TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW April 17, 2009
Articles in this special Cosrow/Religion and Race issue of THE REVIEW
1. Commission on the Status and Role of Women – advocate, monitor, catalyst
2. 2009 Retreat for Hispanic Women
3. What am I doing here? Reflections of a Conference Chairperson.
4. Nashville Clergy Issue United, Community-wide Call to Action to Obtain Federal Aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital.
5. Murfreesboro District: Steps to Unite our Community
6. Hispanic Ministry at West Nashville United Methodist Church
7. National Commission on Religion and Race Meeting held in Nashville
8. The first woman to receive full ordination in the Tennessee Conference -- Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women series, Faith Cornwall
9. “What God primarily expects from us is not success, but our faithfulness” -- Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women series, Bettye Lewis.
10. A Personal Reflection by Barbara P. Garcia, Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women series, Barbara P. Garcia.
11. First female District Superintendent in the Tennessee Annual Conference -- Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women series, Juanita Bass-Brummitt)
(Editor’s Note: The next issue of THE REVIEW will contain the stories of two additional Pioneering Women in The Tennessee Annual Conference, Karen Collier and Rosemary Brown)
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Commission on the Status and Role of Women – advocate, monitor, catalyst
By Dawn Yelverton*
The Tennessee Conference Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) is an advocate, monitor, and catalyst for women in the total life of the conference. We are an extension of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women. Paragraph 2102 in the Book of Discipline defines the purpose of the Commission to challenge the Church “to a continuing commitment to full and equal responsibility and participation of women in the total life and mission of the Church.”
Women have always been active in many ministries throughout history. One of the challenges in our early history was allowing women to become ordained in the United Methodist Church with full ordination rights. This would become possible in 1972. There are still challenges in the pulpits – acceptance by the church members and/or being treated as equals in the roles given. We have begun to overcome some of these challenges and hope that one day we will be able to look at a person in terms of what gifts and talents they have to offer and celebrate together as one body of Christ. We look forward to a day in which women will be recognized as full participants and treated as equals in the life and ministry of the church.
Part of this issue of the Tennessee Conference Reporter will be a focus on some of the women pioneers in our conference. Each overcame obstacles, as they became some of the first women in our conference to attain recognition in various areas of achievement. We celebrate their ministries past, current, and future as they lead other women to break down gender barriers.
Faith Cornwall
Bettye Lewis
Barbara P. Garcia
Juanita Bass-Brummitt
*Dawn Yelverton is Chairperson of the Tennessee Conference Commission on the Status and Role of Women.
Hispanic/Latino Academy’s Retreat for Women and Children draws 70 participants
On April 3rd and 4th seventy Hispanic women and children from the Tennessee Conference met for praise, prayer and renewal at the Scarritt-Bennett Center. Theme for the retreat was taken from I john 5:4 -- “...Because every child of God is able to defeat the world.” Guest speakers were Elia Rosas de Zuñiga, Norma Rodríguez de Castañeada y Milca Martínez de Guzmán. Serving on the planning committee were Luara Hernández, Francisca Martínez, Ivett Gale, Janet Martínez, Maria Hernádnez, Mirna Mérdia, Estela Sánchez and Esther Hernández representing the Hispanic/Latino faith communities in the Tennessee Conference. This, the third retreat for Hispanic/Latino women, was a great blessing for the participants and the Academy will continue sponsoring the Spring and Fall retreats.
What am I doing here? Reflections of a Conference Chairperson
By Beverly Madron
“What am I doing here?” I have asked myself that question dozens of times since I became chairperson of the Tennessee Conference Commission on Religion and Race (CORR) last September, and every time I get a different answer.
The Golden Triangle ministry at Belmont United Methodist Church was well represented at the 2009Annual Human Relations Day/Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration co-sponsored by the Commission on Religion and Race.
The Tennessee Conference CORR is a diverse group of people -- African and African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Korean, Native American, White, lay, clergy, male, female, different age groups -- all committed to the ultimate goal of CORR: ending racism within this conference of the United Methodist Church. The Conference CORR seeks to promote inclusiveness, celebrate diversity, and break down the walls of racism that have been built over the years through:
· monitoring of Annual Conference sessions for evidences of bias toward (or against) particular groups (white male clergy, for example)
· speaking from the floor of Annual Conference,
· making presentations from the dais,
· attendance and participation in all Annual Conference business sessions
· promoting a conference-approved Plan for Inclusiveness with annual charge conference progress reports; and
· sponsoring conference-wide celebration/recognition events for example the annual Human Relations Day/Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration.
So why am I the Tennessee Conference CORR chair? What am I doing here? With no prior experience with the Commission, new to the Conference, and unacquainted with those individuals–clergy and lay–who have a vested interest in what CORR does (or doesn’t do), it doesn’t seem like a good match.
Former CORR chairperson Mattielyn B. Williams was one of the leaders at the 2009 Humans Relations Day/Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.
What I do have is a good relationship with the former chair, Mattielyn B. Williams, who convinced me (and others, I’m sure–she’s very persuasive) that I could handle the job–with a lot of help, of course! So here I am: white, lay, female, from a large church, chairing a commission that is made up of members who are not all those things! And I think: “This is good; this is right; this is something that I support, though not as actively nor as persuasively as I might.”
“Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down” was the theme of a UMC church-wide quadrennial training event for conference leaders held in Jacksonville, FL in January. I’m not a conference leader–what was I doing there? Well, it sounded very interesting, I was flattered to be invited, and I was sure it would shed light on my role as Conference CORR chairperson. The training event did that and much more.
I met the real leaders from the Tennessee Conference–people like Joy Lewter, Tim Moss, Bettye Lewis, Opal Ransom, and the other members of the conference team–as we attended sessions on the four emphases for the quadrennium–global health, working with the poor to eradicate poverty, creating new churches for new people, and developing Christian leaders–and discussed how we could implement in our conference what we had learned and absorbed during the days of non-stop worship, meetings, and expansion of our experience and perspectives. (Funny what stays with you: I’ll not soon forget the “Ho Hum Hymn”; the eye-opening mind-blowing statistics presented by the head of the General Board of Global Ministries Rev. Edward Paup; and the sound of the Lord’s Prayer being recited in unison in dozens of languages.)
I am becoming more comfortable with my role in the conference, largely due to a two-and-a-half day General CORR (GCORR) event held at Scarrett-Bennett for conference CORR chairs. There, the recurring question took a slightly different twist: what was I, a member of the laity, doing there? Of the forty-five or so attendees, only a handful–perhaps six–were laity. And concerns about racism within our denomination frequently came back to concerns about Conference Boards of Ordained Ministry (BOOM), instead of focusing on congregations. Change, it seems, must originate in the pulpit as well as in the pew.
If the session in Jacksonville was a view from 30,000 feet, the meeting in Nashville was from about 3,000 feet–still a little rarified, not quite down at ground-level, though there were some very explicit best practices outlined and step-by-step methods for advocacy and communication. And, blessedly, tools that didn’t rely on the ingenuity of a novice Conference chair to stimulate discussion among both lay and clergy.
At S-B, the discussions generated a level of honesty not often seen: acknowledging latent, inbred racism that manifested itself (even as we met) at meals; a “person of color” stating he didn’t like being identified as such, preferring his ethnic/cultural identity; confessing to using–and abusing–white privilege; recognizing that as far as we’ve come, there’s still a long way to go, even for Christians committed to ending racism.
What am I doing here? I’m learning as much as I can about my own blindness to racial, cultural, and ethnic concerns, doing what I can to change my misconceptions, and encouraging others to join the conference CORR on this journey. Other articles in this issue of Review describe recent successes in racial, ethnic, and cultural inclusiveness. Join them and the members of the Tennessee Conference Commission on Religion and Race as we celebrate diversity, support inclusiveness, and end racism. And answer your own “What am I doing here?” question!
Nashville Clergy Issue United, Community-wide Call to Action to Obtain Federal Aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital
Editor’s note: Nashville United Methodist clergy have responded to the move to obtain Federal Aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital. Judi Hoffman, pastor of Edgehill United Methodist Church, notes why the Tennessee Annual Conference needs to be heavily involved in working to preserve Metro General Hospital.
“The partnership,” states Hoffman, “between Nashville Metro General Hospital and Meharry Medical College is an irreplaceable part of this city’s well-being and this nation’s health education infrastructure. Metro General Hospital is situated on the Meharry campus and is the principle teaching facility for Meharry Medical College. Naturally, the financial crisis that Metro General Hospital now faces will have a profound impact on this vital Meharry-Metro partnership. Simply stated, financial threats to Metro General Hospital undermine Meharry’s mission.”
“With a full-time faculty of 200 and more than 700 students from 43 states and 22 foreign countries, Meharry Medical College is the largest private, comprehensive historically black institution for educating health professionals and scientists in the United States. Fully accredited, Meharry aggressively addresses health disparities that continue to plague African Americans across our country. Graduates of the Medical College contribute enormously to our nation’s goal of increased diversity in the health professions workforce. Meharry Medical Collage has an extraordinary national reputation for its high standard of excellence and is, indeed, a unique cultural treasure, academic resource and economic engine.”
Services to Community, Education for Physicians, and Jobs in Local Economy Are Threatened by Reductions in Local & State Funding
Nashville clergy have issued a united, city-wide call to action to secure federal aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital. Clergy members announced their effort on behalf of the hospital at a news conference on March 31. Among the people participating in the news conference were (left to right) Reverend Jerry Maynard II; Reverend Henry Blaze, Progressive Baptist Church; Reverend Judi Hoffman, Edgehill United Methodist Church; and Reverend Jay Voorhees, Antioch United Methodist Church. Seay-Hubbard United Methodist Church pastor Kennard Murray, conversing here with the Rev. Jay Voorhees, is one of more than 70 ministers supporting federal financial aid for Metro General Hospital.
Nashville, TN – Nashville clergy have announced a united, city-wide call to action to secure federal aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital as the hospital faces reductions in local and state funding that threaten the hospital’s unique role as a provider of medical care to thousands of Nashvillians and as an education partner with Meharry Medical College. During a news conference on March 31, Reverend Henry Blaze, Progressive Baptist Church, and Reverend Judi Hoffman, Edgehill United Methodist Church, said that more than 70 Nashville clergy have already signed a united declaration of support to seek and secure federal funding for Metro Nashville General Hospital. They urged Nashville citizens and community, business, civic, and health care leaders to join them in this effort.
Bishop Jerry Maynard, Cathedral of Praise, said, “Health care is a matter of justice and morality. We talk about Nashville being a great city. However, our city’s greatness must include access to healthcare for all of our people. If our city fails to provide this, Nashville falls short of greatness no matter how many businesses move here or how many tourists visit.”
“Metro Nashville General Hospital faces a financial crisis that threatens the city’s healthcare infrastructure. Because of the economy, Nashville has an increasing number of uninsured residents who need to know that their city has not forgotten them and their need for access to a hospital. Metro Nashville General Hospital is our city’s safety-net for acute care medical services,” said Rev. Blaze.
Metro Nashville General Hospital serves more than 30% of the uninsured patients in the city. The hospital incurred $70 million in expenses for uncompensated care in 2008, while receiving $34 million from Metropolitan Government as a subsidy for the indigent care services.
Rev. Judi Hoffman explained, “We know that the State of Tennessee and Metro Government of Nashville Davidson County face tough economic times. However, we believe that our city has a moral obligation to operate a fully accredited public safety net hospital to serve the health care needs of Nashvillians.”
Need for a Fully Accredited In-patient Facility
The clergy stressed that it is crucial that Metro Nashville General Hospital continue to operate as a fully accredited, in-patient facility.
“We can be proud of the network of primary care clinics that operate in our city. However, people who have acute illnesses need to receive care in a hospital. Without Metro General Nashville Hospital, there would be nowhere for them to go,” said Rev. Hoffman.
Rev. Hoffman also noted that without this accredited in-patient facility, the education of hundreds of Meharry medical and dental students is threatened because of the unique partnership between Metro Nashville General Hospital and Meharry Medical College.
The clergy stressed that the hospital’s funding crisis could have a long-term impact on the health of the nation because the training for thousands of future physicians could be curtailed. They noted that the Metro General – Meharry Medical College partnership is a unique national health care resource that is deserving of federal financial support.
Meharry Medical College is the largest private, comprehensive historically black institution for educating health professionals and scientists in the United States. Metro Nashville General Hospital serves as Meharry’s principal teaching facility. The Meharry-General Hospital partnership is part of the nation’s health education infrastructure.
Hospital’s Economic Impact
Freda Player, Change that Works Tennessee, spoke at a public rally following the March 31 news conference. Addressing more the 100 people who attended the rally, she pointed out that the hospital has an annual budget of $95 million and a payroll of over 700 employees.
“The hospital is a major employer in Nashville. In the current economic situation, where would 700 people find jobs in our city? Federal funding for Metro Nashville General Hospital is important for many economic reasons.”
Seay-Hubbard United Methodist Church pastor Kennard Murray, conversing here with the Rev. Jay Voorhees, is one of more than 70 ministers supporting federal financial aid for Metro General Hospital.
Reverend Jay Voorhees, Antioch United Methodist Church, summarized the clergy’s reasons for undertaking this effort. He said, “We have faith that many people will join us in this effort because we know this city and its people. We believe that:
.Nashville is a caring, compassionate community that wants to provide quality care to people in need in an accredited facility;
.Nashvillians want to help their neighbors when they lose their jobs and provide the assurance that you can receive acute care health services if needed;
.Nashville is doing a good job in providing primary care services in health clinics, but needs to continue to operate an acute care hospital to serve clinic patients; and
.The people of Nashville and its leaders will join us in working to secure federal funds for the continued operation of Metro Nashville General Hospital because it is the moral and right thing to do.”
For information about the Nashville clergy’s Declaration of Support, visit http://www.faithleadersforallofus.com/ or call 481-9246.
Murfreesboro District: Steps to Unite our Community
By Michelle Baker*
Individuals and teams from the Murfreesboro District travel by airplane, auto, and foot to bring the Christian community together. We have an ongoing relationship with the United Methodist Churches in Matamoros, Mexico, where we have hands-on involvement with construction, health care, Christian education and evangelism.
Enrique Hernandez and family -- missionaries to the Murfreesboro District.
Also, Enrique Hernandez, our missionary from Mexico to the Murfreesboro District, has been developing an Hispanic faith community in Shelbyville over the past two years. Cannon United Methodist has served two congregations by holding services in English on Sunday morning and in Spanish during the evening. These two congregations worshipped together as one community for the first time on Easter Sunday. Rev. Tom Rousseau led the Sunrise Service which was followed by a fellowship breakfast.
The Murfreesboro District is working hard to bridge the language barriers with the Spanish speaking members in our area. St. Marks and First United Methodist Churches of Murfreesboro are conducting Spanish classes for their congregations. Both Cannon and First United Methodist Churches are offering “English as a Second Language” classes to their communities. Members of the two congregations are tutoring Spanish-speaking neighbors in their respective neighborhoods.
The mission team from Matamoras, Mexico, heads out into the community.
With the assistance of Enrique Hernandez, the Murfreesboro and Nashville Districts joined forces to share the Gospel. An evangelism team made up of six missionaries from Mexico, led by Rev. Roberto Gomez, temporarily relocated to St. Marks UMC and spent most of a week going house-to-house sharing the Good News. They traveled to a number of Spanish speaking neighborhoods in Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, and Nashville. We are thankful for two lives being given to Christ and at least ten families interested in learning more.
This is one more step toward a single Christian community.
*Michelle Baker is a lay member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Murfreesboro, and Secretary of the Conference Commission on Religion and Race.
Hispanic Ministry at West Nashville United Methodist Church
By Randy Horick*
West Nashville United Methodist Church has always considered itself a welcoming church. Though it is a small, historically Anglo congregation, there are also a handful of members who are African American and Hispanic. A typical worship service includes urban professionals as well as homeless people from our neighborhood.
We thought we already knew what it meant to be diverse and yet united. So it didn’t seem like any great stretch when we inaugurated a Hispanic ministry a couple of years ago. Little did we realize then how transforming the ministry would be, opening us to a deeper revelation of what it means to be one body in Christ.
The Hispanic ministry began with the intention that we would be one church, not simply the meeting place for separate congregations. Yet, with a separate service in Spanish following the main Sunday worship, it began to seem as if we Anglos and Hispanics were just sharing space. We greeted each other in passing, as we left church and they arrived. It didn’t feel right.
So we began holding a single worship service together. It’s primarily in English, with simultaneous translation of the entire service into Spanish (the Spanish speakers wear headphones) and on-screen projection of the Scripture readings and Apostles Creed en español. We generally sing at least one hymn in both English and Spanish. We have a Spanish-language Sunday School class and a Bible study in Spanish during the week, but the emphasis during worship is bilingual.
It was a leap of faith. Would it work? Would our Anglo members be open to something as untraditional as a second language during worship? Would the Spanish speakers find the headphones inconvenient, or miss worshiping exclusively in their native language?
Six months later, we have learned some answers to these questions. Our congregation is being transformed. Now, we truly feel like one congregation. Now, we know each other. We are learning to talk to each other (a number of us English speakers are learning Spanish on Wednesday nights). Instead of 5 or 6 children on a typical Sunday, we have 15 or more. Especially for our older members, seeing so many eager young faces has been revitalizing, a source of deep joy.
If I were permitted only one word to describe the feeling at West Nashville, “joy” would be it. There is a new energy here, a new spirit. Partly it is a joy that our little church is growing. But even more, for me, is the way we have come together. Our Spanish speakers told a committee from our conference that, because of the effort to be bilingual, this was the first Anglo church where they had felt truly welcome as equals.
When we pass the peace to those whose primary language is Spanish, we say paz de Cristo. It is a reminder of what Paul called the early, multicultural church to be, a reminder that we are all one body in Christ, with no distinctions between Jew or Gentile, male or female — or, as Paul surely would have added today, between Anglo and Hispanic. We see that spirit being embodied at West Nashville. Some outsiders have noticed it, too, and have begun attending because their own experiences had never allowed them to glimpse that church could be like this.
We think we have only scratched the surface. We’re not sure where it will go, but we sense God’s hand in it. We no longer feel like a congregation that is just “hanging on.” We are excited about the future and where God is taking us together.
*Randy Horick is chairperson of the Administrative Council at West Nashville United Methodist Church.
National Commission on Religion and Race Meeting held in Nashville
By Beverly Madron*
They came from conferences all over the country. They were African-American, Tongan, white, from Africa, from the Philippines, from the Deep South and from the Midwest. They were chairpersons of United Methodist Annual Conference Commissions on Religion and Race (CORR), gathered at Scarritt-Bennett to share their experiences and to learn from members and staff of the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR).
As might be expected, some conferences are more supportive of the work of CORR than others; annual budgets ranged from over $25,000 to $250. Several spoke of CORR inactivity in recent years; their task is to revitalize the effort toward ending racism in their areas. Religion and race has been merged with COSROW, ELCC, and other agencies in some conferences, creating a unified approach toward many issues but diluting the efforts in specific areas such as racism.
The CORR chairpersons, a mix of clergy and lay, talked about the church’s mission to and among recent immigrants, especially Bishop Minerva Carcaño’s work on the Mexican border. Clergy chairpersons described difficulties making cross-racial appointments, in part because Boards of Ordained Ministry are often reluctant to approve women and minorities. Using a new DVD from GCORR, “Race, Racism, and Religion”, the group re-examined the definitions of race, ethnic, and culture.
Bishop Minerva Carcaño speaks at a rally protesting the treatment of aliens.
Above all, the conference attendees came to grips with their own inbred racism as it surfaced in such mundane activities as luncheon table partners. There’s still work to be done even in the light of what has been accomplished so far; and the individuals representing various conferences throughout the connection are pledged to do it, to become the event’s motto: “CORR-rageous”!
*Beverly Madron is Chairperson of the Conference Commission on Religion and Race and a lay member of West End United Methodist Church.
Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women – Faith Cornwall
The first woman to receive full ordination in the Tennessee Conference
Faith Cornwall
Faith Cornwall is the first woman to be ordained with full ordination rights in the Tennessee Conference. She was born in Idaho and received her calling at 12 years of age during a revival service.
Faith began her ministry in the church soon thereafter by teaching Sunday School, visiting shut-ins, serving as a youth group leader, and becoming involved in other aspects of ministry where she was needed.. Faith went to Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida, and majored in social studies. Her calling was to be a social worker or nurse. A mild case of tuberculosis caused her to drop out of school after 2 years. She was still involved in church although at this time there were no women serving as ordained pastors within the Tennessee Conference. The protocol at the time was that women only served as deaconesses, and so Faith became a deaconess.
Due in part to the illness of her mother it would be 5 years before Faith would go back to school, and her focus on returning to college was human relations and psychology.
After her graduation Faith became involved in Unity Church and served as a secretary and as a minister in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and later in Hartford, Connecticut.
Ten years into her ministry with the Unity Church, Faith made the decision to attend the Vanderbilt Divinity School, and to become part of the Methodist Church. Before completing her academic work she would earn M.Div. and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Vanderbilt, and an M.A. from Scarritt College. Her initial ministry within the Tennessee Conference was as an assistant chaplain , and later the chaplain, at Central State Mental Hospital—now known as the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Center. Before retiring her full title eventually became Director of Pastoral Services.
While she was Director of Pastoral Services she received her license to preach in the Tennessee Conference and was ordained. When she retired from her work in Pastoral Services at Central State she was determined to accept appointment as a local church pastor. For 4 ½ years she served the Summertown Circuit until fully retiring in 1986.
Faith Martha Cornwall has lived at McKendree Village for 21 years and continues to be involved in McKendree programs and activities. Faith has never stopped being a minister—even at age 91.
Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women—Bettye Lewis
“What God primarily expects from us is not success, but our faithfulness.”
Bettye Lewis, Associate Director of the Conference Council on Ministries, addresses a United Methodist Men’s group.
Augustine had it correct when he expressed so clearly what we may directly know implicitly that our hearts are restless, and will never truly be at peace until we have rested them in God. This yearning for God, the author and finisher of our faith, has been the driving force of my life’s desire to seek God – a search which eventually led me to answer my call to the ordained ministry.
This call began twenty-seven years ago in Little Rock, Arkansas when God turned my human heart of stone into a burning heart of compassion. The Spirit of Jesus Christ then began to whisper to me, to guide me, and to call me to a lifetime vocation of servant ministry. As a result my calling has taken me along different paths of ministry, including serving various appointments in the Tennessee Conference. Some of these pilgrimages include:
.Leaving my hometown in Arkansas because there was not a Seminary, in order to attend Vanderbilt School of Divinity;
.Being the recipient of the Benjamin E. Mays Fellowship for the Ministry;
.Becoming ordained as an elder in full connection in the Tennessee Annual Conference in 1992;
.Serving as Assistant Chaplain at Meharry-Hubbard Hospital in Nashville for two years;
.Serving as Pastor of the St. James – St. John Charge in Lawrenceburg for four years;
.Helping to establish the Ruby Fields African-American Cultural Center for Children and Youth at St. John UMC after being awarded a $25,000 grant from the General Board of Global Ministries;
.Serving as the Associate Pastor of Arlington UMC for two years;
.Serving as the Director of the Wesley Foundation at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville for five years;
.Serving as the District Superintendent of the Pulaski District for eight years;
.Currently serving as Associate Director of the Conference Council on Connectional Ministries;
.Currently serving as a member of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in the area of Loans and Scholarships;
.Becoming the first African-American woman to serve in each one of the places to which I was appointed, in addition to being the first District Superintendent to serve eight years in the Tennessee Conference.
My journey of faith along with my burning desire to fulfill my calling has always strengthened me to forge ahead even when I was uncertain where Christ was leading me. For His loving presence was always a step ahead of me, guiding me in paths of healing, wholeness, and service in Christ’s holy name.
I must admit that my faith journey has not always been easy or smooth sailing. In fact I have experienced doubt and gloom, wanderings and upheavals, discouragement if not utter despair. However, just when the shadows of disillusionment would obscure my way, suddenly signs of God’s presence would appear in sometimes unlikely places and from improbable sources. Then I would hear the voice of God ever so gently whispering, “I am with you, always even until the end of the age.” And God’s promise, inevitably would give me the courage, using Isaiah’s imagery, “to make the crooked ways straight and the hills low.”
Furthermore, I have always been blest by those spiritual giants who have supported and inspired me all along the way. Time and time again these witnesses to the faith, especially other women, have embraced me with their loving presence. And through this grace-filled encounter, they would shower me with words of hope and encouragement.
And now as I continue to serve Christ through His Church, I find myself being even more keenly aware of my dependence upon Him to stay the course. I sometimes question where Christ’s guiding hand will ultimately lead me. However, through the eyes of faith, I can trust that God will continue to walk with me and speak to me. Therefore, I can always be open to God’s call as the Holy Spirit works in and through my life. And even when my long hours of Christian service sometimes produces little fruit, I will be compelled to remember the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola: “What God primarily expects from us is not success, but our faithfulness.”
Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women – Barbara P. Garcia
A Personal Reflection by Barbara P. Garcia
How and when did my call to ministry happen?
I can’t be sure! Was it that day as I listened to the stories of a Methodist missionary from Borneo in my little rural church in Mississippi? Or, when my pastor asked me in the fifth grade if I would play the piano for worship? Or when I went to camp as a 13 year old and knew I wanted to be a part of this kind of group all my life? Or was it at a Youth Assembly at Millsaps College during high school, when one of the leaders said, “Your call is where your gifts and the needs of the world intersect.” That made real sense…and still does! Yet I believe it was all of that!
Barbara Garcia and Bishop Dick Wills lead a worship time during the 2005 Tennessee Annual Conference
Where has God’s call taken me?
.To volunteer two summers in Monterrey, Mexico while in college, teaching English, doing community development, and working at the Youth Hostel and Social Center of the Methodist Church.
.To serve as a short-term missionary for three years after college with the Board of Global Ministries in Monterrey in Social Work and Christian Education. This led to marriage with Joaquin Garcia, my husband of almost 42 years, and attending Graduate School at Scarritt.
.To serve almost 9 years in Mexico City as a volunteer “national worker” with the Iglesia Metodista de Mexico, and become mother of two wonderful sons.
.To work part time in Christian Education in First UMC, Monroe, LA., and become consecrated as a diaconal minister in 1979.
.To serve at the General Board of Discipleship in the Section on Worship in the area of Children and Laity in Worship, as Coordinator of Children’s Ministries and in Lay Ministries for 10 years.
.To serve 7 years at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Adult Ministries and, later, coordinating Age-Level Ministries until 1996.
.To serve 11 years as Assistant to the Bishop in the Nashville Area with Bishops Carder, Morris, and Wills, and become ordained as a Deacon in the UMC.
.To serve 16 months after retirement as part-time Associate Pastor at Hillcrest UMC, responsible primarily for outreach into the community.
What are my continuing ministry goals?
I have always felt called to use the gifts God has given me on behalf of the Church, and to “re-present” Christ, especially to those who are the most disenfranchised and powerless.
My identity, my call from God, and my commitment have not changed—only the ways and places I serve. I am blessed and privileged to serve on behalf of the church, and grateful for those along the way who have mentored, guided, inspired, challenged and led me—especially my wonderful family! Now I plan to give more time to them—no less a ministry!
*Barbara P. Garcia was the first Deacon in the United Methodist Church to serve as an Assistant to the Bishop, and was the first woman appointed Assistant to the Bishop in the Memphis and Tennessee Conferences.
Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women –Juanita Bass-Brummitt
First female District Superintendent in the Tennessee Annual Conference
By Dawn Yelverton*
Juanita Bass-Brummitt grew up in the Nashville area, part of a family that was always very active in the church. It would be a natural progression to continue in various ministries throughout her adult life. One of the first ministries in which Juanita became involved was at East End UMC in 1955 as the leader of the Junior High group. Later she became part of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Tennessee where she received her BBA in accounting. After graduation Juanita went to work at the General Board of Higher Education (GBHEM). She then attended and graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School while working at GBHEM.
Juanita Bass-Brummitt
In 1968, Juanita moved to New York and worked in mission education for the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM). She taught in Ghana as part of her ministries with GBGM and became part of the first group of U.S. citizens allowed in China (1978). Juanita received her Doctorate of Ministry degree from Drew University while she was in New York.
In 1985, Juanita made her way back to the Nashville area. She then served at Linden UMC for 6 years and Erin for 2 years. Bishop Ken Carder then appointed her to serve as the Clarksville District Superintendent. She was the first woman district superintendent in our conference. Juanita served as the District Superintendent for seven years before retiring. During her retirement she went back into the local church and served as the administrative assistant to the senior pastor at Madison Street United Methodist Church.
Juanita suffered a stroke in March 2007 and currently resides in the Morningside Assisted Living facility in the Belmont area of Nashville. She attends Sunday morning worship at Belmont UMC. She can still sing and find most any Scripture without effort. However, the stroke has diminished other communication skills.
1. Commission on the Status and Role of Women – advocate, monitor, catalyst
2. 2009 Retreat for Hispanic Women
3. What am I doing here? Reflections of a Conference Chairperson.
4. Nashville Clergy Issue United, Community-wide Call to Action to Obtain Federal Aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital.
5. Murfreesboro District: Steps to Unite our Community
6. Hispanic Ministry at West Nashville United Methodist Church
7. National Commission on Religion and Race Meeting held in Nashville
8. The first woman to receive full ordination in the Tennessee Conference -- Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women series, Faith Cornwall
9. “What God primarily expects from us is not success, but our faithfulness” -- Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women series, Bettye Lewis.
10. A Personal Reflection by Barbara P. Garcia, Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women series, Barbara P. Garcia.
11. First female District Superintendent in the Tennessee Annual Conference -- Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women series, Juanita Bass-Brummitt)
(Editor’s Note: The next issue of THE REVIEW will contain the stories of two additional Pioneering Women in The Tennessee Annual Conference, Karen Collier and Rosemary Brown)
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Commission on the Status and Role of Women – advocate, monitor, catalyst
By Dawn Yelverton*
The Tennessee Conference Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) is an advocate, monitor, and catalyst for women in the total life of the conference. We are an extension of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women. Paragraph 2102 in the Book of Discipline defines the purpose of the Commission to challenge the Church “to a continuing commitment to full and equal responsibility and participation of women in the total life and mission of the Church.”
Women have always been active in many ministries throughout history. One of the challenges in our early history was allowing women to become ordained in the United Methodist Church with full ordination rights. This would become possible in 1972. There are still challenges in the pulpits – acceptance by the church members and/or being treated as equals in the roles given. We have begun to overcome some of these challenges and hope that one day we will be able to look at a person in terms of what gifts and talents they have to offer and celebrate together as one body of Christ. We look forward to a day in which women will be recognized as full participants and treated as equals in the life and ministry of the church.
Part of this issue of the Tennessee Conference Reporter will be a focus on some of the women pioneers in our conference. Each overcame obstacles, as they became some of the first women in our conference to attain recognition in various areas of achievement. We celebrate their ministries past, current, and future as they lead other women to break down gender barriers.
Faith Cornwall
Bettye Lewis
Barbara P. Garcia
Juanita Bass-Brummitt
*Dawn Yelverton is Chairperson of the Tennessee Conference Commission on the Status and Role of Women.
Hispanic/Latino Academy’s Retreat for Women and Children draws 70 participants
On April 3rd and 4th seventy Hispanic women and children from the Tennessee Conference met for praise, prayer and renewal at the Scarritt-Bennett Center. Theme for the retreat was taken from I john 5:4 -- “...Because every child of God is able to defeat the world.” Guest speakers were Elia Rosas de Zuñiga, Norma Rodríguez de Castañeada y Milca Martínez de Guzmán. Serving on the planning committee were Luara Hernández, Francisca Martínez, Ivett Gale, Janet Martínez, Maria Hernádnez, Mirna Mérdia, Estela Sánchez and Esther Hernández representing the Hispanic/Latino faith communities in the Tennessee Conference. This, the third retreat for Hispanic/Latino women, was a great blessing for the participants and the Academy will continue sponsoring the Spring and Fall retreats.What am I doing here? Reflections of a Conference Chairperson
By Beverly Madron
“What am I doing here?” I have asked myself that question dozens of times since I became chairperson of the Tennessee Conference Commission on Religion and Race (CORR) last September, and every time I get a different answer.
The Golden Triangle ministry at Belmont United Methodist Church was well represented at the 2009Annual Human Relations Day/Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration co-sponsored by the Commission on Religion and Race.The Tennessee Conference CORR is a diverse group of people -- African and African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Korean, Native American, White, lay, clergy, male, female, different age groups -- all committed to the ultimate goal of CORR: ending racism within this conference of the United Methodist Church. The Conference CORR seeks to promote inclusiveness, celebrate diversity, and break down the walls of racism that have been built over the years through:
· monitoring of Annual Conference sessions for evidences of bias toward (or against) particular groups (white male clergy, for example)
· speaking from the floor of Annual Conference,
· making presentations from the dais,
· attendance and participation in all Annual Conference business sessions
· promoting a conference-approved Plan for Inclusiveness with annual charge conference progress reports; and
· sponsoring conference-wide celebration/recognition events for example the annual Human Relations Day/Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration.
So why am I the Tennessee Conference CORR chair? What am I doing here? With no prior experience with the Commission, new to the Conference, and unacquainted with those individuals–clergy and lay–who have a vested interest in what CORR does (or doesn’t do), it doesn’t seem like a good match.
Former CORR chairperson Mattielyn B. Williams was one of the leaders at the 2009 Humans Relations Day/Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration.What I do have is a good relationship with the former chair, Mattielyn B. Williams, who convinced me (and others, I’m sure–she’s very persuasive) that I could handle the job–with a lot of help, of course! So here I am: white, lay, female, from a large church, chairing a commission that is made up of members who are not all those things! And I think: “This is good; this is right; this is something that I support, though not as actively nor as persuasively as I might.”
“Living the United Methodist Way: Turning Worlds Upside Down” was the theme of a UMC church-wide quadrennial training event for conference leaders held in Jacksonville, FL in January. I’m not a conference leader–what was I doing there? Well, it sounded very interesting, I was flattered to be invited, and I was sure it would shed light on my role as Conference CORR chairperson. The training event did that and much more.
I met the real leaders from the Tennessee Conference–people like Joy Lewter, Tim Moss, Bettye Lewis, Opal Ransom, and the other members of the conference team–as we attended sessions on the four emphases for the quadrennium–global health, working with the poor to eradicate poverty, creating new churches for new people, and developing Christian leaders–and discussed how we could implement in our conference what we had learned and absorbed during the days of non-stop worship, meetings, and expansion of our experience and perspectives. (Funny what stays with you: I’ll not soon forget the “Ho Hum Hymn”; the eye-opening mind-blowing statistics presented by the head of the General Board of Global Ministries Rev. Edward Paup; and the sound of the Lord’s Prayer being recited in unison in dozens of languages.)
I am becoming more comfortable with my role in the conference, largely due to a two-and-a-half day General CORR (GCORR) event held at Scarrett-Bennett for conference CORR chairs. There, the recurring question took a slightly different twist: what was I, a member of the laity, doing there? Of the forty-five or so attendees, only a handful–perhaps six–were laity. And concerns about racism within our denomination frequently came back to concerns about Conference Boards of Ordained Ministry (BOOM), instead of focusing on congregations. Change, it seems, must originate in the pulpit as well as in the pew.
If the session in Jacksonville was a view from 30,000 feet, the meeting in Nashville was from about 3,000 feet–still a little rarified, not quite down at ground-level, though there were some very explicit best practices outlined and step-by-step methods for advocacy and communication. And, blessedly, tools that didn’t rely on the ingenuity of a novice Conference chair to stimulate discussion among both lay and clergy.
At S-B, the discussions generated a level of honesty not often seen: acknowledging latent, inbred racism that manifested itself (even as we met) at meals; a “person of color” stating he didn’t like being identified as such, preferring his ethnic/cultural identity; confessing to using–and abusing–white privilege; recognizing that as far as we’ve come, there’s still a long way to go, even for Christians committed to ending racism.
What am I doing here? I’m learning as much as I can about my own blindness to racial, cultural, and ethnic concerns, doing what I can to change my misconceptions, and encouraging others to join the conference CORR on this journey. Other articles in this issue of Review describe recent successes in racial, ethnic, and cultural inclusiveness. Join them and the members of the Tennessee Conference Commission on Religion and Race as we celebrate diversity, support inclusiveness, and end racism. And answer your own “What am I doing here?” question!
Nashville Clergy Issue United, Community-wide Call to Action to Obtain Federal Aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital
Editor’s note: Nashville United Methodist clergy have responded to the move to obtain Federal Aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital. Judi Hoffman, pastor of Edgehill United Methodist Church, notes why the Tennessee Annual Conference needs to be heavily involved in working to preserve Metro General Hospital.
“The partnership,” states Hoffman, “between Nashville Metro General Hospital and Meharry Medical College is an irreplaceable part of this city’s well-being and this nation’s health education infrastructure. Metro General Hospital is situated on the Meharry campus and is the principle teaching facility for Meharry Medical College. Naturally, the financial crisis that Metro General Hospital now faces will have a profound impact on this vital Meharry-Metro partnership. Simply stated, financial threats to Metro General Hospital undermine Meharry’s mission.”
“With a full-time faculty of 200 and more than 700 students from 43 states and 22 foreign countries, Meharry Medical College is the largest private, comprehensive historically black institution for educating health professionals and scientists in the United States. Fully accredited, Meharry aggressively addresses health disparities that continue to plague African Americans across our country. Graduates of the Medical College contribute enormously to our nation’s goal of increased diversity in the health professions workforce. Meharry Medical Collage has an extraordinary national reputation for its high standard of excellence and is, indeed, a unique cultural treasure, academic resource and economic engine.”
Services to Community, Education for Physicians, and Jobs in Local Economy Are Threatened by Reductions in Local & State Funding
Nashville clergy have issued a united, city-wide call to action to secure federal aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital. Clergy members announced their effort on behalf of the hospital at a news conference on March 31. Among the people participating in the news conference were (left to right) Reverend Jerry Maynard II; Reverend Henry Blaze, Progressive Baptist Church; Reverend Judi Hoffman, Edgehill United Methodist Church; and Reverend Jay Voorhees, Antioch United Methodist Church. Seay-Hubbard United Methodist Church pastor Kennard Murray, conversing here with the Rev. Jay Voorhees, is one of more than 70 ministers supporting federal financial aid for Metro General Hospital.Nashville, TN – Nashville clergy have announced a united, city-wide call to action to secure federal aid for Metro Nashville General Hospital as the hospital faces reductions in local and state funding that threaten the hospital’s unique role as a provider of medical care to thousands of Nashvillians and as an education partner with Meharry Medical College. During a news conference on March 31, Reverend Henry Blaze, Progressive Baptist Church, and Reverend Judi Hoffman, Edgehill United Methodist Church, said that more than 70 Nashville clergy have already signed a united declaration of support to seek and secure federal funding for Metro Nashville General Hospital. They urged Nashville citizens and community, business, civic, and health care leaders to join them in this effort.
Bishop Jerry Maynard, Cathedral of Praise, said, “Health care is a matter of justice and morality. We talk about Nashville being a great city. However, our city’s greatness must include access to healthcare for all of our people. If our city fails to provide this, Nashville falls short of greatness no matter how many businesses move here or how many tourists visit.”
“Metro Nashville General Hospital faces a financial crisis that threatens the city’s healthcare infrastructure. Because of the economy, Nashville has an increasing number of uninsured residents who need to know that their city has not forgotten them and their need for access to a hospital. Metro Nashville General Hospital is our city’s safety-net for acute care medical services,” said Rev. Blaze.
Metro Nashville General Hospital serves more than 30% of the uninsured patients in the city. The hospital incurred $70 million in expenses for uncompensated care in 2008, while receiving $34 million from Metropolitan Government as a subsidy for the indigent care services.
Rev. Judi Hoffman explained, “We know that the State of Tennessee and Metro Government of Nashville Davidson County face tough economic times. However, we believe that our city has a moral obligation to operate a fully accredited public safety net hospital to serve the health care needs of Nashvillians.”
Need for a Fully Accredited In-patient Facility
The clergy stressed that it is crucial that Metro Nashville General Hospital continue to operate as a fully accredited, in-patient facility.
“We can be proud of the network of primary care clinics that operate in our city. However, people who have acute illnesses need to receive care in a hospital. Without Metro General Nashville Hospital, there would be nowhere for them to go,” said Rev. Hoffman.
Rev. Hoffman also noted that without this accredited in-patient facility, the education of hundreds of Meharry medical and dental students is threatened because of the unique partnership between Metro Nashville General Hospital and Meharry Medical College.
The clergy stressed that the hospital’s funding crisis could have a long-term impact on the health of the nation because the training for thousands of future physicians could be curtailed. They noted that the Metro General – Meharry Medical College partnership is a unique national health care resource that is deserving of federal financial support.
Meharry Medical College is the largest private, comprehensive historically black institution for educating health professionals and scientists in the United States. Metro Nashville General Hospital serves as Meharry’s principal teaching facility. The Meharry-General Hospital partnership is part of the nation’s health education infrastructure.
Hospital’s Economic Impact
Freda Player, Change that Works Tennessee, spoke at a public rally following the March 31 news conference. Addressing more the 100 people who attended the rally, she pointed out that the hospital has an annual budget of $95 million and a payroll of over 700 employees.
“The hospital is a major employer in Nashville. In the current economic situation, where would 700 people find jobs in our city? Federal funding for Metro Nashville General Hospital is important for many economic reasons.”
Seay-Hubbard United Methodist Church pastor Kennard Murray, conversing here with the Rev. Jay Voorhees, is one of more than 70 ministers supporting federal financial aid for Metro General Hospital.Reverend Jay Voorhees, Antioch United Methodist Church, summarized the clergy’s reasons for undertaking this effort. He said, “We have faith that many people will join us in this effort because we know this city and its people. We believe that:
.Nashville is a caring, compassionate community that wants to provide quality care to people in need in an accredited facility;
.Nashvillians want to help their neighbors when they lose their jobs and provide the assurance that you can receive acute care health services if needed;
.Nashville is doing a good job in providing primary care services in health clinics, but needs to continue to operate an acute care hospital to serve clinic patients; and
.The people of Nashville and its leaders will join us in working to secure federal funds for the continued operation of Metro Nashville General Hospital because it is the moral and right thing to do.”
For information about the Nashville clergy’s Declaration of Support, visit http://www.faithleadersforallofus.com/ or call 481-9246.
Murfreesboro District: Steps to Unite our Community
By Michelle Baker*
Individuals and teams from the Murfreesboro District travel by airplane, auto, and foot to bring the Christian community together. We have an ongoing relationship with the United Methodist Churches in Matamoros, Mexico, where we have hands-on involvement with construction, health care, Christian education and evangelism.
Enrique Hernandez and family -- missionaries to the Murfreesboro District.Also, Enrique Hernandez, our missionary from Mexico to the Murfreesboro District, has been developing an Hispanic faith community in Shelbyville over the past two years. Cannon United Methodist has served two congregations by holding services in English on Sunday morning and in Spanish during the evening. These two congregations worshipped together as one community for the first time on Easter Sunday. Rev. Tom Rousseau led the Sunrise Service which was followed by a fellowship breakfast.
The Murfreesboro District is working hard to bridge the language barriers with the Spanish speaking members in our area. St. Marks and First United Methodist Churches of Murfreesboro are conducting Spanish classes for their congregations. Both Cannon and First United Methodist Churches are offering “English as a Second Language” classes to their communities. Members of the two congregations are tutoring Spanish-speaking neighbors in their respective neighborhoods.
The mission team from Matamoras, Mexico, heads out into the community.With the assistance of Enrique Hernandez, the Murfreesboro and Nashville Districts joined forces to share the Gospel. An evangelism team made up of six missionaries from Mexico, led by Rev. Roberto Gomez, temporarily relocated to St. Marks UMC and spent most of a week going house-to-house sharing the Good News. They traveled to a number of Spanish speaking neighborhoods in Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, and Nashville. We are thankful for two lives being given to Christ and at least ten families interested in learning more.
This is one more step toward a single Christian community.
*Michelle Baker is a lay member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Murfreesboro, and Secretary of the Conference Commission on Religion and Race.
Hispanic Ministry at West Nashville United Methodist Church
By Randy Horick*
West Nashville United Methodist Church has always considered itself a welcoming church. Though it is a small, historically Anglo congregation, there are also a handful of members who are African American and Hispanic. A typical worship service includes urban professionals as well as homeless people from our neighborhood.
We thought we already knew what it meant to be diverse and yet united. So it didn’t seem like any great stretch when we inaugurated a Hispanic ministry a couple of years ago. Little did we realize then how transforming the ministry would be, opening us to a deeper revelation of what it means to be one body in Christ.
The Hispanic ministry began with the intention that we would be one church, not simply the meeting place for separate congregations. Yet, with a separate service in Spanish following the main Sunday worship, it began to seem as if we Anglos and Hispanics were just sharing space. We greeted each other in passing, as we left church and they arrived. It didn’t feel right.
So we began holding a single worship service together. It’s primarily in English, with simultaneous translation of the entire service into Spanish (the Spanish speakers wear headphones) and on-screen projection of the Scripture readings and Apostles Creed en español. We generally sing at least one hymn in both English and Spanish. We have a Spanish-language Sunday School class and a Bible study in Spanish during the week, but the emphasis during worship is bilingual.
It was a leap of faith. Would it work? Would our Anglo members be open to something as untraditional as a second language during worship? Would the Spanish speakers find the headphones inconvenient, or miss worshiping exclusively in their native language?
Six months later, we have learned some answers to these questions. Our congregation is being transformed. Now, we truly feel like one congregation. Now, we know each other. We are learning to talk to each other (a number of us English speakers are learning Spanish on Wednesday nights). Instead of 5 or 6 children on a typical Sunday, we have 15 or more. Especially for our older members, seeing so many eager young faces has been revitalizing, a source of deep joy.
If I were permitted only one word to describe the feeling at West Nashville, “joy” would be it. There is a new energy here, a new spirit. Partly it is a joy that our little church is growing. But even more, for me, is the way we have come together. Our Spanish speakers told a committee from our conference that, because of the effort to be bilingual, this was the first Anglo church where they had felt truly welcome as equals.
When we pass the peace to those whose primary language is Spanish, we say paz de Cristo. It is a reminder of what Paul called the early, multicultural church to be, a reminder that we are all one body in Christ, with no distinctions between Jew or Gentile, male or female — or, as Paul surely would have added today, between Anglo and Hispanic. We see that spirit being embodied at West Nashville. Some outsiders have noticed it, too, and have begun attending because their own experiences had never allowed them to glimpse that church could be like this.
We think we have only scratched the surface. We’re not sure where it will go, but we sense God’s hand in it. We no longer feel like a congregation that is just “hanging on.” We are excited about the future and where God is taking us together.
*Randy Horick is chairperson of the Administrative Council at West Nashville United Methodist Church.
National Commission on Religion and Race Meeting held in Nashville
By Beverly Madron*
They came from conferences all over the country. They were African-American, Tongan, white, from Africa, from the Philippines, from the Deep South and from the Midwest. They were chairpersons of United Methodist Annual Conference Commissions on Religion and Race (CORR), gathered at Scarritt-Bennett to share their experiences and to learn from members and staff of the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR).
As might be expected, some conferences are more supportive of the work of CORR than others; annual budgets ranged from over $25,000 to $250. Several spoke of CORR inactivity in recent years; their task is to revitalize the effort toward ending racism in their areas. Religion and race has been merged with COSROW, ELCC, and other agencies in some conferences, creating a unified approach toward many issues but diluting the efforts in specific areas such as racism.
The CORR chairpersons, a mix of clergy and lay, talked about the church’s mission to and among recent immigrants, especially Bishop Minerva Carcaño’s work on the Mexican border. Clergy chairpersons described difficulties making cross-racial appointments, in part because Boards of Ordained Ministry are often reluctant to approve women and minorities. Using a new DVD from GCORR, “Race, Racism, and Religion”, the group re-examined the definitions of race, ethnic, and culture.
Bishop Minerva Carcaño speaks at a rally protesting the treatment of aliens.Above all, the conference attendees came to grips with their own inbred racism as it surfaced in such mundane activities as luncheon table partners. There’s still work to be done even in the light of what has been accomplished so far; and the individuals representing various conferences throughout the connection are pledged to do it, to become the event’s motto: “CORR-rageous”!
*Beverly Madron is Chairperson of the Conference Commission on Religion and Race and a lay member of West End United Methodist Church.
Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women – Faith Cornwall
The first woman to receive full ordination in the Tennessee Conference
Faith CornwallFaith Cornwall is the first woman to be ordained with full ordination rights in the Tennessee Conference. She was born in Idaho and received her calling at 12 years of age during a revival service.
Faith began her ministry in the church soon thereafter by teaching Sunday School, visiting shut-ins, serving as a youth group leader, and becoming involved in other aspects of ministry where she was needed.. Faith went to Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida, and majored in social studies. Her calling was to be a social worker or nurse. A mild case of tuberculosis caused her to drop out of school after 2 years. She was still involved in church although at this time there were no women serving as ordained pastors within the Tennessee Conference. The protocol at the time was that women only served as deaconesses, and so Faith became a deaconess.
Due in part to the illness of her mother it would be 5 years before Faith would go back to school, and her focus on returning to college was human relations and psychology.
After her graduation Faith became involved in Unity Church and served as a secretary and as a minister in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and later in Hartford, Connecticut.
Ten years into her ministry with the Unity Church, Faith made the decision to attend the Vanderbilt Divinity School, and to become part of the Methodist Church. Before completing her academic work she would earn M.Div. and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Vanderbilt, and an M.A. from Scarritt College. Her initial ministry within the Tennessee Conference was as an assistant chaplain , and later the chaplain, at Central State Mental Hospital—now known as the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Center. Before retiring her full title eventually became Director of Pastoral Services.
While she was Director of Pastoral Services she received her license to preach in the Tennessee Conference and was ordained. When she retired from her work in Pastoral Services at Central State she was determined to accept appointment as a local church pastor. For 4 ½ years she served the Summertown Circuit until fully retiring in 1986.
Faith Martha Cornwall has lived at McKendree Village for 21 years and continues to be involved in McKendree programs and activities. Faith has never stopped being a minister—even at age 91.
Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women—Bettye Lewis
“What God primarily expects from us is not success, but our faithfulness.”
Bettye Lewis, Associate Director of the Conference Council on Ministries, addresses a United Methodist Men’s group.Augustine had it correct when he expressed so clearly what we may directly know implicitly that our hearts are restless, and will never truly be at peace until we have rested them in God. This yearning for God, the author and finisher of our faith, has been the driving force of my life’s desire to seek God – a search which eventually led me to answer my call to the ordained ministry.
This call began twenty-seven years ago in Little Rock, Arkansas when God turned my human heart of stone into a burning heart of compassion. The Spirit of Jesus Christ then began to whisper to me, to guide me, and to call me to a lifetime vocation of servant ministry. As a result my calling has taken me along different paths of ministry, including serving various appointments in the Tennessee Conference. Some of these pilgrimages include:
.Leaving my hometown in Arkansas because there was not a Seminary, in order to attend Vanderbilt School of Divinity;
.Being the recipient of the Benjamin E. Mays Fellowship for the Ministry;
.Becoming ordained as an elder in full connection in the Tennessee Annual Conference in 1992;
.Serving as Assistant Chaplain at Meharry-Hubbard Hospital in Nashville for two years;
.Serving as Pastor of the St. James – St. John Charge in Lawrenceburg for four years;
.Helping to establish the Ruby Fields African-American Cultural Center for Children and Youth at St. John UMC after being awarded a $25,000 grant from the General Board of Global Ministries;
.Serving as the Associate Pastor of Arlington UMC for two years;
.Serving as the Director of the Wesley Foundation at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville for five years;
.Serving as the District Superintendent of the Pulaski District for eight years;
.Currently serving as Associate Director of the Conference Council on Connectional Ministries;
.Currently serving as a member of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in the area of Loans and Scholarships;
.Becoming the first African-American woman to serve in each one of the places to which I was appointed, in addition to being the first District Superintendent to serve eight years in the Tennessee Conference.
My journey of faith along with my burning desire to fulfill my calling has always strengthened me to forge ahead even when I was uncertain where Christ was leading me. For His loving presence was always a step ahead of me, guiding me in paths of healing, wholeness, and service in Christ’s holy name.
I must admit that my faith journey has not always been easy or smooth sailing. In fact I have experienced doubt and gloom, wanderings and upheavals, discouragement if not utter despair. However, just when the shadows of disillusionment would obscure my way, suddenly signs of God’s presence would appear in sometimes unlikely places and from improbable sources. Then I would hear the voice of God ever so gently whispering, “I am with you, always even until the end of the age.” And God’s promise, inevitably would give me the courage, using Isaiah’s imagery, “to make the crooked ways straight and the hills low.”
Furthermore, I have always been blest by those spiritual giants who have supported and inspired me all along the way. Time and time again these witnesses to the faith, especially other women, have embraced me with their loving presence. And through this grace-filled encounter, they would shower me with words of hope and encouragement.
And now as I continue to serve Christ through His Church, I find myself being even more keenly aware of my dependence upon Him to stay the course. I sometimes question where Christ’s guiding hand will ultimately lead me. However, through the eyes of faith, I can trust that God will continue to walk with me and speak to me. Therefore, I can always be open to God’s call as the Holy Spirit works in and through my life. And even when my long hours of Christian service sometimes produces little fruit, I will be compelled to remember the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola: “What God primarily expects from us is not success, but our faithfulness.”
Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women – Barbara P. Garcia
A Personal Reflection by Barbara P. Garcia
How and when did my call to ministry happen?
I can’t be sure! Was it that day as I listened to the stories of a Methodist missionary from Borneo in my little rural church in Mississippi? Or, when my pastor asked me in the fifth grade if I would play the piano for worship? Or when I went to camp as a 13 year old and knew I wanted to be a part of this kind of group all my life? Or was it at a Youth Assembly at Millsaps College during high school, when one of the leaders said, “Your call is where your gifts and the needs of the world intersect.” That made real sense…and still does! Yet I believe it was all of that!
Barbara Garcia and Bishop Dick Wills lead a worship time during the 2005 Tennessee Annual ConferenceWhere has God’s call taken me?
.To volunteer two summers in Monterrey, Mexico while in college, teaching English, doing community development, and working at the Youth Hostel and Social Center of the Methodist Church.
.To serve as a short-term missionary for three years after college with the Board of Global Ministries in Monterrey in Social Work and Christian Education. This led to marriage with Joaquin Garcia, my husband of almost 42 years, and attending Graduate School at Scarritt.
.To serve almost 9 years in Mexico City as a volunteer “national worker” with the Iglesia Metodista de Mexico, and become mother of two wonderful sons.
.To work part time in Christian Education in First UMC, Monroe, LA., and become consecrated as a diaconal minister in 1979.
.To serve at the General Board of Discipleship in the Section on Worship in the area of Children and Laity in Worship, as Coordinator of Children’s Ministries and in Lay Ministries for 10 years.
.To serve 7 years at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Adult Ministries and, later, coordinating Age-Level Ministries until 1996.
.To serve 11 years as Assistant to the Bishop in the Nashville Area with Bishops Carder, Morris, and Wills, and become ordained as a Deacon in the UMC.
.To serve 16 months after retirement as part-time Associate Pastor at Hillcrest UMC, responsible primarily for outreach into the community.
What are my continuing ministry goals?
I have always felt called to use the gifts God has given me on behalf of the Church, and to “re-present” Christ, especially to those who are the most disenfranchised and powerless.
My identity, my call from God, and my commitment have not changed—only the ways and places I serve. I am blessed and privileged to serve on behalf of the church, and grateful for those along the way who have mentored, guided, inspired, challenged and led me—especially my wonderful family! Now I plan to give more time to them—no less a ministry!
*Barbara P. Garcia was the first Deacon in the United Methodist Church to serve as an Assistant to the Bishop, and was the first woman appointed Assistant to the Bishop in the Memphis and Tennessee Conferences.
Tennessee Conference Pioneering Women –Juanita Bass-Brummitt
First female District Superintendent in the Tennessee Annual Conference
By Dawn Yelverton*
Juanita Bass-Brummitt grew up in the Nashville area, part of a family that was always very active in the church. It would be a natural progression to continue in various ministries throughout her adult life. One of the first ministries in which Juanita became involved was at East End UMC in 1955 as the leader of the Junior High group. Later she became part of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Tennessee where she received her BBA in accounting. After graduation Juanita went to work at the General Board of Higher Education (GBHEM). She then attended and graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School while working at GBHEM.
Juanita Bass-BrummittIn 1968, Juanita moved to New York and worked in mission education for the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM). She taught in Ghana as part of her ministries with GBGM and became part of the first group of U.S. citizens allowed in China (1978). Juanita received her Doctorate of Ministry degree from Drew University while she was in New York.
In 1985, Juanita made her way back to the Nashville area. She then served at Linden UMC for 6 years and Erin for 2 years. Bishop Ken Carder then appointed her to serve as the Clarksville District Superintendent. She was the first woman district superintendent in our conference. Juanita served as the District Superintendent for seven years before retiring. During her retirement she went back into the local church and served as the administrative assistant to the senior pastor at Madison Street United Methodist Church.
Juanita suffered a stroke in March 2007 and currently resides in the Morningside Assisted Living facility in the Belmont area of Nashville. She attends Sunday morning worship at Belmont UMC. She can still sing and find most any Scripture without effort. However, the stroke has diminished other communication skills.
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 6:47 AM
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