| June 11, 2010
Volume 157, Number 01
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| Delegates meet for annual conference
 About 1,500 delegates gathered at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi for the 152nd Southwest Texas Annual Conference session June 2-5.
By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
The 152nd session of the Southwest Texas Annual Conference celebrated the growth of the conference through new church plants, rejoiced in existing churches’ financial health and welcomed and bid goodbye to newly ordained ministers and those who were retiring.
About 1,500 clergy and lay delegates met inside the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi June 2-5 for the annual conference session, themed, “Creating a Culture of Growth: Developing Principled Leaders for the Church and the World.”
The Rev. David Seilheimer, secretary and treasurer of the conference, reported that the church membership and worship attendance continue to decrease but that, financially, churches are strong, with assets far exceeding liabilities.
Church membership has declined slowly since 2002, Seilheimer said. “The church lost 415 members in 2009, ending the year with 118,783 members. The decline, Seilheimer said, represents only one-third of one percent of the total membership, but it is still a loss.
“When small losses continue over time, they become a trend,” Seilheimer said.
During 2009, churches in the conference had 2,186 professions of faith, a number than has declined steadily in the last decade. In only three years of the last 10 years have professions of faith increased, Seilheimer said.
Seilheimer said that sometimes leaders say their members are getting older and that the number of deaths is the reason for decline in membership, but the perception does not appear to be supported by the reporting of the churches. The number of deaths from 2008 to 2009 decreased by 56, he said.
 During a special service of renewal June 4 inside the American Bank Center, the Black Methodists for Church Renewal choir and the Praise Dance Team from Northeast Community UMC and East St. Paul UMC, San Antonio, interpreted Scripture through dance and song.
Seilheimer said worship attendance is on a definite downward trend, dropping from 48,651 to 48,433 between 2008 and 2009.
But, on a positive note, Seilheimer said, the number of visitors in worship services has continued to hold steady, with the total number in 2009 at 4,668. That number is up 425 from 2008.
Joe Vasquez, chair of the conference Council on Finance and Administration, said that 89 percent of the conference churches paid 100 percent of their apportionments.
A conference apportionment task force, led by chair Ralph Thompson, reported their research findings regarding the current way the conference apportionments are calculated, which they were commissioned to do last year, he said.
The group examined the tithing model, a method that was tossed out as a good possibility, but they said the model would not work for the Southwest Texas Conference because it would separate churches.
Under the current apportionment formula the more financially capable churches are able to help support the needs of the churches with fewer financial resources.
 Leaders join to pray for the pastors of new church plants.
The group recommended creating an annual conference Sustainability Task Force to evaluate the long-term sustainability of the conference’s environment, assumptions and realities, including but not limited to clergy supply and demand, conference financials and financial structures and congregation sustainability. The group also recommended that the Council on Finance and Administration revisit and refine the annual budgeting process, including budget and spending controls.
“I would remind you that we are connectional,” Thompson said. “The tithing system we spend a lot of time on, it separates us. Each church is on its own. There is no help from one church to another unless we reach out and do it outside the system, and that can be devastating.”
Bishop Jim Dorff said the group has raised some important questions that need to be answered as the conference moves into the future.
Ellen Ely, from the conference Board of Pensions, assured delegates that the board is “working heartily on your behalf to provide for the security and welfare of the pastors in the Southwest Texas Conference.”
She assured the group that retirement benefits will not suddenly cease, although the market is volatile.
“Our goal is not to panic or make quick decisions,” Ely said. “We will ride it through safely.
 The Rev. Bobbie Kaye Jones has a blood test done during the clergy wellness screening.
“We’ve learned that while land is very important, that’s not where we start,” Cape said. “Where we start is with leadership. Leadership is the single most important factor in a successful new church start.
“How do we develop this new leadership? We ask the cabinet to scout talent. We need you to scout talent.”
The conference has latched onto the Antioch model of launching churches, where a mother church births a new congregation. The mother church provides space, people and money, Cape said.
New Antioch churches for 2010, Cape said, include Hope Arise UMC, birthed out of Bulverde UMC; a congregation near the Clear Springs area off FM 76, birthed out of First UMC, Seguin; a church near Potranco Road and 1604, birthed out of Northern Hills UMC, San Antonio; and Unversity West, an extension campus of University UMC, San Antonio.
Cape said funds from the Offering Christ Today for Tomorrow campaign has totaled $913,763 as of January 2010, and out of the fund, the office has started the Potranco Road project and another church in Austin.
Cape challenged other churches to think about how they could multiply.
“For those of you in smaller churches, helping to start a new church is not something that the larger churches only do,” Dorff said. “There is no church in our conference that cannot and should not help start a new church. None. All of us in many different ways can support the beginning of new faith communities, whether in your community or in others.
“I hope you will make this a part of the ministry of your congregation. How can we participate by helping to start new faith communities? I believe that is what God wants.”
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| A culture of growth always asks the necessary questions
By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
In his state of the church address, Bishop Jim Dorff urged United Methodists to always be asking the questions that will help foster a culture of growth in their communities and their churches.
“In a culture of growth, particularly a Christian culture of growth, we always ask the questions we have to,” Dorff said. “Yet we look at the Biblical witness and the witness of the Holy Spirit to provide us with the answer.
“The Christian culture of growth keeps us continually asking, finding, doing and then asking again. We are continually on the move. Is this not the Biblical witness? We move together. Isn’t that the desire of our world? We make disciples. Isn’t that the purpose of the church?”
Dorff reminded United Methodist leaders that last year he formed a Bishop’s Commission on Area Cooperative Missions with the goal of observing opportunities for common interest between the Southwest Texas and the Rio Grande Conferences.
The commission’s findings, he said, have been “substantive, honest and enlightening.”
Beverly Silas, who served as co-chair of the commission, along with Ruben Saenz, said the commission was charged to “examine the commonalities” between the Southwest Texas and Rio Grande Conferences, “share concerns and search for solutions and converse on how to efficiently utilize the resources God has given to both conferences.”
The commission will refer its recommendations to the appropriate conference boards, she added.
Saenz said the commission met four times during the conference year and that the meetings “revealed many insights and challenges, and new questions emerged.” Silas said both conferences are struggling to reach their demographics, so changes are needed in “spirituality, worship and ministry approaches.”
She added that conversations reflected the need for cross-conference interaction between children, youth and young adults; fellowship training; and spiritual formation opportunities.
The commission, Silas said, talked about sharing conference staff members and resources and the possibility of both cabinets working together on appointments.
“Our findings and deliberations led us into the possibility of a merger between both conferences,” Silas said. “We determined that if both conferences want to begin a merger, another entity will need to be created.
“We are, as Bishop Dorff rightly stated, in the middle of one of the fastest growing and richest areas for harvest in the United States, if not the world. We have a common task to save souls, to make known the love of God through justice and mercy and make disciples of Jesus Christ.”
Dorff said he will be convening a working group from the Southwest Texas and the Rio Grande Conferences that will create a comprehensive, sustainable model of growth for all clergy members, including himself.
“How can we create a culture of growth if we are not growing ourselves?” Dorff said. “We want to know that our pastors are people who are committed to and actively engaged in personal, professional and spiritual growth. My expectation is that as our leaders, lay and clergy members are committed to and resourced for growth. Our congregations will have the resources they need to effectively fulfill the Great Commission.
“You see, this is who we are. It’s who we’re called to be. It is our culture as Christians, as Christian leaders.”
He said he is also convening a group to see the appropriate staffing needs of the San Antonio Episcopal Area.
Dorff told leaders of a pastor who decided that it was not the mission of the church to get the world into the church but to get the church into the world—a teaching straight from Christ.
That’s growth, he said.
“Where is God leading us?” Dorff said. “You and me? We’re the leaders of the church. Where is God leading us today and tomorrow? Receiving the God-given answers, being committed—that’s a culture of growth. It’s who we are. It’s a journey. I look forward to sharing it with you.”
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| Lay leaders must grow into the kind of witnesses churches need
By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
Jay Brim, Southwest Texas Conference lay leader, told United Methodist leaders during his address June 3 that everyone in the room had been called to be a witness.
The challenge, he said, is finding out what kind of witness they are and growing into the witnesses they need to be.
“We need to grow into the kind of witness to help this Episcopal area become a culture of growth,” Brim said.
The Bible gives us examples of witnesses, Brim said. There is Stephen, Peter, Paul, Thomas and John Wesley.
Stephen, Brim said, was a man of good standing. Peter was a young man fishing on the bank when Jesus called him, a man who constantly misunderstood what Jesus was telling him and was said to have stuttered badly. He also denied Jesus three times on the night Jesus was condemned.
Paul was a lawyer, a temple scribe who prosecuted Christians and held the coats of those who threw stones at Stephen. Thomas was the disciple who walked with Jesus for three years and still denied him and doubted, Brim said. John Wesley struggled with doubts as well, he added.
“A lot of people who walked this path before us grew into great witnesses,” Brim said. “There’s a reason why 50 percent of us are here as lay people—to grow into better leaders of our congregations.
“We’re here to learn not to leave it to the clergy but to be the ones who go out to the people on the street, to the coworkers in our offices and the friends we barbecue and say in whatever way fits us best what it is that we believe. It may not be comfortable to hear, lay sisters and brothers, but every single one of us is obligated to do that.”
He said the church is dependent on lay people to get “behinds in the seats so the clergy brothers and sisters can deliver a much better built theological message.”
He said every member of the congregation must be awakened to what Wesley called his assistants to do: evangelism and Christian nurture.
“As members of this annual conference, we are Mr. Wesley’s lay assistants in his day and time,” Brim said. If we love this church, then we will seek out the way we can best help everybody around us in our home churches.
“We’ve all got different gifts, just like the five I’ve talked about, who are very different people. We have to take our natural gifts and skill sets and put it to use and go out, to the neighborhoods, the community, into the world and share the stories. We must prepare ourselves to do that.”
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| A word to the Golden Generation: don’t leave us
If you are under 65 years of age you can stop reading now. This article is not for you. Not that I don’t think some of the things might apply to you but it’s for our seniors, those in the “Golden” generation. It’s for my parents and their parents.
This message is for those who have seen and survived multiple wars, rebuilt America, survived economic depressions and Presidential assassinations. This article is for them.
It’s for those faithful millions who for the past five decades have served the local churches as lay leaders and SPRC chairs; who have been members of the Finance, Trustees, or Administrative Board. This is a message for them—for you. It’s for those who have kept the Church moving, the lights running, the choir singing and the pastor eating. This is for you and my first word is, “Thank you.”
I say “thank you” because you have maintained and grown what God has given you. You are like the servant in the Parable of the Talents who took the investment and grew it. You took what God offered and multiplied it. You made it prosper. The Church under your care has been in good hands. You are the foundation of the Church, a saint, a servant, and an example to us all. With that being said, my words are “thank you.”
My second words are “forgive me.” I want to offer a collective “I’m sorry” for not remembering your sacrifice, for taking away your traditional worship, for trashing the van on multiple youth trips and not cleaning it up! But seriously, I want to say, “I’m sorry,” for the times I have been a renegade and took your service for granted. I have ignored you, failed to listen, not visited often enough and have forgotten too quickly your role as a pillar of our Church. For these things, I am truly sorry.
And my final words to you is, “I still need you.” I need your time, your wisdom, your money, your support and your prayers. I need you as any child needs a parent, as any athlete needs a coach. I need you. We need you. The Body needs you. We have young families struggling to make ends meet, we have children of single moms wanting to send their kids to summer camp, we have teenagers needing mentors. We need you. I know you might be thinking, “I’ve served my time and now it’s your turn,” but please don’t say that. Please don’t leave us or let us forget the foundation of our faith. For you are our spiritual mothers and fathers. Please don’t leave us alone.
I know we prefer loud worship and our children often run through the halls of church screaming. I know we talk big but give very little. I know we dress down and run up debt. I know all these things, but this is why we need you. We need your prayers, your direction, your guidance, your love and your steady hand.
Eleven years ago I took my first pastoral appointment flying solo at Aldersgate in San Antonio. I will never forget Otis and Don, Lenora and Mable, Dorothy and Millie. All could have been my grandparents and all showed love to my young family and me. They guided my sermons, they baked me pies, they put $20 bills in my pockets and they offered wisdom, love and support in hundreds of ways. For those kind souls, I am a better pastor and a better person.
If you are 65 and older, this message is a reminder for you to stay with us. Show us how to lead, how to love God, how to care for our neighbor. Don’t think for a minute that your time is ending. For in light of the Kingdom of God, your time in ministry is only beginning.
30 leaders ordained, commissioned June 4
 Bishop Jim Dorff prayed over 30 candidates being ordained and commissioned during a service June 4.
Managing Editor
Bishop Jim Dorff told the 30 candidates being ordained and commissioned June 4 during a special worship service that the first time he preached in the “big church” as an associate pastor, he realized he was scared—until he remembered a passage from 2 Timothy that says God did not give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love and self control.
“When I think about you and the world in which we live, I thought about that passage,” Dorff said.
The service was part of the 152nd Southwest Texas annual conference session June 2-5.
Dorff told candidates about an experience he had, a trip he took to Costa Rica to study his Spanish and to take a time of rest and renewal. Several people, he said, told him that he needed to go rafting on the Pacuare River while in Costa Rica.
So he made his arrangements, and someone picked him up at 7 a.m. and he got back home at 8 p.m. The river, he said, was 16 miles long.
“It truly was quite an experience,” Dorff said. “When I got back from that experience, I fell onto the couch. I was sore all over. My hand was still fixed in this position.” Dorff showed the audience how his hand had held the oar. “As I lay there, I said to myself, ‘Self, I think this reminds me of the ministry.’”
That led him, he said, to construct a list of the top 10 things he learned about rafting on the Pacuare River.
- Number 10: When it’s called white water rafting, they probably mean white water rafting.
- Number 9: If someone says you have to do something, you don’t really have to do it.
- Number 8: If you have to walk a mile down the trail to get to the river, it’s probably either really remote or really worth seeing. It was both.
- Number 7: If you look around at the other 50 people getting into 10 rafts, and they’re all half your age or less, you should immediately deepen your prayer life.
- Number 6: Listen carefully when the guide explains what to do if you go overboard.
- Number 5: Remember when you go through the rapids and are thrown over the side that there is also a period of calm, beauty and peace.
- Number 4: If you’ve never been white water rafting, don’t take the most difficult place on the raft.
- Number 3: Don’t go rafting by yourself.
- Number 2: The God—the guide—will yank you out of the river, if necessary.
- Number 1: There is a God—guide—who will tell you what to do, when to do it and remind you how much fun you’re having doing it.
“As I was gliding down the river, looking at the scenery that was absolutely spectacular, you know what I said to myself?” Dorff said. “Boy, this was a good idea I had. When we were in the middle of those rapids and the guide behind us kept yelling at us—particularly me—and the raft starts spinning around and I go over the side and the guide grabs me and yanks me back in and all these people are looking at me, you know what I said to myself? Whose idea was this?
“The Christian life is a great adventure. The ministry is a great adventure. When you are in the beauty of life, and when you are in the rapids, don’t ever forget that this was not your idea. It never has been, it never will be. All of this is about the Almighty God.”
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| 16 leaders honored during retirement service June 3
By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
Sixteen leaders in the church retired from the Southwest Texas Conference during a retirement recognition service June 3 as part of the 152nd annual conference session June 2-5.
Retirees were: The Revs. Victoria Reed Bailey, Richard Thomas Bates, Dea Lemke Eggleston, Thomas Field Gibbons, Warren G. Hornung, Larry C. Howard, Jon Dick Lowry, Pamela Ann McCamant, John H. McMullen Jr., Jo Ann Mortimer, Mary E. Raper, Myron Avery Ricketts Jr., John Franklin Teer, Bernice Benson Wells, Suzanne Swayze Wells and Jeannette Brown Whitehurst.
Hornung, who retires from First UMC, Kerrville, said he wishes he had “another 15 years.”
The Rev. Larry Howard, retiring superintendent of the McAllen District, said it was the right time for him to retire.
He was a “refugee” from another denomination, he said, and found a welcoming spirit in the Southwest Texas Conference.
His experience has been one of growth and maturity, Howard said. But he came to the realization that it was “time to move on.”
“When you’ve spent an average of four nights from home every week and missed the host of meals displayed, your spouse and your children and you secretly affirm, it’s time,” Howard said. “It’s time to move on.
“And when Bishop Dorff, whose leadership I so admire, when he calls my name in the cabinet meeting and someone else answers, then you know the leadership of the conference is in good hands, and it’s time. It’s God’s time and it’s my time to move on.”
Raper said when she first graduated from Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology, she fully intended to go back to the Western North Carolina conference, where she’d been raised. But women ministers had a difficult time in that conference, she said, so she turned to the Southwest Texas Conference.
“This conference was committed to the appointment of women in ministry. Some of my first friends were from this conference. I had found a home, a place and people who became my family over all these years. There have been times of great joy and great sorrow, times of life and death. You have been with me all these years, during all these times.”
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| Special guest offers advice about generosity
By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
Special guest Clayton Smith, executive pastor of generosity at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas, visited the Southwest Texas Annual Conference session to speak about generosity.
“We know generosity is oftentimes an awkward word, like stewardship, because it has to do with money,” Smith said. “We must not avoid it.
“But we must communicate that it’s not about money for the church. Instead, it’s about the relationship of money and material possessions and how we can be wise stewards.”
He said he believes money is a “whole lifestyle issue” and should be treated as such in the church. John Wesley, he said, had a saying, “Gain all you can, save all you can and give all you can.”
“In our healthiest churches, money is about the whole person, about the joy and the spiritual growth of giving to God.”
The one key principle Smith said he wanted to bring to everyone was that generosity and tithing is what the church wants for the people, not what the church wants from people.
“We can radically shift our strategy for preaching financial stewardship sermons,” Smith said. “We want people to realize the abundance of God’s gifts. Some of the greatest blessings in my life have been when I received a gift and seen the joy of generosity.
“I’ve seen giving, not as some transaction but as a transformation of the whole person. I’ve seen giving break through the sin of greed. I’ve seen giving help people overcome their debt. I’ve seen giving help people develop spiritual well being through a lifestyle that’s simpler. The people of God have always been blessed in their giving. Those who practice generosity find great joy.”
Smith said every person should have a generous heart principle.
“Jesus taught us that,” Smith said. “It’s an important aspect in all we do. Jesus believed, and we see it through his teaching and his parables, that the misuse of money will affect our relationship with God.
“We know what greed has done to our nation in this economic crisis. The antidote for greed is not only loving God but putting God first.”
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| Tyrone Gordon riles up crowd during special service
 The Rev. Tyrone Gordon, pastor of St. Luke Community UMC, Dallas, delivers a passionate message to a packed audience. By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
A moving interpretation of Scripture prepared the hearts of a packed audience for the dynamic message of the Rev. Tyrone Gordon, pastor of St. Luke Community UMC, Dallas, June 4 during a service of renewal at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi.
The worship team, led by the Rev. Emerson Allen, pastor of Northeast Community UMC, San Antonio, combined narration and music to tell the story of Jesus’ ministry, death and resurrection and earned a standing ovation from the crowd.
Gordon elicited exclamations from both clergy members and lay people during his 15-minute address, riling up Southwest Texas United Methodists so that they were still repeating his words when the annual conference session closed on Saturday.
The pastor Bishop Jim Dorff called “one of the most outstanding leaders in our time” began by asking the Southwest Texas Conference members, “Do you want to be a great church?”
A resounding, “Yes” filled the Selena Auditorium.
 A special drama team interpreted Scripture during a special service.
A great church, he said, is not defined by its membership or the number of ministries it has on paper or even the success of its pastors and members.
“A great church can be in a cathedral or in a storefront,” he said. “It can be 50 members or it can be 5,000 members. A great church is true to its commitment to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.”
Gordon told United Methodists that there are requirements for greatness. The first: A great church is a go-to church, not a come-to church. The second: It’s able to keep the main thing the main thing. Third: It realizes that it cannot do anything by itself.
“A great church has an evangelical attitude of a go-to church rather than the maintenance attitude of a come-to church. Jesus is clear about this. We are to go where the people are to capture their minds, their hearts and their spirits.
“Jesus never expected people to come to him, but he always went to the places church people didn’t want to go. A great church extends the welcome match to all of God’s children. A great church throws a lifeline to the hurt, to the drowning, to the sinking, to the despondent.”
Gordon told about a friend of his who likes to go fishing but only likes to catch bass. His friend, he said, has specific bait and equipment to catch the bass.
Sounds a lot like the kind of fishing United Methodists have been doing, he said.
“We’ve been using a certain kind of bait to get the kind of fish we want,” Gordon said. “But all Jesus knew was a net. When you fish with a net, any kind of fish is liable to get up into the net. Rich fish, poor fish, fish that have tattoos everywhere, fish with hair going every which way. If they get in the net, they’re fair game for grace.
“And another word, church. Our job is to catch the fish, not clean the fish. Only the blood of Jesus can clean the fish.”
So a great church, Gordon said, is a go-to church.
“Go makes us realize we cannot keep doing church the way it’s always been done,” he said. “We have to reach those who may not look like us or smell like us. We can’t wait for folks to come to us. We have to be open enough to do whatever makes us relevant to the younger generation.
“Jesus never started a come-to movement. He started a go-to movement. We have to learn how to tell the old, old story in brand new, culturally relevant ways. What was contemporary in your day is out of date today. We’ve got an 8-track mentality and we’re dealing with an ipod generation. This ain’t grandma’s church anymore.”
Gordon urged leaders to remember to keep the main thing the main thing.
“We get caught up in a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with John 3:16,” Gordon said. “The main thing is making disciples who, in turn, turn this world upside down and right side up. Jesus never said go and make good church members. We must go into the community where the hurting are and bring them into a saving, transformational relationship with Jesus.”
Lastly, Gordon said, the church has to realize that it can’t do anything by itself.
The Great Commission, he said, is tied to a promise: “Surely I will be with you always.”
“Jesus knew how hard it was going to be,” he said. “Without God we can do nothing.”
He reminded the crowd how in Chapter 1 of Matthew, an angel visited Mary and said her son would be called “Emmanuel,” which means, “God with us.” In Chapter 28, Jesus says he will be with us always.
“Jesus is living out the promise, Gordon said. “He’s saying, ‘I am with you on the mountain top and in the valley. I’m with you in the money coming in and when the budget gets tight. I will walk with you and talk with you always.’”
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| Memorial service celebrates lives of deceased UM ministers, spouses
 Leaders and audience members join in song during the memorial service and opening eucharist June 2.
Managing Editor
The Southwest Texas annual conference session kicked off with a memorial service and opening eucharist June 2, during which the Rev. William Lawrence, dean of Perkins School of Theology, spoke to the crowd about giving to the church.
Lawrence detailed the 14th chapter of Deuteronomy, a chapter that talks about what people do when they gather in the harvest, when they have a newborn calf. They are to gather the tithe, Lawrence said.
He told about his grandmother and her tithe. His grandfather was a coal miner. Their firstborn was a son who died at 14 months. She put the tithe cash inside a church envelope when he brought home his pay.
Sometimes she would seal the envelope with tape, sometimes she would lick it shut and sometimes she would stitch it shut. He never asked her why she did it differently some weeks, he said.
“But I suppose it had something to do with how hard it was each week,” Lawrence said. “We give the tithe as an act of spiritual discipline. After we give the tithe, God says, ‘I don’t need it and I don’t want it. I give it back.’ God says, ‘Receive it from me. Have a party. Celebrate the luxury of grace.’ Give the tithe to God and God gives it back.”
Lawrence explored the distinction between secular economic theory and sacred economic theory. The secular theory, he said, says there’s only so much to go around.
“It says if you have more, I have less,” Lawrence said. “Sacred economic theory says there is more than enough to go around. You and I have permission—and a mission—from God’s word to celebrate the luxuries of grace.
“The gospel of Luke and the economic law of surplus says you cannot close the border to the alien at your doorstep. There is more than enough. There’s more than enough bread, the body of Christ. There’s more than enough blood, the blood of Christ.”
The memorial service honored pastors of the conference who had died during the conference year, as well as spouses of pastors who died.
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| San Antonio District news
‘New Pioneers’ looking to redefine church
For 30+ years the neighborhoods surrounding the congregations of Aldersgate, Highland Terrace and Epworth have been in transition. The demographics changed from a predominantly white (and often, German) population to a majority Latino population. Though each congregation worked hard and faithfully to reach its neighborhood and each has done so to a degree, the cultural chasm was too distinct to bridge.
There is an old saying among management trainers: “To get results different from what you have always gotten, one must quit doing what one has always done.” Or said differently, “If you keep on doing what you have always done, you will keep on getting what you already have.”
Yet, it takes a certain amount of courage and a large amount of demonstrated faith to “quit” doing what’s always been done; to “change the field” and try something new and different.
In the case of our three southeast corridor congregations, the attrition in attendance, offerings and conversions has come slow, but persistently steady. Is this the time to “quit” doing what has always been done? Is this the time to “change the field?” I posed that question to the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee of each congregation. I offered to support them as best possible should they decide to keep on doing as they had always done; but we also talked about how we could “change the field”—address the situation differently and prayerfully engage in a faithful quest for transformation.
Independently and corporately, the leaders of each congregation opted to “change the field.” At whatever age, in whatever era, opting for change over status quo is the quest of a pioneering spirit. The people of these three congregations are high on my list of “The New Pioneers.”
They agreed to share one appointed pastor; but more than that, they agreed that the pastor would not even be appointed to any or all of the congregations. Instead, they are investing their finances in a missioner appointed to the District Metro Mission Board! The appointed missioner, the Rev. Bob Clark, has successfully developed indigenous ministries in his prior appointment to the circuit of Pharr/San Juan in the McAllen District. Bob’s ministry will include being the pastor responsible for sacerdotal duties in each of the congregations, but his primary focus will be on ministry to the surrounding neighborhoods.
This new mission is also dependent upon the effective function of the “United Methodist Connection.” Much of the duties often attributed to the “pastor” will be supplied by Spirit-filled and trained general ministers from other congregations. At least two of the pulpits will be supplied each Sunday by a District Certified Lay Speaker. The bulk of pastoral care will be offered by trained and Spirit-gifted lay volunteers already serving in their own congregation, now reaching out to support this bold new venture. These folks are also on my list of “The New Pioneers.”
Each of these three congregations is strategically located for Christian ministry in locations under-served by other Christian traditions. Each of these congregations has a legacy of faith that has inspired generations of Christians. Each of these congregations has a unique DNA for ministry. To lose that DNA to attrition would be to forfeit all that has gone before. We may need to “do” ministry differently, but the love that empowers ministry will not change.
My goal is that in 3-5 years, maybe 10, we will have three indigenous, autonomous, self-supporting congregations once again organized to transform the world by making disciples. It won’t happen in the way it did before, but the Holy Spirit that guided former pioneers to establish and empower these congregations will be the same Spirit that will bring new life and new hope to all people under the influence of this ministry.
At the end of the “organizational” meeting of the three congregations, someone mentioned to me, “We now have a new hope.” Inspired by that comment, I have temporarily named this cooperative ministry “Corredor de la Esperanza”—the “Corridor of Hope.” It is a mission outpost for New Pioneers.
(If you would like to join this connection of “New Pioneers” by offering your gifts of lay speaking or pastoral care or some other ministry, you may contact me at the District Office, Bob Clark (rclrk2@gmail.com) or any member of either of the three congregations.)
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| Church connections meets needs of people
In the San Antonio District, one of the ways we are able to live out our connectedness is through a unique ministry called “Church Connections.” Rising out of their response to God’s call on their hearts, Bob and Kathy Hess began this exciting “match making” ministry that pairs the repair needs of a church with folks seeking a service project. It is an all volunteer ministry helping local United Methodist churches with limited resources to repair and maintain their facilities.
Church Connections works with the District Superintendent and with local United Methodist pastors to identify work that needs to be done and then arranges mission teams to accomplish the work. The mission teams are made up of volunteers of all ages and skill levels and come from youth groups, Sunday school classes, UMM chapters, and UMW circles. They come from local United Methodist churches and from churches outside of San Antonio.
Projects are purposely designed to be local and short-term, for those who want to serve in San Antonio.
Church Connections is funded solely through donations (five-star advance special #1618) of money and materials. For more information about Church Connections, or for information about how to become involved with Church Connections, please contact Kathy Hess at rhess@satx.rr.com or (210) 872-6329.
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| Trinity garden helps feed the needy
One San Antonio United Methodist Church is taking that Jesus’ directive to “feed my sheep” in a literal way. Trinity UMC has set aside a section of its grounds for a Victory Garden.
In addition to providing fresh vegetables to the San Antonio Food Bank, the members of Trinity UMC, alongside the students and their parents of Trinity’s elementary school, have an opportunity to give of their time and labor in service to God and their fellow man.
For more information about this ministry, or to see how you might grow a “Victory Garden” at your church, contact Don Ketchum at Trinity.
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| Victoria District news
The United Methodist Church’s future hope
Hopefulness for the future is a part of who we are as The United Methodist Church. We believe in God. We believe in a very Christo-centric Faith. We are strong and persuasive, and we have done our homework. We argue, we fight, but when it comes to really seeking truth, we really think it through thoroughly. I believe that we are one of the best hopes for the Culture of the American Society. We live in the world but we are not of the world.
We may not always agree, but we excel in planning, forecasting, setting objectives and determining courses of action. We are innovative in our local churches and then we turn back and self-evaluate. Nobody speaks for us except the General Conference, and it is there we get a World prospective.
Nancy Pelosi does not speak for The United Methodist Church. No one board or agency speaks for The United Methodist Church, and yet if it is Christ-centered, we encompass every objective valued by the smallest membership church, and we set high standards and personal performance behind it.
I like being United Methodist because we take communion seriously. We are extremely active and eager to try new approaches. In addition, we provide opportunities for initiative. Recently I was asked to come to Flatonia, Texas, to address a group of patriotic Americans who happened to be former military and members of Flatonia UMC (the Rev. Rob Clopton is the pastor of that church). They seemed to me to be very original under adverse conditions. They wanted to know where The United Methodist Church stood on the health care bill and the removal of troops from Iraq.
Because I was interested and fairly informed on the health care issue I called the Methodist Health Care Ministries in San Antonio, which had been working on Chip and health care reform prior to President Barack Obama’s election. I vowed to call and talk with Mr. Winkler at Church and Society. The wonderful idea is that our communion is so very well connected that we never put any ones idea down but we seek to find the truth in it and consider pioneering possibilities.
In the dictionary under “versatility,” you will see a cross and flame of The United Methodist Church. We avoid communication breakdown. That is why we make such a strong impact on the world.
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| Victoria District happenings
B.lievers Men’s group performed at ‘First Sunday’ in Flatonia
Flatonia UMC featured the men’s singing group, “The B.-lievers” at a worship service May 2. All of the singers’ names start with a “B”, thus the name of the group, “B.lievers.”
The group started singing together in January of 2006 at Flatonia Baptist Church.The “B.lievers” perform a mix of country gospel, Southern gospel and barbershop gospel.
Flatonia UMC hosts a special Praise and Worship Music service at the First Sunday Evening time with an inter-denominational and non-denominational theme to bring folks of varied backgrounds together. Casual dress is encouraged and the entire community, all churches and folks in the surrounding areas are invited.
The Church is located at 403 E. North Main Street in Flatonia. For more information you may contact Pastor Rob Clopton or Amy Jones, church secretary, at (361) 865-2622.
Two Port Lavaca churches join in worship together
First UMC, Port Lavaca, experienced a great day of worship as they cancelled both worship services and moved across town to worship with Pilgrim’s Christian Church. The Worship Committee has been mulling over and working with this idea for about two years. The idea came from Meadowlark Lemon, one of the original Harlem Globetrotters, when he was in Port Lavaca at the invitation of the folks at First UMC. In his sharing on that Sunday morning, Meadowlark suggested that it would be a great idea if some of the churches in town were to cancel their own worship service and go worship with another congregation in town.
After worship everyone gathered in the fellowship hall at FUMC for a covered dish lunch with the folks from Pilgrim’s Christian Church as our guests.
New Beginnings for Men of First UMC, Victoria
Twenty-one men of First UMC, Victoria, met in Wesley Hall April 24 with great expectations of a new beginning in the life of the men’s ministries.
A vision for the new organization has three points of emphasis: the United Methodist Men will support our pastor as needs arise in the life of the church.and will support special needs within our community. Special interest would focus on but not be exclusive to Christ’s Kitchen. There is an immediate need for staffing volunteers on the third Saturday in May for this mission.
Another special interest of First Church Methodist Men will be to support young men and families within the life of the congregation. This will include all members, young and old.
First UMC, El Campo, works toward “Imagine NO Malaria”
First UMC, El Campo, set a goal to raise at least $10 times their average worship attendance toward the “Imagine No Malaria” campaign. Besides designating Communion Rail offerings for this cause, two special offerings were taken by the children during worship. The Rev. Joyce McCormick, pastor of the church, challenged the UMYF Group to raise $100, and left it up to them to decide how they were going to do that. Several adults said they would make a matching $100 donation to whatever the youth raised.
The youth held a bake sale and raised $287 in donations. The adults who agreed to match funds have done so, and as of April 25, First UMC, El Campo, has collected $1,179.88 toward its initial goal.
United Methodist Women hold Quadrennial meeting in Missouri
The Quadrennial meeting of the United Methodist Women was held in St. Louis, Missouri April 30 – May 2. More than 2,000 people participated in a march and rally on Immigrant rights at Kiener Plaza. Among the 6,500 women attending were Joyce Brown, Evelyn Burleson, Annette Pfeil, Marsha Priesmeyer, Eula Purnell and Maxine Ross from the Victoria District. We took prayer shawls and blankets to be distributed throughout the world to people in need. As United Methodist Women we came home with the vision of turning faith, hope, and love into action.
First United Methodist Sequin Confirms 16 Youth
The Rev. Ron Welborn; Candace Wilson, education director at First UMC, Seguin; and the Rev. Steve Purdy welcomed 16 boys and girls on April 25.
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