A look at elected delegates for the 2012 General Conference from the West Michigan Conference

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

At the 2011 Detroit Annual Conference and West Michigan Annual Conference delegates were elected for the 2012 General Conference and 2012 Jurisdictional Conference.

The 2012 General Conference will take place in Tampa, Fl. from April 24 to May 4 and the North Central Jurisdictional Conference will run from July 17-21 in Akron, Ohio.

The conference will work to set policy and direction for the church, as well as handle other business of the global and national church. General Conference is the only entity that speaks for The United Methodist Church.

West Michigan Conference General Conference Clergy Delegates
Rev. Laurie Haller
Age: 56 Church: Grand Rapids District Superintendent
# of times elected: General Conference — 4
The Grand Rapids District Superintendent said the United Methodist Church is at a crossroads where “God is calling our denomination to be a world leader in spreading scriptural holiness, creating a truly global church, and becoming a catalyst for shalom for people of every nation and religious faith as well as the created world.” She said she believes General Conference will include passionate debate about: strategies to revitalize declining congregations, a clarification of the relationship of the UMC in Africa, the Philippines and other countries, a hard look at guaranteed ministerial appointments, the possible reduction of certain boards and conversations about social principles regarding human sexuality.

Rev. Benton Heisler
Age: 54 Church: Cornerstone United Methodist Church (Caledonia)
# of times elected: General Conference - 4
The West Michigan Conference Director of Connectional Ministries said his time spent in large cities, small towns, a university town and in a Native American congregation will help him represent the diverse nature of the West Michigan Conference. Heisler said it is critical for the conferences to address the best ministry foci and leadership structures for moving forward globally in a way that makes local congregations the “most significant area for making disciples.”

Rev. Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai
Age: 52 Church: Milwood United Methodist Church
# of times elected: General Conference - 1
Bigham-Tsai has years of experience related to justice, peace, racial reconciliation and issues of equity from her service on the conference Board of Church and Society and from her time as the director of the Grand Rapids District Peace with Justice Community.
At conference she expects critical debates on sensitive issues including human sexuality, immigration and racial justice, as they pertain to the inclusiveness of the United Methodist Church. “I would hope that we would not pit evangelism and social justice against one another, but would see both as part of the social and personal holiness to which all disciples of Jesus Christ are called,” she said. She said it is also important to grapple with how to live out the church’s mission statement in a time of diminishing resources.

West Michigan Conference General Conference lay delegates

Nichea VerVeer Guy
Age: 56 Home church: Grand Rapids Trinity United Methodist Church
# of times elected: General Conference – 1; Jurisdictional Conference - multiple
VerVeer Guy has long been involved in community ministry programs in Grand Rapids and currently she serves with United Methodist Women and the General Board of Global Ministries. She said that regardless of what issues are discussed she hopes the overpowering theme of conference will be creating an understanding that all are worthy of God’s grace. She believes integrating that love into the structures of the church is essential to being better servants.

Laurie Dahlman
Age: 72 Church: Milwood United Methodist Church
# of times elected: General Conference – 4; Jurisdictional Conference -5
The West Michigan Conference lay leader wants her passion for missionaries to shine through at conference. “In the past few years our church has decreased the number of missionaries and this defeats our purpose,” she said. “We should be about sharing God's Word and growing our churches, not closing them.” Dahlman believes a vital issue is figuring out how the North Central Jurisdictional Conference will be reduced by one bishop, as mandated by General Conference.

Valerie Mossman-Celestin
Age: Unavailable Church: Trinity United Methodist Church (Grand Rapids)
# of times elected: Unavailable
The executive assistant and office manager for the West Michigan Conference is very involved in ministry in Haiti as the co-founder of Haitian Artisans for Peace International (HAPI). She believes that “all means all” inclusiveness in the denomination is an important discussion to have because it is a key issue in attracting and retaining young people. Mossman said that her stance is that being exclusionary in any way harms people and creates obstacles for creating disciples of Jesus Christ. “Wesley’s criteria for evaluating issues boiled down to 3 simple rules,” she said. “Do no harm, do all the good you can, stay in love with God.”

Also:
A glance at the Detroit Conference delegates elected for the 2012 General Conference

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Smart Rooms making WMC more efficient and connected

• By RJ Walters, Editor •

When West Michigan Conference Ministry Consultant Naomi Garcia broke her leg earlier this year it took her off the road and out of the churches she had regularly been advising.

But instead of waiting for it to heal or asking pastors and other church leaders to come to her, it was “virtually” a non-issue — as in one that could be electronically solved through the use of the Smart Room at the West Michigan Conference Center.

Utilizing a large high-definition screen and high-end Internet camera, Garcia has been doing several consultations per week with technology that is up and running in the Kalamazoo and Lansing Districts and should eventually be operating in the rest of the conference.

Utilizing Adobe’s Acrobat.com virtual conference application, districts have special access keys that allow clergy and conference leaders to set up an online meeting space almost anywhere there is an Internet connection.

Parties call in to an assigned conference line through their cell phones for the voice service and they can connect visually with the online application.

“When I think about the travel time it takes to get places and the difficulty of getting folks to me, it’s so much more convenient for them and I have everything I need with me and I don’t have to carry it anywhere,” said Garcia, who used to use the Smart Room sparingly, but now does several appointments a week via it. “If I just have my act together ahead of time I can (electronically) send them any handouts or documents I’ll be using and we’ll be all set.”

West Michigan Conference Director of Communications Mark Doyal said Smart Rooms can be a “huge cost savings for mileage the conference pays” and they are “helping us reach people better in a new way.”

Garcia said two churches who had never used the technology before were raving about it after meeting with her earlier in the month. They said they actually “preferred the Smart Room meeting and saw it as a good way to connect more often without having to talk for hours just because Garcia had made a long haul to visit.

Garcia said “actually seeing” people instead of just talking to them helps her be more perceptive about their needs.

“It helps a lot…and I can see their cues a little better,” she said. “(In a recent) meeting I had we just had the conference call with no webcam, but we were online for the notes I was taking, and it was much harder for me to read the silence and kind of figure out what was going on for them.”

Doyal said using Smart Rooms along with other conference amenities like the Michigan Area Resource Center is vital in keeping “the connection alive” among congregations.

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Special Sunday Offering: Peace with Justice Sunday ~ June 19

What is it?
As one of six Special Sunday Offerings of the UMC Peace with Justice Sunday enables The United Methodist Church to have a voice in advocating for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs.

The history:
The 1988 General Conference established the offering for the Peace with Justice program created by the UMC in 1980. More than $800,000 has bee raised for the program by special offerings the last three years.
The Detroit Conference has given the following amounts during that time span: $11,335 in 2008, $17,2589 in 2009 and $12,543 in 2010.
The West Michigan Conference raised $11,798 through last year’s offering.

How it helps:
This offering allows The United Methodist Church to have a voice in advocating for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs. For example:
• The Ohio-based Faith Communities Uniting for Peace encourages Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs “to live from a vision of peace rooted in faith.”
• In Liberia—in partnership with other religious and humanitarian groups, The United Methodist Church provides a place for former child soldiers to live, recreational activities to address war trauma, and basic necessities such as fresh drinking water and medical treatment.
In Michigan some of the funds have been used to help fund the Justice for Our Neighbors — a free legal clinic for immigrants — as well as the conference’s Boards of Church and Society.

How to give:
Donate during the special offering time at your church on June 19 or send donations by mail to: GCFA, P.O. Box 340029, Nashville, TN 37203.

To learn more: Check out www.umcgiving.org.

— By RJ Walters

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General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates recommended by Micah 6:8 United Methodists

By Susan Hagans, West Michigan Conference

Laity and clergy from across the West Michigan Conference called "Micah 6:8 West Michigan United Methodists" have come together to challenge and invite others to join them in standing for justice, kindness and humility.

They ask members at this years Annual Conference to affirm this scriptural mandate as they vote for 2012 General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates. Qualities the Micah 6:8 group says qualified delegates need to possess include:

• A deep and abiding love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• A demonstrated understanding of the meaning and intent of Micah 6:8, which calls us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God
• A clear commitment to The United Methodist Church, lived out in local, district and conference settings, and beyond
• A firm grasp of how The United Methodist Church works
• An ability to listen to others, to see the Christ in them, and to then seek to discern the will of God

The Micah 6:8 West Michigan United Methodists say “After careful study, discernment and prayer the following persons we present have all these qualities and more. We ask that each annual conference clergy and lay member prayerfully consider these persons to represent not only West Michigan but also Micah 6:8. They are particularly qualified to be our Conference delegates and we recommend their election in this order:”

Clergy                                Laity
Laurie Haller                      Nichea VerVeer Guy
Neil Davis                          Valerie Mossman Celestin
Kennetha Bigham-Tsai      Simmie Procter
Julie Dix                             Ryan Minier
John Boley                         David Lundquist
Mary Ivanov                      Andrew Stange
Lynn Pier-Fitzgerald          Lea Tobar
Scott Manning                   Jim Searls

In the coming weeks, further information about these persons will be made available to members attending the 2011 Annual Conference.

Also see the Micah 6:8 West Michigan United Methodists on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Micah68WMUM.

More details about the Micah 6:8 call for ‘justice, kindness and humility” and other information can be seen there.

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Africa University: The school of dreams in the valley of hope

By Rev. Laurie Haller, Grand Rapids District Superintendent

“You are at the school of dreams in the valley of hope.”

Our tour of Africa University (AU) in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, began with these words from administrator Andra Stevens.

In early November six clergy and laypersons from the Grand Rapids District of the West Michigan Conference met with university officials and students at AU. Our goal was to determine how we might best partner with AU in order to sustain and enhance university programs.

Why Africa University?
• Africa University is a vibrant United Methodist university whose 1,200 students come from 25 countries and 85 percent of whom return to their home countries after graduation. The ability of AU to nurture ethical servant leadership, peace, and prosperity on the African continent is essential to the
welfare of the African people as well as world peace.

• By investing in the success story of Africa University, we are engaging in the transformation of governmental structures and institutions on the African continent. AU graduates are pastors, doctors, attorneys, politicians, business owners, non-profit leaders, and educators who are bringing hope to their countries.

What is AU’s greatest need?
• AU has a compelling need for a gathering place on campus where innovation and hope grow out of relationship building, dialogue, and holy conferencing among people from many nations.

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The Lighthouse Overlook: Grand Rapids United Methodist Community House

By RJ Walters, Editor

What is it?
The Grand Rapids United Methodist Community House is a major provider of family services, educational programs and basic needs for the residents of inner city Grand Rapids.
The Community House has an accredited Child Development Center for infants through pre-kindergarten children, they offer a wide range of parenting services and programs and the Shalom Senior Center offers senior citizens help with transportation, meals, advocacy, healthcare and more.
A lot of the programming the non-profit provides focuses around literacy within entire family units, to provide an essential skill needed in social settings and the workforce.
In 2009, the house served almost 3,000 participants, according to Director of Development Bev Crandall-Rice.
She said “more than 60 percent of the people in the inner city are living in poverty” and 90 percent of their clients fit that description.

How did it start?
In September 1902, a group of women from the Methodist Churches of the Grand Rapids District organized a club to do settlement work and initially the program included classes for kindergarten and early elementary girls.
Eventually classes were offered for boys as well, covering a breadth of different topics.
In the 1950s, summer camps became the norm and by the early 1980s the Community House was focused heavily on advocacy of child development issues and concerns, to the point they received a United Way Humanitarian Award.
In 1989 the project was given a jolt with a $2.6 million capital campaign that helped it become what it is today.
Crandall-Rice said UMW founded it on the principles of helping a diverse set of people in staying true to the specific needs of the community, something that hasn’t changed in 108 years.
“We’ve had tremendous success with those who have been a part of our services. We see children from our Child Development Center ready to succeed, ready for pre-school or ready for kindergarten. We see the literacy skills that come out of our program because all of our programs are literacy based and that’s just a foundation for success and so valuable and important.”

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Scores of solutions for helping Michigan inmates

While not an exhaustive list, here are some examples of ministry in action that pertains specifically to helping Michigan Area inmates through the United Methodist Church.

Camp New Day
Anytime an adult is incarcerated, there are a million things to consider — but maybe the most important is the kids that are affected.

For almost a decade Camp New Day has been a partnership of the West Michigan and Detroit conferences that offers a spirit-filled weeklong camp experience for 9-15 year-olds who have parents in jail or prison.

At Camp Albright in Reed City campers share in daily worship and Bible study, while also participating in traditional fun camping experiences that are shared with caring, loving adults and youth going through similar life experiences.

The experience costs $369 but many campers come on full scholarships that are funded through donations and Michigan Area ministry funds.

Camp New Day Dean Beverly Williams said the camp offers “amazing opportunities for life-changing discussions about forgiveness, endurance and how to get along with others.”

Larry Fitch plays a major role at the camp and said the kids mean so much to all of the counselors, volunteers and leaders involved.

He said this summer one 12-year old boy seemed very withdrawn and sad when he arrived at camp.

After a heart-to-heart conversation, a counselor found out just a few days prior to camp Sam received a letter from his father in prison, stating that, “Sam was not his son so (he should) quit trying to see or communicate with him.”

“He could not understand why his dad would not communicate with him and felt that he might even be the reason he was in jail,” Fitch said. “Our counselor spent some extra time with Sam showing him love and spiritual caring. By the end of the week Sam was having a great time and had also found some new friends.”

Other kids might live with grandparents or relatives and most of them have more stress in their lives than any teenagers or pre-teens are able to handle without consequence.

The camp has its own registrar who sends out registration forms and makes regular phone calls to remind potential campers of the opportunity that awaits them.

It is also has plenty of needs to be filled by passionate churches and individuals.

For 2010 the camp needs approximately $15,000 more to reach its goal of $30,000 and Fitch said they still need close to 30 people to serve as staff, counselors and mentors.

Camp New Day is part of the West Michigan Conference’s Six Lanes of Giving (#7452) and the Detroit Conference’s Jubilee Spotlight (MJ 1366).

Those interested in donating funds an/or their time should contact Beverly Williams at 616-970-061 or will.fam@comcast.net or Fitch at 616-296-0844 or lmfitch@charter.net.

Keryx
The easiest way to define the Keryx Prison Ministry is, well, to think of the Emmaus Walk, but with inmates.

It is a lay-person led, non-profit, non-denominational Christian ministry that uses the Cursillo method of training people to be leaders in three days of intense instruction and prayer.

The purpose of Keryx is the “Christianization” of the correctional institution through the actions of small apostolic prayer support groups of prison residents, trained and encouraged by Keryx volunteers working within their environment.

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One Prisoner's Story: How UMC Prison Ministries Changed Her Life

A recently paroled inmate was kind enough to share her story of how United Methodist prison resources and ministries helped her through an arduous time in her life. She currently attends Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, where she says people have helped her with clothes, money and urgent needs following her release from prison. She is willing to share her story about the positive influence of UMC prison ministries, if transportation can be provided. If interested please contact editor RJ Walters at editor@miareaumc.org for more information.

My name is Marie.

I am 44 years old and I would like to share my story with you.

I recently paroled from prison — Jan. 26, 2010 to be exact. It has been a very interesting eight- and-a-half months.

At the time of my parole Kent County did not have a place for women without drug problems to parole to. So they paroled me to the Guiding Light Mission, but being from Grand Rapids, I knew they only took men.

So, I lived at the Mel Trotter Ministries Facility for seven months. Through this process God has been carrying me.

Men have several places to parole to and go through to obtain work. The major one is the Exodus program run through Hope Network. They actually help place the men in jobs and pay the employer half of the felon’s pay for 60-90 days.

The women are sent to the Women’s Resource Center, which is a very nice place, but does not have the same ability to help us as the men are afforded through Hope Network.

One of my biggest obstacles at first was obtaining my birth certificate. I was adopted at six years old.

Due to this my birth certificate had to be obtained from Lansing.

This process took eight weeks.

Without this you cannot get your driver’s license or social security card, which makes getting anything else impossible. There are organizations that help you with the costs and paperwork associated with getting your birth certificate. Inmates really need to be hooked up with these organizations while still in, so the waiting period is over upon their release.

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Joining hands on the front-line: The benefits of cooperative ministry and why it's not so hard to start

By RJ Walters, Editor

“…the more we get together the happier we’ll be.”

Kids sing it, and intrinsically most people realize it — but it seems like churches could always put that famous verse into action more effectively.

At the 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church cooperative ministries were a hot topic, with various resolutions passed to encourage the growth of cooperative parishes, projects and ministry initiatives. But applauding what has been accomplished through co-ops and convincing churches to initiate discussions about them has proven to be two very different things.

According to the 2009 Conference Journals, the Detroit Conference is home to five official cooperative parishes, while the West Michigan Conference has none officially recognized.

In a time of economic turmoil and diminishing membership numbers, more churches could benefit from looking at creating united fronts with the resources around them, and some Michigan Area UMC leaders are glad to vouch for the benefits of cooperative ministry.

“We do need to do a lot more of it,” said Detroit East District Superintendent Duane Miller, who is overseeing the development of a new cooperative parish startup in Oakland County. “A cooperative doesn’t force anything on anybody, it gives them an opportunity to explore things.”

A single match can start a fire

There’s no complicated jargon or overarching boundaries to hold churches back from considering the possibility of forming or joining a co-op.

Rev. George Covintree of Berkley First UMC simply sent out a letter to nine area churches to get the ball rolling for the Southeast Oakland Cooperative, which is still in its infancy, and the Eastside Cooperative Parish was born out of the prayers and dreams of a small group of pastors from the city and suburbs.

Miller was part of an official cooperative parish earlier in his ministry career, and he believes the best way to get people on board is to have church leaders reach out on a personal level.

“I’m in a position where I can sow the seed, but often the minute I call a meeting there’s resistance because ‘the District Superintendent is telling us what to do,’” he said. “I’ve been able to sit in on all these meetings, and I do contribute, but I don’t speak a whole lot…but their own initiatives and concerns are moving them forward rapidly.”

Covintree, who was part of the now-defunct Pontiac United Methodist Association co-op in the mid-90s, said a good place to start is to identify churches of similar size with similar needs, because then there can be a sympathetic, symbiotic approach going forward.

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West Michigan Annual Conference 2010: There are spaces, bring on the faces

By RJ Walters, Editor

Register for the West Michigan Annual Conference here.

The late American author/speaker Dale Carnegie seemed to be dead on with the mission of the 2010 West Michigan Conference Annual conference, when over 70 years ago he said, "The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.”

The goal of the annual conference committee for the 2010 conference, at Calvin College June 3-6, is to create an experience for clergy and lay members that makes them think outside the box about how to “create new places for new faces”, the theme of the event.

To facilitate that type of thinking the conference is welcoming friends from “that state to the south”, in Rev. John Edgar, George Howard and Donita Harris from the West Ohio Conference.

The trio has been instrumental in taking a corner store that opened in downtown Columbus in 1999 and shaping it into a United Methodist congregation and hub for human services, as well as a free store that now serves over 100,000 in a city of around 750,000 people.

West Michigan Director of Connectional Ministries Benton Heisler said their cutting-edge contemporary ministries are something that should excite the crowd and get people thinking.

“We tried to bring in presenters who could create an atmosphere that places a greater emphasis on the teaching and learning about what it means to be a transformational church creating new places for new faces,” he said. “We don’t want people dreading annual conference, or getting bored by it, or make it all about these different committees — and with these speakers I think we’ve accomplished that.”
Edgar is the lead pastor at the United Methodist Church for All People, Harris is a lay pastor at the church, and Howard is the Director of Connectional Ministries for the conference.

They have mastered the art of taking basic human needs, reaching out to people and incorporating the love of Christ each step of the way.

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WEB EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Ken Sloane to host stewardship workshops in West Michigan Conference in May

By Mark Doyal, West Michigan Conference Director of Connectional Ministries

Dr. Ken Sloane knows more than a little bit about giving.  

Sloane is an ordained elder in the Greater New Jersey Conference and knows first hand the challenges of keeping spiritual stewardship alive in the local church.  

He is also the Director of Communication Ministry at United Methodist Communications in Nashville Tennesee, and led the team that developed the cutting edge “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors” and “ReThink Church” Campaigns for The United Methodist Church.  

"There are things we can do as a connectional  church working together," notes Sloane, "that no one church can do on its own." Ken has a passion for illustrating through stories of how our connection as a church can make a huge difference around the world.   

“In 2006 alone, the 41,000 local churches entrusted over $6 billion dollars to their local church,” says Sloane, “that is over 120 million dollars each and every Sunday for ministry and mission!  The United Methodist Church is still making a real difference around the world.”

"Together We Can" is the theme being explored by the Rev. Dr. Ken Sloane, in a celebration of United Methodist giving coming to the West Michigan Conference May 10 –15.   

Using Biblical foundations and new illustrations of stewardship, participants will explore giving and learn of new resources  to help congregations tell the story.  Workshop times and places are listed below.   

For more information visit the West Michigan Conference website at www.westmichiganconference.org.


Schedule of stewardship events   
Monday, May 10 – Gr Rapids  (9:30-11:30 Crestwood; 7-9 Genesis)
Tuesday, May 11 – Lansing  (9:00-11:00 Potterville; 7:00-9:00 Asbury)
Wednesday, May 12 – Kalamazoo  (6:30-9:00 Paw Paw)
Thursday, May 13 – Albion  (1:00 Marshall; 7:00 Coldwater)
Friday, May 14 – Heartland  (9:30 – 11:30 Edmore Faith)
Saturday, May 15 – Grand Traverse   (10:00-12:00 TC Central)

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