Title: Disciples women 'Rekindle the Flame'
Date: July 8, 1998
Disciples News Service Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
98b-39
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (DNS) -- More than 3,500 women braved unseasonably warm temperatures June 24-28 at Purdue University, while trying to "Rekindle the Flame."
In doing so, the 3,548 Disciples women and their international guests gave more than $52,000, mainly through worship offerings, to equally support Basic Mission Finance and the ministries of laywomen in the denomination. Attendees also installed new leadership for the next four years.
Josephine S. Elkins, Clintonville, Ky., and Kathy Jeffries, Nashville, Tenn., are the new president and vice president for ICWF. Their terms conclude at the 2002 assembly in Louisville, Ky. Elkins, an elder at Clintonville Christian Church, Paris, Ky., is the outgoing moderator of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kentucky and a past board member of the Division of Overseas Ministries. Jeffries, a deacon at Nashville's Gay Lea Christian Church, is past president of the Tennessee Christian Women's Fellowship and presides over the state Church Women United chapter.
The Rev. Cynthia Hale, Decatur, Ga., exhorted the women to remember "What Really Happened on Pentecost" while rekindling their spiritual flames. At Pentecost, the flames of the Holy Spirit enabled ordinary people with extraordinary potential for ministry, she said.
Many women "live impotent lives far beneath our potential," said Hale. Feelings of inadequacy, failure and pain rob women of becoming all that God intends them to be. The Holy Spirit, however, can help women fulfill their potential, she added.
The Holy Spirit can grant women "power beyond our imagination," Hale declared. That power, like dynamite, can transform fearful persons into fearless persons, said the pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church.
The Rev. Raquel Rodriguez, reading from the Rev. Ofelia Ortega Suarez's presentation, encouraged the attendees to claim their heritage while breaking down walls of paternalism. Suarez, president of Evangelical Theological Seminary, Matanzas, Cuba, was unable to address the gathering when her travel documents were stolen prior to leaving the country.
Through Rodriguez's voice, Suarez reminded the women that there is power in solidarity and that their gifts and presence in the church are vital. "We are here to affirm that every life is sacred," read the program assistant for the Common Ministry in Latin America and the Caribbean. Sacredness lies in the hearts of all people, according to Suarez.
In other action, Disciples women heard General Minister and President Richard L. Hamm articulate his vision for the denomination, experienced an interfaith approach to Bible study and commissioned six persons for overseas service.
The marks of a faithful church, Hamm said, are deep Christian spirituality, true community and a passion for justice -- expressions that correspond to Micah's words "to walk humbly with your God, to love kindness, and to do justice."
In a quadrennial forum Hamm said that devotion to spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study and reflection, and stewardship will sharpen the harmony between the "marks" and church's behavior in the world.
The Disciples leader discussed the church's work in North America, envisioning Disciples congregations working as "mission stations" in the U.S. and Canada. Hamm also shared his view on racial and cultural diversity, expressing his hopes that every Disciples congregation will undertake anti-racism training. Even if half of our congregations take part "it will make a colossal difference in the life of our church," he said.
Bible study during quadrennial found Disciples minister, the Rev. Nancy Heimer, paired with Rabbi Sandra Sasso of Indianapolis. This was the first time a rabbi has been part of the assembly program, according to the Rev. Ellen Frost, senior associate for Disciples women.
The women offered insightful observations on the texts and healthy doses of humorous commentary on the side. This novel arrangement doesn't have to end at the close of the meeting, according to Sasso.
She encouraged the women to organize similar study sessions with Jewish sisters in their home communities. Such gatherings can help women claim the scriptures together, Sasso said.
By claiming the scriptures together, "together we can come out of exile," said Heimer.
The six persons commissioned for overseas assignments were the Rev. Ana Gobledale, Zimbabwe; Helen Grant, Jerusalem; the Rev. Felix and Maria Ortiz, Honduras; and the Rev. Charles and Ruth Wallace, Haiti. Helen Grant of Indianapolis is the daughter of the Revs. Claudia and Brian Grant. Claudia served as the 1998 Quadrennial Assembly coordinator.
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