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May/June 2012 Together

Cover Story

Hoosiers in tornado recovery for the long haul

5/9/2012

Moving from relief to long-term recovery in southern Indiana as a result of March 2 tornadoes which destroyed homes in half a dozen towns, Conference Disaster Response and Volunteers in Mission teams approved major Long-Term Recovery (LTR) grants March 30. The grants will assist storm survivors to reclaim what was left of their homes. For some survivors, it will help them rebuild their homes from the ground up. The Indiana Conference teams approved $30,000 in grant money to be used for the... -- more --

From the Bishop

Making new memories

5/9/2012

Bishop Mike Coyner presiding at General Conference. One of the most powerful worship services at General Conference and at Annual Conference is the memorial service. This year’s service at General Conference was a time to remember and give thanks for the lives and witness of 17 United Methodist bishops who died during the past four years since the previous General Conference. I knew all of them,... -- more --

North Ktanga bishop appoints Walters Director of Connectional Ministries

5/9/2012

Bishop Ntambo Nkulu Ntanda has appointed the Rev. Bob Walters the Director of Connectional Ministries for the North Katanga Episcopal Area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Bishop Mike Coyner of Indiana has made the enabling appointment making Walters, an elder of the Indiana Conference, available to North Katanga. North Katanga , which includes the North Katanga, Tanganyika and Tanzania Conferences, is one of the fastest growing areas of The United Methodist Church. It also is... -- more --

Welcome

Indiana projects growth in midst of GC's failed restructure plan

5/9/2012

Returning from the 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, I had mixed emotions. Following a year of engaging presentations about the Call to Action restructure plan of The United Methodist Church to streamline the general church, the proposal died on the table. I saw and felt the disappointment and confusion of hundreds of delegates, including our own 18-member Indiana delegation, as Call to Action was first stalled in the first week of the conference,... -- more --

Conversations

If I were in a congregation receiving a new pastor

5/9/2012

Some mid-summer traditions may involve baseball, apple pie and Fourth of July fireworks. In the United Methodist community, mid-summer can also mean changes in pastoral appointments. Some churches are receiving a new pastor just after having said goodbye to the pastor with whom they have worked, prayed, worshipped and served. As a pastor, who is not moving this summer (right, Bishop Mike?) and as someone who has more than 30-years of experience in parish ministry, I offer some words of advice... -- more --

Indigenous People

5/9/2012

Regarding “Pursuing a New History Between United Methodists and Indigenous People in the United States” in the March-April 2012 of Together, as I read this article the words which came to mind were those of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce in 1879, “I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done. Good words do not last long unless they amount to something.” The United Methodist Church has an entire section of resolutions in The (United Methodist) Book of Resolutions,... -- more --

Annual Conference

"What's Working" Lunches

5/9/2012

$15 charge includes a box lunch, participants must register New with this annual conference session are a series of workshops to assist conference members and guest in local church ministry. Information on workshops and learning opportunities are printed on page 9 of the Indiana Annual Conference Session Information Booklet. Fifteen workshops designed to assist congregational leaders to energize, inspire, lead and engage others are offered. Conference leaders invite and encourage local church... -- more --

All are invited to the Conference and Community Prayer Breakfast with Gov. Mitch Daniels

5/9/2012

Daniels INDIANAPOLIS – All Hoosier United Methodists and guests are invited to the Indiana Conference and Community Prayer Breakfast Saturday, June 9 from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Indiana Convention Center, on South Capitol Street at Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis. Bishop Mike Coyner will welcome Governor Mitch Daniels and Indianapolis City-County Council President Maggie Lewis of Indianapolis. Daniels will be speaking.... -- more --

Child care to be provided at Annual Conference

5/9/2012

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Annual Conference will provide child care during the Annual Conference session June 7-9 at the Indiana Convention Center. The child care will be provided by licensed child care providers from Marion County during all plenary sessions and worship services. The cost will be $3 per child per session. This service will provide: Child care for children ages infants through 11 years old. Child care will be open one-half hour before a session and will... -- more --

Come early, volunteer for community connection mission outreach across the city of Indianapolis

5/9/2012

INDIANAPOLIS – Come early to the 2012 Indiana Annual Conference session in Indianapolis for an opportunity to be in mission. There are many activities from which to choose from Habitat for Humanity house builds and home dedication to home repairs for the elderly to installing a playground to knitting hats for babies to serving a meal or writing notes of encouragement. Registration for the Community Connect outreach mission is $30 per volunteer and includes a T-shirt, transportation to... -- more --

Conference Session to be 'Making ROOM' in Indianapolis

5/9/2012

INDIANAPOLIS – Hoosier United Methodists from across the state will be “Making ROOM” for others as more than 3,000 clergy and laity members of the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church convene June 7-9 at the Indiana Convention Center. “Making ROOM” is based on Acts 2:46-47, “Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to... -- more --

Friends of Africa University to gather during Annual Conference

5/9/2012

Indiana Friends of Africa University will have a breakfast gathering during Annual Conference on Friday, June 8 at 7 a.m. in the Convention Center at Indianapolis. If you are a member of the annual conference, remember to register for this breakfast when you register for the conference session. If you will not be attending all of Annual Conference, you may still come to the breakfast. Participants can register by going to www.inumc.org/ac2012 and clicking on Registration, which is free for... -- more --

Mission Team co-sponsoring 5K Run, Walk, Stroll for Imagine NO Malaria June 7

5/9/2012

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Conference Mission and Advocacy Team, the West District of the Indiana Conference and Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church of Greencastle are sponsoring an Imagine NO Malaria “Change the World” 5K Run/Walk/Stroll on the Downtown Canal in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 7 from 7 to 11 a.m. on West Street on the east side of the bridge over the Central Canal near the Government Center. All are welcome to join the 5K Run/Walk/Stroll being held... -- more --

Two Texans to teach congregational development principles during conference session

5/9/2012

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Annual Conference session will welcome two leaders in the congregational development movement as keynote presenters during a two-hour Friday morning teaching session June 8 in the Main Room. The Rev. Dr. Jim Ozier, director of New Church Development and Congregational Transformation for the North Texas Conference, and Fiona Macleod who serves as director of Learning and Development at Interstate Batteries will be the co-presenters. Ozier began his work for the... -- more --

Indiana

Correction

5/9/2012

The story in the March-April issue of Together titled “Mr. Angel, tear down this wall!” on page 9 was written by Don Viviano, who attends Black’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Mouth Vernon, Ind. Together credited another writer and regrets the error. ... -- more --

Historians hear presentation during society meeting in Bloomington

5/9/2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana United Methodist Historical Society held its Annual Meeting at Bloomington First UM Church on Saturday, April 21, with two major historical presentations by Laura Galloway and Dr. Gayle Williams. Upon completion of his term as president, the Rev. Douglas Davies was honored with a token of the esteem of the Society, an original work in stained glass by UM layman Rodney Stover titled “Easter Sunrise.” Davies was recognized on behalf of the... -- more --

Lawyer outlines how congregations can protect their ministry

5/9/2012

INDIANAPOLIS – A congregation may not be exempt from being sued during this age of litigation, but according to Scott Himsel, a lawyer with the firm of Faegre, Baker and Daniels, congregations can take steps to reduce the risk of being sued. His hour-long presentation was heard by more than 100 trustees, treasurers and other local church officers responsible for the finance and administration of their congregations. They met for a Saturday morning training event, April 21, at Castleton... -- more --

Parkview Health opens $536 million regional medical center

5/9/2012

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Parkview Health in Fort Wayne opened the doors of its new $536 million Parkview Regional Medical Center March 17 on the north side of the city. “We are excited as this once-in-a-generation facility will be committed to providing excellent health services,” said Mike Packnett, president and CEO, of United Methodist-related Parkview Health. “Together with our physicians, Parkview will blend the latest in technology with the best possible... -- more --

Small-town church makes difference with after-school program

5/9/2012

KENTLAND, Ind. – Doors of two yellow buses open each school day at 3:15 p.m. in the parking lot of Trinity United Methodist Church in Kentland to deliver 20 energetic elementary-school children to the church’s after-school program, a ministry to this 1,700 resident community in northwest Indiana west of Remington. According to the Rev. Ed van Wijk (pronounced van WICK), pastor of the 167-member congregation, the church began the daily, free after-school program this January. The... -- more --

Workshop helps historians celebrate heritage of their church

5/9/2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Forty-six local church historians from South Bend, New Albany, Evansville, and numerous other Indiana Conference churches converged on First UMC of Bloomington April 20 to hear two winners of the “Church Historian of the Year” award describe their outstanding history programs. Stanley Schmitt, of Evansville Central, and Shirley Wolf, of Jacobs Chapel, were joined by Arlen Packard and Malcolm Webb of Bloomington First in recounting their successes in... -- more --

National

'Guaranteed appointments' eliminated

5/9/2012

TAMPA, Fla., (UMNS) – Many delegates were surprised and even shocked by how quickly a far-reaching proposal that takes away the security of guaranteed appointments for ordained elders breezed by The United Methodist 2012 General Conference. The item was approved as part of a large number of proposals in the assembly’s April 30 consent calendar. There was a motion to reconsider the item but it also failed by a vote of 564 to 373. Under this new legislation, bishops and cabinets... -- more --

Delegates cannot agree that they disagree on sexuality issue

5/9/2012

TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) – The United Methodist General Conference cannot agree that it disagrees over the issue of homosexuality. After more than an hour of passionate debate and clear disagreement, two items stating Christians have different opinions about homosexuality were not approved by the 2012 General Conference, leaving the original language in The United Methodist Book of Discipline intact. The Book of Discipline, Paragraph 161F states: “The United Methodist Church does not... -- more --

Delegates reject divestment from companies

5/9/2012

TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) – Delegates to The United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking assembly approved petitions dealing with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but they did not approve a measure to divest from specific companies. Delegates instead approved a report calling on the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits to explore “serious peace-making strategies in Israel and Palestine, including positive economic and financial investment in Palestine.” The... -- more --

General Conference approves United Methodist Women autonomy

5/9/2012

TAMPA, Fla. (UMW) – By a vote of 889 to 20, General Conference made United Methodist Women an autonomous organization within the United Methodist Church May 1 during its quadrennial meeting in Tampa, Fla. The historic vote separates the national policymaking body of women organized for mission within the denomination from the church’s mission agency for the first time in more than 70 years. “This is a great result for United Methodist Women and for the church and positions us... -- more --

General Conference modifies pension plan

5/9/2012

TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) – United Methodist clergy in the United States will continue to participate in a retirement program that includes a monthly pension payment. By a vote May 3 of 819 to 78, the 2012 General Conference delegates approved a modified Clergy Retirement Security Program. The plan combines a defined benefit component with a defined contribution component, like the clergy’s current retirement program, but with a reduced benefit for clergy and, consequently, a lower... -- more --

Set-aside bishop proposal fails

5/9/2012

TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) – The 2012 General Conference decided April 30 not to approve a petition that would have created a new full-time role for the president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. The petition received a simple majority of 55 percent of the vote in favor, but it fell short of the two-thirds total required to pass because it dealt with a paragraph of the denomination’s constitution. The petition stated that the council “may elect from its active membership... -- more --

Starting to journey along the path of repentance

5/9/2012

TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) – If United Methodists are serious about repenting for past injustices against native peoples, they must prepare for a long and painful journey, says a Native American theologian. “There is a lot of history that has been concealed; you have to go and dig it up,” said the Rev. George Tinker. He and indigenous representatives from the U.S. and other lands brought that message during an “Act of Repentance toward Healing Relationships with Indigenous... -- more --

With no Plan UMC, General Conference shrinks agency boards

5/9/2012

TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) – The 2012 United Methodist General Conference spent the last hours of its last day, May 4, scrambling to downsize agency boards, after the denomination’s top court ruled the “Plan UMC” restructuring legislation unconstitutional. After months of denomination-wide talk about agency reconfiguration, delegates tried to salvage some part of the movement for structural change. They took up petitions that eight of the denomination’s 13 general... -- more --

Focus

Welcoming home the United Methodist community

Wesley Manor celebrates 50 years of service

5/9/2012

FRANKFORT, Ind. – As Ty Pennington would say, “Welcome home Wesley Manor residents, welcome home!” Wesley Manor has been home for the United Methodist community since the first residents arrived in 1961. Thanks to funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Oliver M. Reid and monies raised through a variety of donors, Wesley Manor has grown from 33 acres to a total of 83 acres. That’s like saying Wesley Manor has grown from approximately 15 to 37 typical city blocks. Driving onto... -- more --

Global

Methodist denominations to open new office in the Holy Land

5/9/2012

NEW YORK (GBGM) –Methodist denominations are increasing their ministry in the world with a new office in the Holy Land. Serving the global Methodist family, the office will expand current work and will in part be a base for educating Holy Land pilgrims about a range of Middle Eastern and Israeli-Palestinian issues. The General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church is developing the Methodist liaison office in partnership with the British Methodist Church and the World... -- more --

UE to co-sponsor archaeological project in Israel

5/9/2012

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (UE) – United Methodist-related University of Evansville is proud to announce its co-sponsorship of the Jezreel Expedition, a new archaeological project in northern Israel, along with the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa. From June 1-22, eight UE archaeology students will participate in the project’s first survey session, which will determine the areas to be excavated in Summer 2013 and beyond. Project directors are Jennie Ebeling, chair... -- more --

VBS mission program ready to order from Society of St. Andrew

5/9/2012

This year, the United Methodist-related Society of St. Andrew introduces “It’s A Miracle!” as its Vacation Bible School mission program. Each day of VBS, students will be introduced to one of Jesus’ miracles; from feeding the multitudes to cleansing the lepers. Included in your VBS packet are student sheets containing a short Scripture story, facts about hunger and the SoSA ministry, Go Green statistics, mission adventure opportunities, and a pencil activity. Also... -- more --

Viewpoints

Graduations

Body, Mind & Spirit

5/9/2012

This year marks a rather illustrious change in our household. We will be celebrating two graduations. My daughter graduates from Ball State University, and my son will graduate (we hope and pray) from Brownsburg High School. In short, life is moving full-speed ahead and my wife and I, by August, hope to experience the joys of an “empty nest” after our daughter gets a job and our son leaves for college, preferably a college that is far away and will take days to transit. We are not... -- more --

Help me remember, God

5/9/2012

There is much research being done on how spirituality affects those with Alzheimer’s/Dementia. All of our churches have, or will have, many members with Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Right now more than four million people in the U.S. are affected. That’s 1 in 10 people above the age of 65 and nearly half of the population above 85 years old. The baby boomers are starting to turn 65 and an estimated 10 million of them will develop Alzheimer’s. These are the long standing,... -- more --

Rejuvenate ministry has new look, but same commitment

5/9/2012

Rejuvenate is no longer a project; it is now a ministry of the United Methodist Foundation of Indiana. Our offices have moved from the Indiana Conference Center to the United Methodist Foundation of Indiana at 8401 Fishers Center Drive in Fishers, Ind. The transitions of changing from being a project, to now a ministry of the foundation in which we will continue to live into for some time. Physically moving from Indianapolis to Fishers has been a seamless transition. Although we have undergone... -- more --

Chronicles

Book Corner

5/9/2012

Book by Hoosier author offers resources to help reclaim importance of doctrine Keeping Faith: An Ecumenical Commentary on the Articles of Religion and Confession of Faith in the Wesleyan Tradition, by D. Stephen Long, offers resources to help Christians reclaim the importance of doctrine and thereby to know and love well God and God’s creation. Although it gives particular attention to the Wesleyan and Methodist tradition, it is of necessity an ecumenical effort. Neither the Wesleyans... -- more --

Georgetown administrator to become UIndy's ninth president

5/9/2012

Mauel INDIANAPOLIS (UIndy) – The United Methodist-related University of Indianapolis announces Georgetown University Associate Provost and Dean Robert L. Manuel has been selected to serve as the ninth president of the University of Indianapolis, effective in July. He will succeed Beverley J. Pitts, who is retiring after seven years at the helm of the 5,500-student private university four miles south of downtown. In... -- more --

IU Health to continue discounts to people insured through conference

5/9/2012

INDIANAPOLIS (IU Health) – Because of Indiana University Health’s ministry partnership with United Methodists of Indiana, IU Health is pleased to continue its courtesy discount to individuals insured through the Indiana Conference insurance plans, according to Daniel F. Evans, Jr., President and CEO of IU Health. All IU Health hospitals, including its location in Goshen, participate in this discount. For those insured by Plan PPO 500, when a participant receives services at an IU... -- more --