Disciples News Brief
Nov. 5, 2004
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Wanda Bryant Wills, Editor
E-mail: news@cm.disciples.org

GMP SELECTION PROCESS MOVES FORWARD
Nominations are now closed for the position of General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Interviews will be conducted with candidates over the next several weeks. Two to five names will be presented to the church’s Administrative Committee in late January. That committee will then select a candidate, whose name will be forwarded to the General Board. For a timeline of the General Minister and President Search, go to http://www.disciples.org/internal/gmpsearch.htm

SOUTH CAROLINA DISCIPLES CHURCHES HOLD JOINT ASSEMBLY
“One Church. One Vision. One Body in Christ” will be the theme for Disciples churches throughout South Carolina on Nov. 12 to 14. The historic gathering will bring together “Assembly” (predominately white Disciples in S.C.) and “State Convention” (predominately black Disciples in S.C.) to one gathering, now called the South Carolina Regional Conference of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). All meetings will take place at First Christian Church, 1293 Orange Grove Rd., Charleston, S.C.

“I am humbled by the fact that folks have dared to come out of their traditions and trust one another enough to do something new,” said Sotello Long, Regional Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in South Carolina. ”We are going to be obedient to God by becoming one church, one vision, and one body in Christ.”

The conference will include ministry group sessions, a reception and communion worship.

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL OFFERING PROMOTES EDUCATION AND LEADER DEVELOPMENT
Disciples colleges, universities, and theological institutions are training more than 1,500 Disciples students to become future pastors and leaders. One such student is Meredith Smith, a student at Barton College in Wilson, N.C.

To read more about Smith and her leadership on the Barton campus, go to http://www.churchfinancecouncil.org/pages/dmf/tgiving04/pressrelease1.htm
To find out more about the Thanksgiving offering and to give online, visit the Church Finance Council website: http://www.churchfinancecouncil.org/

NATIONAL CITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH PASTOR RESIGNS
Alvin O. Jackson has announced his resignation from National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C., effective Nov. 30. Jackson, who has been at National City for more than six years, issued a letter earlier this week, stating that he is resigning as Senior Pastor of the church and President of the National City Christian Church Foundation. Jackson says he remains committed to the “vision of a radically inclusive, multi-cultural ministry,” although he now feels called to serve in a different way. For a copy of Jackson’s letter to the congregation, visit http://www.nationalcitycc.org/

DHM NAMES YOUNG ADULT COMMISSION
Disciples Home Missions has announced the formation of a Young Adult Commission to design the denomination’s ministry to young adults. The commission will initially met in February to plan its work, which will include arranging for a full schedule of young adult events at the 2005 General Assembly in Portland, Ore. in July. The group will work with young adults in the Oregon Region on the General Assembly. For more information, go to http://www.discipleshomemissions.org/WhatsNewDHM.htm

DISCIPLES LEADER RECEIVES FORD FOUNDATION AWARD
Sandra Barnhill, a member of Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, Ga., has been named a 2004 winner of the Leadership for a Changing World awards. Barnhill was among 18 awardees selected from a pool of nearly 1000 nominations. She is the Executive Director/CEO of Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers (AIM) in Atlanta.

She is also the chairperson of the Georgia Region’s Reconciliation Taskforce for the Disciples of Christ church.

Barnhill founded AIM in 1987 to address the needs of children with mothers in prison – who are five times more likely than other youth to go to prison themselves. AIM provides program and services to help the children achieve academically and socially and maintain healthy relationships with their mothers. Each awardee will receive $100,000 to advance his or her work and an additional $15,000 for supporting activities over the next two years. A full list of awardees can be found at http://www.leadershipforchange.org

TIGHT BUDGET LEADS TO STAFF CUT AT HELM
Due to an increasingly tight budget, Higher Education and Leadership Ministries regretfully has laid off a long-time employee. Kathy Carson, Director of Program Services, has been with HELM since 1989. She has overseen programs such as the Student Ecumenical Partnership and the Seminarians Conference, and she served as the liaison with several ecumenical student ministry groups. Carson's departure will be effective at the end of the year.

"This is a very, very painful decision, but I could see no other choice," said HELM President Dennis Landon. "Kathy has poured heart and mind and soul into this ministry and has given exemplary leadership to the Student Ecumenical Partnership Team, our ecumenical student ministry relationships, and the Disciples Seminarians' Conference, among other programs. All of these programs will continue to be led by HELM staff. We are absolutely committed to our ministry to and with students and to our ecumenical ties as part of our overall mission to nurture transforming leaders for the church."

For more, visit http://www.helmdisciples.org/helm/04/HELM-Carson-110304.htm

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For more information on the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) visit http://www.disciples.org.

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