News Briefs

Signup deadline is today for disaster-response event
Missionary to report on conditions in Darfur region
Clergy spouses to escape daily tasks during retreat
Austin church to celebrate 50th anniversary Sept. 23
Connectional giving runs $419,000 ahead of ’05 totals
Church at Hilda to observe sesquicentennial Oct. 14-15
68 UM congregations pay ’06 apportionments in full
‘Inside Perkins’ scheduled Oct. 19-20 on SMU campus
1st bishop of Nigeria dies Aug. 26 in Houston hospital
UMs look at hunger issues in documentary on NBC-TV
Ernesto gives Florida UMs real-world disaster drill
Board launches new site on Web for young adults
Victoria District schedules lay speaker class Sept. 30
South Central bishops offer training for interim pastors

Signup deadline is today for disaster-response event
Registration deadline is today for a workshop next week in San Antonio on providing faith-based care during natural disasters.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health, and University UMC, San Antonio, are sponsoring the Sept. 16 event, “New Growth From the Broken Earth: Bringing Hope in Times of Disaster.”
The program is to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ecumenical Center, 8310 Ewing Halsell Drive.
Participants are to learn how churches can respond during disasters and provide appropriate services.
Workshop registration is free. Each participating congregation must buy a $50 manual.
For information call (210) 616-0885 or check www.ecrh.org.


Missionary to report on conditions in Darfur region
St. Paul UMC, San Antonio, is co-sponsoring a special free presentation on Darfur Sept. 14 in San Antonio.
The Rev. Debbie Braaksma, a Presbyterian missionary serving in Southern Sudan, is to discuss conditions in the region starting 7 p.m. at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell St.
The Darfur region of Sudan has long been the site of reported genocide. Reported atrocities have included burned villages, murders and targeted bombings of hospitals and schools.
St. Paul is part of the San Antonio Interfaith Darfur Coalition.
For information on the presentation, contact Caesar Ricci, (210) 568-3949.


Clergy spouses to escape daily tasks during retreat
Clergy spouses can escape washing, dusting, lawn mowing, oil changing and bed making next month during the annual Clergy Spouse Retreat.
The event is to run from 6 p.m. Oct. 13 through 11 a.m. Oct. 15 at Mount Wesley Conference Center, Kerrville.
Theme is “Dance Then, Wherever You May Be!” Marla Rushing is to lead a program on clergy families celebrating their circumstances.
Registration fee is $85 per person. Registration deadline is Oct. 10.
For information contact Nanci Gibbons, (210) 240-4299.

Austin church to celebrate 50th anniversary Sept. 23
Members of St. Mark UMC, Austin, are to celebrate their congregation’s 50th anniversary Sept. 23.
Bishop Joel N. Martinez is to head a list of special guests at morning worship. A slide show of historic scenes and reception are to follow the worship service.
Planners are collecting pictures, historical records and memorabilia for display during the celebration.

Connectional giving runs $419,000 ahead of ’05 totals
Southwest Texas congregations gave $419,000 more to connectional causes through August than they did during the first eight months of 2005.
Contributions to apportioned funds totaled $5.6 million. That’s 57.2 percent of the $9.7 million asking for the year. The remittance rate is up 2.6 percent from August last year.
The Kerrville District had paid the highest percentage of apportionments through August—70.8. Other district percentages were San Angelo, 69.7; Victoria, 64.2; McAllen, 57.2; San Antonio, 54.8; Corpus Christi, 53.1; and Austin, 51.8.

Church at Hilda to observe sesquicentennial Oct. 14-15
Hilda UMC in Mason County is celebrating its sesquicentennial Oct. 14-15.
Historical skits depicting the founding of the Llano River Circuit in 1856 are planned for Oct. 14. A catered barbecue dinner is to follow.
Bishop Joel N. Martinez is to preach during a special service Oct. 15. A catered lunch is to follow.
The 67-member congregation plans historical displays and to sell 150th anniversary memorabilia.

68 UM congregations pay ’06 apportionments in full
Sixty-eight of the 346 Southwest Texas congregations had paid their 2006 apportionments in full as of Aug. 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, 13; Corpus Christi, 11; Kerrville, 12; McAllen, 6; San Angelo, 10; San Antonio, 3; and Victoria, 13.

‘Inside Perkins’ scheduled Oct. 19-20 on SMU campus
People thinking about going to seminary can learn about Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology next month in Dallas.
An “Inside Perkins” information session is scheduled Oct. 19-20 on the SMU campus. For information check www.smu.edu/insideperkins.

1st bishop of Nigeria dies Aug. 26 in Houston hospital
HOUSTON—The first UM bishop of Nigeria died Aug. 26 at the Methodist Hospital in Houston.
Bishop Done Peter Dabale was 57. He was admitted to the hospital Aug. 14 and was diagnosed with liver cancer. Dabale had flown from Nigeria to Houston for treatment.
Dabale had been scheduled to take early retirement in 2007. He was elected the first bishop of Nigeria in 1992 after serving as general superintendent for the church in the West African nation.


UMs look at hunger issues in documentary on NBC-TV
NEW YORK—Several UM leaders figure prominently in a TV documentary, “Hunger No More: Faces Behind the Facts,” presented by the National Council of Churches.
The program, which examines problems of hunger in the 21st century, is available to NBC-TV affiliates starting Sunday. Check local schedules for program times.
UMs on the program are the Rev. John McCullough, executive director of Church World Service; George McGovern, former senator and Democratic presidential candidate; Ken Horne, chief executive of the Society of St. Andrew; June Kim, executive secretary for world hunger of the UM Committee on Relief; and the Rev. Bob Edgar, National Council chief executive.
A study guide for the program and more information are available at www. councilofchurches.org/hunger.


Ernesto gives Florida UMs real-world disaster drill
ORLANDO, Fla.—Tropical Storm Ernesto didn’t pack the punch some forecasters were anticipating, but it did give Florida Conference disaster response coordinators something no training scenario could—a real threat and focus for preparations.
Ernesto made landfall in South Florida early Aug. 30 as a tropical storm. Less than 36 hours later, no conference churches had reported any damage, said Marilyn Swanson, project director of the Florida Conference Storm Recovery Center.
Swanson said preparing for Ernesto—meeting with coordinators, sending notices to churches—was a valuable experience. She said the very real threat prompted people to offer items and information the storm recovery center had been requesting “for a while.”

Board launches new site on Web for young adults
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The General Board of Discipleship has launched a Web site specifically targeting young adults in the UMC worldwide.
The Young Adult Network, www.gbod.org/youngpeople/yanet, was created in response to the call from General Conference 2004 to help the church place more emphasis on young people.

Victoria District schedules lay speaker class Sept. 30
The Victoria District has scheduled advance lay speaking training for Sept. 30 at First UMC, Hallettsville.
The course, titled “Lay Speakers Lead Prayer,” focuses on skills for lay speakers who lead congregations, classes or other groups in prayer. Instruction runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Registration fee is $30 per person. Registration deadline is Sept. 22
For information contact Nancy Fuhrken, (361) 798-5132 or nlfuhrken@sbcglobal.net.

South Central bishops offer training for interim pastors
The South Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops is sponsoring special training for “intentional interim pastors” starting this month.
Mount Sequoyah Conference and Retreat Center, Fayetteville, Ark., is playing host to Phase 1 of the five-month course Sept. 20-22. Phase 2 involves five months of supervised work in a pastor’s home parish. Phase 3 is scheduled March 20-22 at Mount Sequoyah.
Registration fee is $650 per person. Lodging costs are additional. Call (800) 760-8126, or check www.mountsequoyah.org.