News Briefs

Church in Bexar County to break ground at new site
57 UM congregations pay ’06 apportionments in full
HCA buyout won’t affect hospitals in San Antonio
Oak Island UMC schedules 2nd health fair for Aug. 24
California UMs resolve sexual abuse lawsuit
Relief committee needs funds for Middle East work
UM mission board doesn’t solicit donations by e-mail
Fighting in Sri Lanka stops UM tsunami relief efforts

Church in Bexar County to break ground at new site
Resurrection UMC, San Antonio, is breaking ground Saturday for a new worship center at a new site.
The 10:30 a.m. ceremony is taking place along New Sulphur Springs Road at Knowlton Road in southeast Bexar County. That’s west of the congregation’s current location, 10655 New Sulphur Springs Road.
Bishop Joel N. Martinez and the Rev. Virgilio Vazquez-Garza, San Antonio District superintendent, are to preside at a special worship service for the ground breaking.

57 UM congregations pay ’06 apportionments in full
Fifty-seven of the 346 Southwest Texas congregations had paid their 2006 apportionments in full as of July 31.
Skidmore UMC led the list. The 54-member congregation had paid 104 percent of its share of expenses for ministries across the state, nation and world.
Bruni UMC had paid 101 percent of its apportionments.
The count of “100 percent” congregations by district was Austin, 12; Corpus Christi, 10; Kerrville, 9; McAllen, 5; San Angelo, 7; San Antonio, 3; and Victoria, 11.

HCA buyout won’t affect hospitals in San Antonio
The recently announced leveraged buyout of Hospital Corporation of America won’t affect San Antonio-based Methodist Healthcare System, a hospital official said.
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Inc. owns half the 25-hospital San Antonio system with Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas. Changes at HCA won’t modify the partnership, spokeswoman Palmira Arellano said.
Hospital employees with HCA stock might benefit from the buyout, she said.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries is related to the Southwest Texas Conference.



Oak Island UMC schedules 2nd health fair for Aug. 24
Oak Island UMC in southern Bexar County is expecting more than 100 people Aug. 24 for its second community health fair.
The 5 to 7 p.m. event is to include presentations on prostate, breast and cervical cancer, diabetes, and heart attacks.
Booths are to offer blood tests, blood pressure readings and bone density tests. Other booths are to provide information about medications, assisted living and funeral arrangements.
Two bloodmobiles are to be present. The congregation hopes to collect 35 units of blood.

California UMs resolve sexual abuse lawsuit
LOS ANGELES—California UMs announced an out-of-court agreement Aug. 4 to resolve a sexual abuse lawsuit stemming from actions of a former pastor during the 1970s.
The two conferences in California, joined by two congregations, have agreed to pay plaintiffs $6.7 million to end the suit.
It was brought by three men who claimed Gary Carson-Hull abused them in the 1970s when he was associate pastor of Los Altos UMC, Long Beach.

Relief committee needs funds for Middle East work
NEW YORK—The UM Committee on Relief issued an urgent appeal for funds last month to assist civilians caught in renewed Middle East fighting.
“Our funds for Middle East emergencies are painfully low,” said the Rev. Paul Dirdak, relief committee chief executive, July 25. “As Christians and as a denomination, we need to equip ourselves to do our part in responding to humanitarian needs in this tragic situation.”
Contributions designated for Middle East Emergency Fund, Advance No. 601740, can be placed into church collection plates. One hundred percent of the contribution goes to the Advance ministry indicated.

UM mission board doesn’t solicit donations by e-mail
NEW YORK—If you get e-mail messages asking for direct donations to UM missionaries or mission programs, look out. They’re a scam.
Several such messages were reported in early July. Some originated in Nigeria.
“The General Board of Global Ministries does not solicit gifts via e-mail,” said Deborah Bass, a staff executive. Designated support for missionaries and mission projects is channeled through the Advance for Christ and His Church, and each has a distinct number.
People receiving e-mails claiming to raise funds for the mission board should contact the agency at info@gbgm-umc.org.
Some of the scam messages have contained typical UM terms, such as “covenant relationships” in reference to missionaries, and “UMCOR,” the relief unit of the mission board.

Fighting in Sri Lanka stops UM tsunami relief efforts
NEW YORK—Increased fighting in early August between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in northeastern Sri Lanka has disrupted UM Committee on Relief tsunami-recovery efforts.
The fighting has displaced communities and halted UM reconstruction activities.
The UM relief agency is working closely with the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka to bring aid to some 35,000 displaced people.