Vol. 4 • No. 13 
May 4, 2005
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Mother's Day is May 8
Happy Mother's Day to all of our wonderful mothers! Thank you for all that you do.

Honor Her on May 8 with a gift to the League of the Good Samaritan
Mother's Day is the special opportunity to remember, love and honor the person who loved us first. Magnolia Manor's annual Mother's Day offering does just that by raising money in honor or in memory of our mothers for the League of the Good Samaritan. The majority of League recipients are woman who have depleted their retirement savings, which is where the League steps in. More than $1 million is distributed each year to Magnolia Manor's residents who are unable to pay the full costs of care. On Sunday, May 8, or on any Sunday during the month of May, please make a donation to the League in honor of Mother's Day.

National Day of Prayer, May 5: God Shed His Grace on Thee
As American troops fight for democracy and freedom around the globe, citizens of the United States are preparing to celebrate their freedom to gather, worship and pray. Under the theme "God Shed His Grace On Thee," millions will answer the call to prayer on May 5, the 54th annual National Day of Prayer, by flocking to observances held in public venues to pray for the nation, governmental leaders, media, and schools.

The National Day of Prayer tradition predates the founding of the United States of America when the Continental Congress issued a proclomation setting aside a day of prayer in 1775. In 1952, Congress established an annual day of payer and, in 1988, that law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.

Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder and chairman Dr. James Dobson, serves as the National Day of Prayer Chairman. Noted author and pastor Max Lucado is the 2005 Honorary Chairman and will address the national event in Washington, D.C.

For more information, visit www.nationaldayofprayer.org. You are encouraged to look for opportunities to be a part of the National Day of Prayer in your local community.

The Book of Recommendations has been mailed
If you are a pastor or a lay delegate to Annual Conference, the 2005 Book of Recommendations should be arriving in your mailbox this week. You can also download it by clicking here. If there has been a change in the lay delegate from your church, please make sure the correct person receives the pre-conference packet. Also, if you have a change in lay delegate, please call Cathy Crawford at 888-266-7642 so that she can make sure we have the correct nametag at Annual Conference.

Logo Available for Local Church Use
The 2005 Annual Conference theme is Healthy Churches Live the Vision. This year's logo (seen to the right) is available for use in the local church. Use it in your bulletin, newsletter, or anywhere else you see fit. You can copy it straight from here or e-mail Kelly Roberson, kelly@sgaumc.com, and ask for the logo to be e-mailed to you.

United Methodist bishops meet with president, open door for future (UMNS) Five United Methodist bishops made a pastoral visit to President George W. Bush on May 3 in a meeting that they said opened the door for future conversations and work with the White House. The bishops had a private, 10-minute meeting with the president and some of his staff, then joined a larger group of religious leaders meeting with Bush at the White House.

During their private session, the bishops presented Bush, a fellow United Methodist, with a Bible signed by the Council of Bishops, and they shared a moment of prayer with him. They told the president they are praying for him, that they share his commitment to building a better world, and that they are committed to finding ways to work together on common concerns, said Bishop Peter Weaver, president of the council. More>>

Judicial Council approves most of new clergy pension plan
(UMNS) The supreme court of the United Methodist Church has ruled that a new retirement plan for the denomination's pastors is generally constitutional and can be implemented. The exception is one section dealing with amending the plan between meetings of General Conference, the church's top legislative body.

Meeting April 27-29, the Judicial Council ruled that any power given to the United Methodist Church's Board of Pension and Health Benefits to make “permissive or desired” changes exceeds what is allowed in the church's constitution, unless the changes are mandated by federal or state statute.

The 2004 General Conference approved the Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP) to take effect Jan. 1, 2007. It will replace the current Ministerial Pension Plan. More>>

Appeals committee reverses church trial verdict in Stroud case
(UMNS) Irene Elizabeth "Beth" Stroud, who was found guilty of violating United Methodist church law for being a practicing lesbian and lost her clergy credentials last December, won her appeal in a decision announced April 29. Stroud had appealed the Dec. 2 verdict in her clergy trial to the Northeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals, which met April 28-29 at the Sheraton International Hotel near Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

The clergy court had found her guilty of violating denomination law, which forbids the ordination and appointment of "self-avowed practicing homosexuals." Stroud had disclosed that she was living in a committed relationship with another woman. The trial was held in the United Methodist Church's Eastern Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference. The appeals committee upheld part of the trial court's finding but overturned the verdict in an 8-1 vote, citing legal errors. More>>

Reinstatement does not reverse church's standards, bishops say
(UMNS) A decision to reinstate a United Methodist pastor who lost her clergy credentials in December under church law concerning the practice of homosexuality "does not in any way reverse the standards in our Book of Discipline ," according to the denomination's Council of Bishops.

In a statement  issued May 1 as the bishops gathered for their spring meeting in Washington, the council's executive committee said the April 29 decision of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals was based on legal error, not lack of evidence. "This means that the reasons for the guilty verdict were not questioned, but the case was reversed on two questions of legal process," the statement said. More>>

Order 'Peace With Justice' worship resources now
One of six Special Sundays in the United Methodist Church, Peace With Justice Sunday is scheduled for May 22. Your offering on Peace with Justice Sunday helps the children of God everywhere to live lovingly and peacefully. Half of the offering supports peace with justice ministries globally through the General Board of Church and Society, and half assists annual conference-related work such as Faith Communities Uniting for Peace in West Ohio.

“Live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you,” wrote the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. Help to bring peace and justice to a hurting world. Please give generously on Peace with Justice Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost. Your gift makes a world of difference!

Order free Peace With Justice worship resources now.

Logo design sought for 2008 General Conference
Entries are being sought for a logo design for the 2008 General Conference depicting the theme “A Future with Hope,” from Jeremiah. The Commission on General Conference is sponsoring the contest and will award $500 for the winning design. Deadline for entries is June 15. The logo design must relate to the United Methodist Church, General Conference and the location of the 2008 conference, which is in Ft. Worth, Texas. More>>

Learn More about the Division on Ministries with Young People
The Division on Ministries with Young People (General Board of Discipleship) works to connect young people and those in ministry with young people to each other, the church, and God, and to empower young people as "world changing disciples of Jesus Christ." Learn what's new in the Division on Ministries with Young People by visiting their website, www.gbod.org/youngpeople.

Check Out UMCOR's New "Report to Donors"
Permanently altered coastlines - total loss of belongings - the backwash of flooding - salt-contaminated fields. These are the sights in regions where a magnitude 8.7 earthquake under the Indian Ocean sent a tsunami inland, killing tens of thousands in December 2004. But the visitor also notices the human capacity to adjust. Thanks to your generous gifts (as of March 31 over $32 million), UMCOR has opened recovery centers in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Talks are in progress for support of additional rehabilitation in India. UMCOR sent emergency aid to Somalia and Thailand as well. Read all about it in UMCOR's new "Report to Donors". A fresh report will show up on their website every month. Thank you for your gifts of love. They are at work, comforting, providing shelter, and sustaining people as they adjust to life after the tsunami.

Lectionary Based Offertory Prayers for May Available
 The lectionary-based offertory prayers for the month of May, 2005 have just been published online by the Center for Christian Stewardship of The United Methodist Church. Click here to read these offertory prayers.

Ministers' Spouses Luncheon: Please note correct address for reservations
The Ministers' Spouses Luncheon will be held Monday, June 6 at Forest Hills UMC at 12:15 p.m. All spouses are invited to attend. If you have already received your invitation and are planning to mail it in, please note that Mary Varnell's address is 901 N. Chester Avenue (not 911).

Click here for Pre-conference District orientation dates

Check out the latest Annual Conference Information

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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