Upper New York: Holidays 2014

ADVOCATE Upper New York

A publication of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church

Read Bishop Webb’s Christmas letter on the back cover HOLIDAYS 2014

Table of contents 4

Volume 6, Issue 10

STILL ALIVE During one of his messages at the 2014 Bishop’s Retreat for Upper New York clergy, guest speaker the Rev. Jacob Armstrong said the Church may be “broken and battered” but it is “the best thing going.” Also, read a Q&A with the bishop on page 6.

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MISSION FOCUS Charge Conferences are the connecting link between the local church and the General Church; it’s where planning meets action. Twelve churches in the Oneonta District are strengthening the action aspect by undertaking a mission project together.

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ILLUMINATING POTENTIAL A new preaching academy debuts next spring as an opportunity to help good Upper New York preachers become great, and to ultimately help increase the vitality of local churches in the Conference.

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CONAM SHARES RESOURCES At a Northeastern Juridictional gathering, members of regional annual conferences were so moved by a video from Upper New York’s Committee on Native American Ministries that they requested materials from CONAM’s District Learning Sessions to use in their own conferences.

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YEAR IN REVIEW The annual Year In Review (in photos) is included in this issue, highlighting the new opportunities for learning in 2014 along with the new opportuinty for service at AC ‘14: Stop Hunger Now.

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FACT CHECKING Check in on the Financial Advisory Consulting Team (FACT) process as Upper New York leaders continue their work of casting a vision for the Conference.

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REVIEWING OUTCOMES Find out how a video about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park speaks “powerfully to the potential of (the) Conference Leadership Team.”

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A HEART FOR AFRICA Carmen F.S. Vianese, director of Lay Servant Ministries for the Conference, recently traveled to Malawi with the General Board of Global Ministries and shared her story about how the Church needs to be connected globally in true human kindness, or ubuntu.

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HAD A BLAST Conference Council on Youth Ministries’ Katie Shumway shares about the “very successful back-to-back Fall Gatherings” held in November. (You can also see photos from the event.) She also announces the five youth who have been selected to represent Upper New York in the 2015 Mission of Peace trip to India departing later this month.

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A dose of

inspiration Seneca Street UMC offers thanks for holiday generosity Seneca Seneca Street UMC Pastor Brian Rotach offered the following message of appreciation to the “many churches that responded to the food emergency at Seneca Street Church in Buffalo, following recordbreaking snow fall.”

GOD IS GOOD! Tons of food came in from every direction!

Only 20 turkeys and 30 meal boxes had been committed before the storm – down more than half from last year. After Niagara Frontier District Superintendent the Rev. Wayne Butler and the Conference’s special appeals, we had 71 turkeys, all the “fixin’s” and food for emergency boxes that 90 families picked out for themselves.

And there’s still more food! We’ll have canned goods for all of the 40-plus families that will come this Sunday afternoon (Nov. 30) for dinner and/or baked goods.

And if there’s still some left, we’ll put it in our pantry to meet our ongoing requests for food.

One church also gave us more than $500 in $25-gift cards to Tops supermarkets that we’ll continue to give out strategically.

You demonstrated God’s love for the less fortunate in a way most around here will long remember.

This amazing United Methodist connection made the most difficult week of the year into a time for families to celebrate God’s goodness.

Thank you and God bless you!

This story first appeared in the E-Advocate, Upper New York’s weekly email newsletter.

To get these stories – and all the latest Conference news – right in your inbox, subscribe to the EAdvocate (it’s free) by visiting the Conference website at http:// www.unyumc.org/connect.

From the desk of Bishop Mark J.Webb

But who do you say that I am?

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s I write these words 12 days from Thanksgiving Day, I am grateful for the people of the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church.

It is a blessing to serve with you and among you as, together, we seek to be the Church, living the mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

As I work with various leadership teams within the Conference, the conversation ultimately turns to “What is the ONE THING, the main thing we need to focus on within the structure of the Conference that will bring vitality and fruitfulness to the work we are called to be about together through the ministry of the local church?”

As you can imagine, there are many responses as to what that one thing might be – leadership development, better resources for vital congregations, focus on equipping congregations for a greater commitment to ministries of justice and mercy, for example. And while I believe we are getting clearer about that one thing, the strategy that will increase our effectiveness in all things, I am convinced that there is a theological reality we must wrestle with first.

There is one thing in our theological framework that we must reclaim and live boldly. That one thing, in my opinion, is our Christology.

Christology is the study within Christian theology that is primarily concerned with the nature, person and work of Jesus as recorded in the canonical Gospels and the epistles of the New Testament.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks his disciples what people were saying about Him. Specifically, Jesus asks: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples were quick to give an answer: “Some say John the Baptist, and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus turns the question around. “But who do you say that I am?” Peter quickly answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter’s response cast him and other disciples, including us, into some amazing truths of promise and possibility offered by Jesus. “And Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but God who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

The foundation of the Church, the strength of the Church and the

potential of the Church is found in our Christology – the understanding of who Jesus is, the work of Jesus in our lives (individually and corporately), and the presence of Jesus in the world.

Jesus must be claimed, reclaimed and proclaimed in our lives and in the world around us. Our strategies, programs, ministries, and outreach are empty, ultimately, without a clear understanding and proclamation of who Jesus is!

I am convinced that The United Methodist Church of the 21st century needs to reclaim our Christology. We need to know in an old way, a new way, and a deeper way the powerful truth of Jesus – born, died, risen and coming again.

We need to encounter in a fresh way and offer to the world Jesus, who came to give his life, proclaiming, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

(John 14:6) Maybe we need a fresh experience with Jesus, who reminded us “that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:15-16) So as we continue to wrestle with strategies for how we live out our purpose, maybe we would do well to begin with the question Jesus asks – “Who do you say that I am?” Our response most certainly will determine our future!

ADVOCATE STAFF

Writer/Editor: BETH DICOCCO

Social Media/Web: ASHLEY RIDDELL

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Graphic Designer: CHRISTIAN VISCHI

E-Advocate: KAREN CAMPOLIETO

(315) 424-7878 x313 christianvischi@unyumc.org

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Editor/Publisher: STEVE HUSTEDT

UNY Director of Communications

(315) 424-7878 x307 stevehustedt@unyumc.org

Conference Writer/Editor

Communications Associate

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Administrative Assistant to the Director

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BISHOP’S RETREAT

By Christian Vischi

The Church is still alive Forecasted ‘death tsunami’ just another exaggeration

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Still just as beautiful as ever One of the infirmities of the Church is perception.

Rev. Armstrong was sitting in a pastors meeting where the topic of conversation was the Church. A pastor across the table looks him “dead in the eye” and says, “Your wife is ugly.”

He repeated it a second time – “he should have explained himself quicker,” Rev. Armstrong said – before everyone came to the conclusion that he was talking about how people belittle the Church.

“His point was that we were there dogging out the bride of Christ. … I still don’t like that guy at all,” Rev. Armstrong Rev. Jacob Armstrong, Bishop’s Retreat guest speaker said, eliciting a laugh from the Raise your hand if you crowd, “but do we believe that have a weakness order to keep raising his hand ever Jesus still looks at the Church as a Several years ago Rev. Armstrong since. thing of beauty, and if so, should that was working in his barn during one of “So when I am at church and I affect how his days off. He had been working on do this, it is not because I am super something over his head all day. spiritual, it is because I am just try“My first mistake was that it was ing to get the blood back out of my manual labor,” he said with a smile. arm,” Rev. Armstrong said.

He went inside that evening and God’s strength is made perfect one of his girls – he and wife, Rachel, “in my weakness,” have three daughters, Mary, Lydia, he said, “thereand Phoebe – pointed out that his fore, I will arm was purple. After a trip to the gladly boast emergency room and several tests in my infirhe was diagnosed with thoracic mities.” outlet obstruction. He went to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville “many times” for procedures that could, in theory, “fix my arm,” he said.

But one day he was talking with the head of vascular surgery at Vanderbilt, who told Rev. Armstrong the damage was not repairable.

“You are just going to have to deal with it, live with it,” he was told.

“There is one thing that you can do that will help you,” and then the surgeon raised his hand and said: “Do this.”

Rev. Armstrong was a little skeptical, but he has followed the doctor’s

ne of the “stark realities of the denomination” is that The United Methodist Church has weaknesses, “but God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.”

That was the opening message of the Rev. Jacob Armstrong’s third appearance during the 2014 Bishop’s Retreat for Upper New York clergy held in late October at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid.

Rev. Armstrong, founder and pastor of Providence Church in Mount Juliet, Tenn., was the guest speaker at the retreat and his messages throughout were on the theme of effective preaching.

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we talk about her?”

Some people think the Church is hypocritical and judgmental, and worse than that, he said, many people have moved to not even thinking about the Church at all.

“I believe in the Church. That is (a creed) that we should reclaim,” Rev. Armstrong said.

Wearing “a little white dress” Rev. Armstrong was baptized in a small church in 1980. But the road that got him and his family there was a long, winding one.

His family was “disconnected.” His mother did not grow up in a church, and she moved around the West for a bit before settling in Nashville.

Someone eventually invited the family to a new church start that was meeting in a trailer.

That date in 1980 is not only important to Rev. Armstrong’s spiritual life

but to his mother’s as well: She was baptized alongside her son.

God’s call “was an insatiable pull on all of us. I think about how my baptism … changed the course of my history, so I am thankful for that,” he said.

So he hesitates at the declaration that some people make of liking Jesus but not the Church.

“I wonder, would Jesus go for that?

Would He say, ‘You can just have me (and not the Church)’?” Rev. Armstrong asked. To which he answered he doesn’t believe Jesus would.

Rev. Armstrong became a pastor because he believes in the Church.

“Had it not been for a pastor in a church and that was not (a) glamourous (church),” then he wouldn’t be here today.

“The Church wasn’t second or third on my list, it is the best thing going, even though it is broken and battered,” he said as many clergy in the room nodded or answered in agreement.

“We love the Church. We love the bride of Christ,” he said.

Opening the closed loop The media, among other entities, is forecasting a “death tsunami” for the Church, Rev. Armstrong said.

While American churches of all denominations may be on hospice care, the Church will not die.

In places like China, where the Communist government has begun a three-phase plan to eradicate unregistered house churches, the Church has continued to grow despite such persecution.

“The Church is dependent on God, not us. It is fueled on God, not our effort or ingenuity,” Rev. Armstrong said, but that doesn’t mean that people can sit back, idly, waiting for something to happen.

“The Church is still alive, but the Church has to change,” he said. One way is by “opening the closed loop,” meaning a church’s culture has to be inviting, and new parishioners have to be able to assimilate easily.

Many churches have brought in screens and a praise band. Perhaps the pastor wears jeans. But has the culture changed? One of the worst things a parishioner can say is, “They just felt fine whether I was there or not,” Rev. Armstrong suggested.

It’s important to remember that a new person in the pews may not understand why a rummage sale is so great, why you spend 15 minutes on announcements before the service begins, what “passing the peace” means, or where the narthex is.

Rev. Armstrong suggested four steps to opening the loop: 1. Opening the closed loop demands intentionality – “A worship service that lacks intentionality will exclude people who are not accustomed to our ways. And Jesus cares about those people. A lot.”

2. Intentionality starts with preparation – So ask why: why is a particular song being sung, why are these announcements being highlighted, why are we using so many acronyms in the bulletin? “Then people will come to appreciate the intentional decisions.”

3. Intentionality does not mean excellence – “We strive for it and we want things to go really well … but more important than exunyumc.org 5

cellence is authenticity and honesty.

(Be intentional that) this is who we are; we are the people of God.” 4. Be intentional about how you speak – Not everyone knows what the trinity is or where the communion rail is located.

Rev. Armstrong shared three questions with the clergy, saying that addressing them will make a church a more inviting and hospitable place for new people.

• How are you or can you open the closed loop at your church?

• What does intentionality in preparation look like for you?

• Does your church have its own language? If so, what is it and how can it become more accessible to others?

Resource In his book After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion, author Robert Wuthnow, a professor of sociology and director at the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University, shares his extensive research on young adults and American religion.

Wuthnow writes that young adults “think church services should feel like church. They say the so-called seeker services that were geared toward people who disliked church are now passé,” Rev. Armstrong said.

“We can’t just pump up the (volume of the) organ. ...,” he said. “We have to be intentional in worship that incorporates the ancient and the modern, it means authenticity is more important than worship style.”

Save the date The 2015 Bishop’s Retreat will be held Oct. 20-22 at Rochester’s Woodcliff.

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Q&A session

By Christian Vischi

with Bishop Mark J. Webb

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pper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb followed the Rev. Jacob Armstrong’s third message during the 2014 Bishop’s Retreat in Lake Placid with a question and answer session.

Although Bishop Webb said he was open to tackling almost any question, he acknowledged that he doesn’t always have all the answers, and sugBishop Webb gested that perhaps part of the session could be more like a conversation.

The following are a few of the questions asked of Bishop Webb: What was the ministry setting of your last church?

Bishop Webb served three local churches before joining the Cabinet. At his final local church appointment, which he served for almost 14 years, the attendance rose from about 70 on a Sunday to between 500 and 550, and the staff increased from one to about a dozen. “That was such an amazing experience and such a unique experience,” he said.

Looking down the road, what’s your vision for UNY; where do you think UNY could be going?

“Here is the good news: God has a vision,” Bishop Webb said. “I think it is our responsibility” to listen for and discern that plan. “It is not about my vision. I think that would be arrogant and misguided. … We know that God has a vision. The hard work for us is, together, to discern that vision.” In Gil Rendle’s Doing the Math of Mission: Fruits, Faithfulness, and Metrics, the author asks what is the outcome, what is the difference that God wants to make? What difference is God calling us to in the next two years? What will be different because we are living the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the trans-

formation of the world?

“There will be different responses to that whether you are living in Buffalo or Albany, but there will be a lot of common areas,” the bishop said. “If every single one of us will go deeper in our relationship with God (and with our sisters and brothers and the community around us) … guess what is going to happen? The Church is going to be relevant and the Church is going to grow.”

How are you held accountable?

“Jodi.” But in addition to his wife, the Northeastern Jurisdiction’s Episcopacy Committee provides a tool to every conferences’ Committees on Episcopacy – Upper New York’s committee is chaired by the Rev. Rebecca Laird – that is “a pretty comprehensive evaluation process,” Bishop Webb said. The survey is approximately 18 pages in length, and parts of it are sent to different people in the Conference for evaluation. Bishop Webb is also part of a coaching group whose 10 members come from across the country; and he is in an accountability group as a member of the jurisdiction’s College of Bishops.

Thinking ahead to AC 2015, are there specific hopes that you have?

“My prayer is that we will fall more deeply in love with Jesus and with one another. If those two things occur, we are golden. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have good old family arguments,” Bishop Webb said.

“It just blows my mind that the Creator of the world would choose me, would choose, you, would choose us, to be the primary way in which the world hears about Jesus Christ. It just blows my mind. And sometimes I say, ‘Surely You could have come up with a better plan.’

“I believe with all that I am and all that I have, what God is already doing through our ministry together, what God is about to do and going to do in us and through us (will be amazing).”

Churches use Charge Conference for mission project

By Beth DiCocco, Writer/Editor

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hurches in the Oneonta District have participated in joint, regional Charge Conferences for the past couple of years. But this year, one group of churches is trying something new: Using part of that time to do a mission project together.

The 12 churches that call themselves Gospel Hills Ministries will be creating “care packs” for distribution in their communities. The care packs will include personal-care items such as soap, tissues, Band Aids, hairbrushes, etc. that are not covered by SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits.

The plan is to create the packs during the Charge Conference and then distribute on a future Sunday.

The Gospel Hills churches are: Afton, Bainbridge, Coventry (in Greene), Union Valley (in Bainbridge), Franklin, Treadwell, Guilford, North Afton, Sidney, Unadilla, Unadilla Center and Sand Hill (in Unadilla) United Methodist churches. The name comes from the former Gospel Hills Cooperative Parish.

Terri Bickford is lay leader and president of the church council at the Coventry UMC. Bickford admitted to initially resisting the idea of adding more duties to the already busy agenda of the Charge Conference, but fully embraces the project.

“The Oneonta District is trying to make the churches more visible and make plain the fact that we’re there to help, there to reach out to other people,” Bickford said.

Bickford hopes that by joining forces and distributing

bethdicocco@unyumc.org the care packs at the same time, it will “make the mission plain,” creating greater visibility.

Bringing the churches together by region, Bickford said, may help churches find other ways to cooperate as well. “It all goes back to making disciples for Jesus Christ,” she said.

Oneonta District Superintendent the Rev. Jan Rowell thinks so, too, and said she’s pleased that the churches came up with this idea and are reaching out to other community groups to bring the project together.

“I’m excited that they are collaborating in this way,” she said.

“That’s the thing I hope others see, the opportunity for collaboration in ministry.”

For members of smaller congregations, coming together at Charge Conference can be empowering, Rev. Rowell said.

“Some of the people who come to the Charge Conference may not have had that experience of worshiping with so many people who all share the values and the work,” she said.

And the mission project only expands that feeling of connection, she said.

“It’s an opportunity for people from local congregations to feel their strength together and to understand how they can be in mission in wider ways,” she said.

“It’s an experience that they have of being part of the wider Church.”

Bickford is a lifelong member of the Coventry UMC, which was her grandmother and parents’ church as well. She said she believes the key to thriving is reaching out to the community, and as a small church, that can be done better with other churches as partners.

“My church is very important to me, and that’s probably true of most people who have been in the church for a long time,” Bickford said.

“Members of smaller churches don’t want to see their church closed, but we need to make a difference. We need to let people know we’re here and that there’s somebody in their community who truly cares.”

Pictured below is the project flyer the Gospel Hills Ministries created for its member churches.

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New academy to help pastors ‘illuminate’ their preaching potential

By Christian Vischi, Graphic Designer

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n Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of Success, the author claims that the key to success in any field is practicing a specific task for a total of approximately 10,000 hours.

For a pastor, that would equate to 192 years of weekly one-hour worship services.

Upper New York’s Illuminate Preaching Academy has been developed to come alongside preachers who wish to continue their development as transformational preachers, and will significantly cut down on those 192 years.

“We started with the idea that we have good preachers,” said the Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, Director of Vital Congregations, and the motivation behind the preaching academy is to become great preachers. A team through Rev. Bouwens the Vital Congregations Office has been developing the academy for about a year. In 2013, Rev. Bouwens and a group of clergy and laity from Upper New York were in Chicago for a meeting. The group of eight was asked to participate in a “Shark Tanktype of idea,” Rev. Bouwens said.

They were asked: What is something that would help the vitality of Upper New York? “And we said ‘preaching,’” he said.

The academy will begin in the spring 2015 with 12-15 clergy, and there will be four sessions per cohort; each will include an overnight.

There will be two cohorts offered each year.

“We will run it as long as there are people interested in participating,” Rev. Bouwens said.

“One priority of the Upper New York Conference is to increase and 8 UNY ADVOCATE HOLIDAYS 2014

christianvischi@unyumc.org strengthen transformational leadership. This includes the preaching task, which helps the people of God discover the movement of God’s Spirit in their lives,” said Upper New York Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb. “This preaching academy is another tool that we are offering pastors to help them be the most effective that they can be in making disciples of Jesus Christ.

“I am truly excited to see the potential transformations in store.

I think Aaron and his team have put together a great program, and my prayer is that the clergy of our Conference will be willing to take a risk, be vulnerable, and take advantage of this opportunity to increase the impact of their preaching,” the bishop said.

The deadline has passed for the spring cohort, but the application period for the second cohort in 2015 will open later in the spring. Each participant will be asked to invest $500. The remaining expenses for the academy will be provided through

the New Beginnings Fund.

The scripture verse that drives the academy is Mark 16:15 (NLT): “And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”

“Shining light and life on the world – this idea of ‘we are called’ is another version of the Great Commission,” Rev. Bouwens said. “We looked at that and said, ‘How can we take the message of Christ out to the world in relevant and transformative ways?’”

The academy sessions will delve into at least three key areas of preaching: • How to transition from “preaching for information” to “preaching for transformation.” Along with that will be training on storytelling and using narrative in sermons.

• How the art and craft of preaching fits into the entirety of a worship service.

• How to develop a sermon/topical series.

Although not everyone is in the same place on the journey to transformational preaching, the academy was designed so that all participants will benefit from it, Rev. Bouwens said.

However, he stressed, the academy is not a “basics” course, nor is it for those unwilling to commit to developing their preaching skills or to change.

These sessions are “geared for pastors to focus on their preaching, and we are targeting moving folks that are good preachers already to being great preachers,” Rev. Bouwens said. “Our model is to use mentors, and they will provide some of the instruction.”

The Rev. Dr. Alyce McKenzie, a

Professor of Preaching and Worship at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, will be the guest speaker during the May 19-20, 2015 session.

She is an elder in the North Texas Annual Conference, and has written eight books on preaching, including What Not to Say: Avoiding the Common Mistakes that can Sink Your Sermon and Hear and Be Wise: Becoming a Teacher and Preacher of Wisdom. You can read more about her at http://tinyurl. com/McKenzieBio1 and http://

tinyurl.com/McKenzieBio2. A guest speaker for the next cohort has not been announced.

Rev. Bouwens gave a three-minute presentation introducing the academy at the 2014 Bishop’s Retreat, and handed out postcards. Even that brief introduction has created some excitement around the new program.

“Folks, I think, are looking for it, and I think they understand (the usefulness of the academy) from the limited information I shared with them,” he said.

UNY CONAM shares resources with jurisdiction

By Blenda Smith

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en Annual Conferences – from Maine to West Virginia – gathered as the Northeastern Jurisdiction’s Committee on Native American Ministries (NEJ CONAM) from Oct. 2-4, 2014, in Washington, D.C. As is the tradition, United Methodist Native Americans welcomed us. Native Americans are “gifters;” we enjoyed little pouches of sweet grass as reminders of the Creator’s goodness. This beautiful act honors and welcomes visitors!

The 34 attendees were led by Cynthia Kent, NEJ CONAM Chair.

Upper New York’s Sharon Schmit serves as secretary, and gives many hours of work to make these annual gatherings happen.

We accomplished much work – including sharing the unique work of each CONAM in the jurisdiction – updating goals and plans, evaluating current projects. Upper New York CONAM shared its progress on the life-long journey of repentance and healing of relationships with indigenous persons. We described our Annual Conference presentations and workshops done over the past two years.

The group was deeply moved by the video of two UNY Native American United Methodists sharing their current circumstances and feelings. We explained the details of our 13 District Learning Sessions and showed our PowerPoint presenta-

tion, videos and other resources used to teach and initiate dialogue. Others really wanted to use these materials, and were delighted that we gave out copies. They were impressed that our Conference gave every local church a two-DVD set on The Act of Repentance Healing of Relationships with Indigenous Persons.

Bishop Marcus Mathews of the Baltimore-Washington Area, and Bishop Peggy Johnson of the Philadelphia Area, and several Directors of Connectional Ministries attended and

shared engaging ideas and encouraging words.

Worship each day was a highlight of our time together. The inclusion of Christian and traditional aspects of worship was especially heartfelt as a way to honor our Savior and Creator.

It is sad that some see traditional worship as “non-Christian.” That is so far from true! Everyone present was touched by the Holy Spirit as we worshiped, built relationships and worked together.

Upper New York will be hosting the NEJ CONAM meeting in the fall of 2015. Stay tuned!

Smith serves as communicator for the Upper New York CONAM.

Blenda Smith, right, and Sharon Schmit were two of the CONAM members that facilitated the District Learning Sessions. File photo by Christian Vischi unyumc.org 9

Continuing the Journey of the Act of Repentance & Healing I

n May of 2014 the Rev. Anita Phillips, Executive Director, Comprehensive Plan; Cynthia Kent, Chairperson, Native American International Caucus; and the Rev. Chebon Kernell, Executive Director, Native American/Indigenous Ministries, General Board of Global Ministries, wrote a letter to the United Methodist churches in the United States. (You can read that letter below.)

Here is the Upper New York Conference’s Committee on Native American Ministries’ (CONAM) response:

The Upper New York Committee on Native American Ministries (CONAM) affirms and supports the spirit of our Native brothers and sisters. Their comments are essential to moving forward in our journey toward the Act of Repentance & Healing at the Annual Conference 2015.

May 22, 2014 The United Methodist Church of the Five U.S. Jurisdictions United States of America Dear Sisters and Brothers of the United Methodist Church: It is with the greatest urgency that we, the Executive Director of the Native American Comprehensive Plan, the Chairperson of the Native American International Caucus and the Executive Secretary of Native American and Indigenous Ministries of the General Board of Global Ministries, write this open letter to our denomination, to share with you our critical concern for the life of Native American and Indigenous ministries of The United Methodist Church (UMC) in the United States.

We testify to you the wonderful and gifted presence of our many Native American tribal communities, each unique in culture and language, many with a historic Methodist presence and witness spanning over 200 years. Many of these Native nations brought Methodism with them as they made their tragic death marches during the “Trails of Tears” and other 10 UNY ADVOCATE HOLIDAYS 2014

We ask all members of our United Methodist churches to hold in prayer the recommendations made in the letter: • The Act of Repentance and Healing Relationships with Native Americans at Annual Conference 2015 can only be a starting point and not a token act. Healing takes time and relationship-building.

• The work of repentance is the responsibility of all people, both Native and non-Native members of The United Methodist Church.

• Contrary to popular opinion, there are Native Americans in New York state – over 100,000 Native Americans.

• Native Americans need to be represented uniquely – not as part of a broad racial/ethnic conglomeration.

We affirm the existence of the Upper

New York Committee on Native American Ministries to represent Native Americans and promote Native American Ministry Sunday.

• We lament that fewer than 40 percent of the local churches have Local Church Representatives. The Local Church Representatives are essential to maintaining communication between our local churches and the Committee on Native American Ministries.

• We affirm Upper New York’s beginning efforts to seek and include several Native Americans on Conference boards.

• Understanding of historical trauma and its current effects is an important perspective in repenting.

Respectfully submitted, UNY CONAM Kae Wilbert, chairperson

historic Native removals. We have watched them faithfully serve the call of Christ Jesus, often times in the face of great obstacles as they sought recovery from historical trauma.

Over the course of our service to the church, we have labored diligently to listen, enact, encourage and fulfill our calling to our Native community, celebrating both our indigenous and Christian identities. In recent years we have witnessed demanding and destructive burdens placed upon Native American churches, fellowships and ministries which threaten the survival of a Native American presence within the UMC. Ministry with poor people in the U.S. most assuredly includes the ministry of Native American disciples and ministry with Native American communities In some cases, clergy and lay ministers have devotedly served pulpits while receiving only love offerings that would not provide even a tank of gas. This happened not only in the past, but continues today. We walk in the footsteps of our grandmothers and grandfathers who served and continue to serve as Sunday school teachers, lay lead-

ers and vacation Bible school leaders, giving every penny and every ounce of strength to their churches and ministries. They do so as a way of honoring the Creator and ensuring that their ministry survives into future generations. More directly put, our ancestors lived sacrificial lives for the sake of the Gospel, and for the survival of the Native American presence in this denomination.

At the same time we have witnessed faithful leaders coming forth to serve, only to be disillusioned by the systemic pressures of the institutional church. These pressures are rooted in the dynamics of what constitutes being “church” in United Methodism. The church institution often seems to define who is worthy of being part of the UMC as measured against financial reports, apportionment figures and year-end reports. Our presence in the UMC is in danger of being extinguished because we cannot meet certain criteria and vital definitions required by our denomination. Additionally, Christianity, as missionized to indigenous peoples across the centuries, continues to exist in a historical vacuum

without acknowledgement of the cultural backdrop documenting its evolution and relevance to most Native Americans today. These burdens have squeezed Native Ministries to the point of erosion and have destabilized the effectiveness of the UMC to witness to the power of the Gospel.

We write this letter now with hope of awakening our church from its slumber.

Today, environmental, cultural and economic injustice threaten the ongoing survival of indigenous peoples throughout the world and clearly represent a threat to Native peoples in the U.S., and the presence of Native peoples in the UMC. We are the peoples to which our Creator saw fit to entrust this sacred land. We are the nations John Wesley believed were worthy sons and daughters of God when he began his ministry in Georgia. While we are concerned with our continued presence in this country, we are also concerned about our long term presence in United Methodism.

This is a crucial time in the life of The United Methodist Church. We have now recognized that sometimes slowly, and sometimes by leaps and bounds, our numbers in the U.S. have dwindled. We, as Native Christians, also know how it feels to see our people in decline. We believe this is a time when our UMC can make a vital difference in the lives of our families, communities and nations; and we, your indigenous brothers and sisters, can offer our wisdom and gifts to the UMC, if we cultivate and tend our partnership.

As you are aware, our denomination has entered a time of working toward healing relationships with Native American and indigenous peoples through an Act of Repentance (AOR) at the 2012 General Conference.

It is our denomination’s attempt at correcting the harms and trauma that have been and continue to be inflicted upon indigenous communi-

ties. We have had conversations and questions from some of our brothers and sisters in annual conferences who are earnestly working on their own journeys toward services of repentance. We have also heard of unreasonable pressures related to AOR activities being placed upon some of our annual conference Committees on Native American Ministries (CONAM’s), Native American clergy and laity, and Native American Ministries in general.

Because we feel this is an urgent matter, we are sharing these recommendations with the UMC for its work surrounding AOR activities and the work related to Native American Ministries: 1. An AOR Service of Repentance is only a starting point for Annual Conferences, not the end. Bishops, Cabinets and annual conferences must realize that there can be no timeline to “complete” this work.

This will be an ongoing task of the United Methodist Church 2. Any AOR actions must be conducted in communication with Native American peoples within each annual conference. This can be done with CONAM’s, Native American churches and fellowships, Native American organizations and/or local tribal communities. (It is inaccurate and insufficient to say, “we have no Native Americans in our conference”).

Annual conference commissions on archives and history should provide leadership in this effort as well.

3. It is inappropriate and even sinful to insist that the Native American community plan this work for the annual conferences. Any actions of repentance must be led by the nonNative American leadership of the annual conference, including the provision of financial support for meetings, trainings, publications, etc. that the conference deems necessary.

4. The structures and organizations of the church must recognize it is inappropriate to telescope Native American Ministries under the broad-

“We write this letter now with hope of awakening our church from its slumber.”

er umbrella of “Racial-Ethnic Ministries”, assigning this crucial ministry to a single person who in many cases is not a Native American. It is the purpose of conference CONAM’s to “... determine the distribution of the Native American Ministries Sunday offering, coordinate the promotion of Native American Ministries Sunday, and monitor Native American ministries within the annual conference.” (¶654) If the work of the CONAM is relegated to a single person under the umbrella of “Racial Ethnic Ministries” or “Connectional Table” structures, how can the Disciplinary directive be appropriately carried out? It is particularly important that Native American United Methodist persons be engaged in this work or we find ourselves back in all-toofamiliar situations where non-Natives make decisions for Native people related to the creation and conduct of Native ministries.

Additionally, it is outside the letter and intent of The Book of Discipline to combine gifts given through the Native American Ministries Sunday Offering with the wider field of Racial Ethnic Ministries or Connectional Table funding decisions, or to insist that these funds be used for AOR work in annual conferences. In many conferences this offering constitutes the entire budget for ministry with Native Americans. Annual conference participation in the promotion of Native American Ministries Sunday is essential for both the actual realized funding that it provides, but also symbolically for the sense of affirmation offered to Native Americans inside and outside of the UMC. 5. Engaging in repentance for historic and contemporary actions against indigenous peoples must include a plan for restoration of right relationship with Native Americans in each conference. Examples of what might be included in such a plan are: • to work toward fully implementing ¶654 including the identification of a representative to advocate for Native American awareness within the local church/charge; • encouraging churches to give to Native American Ministries Sunday; in this way, there are funds within the conference to strengthen and initiate new Native ministries; • investing in resources related to unyumc.org 11

Native Americans which may enrich the conference’s “lending library” for local churches; • including Native American representation on conference boards and committees; • and, when a local church is closed by the conference, explore all the ways the physical property may be used to benefit Native Americans such as leasing properties to CONAMs or other Native groups, designating proceeds of property sales for new or existing Native churches/ministries, and/or deeding property back to indigenous nations, etc. Conference Native Americans must participate in these critical discussions and decisions.

6. Annual Conferences must develop a process for the education of local churches regarding Native Americans and the related history within their conference boundaries.

Annual conference commissions on archives and history should provide leadership in this effort. Archivists and historians found in universities and colleges and resource persons

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from Departments of Native American Studies can also provide valuable information.

7. The United Methodist Church must acknowledge and respond to the real and recurring trauma experienced by Native American communities, honoring the continued hope we maintain in our People, in our call and in our Creator.

We pray that our letter and our recommendations are received in the same Spirit with which they are offered – the Spirit of Hope. It is our greatest fear that this repentance movement will be only token in nature, not producing any tangible change and resulting in the continued erosion of our presence, even until our light as part of The United Methodist Church is extinguished.

A more detailed document related to many of the issues raised in this letter, The Study on Native American Evangelism and Discipleship, is planned for publication in the fall of 2014, written by Rev. Anita Phillips. Ms. Cynthia Kent is available for consultation related to advocacy and organi-

zation of CONAM’s within conferences and jurisdictions. Additionally, Rev. Chebon Kernell has the specific responsibility to work with Bishops and annual conferences in the work of AOR and is available for consultation. A Tool Kit for AOR is available through his office.

With the sincerest blessings for the work at hand, Rev. Anita Phillips Executive Director Comprehensive Plan Phone: (918) 686-8444 Email: anita.oimc@gmail.com Ms. Cynthia Kent Chairperson, Native American International Caucus Phone: (973) 751-1857 Email: njcyndi@live.com Rev. Chebon Kernell Executive Director Native American/Indigenous Ministries, GBGM Phone: (405) 274-4146 Email: gkernell@umcmission.org

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By Beth DiCocco, Writer/Editor

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bethdicocco@unyumc.org

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UNY Leaders continue work with the FACT team

By Stephen J. Hustedt, Director of Communications

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nce again leadership from around the Upper New York Conference gathered with some of the brightest minds in the general agencies of The United Methodist Church on Nov. 22, 2014 as a part of the Financial Advisory Consulting

Team (FACT) process. The previous meeting was Sept. 13 following a series of one-on-one phone interviews over the summer.

At the Nov. 22 meeting all the other work that had been done began to take form with 20 recommendations in five areas being introduced.

The recommendations were in the areas of: Leadership United Methodist Ethos Trust

stevehustedt@unyumc.org

Financial Resources Communication However, this introduction was only the beginning of the work for the day.

Upon hearing the recommendations, those gathered broke into small groups to work on perfecting the elements and the language. The results of that work will be collected and incorporated into the continuing work.

As the day neared its end, the work being done around visioning and leadership in many different arenas began to come into focus. An early draft of the FACT report was shared with the leaders and Upper New York Bishop Mark J. Webb set the context.

“I want you to understand that the document you are receiving is the coming together of two bodies of work,” explained Bishop Webb.

“The first is the extensive research and knowledge of our friends at the general agencies. The second is the Mission Map (the strategic plan

introduced at Annual Conference 2014) that we have been working on as a Conference for over a year and a half.”

In fact, the visioning work around outcomes from the Conference Leadership Team, the information gathered at district gatherings with the bishop, and countless other bits of information that have been gathered for the Mission Map are being merged with the in-depth research and brainstorming that has taken place as a part of the FACT process.

The end result will be a final report that will cast a vision for the Upper New York Conference into the future. That report will be available to all in 2015.

“This process has allowed us to acknowledge our reality, but more importantly our potential as the Church of Jesus Christ,” Bishop Webb said. “God is indeed at work in our lives and through our shared ministry and the Holy Spirit is leading us to even greater things!”

If you missed the first article that outlined the Financial Advisory Consulting Team (FACT) process, you can find it on our website at www.unyumc.org/news/ detail/2008.

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Conference Leadership Team transitions to looking at outcomes

By Stephen J. Hustedt, Director of Communications stevehustedt@unyumc.org

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he Conference Leadership Team (CLT) began its fall work by watching the video How Wolves Change Rivers. The video tells the story of the dramatic changes that occurred from reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone National Park in 1995.

The introduction of a small number of wolves changed the behavior of deer and other species, which allowed vegetation to grow along rivers, more species to thrive, and new ecological niches to emerge. Eventually, the introduction of those few wolves resulted dramatic changes to how the rivers themselves flowed.

“The learning the video provides, based upon the new realities the wolves introduction into Yellowstone National Park, speaks powerfully to the potential of our Conference Leadership Team,” said the Rev. John Martin, pastor at the Adirondack Community Church in Lake Placid and a new member of the CLT. “While the wolves did not have direct contact with the rivers, the vegetation and the aquatic life, their presence positively impacted all three.”

The video was used as in introduction to a new direction for the CLT as it transitioned to an operational team that focusses primarily on outcomes. Operational teams are: • Adaptive in their work • Small (three-12 members) • Ongoing and organic • Regularly learning together • Meeting at least eight hours per month Further, the CLT is the connecting team of the Conference. There was agreement among those gathered that they have not always functioned as an operational team, but that it would be the best way for them to function going forward.

“The Conference Leadership Team serves as the executive body that helps the system of the Annual Con-

introduced at Annual Conference a strategic plan for the future. With examination the CLT agreed that the outcomes needed to be refined and in some cases changed. The work of refining the outcomes began that day, but will continue in small group settings, at the next meeting, and throughout the year.

The second fall meeting of the CLT was a joint meeting with the Extended Cabinet. Those gathered continued the work started at the first meeting of the fall, going deeper into the idea of what the “wolves” might be for the Upper New York Conference. A model was introduced suggesting the one thing that needed to be introduced more than anything else was Christian leaders. The harder work would follow that meeting as

ference to engage, equip and empower local churches to be in ministry, encourage and develop transformational leaders, and build relationships with our neighbors,” said CLT member Bethany Printup-Davis. “As the CLT, we have the opportunity to introduce change into our environment. Like the wolves, are there people or ideas that have been absent or not introduced for 70 years? Can the good, bad, or indifferent realities be acknowledged and united by our love for Christ? Just as it was strategically planned and focused to reintroduce wolves back into Yellowstone, there must be a plan to nourish our Conference mission and ministries ... and in order to do that, we need to help leaders shape actual outcomes that require clear strategies to move toward identifiable and measureable changes.”

With the vision cast, the CLT began looking at the difference between intentions, priorities, and Conference Leadership Team members, from left, outcomes.

Commission on Religion and Race representative “An outcome is a Barbara Heise, Conference Lay Leader Scott Johnclear and measurable son, and the Rev. Bill Mudge, Adirondack District difference that, if acSuperintendent. Photo by Christian Vischi complished, will align with the identified both the Extended Cabinet and the priority and produce an intentional CLT would look at how to discover, change that will move the Church develop and deploy leaders so that another step closer to accomplishing they might be able to make disciples the missional intention,” Bishop Mark for the transformation of the world.

J. Webb shared. “Our work is to help “We don’t know where the Spirit leaders (the Conference) shape actual is leading us yet, but we know it’s the outcomes, which require clear strate- start of something big,” said Bishop gies to move toward identifiable and Webb. “Just as people tried to stop measurable changes. The work of the introduction of the wolves in outcomes is where the rubber finally Yellowstone because they feared the meets the road.” unknown, people will try to stop The CLT then divided up the work change in our Conference. But we of looking at the outcomes stated in are not a people of fear. We are a the Conference Mission Map with people of faith. God has big plans for a critical eye. The Mission Map was us!”

Watch the How Wolves Change Rivers video at http://tinyurl.com/HWCRVideo

unyumc.org 21

A life-changing journey in Malawi As part of the Upper New York Conference’s campaign to support Africa University and Imagine No Malaria through Africa 360, we regularly feature stories by or about Conference members who have a heart for ministry in Africa. In this story, Carmen F.S. Vianese, director of Lay Servant Ministries for the Conference, shares her story of traveling to Malawi with the General Board of Global Ministries.

By Carmen F.S. Vianese

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or the past two years, I have had the privilege to serve as one of the directors of the General Board of Global Ministries.

Board members come from the U.S., Europe and Latin America as well as from the many parts of the Central Conference. We are laity, clergy, bishops, Vianese and district superintendents, as well as diverse men and women that are dedicated to overseeing and running one of The United Methodist Church’s mission arms throughout the global village.

Like many agencies of The United Methodist Church, the Board of Directors for GBGM has downsized (from 95 to 35 directors). Operating with a board one-third its previous size means much work needs to be done by each board member; most of us cover two to three sections of oversight for GBGM. I serve on the Financial Board and the Communication and Publishing Board, as well as act as the Vice Chair of the United Methodist Development Fund (UMDF is The UMC’s Loan Office).

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As part of the new structure, it was determined that the board needs to be more than a group that gathers in New York City for meetings or on conference calls throughout the year, as we handle the operations and decisions of UMCOR, UMDF, Advance Projects, Giving Tuesday, etc. We need to be connected to the whole United Methodist Church, locally and globally, as sisters and brothers in a true ubuntu fashion of community.

Because of this new mindset, the board voted that two teams of directors would go and be with United Methodist leaders, churches, outreach programs (Advance Projects), and members within the Central Conference. We planned to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and Malawi. Due to the health concerns in northwest Africa, the Sierra Leone visit was cancelled.

The trip to the Congo took place in August 2014.

On Oct. 4, 2014, I had the honor to travel with seven other board members and two GBGM staffers to Lilongwe, Malawi, for eight days of connectional partnering, visiting, meetings with official governmental leaders from Malawi, and face to face

fellowship with the amazing people of The United Methodist Church of Malawi.

We were guided through Malawi

by Daniel Mhone, the Conference Superintendent of the Provisional UM Conference, and Daniel “Kabu” Kabunduri, the Director of Connectional Ministry of the Provisional Conference. We traveled many miles every day, as we visited and talked to leaders of several of our Advance Projects within Malawi, like the ZOE Project and a health clinic.

During one of our days, we traveled 100 miles to the Mangulama United Methodist Church, where we were greeted with exuberant singing and dancing from many, many children. We were introduced to a special song with the chorus: “Tiri nganganga naye, si ti bwerera mbuyo,” which means “cling to the cross.”

The first church building and school in the village were destroyed in a tropical storm, but the community was undaunted and continued their ministries in makeshift buildings while planning to rebuild.

The new church is an impressive display of creativity and resource-

fulness. Costing a mere $23,000, it is ventilated with a covered porch, allowing cool air from the outside to push the warmer air out. The vents near the ceiling have mosquito netting to provide safe air during the evenings. There is also a solar panel on the rooftop that provides energy for the entire building. The church roof was installed on Christmas Eve, and the first worship service was held that night.

The women’s committee (UMW of Malawi) has a special ministry through the Mangulama UMC for those affected by HIV/AIDS. They work on mechanized knitting machines to create products like layettes, sweaters and scarves, which are then sold to help support the ministry. In this way, the ministry is fast becoming a self-sustaining training and skill-building project.

The nursery school at Mangulama follows the Malawi national curriculum, and has many students. For us, the younger children repeated introductions per request of their teachers, along with reciting the alphabet, numbers, and days of the week, while the older Sunday school children performed as a choir and shared Scripture on the story of Jonah.

Our time in Malawi was blessed with passionate worship, personal testimonies, face-to-face conversations with church members and community children, and local foods prepared by the women of the

churches and even the Conference Superintendent’s family when we enjoyed an evening in his home.

The churches are alive and vibrant. The praising of our Lord is genuine, joyful, and visionary. The Advance Projects and outreach programs are making a difference in people’s lives, but they hardly touch the surface of the real need. The poverty in Malawi is overwhelming and the need is great. More resources as well as missionaries are needed to work in partnership with the leaders and people of Malawi.

I encourage you to think about

giving to one of the Advance Projects of Malawi and help support the United Methodists of Malawi in their mission outreach and training programs. With help, this provisional conference may fulfill its dream of becoming a self-sufficient Conference.

Below, please find a list of Advance Projects/Missionaries and their numbers for your gracious giving. Thank you for your consideration, and I also covet your prayers as I continue to serve you and The United Methodist Church through my work with Global Ministries.

ADVANCE PROJECTS FOR MALAWI Advance Project #00203A: Malawi Provisional Annual Conference www.tinyurl.com/APMPAC Advance Project #3021416: Leadership Development – educating/training laity and clergy as part of the capacity building program www.tinyurl.com/CapBldgProg Advance Project #3021415: Alleviation of Poverty – providing food, modern farming methods, and agri-training for communities www.tinyurl.com/AllevofPov

Advance Project #982023: ZOE: Helping Children Help Themselves – empowering vulnerable children to overcome poverty through a three-year empowerment program www.tinyurl.com/ZOEHCHT Ujereh, Karen Johnson – Missionary Advance #10918Z Karen Johnson Ujereh is serving as director of the United Methodist Malawi Microfinance Program, based in Blantyre, Malawi.

Advance Project #3021414: Church Development – building new churches, parsonages, and training laity in leadership www.tinyurl.com/ChurchDev

Mhone, Bethel – Missionary Advance #3022004

Advance Project #3021417: Good Nutrition & Community Health – improving the health and nutrition of those living with HIV/AIDS www.tinyurl.com/GoodNCH

Bethel Mhone is a Global Mission Fellow of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, serving a two-year term of service. She was commissioned in July 2014.

Ujereh

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Fall Gatherings ‘a blast’, MOP youth selected

By Katie Shumway

T

he past two weekends have been a blast for the Upper New York Conference youth! We had very successful back-to-back Fall Gatherings at the Schenectady First United Methodist Church from Nov. 14-15, 2014 (East), and then at the Aldersgate UMC from Nov. 21-22 (West).

All the youth who attended had a great time in worship as well as during our new workshops such as Searching Mission Shumway of Peace, Searching God, and even Searching Dance!

We had a lot of very awesome workshop leaders and guest speakers who went out of their way to attend our gatherings, as well as an amazing band, Lovequest, who spent both gatherings helping us to grow closer to God through the gift of song and dance. Thanks to all those who participated in this year’s Fall Gatherings; we hope to see you again this April at our biggest event of the year, UP!WORD 2015! UP!WORD will be held April 24-26 in Syracuse.

Mission of Peace In other news, the youth who have been selected to represent the Upper New York Conference in the 2015 Mission of Peace will be heading to India in just a few short weeks! On Dec. 28, 2014, and the days leading up to their departure, please keep the following youth in your prayers as they embark on this life changing experience: Riley O’Flynn J.J. Warren Kara Tenpas Elliott Lawrence Makenzie Knowlden If you are a freshman, sophomore, or junior in high school and you are interested in applying for next year’s trip to China, keep your eyes peeled

24 UNY ADVOCATE HOLIDAYS 2014

for new information on our webpage about how to apply and when you can be interviewed.

UP!WORD The GO committee is planning a special Art Gallery at next year’s UP!WORD. If you have any art that symbolizes or brings meaning to this year’s theme, “Searching God,” you can contact the Rev. Ted Anderson, Genesee Valley District Superintendent, via email at ted@crcds.edu or by phone at (585) 340-9525. Send us your art with your name, age, and church so that we can display your artwork in the gallery (and know who to return it to at the end of the event).

Adult Co-Coordinator If you have been called as a youth leader and have a passion for working with youth in ministry, consider applying as the co-coordinator of

Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM). The CCYM is seeking new leadership and we are excited to invite you to join us in bringing together the youth of the Conference to worship God. You can find more information about how to apply for this position at www.unyumc.org/ news/detail/1989.

Follow CCYM As a CCYM, we will be meeting again this January 2015 to finish our plans and ideas for UP!WORD this spring. We hope to see you all there, but in the meantime, let’s keep in touch on Twitter at @UNYYouth and on Facebook at UNYYouth.

Also, be sure to check out the pictures from the fall events on our Instagram page at UNYYouth.

Shumway is chair of the CCYM PowerPoint and Publicity Team.

unyumc.org 25

IN BRIEF

Jackson elected as the new UNY Trustees president The Upper New York Conference Board of Trustees has elected new officers, including a new board president, Pastor John A. Jackson. He replaces Deborah Byers, who chose not to seek another term. Jackson is semi-retired, maintaining a limited solo law and dispute-resolution practice. He is also a local licensed pastor who serves quarter time at the North Harmony United Methodist Church. “Although this is an Jackson interesting and demanding time (to step into the role), I am honored,” said Jackson, who said he gave the nomination “much prayerful thought.”

Conference hires receptionist/ support services clerk Sha’keyla Jackson has been hired as the Conference’s Receptionist/Support Services Clerk. She began her work with the Conference on Nov. 3. She reports to Vicki L. Putney, Conference Director of Human Resources/Benefits. Jackson can be reached via email at Shakeyla Jackson@unyumc.org.

Advocate wins UMAC awards Each year, the United Methodist Association of Communicators (UMAC) recognizes excellence in communication through an extensive awards program. During the 2014 UMAC Awards Gala, held Oct. 24, 2014 in Savannah, Ga., the Upper New York Advocate took home third place in the newspaper and electronic publication categories. The Advocate was adjudicated against submissions from other annual conferences and local churches.

Conference Director of Communications Stephen J. Hustedt and Multimedia/Web Coordinator Ashley Riddell present an award during the 2014 UMAC Awards Gala. Photos by Arthur McClanahan 26 UNY ADVOCATE HOLIDAYS 2014

Marshalls welcome baby girl Upper New York Conference Human Resources Generalist Debi Marshall and her husband, Rich, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Eliana Marshall, who was born at 1:59 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2014. She weighed 6 pounds 5.5 ounces and was 19.25 inches long.

DiCocco hired to lead communications for NEC Upper New York Writer/Editor Beth DiCocco has been hired as the New England Conference’s Director of Communications, starting Jan. 5, 2015.

In her new role, DiCocco will be overseeing all facets of communications in the New England Conference.

DiCocco’s team will include a data coordinator and a communications associate who oversees the New England Conference’s website and video lab.

“We are very proud of Beth, and I’m personally thrilled that she will be able to continue her ministry in this way,” said Stephen J. Hustedt, Upper New York Conference Director of Communications. “Beth is an extremely talented and passionate person. She will be a great gift for the New England Conference.”

DiCocco has served as Upper New York’s Writer/ Editor since April 4, 2011. Her duties for the Conference include writing and editing articles for the website and the Conference’s monthly print publication, the Advocate.

Her final day with Upper New York will be Dec. 19.

Read the full article online at www.unyumc.org/ news/detail/2031.

Annual Conferences ratify Constitutional amendments OKLAHOMA CITY (UMNS) – Annual conference members around the world have ratified all four amendments to The United Methodist Church’s constitution.

The Council of Bishops certified the votes on the amendments approved by the 2012 General Conference.

One amendment removes the requirement that General Conference – the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly and the only body that can speak for the Church – meet in April or May. The body still will meet every four years.

The assembly will likely remain in the spring at least until 2024, since the 2016 General Conference has been scheduled for May 10-20 in Portland, Ore., and 2020 General Conference is scheduled for May 5-15 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Read about the other three amendments online at http:// tinyurl.com/UMCCon Amend.

Remembrances J

ames Douglas Houmiel, 68, died on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, after a long illness. He was the husband of Linda Houmiel, clergy care assistant who has served the Upper New York Conference and the former North Central New York conference for more than 18 years.

Condolences can be sent to 5811 Noel Road, Cicero, N.Y. 13039. Read the full obituary at http://tinyurl.com/ Houmiel112014.

“ ... ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:15-16

serves the Maynard and West Schuyler UMCs. Condolences can be sent to Peter and Cindy Makarchuk, 233 Ransom Ave., Sherrill, N.Y. 13461. Read the full obituary at http://tinyurl.com/Makarchuk110414.

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eta M. Karan, 86, died on Nov. 1, 2014. She was the widow of the Rev. John P. Karan; he died Dec. 6, 2011. Read the full obituary at http://tinyurl. com/Karan110114.

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arry Maines, 93, died on Nov. 15, 2014.

His first wife was the Rev. Barbara Maines, who served in the former Western New York Conference. In 1983, she was only the ninth woman in the denomination to be appointed a district superintendent; she served the Olean District. She died in an automobile accident in 1985. Condolences can be sent to his family at 1037 Roosevelt Highway, Lyndonville, N.Y. 14098. Read the full obituary at http://tinyurl.com/ Maines111514.

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hyllis Albrecht, 69, died on Nov. 6, 2014.

She was the wife of retired local pastor Joseph Albrecht. Condolences can be sent to: P.O. Box 1847 Route 69, Camden, N.Y. 13316. Read the full obituary at http://tinyurl.com/Albrecht110614.

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ev. Richard Elliott, 74, died on Nov. 6, 2014. He served churches in Vesper, McGraw, Blodgett Mills, Freetown, Minneto, and Webb Mills. He also served as chaplain at the Elmira and Butler Correctional facilities.

Condolences can be sent to his wife, Ruth, at 50 Fairwood Drive, Apt. 349, Rochester, N.Y. 14623. Read the full obituary at http://tinyurl.com/Elliott110614.

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aul Makarchuk, Sr., 87, died on Nov. 4, 2014. He was the father-in-law of Pastor Cindy Makarchuk who

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ev. Joseph A. Fiske, 92, died on Oct. 26, 2014. He served several churches in the former Wyoming Conference including New Berlin, Greene, Sand Hill, and Unadilla Center UMCs, and First and Elm Park UMCs in Oneonta and he also served on the Wyoming Conference Education Committee and the Sky Lake Camp and Retreat Center’s Board of Directors. Online condolences can be shared at www.johnstonfh.com.

Read the full obituary at http://tinyurl.com/ Fiske102614.

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ev. Charles “Charlie” Hess III, 79, died on Oct. 24, 2014. Rev. Hess, who retired in 2000, served churches in Caton, Dresden, Union Springs, Clyde, Geneva, and Corning. He was the Chemung Valley District Superintendent from 1986 to 1992. Condolences can be sent to his wife, Betty, at 2683 Riter Road, Corning, N.Y. 14830. Read the full obituary at http://tinyurl. com/Hess102414.

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llen Stanton, surviving spouse of the Rev. David O. Stanton, died on Oct. 19, 2014. Rev. Stanton served churches in the former Northern New York and North Central conferences before retiring in 1996; he died in 2013. Condolences can be sent to her son David Stanton at 2441 Pleasantview Road, New Brighton, Minn. 55112.

Apply now for ethnic/minority young adult summer internship

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he 2015 Ethnic Young Adult (EYA) summer internship in social justice is a program for persons, ages 18-22 from United Methodist racial/ethnic minority caucuses and Central Conferences, who have an interest in exploring issues of public policy, social justice advocacy and social change. The placement of the interns is in the U.S. capital.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2015.

Sponsored by the General Board

of Church & Society (GBCS) and the denomination’s Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group, the summer internship, May 27Aug. 1, is for young adults representing the five ethnic minority caucuses of The United Methodist Church: Native Americans, Pacific-Islanders, Hispanic/ Latinos, African Americans and Asian Americans. Applicants must be full members in The United Methodist Church.

Applicants must be in good academic standing at their college or university, and demonstrate evidence of their concern for social justice.

More details about the internship and application forms are available at the 2015 Ethnic Young Adult Internship page at http://tinyurl.com/ EYA15APP. The recommendation form is available at http://tinyurl. com/EYA15REC. For more information, contact the Rev. Neal Christie at GBCS at (202) 488-5611 or eya@umc-gbcs.org. unyumc.org 27

CAMP & RETREAT

UPCOMING RETREATS & EVENTS Date

Retreat/Event

Site/Web Address

Camp Echo

Casowasco www.casowasco.org

Jan. 4-6, 2015

Special Needs Winter Retreat

Sky Lake www.skylakecenter.org

Jan. 9-11, 2015

Youth Winter Weekend

Asbury www.asburyuny.org

Jan. 16-19, 2015

Family Winter Weekend I

Sky Lake www.skylakecenter.org

Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2015

SOLID

Casowasco www.casowasco.org

Feb. 6-8, 2015

SOLID

Casowasco www.casowasco.org

Feb. 6-8, 2015

Senior High Youth Winter Weekend

Sky Lake www.skylakecenter.org

Feb. 13-16, 2015

Family Winter Weekend II

Sky Lake www.skylakecenter.org

March 6-8, 2015

Women’s Chocolate Getaway

Casowasco www.casowasco.org

March 13-15, 2015

Fellows of the Forest

Sky Lake www.skylakecenter.org

March 20-21, 2015

UNY Conference-Wide Confirmation Retreat

Asbury, Casowasco, Findley and Sky Lake

March 26-29, 2015

Quilt By Faith

Casowasco www.casowasco.org

Rejuvenate: As Spring Ladies of the Lake Experience

Sky Lake www.skylakecenter.org

May 10, 2015

Mother’s Day Brunch

Aldersgate, Casowasco and Findley

May 16, 2015

Spring Volunteer Work Day

Aldersgate www.aldersgateny.org

Dec. 30, 2014-Jan. 1, 2015

April 10-12, 2015

28 UNY ADVOCATE HOLIDAYS 2014

his Christmas, give the gift that will change a life. Camp and Retreat Ministries is now offering two gift certificates. One is for you to give to your children, grandchildren, or others you know to send them to camp (pictured above). The other is a donation to the scholarship fund (pictured below) – the perfect gift to give in honor of others! For more information, call (315) 424-7878, ext. 309.

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Turn the page to find out how you can make a difference in a young person’s life next summer!

unyumc.org 29

How to reach us BISHOP’S OFFICE

CONFERENCE OFFICE

Upper New York Area Episcopal Office of The United Methodist Church 324 University Ave., 3rd Floor, Syracuse, N.Y. 13210 Phone: (315) 422-5027 Fax: (315) 422-5304

Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church 324 University Ave., 3rd Floor, Syracuse, N.Y. 13210 Phone: (315) 424-7878; toll free: (855) 424-7878 Fax: (315) 424-0975

Adirondack District District Superintendent William Mudge PO Box 590 – 54 Bay St. Glens Falls, N.Y. 12801 (518) 480-4866 Email: AdirondackDistrict@unyumc.org

Finger Lakes District District Superintendent Jeffrey McDowell 1 Franklin Square, Suite 213 Geneva, N.Y. 14456 (315) 781-0188 Fax: (315) 781-0199 Email: FingerLakesDistrict@unyumc.org

Niagara Frontier District District Superintendent K. Wayne Butler 247 Cayuga Road, Suite 70 Cheektowaga, N.Y. 14225 (716) 276-8631 Fax: (716) 276-8632 Email: NiagaraFrontier@unyumc.org

Genesee Valley District District Superintendent Ted Anderson 1100 South Goodman St. Rochester, N.Y. 14620 (585) 340-9525 Fax: (585) 340-9526 Email: GeneseeValleyDistrict@unyumc.org

Northern Flow District District Superintendent Rebekah Sweet PO Box 208 – 93 E. Main St. Gouverneur, N.Y. 13642 (315) 535-5149 Fax: (315) 535-5151 Email: NorthernFlowDistrict@unyumc.org

Binghamton District District Superintendent Dr. David Kofahl 53 McKinley Ave. Endicott, N.Y. 13760 (607) 748-0662 Fax: (607) 748-0549 Email: BinghamtonDistrict@unyumc.org

Mohawk District District Superintendent Dr. Sung Ho Lee 105 Genesee St. New Hartford, N.Y. 13413 (315) 797-1777 Fax: (315) 797-5702 Email: MohawkDistrict@unyumc.org

Oneonta District District Superintendent Jan Rowell PO Box 668 – 66 Chestnut St. Oneonta, N.Y. 13820 (607) 441-5102 Fax: (607) 441-5102 Email: OneontaDistrict@unyumc.org

Cornerstone District District Superintendent Dr. Sherri Rood 663 Lakeview Ave. Jamestown, N.Y. 14701 (716) 665-2423 Fax: (716) 665-3763 Email: CornerstoneDistrict@unyumc.org

Mountain View District District Superintendent Nancy Adams 65 E. First St. Corning, N.Y. 14830 (607) 962-8047 Fax: (607) 962-8045 Email: MountainViewDistrict@unyumc.org

Albany District District Superintendent Richard Weihing 568 Loudon Road Latham, NY 12110 FOR MAIL: PO Box 511 Newtonville, N.Y. 12128 (518) 608-1246 Email: AlbanyDistrict@unyumc.org

Crossroads District District Superintendent Darryl R. Barrow 324 University Ave., 3rd Floor Syracuse, N.Y. 13210 (315) 422-2288 Fax: (315) 424-0975 Email: CrossroadsDistrict@unyumc.org 30 UNY ADVOCATE HOLIDAYS 2014

On the Conference calendar Dec. 24-25

March 20-21, 2015

Christmas Eve & Day

Confirmation Retreat

Conference Office Closed

At the following Upper New York Camp & Retreat Centers: Asbury Casowasco Findley Sky Lake

Jan. 1, 2015

New Year’s Day

Conference Office Closed Jan. 10, 2015

GBCS grants deadline The deadline to apply for a Peace with Justice, Human Relations Day and Ethnic Local Church grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society is Jan. 10, 2015. umc-gbcs.org/press-releases

Jan. 13, 2015

Ministry Shares due The final deadline for remittance of ministry shares and direct-billed amounts to be credited to the 2014 calendar year is 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2014. All amounts must be in the hands of the Finance Ministry Area in the Syracuse office to be considered received. Amounts received after this time will reduce a church’s outstanding amount owed, but will not be used for statistical or reporting purposes for the 2014 year.

GBOD webinars Each begin at 6:30 p.m. CST and are one hour long.

These online training sessions, provided by Discipleship Ministries, are made possible by support given to the World Service Fund.

Jan. 13, 2015

Church Council

http://tinyurl.com/GBOD011315

Jan. 15, 2015

SPRC overview

http://tinyurl.com/GBOD011515

Jan. 18, 2015

Human Relations Day The Human Relations Day offering provides for the nurturing of at-risk youth, strengthening communities’ self-improvement efforts, and advocating for the oppressed. http://tinyurl.com/HRD2015

Jan. 19, 2015

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Conference Office Closed

GBOD webinars Jan. 20, 2015

Nominations Committee http://tinyurl.com/GBOD012015

Jan. 22, 2015

Board of Trustees

http://tinyurl.com/GBOD012215

Registration is now open for the Conference’s first Confirmation Retreat for youth who are preparing for the sacramental rites of confirmation, reception or reaffirmation of their baptismal vows. www.unyumc.org/news/ detail/2005

Important dates for AC 2015 Feb. 15, 2015

Final day to update 2014 statistical information in EZRA system

Feb. 17, 2015

Final day for petitions and resolution to the Conference office

March 2, 2015

Final day to get Pre-Conference reports to the Conference office

March 2, 2015

AC Session registration opens

April 6, 2015

Feb. 8

Second Sundays

Sky Lake Camp & Retreat Center Sky Lake hosts Second Sundays, an every-other-month series of two-hour gatherings for youth that include games, dynamic presentations on a variety of topics, and empowering worship. www.skylakecenter.org

Anticipated publication date for the Pre-Conference Booklet

May 1, 2015

AC Session Registration ends

May 2015 - Date TBA

Pre-Conference Briefings unyumc.org 31

324 University Ave., 3rd Floor Syracuse, NY 13210

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us ... ” (Titus 2:11-14a) As a child, I couldn’t wait for the Sears Christmas Catalog to arrive in the mail. I would spend hours looking through every page, carefully marking the items I would consider asking Santa to bring. I received a lot of great Christmas gifts over the years – many I asked for, some I didn’t. In the moment, I couldn’t imagine life without them; today, there is no proof of them even existing – except in my memory.

As I grew older my focus on Christmas gifts shifted, as I turned my attention to finding the perfect gifts for family members and friends. Shopping for just the right gift to give to those I loved was an adventure, a challenge to conquer. Sometimes, it was apparent that I had indeed found a gift that was perfect; other times, not so much. But the ones I shared gifts with were always grateful, even if I missed the mark.

As we prepare for another celebration of Christmas, I hope you enjoy the tradition of giving and receiving gifts. And as you do, I pray that you will claim in a fresh way and proclaim in a bold way that you know of a gift that is perfect for everyone – a gift that will last forever – and the only gift that will truly change lives: the gift of Jesus.

As you encounter the people in your life, as you meet people where they are this Christmas season, invite

them to experience the gift of God’s amazing love offered through Jesus. Let us just as urgently seek opportunities to again experience the gift of Jesus for ourselves.

May we be courageous and generous in sharing the gift of Jesus with those who touch our lives. When the gift of Jesus is offered and received, we find love, joy, significance, and meaning will pour into our lives. It is the gift of Jesus, and Jesus alone, that will transform us, as well as the world around us.

I continue to give thanks for the opportunity to be in ministry with the people of God in the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church. You are a gift! I celebrate the many ways in which you offer all that you have SO THAT others may know that the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, and filling our lives with hope and promise.

As we share the many gifts of Christmas this year, let us not neglect to offer the gift the prophet Isaiah declared so confidently would be perfect for all of us: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Jodi, Tyler and Ben join me in wishing you a blessed and holy Christmas! May it be filled with joy and expectation! May it be centered on the perfect gift, the only gift that matters – the gift of Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

Bishop Mark J. Webb

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