In this issue:
GMP DECRIES VETO OF CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE BILL AND URGES OVERRIDE
Although President Bush vetoed a bill to reauthorize appropriations for a program that subsidizes health coverage for millions of low-income persons, the majority of whom are children, General Minister and President Sharon E. Watkins and other leaders are optimistic that members of Congress will get the votes to override the President's veto.
On Tuesday, October 2, Watkins joined members of the Sojourners/Call to Renewal Board at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to speak in favor of the bill. She called on members of Congress to override President Bush's anticipated veto of H.R. 976, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. Bush vetoed the bill the next day.
The program is a joint state-federal effort that subsidizes health coverage for 6.6 million people, mostly children, from families earning too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private medical coverage. There are 9 million uninsured children in the U.S. The bill had passed with strong bi-partisan support. It would have added $35 billion to the program over five years and extended coverage to another 4 million children. It was to be funded by increasing the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents.
In her statement delivered on Capitol Hill, Watkins noted that Disciples approved a resolution in July at the Fort Worth, Texas, General Assembly that calls on all Disciples and congregations to be advocates for children and to work to ensure health and mental health care for every child in America. "Simple human decency says no child should be left behind, Mr. President," said Watkins. "And denying health care coverage to children is leaving them behind." To read her full statement, visit:
www.disciples.org/watkins/news/2007/10/04a.asp
DISCIPLES MINISTER NOMINATED TO BE GENERAL SECRETARY OF NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
Disciples clergyman Michael Kinnamon, widely regarded as a leading voice in the ecumenical movement both nationally and in the global church, has been nominated to become the new general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA (NCC). Kinnamon is currently the Allen and Dottie Miller professor of mission and peace at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. If affirmed by NCC's Governing Board and General Assembly in November, Kinnamon will start his new position in January.
"I hope churches will engage each other in depth and with accountability," said Kinnamon. "I hope to encourage member churches to pray for one another and know one another at a deeper level than simply across a table or picket line." For more, visit: www.eden.edu/index.php/2007/10/kinnamonncc.html
RECONCILIATION OFFERING HELPS DISCIPLES ADDRESS INJUSTICE
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has a history dating from the 1970s of sharing the Church's resources to address the racism of society and the racism within the Church. This process has been called Reconciliation Mission. The witness and support of this shared ministry for racial justice and reconciliation by Disciples enables the Church to live out the call of one of the core components of the Church's 2020 Vision to be a pro-reconciliation/anti-racist faith community.
As the Church grows and becomes more diverse, the Church's mission of reaching people with the saving good news of Jesus will be compromised if Disciples have not addressed the racism in their own church and communities. The Reconciliation Ministry Offering, which is received Oct. 7, provides the Church's primary support to advocate for, educate about and organize to dismantle systemic racism and oppression in Church institutions, as well as the communities the Church serves. To get more, see: www.reconciliationmission.org/offerings
CHURCH IN ORLANDO INITIATES SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR SEMINARIANS
A Disciples congregation in North Orlando, Fla., Iglesia Cristiana Hispana (Discipulos de Cristo), will initiate a new fund program to help seminary students achieve their calling to ministry. Currently, they have two students registered at the Florida Center for Theological Studies, Héctor J. Hernández and Héctor I. Santiago (son of Pastor Héctor Santiago), and by the beginning of next year three new students will be ready for seminary. The launching of this program will be on Nov. 4 at the church's location in Casselberry, Fla., a suburb of Orlando.
The seminary scholarship fund will be named "Fondo de Becas Para Seminaristas, Rev. Josue Lopez," after a retired Disciples minister from Puerto Rico who devoted 50 years to ministry. He and his wife Edith Martinez are members of Iglesia Cristiana Hispana. The General Pastor of the Disciples of Christ Church in Puerto Rico, Esteban Gonzalez-Doble, will preach during the service to launch the new program. The public is invited to join them in this event to honor God and provide for the seminary students. To learn more, visit www.discipulosdelnorte.org, which is in Spanish.
ACTING REGIONAL MINISTER NAMED FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Illinois and Wisconsin has named Associate Regional Minister Beth M. Dobyns as acting regional minister and president. Dobyns replaces Herb L. Knudsen, who had served as regional minister and president since 1998. Knudsen, who has also served as pastor at several Illinois churches, became the intentional interim minister for National Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Springfield, Mo., on Oct. 1.
Dobyns pledged to lead the region in new ways of engaging and communicating with one another. Although the clergy staff "will now be a grand total of three persons serving roughly 160 churches, the plan is to do lively, helpful ministry throughout our region, while maintaining a healthy and vital ministry," wrote Dobyns. To read more about the Christian Church in Illinois and Wisconsin, see: www.cciwdisciples.org
SPECIAL CONSULTANTS COMPLETE FIRST TRAINING CLASS
Church Extension recently conducted a three-day intensive training for the first class of New Beginnings special consultants. New Beginnings is designed to help congregations assess their strengths, mission and possible future directions. It is a process that provides intensive evaluation of a church, according to Rick Morse, vice president of Mission Initiatives and New Church Ministry for Church Extension.
Church Extension selected six Disciples for the training who will be responsible for conducting the New Beginnings services. They were chosen based on their skills in development, observation and writing. For more, go to: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07148.pdf (PDF)
DISCIPLES HOME MISSIONS WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU
Disciples Home Missions (DHM) is here to serve congregations and build up the body of Christ by providing those programs and services that strengthen congregations for mission. How are we doing? Dan Clark, acting interim president of Disciples Home Missions (DHM), seeks input from Disciples, especially those who are involved in leadership at the congregational level. He will collect and coordinate your responses in a report to the DHM Board and to the longer-term interim president, Don Shelton.
Disciples may participate by filling out a comment form and/or completing a short survey. Read Clarks' statement and submit your comments at: www.discipleshomemissions.org/DanClarkStatement.htm
Complete the survey at:
www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=zc6KvZbNriFaK6bIM3HwGw_3d_3d
HEAD OF WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES BECOMES FIRST PRESIDENT OF KENYAN COLLEGE
The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Samuel Kobia, will become the first president of the newly state chartered and recognized St. Paul’s University in Limuru, Kenya, which is near Nairobi. Kobia is a Kenyan clergyman. He remains General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) which brings together more than 340 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 100 countries and territories throughout the world, representing some 550 million Christians.
St. Paul's University in Kenya is an expansion of St. Paul's United Theological College. Kobia is a 1969 graduate of St Paul's United Theological College. Current Global Ministries missionary Phyllis Byrd has been teaching at St Paul's over the last decade. To read an article by Charles Hein, former UCC missionary at St. Paul’s, click here:
www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1967&Itemid=126
To learn more about St. Paul’s, you can visit their website at: www.stpaulslimuru.ac.ke
CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN OHIO TO INSTALL THREE REGIONAL STAFF MEMBERS
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Ohio will hold an installation service for two new regional associate pastors and a regional program minister on Oct. 7. The new regional officers will be Stephen Bentley, LaTaunya Bynum and Brenda Webster. The installation and worship celebration will take place at Northwest Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbus, Ohio.
Bentley and Bynum have been called as regional associate pastors and Webster as regional program minister. Bentley has served as interim regional associate pastor since 2005. Bynum was most recently senior pastor at Broad Street Christian Church in Columbus, and Webster leaves her position as associate pastor of children's ministry at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn. For more, visit: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07149.pdf
NCC URGES MEMBERS TO JOIN INTERFAITH 'FAST FOR PEACE' OCTOBER 8
Leaders from many religious communities are urging Americans of all faiths to fast from dawn to dusk on Oct. 8 to call for an end to the Iraq War. "This war must end!" say the religious leaders in their statement about the interfaith fast. "We must end the shattering of Iraqi and American lives by offering American generosity and support - but not control - for international and nongovernmental efforts to assist Iraqis in making peace and rebuilding their country, while swiftly and safely bringing home all American troops." To read the full NCC news statement, click here:
www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1950&Itemid=133
NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE PROFESSOR WRITES BOOK ON OLD TESTAMENT
A Northwest Christian College professor, Ronald E. Heine, has published a new book which explores the ways the Old Testament functioned in the formation of early Christian thought. Heine's book, "Reading the Old Testament with the Ancient Church," was written to increase the church's understanding of the depth of the roots of the Christian faith in the Old Testament. It is published by Baker Academic Press.
"I hope that readers of the book will come away from it with an appreciation of how important the Old Testament is to the basic elements of their faith and with new insight into ways the Old Testament might enrich their Christian walk today," said Heine. For more, go to: www.disciples.org/dns/Releases2007/07150.html
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY HELPS SPONSOR BIBLICAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
Christian Theological Seminary has teamed up with the Network of Biblical Storytellers to sponsor the telling of a number of biblical stories on Oct. 13. The event will take place at Military Park in downtown Indianapolis as part of the Hoosier Storytelling Festival, Oct. 10-13. The stage will feature Joyce Johnson and Ellen Morell telling tales of healing and talking animals, and Tracy Radosevic sharing biblical stories specifically for children. For more details, see:
editor.ne16.com/he/vo.asp?FileID=112788&MemberID=26691322&MailID=3326111
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