical grounds for opposing capital punishment.

*	Malaria - The Rev. Larry Hollon, top staff executive of United
Methodist Communications, and the Rev. R. Randy Day, chief executive of
the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, briefed the bishops on
the Nov. 1-3 TIME Global Health Summit in New York, where Bishop Machado
participated in a panel discussion on eliminating malaria. Day spoke
passionately about the denomination's pilot program for eradicating
malaria in Sierra Leone. "No one, absolutely no one, needs to die of
malaria in the world today," he said.

*	Central Conference Pension Initiative - Bishop Ben Chamness,
chairperson of the Central Conference Pension Committee, and Barbara
Boigegrain, top staff executive of the United Methodist Board of Pension
and Health Benefits, gave an update on the initiative, which is
developing models for pension systems to cover retired clergy and church
employees in Africa and, eventually, other parts of the world. Chamness
thanked the bishops for leading their annual conferences in donating to
the initiative's fund. "We now have more $1.2 million for this fund.
That is a small amount but a very important step toward the $20
(million) or $30 million we anticipate needing."

*	Border report - Bishops Minerva Carcano, Max Whitfield and Mary
Ann Swenson reported on ministries along the U.S.-Mexico border and the
need for the church to respond to the life-and-death needs of immigrants
and people in that region. The bishops lead conferences along the
border.

*	Moscow seminary - Bishop Hans Vaxby thanked the bishops for the
church's response to his call for funding help for the Russia United
Methodist Theological Seminary in Moscow. The seminary was dedicated
Sept. 10. With the commitments that have been made, he said there is
reason to believe that by next summer, the seminary's costs will be
paid.

*	Holy Communion - The bishops approved a recommendation that they
preside at Holy Communion whenever they are visiting a local church in
their area.

*	Special events - The bishops approved funding from the Episcopal
Fund for colleagues already going to next July's World Methodist
Conference in Seoul, South Korea, to make a side trip to North Korea,
and for women bishops to attend the International United Methodist
Clergywomen's Consultation in August. The consultation will mark the
50th anniversary of full clergy rights for women in the church.

The Council of Bishops, with offices in Washington, comprises 69 active
bishops and about 100 retirees from the United States, Africa, Asia and
Europe. The bishops are the top clergy leaders of the nearly 11
million-member denomination.

The council's next meeting will be in Mozambique in fall 2006. Because
of the expense of the Africa trip, the bishops will not have a spring
meeting next year. The meeting will be the bishops' first council
meeting in Africa and their second outside the United States.

*Tanton is managing editor of United Methodist News Service.

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

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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