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News:Call to 'Remind People to Honor Each Other'A UMNS Report
By Sandra Brands*
No one is beyond the grace of God, says the Rev. Kristin Stoneking, director and campus minister for the Cal Aggie Christian Association.
She is not alone in that belief. Many of the people of faith involved in the Occupy Movement have acted on
 their belief that all people are the children of God and that their role is to be instruments of mediation and reconciliation in the midst of divisive issues. On the night of Nov. 18, Stoneking felt called to make her belief in love and reconciliation clear when she walked alongside the chancellor of the University of California, Davis, shortly after campus police doused peaceful student protesters with pepper spray.
The pepper-spraying was filmed by a number of people who uploaded multiple videos to YouTube. The videos had been viewed more than 3 million times by the end of November.
One video has since been rebroadcast on news stations and news organization websites throughout the country.
Another video – of Chancellor Linda Katehi walking from one of the campus' buildings through a corridor of silent students to her car later that evening – also was uploaded. Stoneking was walking alongside Katehi.
"Leaving (the building) in silence was an amazing show of commitment to nonviolence by the students," Stoneking said. "The students were showing that (Chancellor Katehi) didn't need to fear violence from them. Leaving in silence on her part respected the principles of nonviolence and the students, and honored what so many religious traditions honor: a moment of silence, a moment of grieving, a moment to recognize that something awful has happened here."
"Why did I walk the Chancellor to her car? Because I believe in the humanity of all persons. Because I believe that people should be assisted when they are afraid. Because I believe that in showing compassion, we embrace a nonviolent way of life that emanates to those whom we refuse to see as enemies, and, in turn, leads to the change that we all seek," Stoneking wrote.
"The role of ministry," Stoneking later told UMNS, "is to remind people to honor each other, to help people find ways to forgive and heal and grow, to bring justice and compassion."
Supporting all of God's children
Stoneking, an elder in the California-Nevada Annual (regional) Conference, may agree with many of the issues the Occupy Wall Street movement endorses, but for her, ministry is about supporting all of God's children, regardless of whether they share the same beliefs.
While she does not think the UC-Davis campus police were being threatened by the protesters, she said she does believe they are as deserving of support as the protesters.
"We still have to find a way to reconcile and include everyone in our communities."
That understanding of ministry is shared by many in The United Methodist Church. For the Rev. Steve Clunn, coalition coordinator for the Methodist Federation on Social Action, one of the things "people of faith bring to community is that even though we have differing opinions within the context of that community, we are still all beloved members of the community. We're all invited to participate."
The Methodist Federation for Social Action is an unofficial progress caucus in the denomination. Clunn said he experienced a deep sense of community during a Communion service he helped lead at Occupy DC in McPherson Square in Washington. Clunn said that a counter-protester had taken a position across from the park and was shouting through a megaphone, refusing an invitation from the Occupy group to join them.
Two people who were assisting Clunn during Communion decided to take the elements to the protester. "They ran across the street," Clunn said, "and (the protester) yelled out that he would be repeating everything they said to him. They said, 'We're just here to bring Communion to you.' (The protester) stopped and said, 'They've invited me to the table, y'all.' He put down his microphone and took Communion and when he was done, he took his microphone and left."
Easy to vilify and dehumanize
The Rev. Wongee Joh, pastor of Holmes (N.Y.) United Methodist Church, has participated in the interfaith alliance at Occupy Wall Street in Manhattan and is an active contributor to the Methodists@OWS Facebook page.
 She said that it is often easy to vilify and dehumanize others, particularly when one side of the conflict is part of an institution. A hospital chaplain, she said she walks the fine line between someone working for an institution and someone advocating for a patient's rights and a patient's healing. She finds parallels between her role as a hospital chaplain and as a member of the interfaith movement at Occupy Wall Street."Reconciliation happens when you put a face to the people in that institution or group," she said.
She said that in her conversations with people, she has come to understand that some of the members of the 1 percent, those who seem to represent the banks and financial institutions that are being blamed for the current financial crisis, feel a deep sense of shame on a personal level.
"But it's difficult for one person to be held accountable for an institution. That's what happens in a lot of the 'us against them' dynamics," she said.
She sees that as part of the role of the Methodists@Occupy Wall Street. "We're seeking reconciliation for all people, whether you are part of the 99 percent or the 1 percent."
Opportunities to connect with lost
Like other clergy who have been involved in the interfaith alliances that have sprung up within the Occupy movement, The Rev. James "K" Karpen, pastor of the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, United Methodist, in New York, sees opportunities to connect with those who have lost faith.
Occupy protesters were invited to worship at his church, and, according to Karpen, "at least a dozen worshipped with us. We had one young woman who got up and made a testimony about how she had been feeling in the last year or so, that she had been losing her faith. Seeing how some of the churches were responding to (the Occupy movement) gave her her faith back."
Karpen, whose church opened its doors to some of the protesters after police shut down the encampments in Zucotti Park in mid-November, said the church offers sanctuary to many groups, some planned and some in emergency situations. "We have people sleeping here all the time. We host probably 50 to 60 groups a year, so it wasn't so far out of line to offer shelter (to the protesters)."
Concerns about accountability
The church also houses a women's shelter in cooperation with a local synagogue, B'nai Jeshurun, something known to the community and to the police. Which was why, Karpen said, it was a surprise to learn that two undercover police officers came into the church before dawn on the morning of Nov. 17. [Retired United Methodist Bishop Alfred Johnson, senior pastor at the Church of the Village (below, at right), listens as Bishop Jeremiah J. Park of the New York Annual (regional) Conference of the UMC preaches at a Dec. 4 interfaith workship service for Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park. A UMNS photo by Melissa Hinnen.]
They asked to use the restrooms. "Except they went into the sanctuary," Karpen said, adding that they had
 not identified themselves as police. "They seemed to be counting people. The other person went downstairs and ended up at the shelter."When stopped by a volunteer, who denied the man access, the man identified himself as an undercover officer and began to question the volunteer about the number of people being housed in the shelter. The volunteer said she wasn't permitted to share that information and asked the officer to leave. He did.
Karpen said the incident was upsetting because "there has been a long tradition of churches being able to provide safety and sanctuary, especially in situations where people are being targeted for whatever reason.
"I did not feel comfortable with this," he said. In a story published in the New York Times, Karpen said that the police were welcome to come in to the church but were expected to identify themselves. "We have never had that kind of issue with the police before," he told the Times. "Usually they are very respectful of church-state issues."
Walking alongside or showing compassion for people does not mean that people should not be held accountable, Stoneking said.
"One of my favorite lines from the (Book of) Discipline is that support without accountability promotes moral weakness, but accountability without support is cruel.
"I think we [have a tendency to] hold people accountable without giving them support or give them support without accountability," she said. "To have a mature and responsible society, we have to have both."
She points to the actions of some of the UC-Davis campus police in resorting to pepper spray as an example of support without accountability.
"I don't mean to disparage law enforcement," she said. "There are many thoughtful and moral people serving – but when culture gives permission to act without accountability, that promotes moral weakness and that officer (Lt. John Pike) certainly acted as if he would not be held accountable.
"On the other hand, I think Chancellor Katehi is being held accountable without support," she said. "When people don't offer a space for reconciliation and compassion, then we can't move forward. People need to change themselves and structures – so they can forgive, so they can accept grace, so they can see one another."
*Brands is a freelance writer living in eastern Upstate New York.
[Read Nov. 10, 2011 UMNS story, United Methodists see Occupy protest ties, and Nov. 18, 2011 UMNS story, Occupy 'astonishing opportunity for clergy', both also by Brands.]
Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary ThingsA UMNS Commentary
By The Rev. Sandy Gess*
A handmade sign caught my eye at the general strike march called by Occupy Oakland on Nov. 2. Held by a middle-aged "soccer mom," the sign said: "Sorry for the Inconvenience: We Are Trying to Change the World."
 More than 10,000 demonstrators gathered that day to express their dissatisfaction with corporate power and stark income inequality in the United States. The handmade signs are powerful personal expressions of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to change the world. We are witnessing no less than a "Revolution of Values": Income equality, paying your fair share, reclaiming public space, open exercise of democracy, regulating corporate greed, restricting corporate takeover of the political system, advocacy for the homeless and the unemployed, forgiveness of debts, open media, health care for all, and an opportunity for all to participate in change where they are. Before the Occupy Movement, there was little discussion of the outsized power of financial institutions and the diminishing fortunes of the middle class.
It is a "movement" – not a list of demands – with a call for deep change, which combines the local and the global and names the source of the crisis, caused in large part by Wall Street greed, perverse financial incentives and a corporate takeover of the political system and media.
We have created a big tent: The 99 percent are people of all ages, races, occupations, political affiliations and religious beliefs. We are learning to work together with respect to address the critical challenges of our time.
In 2010, more Americans lived below the poverty line than at any time since 1959, when the U.S. Census Bureau began collecting this data. One-third of all persons living in poverty in California are children.
These are issues in our churches
I know as a United Methodist minister that these are issues we have been dealing with for a long, long time
 in our churches. The situation has become even more dire, as our members have lost homes to foreclosure, lost jobs with little prospect for finding new work, and no longer can financially support the church as they used to.At the same time, I have found the spirit of revival in our churches as people have come together to discuss and find ways to support one another. People who have been estranged from the church for most of their adult lives are returning. Young people, in particular, are responding to the activism of clergy, clergy they never knew existed because they saw only judgmental evangelists on TV. Clergy and lay people engaged now in this movement are engaged in our own kind of evangelism: compassionate and listening.
I find much in common from our faith tradition with the Occupy Movement. And, as an active participant and organizer with the Interfaith Tent @ Oakland, I draw inspiration from the Methodist tradition and our founder, John Wesley: "The world is my parish."
Wesley faced similar challenges as he responded to the crying needs of those affected by the Industrial Revolution and by what William Blake condemned as "satanic mills." Wesley worked tirelessly to create a world that worked for everyone, not just the wealthiest. It's been said that John Wesley gave England the equivalent of the French Revolution without a shot fired. His efforts were in the tradition of the first Christians, who held everything in common (Acts 2:42-47).
Wesley did not shirk from reaching out
John Wesley did not shirk from reaching out to those in need and neither should we. He organized Methodist societies to respond, preached out in the open where the people were, created new forms of communication through publishing efforts and organized others to change a broken and corrupt society.
There is a vision of the world that is wanted, but like all human endeavors, the Occupy Movement and its thousands of variations and spinoffs will be imperfect. I am involved because I am passionate about continuing what was begun by the Civil Rights Movement and the Rev. Martin Luther King's vision of a Beloved Community. I am involved because I am a strong advocate for nonviolence, not only by demonstrators but also by law enforcement. Ours is a violent society. We've been raised in it, we've funded it through endless wars, and our communities continue to be wounded by seemingly unlimited access to guns and the arms trade.
I am particularly drawn to the Occupy Movement because it offers an ethic and practice of deep democracy and community. As our world faces extraordinary challenges from climate change to soaring inequality, I feel that our best hope is when ordinary people, gathered in imperfect communities, find ways to fix a broken world. It seems very Christian to me. When I go to Occupy encampments, I hear Wesley saying, "I've got your back." When I march, I hear Martin Luther King, Jr., saying, "I've got your back." When I go to the General Assembly meetings at Occupy Oakland, I hear Paul saying, "I've got your back." When I challenge excessive police force and use of chemical weapons, I hear Gandhi saying, "I've got your back." When I demonstrate in front of financial institutions to confront present-day moneychangers, I hear Jesus say, "I've got your back."
There are a cloud of witnesses who have come together now for the great social movement of our time. God speaks to us in mysterious ways: Sometimes in the whirlwind, sometimes with a still small voice, sometimes through a prophet, sometimes through his only begotten son, sometimes through the Bible, sometimes through the spirit working amongst us, sometimes through United Methodists. God is still speaking.
*Gess is pastor of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Vacaville, Calif., a resident of Oakland, and an elder in the California-Nevada Annual (regional) Conference.
Time to 'Occupy Shalom'It is time to "Occupy Shalom," writes the Rev. Michael Christensen, national director of Communities of Shalom, in a Dec. 5 blog post, reflecting on the Sunday, Dec. 4 "Occupy" event at Zuccotti Park in New York in which he, Bishop Jeremiah Park, and Rev. Jesse Jackson (among others) participated.
(Watch 2 min. 8 sec. video report, Jesse Jackson Joins Drew's Theo School to Occupy Wall Street, here and at right.)
Dubbed "Occupy Advent," as it took place on the second Sunday of the Christian observance, the gathering was "a powerful and prophetic witness" that was "good for Communities of Shalom, good for Drew University, and good for United Methodists," according to Christensen.
"There was a lot going on in an untamed public space, and perhaps too many moving parts and pieces in the program – planned and unplanned. But overall, I'm pleased that the radical gospel of Jesus Christ and his special interest in the poor and marginalized was proclaimed loud and clear," Christensen writes.
In posts today (Wed. Dec. 7), Christensen shares the "Occupy Advent Prayer" he delivered at Zuccotti Park last weekend, along with a poem and song adaptation that was offered by Rev. David Best of Towell and Basin ministries.
Christensen is an elder in the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, appointed to extension ministry at Drew University.
Apply for Conference Peace with Justice Grants Now!Deadline to apply is Jan. 15, 2012
The California-Nevada Annual Conference Board of Church and Society awards Peace with Justice Grants twice yearly, in January and in September, giving priority to United Methodists and affiliated organizations. Peace with Justice ministries are eligible to receive as much as $1,500. (Read more)
The deadline to apply for 2012 Peace with Justice Grants is Jan. 15.
In 2011, the following grants were awarded:
What can you and your church do? Consider the following projects: Involve and develop leaders among United Methodists to address poverty and restore communities, here and around the world; support policies that promote systematic economic justice and assist self-development; assist United Methodists in understanding and responding to violence.
Contact Mary Liebke, Annual Conference Peace with Justice Coordinator, at mliebke@yahoo.com, 530.273.3678, or 14983 Los Ninos Pl., Grass Valley, CA 95945, for applications and guidelines, and for more information.
Remember: The deadline to apply for 2012 Peace with Justice Grants is Jan. 15!
Plan Now for Human Relations Day, Jan. 15Even though Advent has just gotten underway, it's time to make plans to observe Human Relations Day on Jan. 15 – one of the six Special Sundays observed in The United Methodist Church with a special offering.
The Human Relations Day offering supports ministries that advocate for those who often are on the margins of society.
The video highlights the Fountain of Youth Foundations in New Orleans, a grassroots organization helped by the General Board of Global Ministries' community developers' program because of Human Relations Day. (run time 3 min. 31 sec.)
Visit the umcgiving channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/umcgiving and click on "Special Sundays" to watch other Human Relations Day promotional videos.
We have uploaded "Fountain of Youth Foundations," "Hagar's House," and "Center for Changing Lives" to the Conference video library, REEL Witness, from which they can be downloaded to your computer. (Find them by typing "Human Relations Day" in the search window.)
(The link to REEL Witness is located in the "Areas of Interest" section on the Home Page of the Conference website at www.cnumc.org.)
Ministry in Action: UMW Group 'Blankets' Children in LoveBig numbers aren't necessary to make a big impact: Sometimes big hearts are all you need.
 Case in point: The tiny United Methodist Women (UMW) group at Sacramento's Hope United Methodist Church. Read its story, UMW at Hope UMC 'Blankets' Children in Love, just posted to the Ministry in Action section of the Conference website at www.cnumc.org.
To read other inspiring stories from California-Nevada churches, click on the "News" tab on the Home Page, then click on "Ministry in Action" from the menu on the right.
And spread the word about the exciting things going on at your church, by clicking on "Tell us how you've made a difference! Share your story »", found under the Ministry in Action teasers (which cycle through randomly), in the lower right corner of the Home Page. Let everyone know what your church is doing to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
General Conference Rule Changes ProposedNASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Rules Committee of the Commission on the General Conference has announced its recommendations for changes to the Plan of Organization and Rules of Order, which provides the governance structure for the 2012 General Conference. The changes will be presented to delegates for consideration at the opening session.
"Our goal was to create a hospitable environment and an efficient structure for all delegates," said Judi Kenaston, committee chair. "Some of the significant changes will provide for worship and rest on the Sabbath, specify a set deadline for evening adjournment, and expand the time scheduled for legislative committee work by approximately 25 percent during the first week."
Kenaston said the committee worked diligently to correct oversights, errors, and problems that had been identified since 2008, as well as to keep abreast of technological advances. Both official motions and unofficial requests from the 2008 General Conference were incorporated in order to improve and streamline plenary and legislative committee proceedings.
The proposed rule changes include the following recommendations:
Further explanation of the proposed changes and a complete draft of the Plan of Organization and Rules of Order are available on the General Conference 2012 website.
The General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church, and meets once every four years to consider revisions to church law, as well as to adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy, and economic issues. It also approves plans and budgets for Churchwide programs for the next four years. The 2012 meeting will take place April 24-May 4 at the Tampa Convention Center.
Congress on Evangelism Convenes in January in NashvilleNASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Congress on Evangelism for the United Methodist Church convenes at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center in Nashville, Tennessee, Jan. 3-6, 2012. Focusing on Wesleyan evangelism in the local church, the Congress is designed for leaders, both clergy and lay – addressing their need for tools, inspiration, and community. Workshops provide practical, hands-on lessons for evangelism in the local church, led by successful practitioners (and meeting continuing education credit requirements). Worship is spirit-filled and healing for those experiencing challenges in their own evangelism ministry.
This year the Congress on Evangelism partners with the United Methodist Publishing House and ALPHA to feature nationally recognized practitioners in the area of attendance growth and congregational vitality.
Wade Paschal, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church, Tulsa, and Jonathan Jeffries, senior pastor of Creedmoor United Methodist Church, will provide leadership sessions on ALPHA. ALPHA is an outreach for seekers and the unchurched.
Debi Nixon, author of CATCH, and a member of the executive team of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, will provide detailed instruction on how to integrate new church family members.
There will be specialized workshops in four important areas:
The Congress on Evangelism is sponsored by the Council on Evangelism, an affiliate of the General Board of Discipleship, and receives support from The Foundation for Evangelism.
Two Job Openings at GBCSWASHINGTON, D.C.—The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) is seeking applicants for two grassroots organizer/educator positions: an Addictions-Prevention Consultant and a Healthcare Consultant.
The Addictions-Prevention Consultant opportunity is a 12-month position tasked with building support for public policies addressing addiction issues, including confronting alcohol, tobacco, and gambling industry efforts to loosen regulation and market to young people.
The consultant will be a field organizer/educator in Annual Conferences and states and will assist GBCS in building awareness and action on addiction-policy issues among United Methodists by:
The consultant will receive a $4,000 monthly fee.
Deadline to apply for the position is Dec. 23.
The second position, a Healthcare Consultant, will assist the agency in building awareness of healthcare policy issues among United Methodists and will develop resources for local churches.
According to the Rev. Cynthia Abrams, director of Alcohol, Other Addictions and Health Care at GBCS, faith leaders will need to be active in upcoming campaigns and legislative efforts addressing health insecurity, threats to the Medicaid and Medicare programs, anti-obesity/wellness campaigns, and the preservation and implementation of a strong Affordable Care Act, and its provisions and regulations.
The consultant will work with GBCS staff in looking at long-term goals that move toward health care as a basic human right available to all, by planning effective advocacy that expresses the denomination's lead efforts to transform health care in the United States. Intensive work on health care would include outreach to individual faith leaders, local churches, and Annual Conferences and states.
The consultant contract includes assisting GBCS in building awareness of healthcare policy issues among United Methodists by:
Fee for the consultant is $5,000 per month.
Deadline to apply for the position is Dec. 23.
Both positions are part of a grassroots organizing initiative at GBCS and will report to the GBCS director of Alcohol, Other Addictions and Health Care. The consultant will be expected to coordinate with other grassroots activities at the agency as well.
To apply for either position, send a cover letter of two pages or less, clearly stating your knowledge, experience, skills, and gifts enabling you to be a viable candidate. You should include academic vitae and three professional references.
Send your application to: The General Board of Church & Society, Attn: Ms. Frances Roberts, (froberts@umc-gbcs.org), 100 Maryland Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002; or send a fax to 202.488-1617.
The General Board of Church & Society is one of four international general program boards of The United Methodist Church. The board's primary areas of ministry are Advocacy, Education and Leadership Formation, United Nations and International Affairs, and resourcing these areas for the denomination. It has offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York City.
Don't Forget to Sign up for January CLayM@Home Class!December is busy – but in the hustle and bustle, don't forget to sign up for the last CLayM@Home class for this Conference year. It begins on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2012!
CLayM@Home is a DVD-based training class, but does include two mandatory retreats (Feb 18-19 and April 28-29).
Applications are being accepted now. Please be sure to include all five reference forms when you send your application to your district superintendent.
Cost is $299 for each of the two sessions of DVD classes (does not include the cost of lodging at the retreat site).
Jones Memorial Says … 'We've Got an App for That!'Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco has created a mobile app "designed to keep you
 inspired by the Spirit and connected to all that is happening at Jones," according to the church. "Hope? Inspiration? Encouragement? Faith? Connection? We've got an app for that!" the church advertises.
App features are:
"We Are Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World!" says Jones' communications coordinator, Pamela L. Kelly. "Our mobile app is our latest social media outreach effort."
Kelly says the church's app campaign launched on Sunday, November 20, with a goal of reaching 1,000,000 downloads by January 1.
You can help Jones reach its goal by downloading "Jones Memorial UMC SF" for just .99 at the iTunes Store and Android Market, and spreading the word to your family and friends, asking them to do the same.
Events:
Active Registrations:To register for any of these events, go to cnumc.org/register.
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