Conference News & Views

FRANKLIN---A Broadway Review “Patrons Party” being held Friday, February 2 at 7 p.m. has sold out at Bravo Creative Arts Center and now is moving one block away to Bethlehem United Methodist Church’s Performing Arts Center to accommodate additional ticket sales, according to production director Dietz Osborne.

Osborne said ticket sales for the star-studded Broadway Review have been brisk and necessitated the move to Bethlehem United Methodist Church located at 2419 Bethlehem Loop Road just off Hillsboro Road in the Grassland Area of Franklin.

All reservations will be honored at the church. For questions or to make an additional reservation at $10.00 per person, please call (615) 791-6456, ext. 2 or bethlehemplayers@yahoo.com.

Singer/songwriter sensation Nicole Witt is headlining the “Broadway Comes to Franklin” community theatre Patrons Party.

The event will support the Bethlehem Players upcoming March production of “The Music Man” at Bethlehem United Methodist Church. The Players are a non-profit community outreach program of BUMC.

The February 2 program, with delicious desserts and coffee, includes Witt and beloved theatre veterans Billy Ditty and Jeff Pettit as well as singers Maggie McNulty and Grassland Middle School choral director Will Lambert.

Witt’s, whose songs have been published by EMI Music and Curb Publishing, most recent hot song was a country radio favorite by Terri Clark (Universal/Mercury) “She Didn’t Have Time.” Her songs have also been recorded by Diamond Rio “The Box” and “Power of A Song” was recorded by Diamond Rio (with Amy Grant and Vince Gill). The Kinleys recorded “Love Train” and country newcomers Rodney Atkins, Amber Dotson, Richie Jones, Lauren Lucas and Jamie Lee Thurston all have Nicole Witt signature cuts.

In accordance with Tennessee Annual Conference Standing Rule11, which provides a way for lay and clergy to declare their candidacy for Election as a delegate, we offer the following guidelines and requirements:1. You should prepare a statement concerning 1) your activities at the local church, district, annual, jurisdictional, and general conference levels; (2) your assessment of the principal needs of the General Church and how they should be met, and (3) any other information felt pertinent to introduce yourself to other members of the Tennessee Conference.

2. For the best possible appearance in the pre-conference journal it would be good to submit your candidacy statement electronically. You can send it as an email attachment to vsharber@tnumc.org or send it on a CD disk. Candidacy statements submitted as handwritten or typed documents will be scanned for inclusion in the pre-conference book. Send CDs or manuscripts to Vickie Sharber, Suite #1, 304 South Perimeter Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211. Make sure that any CD or manuscript is sent to arrive by the deadline date.

3. The deadline date for receiving all candidacy statements and photos is March 19, 2007.

4. The statement must be limited to one page, whether typewritten or handwritten. Type size of 8 pt is recommended.

5 . Photos may be submitted in electronic form (i.e. jpeg) or mailed to Vicki Shriver by deadline date.Persons do not have to declare candidacy to be eligible for election to General or Jurisdictional Conference.

Please use the following guidelines when submitting your candidacy statement:DO NOT USE HEADERS/FOOTERS, DOUBLE SPACING OR PAGE NUMBERING when preparing your report. PLEASE USE 1.75 INCHES FOR ALL FOUR MARGINS. , because the setup page in the Pre-Conference Book of Reports allows only 5 inches of print.

Vicki Sharber
Administrative Assistant
Office of Connectional Ministries
The United Methodist Church
615-329-1177 or 800-403-5795
Fax: 615-329-0884
email: vsharber@tnumc.org

(In Partnership with MTSU’s Department of History)

NASHVILLE, TN – Throughout the weekend of March 9 -11, 2007, Scarritt-Bennett Center will host a national conference focusing on United Methodist Women in history, in partnership with Middle Tennessee State University’s History Department, who will be presenting specifically on “Intersecting Missions: The Work of Women in Progressive Women’s Organizations in Tennessee, 1870-1930”.

The first of its kind in over twenty years, this event draws historians from around the country. Those from the academy and the mission field will gather to present papers and provide panel discussions surrounding the contributions and impact of women of the world in mission work, as well as United Methodist and Tennessee history. Keynote speakers will be Dr. Dana L. Robert, Truman Collins Professor of World Mission, Boston University School of Theology, and Dr. Elisabeth Israels Perry, John Francis Bannon Professor of History, St. Louis University.

Some topics include “Scarritt Women at Work in New Orleans”, “Her Name was Willie: The Life of Willie Harding McGavock”, and “The WCTU, Christian Women, and Christian Men: What Booze Hath Brought Together, Only Sex Could Put Asunder.” Academic presenters will include historians and professionals from Purdue University, Phillips Theological Seminary, Drew Theological School, MTSU, Duke University Divinity School, Austin Peay State University, TSU, Messiah College, and other institutions.

The three day conference begins Friday, March 9th and ends Sunday, March 11th and will be held at Scarritt-Bennett Center. The event is open to the public with day passes and overnight packages available. Fees begin at $100 per person for the weekend. For a complete list of topics and presenters or to register for this event please visit www.scarrittbennett.org or phone 615.340.7500 for more information.

Bishop Richard Wills has announced the appointment of the Rev. Loyd E. Mabry to become Director of the Tennessee Annual Conference Council on Connectional Ministries. Mabry, who presently serves as Director of Congregational Development, will assume his new position following the 2007 session of the Tennessee Annual Conference. He replaces the Rev. Randall Ganues who will be retiring at the end of June.

Mabry has served congregations within the Tennessee Annual Conference since 1976 and was District Superintendent of the Columbia District before being called by Bishop Wills to the newly created position in Congregational Development.

Mabry is a strong supporter of local church ministries, and prefers to view the United Methodist Church as an organism rather than an institution. He recently wrote: “Often, we speak of the church in institutional terms. Words like preserve and maintain replace words like growth and movement. Words like budget and the bottom line replace vision and ministry. The church is not a building nor an institution. The church is a community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. Growth, movement, change, etc., are not frightening words for an organism but they are for an institution.” These words back up his personal commitment when he originally accepted the Congregational Development job. “This job is not about buildings and property,” he stated, ‘I definitely affirm that we must invest in people not properties. Once a faith community is developed, property can be secured. Without passionate spiritual leaders faith communities can not sustain themselves.

Mabry has had special training in both leadership techniques and church revitalization through the General Board of Discipleship, the Beeson Institute, and the School of Congregational Development (Tipp City, Ohio, 2004; Dallas, Texas, 2005; San Diego, 2006). He has also completed conflict resolution training through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. He makes no secret of things he feels need the most emphasis in ministry: “Increasing the effectiveness of local congregations and enabling the revitalization of congregations is a passion of mine.” When he served as District Superintendent he began using Natural Church Development as a vehicle to promote healthy churches. Loyd feels that promoting church health is an excellent way to revitalize congregations.

Mabry is deeply concerned about the current state of the denomination as represented by some national statistics – but he is completely enthusiastic about the future of a Christ driven church. “Did you know,” he asks, “that in 2004 42.1% of the United Methodist Churches in the United States had no one join on confession of faith? That percentage is expected to be even greater in 2005. Within the Tennessee Conference 50.8% of our churches had no one join on confession of faith.”

He continued, “The latest figure I saw reported that the average age of a United Methodist is sixty-one. In the United States 57% of the population is under the age of 40. In Middle Tennessee the average age is 37.”

“One of the exciting aspects of becoming the new Director of Connectional Ministries for the Conference is that I get to build on the solid foundation laid by Randall Ganues. Even as Randall is looking forward to retirement, his biggest concern is the restructuring of the Council to make it responsive to the needs and challenges of 2007.“

Loyd Mabry received a B.S. degree from Lambuth College in Jackson. Tennessee, and his M. Div. from the Candler School of Theology. He is married to Deborah Louise Pearce Mabry and the couple has two children, Matthan and Rachel

Randall C. Ganues, who has served as the Tennessee Annual Conference Director of Connectional Ministries since 1997, will retire in June of 2007 after more than 43 years of active ministry. During his 43 years in ministry Ganues served as pastor of small congregations as well as of some of the conference’s larger churches, including Smithville First, St. Mark’s, Cookeville First, and Shelbyville First. He was serving as District Superintendent of the Murfreesboro District when Bishop Kenneth Carder appointed him to the Connectional Ministries position.

During Ganues’ ten years as Director of the Conference Council on Connectional Ministries there have been major changes in The United Methodist Church and the Tennessee Annual Conference. This meant that he had to provide definitive leadership within the Conference to transition from a programmatic Council on Ministries to a much broader Connectional Ministries Office that was responsive to the changing needs of local congregations and the entire Annual Conference. Even as he prepares for retirement he is chairing a special task force that is studying the structure of the CCOCM to make it increasingly effective in 2007.

Ganues was a major source of assistance in locating and remodeling of the new Tennessee Conference Center, and while he has been CCOCM Director, major remodeling and new construction has occurred at historic Beersheba Springs Assembly. He has endeavored to help local churches understand that the Council on Connectional Ministries is an extension of local church ministry and is responsive to the needs and concerns of the local church and not a bureaucracy unto itself.

Some of the changes during Ganues’ shepherding of the Office of Connectional Ministries were seemingly mundane – for example moving from isolated/independent use of computer technology to a common database used by Conference, Episcopal, and District offices. He also provided strong leadership in times of chaos – from the sequence of tornadoes that struck middle Tennessee at the end of the 1990s, to the consequences of the Tsunami and 2005’s hurricanes that left the Gulf Coast in Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida devastated, reeling from the destruction of homes, utilities, and community super-structure. He has also shown strong support for the concept of an Annual Conference Common Table where all agencies of the conference are represented – a rare blending of perspectives, lay and ministerial. The Common Table is currently involved in sponsoring “Town Hall” meetings in each district to gather perspectives on the proposed direct billing of local churches for ministerial pensions and health care. This reflects his ongoing vision of his work with the conference – that the different entities of the conference wouldn’t be in competition but would be working as one to realize Thy kingdom come.

Friend and colleague Vin Walkup, Director of the Nashville Area Foundation, reflected recently on his relationship with Randall Ganues: “I have known Randall Ganues since 1964 when my father, Elbert Walkup, was his District Superintendent and Randall served the Barren Plains Charge. He and I became very good friends in the mid-70’s when he served with Dad at Tullahoma First United Methodist Church. He continues to be like a second brother to me, a very special relationship of mutual appreciation. His greatest gift to me has been his ability to be honest and supportive in every aspect of our relationship. I value his wisdom gained through the experiences of his life, and I am grateful for the contributions he has made to our conference. My fondest wish for Randall and Brenda in this next phase of their lives is that they will enjoy retirement as much as Dad and Mom did.”

Randall is married to Brenda Nall Ganues, and has three children: daughter Leigh Anne Brown; and sons, Randall C. Ganues, Jr., and Bradley A. Ganues. He and Brenda are also the grandparents of 5 grandchildren, and one goal of his retirement is to be able to spend more time with the younger generation. He also plans to do some traveling, play plenty of golf, and work on his hobby of restoring and refinishing furniture.

Franklin---Singer/songwriter sensation Nicole Witt is headlining a “Broadway Comes to Franklin” community theatre Patrons Party on Friday, February 2 at the Bravo Creative Arts Center at 2227 Hillsboro Road in Franklin’s Grassland Area.

The star-studded Broadway Review will support the Bethlehem Players upcoming March production of “The Music Man” at Bethlehem United Methodist Church. The Players are a non-profit community outreach program of BUMC.

The February 2 program includes Witt and beloved theatre veterans Billy Ditty and Jeff Pettit as well as singers Maggie McNulty and Grassland Middle School choral director Will Lambert.

Witt’s, whose songs have been published by EMI Music and Curb Publishing, most recent hot song was a country radio favorite by Terri Clark (Universal/Mercury) “She Didn’t Have Time.” Her songs have also been recorded by Diamond Rio “The Box” and “Power of A Song” was recorded by Diamond Rio (with Amy Grant and Vince Gill). The Kinleys recorded “Love Train” and country newcomers Rodney Atkins, Amber Dotson, Richie Jones, Lauren Lucas and Jamie Lee Thurston all have Nicole Witt signature cuts.

The doors open on Friday, February 2 at 7 p.m. at Bravo Creative Arts Center (the old Grassland Hardware store). Tickets are available at the door for $10.00 per person and include delicious desserts, coffee and over an hour of wonderful Broadway hits. Due to limited seating, reservations are recommended at (615) 791-6456, ext. 2 or at bethlehemplayers@yahoo.com.

The Bethlehem Players are celebrating their 10th anniversary of exceptional family entertainment with the production of “The Music Man” with selected dates March 9 – 18 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church’s Performing Arts Center. The Players were started in 1997 by BUMC Music Director Harry Robinson as a community outreach and a unique version of “church softball.”

Directions: Located off Hillsboro Road in the Franklin’s Grassland Community. From the Nashville – Old Hickory Blvd./Hillsboro Road intersection, travel Hillsboro Road south to Grassland area. (Pass Sneed Road and Old Hillsboro Road.) After the Old Hillsboro Road traffic light, continue straight on HILLSBORO Road for approx. 1 mile. There will be a Grassland shopping center on the right. Bravo Creative Arts Center is on the right at 2227 Hillsboro Road. Event night phone – 582-0554.

Award-winning performance comes to Scarritt-Bennett Center
“From the Motherland to the Promised Land”

Nashville, TN – A powerful dramatic chronology of the African-American worship experience, from the slave hollers to the drone of Negro spirituals, the rich history of the African American worship experience comes to life in “From the Motherland to the Promised Land.”

Scarritt-Bennett Center, located on 19th S & Grand, will host Christian dramatist, Sherre Miller Bishop, during Black History Month, for a special performance on Friday, February 9, 2007,
7 – 8:30 PM in Fondren Hall at Scarritt-Bennett Center.

Bishop, the Tennessee-based dramatist, describes the performance, “People of all ages have clapped their hands, cried, stomped their feet, and laughed during this performance. It’s a heart wrenching, inspirational story of more than history. It’s all about the faith and the indomitable spirits that emerge from having faith in God.”

During the performance Bishop sings, “picks” cotton, "preaches," works in the “big house,” etc. At another interval, she launches into an old time devotional service. Audiences are treated to a trip back through the strong faith of generations.

The original monologue, From the Motherland to the Promised Land has taken Bishop from coast to coast performing for groups as large as 10,000. Bishop was a featured winner in the Los Angeles Women’s Theater Festival (LAWTF). Her one-woman show was featured in N. Hollywood, California during LAWTF’s annual festival in March of 2005.

Tickets are $5 per person at the door, HOWEVER, seating is limited for this event, and due to the popularity of this performance, admission is not guaranteed without an RSVP in advance. Please call 615.340.7450, or email diversity@scarrittbennett.org for reservations and more information.

Hermitage, TN – Dr. W.C. Link, who served as President of McKendree Village, Inc. continuing care retirement community for 22 years, died in Sun City Center, Florida, on the morning of January 12, 2007. Under his leadership from 1968 through 1990, McKendree Village became the largest private continuing care retirement community in Tennessee and home to more than 750 senior adults.

“Dr. Link’s vision and dedication were essential to establishing McKendree Village as one of the premier communities of its kind in the nation,” said Mary Anna Womeldorf, the current President and CEO of McKendree Village. “He set his sights on excellence and made it a part of our mission. His influence is still felt today.”

Dr. Link, a native of Nashville and an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church, served several church appointments in the middle Tennessee area prior to his election as President of McKendree Village in 1968. He led McKendree Village through the construction of all of the primary buildings on the 42-acre campus in Hermitage, including the McKendree Towers independent living building, all but one of the 32 cottage homes on campus, the healthcare center, the assisted living center and the Alzheimer’s care facility. The W.C. Link Welcome Center at McKendree Village was named in his honor at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1988. At retirement, Dr. Link was named President Emeritus of the Village.

Dr. Link continued to serve McKendree Village even after his retirement. In November 2005, he was the featured speaker at the inaugural banquet honoring members of The Legacy Society, a special group of people who support the ministry and mission of McKendree Village through a planned gift. During his presentation that evening, he said, “When the church with all its compassionate care, will utilize the skills, talents and resources of its members, it can produce a masterpiece of service for its aging people. McKendree Village is a living, developing masterpiece.”

One of Dr. Link’s special talents was seeking out and recruiting people to serve on Boards and committees at McKendree Village. Among the hundreds of people he recruited to contribute their gifts and talents to McKendree Village were Minnie Pearl (Mrs. Henry Cannon); Willie McDonald, long-time Donelson banker and community leader; and Dr. Lynn Webb, Chief of Staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Link is survived by his wife Frances, sons David and Dan, and several grandchildren. Memorial donations can be made to the W.C. Link Memorial Fund, McKendree Village Foundation, 4343 Lebanon Road, Towers Apt. 202, Hermitage, TN 37076.

McKendree Village, Inc. is located at 4347 Lebanon Road in Hermitage, Tennessee. Established in 1963, McKendree Village provides a continuum of retirement living options and health care services in a secure, Christian environment. Its services include independent living, assisted living, nursing home care and Alzheimer’s care. McKendree Village is affiliated with The United Methodist Church and is affiliated with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

By ELCA News Service*

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, U.S. Christian church leaders urged their congregations to join other congregations in their communities to "discern ways to exercise common witness and common service as together we seek to dismantle racism and, in so doing, to be the voice and presence of God's love in the world."

United Methodist Bishop William Oden, ecumenical officer, United Methodist Council of Bishops, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and nine other Christian church leaders - many of them heads of communion - endorsed the statement issued through Churches Uniting in Christ.

CUIC is a relationship of 10 member churches "that have pledged to live more closely together in expressing their unity in Christ and to combat racism together," according to the organization's Web site. The United Methodist Church is a member and the ELCA is a "partner in mission and dialogue."

The church leaders noted in their statement that Jan. 15 marks the 21st anniversary celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the fifth anniversary of CUIC. On Jan. 21, 2002, the church leaders, representing 10 denominations, assembled in Memphis at the historic Lorraine Motel, site of King's assassination in 1968.

"They gathered to sign an agreement committing the members and partners in mission of CUIC to express their unity in Christ by living more closely together and working together to combat racism in the church and in society. In their statement, the heads of communion affirmed that we must hold a common vision for God's Beloved Community that is a community 'committed to eradicating racism and making no peace with oppression,'" the statement said.

The church leaders said that CUIC members are called to be "ambassadors of reconciliation" in a world sold on the idolatries of privilege and racial exclusivity that continue to divide and alienate the family of God, denying the truth that we are all created in the image of the one God.

"Common witness and service are two marks of our unity in Christ. Our partnership in CUIC recognizes that one barrier to the expression of unity in the Christian family is the continuing reality of racism in the church and in the human community," the church leaders' statement said.

The church leaders said the vision of CUIC is that "authentic unity may be born in the struggle for racial justice, and that our collective prophetic witness against injustice and oppression in all forms is a measure of our faithfulness to the gospel."

The church leaders added that they are reminded there is still much to be done to dismantle and eradicate racism, and they hope their efforts will not be in vain.

"We believe in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: 'There is a power in love that our world has not discovered yet,'" the statement concluded.

Other denominational heads of communion and senior church leaders who signed the statement represented the African Methodist Episcopal Church; African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; the Episcopal Church; International Council of Community Churches; Moravian Church Northern Province; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and United Church of Christ.

*This story was provided by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America News Service.

If you look up Methodist in the dictionary, there is sure to be a picture of Mary Jane Motlow. There is hardly an area of service in the United Methodist Church that has not benefited from her discipleship. Her dedication and devotion to Lynchburg First United Methodist, the Murfreesboro District, the Tennessee Conference and the United Methodist Global Ministries raises the bar for all of us. While some might approach these tasks as burdensome, Mary Jane has accepted each new challenge with the joy of a devoted disciple who feels privileged to serve.

It is a daunting task to enumerate Mary Jane’s many offices and areas of service. She and her
husband moved to Lynchburg in 1956 and transferred their memberships to the First United
Methodist. Since that day, her love and support of our local church has been unfaltering. She served as Lay Member to Annual Conference for over 20 years. She has been Chairperson of the Administrative Council, a member of the Vision 2000 Task Force and is a Member Emeritus of the Endowment Committee. She is a certified Lay Speaker and has been the church organist since 1971.

Mary Jane is not a person to be satisfied with the status quo. She is quick to get on board and
enthusiastically support positive changes and growth producing activities.

In the Murfreesboro District Council on Ministries, Mary Jane has served as Chairperson of the
Stewardship Committee. She has also been a member of the Committee on Superintendency.

At the Tennessee Conference level, Mary Jane was a Trustee of McKendree Village for 11 years.
She was Vice-Chairperson of the Equitable Salaries Committee for 8 years. She was a member of the Lay Advisory Committee to the late Bishop Earl Hunt from 1976 to 1980. She was also a member of the Conference Council on Ministries.


Mary Jane has been an able representative of the Tennessee Conference and the United
Methodist Church on a global level. She was the Tennessee Conference delegate to the World
Methodist Conference in Honolulu in 1981 and Nairobi in 1986. She served as a Director of the
General Board of Global Ministries for two Quadrennials, 1988-1996. During that time she served in the National Division as Chairperson of the Finance Committee. In the Mission Personnel Resources Program Department, she served as Chairperson of the Mission Resource Center Section. She attended the Global Gathering in Indianapolis in 1992 and in Kansas City in 1996.

Of great significance to Methodist women has been Mary Jane’s leadership at all levels in the
UMW. She has been a longtime member of her local UMW, where she has held all offices. She served as District President for three years, as well as Secretary and Vice-President. She has been a member of the District Nominating Committee and Chairperson of the Conference Nominating Committee.

As Dean of the Conference School of Christian Missions, in 1984 and 1985, she provided a
beautiful experience that is fondly remembered by the participants. Mary Jane has attended UMW Assemblies in Philadelphia, Anaheim and Cincinnati.

Mary Jane has carried her Christian witness into the community, where she is obviously an
outstanding representative of The United Methodist church. She was elected a Director of Farmers Bank in Lynchburg in 1974 to fulfill her deceased husband’s position. She was later elected Chairperson of the Board of Directors. She has been Chairperson of the Moore County Health Council and a member of South Central Regional Health Council.

Mary Jane Thayer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 20, 1921. She was confirmed at age 12 at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Wed in Savanna, Illinois, to Jack D. Motlow, Jr., they were married from 1944 until his death in
1973. Their only child, Jack D., is physically and mentally handicapped and resides in a nursing home in Lynchburg. Mary Jane is an avid bridge player and loves to read and travel.

Throughout her almost 85 years, Mary Jane has led an active, interesting life. She has been a
joyful giver of her time, her talents and her resources. When asked what she is most proud of, she responded without hesitation, “That I have been a lifelong Methodist!” It is difficult to imagine that any member of the Methodist laity could be more deserving of the honor of the 2006 Journal Dedication.

Nominated by Gerry Fanning & June Pugh

Peace through Unity is the theme of the 2007 Tennessee Annual Conference worship service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., celebrating his life, and renewing commitment to his Vision.

The event, sponsored by the Tennessee Conference Committee on Christian Unity and Inter-religious Concerns, is to be held at Nashville’s Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church, January 14, 2007, starting at 4:00 p.m. Two biblical texts will provide the worship focus: Micah 6: 7-8 and Colossians 3: 14-15.

This is a terse announcement of what could become one of the most powerful worship experiences in conference history. To begin with, the preacher will be the Rev. James M. Lawson, Jr., a colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King labeled Lawson as “the leading nonviolence theorist in the world.”

Rev. Lawson first met Martin Luther King in 1957, and they soon joined forces to realize their dream of starting a non-violent mass movement. That same year Rev. Lawson went to Nashville to teach the mechanics of nonviolence to budding civil rights activists. Lawson continued to work with King until his death but has never given up on their shared dream of racial harmony. Later he became president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for 14 years, the organization founded by King to end racial segregation by nonviolent protest. More about Lawson is included below.

Children from throughout the Conference are being brought together to perform a new version of the old hymn Joyful, Joyful. They will be accompanied by Tim Hayden, Director of Music at LaVergne First United Methodist Church. Hayden is unmatched in his skill, talent and dedication to excellence. He is also an amazing composer and has written the arrangement of Joyful, Joyful that will be taught to the children. Rev. Beth Gaines, who is organizing the children’s choir, admits that Joyful, Joyful might sound a little stuffy for children but then expands on her thought: “this is a put-on-your-seatbelt-we’re-gonna-rock-the-house” kind of arrangement. “This is all about worshipping God in an amazingly fun and exciting way!”

Also part of the service will be choirs from Woodbine United Methodist Church and Primera Iglesia Metodista Hispana (Hispanic congregation at Woodbine); Tennessee Conference minister and story teller the Rev. Rosemary Brown; Mattielyn Williams, chairperson Religion and Race; Bishop Richard Wills; Rev. Nancy Neelley; and Rev. Sam Purushotam. Other individuals and choirs will also participate but have not been confirmed as this goes to press. In addition, the Rev. Michael Williams and professional video producer (and United Methodist layman) Robert Tigert, Jr., are preparing a short video segment that blends voices from the past with contemporary interviews focusing on the question, “Where is the vision today?”

Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church is located at 2334 Herman Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37208.

Rev. James M. Lawson is Welcomed back to Vanderbilt University

Excerpted from the article “Vanderbilt’s most famous expellee settles back on campus” by Jim Patterson. The article welcomes James M. Lawson back to Vanderbilt and Nashville as a Distinguished Visiting Professor, Center for the Study of Religion and Culture.

Lawson’s life – including his student years at Vanderbilt – is marked by an abiding faith in the principles of Christianity and non-violence, and a willingness to pay the price for those beliefs. He served 13 months of a three-year prison sentence for refusing the draft during the Korean War, and was expelled from Vanderbilt in 1960 because of his work in the civil rights movement in Nashville.

After a national press uproar and threats of mass faculty resignations, a compromise allowed Lawson to complete his graduate studies at Vanderbilt. He opted instead to complete his degree at Boston University.

Vanderbilt and Lawson reconciled in various ways over the years, and he returned to Vanderbilt Divinity School during a sabbatical in 1970-71. But university officials still felt like the relationship was incomplete until naming Lawson the 2005 Distinguished Alumnus and announcing his return as Distinguished University Professor for the 2006-07 academic year.

“Permanently expelled from Vanderbilt University, James Lawson would have done fine and well,” said James Hudnut-Beumler, dean of Vanderbilt Divinity School, during the January dinner announcing his return. “But Vanderbilt could not be fine or well without confronting its troubled soul. … James Lawson has progressively helped this university find its conscience – and dare I say – its soul.”

A lifelong Christian and pastor emeritus of the Holston United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, Lawson holds Christianity to high standards, and his blistering criticism is hard for some to accept. He’s preparing for a spring course with the working title of Jesus Against Christianity (the title is appropriated from a book by Jack Nelson Pallmeyer) that will argue that much religion in the United States is really idolatry.

“I would like to engage in a no-bars-held conversation about authentic religion,” he said. “I am persuaded that very often the Bible is an idol in American religion, rather than a kind of conversation between God and our human scene.”

“It’s not an easy course,” Lawson notes, “You run into situations where you get expelled from a university.”

Lawson “an unusually crucial public theological and movement tactician”

In introducing James M. Lawson to the Vanderbilt Community Dennis C. Dickerson said: “The place of Martin Luther King, Jr., the eloquent and charismatic embodiment of civil rights activism, is secure, and now there is an increased appreciation of the creative theoretical contributions of Ella Baker. But, to this triumvirate of civil rights greats and grassroots activists belongs James M. Lawson. His Nashville workshops and the sit-ins they produced, his singular stand against short-sighted Vanderbilt authorities aghast at his insurgent activism, and his leadership among the striking sanitation workers in Memphis are enough to entitle him to these enviable honors and long overdue awards. Lawson, notwithstanding these acclaimed accomplishments, is an unusually crucial public theologian and movement tactician.

Interested Methodists to serve as liaisons between college, congregations

PULASKI, Tenn. — A series of training events will be held throughout the Tennessee Conference in the next six weeks to educate United Methodist parishioners about becoming Martin Methodist College representatives in their respective churches.

Martin Methodist College seeks to have at least one person in each congregation from the churches in the Tennessee Conference who has been identified as a Martin Representative to serve as a liaison between the college and his or her church. Seven district training events have been scheduled to equip these representatives in this ministry. Staff personnel from Martin Methodist College’s Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership will facilitate the workshops and share exciting details about MMC’s growth.

The Martin Representatives were identified at charge conferences and the new year of service begins in January 2007.

“As the college of the Tennessee Conference, Martin Methodist College desires to be in an active relationship with the congregations of our conference,” said the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish, director of church relations for the college. “I am your liaison who serves as a link to further connect Martin Methodist College with your congregation. This is a wonderful opportunity to support this important institution of the United Methodist Church by uniting to serve our risen Lord as one body.

“We invite all Martin Representatives as well as the clergy appointed to the local congregations of our conference to attend one training event,” Parrish added.

The training dates and locations are as follows:
+ Cookeville District – Saturday, Jan. 20, at the district’s training event, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Sparta FUMC (please RSVP to Keigh Long at 615-897-2957);
+ Murfreesboro District – Sunday, Jan. 21, at the district’s “Shepherd School,” 2-4 p.m. at Tullahoma UMC;
+ Columbia District – Sunday, Jan. 21, at the district’s training event, 2-4:15 p.m. at Riverside UMC;
+ Pulaski District – Thursday, Jan. 25, at a district gathering beginning at 6 p.m. at Loretto UMC (to assist with dinner preparations, please RSVP to Mary Noble Parrish at 931-363-9834 or mparrish@martinmethodist.edu by Monday, Jan. 22;
+ Nashville District – Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the district’s training event, 6-9 p.m. at Calvary UMC;
+ Cumberland District – Sunday, Feb. 11, at the district’s training event, 2-4:30 p.m. at Hendersonville FUMC;
+ Clarksville District – Sunday, Feb. 11, at the district’s training event, 3-5 p.m. at Madison Street UMC.

To learn more, visit the Martin Representatives site on the Martin Methodist College website at www.martinmethodist.edu/ccl/churchrelations/martinrepresentatives or contact the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish at mparrish@martinmethodist.edu or by calling 931-363-9834 or 1-800-467-1273, ext. 3834.

(Antioch, TN) Bishop William Morris, the former United Methodist bishop for the Nashville Episcopal area will be speaking at 10:30 a.m. on January 14 at the Antioch United Methodist Church. Bishop Morris served as the episcopal leader for United Methodists in Middle and West Tennessee for four years prior to his retirement.

Bishop Morris is best known for his leadership in congregations in Middle Tennessee. During his pastoral ministry in the Tennessee Annual Conference, Bishop Morris served in almost every leadership position open to United Methodist clergy. Bishop Morris broke new ground in this region by being appointed at the first African American pastor to serve a predominantly Anglo congregation when he was appointed to the First United Methodist Church in Gallatin.

For all of his service to the church, Bishop Morris is known as a dynamic preacher and motivator, leading persons to think seriously about the life of faith.

"We were excited to offer the invitation to Bishop Morris to join us in worship," said Jay Voorhees, pastor of the Antioch area church. "Bishop Morris has the unique ability to transcend racial and ethnic barriers, offering a vision of love and grace that speaks to all."

Bishop Morris will be preaching in the 10:30 a.m. worship service at the Antioch United Methodist Church.

The Antioch United Methodist Church is located at 41 Tusculum Rd. in Antioch. More information and directions to the church may be obtained by visiting www.antiochumc.net, or calling (615) 832-6248.