Summer 2008, No. 3 - United Methodist Men

Bishop Thomas Bickerton holds a basketball, signed by UM bishops at General Conference.The basketball was auctioned to benefit the Nothing But Nets campaign against malaria,raising $429,030. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.Methodists in the West African country,which has only two delegates at this GeneralConference, will receive significantly greaterrepresentation at future assemblies.During the sessions, delegates learnedthat the denomination will receive $5 millionto eliminate malaria and other diseases ofpoverty. The grant comes from the U.N.Foundation with help from the Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation.On the 100th anniversary of the SocialCreed, delegates decided that a proposednew creed would serve the church better as a“companion litany.” It has been set to music.Noting that more than 400 people havebeen put to death in Texas since 1982, theassembly asked the Texas legislature to endexecutions.The conference called on UMs to divestfunds from companies that support thegovernment of Sudan in order to end thegenocide in that area.The body encouraged theimplementation of the universal school lunchprogram.The assembly called for equal rights ofmen with regard to parental leave and childcustody.Final sessionThe final gavel came down May 2 at11:15 p.m., followed by worship.Weary delegates packed up more than2,500 pages of legislative materials andhugged persons at neighboring desks whowere strangers 10 days earlier. They hopedthey would be together again at the 2012session in Tampa, Fla.Delegates, visitors and staff slowly filedout of the Fort Worth Convention Centerand set plans to depart for their homes in theUnited States, Asia, Africa and Europe.Delegates celebrate100th anniversary of men’s ministryBy Robin RussellFORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS)–General Conference delegates celebrated onApril 30 the 100th anniversary of ministryto men in The United Methodist Churchand its predecessor denominations.“This is huge,” said the Rev. David C.Adams, top executive of the Commission onUnited Methodist Men, in a six-minute videopresentation. “Other men’s ministries overthe years have come and gone. But UnitedMethodist Men has been steadfast.”At the 1908 General Conference ofthe Methodist Episcopal Church, delegatesofficially authorized the newly createdMethodist Brotherhood.Men’s ministry was launched that yearbecause two-thirds of Methodists worshippingon Sunday morning were women, the videostated.That hasn’t changed, Adams said, which iswhat makes the ministry of United MethodistMen so essential.Dale Long, a big brother to six youngstersover 30 years, speaks to a press conferencefollowing the 100th anniversary celebration ofthe ministry to men during the 2008 GeneralConferenceThe Rev. David Adams speaks about UnitedMethodist Men. A UMNS photo by Paul Jeffrey.“The number one crisis in the churchtoday is the lack of men in church, and the lackof men growing spiritually,” he said in a pressconference following the presentation. “Weneed to address this and find ways to bringmen back into the life of the church.”New programs initiatedUnited Methodist Men has initiated newprograms to achieve this goal, and recentlyreceived the top award from the ecumenicalNational Coalition of Men’s Ministries, whichrepresents 100 men’s ministries across theUnited States. Plans are under way to host anational gathering of men in Nashville in 2009.Many men find it hard to engage inspiritual conversations, said Gil Hanke, amember of Peritte Memorial United MethodistChurch in Nacogdoches, Texas, and presidentof the Commission on United Methodist Men,because they have not developed the kindof relationships in which spiritual growth isnurtured.10 l Summer 2008 l UM MEN UM MEN l Summer 2008 l 11