Contact Newspaper March 4, 2011

8/7/2019 Contact Newspaper March 4, 2011

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Contact, an edition ofThe United Methodist ReporterTwo Sections, Section A 039000 Volume 157, Number 44 March 4, 2011

THE OKLAHOMA UNITED METHODIST

www.okumc.org

The United Methodist Reporter (USPS 954-500) is published weekly by UMR Communications, 1221 Prot Drive, Dallas, TX 75247. Periodicals Postage Paid at Dallas.

Postmaster: Send address changes to The United Methodist Reporter, PO Box 660275, Dallas, TX 75266-0275.

Council rules on Local Pastor voting, 2AChurch meets in funeral home, 7A

Oklahoma United Methodists and Oklahoma's basketball professionals are:

Teaming up to beat malariaNothing But Nets NightApril 8Oklahoma City Arena

OKC Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets

Score a ticket through the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation and support the campaign to save lives.www.okumf.org www.Nothin

Blaze of gloryOn Jan. 29, ministry by Randlett United Methodist Church truly

was rened by re. A controlled burn of the parsonage, no longer

habitable, provided a rare training experience for rural reghters and,

for the church, saved the expense to tear down the unsafe structure.

Randlett and Devol Volunteer Fire Departments conducted a

search-and-rescue simulation and observed how a re moves out

from its point of origination in a room. As smoke and ames rose

heavenward from the former home, a century old, the teams imple-

mented precautionary measures for nearby buildings.We not only had a prayer inside the parsonage before the big

burn, said David Gardner, pastor at the church in southwestern Oklahoma. We had a prayer at Sunday service to celebrate the

servants who lived there, the love shared, and the ministry that continues to uphold the church universal. Some of the ashes

were carefully buried at the site.

Read more about the re and the parsonages history at www.okumc.org. Search for Randlett parsonage.

B Holly McCray

Since 1996, clergywoman Kristen Brown of

Oklahoma has been to Jerusalem seven times. When

she returns again this year, she will be going to her

new home.

Rev. Brown is a new missionary, assigned toJerusalem through the General Board of Global

Ministries. Her UM Advance support number is:

3021280.

Ive been very afrmed every time Ive gone

to the Holy Land, Brown said. Its home on some

level; Im not just a Christian wanting to go there.

Its very, very much deeper than that.

Not everybody can go, or has that desire, so

I can represent the Oklahoma Conference and our

greater Church while I am there.

In Jerusalem, she will have many opportunities

to minister using her translation skills. Sabeel, anecumenical theology center, is her mission assign-

ment.

At Oklahoma City University, Brown majored

in French and minored in Chinese and German.

Kristen Brown reects at a

Jerusalem well in 2008.

Kristen Brownwill servein Jerusalem

Continued on 5A

Details

,8A


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The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact March 4, 2011

New lecture series begins with Robert Gorrell

nThe Cuse f Stud M.Dv.

degee, ncudng Hst, Dc-

tne, nd Pt, sh hve been

cmpeted p t the 2011 nnu

cnfeence sessn.

n appntment (fu pt-

tme) f bth the 2009-10 nd the

2010-11 nnu cnfeence es

n Ech dstct supentendent

hs detemned the vtng egbt

f lc Psts.

Page 2A

The Oklahoma United Methodist Phone: 405-530-2075

Fax: 405-530-2093

1501 N.W. 24thokhm Ct, oK 73106

rbet E. Hes J., bshp

Jseph Hs, dect f cmmunctns

H McC, edt f pubctnsTo subscribe, send mailing information

and $15 to our address at left.

Mvng? Send chnge b m e-m: [email protected].

N Wn, dmnsttve ssstnt/vde cdnt

ac Gn, Web mnst/gphcs desgn

ame Bew, The Med Cente

Sign up online forContact Digest, a fee electronic newsletter. Find information at www.kumc.g.

Send news to [email protected]. Next publication date: March 25.

OCU will celebrate the inaugura-

tion of Robert Henry, the universitys

17th president, with events through-

out the week ofap 3-7.

The celebrations that week will

kick off at the 10:50 a.m. worship

service ap 3 at OKC-St. Lukes

UMC. Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr.

will deliver the sermon.

The formal inaugural ceremony

will be at 10 a.m. ap 6 in the

Freede Wellness and Activity Center,

at N.W. 27th and Florida Avenue.

A number of same-day activi-

ties will follow the ceremony:

n OCUs Meinders School of

Business will host symposia from

1 to 4 p.m., featuring distinguished

panelists on philanthropy, health,

law, energy, and the economy.

n At 4:30, the Grand Opening

will showcase the addition to the

Kramer School of Nursing.

nNew York Times columnist

David Brooks will give a public lec-

ture at 7:30 p.m. in the Freede Cen-

ter, as part of the universitys Dis-

tinguished Speaker Series.

On ap 7, the School of Law

hosts the Quinlan Lecture at 5 p.m.,

featuring former Stanford Law

School Dean Kathleen Sullivan.

For details, call Elizabeth New-

ton, 405-208-7000, or visit www.

kcu.edu/nugutn.

Robert Gorrell will present the inaugural

Martha Jean Lemon Lectures on March 31 at

Oklahoma City University.

The rst presentation will be at 1 p.m. in

the weekly chapel service; the second lecture

will be at 7 p.m. Both events are free, open to

the public, and will be in the Bishop W. Angie

Smith Chapel on campus.

This endowed lecture series is a gift from

Lynette Lemon Wert and Larry H. Lemon, on be-

half of the Lemon family of Oklahoma City. The

gift honors Martha Jean Lemon, who graduated

from OCU in 1968 with a degree in history and

worked as an independent comparative religion

scholar. The annual lecture series will feature

speakers, workshops, or seminars on topics that

promote religious leadership and service.

Rev. Dr. Gorrell serves as senior pastor of

United Methodist Church of the Servant in

Oklahoma City. In 1988, Gorrell was ordained

an elder in the Oklahoma Conference. He has

served as senior pastor

at Ardmore-First, Put-

nam City, and Noble

churches; associate at

OKC-St. Lukes and Co-

chran Chapel, Dallas,

Texas; and director of

Childrens and Youth

Ministries at OKC-St. Johns. He was a family

counselor at Goodland Presbyterian Family

Services and a counselor at United Methodist

Family Counseling in Oklahoma City. He served

as a chaplain in the aftermath of the Oklahoma

City bombing.

Gorrell is the recipient of two prestigious

honors: The Denman Award in Evangelism

and the Eagle Scout Award. He is a regular

contributor to The Abingdon Preaching Annual

and author of Mothers Matter.

Gorrell received a bachelors in science from

OCU and a graduate degree in theology from

Southern Methodist University, where he also

did post-graduate work on the Christology of

John Wesley. Following a two-year residency,

he earned his doctorate in psychotherapy.

He has served the greater church on the

Board of Ordained Ministry, Committee on In-

vestigation, and Joint Review Committee, all of

the Oklahoma Conference. He is an SMU eld

supervisor and teaches at Saint Paul School of

Theology at OCU, preparing graduate theology

students for a life of church service.

Gorrell grew up in Oklahoma City. He is

married to Prudy; they have two adult daughters.

Recovering

the Message and

Mission of Jesus in

Your Local Church

March 31 lectures

By Robert Gorrell

n 1 p.m.The Message

and Mission of

Compassion

(Matthew15:21-28)

n 7 p.m.The Matthew

Method(Matthew 16:

13-20 and 28:16-20)

Suggested reading:

Change the world:

Recovering the Message

and Mission of Jesus, by

Mike Slaughter, forward byJim Wallis

Inaugural events in April celebrate new president

Gorrell

B JoSEPH HarriS

Cnfeence Secet

New categories for clergy voting in elec-

tions for General/Jurisdictional Conferenceclergy delegates now have been claried by

the denominations Judicial Council.

The ruling will apply to these elections

when our Annual Conference meets May

29-June 1 in Oklahoma City. Election rules

for lay delegates do not change.

All voting will be on Monday, May 30.

This year, Oklahomans will choose

representatives to the 2012 General and Ju-

risdictional Conferences of our Church. The

delegation will be equally divided between

clergy and laity, elected by their peers.

In 2008, the Constitution in the United

Methodist Book of Discipline was revised to

expand clergy voting rights to some Local

Pastors. Under the previous Discipline (the

denominational law book), Local Pastors were

not allowed to vote on clergy representatives

to these top legislative meetings.

The United Methodist Council of Bishops

certied the change in spring 2010. The Judi-

cial Council issued its clarication on Feb. 14.

In the Constitution, Paragraph 35 Article

IV reads as follows:

The clergy delegates to the General

Conference and to the jurisdictional orcentral conference shall be elected from the

clergy members in full connection and shall

be elected by the clergy members of the an-

nual conference who are deacons and elders

in full connection, associate members, and

those provisional members and local pastors

who have completed all of their educational

requirements and have served a minimum

of two consecutive years under appointment

immediately preceding election.

Here is how the change will apply in the

Oklahoma Conference.

Wh m vte f the ceg deegtes t

Gene/Jusdctn Cnfeence?

1. Elders and Deacons in full connection,

active or retired

(Note: Persons who are to be received

into full membership and ordained Elder or

Deacon in full connection at the session of the

annual conference may vote or be elected to

the General Conference delegationfte they

have been elected to full membership by the

Clergy Session. Thus Oklahoma Elders and

Deacons elected to full connection by the

2011 Clergy Session, scheduled for Sundayafternoon of the conference, are eligible to

vote and serve as delegates.)2. Associate Members, active or retired

3. Provisional Members who have com-

pleted all their educational requirements

including History, Doctrine, and Polity

4. lc Psts, ctve eted, wh

hve cmpeted Cuse f Stud n

M.Dv. degee nd hve seved mnmum

f tw cnsecutve es unde ppnt-

ment mmedte pecedng eectn

5. The following rules also apply to Elders

and Deacons in full connection:

n Clergy on voluntary leaves of absence

may vote and may be elected as delegates.n Clergy on sabbatical, family, paternity/

maternity, and disability leave may vote and

be elected.n Retired clergy may vote and be elected

as delegates.n Clergy under suspension from pastoral

duties may vote but may not be elected asdelegates.

Wh m NoT vte f ceg deegtes

t Gene/Jusdctn Cnfeence?

Laity.

Clergy on honorable location.

Clergy on administrative location.Local Pastors who do not meet the requirements listed

above in No. 4.

Wh m be eected s ceg deegte?

Elders and Deacons in full connection, active or retired.

Wh m NoT be eected s ceg deegte?

Provisional Members, Associate Members, Local Pas-

tors, Elders and Deacons in full connection on Involun-

tary Leave of Absence (paragraph 255.7), Suspended,

Honorable Location or Administrative Location.

(This is Part One of a series on the voting

process at Annual Conference in late May.)

Judicial Council makes clear new rules for clergy voting


3/8


4/8

The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact March 4, 2011Page 4A

Picture a typical church hall, prepped for a fellowship mealand program. Rows of folding tables and simple chairs. Apodium. Plastic dishware. On one table, a cross and Communion

elements formed a focal point.

Men began arriving, and the distinctiveness of this Christian

gathering was made plain by the clothes they wore. Their shirts

were stamped with the word INMATE.

This church service took place inside Lexington Correctional

Center.

United Methodists regularly minister to those behind prison walls

across the state. Crucial in that work is the Oklahoma ConferencesCriminal Justice & Mercy Ministries (CJAMM), directed by Stan

Basler.

CJAMM had a major role in the Lexington event.

The prison wardens opening remarks that day conveyed the

respect on both sides of the bars for this agency and for Rev. Dr.

Basler. Also a United Methodist, Eric Franklin has been a warden

at ve state correctional facilities.Lexingtons senior chaplain, Larry Adams, described the agape

meal as historic because three distinct religious bodiesLutheran,

Episcopalian, and United Methodistunited to offer it inside the

prison.

This meal celebrates that we are one in God, Basler said. It

is truly a joy to be with you today.

Other UM participants were other CJAMM clergy and volun-

teers, as well as students from Saint Paul School of Theology, a UM

seminary. The 2010 event was part of a prison ministry immersion

course for the students.

Preaching at Lexington, Basler talked about the Jews enduringexile, as described by Isaiah in the Old Testament.You can do something I cant do, he addressed those incarcer-

ated. You can touch lives every day in this place.

You can probably understand very well the experience of

Following the Plan

I was in prison,

The Oklahoma Conference Strategic Plan provides the framework to

envision, implement, and assess all ministries and missions for every

church. The Plan targets 3 key areas.

This story focuses on: Be more fruitful in our ministry partnerships in

spaces the local church alone cannot.

The Book of Romans proclaims all parts of Christs body are connected

together in ministry and mission that strengthen and support. This story

spotlights our United Methodist connection in prison ministries.

This continues a series focusing on the Oklahoma Conference Strategic Plan.

and you visited


5/8


being in exile. Theres somebody

who hasnt heard a kind word all

dayand doesnt expect it. Butwhen you say one, you begin some-

thing good that can be passed along

to somebody else.

When I was in prison,you visited me. ThatScripture echoed throughout inter-

views with several inmates that day

at Lexington. They told stories of

Christian volunteers who inspiredthem to seek God. They stressed the security mea-

sures for visitors. They invited more Christians to

visit.

nLifeline. Thats how one man described such

volunteers. The prison system had provided him

the help he needed to overcome drug addiction,

and Christian visitors had helped him recover his

faith. He faced two more years of incarceration.

n Awesome. Serving a life term, one man said,

I was not a nice person when I came in. Today I

am a child of the King. (Volunteers) come in, give

us Gods word, and teach us things. They treat us

like a human being.

n Appreciation, said another man about Chris-

tian volunteers. They know my name.

nA volunteer came in and sat and read his Bible

whether anyone else did or not. His example led

to one inmates transformation.

n If you feel it is your calling, please come.

We can change, the inmates at Lexington

wanted free Christians to know.

When we come to know the Lord Jesus Christ,

were not the same people we were before.

There are a lot of men and women behind these

walls that have changed.

CJAMM is a multi-faceted program poweredby United Methodist connectionalism.Among its work outside prisons, CJAMM also

offers summer camps for children of incarcerated

parents, advocates for justice at the Capitol, assists

people re-entering community life, and operates

Redemption Churches and Exodus Houses.

Photos by Amelia Ballew

Presentations in OklahomaMissionary Kristen Brown of Tahlequah

is speaking to groups about her new minis-

try, prior to departing for service in the Holy

Land. Below is her tentative schedule. Most

programs are in mornings and afternoons,

and all are welcome. For more information,

contact Karen Distefano, Oklahoma Confer-

ence Secretary of Global Ministries, kririe@

aol.com, 918-336-0351.

March 6Thackerville and Ardmore-First

March 13Alfalfa and Weatherford-First

March 20Tulsa-St. Pauls

March 27Bartlesville-East Cross

March 30Moore-First

April 2Ponca City-Albright

April 3Lucien, Covington, Enid-Christ

May 1OKC-St. Andrews

She also speaks Arabic. She provided translation at

the 2008 General Conference and, in 2006, at the

50-year celebration of clergywomen in the Church.

Some of my gifts and graces lie in language,

Brown agreed.

She graduated from Duke seminary and, in 1996,

began serving as a pastor and campus minister in

Oklahoma.

But she has a lifetime of experience traveling

and living beyond the states borders. Shes been a

leader and member of Volunteers In Mission teams.

She spent a month in personal discernment in the

Holy Land in 2007, and she has traveled to Europe

and Taiwan.

Her parents, Dudley and Sara Brown of Tahle-

quah, met as students at the American University of

Beirut in Lebanon. Brown and her sister were born in

New York City; her brother, in Zambia. The family

lived in Libya, too.

She is undeterred by the power struggles that

roil the Middle East. I wouldnt get out of bed in

the morning if I was afraid of life. Were in Gods

hands. If we could learn to look at a person through

the eyes of Christ, see the beautiful creation God has

made, then wed do things differently, Brown said.

The population is reportedly 3 percent Christian,

Brown said, in the land where Jesus walked. Yet

a man once declared to her, My people were the

shepherds who went to see Jesus.

Brown said, I would hate to see a day where we

have zero Christians in this area.

From Jerusalem, her blog will feature her

journey and ministrywomanatthewell2008@

blogspot.com.

JerusalemContinued from 1A

Some of my gifts andgraces lie in language

Kristen Brown

Among the leaders at a Lexington Correctional Center

ecumenical worship service were CJAMM ofcers Stan

Basler, preaching above, and Becky Baxter-Ballou, lower

left, who is performing the baptism remembrance ritual.

(www.cjmm.g)

me


6/8


Hwd rwe

Rev. Harwood Slate Dick Rowe, 83, of

Sulphur died Feb. 2, 2011.

Service was Feb. 10 at Sulphur UMC.

He was born Aug. 26, 1927, in Elk City. Hemarried Stella Mae LaFever on March 1, 1953,

in Roosevelt.

Rev. Rowe ofcially retired in 1990, after a

long ministry career. His rst appointment was

at Lone Wolf. He also served at Hammon, Felt,

Quinlan, Rosston/Gate/Knowles, Tulsa-Ball

Memorial, Lenapah/South Coffeyville, Rush

Springs, Snyder/Mountain Park, Blair/Martha,

Velma, Wilson/Lone Grove, Sulphur-First, Or-

lando/Mulhall, Wakita/Manchester, Hinton, Tex-

homa, Waynoka, Tipton, Glencoe, and Haworth.

He donated his time making gates for church

camps and crosses for Velma, Mulhall, Sulphur,

and other communities. He also built a parson-

age at Felt.

Survivors include daughter Beatrice Webb

of Velma; sons Harwood Rowe Jr. of Montgom-

ery, Ala., George Rowe of Guthrie, and Charles

Rowe of Sulphur; eight grandchildren and 16

great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his

wife, in 2008.

rph rdcff

Rev. Ralph Dale Radcliff, 84, of Enid died

Feb. 11, 2011.

Graveside service was Feb. 17 at Memorial

Park Cemetery in Tulsa.Ralph was born May 11, 1926, in Wineld,

Kan. He served in the Navy during World War II

and worked in the grocery business. He married

Evelyn Alhke on Jan. 23, 1949.

God called him into ministry in 1979. In the

1980s, he pastored at Okmulgee-Butler and Inola

churches before ofcially retiring in 1988.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years; three

children, Kenneth Radcliff of Gore, Nancy Majorof Douglas, and Ralph Radcliff Jr. of Harrah; ve

grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

rbet H

Rev. Robert Harvey Hill, 86, of Cookson

died Feb. 19, 2011. Memorial service was Feb.

25 at Gore UMC.

Robert was born Nov. 18, 1924, in Tulsa. A

U.S. Marine, he was wounded in action during

World War II. He married Pauline Ogle on June

14, 1946. His rst career was in music education.

He then studied at Perkins School of Theol-

ogy. His ministry in Oklahoma began in 1955, and

he served Warner/Porum, Muskogee-Lakeland

Heights, Vian/Gore, and Duncan-St. Pauls. He

then ministered in Bolivia and Saudi Arabia. He

ofcially retired in 1992.

Survivors include his wife of almost 65 years;

children Kathye Osborne of Lubbock, Texas,

Martha Carter of Branson, Mo., and R. David Hill

of Southwest City, Mo.; seven grandchildren and

four great-grandchildren.

Peg Whtw

Margaret Peg Whytlaw, 97, of Northeld,

Minn., died Jan, 27, 2011. She was the widow of

Rev. Edward Louis Whytlaw, who died in 1987.Service was Jan. 31 at Northeld UMC.

Peg was born Nov. 12, 1913, on Staten Island,

N.Y. The Whytlaws married on Oct. 8, 1938, in

New York City. Her work career included teach-

ing nursery school and market research. Rev.

Whytlaw retired in Oklahoma in 1978, and the

couple moved to Northeld.

She was active in community activities

throughout her life. In 1989, she was the rst recipi-ent of the Mary Wood Community Service Award.

Survivors include daughters Merrell Thornton

of Northeld and Elizabeth Betebenner of Joplin,

Mo.; son Jim Whytlaw of Springeld, Mo.; ve

grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Bett Sves

Betty Lee Saviers, 78, of Eufaula died Feb.

12, 2011. She was the wife of Rev. Charles

Saviers, who is serving Alderson UMC and the

Eufaula Lake Ministry.

Service was Feb. 16 at McAlester-First UMC.

Betty was born March 24, 1932, in Oklahoma

City. At Stillwater High School, she was the rst

female to letter in two sports. On July 3, 1980,

she married Rev. Saviers, who was pastor at

Eufaula at the time.

She was an active church member.

Survivors include her husband; ve children,

Allen Saviers of Sapulpa, Elizabeth Ellis of

Denison, Texas, Dale Saviers of Seattle, Darr

Oney and Trish McCall, both of Dallas; and a

grandchild. She was predeceased by her rst

husband, Leon Oney, in 1976.

Shawn Bell, 21, of Edmond died Feb. 18.

His foster parents were David Nichols and Rev.Tish Malloy, senior pastor at Moore-First.

John Gober Sr. of Del City died Feb. 8,

2011. He was the father of Rev. John Gober Jr.,

chaplain at Good Shepherd Hospice in Del City.

Opportunities

AppointmentsMargery Van Oostrum to retirement from Altus-

First UMC (Clinton District), effective Jan. 1.

Perla Martinez-Goody to retirement from Pauls

Valley San Mateo Fellowship (Ardmore District),

effective Jan. 1.

James Hewett to Shawnee-Wesley UMC (South

OKC) from retirement, effective Jan. 1.Ron Luka to no appointment from Waynoka/

Cheyenne Valley (Woodward), effective Jan. 31.

Woody Hamon to Waynoka/Cheyenne Valley,

effective Feb. 1.

Musc Dect: Rusty Williams, Muskogee-

First UMC, 600 E. Okmulgee, Muskogee, OK

74403, [email protected], 918-

682-3368.

Cdnt f Eement Chdens Mn-

st: OKC-Church of the Servant, Randy Shrauner,

[email protected].

Dect f Student Mnstes: Full-time.

Pleasant Valley UMC, Wichita, Kan., Nathan

Stanton, 1600 W. 27th St. N., Wichita, Kan. 67204,

[email protected].

Dect f Dscpeshp/Pst assstnt:

Part-time. OKC-New Hope, JD Ward, pastor@

newhopeokc.org, 405-721-5015.

Ch Dect: Part-time. Norman-Goodrich,

[email protected].

admnsttve assstnt/Cmmunctns

Cdnt: Part-time. Staff Parish Relations

Committee, OKC-First, 405-239-6493, sprc@

rstchurchokc.com.Hmmn ogn: Free for pick-up. Elaine

Bates, OKC, 405-773-0478.

Wutze Dgt Cncet D170 Sees o-

gn: Free for pick-up. Mary, Harrah, 405-391-6367.

In memoriam

Will You Join the Growing Ranks of the

1000

To make your pledge today, please call 405-530-2078

or visit our website at:

http://www.circleofcare.org/1000.html

AnonymousAnonymousAnonymousAnonymousAnonymousDonald & Cheryl Baker

Randy & Eddisu BarkerDon & Lynn BatsonDavid & Laura BealClara BrownSpencer & Mary Brown, Jr.Lacey Butler Jr.Ivan BysArlene ChriswellRalph & Midge CoffmanRandall & Kathryn CoitLloyd Cole, Jr.Luke & Becky Corbett Foundation

Robert & Debbie CraineC. C. & Anna Marie Crooch FundJohn & Jamie Crooch, Jr.

Michael & Janet CroochPhilip & Lisa CrowBobby & Shirley DarnellMarsha DavisGregory & Mary Ann EdwardsRobert & Prudy Gorrell

UMW Grove First UMCRudolph & Madeline HargraveRalph & Linda HarkerValerie HatleyBishop Robert & Dee HayesJohn & Anne HeatonBilly & Ann HebblethwaiteJono & Jenny HelmerichJim & Mary Nell HolderRoss & Jane HutchinsonRobert & Ann IvesterKeith & Patricia Kennedy

Greg & Anita LaPatDwight MauldingBob & Doris McKownBilly & Lora Meade

Dear Friends of Circle of Care:Every Sunday morning on my way to the choir room at church, I witness children

climbing all over Jesus. At the entry of our Children's area, we have a beautiful larger-than-life statue of our Lord. Isnt it fabulous that this piece of art is designed to inviteinteraction?

It is such a visual reminder to me of the importance of children in the eyes ofChrist. Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, Jesus says. And Hereminds us that whoever welcomes children in His name, welcomes Him.

Friends, since 1917, the Oklahoma United Methodist Circle of Care has providedhelp, healing, and hope to at-risk children, youth, and families across our state. Circleof Care is the United Methodist Boys Ranch and the United Methodist ChildrensHome, providing residential programs for teenagers. It is the David O. Beal Indepen-

dent Living Program, providing shelter and support for high school and college-agedyouth making the transition into adulthood. It is the Holsinger Home for Children, alicensed foster home for large sibling groups. It is Pearls Hope, a transitional programfor homeless women and their children at the Frances E. Willard Home in Tulsa. It isChild SHARE, recruiting and supporting foster families statewide.

In my role as Miss America so many years ago and my career as a broadcastjournalist, Ive had the opportunity to see rsthand the plight of too many childrenwithout a future. I know that Circle of Care is making a difference.

Today, we are embarking on a new initiative to ensure that all these programs areable to continue, and expand to meet the growing needs. It is called Project 1000.We are seeking to recruit 1000 new donors who will each pledge $1,000 per year forthree years.

Project 1000 is an ambitious campaign that will allow Circle of Care to look ahead:How many more Child SHARE foster families can be lifted up? How many moreyouths can be served at the Boys Ranch, the Childrens Home, the Independent

Living Program? How many more families can be helped through Pearls Hope? Howmany more lives can be forever changed?Look at it this way: For only $19.23 per week, you can invest in the future. You

can help a child, a family. You can become one of the 1000. Wont you join us?

In His name,

Jane Jayroe Gamble

Mike & Christy MordyDavid & Laura MorrisonTed & Laura MostellerLenert & Bobbie PfeilerJohn & Helen RileyGary & Sharon Roth

Mike Self & Shannon Nakvinda SelfBill & Martha SmithArden & Rita Ruth SmithCraig Stinson & Krista JonesKen & June TuckerJ. M. & Patricia Vanderwiele, Jr.David & Suzan WolfBill & Lissa WrightDonald & Barbara WrightCircle of Care Staff:

OKC/Communicatons/Pearls HopeUM Boys Ranch

UM Childrens HomeIndependent LivingChild SHARE Staff


7/8

The Oklahoma United Methodist Contact March 4, 2011

McAlester-First secured a most unusual

place for Sunday worship, when record snow-

falls in early February forced many churches

across the state to forego services.

The downtown church building sits atop a

steep hill. The combination of snow, ice, and

steep grade threatened to keep away even the

bravest members. On Friday (Feb. 4), Senior

Pastor Charles Neff and Associate Pastor Ruth

Atterberry acted to nd an alternate site.

They moved the Sunday mornig worship

service down the hillto Bishops Funeral

Home. The facility offers a 150-seat chapel,

level parking, and easy access.

The folks at Bishops were so gracious

to invite us in to hold services, said Rev. Dr.

Neff. They made it possible for us to worship

despite the weather.

More than 80 members and guests attended.

We were blown away by the attendance,

said Rev. Atterberry. There were folks of

all ages, from newborns to elderly. The little

chapel felt quite full.

Some may have come for the novelty,

Neff said, while I know others who shied

away. The creepfactor in moving to a funeral

home was certainly a concern, but I remem-

bered the early Christians in Rome worshipped

weekly in the catacombs. They were undaunted

by their surroundings because as Christians

they believed that, through the resurrected

Jesus, death was overcome.

We got a little taste of that for ourselves.

It was an enriching experience.

The pastors said transforming the space

for Sunday worship was simple. Furniture

was rearranged; a cross, candlesticks, and altar

cloths were brought from the church. A video

projector and screen displayed the hymns and

Communion liturgy.

Page 7A

As Jack Turner thumbed through a news-

paper, he found story after story with one

common factor: the problem of addiction.

One solution: education.

Turner said he has been glad to see some

progress in the last few years for treating the

illness of addiction, but he believes little hasbeen done to prevent addiction.

Thats why Turner, a member of OKC-St.

Lukes, recently made a $500,000 donation

to fund a new program at Oklahoma City

University.

Turners donation will be administered by

the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation

and will establish a ve-year program in ad-

diction prevention studies at OCUs Petree

College of Arts and Sciences, beginning in

Fall 2011.

Dean Mark Davies said the university willwork toward making the program permanent.

The Oklahoma Conferences Addiction Min-

istries also will be in a relationship with the

program, explained Annette Harper, director

of that agency.

Were family, she said about the inter-

woven efforts by OCU, the Foundation, and

the Conference in battling addictions. She

sees the new program as a great example of

the Churchs connectional excellence.

Turner has served on two governors task

forces regarding addiction and on the boardfor the Oklahoma Department of Mental

Health and Substance Abuse Service.

He wants to make Oklahomans more

aware of how addiction adversely impacts

the lives of thousands of Oklahomans, and

the states economy as well.

A lot of people dont realize how critical

the problem of addiction is and how many

lives it affects, Turner said.

He pointed to a study, conducted for the

most recent Governors Task Force, which

found the economic impact of drug andalcohol addiction and abuse cost the state

and its citizens as much as $4.38 billion in

2003. The ndings also disclosed that, each

year, more than 6,500 students in Oklahoma

colleges and universities drop out because

of problems related to addiction and abuse.

National studies reveal that as many as

85 percent of people in prison are there be-

cause of drug and alcohol addiction and

abuse.

Turner met with Dr. Davies and OCU

faculty members from various disciplines

to discuss the new program for addiction

prevention studies. He was impressed with

their interest in the ever-increasing effect ofaddiction on students and society.

Turner said OCU, the only United Meth-

odist university in the state, is charged to fol-

low Christian teachings for helping the sick.

Thats what the Church is called to do,

and to do anything less than to get involved

would be failure, he said. Theres a lot of

people to help out there.

At Stillwater-First UMC, a one-day

seminar on addiction is set April 4.Surviving the Addiction: Yours,

Mine, and Ours explores family is-

sues. The program begins at 8:30 a.m.

and is offered through Addiction Min-

istries of the Oklahoma Conference.

Presenters will be Herb Smith, a

marriage and family therapist; pastor

Dane Lemmons, with a masters in

counseling psychology; and Annette

Harper, Addiction Ministries director.

Harper described addiction as

a family disease. One in every 10Americans has an addiction and di-

rectly affects four family members or

other people close to them, she said.

With those statistics, you have

to say that half the people in our

congregations are hurting from this.

As Church, how do we empower

our families to confront the monster

called addiction? Our churches need

to be aware and open to address the

hurts of families, as well as compas-

sionate support for the addict.Register by March 25. Fee, $25,

includes resources and lunch.

(www.ddctnmnstes.g)

Gift to OCU establishesprogram on addiction

One-dayseminar setfor Stillwater

Funeral home shelters worshippers in storm

In the story above, one Oklahoma church

secured a way to continue ministry amid Feb-

ruarys record snowfall and cold temperatures.

That choice was impossible for many other

churches and ministry sites.

Asbury UMC in Tulsa, with the largestmembership in the state, was forced to cancel

Sunday services.

The warehouse roof collapsed under the

snows weight at Restore Hope Ministries,

which assists the poor in Tulsa.

Water ooded part of New Hope UMC

in Oklahoma City after pipes froze and burst.

Before all that snow melted, Oklahomans

were being warned of wildre dangers due

to extreme drought and high winds. Now the

calendar shows a new monthtaking us into

tornado season.

Is your church prepared for a weather

disaster?

This winters challenges make obvious

the need for advance planning in Oklahoma

to cope with a wide range of weather events.

Your church can get help to prepare a re-

sponse plan through Volunteers In Mission

(VIM) and The United Methodist Churchs

Property and Casualty Trust (UMC PACT).

n Developing a Local Church Di-

saster Plan, a free VIM resource, can bedownloaded online. Follow the Disaster

Response links at www.kvm.g. Among

the brochures points: identify vulnerable

populations within the church and the com-

munity, establish alternate meeting sites,

back-up all important data, and review

insurance coverage.

n Education and information from

PACT is online, atwww.umcpct.g.

Emergency Preparedness for Your Church

is one title.

Rick Carlin, program administrator for

the Oklahoma Conference insurance plan

for churches within the PACT coverage,

said, I hope you will take advantage of all

the resources available to you to make your

church a safe and secure place.

Whatever the weather, do you have a plan?


8/8


The okhm Unted Methdst Fundtn inc., 4201 Cssen Bvd., okhm Ct 73118; www.kumf.g; 800-259-6863

Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation insights

First steps lead to lasting impressions

Many people are intimidated by the

prospect of creating a will. Yet prepar-

ing a will is as simple as writing a letter.

A well-written will is nothing more and

nothing less than a statement of what is

important to you.

The most complicated part of prepar-

ing a will is simply taking the rst step:deciding to do it.

The Oklahoma United Methodist Foun-

dation has a free booklet, A Christians

Guide to Planning Your Will or Trust, that

can help you with the information needed

for your will.

Whether you are creating a will for the

rst time or revising it for the fth time,

you should use an attorney. Most attorneys

charge relatively little for this service. They

are experienced in writing wills and can

walk you through the process.Certain states have very specic re-

quirements regarding wills. Many require

witnesses and other formalities to make

sure your will is authentic and reects your

wishes. Miss one of these requirements

and your will may be invalid. If you hire

an attorney who regularly drafts wills, he

or she can help you with all of these basic

requirementsand suggest new ideas to

make things even easier.

Take a moment today to consult yourattorney. If you do not have an attorney,

ask friends and neighbors who they used to

write their wills. You probably will spend

far less than you expected and receive

far more peace of mind than you thought

possible.

Once completed, your will can benet

your family, friends, church, and other

charitable causes important to you.

Contact the Foundation at 800-259-

6863 for your complimentary copy ofAChristians Guide to Planning Your Will

or Trust.

Overcoming your fearscan be hardest partof creating a will

Dont forget to

purchase your OKC

ThunderNothing

But Nets tickets! Call

Barbara Gayle now

at the Foundation, at

405-609-3103.

On Nothing But Nets Night, April 8, OklahomaCitys professional basketball team will play the

Denver Nuggets.

Purchase tickets for the game through the

Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation, and a

portion of the price will benet Nothing But Nets,

providing insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent

malaria.

Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots cam-

paign to raise awareness and funding to combat

malaria, one of the largest killers of children in

Africa. The United Methodist Church and the

NBA are partners in Nothing But Nets, along withthe United Nations Foundation, Sports Illustrated,

and other organizations.

Worshippers at Elk City UMC

lined up to plow ground Jan. 23 for

an addition to the facility.

Symbolic of the capital cam-

paign theme, Together With God

We Can, they pulled together on

a rope attached to an antique hand

plow. The long rope stretched from

the front lawn into the sanctuary so

all could participate.

The $4.3 million project will

include a narthex, with a welcome

center and space for fellowship and

receptions. There will be a Life

Center for fellowship dinners, New

Day worship, the annual Bazaar,

recreational activities for all ages,

and district events. A new kitchen

and courtyard are planned.

Construction is expected to take

14 months. The Building Commit-

tee is led by Terry Pasby.

Major funding is from an en-

dowment by C. Kelly and a more

recent estate gift by Bill and Caro-

lyn Music. The congregation is

raising an additional $1.35 million.

The groundbreaking service

was led by Clinton District Super-

intendent Chuck Nordean and Elk

Citys pastoral staff of Dan Peil,

Carlos Ramirez, and Wendi Neal.

Worshippers pull together to break ground Jan. 23 for a building project.

Elk City breaks ground for expansion

Chuck Nordean, left,

and Dan Peil stand be-

side an antique plow.

Basketball gameshoots for funds

Frederick to hostOSU Wesley rally

At Frederick UMC on March 26, theWesley Foundation at OSU will host the

rst in a series of campus ministry pep

rallies.

First Regional Pep Rally will be

6-8 p.m. at Frederick, in southwest Okla-

homa. The fun will include a dinner of

nger foods.

Reservations are due by March 22.

Contact [email protected], 405-

372-5830, 405-880-7194.

Youth workersto meet in OKC

If you are involved with youth

ministry (as a volunteer, staff per-

son, or pastor), you will benet by

attending Youth Workers Gathering,

on March 25-26 in Oklahoma City

at Church of the Servant.

Keynote speaker is Reginald

Blount, a Garrett Evangelical Semi-

nary professor of Formation, Youth,

and Culture. Guest preacher isBishop Hayes.

Breakout sessions will focus on:

Getting Kids and Parents To Have

Faith Development as a Primary

Priority

Ministering To Students in a

Large-Church Setting

Creating Youth Worship Experi-

ences Without a Large Budget

Native American Youth

Youth Ministry in the Small-

Membership Church: Workingwith 10 or Less

Sponsors are youTheology, a

program of Saint Paul School of

Theology; Discipleship Ministries

of the Oklahoma Conference; and

Church of the Servant.

(www.utheg.cm/

uthwkesc)

Briefy

A retreat on social justiceMarch 11-12

at Canyon Camp

Social Holiness: On Earth

as It Is in Heaven

Featuring Tony Campolo

www.okumc.org/

church_society

Event to helpsmaller churchesAmong notable presenters at the

Small Church Leadership Institute in

March will be former Oklahoma Bishop

Bruce Blake and Andy Oden, with the

Oklahoma United Methodist Founda-

tion. The conference will be held March

20-24 at Mount Sequoyah Retreat Center,

Fayetteville, Ark.

(www.muntsequh.g)

Contact Newspaper March 4, 2011

Documents

Transcript of Contact Newspaper March 4, 2011