TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW JUNE 15, 2007

Articles in this issue
1. Church Health by Loyd Mabry, new Director of the Conference Council on Connectional Ministries.
2. LaVergne High classmates receive Church Leader Scholarships—Martin Methodist College
3. Training Opportunities for Lay Speaking Ministries: leading, caring, communicating by Gloria Watts, Conference Chairperson of Lay Speaking Ministries

4. Care Tape Ministry Celebrates 30 years at Trinity United Methodist Church,
5. A Wall Turned Sideways is a Bridge, by Elizabeth Shadbolt. Shadbolt, who has been nominated to be Immigration/Refugee Coordinator for the Conference Committee on Global Ministries, keeps us up to date on information related to immigration.
6. Barbara Garcia Ministry Celebrated.
7. Randall Ganues, Retiring Connectional Ministries Director, Honored at Reception.
8. Ingram Scholarships Awarded to Four Jackson County High School Seniors,
9. Part One: A Commentary by the Rev. Jay Voorhees*: The Case for Connectionalism. Voorhees, a Tennessee Conference pastor wrestles with what it means to be a CONNECTIONAL church.

Church Health
By Loyd Mabry*

How many times have you heard the words church and health in the same sentence? Often we separate these two concepts, but church health is an important concept. One of the keys to growing churches is church health. To put it simply, healthy churches grow. One of the best ways for our conference to grow is to have healthy churches. It is my hope that the Tennessee Conference will embrace the concept of church health and work to promote church health.

One of the tools that can be used to assist in church health is Natural Church Development. Research has shown that eight quality characteristics are present in healthy, growing churches. These eight quality characteristics are as follows:
·Empowering Leadership
·Gift-based Ministry
·Passionate Spirituality
·Effective Structures
·Inspiring Worship
·Holistic Small Groups
·Need-oriented Evangelism
·Loving Relationships.

These characteristics are not listed in any particular order. Research has shown that all are necessary for church health. The key is in the adjective. For example, God has gifted each Christian with spiritual gifts for ministry. Matching giftedness and ministry together allows people to be happier and more effective in their service to God. Do you know your spiritual gifts? Are you using them in service to God? Gift-based ministry helps people identify their gifts and integrate them into ministries that match their gifts.

It is my hope that the Tennessee Conference will embrace church health as a way to increase, expand and enhance our ministry in and through the local church. God deserves the best we have to offer. Healthy churches are a testimony of God’s power at work in us, among us, and through us.

Call the Conference Council Office to learn more about how your church can be involved in this church health initiative. (615-329-1177) or email lmabry@tnumc.org

*Loyd Mabry is Director of the Conference Council on Connectional Ministries


LaVergne High classmates receive Church Leader Scholarships
Recipients Millo, Po’e active as youth leaders in their respective UMC congregations

The eight Church Leader Scholars for the 2007-08 academic year are: (seated, from left) seniors Melissa Stewart from Hendersonville (Tenn.) First UMC and Brandi Belcher from Hermitage (Tenn.) UMC; (standing, from left) junior Stephanie Woolam from Dickson (Tenn.) First UMC; sophomore Courtney Daniel of Mars Hill UMC in Lawrenceburg, Tenn.; freshmen Josiah Po'e of Belmont UMC in Nashville and Lyndsay Millo of LaVergne (Tenn.) First UMC; junior Will Frazer of Andrew Price UMC in Nashville; and sophomore Katie Cooper of Smyrna (Tenn.) First UMC.

PULASKI, Tenn. – A pair of high school classmates who attend different United Methodist congregations have been named recipients of the 2007 Church Leader Scholarship at Martin Methodist College.

Lyndsay Millo of Nolensville, Tenn., a member of LaVergne First United Methodist Church, and Josiah Po’e of LaVergne, Tenn., a member of Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, were selected for the scholarships. They are both 2007 graduates of LaVergne High School.

The scholarships cover the cost of tuition as well as room and board. If a student maintains a certain grade point average for four years, the scholarships are renewable each year and can be worth in excess of $87,000. Two high school seniors are selected for the scholarships each spring, and Millo and Po’e become the 13th and 14th Church Leaders at Martin Methodist College since the scholarship program began in 2001.

They were selected from 37 applicants – a record number – that included young people from United Methodist congregations from Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Utah.

Millo is an active member of LaVergne First UMC, serving as president of the youth group and director of the children’s choir. She is involved in the church’s Fall Festival, as well as mission/service projects with local nursing homes, the Ronald McDonald House, and Wherry Housing in Smyrna, Tenn.

“Lyndsay’s service to our church is remarkable. She is an active and faithful participant in many areas,” said the Rev. Buddy Royston. “I am certain that Lyndsay has not only the aptitude, but the attitude to grow and make a significant contribution to the United Methodist Church.”

Po’e has been active in the youth group and youth choir at Belmont UMC, and has served as youth representative to the Spiritual Formation Ministries. He previously lived in Fiji, where his father, a missionary, taught at Pacific Theological College, and the younger Po’e was active in ministries with the Pacific Theological Youth, including serving as treasurer of the Youth Council.

“Josiah’s foundation is his loving and nurturing family and their faith,” said the Rev. John Collett of Belmont UMC. “He is an excellent candidate for the Church Leader Scholarship because the investment will enable strong church leadership in the future. He will be a superb student and campus leader.”

The Rev. Mary Noble Parrish, director of church relations at Martin Methodist College and the coordinator of the Church Leader Scholarship program, said the competition this year was the most impressive yet.

“We were thrilled with the record number of applications, and we were elated to see interest in Martin Methodist College and the Cal Turner Jr. Center for Church Leadership reaching prospective students across the Southeast and beyond,” Parrish said. “This year’s selection of both the finalists and recipients was the most difficult yet. We have gotten to know numerous remarkable young people who have the potential to make a difference both on our campus as well as in the United Methodist Church.”

Training Opportunities for Lay Speaking Ministries: leading, caring, communicating
By Gloria Watts, Tennessee Annual Conference Director of Lay Speaking Ministries

In the quiet of your soul, you can hear it. Not the shouts of advertisers telling you to hold on to your youth, but something far deeper, more subtle. It’s a whisper of “something new.” A gentle voice that seems to say, “Ahh, now that I have your attention . . . “

Take a long, fresh look at yourself, and you’ll discover that you are also softer, gentler, wiser, and more calm than you have ever been. Now combine that developing maturity with spiritual passion, and then you’ll know: You are about to experience something bigger than you ever imagined… From Second Calling by Dale Bourke

August 24 & 25, 2007
Host Church: Centertown United Methodist Church, McMinnville, Tennessee
Basic Course
Advanced Courses: Stewardship and Faith Sharing Congregations
Contact: Holly Neal, Cookeville District Director, Lay Speaking Ministries
615-629-6369 or 931-788-6337

September 8 & 9, 2007
Host Church: Coleman United Methodist Church, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
Two Advanced Courses: Lay Speakers Tell Stories and Go Preach
Contact: Elizabeth Eubanks, Pulaski District Director, Lay Speaking Ministries
931-629-6369 or the Pulaski District Office at 931-363-8981

September 11 – October 16, 2007, Tuesday Evenings 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Host Church: TBA
Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition
Contact: Holly Neal, Cookeville District Director, Lay Speaking Ministries
615-629-6369 or 931-788-6337

September 14 & 15
Host Church: Rehoboth United Methodist Church, Gallatin, Tennessee
Basic Course and one Advanced Course
Contact: Elizabeth Eubanks, Pulaski District Director, Lay Speaking Ministries
615-672-7950 or Cumberland District Office at 615-822-1433

September 22 & 29, 2007
Host Church: Franklin First United Methodist Church, Franklin, Tennessee
Basic Course
Youth Basic
Advanced Course: Lay Speakers Tell Stories
Contact: Rex Thigpen, Columbia District, Lay Speaking Ministries
615-579-5252 or Columbia District Office at 931-381-9558

October 6 & 13, 2007
Host Church: Hilldale United Methodist Church, Clarksville, Tennessee
Basic Course and one Advanced Course
Contact: Bruce Myers, Clarksville District Director, Lay Speaking Ministries
931-645-8458 or Clarksville District Office at 931-553-8401

October 27 & November 3, 2007
Host Church: TBA
Basic Course and one Advanced Course
Contact: Helen Noffsinger, Murfreesboro District Director, Lay Speaking Ministries
615-459-9279, 615-238-2781 , or 615-584-7284

November 9, 10, 11, 2007
Host Church: Hillcrest United Methodist Church, Nashville, Tennessee
Basic Course and two Advanced Courses
Contact: Corlinda Edgen, Nashville District Director, Lay Speaking Ministries
615-865-0398 or Nashville District Office at 615-327-3582

April 4 & 5, 2008
Host Church: Crossville First United Methodist Church, Crossville, Tennessee
Basic Course
Three Advanced Courses: Faithful Leadership, Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts, and Delivering the Effective Sermon
Contact: Holly Neal, Cookeville District Director, Lay Speaking Ministries
1-866-244-5155 or 931-788-6337

“…For I know the plans I have for you,” Jeremiah 28:11


Care Tape Ministry Celebrates 30 years at Trinity United Methodist Church

“The Care Tape Ministry” at Trinity United Methodist Church, 204 East Trinity Lane in Nashville, will celebrate its 30th year on Father’s Day, 2007. Each week audio cassette tapes of the church’s worship service are delivered or mailed to shut-ins and visitors on request. The ministry is self-supported by donations.

The ministry started 30 years ago when Trinity was determining ways that it—as a congregation—could be a CARING community. Of the committee that envisioned the original audio tape ministry, and helped fulfill that ministry through the years, nearly all have died or are unable to participate for health reasons. One that remains active is Ed Mercer, and Mercer fondly remembers all those who worked on the ministry through the years—from recording Sunday services, to duplicating and sending out the tapes.

On Sunday morning Ed Mercer can usually be seen in the sound booth holding a headphone to his ear.

With almost no wait, individuals can pick up the tapes on Sunday morning after the service to deliver to visitors, friends, family members, and other church members who were physically unable to attend. On Monday morning tapes are duplicated and sent out to others on the list. Presently from 8-10 persons receive the tapes each week but that number has been as high as 17 persons. The ministry has not been restricted to persons living in Davidson County, Tennessee. “We’ve mailed tapes as far as the Virgin Islands, Maine, and Colorado,” notes Mercer. The ministry has also recorded a sprinkling of weddings and funerals down through the years.

When the Rev. Roy Short was serving as “Presiding Elder” of the E-Town District in the Kentucky Conference he met and befriended Ed Mercer, then a young man who was a member of the Rosetta Methodist Church on the E-Town District. Short was 32-years-of-age at the time, and years later Mercer invited Roy Short, then Bishop Short, to preach during a revival at Trinity United Methodist Church. In one of the many albums containing master tapes of the services recorded throughout 30 years are three with Short as preacher.



Photo #4, caption: Ed Mercer points out the first recording—dated June 19, 1977


The Trinity United Methodist Church gives thanks to Edward Mercer for his faithful 30 years of service, and also thanks Terry Hale who recently entered the tape ministry.



A Wall Turned Sideways is a Bridge
by Elizabeth Shadbolt*

In Chicago, a woman has taken a bold step. Elvira Arellano has invoked an age-old tradition in claiming that her church is a place of sanctuary. Take note – she’s not saying anything about the church’s architectural features. She’s claiming that the church, with the approval of the pastor and congregation, can serve as a place of safety, of security, of refuge as the government seeks to deport her. The church too, Aldaberto United Methodist Church, has been bold as well in its support of a growing group of churches in several large US cities known as the “New Sanctuary Movement.” Aldaberto UMC has sheltered Elvira, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, for 9 months, holding vigils and hunger strikes as her son, a US citizen lobbies the US and Mexican governments for help to keep his family together. A priest in Los Angeles whose congregation is preparing to provide sanctuary explains the mission of the New Sanctuary Movement: “We want to put a human face to very complex immigration laws and awaken the consciousness of the human spirit.”

As Christians we are called to love the sinful, to shelter strangers, to work for justice. When we see the human faces behind these labels, we find our hearts softened, our understanding greater, our passion for justice revived. How do we balance the rhetoric we hear in the media and from politicians against the clear calls in the New Testament for hospitality and love? Two divinity students at Vanderbilt University, Emily Snyder and Stephen Miles, believe the answer comes through dialogue and conversation. Together they founded Strangers No Longer and have hosted several meetings of “Clergy for Tolerance,” bringing together clergy from different faiths to discuss immigration. In the coming months, they will hold forums on immigration topics in churches around the city. Their challenge to us is to examine our feeling about immigration and immigrants through the lens of faith.

At the last Clergy for Tolerance meeting, one pastor described a call God had given him to open up his congregation to the AIDS issue in the 1990s. He decided that for an entire year, he would find a way to bring up AIDS in every worship service he led. He wanted to make it a topic in his church, something for his congregants to think about and to discuss. Since that year, his church has been at the forefront of reaching out to those in their community affected by AIDS. Now, he’s thinking about a year of immigration.

In 2006, the General Board of Global Ministries adopted a new statement on immigration. In their declaration, they intend to: “Encourage United Methodists to inform themselves and others about the plight of undocumented workers in the US and how the church is and can continue responding to the economic, social, political, legal and spiritual challenges they encounter.” As we enter the fray of the upcoming presidential election, it is more important than ever that we inform ourselves and fully understand the rhetoric we hear. We all know the Biblical call, extending back to Exodus 22:21 “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.” A few steps we can take to be more informed:

.Watch The Review and ListServ for information about upcoming events sponsored by Strangers No Longer or email them for more information at faithandimmigration@yahoo.com.
.Suggest immigration as a topic to explore in a Bible study or small group.
.Learn more about current immigration law and let your congress person know your feelings on the proposed immigration reform before congress now.
.Meet immigrants in your community and extend invitations to worship.
.Keep immigrants a priority in your prayer life.
.Avoid inflammatory rhetoric which usually does not accurately reflect the situation.

Last month, I had a chance to see a documentary on immigrants illegally crossing the boarder between Mexico and the US. There were many images of the walls that have been constructed in order to enforce the border. In one shot, graffiti on the Mexican side read “A wall turned sideways is a bridge.” My hope is that our faith can be a bridge to compassion, advocacy, and tolerance.

Other resources:
US Citizenship and Immigration Services website: www.uscis.gov
New World Outlook magazine published by the United Methodist Church
The Justice for Our Neighbors program through GBGM: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/refugees/justiceforourneighbors.cfm
The New Sanctuary Movement’s website: http://www.newsanctuarymovement.org/

*Elizabeth Shadbolt has been nominated to the Conference Committee on Global Ministries as “Immigration/Refugee Coordinator.”



Barbara Garcia Ministry Celebrated

The ministry of Barbara Garcia, who is retiring this year after serving 11 years as Assistant to the Bishop for the Nashville Area, was celebrated with a retirement dinner on May 29th at First United Methodist Church, Jackson, Tennessee. Barbara, seen here with husband Joaquin Garcia, responds to those that spoke at the gathering and to well-wishers from the Tennessee and Memphis Annual Conferences. Along with numerous friends and colleagues, three bishops spoke at the celebration—Ken Carder with a video-taped message, Bishops Wills and Morris live and in person. A fourth Bishop, Joe Pennel, delivered the benediction at the close of the evening.

Randall Ganues, Retiring Connectional Ministries Director, Honored at Reception

Randall Ganues, who has served the past ten years as Director of Connectional Ministries for the Tennessee Conference, was feted by family, friends, and colleagues from throughout the conference on the occasion of his retirement. The event was held June 3rd at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro. Randall’s long ministry includes serving 20 different congregations within the Tennessee Annual Conference as well as being Murfreesboro District Superintendent. Randall is seen here at the reception with wife Brenda and children Randy, Brad and Leigh Anne Brown. Brenda is also retiring this year as secretary to the Nashville District Superintendent.

Ingram Scholarships Awarded to Four Jackson County High School Seniors

Sunday, May 20 was Ingram Scholarship Sunday at Gainesboro First United Methodist Church. We honored four Jackson County High School Seniors this year. These scholarships were made available through the love and caring of Shirley Ingram and the late Reverend Cliff Ingram. We wish these students great endeavors as they continue their educations.

Pictured left to right: Reverend Kathie Bowles, Kristin Burton, Brittany Hawkins, Kaitlyn Garland, Eric Jones, Shirley Ingram, and Patrick Heinrich


Part One--A Commentary by the Rev. Jay Voorhees*: The Case for Connectionalism

Rev. Jay Voorhees


During the past few years, I have found myself in several conversations (usually with young church planters) where someone starts into a rant that goes something like this:

Denominations are dead! We live in a post-denominational world, so why would anyone hang with an old, dying, mainline church like the United Methodist Church. Why don’t you just go ahead and jump now, so that you can plant a church that is doing exciting and cool things.

Within my own communion, I hear comments (usually from younger folks struggling with the convoluted process that is now part of being ordained) that go something like this:

Why should we put up with this denominational hierarchy? Why are they telling us what to do? Shouldn’t the congregation have the ultimate say in their destiny, both in regards to property and theology? Connectionalism is a dead and useless albatross and we need to discard it so that we can “catch up” with those congregational churches that are doing better than we are.

There are good arguments in both comments. We DO live in a post-denominational world, where “branding” ceases to be less relevent that one’s personal experience within an individual community. Connectional structures like the one that I work in ARE unwieldy, overly caught up in politics and hierarchy, and always have the potential of misusing our structure so as to be oppressive, and sometimes thwarting the work of the Holy Spirit. Personally, as one who both grew up on Howard Snyder’s vision for congregations in his book The Power of Wineskins, and as a pastor and thinker in relationship and resonance with the new movements in the church sometimes known as “emerging,” I desperately want congregations to have a sense of identity that is unique to their location, understanding that a “one size fits all” approach to being churched fails to appreciate the complexity of the human/divine relationship.

Yet, I want to make a case for the power of connectionalism, that is, the system of church governance which reaches beyond the individual congregation and maintains accountability between congregations through a larger church structure. There is no doubt that connectionalism in the United Methodist Church is broken at many levels, and has often fails to be an efficient system of governance. However I want to suggest that the decision to remain a connectional church and avoid the plunge into congregationalism is ultimately a prophetic act in a world in which individualism reigns supreme.

Of course, I am writing in the context of the United States, a country which has tended to lift up individual liberty almost to the level of deity. Individualism is part and parcel of who we are, based in the belief that free choice (connected to the theological notion of free will) is a God ordained right for all people. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” form the basis of our union together, and our corporate narrative has affirmed that belief, from the cry to “…give me liberty or give me death…” to “Do your own thing, man.” The battles between the left and right in this country ultimately revolve around whose individual liberties will be infringed upon so that others can experience their own liberty in decision making. Consumerism, the deification of consumption that is at the heart of our economic system, is partially built on the notion that an individual can achieve happiness and fulfillment in the acquisition of stuff. While there are certainly narratives that lift up cooperation and the corporate good (patriotism, environmentalism, etc), much of our lives has been formed around the notion that individual freedom is a primary virtue and should be maintained at all cost.

To Be Continued --

*Jay Voorhees is the pastor of the Antioch United Methodist Church, Nashville District