A Call to Action

The Council of Bishops is meeting November 2-6 in Panama City, followed by meetings of the Conference of Methodist Bishops November 7-9 and CIEMAL (Council of Methodists in Latin America) November 10. Thank you for your prayers for these gatherings that impact our life and mission together, with particular attention to our shared Methodist ministry in the Caribbean and in South and Central and North America.

Methodism traces its origins in the Western Hemisphere to the Caribbean. In 1760, Nathaniel Gilbert preached the Gospel from his steps, bringing Wesleyan Christianity to his home island of Antigua. Many of you have supported and participated in mission work in Latin America and the Caribbean and know the blessings of our life together in this hemisphere.

A central focus of this Council of Bishops meeting will be the Call to Action proposals. You are invited to become familiar with these ideas and to participate in prayerfully considering the value of these directions for our United Methodist Church. You may find materials by linking here.

The Call to Action speaks with a sense of urgency -- urgency in reaching lives and souls for Jesus Christ, urgency in healing divisions and wounds in our world, urgency in faithful response to Christ's call upon our lives.

I am grateful today for each of you and for the partnership we share in the global mission of The United Methodist Church.

Hope Morgan Ward

To comment, link on the Bishop's Blog page here.

 
Goodpaster Urges Bishops to Shift Focus
to the Future

In the presidential address to the Council of Bishops in Panama City, Panama today, Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster challenged the bishops of The United Methodist Church to "lean into God's future" by turning the focus of attention to what is about to happen rather than what has always been.

"We have the opportunity to lead the church toward greater vitality, impact and influence in the world," said Bishop Goodpaster. "By our decisions and actions this week in Panama, we will either lean into the future or be content with more of the same."

Goodpaster said that the first steps toward the future were taken when the Four Areas of Focus (leadership development, church growth, global health, and ministry with the poor) emerged during the 2008 General Conference.

The Call to Action report being presented to the council on November 3-4 invites the church into an adaptive challenge that will "redirect the flow of attention, energy, and resources to an intense concentration on fostering and sustaining an increase in the number of vital congregations effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."

"Leaning into God's future must move us toward accomplishing the mission by empowering and equipping women and men in thousands of local churches scattered in countries around the globe to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," he said.

The bishops of the church, he said, must act decisively and with a sense of urgency to cast the vision, exercise influence, persuade, lead, and begin leaning into a relevant future. In order to begin laying the groundwork for the 2012 General Conference, Bishop Goodpaster challenged his colleagues in the Council of Bishops to commit to do four things:

1. To covenant to weekly prayer and fasting for the 18 months leading up to General Conference
2. To convene and host holy conversations on a monthly basis with varied groups of people
3. To promote and encourage participation in the Leadership Summit on April 6, 2011
4. To use the covenant group meetings in Panama to focus on supporting, encouraging, and holding each other accountable for these commitments

"With great hope and anticipation of what God will do with us and among us, I believe it is time for us to lean into God's future, fish from a different side of the boat, and prepare to be astounded by the results," said Goodpaster.

On November 19, 2010, the community is invited to a worship service celebrating the shared life and ministry of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME), African Methodist Episcopal (AME), African Methodist Episcopal, Zion (AMEZ) and the United Methodist (UMC) churches. This service will be held at 7:00 p.m. at Pearl Street A.M.E. Church located at 2519 Robinson Street, Jackson, MS.

This worship service is held in conjunction with the meeting of the Pan-Methodist Commission held in Jackson, November 19th and 20th, 2010. The Pan-Methodist Commission consists of national representatives from the historic families of Methodism with the mission to foster meaningful cooperation among these denominations and to explore possible union among the churches.

For more information or to obtain quotes please contact:

Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, 8th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at 601-366-8240; Eighthdistrictamec08@aol.com

Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, Mississippi Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church at 601-948-4561; bishop@mississippi-umc.org

Rev. Ricky James, Pastor, St. Luke's United Methodist Church at
601-362-6381; ricky@stlukesjackson.org

The United Methodist Women of Hinds Chapel UMC in Senatobia District will host their annual Fall Soup Day Saturday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Various soups, chili, and stew will be served along with cornbread and drink for $6.

Homemade fried pies will be available for $2, along with take-out soups in quart sizes for $6 each and pint sizes for $3 each. A bake sale and white elephant sale will also be held.

Funds raised will be used for various mission projects.

The church is located at 5105 Church Road (at the corner of Church and Fogg Roads), Lake Cormorant. For more information contact Jeannie Owens at jowens1956@yahoo.com.

General Board of Church & Society trip will offer biblical history and perspective on current situation

The General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) is organizing a pilgrimage to the Holy Land just before the beginning of the Lenten season. The trip, Feb. 23-March 5, is designed for young clergy, although not limited to them.

Rev. Neal Christie, assistant general secretary for Education & Leadership Formation at GBCS. and the Rev. Clayton Childers, GBCS director of Annual Conference Relations, are working with Dr. Peter Miano of the Society for Biblical Studies, Boston, to design the Holy Land pilgrimage.

The trip will be limited to 15-20 persons. A careful balance will be maintained between learning first-hand about the Holy Land's historic-biblical significance and being exposed to a number of people reflecting the complexity of its current social context.

Three Continuing Education Credits will be awarded for full participation.

Cost, including airfare from New York, will be $2,786. This is for a double-occupancy room. A deposit of $200 is due Nov. 24 with the balance due Dec. 14.

Registration should be made directly with the Society for Biblical Studies (www.sbsedu.org/), 1 Mass. Ave., Suite 40, Arlington, MA 02476, 781-641-4453.

For more information, contact Christie, 202-488-5611 or nchristie@umc-gbcs.org or Childers at 202-488-5642 or cchilders@umc-gbcs.org.

The Global Obesity Summit 2010 will be held November 9-11 in Jackson, at the Jackson Convention Center. This conference is sponsored by the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership and is endorsed by the American Physiological Society, the Inter-American Society of Hypertension, the Council for High Blood Pressure Research of the American Heart Association, and the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism of the American Heart Association.

As you know, obesity and related cardiovascular and metabolic diseases have rapidly become critical health problems in Mississippi as well as major challenges to our healthcare system. We will begin to address this challenge by developing a world class Center for Obesity, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research as well as an alliance of state leaders, academic institutions, clinical services providers and business leaders dedicated to devising a strategy for preventing and reversing the obesity epidemic in our state.

As part of this effort the Global Obesity Summit is being convened to bring together internationally renowned scientists, clinicians, state leaders, business leaders, and healthcare policy makers to Mississippi to discuss innovative solutions to the causes of obesity, preventive strategies, and therapeutic management approaches.

For complete information, visit www.greaterjacksonpartnership.com.

New Albany District UMW holds annual meeting
By Laura Cartwright

The New Albany District UMW held its Annual Meeting Oct. 23, 2010, at Providence UMC. District Vice President Barbara Adams was in charge of the meeting, and did an excellent job. Abbeville minister, Rev. Selber McShepard, District VP Barbara Creekmore, and Providence UMC local president welcomed the good crowd that attended.

The Call to Worship was presented by Kitty Mann of Oxford-University UMC. Booneville UMW member and District Officer Carolyn Jackson did the "Candle Burning" ceremony, and reported on the election of officers for 2011. Lou Ann Staggs, Deaconess and NA Dist. Administrative Secretary, gave a wonderful talk on the future of the United Methodist Women in the New Albany District.

Top Photo: Presenters: Carolyn Jackson, Rev. Selber McShepard, Lou Ann Staggs, Barbara Crseekmore, and Barbara Adams.

Bottom Photo: Juanita Thomas from Blue Mountain, who has been Secretary of Program Resources for years, and has done an above superb job -- keeping members abreast of what they need, and making sure all groups get exactly what they need.

A memorial service celebrating the life of Irma McBroom Harris, widow of The Reverend David A. Harris, will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church, West Main Street, Tupelo, at 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2010 with a reception following. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial gifts be sent to Wesley UMC, PO BOX 2434, Tupelo, MS 38803, designated for the Sanctuary Carpet Fund.

Clyde Sellers of Richton passed away October 26, 2010. He is the father of Rev. David Sellers, associate pastor at Parkway Heights UMC in Hattiesburg. Please remember the Sellers family in your prayers.

Rev. Donald Arrington (TUP-Spruell Chapel) is asking for your prayers for a successful and speedy recovery from recent surgery on his neck.

Teresa Manning, the spouse of Harold Manning, Utica/Carpenter UMC is having hernia surgery on November 2. The surgery will take place at the Baptist Medical Center, Jackson. Please keep the Mannings in your prayers.

Angus G. McLaurin passed away Oct. 28, 2010. He is the father of William C. McLaurin, pastor of Grandview UMC and Soules' Chapel UMC both in the Hattiesburg District. Please remember the McLaurin family in your prayers.

Rev.Darrell Sanderson (TUP-Friendship/Harden's Chapel) will be delivering a truck load of toys for children of Virginia coal miners in December. If you wish to donate a toy to be included in this delivery, please bring it by the Tupelo District Office no later than December 9.

Greer Chapel UMC in Flowood is seeking an administrative assistant. This position is part-time, paid weekly, and shall be under the supervision of the pastor(s). The administrative assistant performs the clerical tasks necessary for the support of the Council on Ministries. Applications are currently being received and will be considered until the position is filled. Please call Greer Chapel at
601-932-6507 to express interest or obtain more details.

The Riggs Manor campus of Methodist Senior Services, Raymond, MS, has an opening for a Director of Resident Services who will help us fulfill our mission statement of "Serving older adults in a spirit of Christian Love." The person in this position assists residents with non-medical needs, markets and leases units, performs account payable and receivable functions, and is a part of the management team. Please send resume along with cover letter, salary history & references to Kay Higginbotham, Executive Director, Riggs Manor Retirement Community, 2300 Seven Springs Road, Raymond, MS 39154. E-mails will be accepted at kayhh@bellsouth.net. EOE.

Director of Communications, WNC Conference, United Methodist Church (UMC), Charlotte -- Requirement: working knowledge of UMC and its many connections. Responsible for emerging, creative, cutting-edge communications; team coordinator for communications and information technology staff. Email: jtrollinger@wnccumc.org. Deadline: 11/20/10.