Non-profit org.U.S. Postage Paid Elkins, WV 26241

Permit No. 300

wvumc.org February 2009United MethodistWest Virginia

Witness to History

United Methodists and the Inauguration of Barack Obama 2-3

2 The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009

United MethodistErnest S. Lyght Resident BishopLaura Harbert Allen EditorAdam P. Cunningham Assistant Editor

Covenant Council

Dr. William H. Wilson Director of Connectional MinistriesDr. J.F. Lacaria Director of Leadership Formation and Ministry SupportRev. Don Keller Director of Conference Camps and Educational CenterRev. Thomasina Stewart Director of Ethnic MinistriesRev. Amy Shanholtzer Director of Evangelism and Congregational Development

The West Virginia United Methodist, serving most of West Virginia and Garrett County, Maryland, is published January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November and December by the Communications Ministry Team of the WV Annual Conference Covenant Council, P.O. Box 2313, Charleston, WV 25328. Telephone: 1-800-788-3746. E-Mail Address: lallen@wvumc.org. Internet Address: http://www.wvumc.org. Non-profit postage paid at Elkins, WV. Submission of stories for publica-tion is encouraged. Unless otherwise noted the deadline is the fifteenth of the month preceding publication. Subscription rate - $5.00 per year. Signed letters to the editor and opinion articles reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily the opinions of the West Virginia United Methodist or The United Methodist Church.

USPS 300

WEST VIRGINIAThe

United Methodists were among the throngs of people who descended upon the nation’s capital to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America. When Obama placed his hand on the 148-year-old Lincoln Bible and said, “I do solemnly swear,” he became the first African American to ascend to the highest office in the land and added another layer to the foundation laid by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Michelle Gilstrap, 17, came to Washington with a group from Cascade United Methodist Church, Atlanta. She told her mother that she wanted to attend the inaugura-tion because “Barack Obama is the George Washington of our generation.”

The significance of the day leaves Bishop Gregory Palmer “breathless and feeling like I’m walking on air.”

“It is unbelievable that this is happening, and I am so grateful to be a witness to it,” said Palmer, president of the United Methodist Council of

for each individual in atten-dance and watching worldwide.

“This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed—why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served at a local restau-rant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath,” Obama said.

The Rev. Kelvin Sauls, a staff member of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries in New York, found the inauguration to “be an awesome and powerful experience.” He recalled a line from the movie “Amistad,” a 1997 film depicting a mutiny aboard a slave ship that came to Connecticut in 1839. After the Supreme Court freed the slaves, the principal character, Cinque, said, “It is for this day that my ancestors lived and died.”

“As an African, experienc-ing the inauguration is a day

for which our ancestors lived, toiled and died,” said Sauls, a native of South Africa. “The inauguration is “certainly one stream in the river toward achieving a more perfect union and to continue to labor and journey toward the beloved community that King dreamed of and to usher in the common-wealth of God,” he said.

‘Hope over fear’Obama provided an assess-

ment of the country’s standing and his vision for the future.

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real,” he said, addressing a crowd estimated at more than a million on the National Mall in front of the Capitol. “They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America—they will be met.”

The new president also told those assembled on the mall and those gathered around televisions that they had “chosen hope over fear,

unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.”

The Rev. Albert Sampson, pastor of Fernwood United Methodist Church in Chicago, has been among the masses on the National Mall before. He attended the 1963 rally where King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech and was a speaker at the Million Man March in 1995. This time, he had a ticket to what he believes has to be the biggest event so far, both in terms of the num-ber of people present and the diversity of races and cultures represented.

Sampson, who was or-dained by King as a Baptist minister before becoming United Methodist, called President Obama’s address “an international message” with a personal touch. “His words were packaged to go around the world like a boomerang,” he said.

The idea that America will extend its hand if others unclench their fists was a pow-erful notion to this advocate of nonviolence. “According to God, you’ll get more when you open your hand than you will with your fist closed,” Samp-son said. “We’ve got to find other strategies for handling our differences. That’s one of the key things he was saying.”

The Rev. Larry Pickens, pastor of Northbrook (Ill.) United Methodist Church, and his wife Debra were among the ticket-holders seated in front of the podium area during the inauguration. Afterward, they went to Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, where meals were being served to the community. Later, the couple

Bishops. “The barrier of race has been removed from the highest office in the land.” He urged prayers for the president and Congress as they face the challenges ahead.

Obama’s inauguration car-ried a collective significance for people of all races, but its significance was also different

Historic InaugurationBarack Obama first African-American President in U.S.

Barack Obama’s Inauguration as the forty-fourth President of the United States was covered extensively by United Methodist News Service. Final crowd estimates for the day put about two million people at the National Mall in Washington D.C. to watch the event.

A UMNS Report By Linda Green, Linda Bloom and Kathy Gilbert* Jan. 20, 2009

The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009 3

was to attend the Eastern Ball, where the Obamas were ex-pected to drop by.

Pickens said he thought the president’s speech “set the right tone,” and he was particularly interested in his suggestion of openness to the Muslim world if there was a desire to relate to the United States in a peaceful way. “I thought that was a very important message for him to send,” he added.

The occasion gave Pickens “a renewed sense of not only the power of this nation, but the ability this nation has to do right.” He believes this sense will be the theme of Obama’s presidency. Recalling past, moving forward

The vastness and depth of the crowd prohibited Chicago-an Vidette Bullock Mixon and her family from reaching their ticketed seats on the mall, and they watched the inauguration on television. Bullock Mixon, a staff member of the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits, said the conclusion of the celebration with the Rev. Joseph Lowery’s benediction “seemed a fitting way to tie the whole program together.”

As she witnessed the Unit-ed Methodist pastor and civil rights worker give the benedic-tion, she remembered her late father and the work he did with civil rights and as a member of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. “President Barack Obama stands on the shoulders of individuals like the Rev. Joseph Lowery,” she said. She also noted that Lowery took great pains to communicate “we’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go.”

Lowery, in his benediction said, Obama comes into office at a low moment in the na-tional, global and fiscal climate in the country. Obama voiced a similar assessment in his speech, saying, “every so often, the oath is taken amidst gather-ing clouds and raging storms.”

Also unable to reach their ticketed seats was the Rathod family from Hasting, Neb. Ja-son, who was one of six youth to give the Young People’s Address at the 2008 United

Methodist General Conference, said just being on the mall and hearing Obama’s inaugura-tion message was “an amazing experience.”

It was “great to be around so many people who are ready for the country to move in a new direction and past what has been a pretty rough last eight years,” Jason said. His mother, Ella Rathod, said the family migrated from India in 1971 and was no stranger to crowds, but the crowd on the mall witnessing the inaugura-tion “was unbelievable.”

“I could not believe all the

tude of the people who braved the cold and stood out was phenomenal,” she said. “The tenacity and determination of the people speaks well of the support President Barack Obama can count on when he says, ‘I’m counting on you, the citizens of the United States, to make this work.’ ” Everyone working together

The Rev. Robert Besser, pastor of Wesley United Meth-odist Church in Beaumont, Texas, found Obama’s speech and the inauguration “awesome and wonderful.” The speech, emphasizing the past, present

“But like our forefathers and ancestors in the faith and in the country who were able to make it happen, we have that same spirit,” Besser said, “and if we work together, we too can move forward in our country’s future together.”

As the great-great-grand-son of a slave and a Native American, Larry Hygh Jr., a United Methodist communica-tor from the Los Angeles area, called the inauguration “a great time for me personally.” Hygh had preached the night before at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washing-ton, and challenged his listen-ers “to go forth and change our communities.”

Hygh heard the new president’s address through loudspeakers as he stood along the Inaugural Parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue. He caught a glimpse of the motor-cade as it headed toward the Capitol from the White House and hoped to see President Obama later during the parade.

“I am feeling this over-whelming joy at our first Afri-can-American president being inaugurated,” he said. “Hope-fully, it will not be business as usual. Hopefully, we will some change for our country.”But Sampson noted that the responsibility for change belongs to all Americans. Citizens should not just sit in front of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during Obama’s first 100 days “as if he’s Santa Claus in the White House preparing little gifts for us. The question is, for the 100 days, what are we going to do?” Sampson said he is chal-lenging everyone to be involved. One hundred churches can open tutoring programs, 100 lawyers can help people facing fore-closure and 100 painters, carpenters and plumbers can fix up homes in 100 com-munities. “We’ve got an opportunity while he’s doing his 100 days for us to do our 100 days,” he added.

‘Once in a l ifetime’ Herman L. Fraser, 60, member

of Abyssinia Baptist, Harlem, N.Y., brought an ecumenical group to Washington for the inauguration. They arrived at Asbury United Methodist Church in Washington at 5:30 a.m. Jan. 20 and made it their home for the day. Fraser said he “just wanted to be in Wash-ington, D.C., today.” He knew he “could not get near Barack Obama but just wanted to be in the same place. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I do not think we could have found a church as warm as this one. They just welcomed us in.”

Christine Christian-Roy, a member of St. Charles Borromeo and St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Nyack, N.Y., watched the inaugura-tion from the sanctuary of Asbury Church. She said she cried throughout the entire inauguration. “I never believed I would live to see this day.”

“Anything can happen now but our president cannot do it by himself. We need to forget the big I’s and little you’s.” She really liked what Obama said about “work-ing in the daylight and being honest and everyone needs to go back and start at their community.”

Juanita Omilami, 23, Atlanta, came with the group from Cascade United Meth-odist Church but is a mem-ber of Abundant Life, a non-denominational church. “As soon as I heard that Obama was president-elect, I knew I had to get to D.C.” She said it was a “very surreal experi-ence, and I couldn’t believe it was happening—the expressions of the crowd and the sea of the people and the beautiful words that Barack spoke.”

She said the inauguration was especially meaningful to her because she is from Atlanta, which played a major role in the civil rights struggles. “It was a dream come true.”

and future, “was the best part” of the day, he said.

As he watched the inaugu-ration on a Jumbotron screen, Besser paid particular attention to Obama’s call to work to-gether without divisiveness and his assertion that there would be sacrifices to get the United States moving in another direc-tion.

people that we saw,” she said. “Everyone has such a hope, and having an African Ameri-can to be the first president is seen as hope for the whole world. We are happy that we are here to witness it.”

Bullock Mixon celebrated the people who came from all over the world to witness the historic event. “The magni-

Millions of people converge on the nation’s capitol to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America. UMNS Photo by Jay Mallin.

� The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009

Passion isn’t a word often used in church circles. We might hear it occasionally during holy week – when we talk about the passion of Christ. Perhaps we have

Mel Gibson to thank for bringing the word back into common use in church circles, with his movie: The Passion of Christ.

We are familiar with impassioned speeches by those who are “on a soapbox”. We might label someone as passionate about a par-ticular subject, which is also often a way of dismissing the particu-lar subject or person.

But, if you think really hard, can you remember a day when you were passion-ate about everything?

As I begin walk-ing through adoles-cence with my chil-dren, I am reminded

of the time in my life when the world lay before me as an amazing place full of promise and opportunity. The world was my “oyster” so to speak. Everything seemed bright, shiny and interesting. I see the same thing in my children – ap-proaching their relationships with others and with God with the same kind of joy and spirit of discovery – or passion.

Then I begin to wonder where that passion has gone in the church? Has it gone underground? Has it lost its lus-ter as we’ve become acquainted with the world? Where has our joy and spirit of discovery gone as we enjoy God’s creation and experience the goodness of the world and people around us? Where has our spirit of adventure, em-powered by the incredible energy of the Holy Spirit gone?

And, just when I’m about to despair, I hear it. I hear the pas-sion in the voice of one whose heart is overflowing with the love of God and a desire to share that word of hope with those who do not yet know the love of Christ. I experienced it last week – in church – in a meeting! And, I joined with others who caught that same passion and shared in nearly spontaneous prayer, naming those who are yet far away from Christ. The names were lifted aloud to the One who is able to reach hearts that have been hard-ened by life experience and years of hurt, melting them with love.

I am inspired once again, my own passion for God’s hu-manity renewed. I am inspired to listen, to look and to pray for the time when I might be used to share the reason for my hope.

The Spark of PassionRev. Amy Shanholtzer

Rev. Amy Shanholtzer is the Director of Evangelism and Congregational Development for the WV Annual Conference. E-mail her at Shanny2500@aol.com

Feburary 2009 3 GlenWood Park Board of Trustees Meeting 7 Sexual Ethics Training for Clergy - TBD 7 WL District Hospitality Workshop w/ Larry Homitsky - First UMC Clarksburg 8-10 BOOM Meeting/Interviews - John XXIII Pastoral Center10-12 Cabinet Meeting17 OFE Clergy Worshop: Huntington: Community of Faith UMC (Highlawn Campus) 24 Ministry Accountability Team Meeting - Conference Center, Charleston 24-26 Cabinet Meeting 26 Board of Pensions Meeting 28 WL District Lay Academy - WV Wesleyan College, Buckhannon 28 Rules Committee Meeting - UM Conference Center, Charleston

Conference Calendar

Conference News

Spare Change, Save Lives

Lent 2008 began with the Bishop’s Initiative to raise $100,000 for the Unit-ed Methodist Church Global AIDS Fund. Because of gen-erous support, the West Vir-ginia Task Force has raised nearly 70% of our goal. More than $15,000 will be dispersed to agencies with-in West Virginia for AIDS prevention, education, and testing for at risk popula-tions in our Conference area.

During Lent this year give your pocket change toward the eradication of AIDS as a global killer. One church is going to put large jars in the sanctuary and classrooms so folks can eas-ily give their change as they come and go from church.

Together, we can eradi-cate this disease in the world and end the suffering of millions.

United Seminary Scholarships, Opportunity

Three Uni ted In-Context students from WV received substantial scholarships this semester from the General Board of Higher Education. The grateful students are: Pamela Everett, Shauna Hyde, Patrick Ferrell. We want to congratulate them.

A new cohort of WV students will begin in Fall 2009. To learn more about this Master of Divinity Program join us for Ex-plore United on Saturday, March 14 at West Virginia Wesleyan College. To register for this event, or to learn more about the program, contact Rev. Janet Flanagan at 304-342-9222 or email her at jflanagan@united.edu.

In our Wesleyan heritage, Holiness is an integral part of life with God. At times, it is manifested through posi-tions the United Methodist Church takes on issues like gambling, alcohol consump-tion, and the use of tobacco.

There is also an inter-nal change of turning ones heart to God. Historically Methodist classes, societ-ies, and bands contained the disciplines of scripture study, prayer, accountabil-ity, the sacraments, and mis-sion to the world. These pieces helped participants take on the nature of God.

Explore The Holiness Tradition – one of six streams outlined by Dr. Richard Fos-

Explore Holinessat Spring Heights

The Order of Elders is sponsoring opportunities for clergy to be resources for each other through a “Best Prac-tices” Workshop. Clergy will asked to consider one ques-tion: “What works best for you in your ministry, person-ally and/or professionally?

For example, ‘I’ve learned to

set boundaries’, ‘I always keep a prayer journal’, or maybe ‘I ex-clusively preach using the lec-tionary’. Elaborate on how your practice has enriched your min-istry and/or your personal life. Clergy (local pastors, part-time local pastors, dea-cons, diaconal ministers, and elders) active and retired, are invited to attend the workshop most convenient for them.

Details on workshops are coming in the mail.

ter in his book Streams of Liv-ing Water at Spring Heights March 27-28 (Friday/Satur-day). Rev. Dr. Heather Mur-ray Elkins will join us as our primary resource person.

Contact Rev. Don Keller for more information at (304) 927-5865.

Clergy Workshops

Do you know someone with a passion for Evangelism? Nominations for the Harry Denman Award are being accepted until

March 1. Details on page 9.

The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009 5

Dear Martin:

I began writing you on the anniversary of your birth

in 1976! But until now, I have not written a letter when I’ve been as consumed with joy as I am today. Joy beyond description!

On the evening of April 4, 1968, when your tragic death was announced, I was at a point of total devastation. Millions joined in a community of grief. It was as though time itself had ended. Hope disappeared, and utter bewilderment took its place.

On the evening of Nov. 4, 2008, just four decades later, when it was announced that Barack Obama had been elect-ed the 44th President of the United States — the first black American to be so elected — there was utter joy! Thousands cheered in Grant Park in Chi-cago, as did millions more across America. We wept unasham-edly, men and women, people of all ethnicities and creeds.

Martin, it was an unfor-gettable moment! Even as I write, it is difficult to con-tain the joy or hold back the tears. You would understand.

As I watch President-elect Obama, a senator from Illi-nois, giving press conferences, announcing members of his Cabinet or speaking to an ur-gent matter facing the nation, it still seems like a dream. But it is real. America has elected a black man to what is considered by many the most influential political office in the world!

It seems only yesterday that black people were battling for the opportunity to vote. Many died seeking that right. State by

state, it eventually changed. But scarcely anyone glimpsed a fu-ture when a black man would be elected president of the nation.

Those days of marches and protests were aimed at simple but important goals: to eat at a lunch counter, to try on a gar-ment before you purchased it, to attend a school in the neighborhood where you lived, to be hired for a job for which

you were qualified, and yes, to exercise the most fundamental right of citizenship, to vote.

We sought to be accepted, and to be treated as a person and a full citizen in our own nation.

If you could see him, Mar-tin, you would recognize that Mr. Obama is a man of unusual gifts, grace and character. He announced his intentions to seek his party’s nomination

on a cold January morning, in front of the state capitol in Springfield, Ill., the state he represented in the Senate.

Springfield, you will re-call, was the site of two days of rioting in 1908. White mobs had burned the homes and businesses of black residents, causing thousands to flee the city. Eight people — black and white — were, tragically, killed.

That event prompted leaders to convene a meeting in New York City and resolve that a new organization was needed to address the nation’s racial ills. The result was the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The organization will ob-serve the 100th anniversary of its founding in the same year the nation witnesses its first black president take office!

The election of Mr. Obama is much more significant than the transfer of power from one party to another. Its significance goes beyond the current eco-nomic crisis, in which Ameri-cans are looking to government for direction and leadership.

This election will impact an area that has been at the heart of America’s failure as a nation. I believe it will bring to an end the dying ideology of “they.”

American racism is grounded in an often unspoken declaration of innate inferiority and superi-ority. It is based on the claim that one’s race is the determinative factor in ability and achievement.

But today, Americans can no longer assert that “they” are unable to hold this position or perform that role. The reality has always been that while a specific individual may or may not be able to achieve some goal, a blanket assessment on a group of persons is blatantly unfair and totally inaccurate.

Neither can it be held that the white community is monolithic in its race attitudes. The truth is, it has never been that way, even when it appeared to be so.

President-elect Obama’s elec-tion is the result of the votes and support of persons of broad racial and ethnic diversity. He shattered fundraising records for a political campaign.

“Joy Beyond Description”Editor’s note: Each year, United Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White writes a “birthday letter” to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about the progress of racial equal-ity in the United States. Bishop White was the first chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.

He set records for numbers who attended his campaign ral-lies. He won votes in geographic areas where his political party has traditionally been defeated.

It can no longer be said that “they” won’t vote, sup-port or accept a person because of race or color. Some will or will not; but “they” is no lon-ger descriptive or normative.

That said, it would be naïve to conclude that racism and bigotry in America are dead. They are very much alive. Rac-ism dies hard. But its grip in the minds and hearts of Ameri-cans, Martin, is not as deep or as broad as you experienced.

We need to still challenge ev-ery expression of injustice, bigot-ry and racism in individuals and institutions. Mr. Obama’s elec-tion should encourage us to con-tinue rather than end these efforts!

On a personal note, Martin, I must say a word about our bud-dy, Joe Lowery, who was among the first Civil Rights leaders to endorse Mr. Obama’s candidacy. He often appeared to be a lone voice crying out in the wilder-ness. But as he campaigned for Mr. Obama across the nation, it seemed like a Moses-Joshua mo-ment, with the Rev. Lowery, 87, urging and supporting the new leadership of Mr. Obama, 47.

Joe will offer the benedic-tion at the swearing-in ceremo-nies of Mr. Obama as President of the United States of America. It will be a moving moment!

Though this letter is far longer than I expected, I have not said all that is on my heart. But I am mindful that this mo-ment of joy and celebration was made possible by what you and so many others did and said. In so many ways, Martin, we are a better nation, a better people than you left. Not perfect, but better. And in some ways, the nation is moving beyond The Dream!

Thank you and happy birthday, Martin. We are overcoming!Woodie

From Top: Bishop Woodie White writing his annual letter to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., pictured directly above. Photos courtesy of United Methodist News Service.

� The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009

Their names are Alicia and Cecilia – changed at their request and for their protection. We met in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the sanc-tuary of Charity and Faith Mission Church.

father was a United Methodist pastor who had been to the U.S. Both are driven to make money to send back to family members so they can eat each day. “I did not come here to be comfortable, I came here to work so that I can send money home,” declared Alicia. Fear is a common denominator to their experiences in South Africa. They worry about the level of crime in the city, the number of armed youths that hang out on street corners waiting for their next opportunity to strike. Life

in South Africa is not like it was at home. “You have to get used to not doing things as you did them at home, like move freely – you have to keep to yourself. If you go to wherever you are doing your job, you must go back to where you stay and just sit in your room.” Even social-izing with other Zimbabweans is dangerous because of the ran-dom attacks on foreigners that have become all too common in South Africa. Cecilia stresses that these xenophobic attacks have taken place where there is

a high level of social frustration and unemployment, not all South Africans behave in this manner.

I was touched by a com-ment that Alicia made. “You have to really humble your-self.” The cost of starting over again is more than economic; it takes more than the sacrifice of comfort. You must start over again, defining who you are, determining your self-worth.

Both of these women have come to the church to begin their journey back, and the church has been generous in receiving them. Here, they have found shelter, comfort, and others of deep faith.

In a very different setting while in South Africa with the Mission of Peace, I took a pic-ture of a baby elephant moving within the protective legs of its mother. Mother and baby moved together, always pro-tected, always providing care. The mother elephant could not drift away to seek out something better for herself, neither would she allow her baby to move out of her watchfulness, following some curiosity. They relied on each other like Alicia, Cecilia and the Charity and Faith Mis-sion Church. This community of Christ-followers was not the only church the Mission of Peace vis-ited that was making sacrifices to provide sanctuary to strangers.

I prayed my church in the West Virginia Conference would be as willing and able to serve sacrificially. I prayed I might be able to “really humble my-self” to live with hope that is beyond reason, that lies in the future, not assured by present realities. I thanked God for be-ing a part of this global church that would enable me to meet Alicia and Cecilia that we might hold one another in our prayers.

Mission of Peace

“You really have to humble yourself.”

Top left: Dr. J.F. Lacaria stands with Alicia and Cecelia during his recent trip to South Af-rica on a Mission of Peace. He has made annual trips through the program 1996.Directly above: Mother and baby elephant stand together in South Africa.

Dr. J.F. Lacaria

Editor’s Note: J.F. collected several hours of audio (inter-views, diaries, and sound) dur-ing his trip. We are working on a couple of audio stories that we’ll post on the Conference website in the coming days.

Both came to Johannesburg from Zimbabwe; Cecilia had been in South Africa for a year, Alicia for three months.

In Zimbabwe Alicia worked as a personal assistant to the en-trepreneur who transported fuel from depots to gas stations. “It’s what made me happy, I liked waking up in the morning and knowing I am going to do A-B-C-D for my boss, organizing his trips, organizing his func-tions at work.” She was forced to leave Zimbabwe when her boss lost his job because of the failing economy and she found herself out of work also. She is still unemployed.

In Zimbabwe, Cecilia was a teacher, fully certi-fied. She was forced to leave her position because teaching no longer pro-vided a living wage. At one time she enjoyed easy passage to and from Zim-babwe and South Africa because she had a civil service card. Now, secur-ing the necessary papers for such travel would cost her considerably. Ceci-lia is working in South Africa as a hairdresser.

Both have family in Zimbabwe that they have left behind. Alicia’s grand-

The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009 7

“I can’t look out the window without seeing those shoes,”

Rev. Jack Lipphardt told me in his office at Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church last month. The shoes in the picture

were all a girl had put on her feet when she showed up at the House of the Carpenter in Wheeling one day.

“We asked that everyone wear shoes when they came,” said Lipphardt, who ran the House of the Carpenter for years before his move last July to Johnson Memorial in Hun-tington.

He made sure that little girl got some new shoes, but he hung on to the old ones. “The shoes remind me of what the church is supposed to do.,” he said.

When he arrived in Hun-

Finding Common Ground

Editor’s Note: In our travels around the Conference, we become part of some pretty special stories. This is a re-flection from a recent trip to Huntington.

By Laura AllenPhotos by Adam Cunningham

By the end of the hour, I’d listened to him talk about the bible and Jesus (he was very well-read, with good insights) and his life.

It didn’t sound like he’s had an easy time. He hasn’t spoken to a family member for seven years. Intelligence and

logic are there - but they co-alesce with pain and anger that lurks beneath a brittle veneer.

He’s making it, but barely. Like the little girl and the shoes, Sonny is battered, maybe close to falling apart. His connection to Johnson Memorial - a weekly meal with

friends - is part of a delicate dance through life for him.

“When you eat a meal with someone, you get to know them. Before that, they’re just someone you see,” he said. For him, this is weekly church and communion..

It was for me, too.

Above: Reverend Jack Lipphardt talks with Sonny, one person served by the Common Grounds feeding ministry at Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church in Huntington. The chruch serves a meal to the community every Thurday evening at 6:30. The picture below is also from ourvisit last month.

tington, he discovered his new church was already reaching out into the community.

Common Grounds is a meal and devotional ministry of the church that’s been going on for about four years.

“It started as a way to reach out to Marshall University students,” said Associate Pastor Rev. Suzanne Ellis. The youth of the church blanketed the neighborhood with flyers. More were put up on campus to attract young people.

People started to show up - but they were not college students. “We get some home-less folks from the shelter up the street,” sad Rev. Ellis. “We have

some working poor who come in, folks who have a tough time making it through the month on the income they have.”

I wound up at a table with a man who told me, among oth-er things, that he hadn’t driven a car since 1979. ‘Sonny’ has a salt and pepper beard, bright blue eyes, and a quick wit. He used to have a roommate, but now his only company at home are four cats.

“The spiritual food is why I’m here,” he said between bites of barbeque and sweet tea. “I’m lonely, these people are my friends.”

8 The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009

Returns in Challenging TimesJeff Taylor, President, UM Foundation of WV, Inc.

February is upon us cold and dreary, but our hearts are

warmed through family, a fire-place, friends, and Valentine’s Day.

FOR THE LOVE OF ITIt’s often been said that

if you love the work that you do, you don’t consider it work. This film suggests learning to love life now makes for a full cup of joy.

Dewitt Jones, noted National Geographic photog-rapher and writer shares the im-portance of beginning each day with a ‘full cup’. By honoring our passion and contributing to the people around us, grateful-ness results. DVD, PowerPoint, Leader’s Guide, Workbook, 25 minutes total. Concepts may be used individually or in combi-nations.

WHERE FAITH & CULTURE MEET

This film presents five people of strength and cour-age who have heard God’s call to minister within our culture. DVD with booklet: Andy Crouch and Twenty-one hundred Productions.

THE GERMAINE CHRONICLES

This is a video single is-sue of the Edge TV sketch, focusing on youth and teens; guaranteed to get kids talking – about relationships, choices, and life. After viewing, take the discussion where you want it to go, Seven episodes.

THE FIRST VALENTINEA sensitive and delightful

story written by Marcianne Miller that shows what true love is.

Tess, a shy girl of 13, dis-covers a new meaning for love on Valentine’s Day. Through a very special book, she meets the 3rd century martyr Valen-tine and his Christian friends. They show her what it means to love others as Jesus loves us, and to receive love in return. Y – A, 25 minutes.

ReelTalkMary MayesConference Librarian1-800-788-3746, ext. 21

Sandra LondonDecember 18, 2008

Mary Catherine Grimes ShieldsDecember 30, 2008

William (Bill) Street (FE-R)January 10, 2009

Judge C. Berkley LillyJanuary 10, 2009

Donald (Don) KinkeadJanuary 11, 2009

Robert (Bob) HickmanJanuary 18, 2009

Paul Morrison (AM-R)January 19, 2009

Oval L. TeetsJanuary 20, 2009

MEMORIALS

The year-end financial reports for funds managed by the United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia, Inc. were recently distributed to our account holders

and donors. To no one’s surprise, we experienced losses in value in our balanced funds, and a slight gain in our most conservative fixed income fund. The total returns of our four funds for the year 2008, net of all fees, are in the table, below.

While we never want to experience a loss in the value of the assets we manage for ministry, the current challenging economic climate reminds us of some of our foundational principles.

First, the prime initiative of our conservative investment pol-icy is preservation of principal. Therefore, our returns compare favorably to the universe of investment funds. Many people have seen much bigger losses in their retirement accounts and pen-sion funds. The Investment Committee of our Board of Trustees,

acting on the professional advice of our Investment Consultant, took proactive steps in the third and fourth quarters of 2008 to reallocate our balanced funds and decrease our exposure to equities. This helped us avoid bigger losses during the end of the year.

Second, the funds that have been placed for stewardship with the United Methodist Foundation are long-term investments that have been set aside to produce a perpetual income stream. Over the long term, they have grown.

Kim Matthews, the Foundation’s Associate Director, illustrated the miracle of compound in-terest for a church recently in response to the ques-tion, “What if we had placed our $10,000 reserves with the Foundation in 1984?” Assuming that $10,000 had been placed in the Foundation’s Balanced Fund in 1984, and never touched, it would be worth $55,430 today, even taking into account 2008’s losses.

But what if that church had needed some of the income from that investment over the years? If the church had received a modest 4% of market value each year, it would have received a total of $18,541 for ministry over those years, and the $10,000 would still be worth $20,809 today! While short-term losses are difficult to accept, over the long run, market returns have always grown.

Finally, these challenging times remind us that there are other ways to measure “returns.” The “management” of funds is only one leg of our mission statement: raising, managing, and distribut-ing funds for ministry.

During 2008, we raised total funds of $2,058,498. These are funds that have been placed with the Foundation because of our unique fund-raising ministry and our emphasis on planned giving.

We don’t raise and manage funds to build up the Foundation—we are about expanding and en-hancing the ministries of the church. That’s where the third leg—distributing—comes in. In 2008, we distributed—returned—a total of $2,764,058 for local churches and the missions and ministries of our church.

During challenging financial times like the one in which we are living, the Foundation can provide options to enhance resources for ministry.

Consider the possibilites.

Fund Total ReturnsA (Income) 1.75B1 (Income w/Growth -11.97B2 (Balanced) -16.06B3 (Growth with Income) -18.95

United Methodist Foundation of WV, Inc.PO Box 3811Charleston, WV 25338-38111-800-788-3746 ext. 45Email: info@umfwv.org

The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009 9

West Virginia Annual Conference —The United Methodist ChurchHarry Denman Evangelism Award

Nomination Form

In appreciation and recognition of outstanding efforts in leading people into a relationship with Jesus Christ, I nominate:

Name: Lay Clergy (circle one)

Address:

Phone: E-mail:

District: Church:

I. Compose a description, in one page or less, of how the nominee lives out their commitment for evange-lism. Consider people who: • Possess the gift of evangelism through faith-sharing, public witness, nurturing people in disciple ship, ministries of justice, etc. • Demonstrate leadership in the local church, district, or annual conference relative to evangelism • Advance theology and/or practice of evangelism

II. Describe what difference this person is making in the lives of people, the church, and the community.

In both cases, give clear examples of what makes this person exceptional in ¬-reaching persons for Jesus Christ.Please also provide the following information about you:

Name:

Representing (if this is a group nomination)

Address:

Phone: E-mail: District: Church:

Deadline for Submission is March 1. Please submit materials to: Rev. Amy Shanholtzer Office of Evangelism and Congregational DevelopmentUnited Methodist CenterP.O. Box 2313Charleston, WV 25328

According to The Foundation for Evangelism, Harry

Denman believed that “Meth-odism is inherently evange-listic, but that Jesus Christ’s command to ‘go make dis-ciples’ has to be held up con-stantly before the church.”

Denman backed up his belief by starting the Founda-tion for Evangelsim in 1949.

His guiding life phi-losophy stemmed from Je-sus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Denman expressed strong opinions on mate-rialism and prejudice, and lived a simple life. He gave away what was given to him, and reportedly owned one pair of shoes at a time throughout much of his life.

He was also a close friend of Billy Graham, who called Denman “one of the great mentors for evangelism”.

Bishop Richard Loo-ney said the purpose of the Harry Denman award is to “to honor a United Methodist lay or clergy person in each Annual Conference who has exhibited unusual and out-standing efforts in Christian evangelism by faithfully car-rying out the mission of mak-ing disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Use the form (right) to nominate someone you know. Call Rev. Amy Shanholtzer with questions: 304-344-8331 x. 26.

Who was Harry Denman?

“A bishop once described Harry Denman as the kind of man who could carry the flag at the head of the parade and at the same time beat the drum setting the cadence for the march. His leadership in the field of evangelism was unique as was his personal life and witness. His friendship encircled the world, and he was at home in a variety of settings.”

- from Harry Denman—A Biography

10 The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009

The Minister’s Mates of the Potomac Highlands decided we would challenge each other to make time with our Mates, some-time during the month of February, for an official “Date Night”.

We set a few rules: No “on-the-way-to-or-from-somewhere-else” activities, no last minute side trips and no double dates, espe-cially with another clergy couple. I shared this with the executive committee and the next thing I knew I had agreed to write an arti-cle encouraging all the “Mates” in the conference to do the same.

My husband Jim agreed to help test a few ideas. We decided to go to a movie then get a bite to eat. Un-

fortunately, we chose a movie with a sad ending. We walked out of the theater with a group of people who looked like they were walking out of a funeral home. Our faces were red, our eyes were nearly swollen shut, and our noses were so stopped up we couldn’t breathe. We went to CVS for a decongestant, skipped dinner, and went home.

A steak house in our town has a very popular “Two for Tuesday” special. We walked in, and to our surprise there sat another Minister and his spouse. We of course joined them. We had a lovely evening.

The other night I loaned my car to a neighbor. Lat-er ,we learned some folks drove by and saw there was only one car, thought we were out and decided not to stop.

This formed the basis for a devious plan. We left one car at church, turned off the volume on the phone and made popcorn. We turned off all the lights, pulled our recliners side by side in front of the TV… about three o’clock the dogs woke us begging to go out.

Winter in Tucker County is not a good time to commit to getting out more. But it’s a great time to practice being together. We’re learning that “together” doesn’t mean well-planned events. The fun is in the planning, trying and rearrang-ing - especially in the small stuff as long as you do it together.

We’ve read to each other, played Scrabble, worked jigsaw puzzles. and toasted marshmallows over a burner on our kitchen stove. We’re still holding hands in our recliners trying to make it all the way through a TV show without falling asleep (the dogs think we’re crazy). We’re intentionally enjoying each other’s company.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m still hopeful that somewhere out there in our future is a perfectly planned and executed, thrillingly romantic evening. I hope there’s one out there for you too. So here goes:

On behalf of Minister’s Mates everywhere I hereby challenge you and your Mate to plan and execute a perfect, thrilling, romantic, amaz-ing date. Do something this month to get started. Have fun together!

It’s A Date!By Betsy Martin, Potomac Highlands Ministers Mates

Convocation inspirespastors to build bridges

The Rev. Vance Ross addresses nearly 400 participants at the 2009 Convocation for Pastors of African American Churches in Houston. UMNS Photo by Eleanor Colvin.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday celebration takes place annually in Charleston at Asbury United Methodist Church on Elizabeth street near the Cap-ital. This year’s event coincided with the inauguration of Governor Joe Manchin III. The march after the event, pictured above went from the church to the Capital. WVUM photo by Adam Cunningham.

“Building Bridges Into the Future” was the centering point for the nearly 400 par-ticipants at the Convocation for Pastors of African Ameri-can Churches, sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.

While worship services breathed new life into their spirits, the daily plenary ses-sions provided practical tools for ministry.

The Rev. Zan Holmes of Dallas assured the pastors that they are prepared to build bridges because “the God that we serve is a bridge-building God.”

“He goes before us in minis-try, building bridges whenever we come face to face with obstacles, difficulties—both physically and spiritu-ally—that would keep us from going where God wants us to go,” Holmes said. “This is the God who calls us to be bridge builders, to participate and cooperate with God, for this is the God who comes to us at the beginning of this New Year offering us a brand new

future.”Holmes introduced Davis’

definition of a bridge to the convocation and said reliance on God would enhance bridge building and strengthen the pastors’ connections as lead-ers of black churches.

“Here is a God who makes it God’s business to turn every wall that we confront sideways, that we might cross over into the brand new future that God is always offering us,” Holmes said.

United Methodist pastors of African-American congrega-tions left a national gather-ing inspired to turn walls of obstacles sideways and make them bridges for reclaiming

God’s promises.The Rev. Vance Ross, a

staff executive of the Board of Discipleship, said this year’s biennial event was about both revival and renewal. The convocation’s bridge-build-ing theme not only connected men and women across annual conference and local church boundaries, but it also con-nected people across genera-tions and class lines, he said.

“It was an opportunity to be in close proximity with those with the same hurts and those who have overcome those hurts to move into significant ministry and help people see revival for their personal and ministerial lives,” Ross said.

The Rev. Cheryl Jefferson Bell praises God during the 2009 Convocation for Pastors of African American Churches in Houston. Bell, a district superintendent in The United Methodist Church’s Kansas West Annual (regional) Conference, was one of nearly 400 participants at the event. The denomination’s Board of Disciple-ship sponsored the Jan. 6-9 gathering. A UMNS Photo byEleanor N. Colvin.

A UMNS Report

The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009 11

In the United Methodist Church many are called into ordained ministry,

but only a few are chosen to be bishops. This book is more than biographies of Edsel Am-mons, Ernest Lyght and Jona-than Keaton, three outstanding bishops, in the United Methodist Church. It is a book that en-ables the reader to get insights into the bishops’ spiritual jour-neys, ideas for leadership, and insights for Christian living.

The book is divided into five sections. The first is their Spiritu-al Journeys, second is on Spiritual

Leadership, third, Sermons, fourth articles by Bishop Lyght and Bish-op Keaton, and fifth, Prayers, Meditations and Meandering by Bishop Ammons. Each of these sections gives the reader insights for living.

The section on spiritual journey is particularly helpful for per-sons seeking answers to the question, “Is God calling me?” Bishop Ammons explained that his call was more like an Emmaus Road experience than a Damascus Road intervention. The other bishops also had gradual calls. Events, opportunities and people who rec-ognized their potential for ministry helped them answer God’s call. When he was a youth, Jonathan Keaton’s grandmother announced to other that he was going to be “ a preacher”. He resisted this, but after her death, he realized that God had used her as an instrument to lead him into ministry. Choosing a vocation is often difficult for many. I believe reflecting on the struggles, dreams and journeys of others such as these bishops may open doors and clarify dreams.

In the section on Spiritual Leadership each bishop takes a different approach. Bishop Lyght gives very practical help for all types of leaders, both lay and clergy. Bishop Ammons emphasized the importance of prayer in effective leadership.

Bishop Keaton gives us insights into the awesome responsi-bilities of a Bishop. He emphasized the role of pastoral care. I really believe the bishop is “the clergy’s pastor.” The bishop also must make appointments, which is a difficult responsibility, and congregations know they are not always perfect. He states: “We believe that God acts through a praying community-----that God chooses to do something special through the giftedness of a particular leader----that God operates on a plane that is not fully discernible to a cabinet, bishop, local church or pastor.

For those appointments that turn out to be disasters, God still moves the church forward.” Reading this section not only gives us insights into the bishops’ leadership roles, but helps us as Christian leaders.

The sections on sermons and articles are particularly chal-lenging and worth reading. I personally liked Bishop’s Lyght ‘s sermon, “Humor and Holiness”. He concludes by saying, “Surely God invites each one of us to possess a sense of hu-mor. God also invites us to experience a sense of holiness in life, for all of life is sacred even that which is humorous.”

The book concludes with Bishop Ammons section, Prayers, Meditations, and Meanderings. I believe this section is worth read-ing as daily devotions. Take several days to read and digest them.

I h i g h l y r e c o m m e n d t h i s b o o k . I t m a y c h a l -lenge or inspire you, and it could even change your life.

Confessions of Three Ebony BishopsA review by Phyllis Coston

In November, seventeen members and friends of the West Virginia An-

nual Conference traveled to the Holy Land as part of a Volun-teers-in-Mission (VIM) work trip. During the first half of the trip we toured major holy cities and sites, including Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, Nazareth, Capernaum, and the Galilee. Gaining a sense of the geog-raphy of the Holy Land and the events which happened in those places helped participants understand Biblical events and stories in a whole new way.

During the first week, we also visited several of the United Methodist Church’s partner projects in Israel and the West Bank. These projects, directed by local people, are working toward objectives of education, economic devel-opment, and peace-building practices. By visiting these projects, we learned about the current realities of living in the West Bank and Israel, and saw the fund from the Advance of the United Methodist Church in action.

The second week of the trip was devoted to working. Four members of the group who were affiliated with the West

Virginia Council of Churches stayed behind in Bethlehem to work with a co-op with which they had a longstanding rela-tionship. The other 13 traveled to Zababdeh, a village of 4,000 in the West Bank.

Three-quarters of the residents in Zababdeh are Christian, making it the only predominantly Christian village in the northern West Bank. It is surrounded by 80 Muslim villages. St. George Greek Catholic Church in Zababdeh was selected as our work site by Janet Lahr Lewis, who serves as the United Methodist Liaison to the Holy Land and who helped coordinate our trip.

She selected St. George because it is often neglected, as travel into and out of the West Bank is severely restricted. Abuna Firas Diab, the priest with whom we worked, kept referring to us as his heroes be-cause we persisted in entering the West Bank, even after hav-ing been detained at a military checkpoint for five hours.

The setting had much in common with most of the churches in our Annual Con-ference. Located in a small, impoverished town, the con-gregation is small in numbers (under 40 in attendance) and

comprised of several extended families.

The group helped the church by painting, building a wall, helping with garment pro-duction and the production of olive oil soap, and assisting at a medical clinic. The work we did and the funds we brought with us were tremendously helpful to a church whose people struggle financially. Everyone in the church was so grateful that American Chris-tians cared about them enough to travel there to be with them.

The trip was a direct out-growth of the United Methodist Women’s study emphasis on the Holy Land. After traveling there with the General Board of Global Ministries, Judy Nutter wanted our conference to have the opportunity to travel there to help in some small way. This was the first Conference VIM trip to the Holy Land, and another is planned for this fall. If your church would like to hear a presentation about what we saw and learned there, many members of the group are available to do so.

The dome atop the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is framed by archways inside Jerusa-lem’s ancient walled city. The church is considered to contain the sites of Christ’s cruci-fixion, entombment and resurrection. A UMNS by Mike DuBose.

Conference VIM Trip Highlights Rev. Jenny Williams

Phyllis Coston is a Deacon and Professor Emeritus at West Virginia Wesleyan in Buckhannon, WV. She can be reached at coston_p@wvwc.edu.

Rev. Jenny Williams is pastor of Wesley UMC in Kingwood, WV.

12 The West Virginia United Methodist February 2009

Reflection on a Historic Day

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 has lodged forever in my memory as an historical day in America. It was the day after the 80th birthday celebration for Martin Luther King, Jr. It was a cold day for those gathered in Washington DC to be participant observers at the celebration.

Unfortunately, I had to go to Nashville, Tenn. to attend the first meeting of the United Methodist Hymnal Revision Committee.

My flight landed in Nash-ville about ten minutes behind schedule. I was not further delayed, because I had my carry-on bag and did not need to go to baggage claim.

Instead, I went directly to the taxi stand and boarded the first cab in line. The driver took me expeditiously to the UM Publishing House where the hospitality team greeted me and escorted me to the large meeting room.

A crowd of about two hundred people had gathered in the meeting room to partici-pate in the Publishing House’s annual King Day celebration. The celebration was a fitting tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the legacy that he left us with. King was a drum ma-jor for justice and peace.

At the end of the service we began to watch the inau-

guration on a large projection screen. The King Service was an appropriate prelude to the inauguration Of President Obama.

Where were you during the presidential inauguration? Did you watch the event alone or did you watch it with other people?

Wherever you were at the time of the inauguration, you will have for a lifetime a vivid memory of the experience.

The inauguration was a moving experience for a variety of reasons. Lord, we have come this far by faith. Just how far have we come by faith?

The assembly of people at the UM Publishing House was enthusiastic and exuberant. We clapped with the throng attending the inauguration as though we were there with them; and we stood up when the crowd stood up.

What was going on in the place where you were hanging out on Inauguration Day? For me it was an atmosphere of celebration and thanksgiving. It was an intensely emotional time. It was God’s time. It is always God’s time. Because it is God’s time it is a new day.

Dear God, please grant wis-dom and courage to President Obama as he leads this nation.

Amen.

Bishop Ernest S. Lyght

Ernest S. Lyght is resident bishop of the West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He began blogging last month at:lyghthouse.word-press.com.

What are you Doing?

Twitter is another way of keeping track of friends, family, and co-workers online. The Annual Confer-ence is now twittering at www.twitter.com/wvumc. We are using it as a way to let you know about stories and events around the Conference.

Bishop LyghtPhoto courtesy of DeWayne and Ginny Lowther

Next time you get the

chance, open the United Methodist Hym-nal to num-ber 728. The composer and lyricist of Come Sunday is one of America’s great musical giants: Duke Ellington.

It was part of a monumental work by El-lington, Black, Brown, and Beige.

Composed in the 1940s, Ellington want-ed the piece to convey the African-Ameri-can story through music. It was panned by many critics of the day, who did not believe that jazz would ever approach classical music in terms of character and complexity.

Paul Bowles of the New York Herald Tribune wrote this criticism after the 1943 Carnegie Hall premier: “Ellington is the only jazz musi-cian whose programs have enough musical interest to be judged by the same standards one applies to art music…The whole attempt to fuse jazz as a form with art music should be discouraged,” he said.

The chord progressions and intervals demanded of keyboardists who try to play Come Sunday quickly prove Bowles wrong. It’s a tough piece to play and sing. If you want to hear it as Ellington intended, check it out in iTunes or through Amazon, where you can hear it through your computer.