Tamara Williams will be
superintendent of Albion District

    Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announces that the Rev. Tamara Williams will be appointed as the Albion District Superintendent effective July 1, 2009.
    Williams is currently appointed as the Associate Pator at Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City, on the Grand Traverse District.
    Her previous appointments have been the Chesapeake Charge and Cedar Grove UMC in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and Stevensville UMC (Assoc) in the West Michigan Annual Conference. She is currently serving on the West Michigan Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry.
    The new superintendent is married to the Rev. Jeremy Williams and they have a son, Caleb.
    Willliams will be replacing the current Albion District Superintendent, the Rev. Jerome DeVine, who has been named Director of Connectional Ministries in the Detroit Conference effective July 1, 2009.

Bartelt to lead Port Huron District
    Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announce Jan. 26, 2009 that Rev. Joanne R. Bartelt will be appointed as the Port Huron District Superintendent effective July 1, 2009. She is currently appointed as the Associate Pastor at Ann Arbor: First United Methodist Church.
    Bartelt’s previous appointments have been Rochester: St. Paul’s UMC and Gladstone Memorial UMC. She is also currently serving the Detroit Annual Conference as the Chairperson of the Conference Personnel Committee.
    Bartelt will be replacing the current Port Huron District Superintendent, the Rev. Peggy Paige.

Hundley will be new Lansing D.S.
    Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announced that the Rev. Dr. Robert Hundley will be appointed as the Lansing District Superintendent effective July 1, 2009. Dr. Hundley is currently appointed to the Mason: First United Methodist Church.
    Hundley brings a variety of knowledge and experience to the superintendency. He has served as pastor of Center Eaton/Brookfield UMC, East Lansing: University UMC as an associate pastor, Director of Pastoral Care at the Michigan Capital Medical Center and Lansing: First UMC.
    Most recently Hundley was instrumental in the Cooperation Task Force and the Michigan Area Transition Team, which worked on the possibility of merging both Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences.
    Hundley will be replacing the current interim Lansing District Superintendent, the Rev. Denny Buwalda.
    Keaton said, "Bob Hundley is a creative, visionary, and passionate pastor focused on making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. He brings to the table a wealth of experience and knowledge. He provided great leadership in the MATT process and we look forward to having him join the West Michigan Cabinet.

DAC names communications staffer

    The Personnel Committee of the Detroit Conference Council on Ministries announces that Paul W. Thomas is the new Associate Council Director of Communications for the Detroit Annual Conference, a newly-created part-time position. He began his work January 1, 2009.
    Thomas is widely-known to the Detroit Annual Conference as he has spent the past four years as the Conference Program Committee Coordinator, a position he will continue to serve in along with his new role. He also served as the co-chair of the Michigan Area Transition Team. Prior to being hired by the Program Committee in December 2004, Thomsa spent seven years in the sports information profession. He graduated from Northern Michigan University in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in public relations.
    Thomas is married to the Rev. Debbie Thomas, pastor of Iron Mountain: Trinity UMC. The couple has a son, Aaron, and reside in Kingsford, Michigan.

Eugene Blair will be appointed
to Flint District in July '09
    Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announced Dec. 8 that he intends to appoint the Rev. Eugene Blair as the Flint District Superintendent effective July 1, 2009.
    Blair is currently appointed as the Associate Council Director of African-American Spiritual Formation and Congregational Development of the Detroit Conference.
    Blair has served in a variety of settings including congregations in the West Ohio Conference, the Dean of the Upper Room for the Global Board of Discipleship, the Methodist Church of Kenya and Director of Congregational Development for the Northern Illinois Conference. He has been in his current position in the Detroit Conference since Jan. 1, 2004.
    Blair and his wife, Dawn have of two daughters, Nia and Imani.
    He will be replacing the current Flint District Superintendent, the Rev. Andrew Allie.

Jerome DeVine appointed as Detroit Conference Director of Connectional Ministries
    FLINT, Mich. – The Rev. Dr. Jerome R. DeVine has been appointed to serve as the Director of Connectional Ministries in the Detroit Annual Conference, it was announced today (Friday, Feb. 13) by Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton and the Detroit Conference Council on Ministries. DeVine, who currently serves as the Albion District Superintendent in the West Michigan Annual Conference, will begin his duties on July 1, 2009. He is replacing the Rev. John C. Huhtala, Sr., who is retiring after 44 years of ministry, including the past eight as Director of Connectional Ministries.
    “We are pleased to announce that Jerry has been selected as the new Director of Connectional Ministries for the Detroit Annual Conference,” said the Rev. Joanne Bartelt, chairperson of the Personnel Committee of the Conference Council on Ministries. “With solid ministry background and experience, Dr. DeVine is committed to ‘making disciples for the transformation of the world’. We welcome Jerry's enthusiasm and zeal for ministry as he begins this new ministry in our conference.
    DeVine has served the past five years (2004-2009) as superintendent of the Albion District in the West Michigan Conference, where he has supervised 72 congregations and 60 clergy in a district that features rural, small town, urban, and suburban dynamics. Prior to his current post, DeVine spent five years (1999-2004) as a ministry consultant for the West Michigan Conference working with over 90 congregations in areas such as visioning, long-range planning, goal-setting and implementation, and staff realignment, to name a few.
    “I felt strongly nudged by God to make myself available for the discernment and decision of the Detroit Conference Personnel Committee, Bishop Keaton and the CCOM leaders,” DeVine said. “I left it with God in prayer, and thus was ready to receive whatever came out of that process. I do feel that there is a coming together of gifts, needs, and yearnings as we enter a new partnership for an even more vital future of The United Methodist Church as a whole, and in particular in the Detroit Conference. I am looking forward to the visionary work we will do together, and the particular role I will serve in as the new Director of Connectional Ministries.”
    DeVine was one of the founding members for the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Native American Ministries, and collaborated with others to create the first-ever Native American Course of Study Extension School, as well as the NCJ Native American Lay Speaking School, and a CD recording of Ojibwa hymns.
    An active participant on the general church level, DeVine has been a member of the General Commission on Religion and Race since 2004 and is currently a part of the board’s Executive Committee and chair of the Planning and Evaluation Committee. DeVine spent two years as facilitator of the GCORR’s Strategic Plan Task Force, which engaged the board in the refinement and approval of a plan that integrated the mandate of GCORR and the mission of The United Methodist Church. He also served on staff at the General Board of Global Ministries from 1993-95 as the Coordinator for Mission Leaders and was responsible for leadership and resource development for the mission leadership teams in the annual conferences in the United States.
    DeVine was ordained as an elder in the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference in 1987 and has served three local churches during his time in ministry: St Paul’s UMC in Wilmington Del., as an associate pastor from 1985-89; Kingswood UMC in Newark, Del., from 1989-93; and First UMC in Chestertown, Md., from 1995-99. DeVine, who conducted his candidacy for ministry in the South Dakota Annual Conference, transferred his membership to the West Michigan Conference in 1999.
    A native of Watertown, S.D., DeVine and his wife of 34 years, Ruth, are the parents of three grown children: Nathaniel, Jonathan, and Ian. The couple currently resides in Alto, Mich., and will be relocating.

UMCOR responds to catastrophic storms

    The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is responding to the four successive catastrophic storms that tore through Haiti in less than a month. Hundreds of deaths and extensive flooding have been reported and thousands of homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. In a country with limited resources and widespread poverty, more than 650,000 people are left especially vulnerable because of the storms.
    UMCOR Haiti is on the ground responding with targeted direct assistance. Personnel evacuated during the storms and have returned safely. The office in Cap Haitien sustained minimal damage and the staff is working in the North Department of Haiti, providing disaster relief for the short and long term.
    Thomas Dwyer, director of operations for UMCOR’s non-governmental organization (NGO) unit, explains the integrated approach to the disaster, "In tandem with immediate relief, we are providing support to assist in rebuilding peoples lives. Families will need tools and materials to help repair their homes and children will need school supplies to return to school." Dwyer continues, "UMCOR is prepared and resources are mobilized to help people through this difficult process."
    Emergency relief kits and materials will be distributed to displaced people and to orphanages in Cap Haitien. UMCOR Haiti is offering a variety of assistance packages to families including long term access to potable water, cash for work activities to help clean up the affected areas, school kits, cook stove and building materials. UMCOR Haiti is exploring working with the World Food Program and Christian Aid to distribute health and hygiene kits.
    In addition to the NGO work, UMCOR is partnering with other organizations through Action by Churches Together (ACT) to address the humanitarian needs this crisis had created.
About UMCOR Haiti
    United Methodists have a long-standing relationship with Haiti through the Methodist Church of Haiti. The strong ties between the Methodist Church of Haiti and UMCOR helped facilitate the opening of the UMCOR Haiti field office in 2005. One of the primary goals of UMCOR Haiti is to help the 2004 Hurricane Jeanne's survivors recover.
    UMCOR workers have distributed relief supplies consisting of health and school kits from UMCOR Sager Brown to over 13,300 beneficiaries in public schools, local associations and medical centers in various program sites round the Northern District as well as in the areas surrounding Port-au-Prince. Additionally, UMCOR has distributed approximately 380 school and health kits to vulnerable people through a clinic in Berthanie in the community of Cavalion, Southern Haiti.
How You Can Help
    Cash gifts will help UMCOR support the immediate relief and long-term recovery of those affected by the hurricanes in Haiti. Checks can be mailed to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Write "UMCOR Advance 418325, Haiti Emergency on the memo line of your check. Online gifts can be made at www.givetomission.org. One hundred percent of every donation to any appeal, including appeals for the Haiti storm response, goes to support recovery efforts in the disaster-stricken regions.

United Methodists to assess hurricane’s impact

    NEW YORK (UMNS) - The United Methodist Committee on Relief is working with United Methodists in the U.S. Gulf Coast region to respond to Hurricane Gustav.
    Two million people fled the Gulf Coast as Gustav approached, but the intensity of the storm, when it struck Sept. 1, did not reach that of Hurricane Katrina three years earlier. New Orleans, which had braced for the worst, escaped a direct hit as Gustav made landfall west of the city.
    By the next day, the National Hurricane Center had downgraded Gustav to a tropical depression, but heavy rains and the threat of tornados lingered in the region.
Read more

A call to prayer
    We are called to pray unceasingly. May it be so with each and every one of us. There is much that needs our prayer in the world. Today, I lift up two items for you. Hurricane Gustav has wrecked havoc on the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Florida coasts. Future weather patterns continue to develop that may cause additional burdens for our brothers and sisters in that area. Please pray that lives be saved from the storm and that people are able to once again recover from such devastation. Lift up those who have a heart for mission and volunteer their energy, time and gifts to help others rebuild their lives and their homes. If you feel led to donate financially, an Advance No. 3019695, Hurricanes 2008, Hurricane Gustav, has been established. Checks can be mailed to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Write the Advance number and name on the memo line of your check.
    In addition, fall is such a busy time of new beginnings. Not just for the church’s programs, but for children going back to school. Please pray that our children grow in faith and the ability to make good decisions. School can be a place where education can help children succeed. School can also be a place where self-esteem plummets and children are scarred for life. Surround our schools, our teachers, the administrators, and other children with prayer that it will be a place of love and learning.
    Continue to pray unceasingly.
–Bishop Johnthan D. Keaton

Church-supported program
assists Haiti food crisis

A UMNS Report
By Jan Dragin

    Struggling in the grip of a worsening world food crisis, Haitians in the island nation's remote Artibonite and northwest regions are gaining food security through a church-supported sustainable agriculture program.
    Church World Service, the global humanitarian agency, is the lead agency for the program, which also has support from the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the Mennonite Central Committee, Reformed Church World Service and the United Church of Christ.
    A new grant from the U.S.-based Osprey Foundation will help expand the program to provide more people, particularly women, with opportunities to grow enough food for their families and increase income for other basic needs through access to credit and training.
Read more

Lake Louise: developing ministry plan, studying funding

Ann Whiting
Advocate editor
    The Board of Trustees of Lake Louise Christian Community (LLCC) has spent two years developing a Ministry Plan to ensure the property’s future as a camping and retreat site as well as haven for about 125 cottage owners around the lake.
    Some controversy has developed over one of the funding proposals being considered by the trustees: investigating the possibility and environmental impact of leasing some of the property’s 2,400 acres to a company that would explore natural gas drilling.
    The trustees will hold an open meeting about gas leasing with an independent environmental consultant on Aug. 1.
    The trustees responded to concerns expressed by cottagers and other interested parties with a June 1 letter. Shortly after the trustees adopted the Ministry Plan last winter, the Rev. John Ross Thompson assured cottagers that no decision would be made about gas leasing “without further interaction with cottagers and others who care about Lake Louise. A series of meetings were scheduled in May, June, July and August to discuss the Ministry Plan and funding options for it, including gas leasing. (Those interested may download a copy of “Gas Leasing Response Spring 2008. Go www.lakelouisecamp.com and click on “Community.
    Trustees vice-chairperson, the Rev. David Gladstone, told the Advocate in early July that no vote is imminent on a decision to lease gas drilling rights. The Advocate became aware of the controversy when it received a Letter to the Editor in early July from Curtis Frillman, a member of Grand Rapids: Trinity UMC. His wife owns a family cottage at Lake Louise.
    In his letter, Frillman expressed concern that the trustees are “very close to a signing a contract with a company to begin the process of drilling and extraction that would impact a majority of the acres of forest surrounding the lake, the camp and cottages know as the Lake Louise Christian Community (LLCC).
    Frillman contends, “Many members of the UMC close to Lake Louise have voiced opposition to this gas exploration and hoped the board would reject the plan, as previous drilling plans have been in the past, for fear of disrupting the site’s natural beauty. Unfortunately, the LLCC Board of Trustees seems determined to go ahead with a lease agreement...
    “Concerned UMC members have spent long hours researching the subject and consulting experts. They have attempted to present facts and examples showing the risks of contamination, health concerns, and deforestation associated with modern methods of natural gas drilling and extraction in Michigan.
    The Rev. Eric Stone, director of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Michigan and a trustee of Lake Louise, echoed Gladstone’s assurance that a vote to lease drilling rights was not imminent. Stone said he was committed to being sure exploration and/or drilling would not create environmental hazards.
The Aug. 1 meeting to discuss potential environmental impacts of gas drilling will be held from 3-5 at Lake Louise.
    The Lake Louise Christian Community Ministry Plan includes some history of the site, which was founded as a ministry of the Michigan Methodist conferences in 1934. From the beginning it has been an independent non-profit entity, although it recognizes and celebrates its ties to historic Methodism.

West Michigan Conference
'wades in the water'
Ann Whiting
Advocate editor
    “Stirring the Waters” was the theme for the 40th session of the West Michigan Annual Conference, which met in Grand Rapids June 5-8. But the traditional spiritual, “Wade in the Waters,” described conference members’ experience both in worship singing and in reality as the session was plagued with severe thunderstorms and heavy rain.
    The theme was based on the story in the Gospel of John of a man who sat beside the pool of Bethsaida for 38 years waiting to be lifted in for healing when an angel of the Lord stirred the waters. Jesus healed the man by telling him to stand up and walk. The Rev. Tara Sutton, Detroit Conference clergy, explored the them with two sermons: “Stirring the Waters of Deliverance" and “Stirring the Waters of Healing.”
    Highlights of the conference session included:

endorsement of the Rev. Laurie Haller, Grand Rapids District Superintendent, for the episcopacy;

a concert by Christian performance artist Ken Medema;

a celebration of 40 years of the West Michigan Conference formed when the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren Churches merged in 1968;

that celebration included honoring “Mr. Mission,” the Rev. Bob Smith, widely recognized as the impetus for West Michigan’s stellar record in mission giving;

work by conference on a Habitat Build in Grand Rapids;

a lecture and discussions by the Rev. Gil Rendle, senior consultant with The Institute for Clergy and Congregational Excellence and formerly of the Alban Institute. His topic was “Making the Faith Ready for the Next People.”
After lengthy debate, the conference adopted a resolution encouraging members to urge their legislators to enact comprehensive immigration reform that is not punitive and that provides “earned pathways to citizenship for all immigrants.”
Offerings were generous. The goal set to construct a Habitat home in Grand Rapids was $70,000, with an additional $7,000 for a home in Haiti. The goal was exceeded, with receipts so far of $90,000. Other offering totals:

$6,556 for Nothing But Nets;

$3,800 for the Ministerial Education Fund;

$3,700 for UMCOR.
Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton ordained two deacons and nine elders and commissioned two for ministry.

Detroit Annual Conference session
marks celebration
of history and mission

Ann Whiting
Advocate editor

    The Detroit Annual Conference met in its 40th annual session from May 16-20 at United Methodist-related Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan. The theme was "Breaking into the Future."
    Conference members pledged $2 million to the Central Conference Pension Initiative. The funds were available because the conference was able to access surplus funds from its pre-1982 pension funding. The pre-1982 funds will total approximately $10 million, and the Conference Board of Pensions and Health Benefits proposed the conference pledge a tithe to the Central Conference Pension Initiative. An amendment from the floor raised the pledged amount to $2 million.
    The Detroit Conference has a covenant relationship with the Liberia Annual Conference and has seen firsthand the critical need for pension support for Central Conference pastors. The 2004 General Conference established the Central Conference Pension Initiative in 2004.
    The co-chairs of the Michigan Area Transition Team were present and spoke briefly at the beginning of the conference session. Paul Thomas. "We are here to bring closure to the work you asked us to do. The results were not what we hoped, worked and prayed for... but our work is complete." Thomas, along with the Rev. Benton Heisler (WMC) urged not looking for someone to blame for the failed vote. Thomas said blame "will not... improve our work of ministry and mission." Instead, he said, we need to do our work "so the work of God might be displayed." He thanked those who voted for the new conference and, especially, the members of boards and agencies who devoted so much time to creatng the Plan of Organization.
    A motion was approved to ask Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton to send emissaries to West Michigan Conference, asking for agreement for the bishop to create a a new task force with the goal of creating a new Michigan annual conference by 2015.
40 years
    The conference's primary focus was on celebrating 40 years of ministry and mission. The 1968 merger of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren Churches saw the creation of new regional conferences. Conference staffers reported on significant events and issues by decade, and a DVD presentation added faces and places to the historical recounting.
    The conference also celebrated that it paid its general church apportionments at 100 percent for the seventh year in a row. The conference treasurer reported that conference churches and members donated nearly $1 million in designated giving through The Advance in 2007.
    Conference churches donated over $52,000 for their covenant churches in Liberia and Haiti; churches also filled two containers – one 40-ft and one 20-ft with with school and layette kits and other supplies for their partner churches. Other donated funds purchased 48 medicine boxes through UMCOR. Each box cares for 3,000 people. A spontaneous offering for the "Nothing But Nets" campaign collected over $7,000. A conference noted for its mission giving, members also collected over 13,000 pairs of "seatcovers" – new underwear – for children and youth being served by churches and community agencies.
    The conference included two teaching sessions: one on "Growing Your Church Where You Are" and a second on "Waiting On the World to Change."
Awards
    The Commission on Archives and History announced it has published a collection of writings of Ronald Brunger, long-time Detroit Conference Archivist. The commission also awarded its local church history award to the Rev. Jim and Charlotte Simmons. Jim Simmons was the conference archivist from 1992 until 2004.
    Two lay persons and one pastor received Harry Denman Evangelism Awards. Sue Anway, Paradise UMC, was honored for her mission to introduce children of the community to Christ. Vicki Crooks was recognized for her commitment to "making disciples... in small ways... life by life." The clergy Denman Award went to the Rev. Anthony Hood, Scott Memorial UMC.
Discussion items
    In place of the usual round of resolutions on social justice issues, conference boards and agencies provided a document for members to use in local church discussions. Among the items: a listing of Seven Legislative Priorities from the Conference Board of Church and Society; advocacy for changes in the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy; divestment from companies "profiting from or contributing to" Israel's occupation of Palestinian land. The board also referred members and churches to a publication of the American Friends Service Committee, "Questions to Ask the Candidates in the 2008 Elections."
    The conference voted to require re-certification every three years for those trained in its policy for protection of children, youth and vulnerable persons.
    Retired Bishop Woodie White preached at the Service of Ordination and Commissioning. Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton ordained nine elders and commissioned five probationary members.
Stats
    Membership stands at 98,968, down,473 (1.47 % ) from the previous year. Worship attendance stands at 45,576. Church school attendance stands at 26,985. The Rev. Brent Webster, Conference Statistician, reported worship attendance was down across the conference. He also reported that the Flint District reported a 27.58 percent increase in church membership through professions of faith. The real fireworks come, however, over the huge increase in enrollment of children, youth and adults in non-Sunday morning Christian education programs.

United Methodists to assess hurricane’s impact

Church-supported program
assists Haiti food crisis

Merger vote "overwhelmingly yes"

Both the Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences voted "overwhelmingly" to declare their intention to merge into one Michigan Area conference. According to the Rev. Terry Euper, Clergy Assistant to Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton, the ballots from both conferences were counted Monday morning, June 5, by the respective conference secretaries, Linda A. Schramm (DAC) and the Rev. Kathy Cadarette (WMC) in the Michigan Area Office under Euper's supervision.
The results of the vote are:

Detroit: Yes, 770; No, 110; Abstentions, 6.

West Michigan: 568 Yes, 157 No, Abstentions, 2. (Voting percentages: 87% in the DAC; 78% in the WMC.
    As a result of this vote, Resolution #5 in DAC and Petition #1 in WMC, have been approved. In accordance with the decision Bishop Keaton will be appointing the Transition Team to carry out the work outlined in the legislation printed below.
    The Michigan Area Cooperation Task Force moves…[that the Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences declare their] intention to create a new annual conference in the Michigan Area. We believe this strategic change will allow the Michigan Area to better fulfill its mission of strengthening the local church for the purpose of 'making disciples of Jesus Christ' for the transformation of the world. Further, we request that the Bishop of the Michigan Area appoint a Transition Team who will assist the bishop in designing the new Michigan Area annual conference. The Transition Team will report at the 2007 sessions of the DAC/WMAC, with a final vote of affirmation by June 15, 2008.

MICHIGAN AREA

Detroit and West Michigan Conferences


MISSIONS

United Methodist hurricane relief exceeds $62 million
    By Elliott Wright
     NEW YORK (UMNS) - More than $62 million was contributed in 2005 to the United Methodist Committee on Relief for hurricane relief and rehabilitation in the United States and wider Gulf of Mexico region.
     "Year-end receipts from the annual conferences – including over $2 million from Michigan – pushed the figure far, far beyond what we anticipated in the late fall," said Roland Fernandes, treasurer of the Board of Global Ministries, the denominational agency of which UMCOR is a part.
     UMCOR had received $62.37 million as of Dec. 31, including:
$770,860 from Detroit Conference

$1,298,483 from West Michigan conference.
    All of the money was or is being applied to relief and rehabilitation, primarily through the church's annual conferences affected by the strong series of hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast. Post-hurricane work in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Nicaragua also was covered.
     "In April, our directors will make decisions about how the balance will be expended," said the Rev. Paul Dirdak, the executive in charge of UMCOR for the mission board. "Meanwhile, UMCOR has responded 100 percent to the emergency relief and rehabilitation start-up requests made by the annual conferences, with over $6 million expended to date. Our rehabilitation efforts will likely cover a four-year period."
     David Sadoo, international field staff for UMCOR, said the work in Mexico and Central America is an important part of the church's hurricane response. "We are assisting there with both relief and long-term rehabilitation."
     The Rev. R. Randy Day, top staff executive of the Board of Global Ministries, expressed appreciation to United Methodists and their friends for the outpouring of support for people and communities affected by the hurricanes.
     "United Methodists are such caring and generous people," he said. "How thankful we are that we can provide major assistance to the storm-ravaged areas."
     Dirdak said the cash contributions are only one measure of the enormous United Methodist response to the hurricane disasters. In addition, tons of supplies have been sent to UMCOR's Sager Brown materials depot in Baldwin, La., for distribution in the disaster zone. Thousands of church members are helping with cleanup and rebuilding as volunteers in mission.
     While most of the $62 million was contributed in response to Hurricane Katrina, some amounts were earmarked for relief following the later Hurricane Rita, and some came in response to 2005 storms prior to Katrina.
     Money reaches UMCOR in a variety of ways: telephone and Internet gifts, checks sent directly to the agency, and contributions made through local congregations and channeled by annual conferences to the church's General Council on Finance and Administration. The council serves as treasurer for relief and other designated giving through what is called the Advance for Christ and His Church.
     Wright is the public information officer of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

Sing-Out raises $36,235 for hurricane relief
     Vicksburg, MI – Choirs, vocalists, musicians and members from 11 area United Methodist Churches gathered at Vicksburg United Methodist Church on Oct. 2 to participate in the 17th Annual Great Gospel Sing-Out. A capacity crowd was on hand for an afternoon of rousing gospel music, and fundraising to support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). This year all monies raised were designated to UMCOR’s 2005 hurricane relief operations.
     Many of the participating churches raised money throughout the past year in support of the project. Thoe funds were added to the donations from audience members following each church’s performance. A total of $36,235.19 was raised this year – which brought the 17-year total for the Great Gospel Sing-Out to $321,195.42.
     Members of Vicksburg United Methodist Church founded the Great Gospel Sing-Out in 1989 to raise money for UMCOR’s hunger-fighting programs. Those church involved this year are: Centreville, Climax, Dowagiac: First, Galesburg, Edwardsburg: Hope, Kalamazoo: Oshtemo Community, Niles: Portage Prairie, Dowagiac: Silver Creek, Vicksburg, West Mendon, Kalamazoo: Westwood.


PEOPLE


TOOLS AND TRENDS

Go fish!

Jesus told us to fish for people…and podcasting technology gives us another tool

Zach Oaster

    Introducing the latest in fishing technology… Podcasting! It might not get you out on the lake this spring, butpodcasting is definitely a newfangled way of casting out onto the net. A recent Detroit Free Press article set off a frenzy of calls and questions around my office at First UMC in Battle Creek this week. The article, "DOWNLOADING GOD: Churches use podcasts to spread the gospel; faithful turn up volume," featured the use of "podcasting" in churches, and its appeal to both local parishioners as well as those who might be located far away. So everyone calling my office wanted to know, what are the basics of podcasting, and why aren’t we doing it?
    Podcasting, the concept:
Many of our churches have been audio taping services for years. Podcasting simply takes that audio, "digitizes" it onto a computer (usually into the well known Mp3 format), and then uploads it to an internet hosting site. This hosting site can be your own church website (assuming your server can handle the files), or one of the many "host" sites that are dedicated to proliferating the world of podcasting.
    Once these audio files are online, they can be accessed from anywhere on the Internet, and downloaded for play on an individual’s home computer, or mobile Mp3 player. Local parishioners can take advantage of this service at no cost above their own home internet connection, and it makes an obvious availability to those outside your church’s normal group of Sunday attendees. Just think of it, a ministry tool that is free to the end user, super cheap to the church provider, and INTERNATIONAL in reach!
     Podcasting, the tools:
If your church already has the basics of a tape ministry, then you are already well on the road to podcasting. As with any recording based ministry, what comes in goes on the final product. Here are some basic steps to assure your recording sounds good: Mic everything! If a microphone isn’t picking it up, then it isn’t going on the recording.
    Check your levels. Become familiar with the VU meter/LED lights on your sound board, and make sure that you are sending the loudest possible signal to your recording device (usually around 0db), without pushing it into distortion.
    Listen with headphones to make sure that the audio going to the recording is the same as what you hear live in the room.
    Now that we’ve got the basics of recording out of the way, let’s examine the new tools you’ll need to jump into podcasting.
    First, you’ll need a digital recorder. A computer is the easiest form of digital recorder, because you can record, edit, and upload your podcast all from one location. This computer can be PC or Mac, and needs to be located nearby the sound system of your church. It is best to connect this computer to a high speed internet connection (DSL or Cable works fine), or to your internet enabled church LAN (network).
    You will need an input device to get quality audio from your sound system onto the computer. There are many quality USB/Firewire devices on the market that allow you to input "studio quality" audio from your sound board. Personally, I use a Tascam US-122 USB audio interface. It has balanced XLR audio inputs, and direct monitoring so I can plug my headphones in, and give a live listen to what is going into the computer. There are similar devices on the market from companies such as Presonus, M Audio, E-MU, MOTU and Digidesign for between $100 and $300. Don’t settle for using the "line-in" on your computer. It is not designed for quality recording, and the small investment in a quality input device will make your recordings sound 100% better.
    Finally, you will need software. BUT WAIT! If you have purchased a brand new audio input device, chances are good that it comes with free software that will work fine! Don’t spend money on software until you are sure you need it. Personally, I use Cool Edit Pro 2 to edit my sound files and prepare them for internet upload, but many programs exist that do the job just fine. If one doesn’t come free with your hardware purchase, check out your free-ware options on the internet before investing in something expensive.
    For those of you who simply cannot put a computer nearby your soundboard for whatever reason, you have another option. You can purchase a digital recorder such as a Marantz PMD670, which uses a digital flash card as its recording media. Once you finish recording on the digital deck, you can pop out the card, stick it into your computer (wherever it might be located), and copy the files over for editing and uploading (much like you would with photos from a digital camera). This process works fine, but creates more steps for your often volunteer church tech staff. The cost is comparable simply because although you eliminate the need for a computer audio input device, you still need a computer, and the digital recording deck costs around $700.
    Podcasting, getting it online:
    Once your service is recorded into the computer, and is edited and ready for export, you will need to save it to an Mp3 file. I suggest using a fixed bit rate of 128Kbps, encoding at 22K, and 16 bit mono or joint-stereo. This will create what most would consider a "radio quality" final product. Encoding at "CD quality" often just wastes space.
    And now, the most important step in podcasting… filling out the iD3 Tag information! Each Mp3 file contains an "iD3 Tag" which contains information about the author and content. Make sure you input this information, and include your church contact info as well. This step is easily performed from within your audio editing program, and is the only information that will permanently stick with the podcast file after it has been downloaded and passed around.
    There are many free online hosts for your podcast file. Maybe do some shopping around next time you are online. Just Google "podcast" and you’ll get a host of sites to start from. Of course, the easiest way to host your podcast is through your own website. Offering audio from your services on your own site gives both parishioners and internet wanderers a reason to return regularly, giving you yet another ministry opportunity.
    With minimal cost, and usually less than an hour of your time, you can turn your weekly services into digital content for all internet users. Podcasting is a fresh approach to an already successful ministry concept. Could transitioning our ministries to fit the new face of our congregations be any easier? Start casting on the net!
    About the author:
    Zach Oaster is a featured speaker at many Audio/Visual and church media conferences, and is the staff media specialist at First United Methodist Church in Battle Creek. He holds two degrees in TV/Radio Broadcasting and Video Production, and has extensive experience in the field. Zach is also a band leader and lead worshipper, and when not on the air as a radio DJ, specializes in modern church worship design and technology. Zach currently resides with his wife Lindsay in Lansing, Michigan.

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MICHIGAN AREA

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PEOPLE

TOOLS AND TRENDS

Go fish!

Tamara Williams will be
superintendent of Albion District

Eugene Blair will be appointed
to Flint District in July '09

Church-supported program
assists Haiti food crisis

West Michigan Conference
'wades in the water'

Detroit Annual Conference session
marks celebration
of history and mission

Church-supported program
assists Haiti food crisis