The Michigan Christian Advocate - A Publication for Michigan United Methodists

The Michigan Christian
Advocate
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Adrian MI 49221
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CWS relief coordinator to arrive in Myanmar

May 8, 2008 | NEW YORK (UMNS)
A coordinator for Church World Service is expected to arrive in Myanmar on May 9 to begin preparations for cyclone relief efforts there. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is partnering with CWS on emergency relief for the nearly one million people that the United Nations estimates were left homeless after Cyclone Nargis struck the Southeast Asia nation May 3. Up to 100,000 people may have died and tens of thousands are missing. ”Read more and donate!

Follow up on General Conference 2008

Find a complete record of all General Conference events and actions. ”Read more

Michigan UMs elected alternates
to Judicial Council
Among the six lay alternates elected to the Judicial Council – the UMC’s “supreme court” – is Thomas Byerly, an attorney who is a member of Lansing: Trinity UMC. The Rev. John Harnish, Birmingham: First UMC, was elected as a clergy alternate. Both were nominated by Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton.

Michigan delegates are pictured seated at the plenary session of General Conference. Seating is "cosy," and sessions are long!

Young people call United Methodists
to action now
By Kathy L. Gilbert April 24, 2008 | FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS)
    Six young people – among them 17 year-old Becca Farnum of Mt. Pleasant, Mich. -- stood before United Methodists from around the world and challenged the church to listen, be bold and believe the church’s future is in good hands.
    At times, delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference cheered and clapped in response to the multimedia presentation, which included videos, photos, drumming and singing. At the end of the presentation, the young people were given a standing ovation.
    The first-ever Young People’s Address to General Conference was given by Farnum, Kira Volkova, 24, of Kirov, Russia; the Rev. Annie Arnoldy, 29, of Grand Junction, Colo.; Andrew Craig, 16, of Denver; Matt Lockett, 20, of Seattle; and Jason Rathod, 24, of Hastings, Neb. They were chosen by the Division on Ministries with Young People, Board of Discipleship, to speak to the denomination’s top legislative assembly.
    Historically, the worldwide gathering has included only an Episcopal Address by a bishop and a Laity Address by a layperson.
    “We have shared stories of persecution, homelessness, and what it means to be a young person in a world desperately in need of Jesus,” said Lockett. “What you do with what you have heard is really up to you.”Read more

Click on LETTERS AND OPINIONS
for Commentary on April 5 vote!

A Time for Renewal
    The following is Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton's sermon from the Special Sessions of the Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences held Saturday, April 5, 2008.
    The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a famous letter from the Birmingham Jail. He was responding to the criticism of majority clergy who took him to task for coming to Birmingham. More importantly, King protested the longevity of segregation because he saw a new day for Birmingham, Alabama. King persisted. And a new day came to fruition. John went him one better. He wrote the book of Revelation, the last book of the Christian canon. In the text, John challenged Rome’s treatment of the people of God. For daring to protest Caesar worship—for publicly advocating that the people of God keep the faith—for the courage of his convictions in the face of persecution unto death, John was banished to the Isle of Patmos. By day, he labored in penal work camps for his Roman captors. By night and other opportune moments, he wrote divinely inspired dreams and visions that fired the resistance of the church. Read more

Update and analysis
of Great Lakes Conference vote...
Detroit says yes, West Michigan no

Updated 4/11
By Ann Whiting
Advocate editor

The vote to create one United Methodist conference in Michigan was a re-run of a similar process in 1995. One said yes, one said no, as previous Advocate editor Erik Alsgaard wrote in his story covering the vote. After discussion and debate April 5 at the Lansing Center, Detroit Conference members approved the proposed merger; West Michigan Conference members defeated it by13 votes.
Read more

Bishop's agenda is still disciple-making
Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton said his agenda remains making disciples. He told the Advocate on April 8: “People keep asking me, ‘What are you going to do now now that the Great Lakes Conference proposal was defeated?’ Read more

Still time for new beginnings?
May MCA editorial by Ann Whiting
    A Detroit Conference member posted a comment on the conference web site. She wrote that those people who expected to spend the next year-plus on the “start-up” of the new Great Lakes Conference now have a lot of empty space on their calendars.
    Accepting the result of the April 5 vote without creative and courageous efforts to try again for a “new beginning” is a mistake. The time is still “now” to move ahead with union, building on the apparent enthusiasm of Detroit Conference members and the assertion of many in West Michigan that they do not oppose union, just the plan presented by the Michigan Area Transition Team.
    In some private and public conversations, people are talking about the possibility of asking the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in July to approve a merger, with work to continue on a Plan of Organization that both conferences can support. Let’s build on the energy Michigan United Methodists have for union.Read more

Middle East peace
Imaginings about the church’s voice

By Philip Beal
member, First United Methodist Church, Holland, Mich.
A former United Methodist Missionary, Phil Beal writes often about issues of war and peace. Read his commentary – imagining a huge United Methodist Peace Conference – on Faith in action… News and Views from the United Methodist Board of Church and Society." Click here to read his commentary.

Bishop Keaton's ES2 message

    Greetings/message for Bishop’s Day on Evangelism and Stewardship, March 1, 2008. Taped Feb. 11, 2008 at the West Michigan Conference Office.

Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton

    Hi. My name is Bishop Keaton of the Michigan Area. Welcome to another Bishop’s Day on Evangelism and Stewardship. Last year, over 3400 people attended 13 separate District Events. A number of respondents noted that it was the one of the best District training events they had attended in years. Given that feedback plus the outstanding work of the District Superintendents and their Leadership Teams, I challenged them to "Do it again, and Do it better!" ES2 symbolizes that challenge. ES2 is about our commitment to evangelism and stewardship. ES2 is about a great opportunity to equip local churches for ministry. I’m mindful that the financial advice Kiplinger Magazine dispensed on the radio years ago is still relevant. "Opportunity Knocks, but you must open the door." Read more

Two West Michigan elders endorsed for election as bishop

The Rev. Laurie Haller (Grand Rapids District Superintendent) and the Rev. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) De Vine (Albion District Superintendent) have been endorsed for election as bishop at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in July 2008. Haller's endorsement comes from the General and Jurisdictional Conference lay and clergy delegates from West Michigan. De Vine is endorsed by the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Native American Ministries.
Read about Haller's endorsement.
Read DeVine's endorsement letter.

New D.S. for Kalamazoo

Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announced in early February that he intends to appoint the Rev. Neil Davis superintendent of the Kalamazoo District, effective July 1, 2008. Davis now serves as pastor of Lansing: Faith UMC and director of South Lansing Ministries.
Read more

'Holy conferencing' is
'means of grace,' bishop says

Linda Bloom
    Growing up in a Mennonite community, United Methodist Bishop Sally Dyck learned about peacemaking at an early age.
    Now she and others would like to see an emphasis on peacemaking or "holy conferencing" implemented more widely across the denomination. Read more

Opportunities

Two Mission Discovery options for Christmas Break 2008!

Visit the Spice Island, Grenada! December 26, 2008 to January 6, 2009. Cost is $1600. Work alongside Methodist young adults from Grenada. Do construction work, visitations and outreach near the city of Grenville. For fun, visit a beautiful Caribbean beach. Application deadline: August 1, 2008. Led by Beverly Nolte (bnmedical@aol.com, 515-237-8544), Des Moines, IA.

The Andes are calling you to Chile! The Methodist church in Curacautin needs additional space to handle conference meetings. Join with Methodist young adults from this community to help build part of the addition. See the volcanoes, mountains and thermal baths way down under! It is summer in Chile when the team travels, January 9-19, 2009. Led by Oscar and Joyce Carassco (ocarrasc@umcnic.org, 847-931-0710 X 10) Elgin, IL. How to apply: For application and more information on both of these teams, visit: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/northcentralvim/mission_discovery.html or write umvim-ncj@brookings.net.

NCJ 2008 Needs You – Volunteers Needed! West Michigan is hosting the North Central Jurisdictional Conference. This historic event will be held July 15-July 19, 2008 in Grand Rapids. This is the first time since 1964 that West Michigan has hosted this event. Bishops will be elected. Holy Conferencing will take place. The conference needs your help to make the event a success. You can volunteer for a variety of positions. Visit www.ncj2008.org click on the volunteer link to see the descriptions of the positions. You can complete the registration form or contact: David Litchfield at daveralit@tds.net or (269) 788-9759 or Julia Deemer – jdeemer@coslink.net or (231) 275-7954. Volunteers attend the conference at their own expenses.

Curtis Bartz is calling for contributions of used band instruments so a Cap Haitien music teacher can start a school band. There are 57 students at College Modele School who are eager to play. They are studying hard to learn about music but lack the instuments to play. If you have an instrument in your attic or closet and wish to donate it, contact Curtis Bartz at (313) 278-4849. Designated cash donations are also welcome.

Wanted: Individuals or groups to join the fall Haiti School Project VIM team this fall. The dates are Nov. 7-14, 2008. The team will visit several sites and meet people in various settings. The specific work project will be determined later. If you would like to join the team as we work along with Haitian workers, contact Curtis Bartz, (313) 278-4849 or email jbartz@mich.com for information and application. The cost is approximately $1,600.

ATTN: Local Churches

    The Michigan Christian Advocate offices have moved to space graciously provided by Adrian: First UMC. We are settling in our new office. Please send all correspondence to:
Michigan Christian Advocate
1245 West Maple Ave, Suite 2
Adrian, MI 49221
    The Advocate phone and FAX numbers will remain the same:
517-265-2075 phone
517-263-7422 FAX
    Please also note: the Advocate e-mail address and web address will not change…
E-mail: miadvocate@aol.com
WEB site: mcadvocate.org