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Black History Month: Bishop Richard Allen
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Bishop Richard Allen
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Born a slave on February 14, 1760, Richard Allen converted to Methodism in 1777. He began preaching in 1786 at St. George's Church in Philadelphia, a mixed race congregation. As the church grew, white elders in the congregation insisted that black worshippers sit in a balcony built specifically for the purpose of segregation.
Eventually, Allen went on to help found the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest denomination among independent African-American churches in the U.S. In April of 1816, he was the first bishop elected by the AME Church. Read more about Richard Allen.
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Get ready for Summer!
Winter may still be here, but Spring Heights is ready for summer! Check out their new videos at http://springheights.org and
Spring Heights is available year-round for retreats and gatherings as well. The facility will host the next Spiritual Formation retreat, on the importance of prayer, April 27-28.
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Appointment Announcements
 It is the intention of Bishop William Boyd Grove to appoint the following clergy effective July 1, 2012:
Scott Sears, First Church, Princeton
Gary Nelson, Cross Lanes UMC
Randy Adkins, Beckley Temple UMC
Ken Ramsey, Bridgeport UMC
Western District Superintendent - Greg Hayes
Wesleyan District Superintendent - Mary Ellen Finegan
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Lent and Easter resources
It's hard to believe, but Ash Wednesday is next week. Check out these resources from umc.org for Lent and Easter.
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General Conference 2012
Job guarantees for elders. The Call to Action. Consolidation of general boards and agencies. If you are United Methodist, you may have heard these topics come up in conversation or read about them on umc.org. You'll be hearing more in the coming weeks, as delegates prepare to head to General Conference, April 24 - May 4, in Tampa, FL.
General Conference is the governing entity of the United Methodist Church, and the only body that can speak for the denomination.
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Special Sundays
February 19:
United Methodist Volunteers-in-Mission Awareness Sunday
March 18: One Great Hour of Sharing (UMCOR)
UMCOR works through programs that address hunger, poverty, sustainable agriculture, international and domestic emergencies, refugee and immigrant concerns, global health issues, and transitional development. United Methodist hearts and hands are part of every program implemented; school kit, seed, health kit, fresh water and tool distributed in the US and throughout the world; and every new house, well, clinic and school rebuilt after catastrophes of conflict or nature. Join United Methodists everywhere by participating in this special offering that supports UMCOR's vital work. Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing lay the foundation for UMCOR to seek justice and mercy for suffering people everywhere.
Gifts to this offering underwrite UMCOR's "costs of doing business." That helps us keep our promise that 100 percent of every other gift you make to a specific UMCOR project can be spent on that project-not on home office costs.
Check out and download this insert to use in your church bulletin.
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Honoring excellence in evangelism
Harry Denman was a prominent evangelist and lay leader in the Methodist Church. Each year, annual conferences recognize an adult and youth who demonstrate excellence in evangelism. Learn more and download the nomination packet at the Foundation for Evangelism's website.
You can also check out the "Culture of the Call" award, which highlights local churches each year who demonstrate an ability to grow pastoral leadership.
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Other Announcements
Click here for information on the NEJ Mission of Peace, summer internship opportunities, and more. We update this list between editions of the enews, bookmark the link so you can check out the latest announcements at your convenience.
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