Conference News & Views

By United Methodist News Service*

United Methodists will be featured in an upcoming CBS-TV special exploring the Chautauqua Institution, an educational center in New York.

CBS will air the 30-minute interfaith program at 8 a.m. Eastern time and 5 a.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, Oct. 8.

Both founders of the Chautauqua Institution - the Rev. John Heyl Vincent, a minister, and Lewis Miller, an inventor and manufacturer - were Methodists. Chautauqua started in 1874 as a summer retreat for Sunday school teachers and later expanded into a summer cultural and religious retreat for people of all ages and faiths.

Now a National Historic District, the institution operates as an educational center, hosting approximately 7,500 a day during the nine-week summer session. The summer school offers a variety of courses in the arts, and the religion department presents distinguished religious leaders of various faiths as preachers and teachers. The Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, former chief executive of the National Council of Churches, is director of the department of religion.

During the program, the Rev. Ted Anderson, pastor of Hurlbut Memorial Community United Methodist Church in Chautauqua, leads a tour of Palestine Park. A visit also is made to United Methodist House, one of the oldest denominational houses at the institution.

Others featured in the program include Campbell, Tom Becker, Chautauqua's president, and the Rev. Albert J.D. Aymer, president of Hood Theological Seminary. Kevin Sixbey and four student leaders with the Abrahamic Youth Program will talk about the program's goal of dispelling the stereotypes of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith traditions.

The special is produced with the cooperation of the National Council of Churches, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Islamic Society of North America and a consortium of Jewish organizations. John P. Blessington is the executive producer and Liz Kineke is the producer.

More information can be found at www.interfaithbroadcasting.com online.

For the folks in the “lower 48” it is impossible to imagine villages being 150 miles apart. There are over 200 Alaskan Native Tribes in Alaska and the Tennessee Conference Committee on Native American Ministry is establishing a long distance relationship with some of them. Our guest speaker this year at “Native Moccasins Rock” was Ray Buckley, the newly appointed Director of Connectional Ministries and Native Discipleship of the Alaskan Missionary Conference. Ray shared that one village was recently destroyed by fire. UMCOR is now on the scene.

Alaskan Natives are sustenance people; hunting and fishing, and now, gathering berries before winter. Babies go home from the native hospital but need that warm “noogie” that babies here get. Socks are hand knitted to keep out the winter cold.

United we stand in ministry. Your conference CCONAM is collecting YARN, knitting needles and crochet needles, and even “noogies” if YOU like to knit. Checking with the elders, Ray says that washable wool blend or washable acrylic wool blend is best, but can use any yarn.

If churches or individuals would like to be a part of this long distance “knitting circle of warmth” we will be collecting the yarn and supplies until November 1st. The conference committee (CCONAM) will be responsible for packing and shipping.

Help us to “unravel the distance” between their villages (in Alaska and even into Siberia) and ours. Whether you have a “Yarn Sunday” or have one “ball of yarn” you can bring the yarn to the TN Conference Offices at Suite One, 304 S. Perimeter Park Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37211

Contact Persons:
Margie Hesson, chairperson @615-746-8726 or haskellh@aol.com

Mary T Newman, vice chair @615-329-1177 or mtnewman@tnumc.org

Cookeville District Contact: Wes & Pat Bryan, 1-931-473-6720 or bryanp@k12tn.net

Especially during election times, we need to be aware of what is and is not legal with regard to the political arena. We have a duty to be involved in the political process, but must be award of our rights and limitations. The following links provide good information and some strong warnings.

GCFA— http://www.gcfa.org/RestrictionsDuringPoliticalCampaigns.html
Pew Forum-- http://pewforum.org/publications/reports/IRCbrochureBIG.pdf

Grace and Peace

Rev. Jason Brock
Dir. Love and Justice,
Disaster Response Coordinator
Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church
304 S. Perimeter Park Dr., Suite 1
Nashville, TN 37211
615-695-2753 (office direct)
615-293-8594 (mobile)
615-329-0884 (fax)
jbrock@tnumc.org

Sept. 19 is the scheduled execution date for Daryl Holton, a Tennessee death row inmate. While recognizing the seriousness and painful consequences of capital crimes, the United Methodist Church has consistently opposed the death penalty as inconsistent with the church’s understanding of human worth and Christ’s work of redemption (see statement below from the 2004 Book of Discipline). In addition, news stories have reported, and studies have shown, the death penalty has been unfairly applied, largely along racial and economic lines.

You are encouraged to lift up this issue in your local church service/publications and find ways you can lift this issue before our society and government. One opportunity would be to participate in a prayer service at legislative plaza from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16. Also, an ecumenical service will be held at Monday, Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m. at Holy Name Parish (521 Woodland St., Nashville, TN 37206). A prayer vigil will held at Riverbend Maximum Security Institute on the night of Monday, Sept. 18. For more information go to the Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing website http://www.tcask.org/index.html.

The 2004 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church states “We believe the death penalty denies the power of Christ to redeem, restore and transform all human beings. The United Methodist Church is deeply concerned about crime throughout the world and the value of any life taken by a murder or homicide. We believe all human life is sacred and created by God and therefore, we must see all human life as significant and valuable. When governments implement the death penalty (capital punishment), then the life of the convicted person is devalued and all possibility of change in that person's life ends. We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that the possibility of reconciliation with Christ comes through repentance. This gift of reconciliation is offered to all individuals without exception and gives all life new dignity and sacredness. For this reason, we oppose the death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes.”

Grace and Peace

Rev. Jason Brock
Dir. Love and Justice,
Disaster Response Coordinator
Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church
304 S. Perimeter Park Dr., Suite 1
Nashville, TN 37211
615-695-2753 (office direct)
615-293-8594 (mobile)
615-329-0884 (fax)
jbrock@tnumc.org

Please consider contacting Sen. Frist in support the bipartisan Second Chance Act, which addresses the need for better reentry programs to aid ex-offenders be reconciled back into society and avoid further incarceration. You can voice your support sending an email or making a phone call to Allen Hicks at Sen. Frist’s office, 202-224-3135, allen_hicks@frist.senate.gov. Click the following link for a sample letter http://tnumc.org/index.cfm?PAGE_ID=2101&EXPAND

This bill is supported by 200 national organizations including the Prison Fellowship, National Association of Counties, United States Conference of Mayors, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, National Alliance of Faith and Justice, Big Brother Big Sisters of America, Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, American Center for Law and Justice, American Bar Association, NAACP, and the American Conservative Union.

This bill is currently being considered, so please act now.

Grace and Peace

Rev. Jason Brock
Dir. Love and Justice,
Disaster Response Coordinator
Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church
304 S. Perimeter Park Dr., Suite 1
Nashville, TN 37211
615-695-2753 (office direct)
615-293-8594 (mobile)
615-329-0884 (fax)
jbrock@tnumc.org

Dr. Brady Whitehead has been the founder and director and an instructor of the Tennessee-Holston Course of Study Extension School for nine years. Dr. Whitehead has been instrumental in the school being successful in educating countless numbers of part-time local pastors from the Tennessee and Holston Conferences, as well as other conferences. Many local pastors have been fortunate to have Brady as an instructor, mentor, and friend. Dr. Whitehead will be retiring as Director of the Tennessee-Holston COS at the end of 2006.

The Tennessee-Holston COS Advisory Board would like to invite all of Brady’s former and current students, instructors, and friends to join in thanking and honoring him for his faithful service. There will be retirement luncheons held at the COS Schools in September (Martin Methodist) and November (Hiwassee), 2006.

The luncheon at Martin Methodist College will be held at Noon on Saturday, September 30. If you are not a student or instructor at that session, you are still invited to attend at a cost of $10. Contact Tina McGill at tmcgill@martinmethodist.edu or 931-363-9898 to make your reservations as soon as possible. Put “Brady Whitehead Retirement” in the subject line of emails. Students enrolled in the September school and instructors at the September school do not need to make reservations.

Information on the luncheon at Hiwassee in November will be coming from the Holston Conference.

A book of letters will be presented to Dr. Whitehead at the Hiwassee luncheon on November 18, 2006. If you would like to contribute a letter, please send it to Shirley Toomey, Hiwassee College, 225 Hiwassee College Drive, Madisonville, Tennessee 37354-4001.

If you have any questions, contact Rev. Earl Davis at earldavis@djis.net or 931-682-2883.

Dr. James A. Harnish will provide leadership for the 2006 Bishop’s Convocation/School of Ministry, November 27-29, Beersheba Spring Assembly. Theme of the event, to be convened by Bishop Dick Wills, is “You Only Have to Die: Finding New Life in Old Congregations.”

Jim Harnish who has served since 1992 as Senior Pastor of the Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, will share his understanding and experience of how to motivate a church stuck on a maintenance mentality to move to a place of real vitality and service. Many of his insights are presented in the Abingdon Press book (2003) that gave name to the convocation, You Only Have to Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life. Some of his other works, notably Journey to the Center of Faith: An Explorer’s Guide to Christian Living (Abingdon, 2001) deal with the same theme in other ways. He also authored the 2003 Abingdon Advent Bible Study All I Want for Christmas and was a consulting editor of The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (2003).

Prior to his appointment to Hyde Park UMC, Harnish served as organizing pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church at Windermere, Orlando, Florida. Born in Brookville, Pennsylvania, he received a B.A. in Speech & Drama, Secondary Education, at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, and went on to receive both an M.Div. and D.D. from Asbury Theological Seminary. He has been a delegate to General Conference 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004, and a delegate to the World Methodist Conference in 1986 (Nairobi, Kenya), 1996 (Rio de Janireo), and 2001 (Brighton, England).

Jim is an Elder in the Florida Annual Conference. He and his wife Marsha have two daughters and two grandchildren. His twin brother John E. (Jack) Harnish is senior pastor, First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Michigan.

Registration fee for the Bishop’s Convocation is $150 (single, if space is available) and $100 (double). This includes 2 nights lodging (Monday & Tuesday), and 5 meals (Monday, supper; Tuesday breakfast, lunch, and supper; Wednesday breakfast.) Arrival and registration is between 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday, and the Convocation begins with supper at 6:00 p.m. Holy Communion at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday concludes the Convocation. Send your registration and check to Susan S. Padgett, Office of Ministerial Concerns, 304 South Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 6, Nashville, TN 37211-4167. Payment in full is required with registration. CEUs will be awarded. The following information is essential when you register—name, address, phone, email address, name of your district.

SCHEDULE

Monday, November 27, 2006

4:00 p.m. Registration
6:00 p.m. Supper
7:00 p.m. Session I
8:00 p.m. Dialogue
8:30 p.m. Evening Prayer

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

7:15 a.m. Morning Prayer
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Session II
10:00 a.m. Dialogue
10:30 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Holy Communion
Noon Lunch
1:00 p.m. Recreation
5:00 p.m. Orders Meeting
6:00 p.m. Supper
7:00 p.m. Session III
8:00 p.m. Dialogue
8:30 p.m. Evening Prayer

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

7:15 a.m. Morning Prayer
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Session IV
10:00 a.m. Dialogue
10:30 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Holy Communion
Noon Departure