United Methodist Missionary Association

UMMA Update, February 28, 2002

Chicago Listening Event, March 2, 2002 by Transition Task Force
Spiritual Nurturing by Carolyn (Belshe) Cowen
Tell Your Mission Story and Read Your Advance Via The Internet
Missionary Gatherings and Non-Event "Georgia On My Mind"
Support for UMMA Time by Gilbert Bascom, Coordinator

1. Chicago Listening Event, March 2, 2002 by Transition Task Force

Two UMMA representatives, Norma Kehrberg, chair of the Transition Task Force and Cherie White, serving in Mexico, will attend a "Listening Event" called by the GBGM Search Committee for a new General Secretary to be held in Chicago on March 2. Although the session is for only 5 hours, it will give those attending (100 places are allotted) an opportunity to give input on the type of General Secretary and administration we feel the GBGM should have.

The UMMA representatives will also have an opportunity to meet with representatives from NADAM (National Association of Deaconesses and Missionaries) and CCW (Church & Community Workers), our fraternal organizations.

Our representatives will seek to achieve the following points:

To present a unifying approach with UMMA, NADAM, and CCW in representing missionary concerns to the Selection Committee.
To urge current directors of GBGM to catch a vision for a more collaborative and participative approach and to bring about change in the administration of the Board in line with this vision.
To urge Directors to select a General Secretary with the prerequisite skills and vision for change and willingness to transcend denominational boundaries.

The event is to be held at the Northern Illinois Conference office at the Lutheran Center on Higgins road near O'Hare airport. Let's pray that the listeners will be able to affect meaningful change.

The participants at the Chicago Listening Event from NADAM, CCW and UMMA are in the process of coming to agreement on the following items in the Selection of a General Secretary and will present these items at the March 2, 2002 Listening Event. The background for these items come from discussions with UMMA Steering Committee feedback as well as from the representatives scheduled to participate in the Chicago Listening Event. It is still under review by the participants.

GBGM Listening Event
Perspective from Mission Personnel Participants

We have been called by God to be in mission, and we are commissioned by the United Methodist Church to serve in many different places. As church and community workers, deaconesses and missionaries, we believe that mission is the essential vocation of the whole church, a collegial task that calls on all the people of God to dedicate their lives to incarnating the gospel of peace and healing that God wants for all God's children in all places. For us, it is usually a life time commitment to live in a special relationship to the church as commissioned people wherever God send us.

From our perspective as commissioned mission personnel serving the church, we have observations to offer regarding the future leadership of the mission agency of the United Methodist Church. We share our thoughts with conviction, for we are women and men passionately committed to and intimately involved with the life-changing ministries of the church around the world.

GBGM, serving as the mission agency of the church, is facing a tremendous challenge in view of world events which could result in actions which may pose a threat to all peoples. This is occurring at a time when the prophetic voice of GBGM that has guided the church in the past is now showing restraint. It is also occurring at a time of financial strain resulting in critical programs being cut, staff dismissed, and the voices of its own mission personnel and partners once valued for insight and information have been minimized, silenced or cut off.

The selection of a new General Secretary is but one crucial step in establishing a process whereby Directors of GBGM may reclaim their full responsibility to rethink and reshape the structure and organization of GBGM. The administrative style currently prohibits the active participation of its own stakeholders in providing critical input to assist the Directors in making the decisions needed for the future of mission.

As representatives of our various associations participating in the Listening Event, we appreciate having this opportunity to share specific concerns related to the leadership of GBGM in the position of the General Secretary. However, our concerns and issues go beyond the selection of new general secretary.

Selection of a New General Secretary

Consider a person with a strong commitment to a collegiate work style among all parts of GBGM including mission personnel, partner churches and other ecumenical groups with demonstrated experience in leading a large, complex organization in a participative environment. This would involve active interaction among and between GBGM directors, staff, mission personnel, mission partners, local UMC churches in the US, sister Methodist denominations and ecumenical groups around the world.
Consider a person who appreciates the skills and opinions of other people such that he or she works well in a team, encouraging each person to use their skills and creativity.
Consider a person with skills and abilities to shift current organizational structure of GBGM to allow for a participative style of management, while maintaining strong administrative and managerial oversight, always remembering that the GBGM is first and foremost part of the Church of Jesus Christ, not merely a business corporation.
Consider a person with a vision for the world-wide mission of the church that is holistic, multi-cultural and that allows support for others' vision and with the ability to communicate that vision while listening to others, adapting as necessary and working together as a team to implement the desired vision.
Consider a person experienced in living and working among diverse languages, cultures and communities, especially among the poor and marginalized, and one who exhibits respect for diversity among peoples: cultural, racial, gender, class, age, and religion. It is believed that someone with demonstrated experience living and working in a mission personnel relationship would give evidence of this skill.
Consider a person who has had recognized Christian commitment, wide experience in missionary work at home or internationally and may have, apart from exemplary administrative skills alone, the natural ability to relate to people including the Board of Directors, staff and mission personnel in being better instruments of God's mission in the world.
Consider a person with a demonstrated understanding and commitment to ecumenical work as well as United Methodist and Methodist denomination efforts, with ability to support and encourage Christian non-denominational churches in countries where Christianity is in the minority, holding the centrality of Christ above denominational differences and reclaiming the ecumenical connection within the U.S.
Consider individuals who may not have advanced academic degrees but who have demonstrated a love for learning. Language facility in one or two languages, beyond English, would enhance the qualifications of a candidate, but facility in two languages should also not be a requirement for consideration of an individual for this position.
Consider a person with a strong personal faith and spiritual life as evidenced through life and service.
Consider a person who recognizes the value of mission personnel, listens to and respects them and includes them as a part of the GBGM family.
Give equal consideration for laity/clergy and women and men.
Consider an individual with a desire to communciate with all involved including making use of all technologies available in communication.

2. Spiritual Nurturing

by Carolyn (Belshe) Cowen

After 911 The event's staggering societal effects around the world have some continuous strands of daily thought that I want to share. Its flashbacks and post trauma syndromes affect many, and will for time to come. Two indicators have surfaced in my observations. Marquees around the city display sales, local booster encouragements for school activities and such. Those signs began changing into some unique statements of how its proprietor felt about 911. The other indicator that I refer to here is the echoing in missionary newsletters that began showing 911 reflections around Thanksgiving and onto this year.

We as a missionary community quite readily admit we are thinkers of a different style. We bring back to our home churches, our blood-kin, our friends of years gone by--a different slant of the world's take on religious and societal issues. It would behoove us to improve ways to plug those observations into these root systems where trust has already been established. And, trust is a vital factor for people to hear and to implement these observations into the everyday life of persons who never leave their home country, and many times never experience another's cultural richness--except through some porthole of sharing that you and I as missionaries have to offer.

How might we do that in our already busy and full-to-the-brim lives as missionaries trying to please our job assignments, fill the bellies of the hungry, heal the sick outside the hospital gates, witness to cross-cultures in religion, ethnicity, economics, and life-style differences? Especially when we are already stretched to meet family schedules and ties, itineration speaking, yet trying to maintain some sense of sanity about our own well-being--how can we do it?

The computer has been an added tool if it is used as a tool and not as a master, nor as an icon to escape into for various reasons. One point that I would like to bring out here is assuring oneself of a daily schedule of meditation. Computer screens can bring us the opportunity of developing a routine of Scripture reading, a short devotional, and a place for a few lines of our own journaling. These same times for meditation can certainly be done the old-fashioned way as well. Cyberspace is getting mighty filled with religiosity as well as other not-so-healthy stuff, which means that we deem our minds and time to be God's holy temple and guide ourselves accordingly. In doing some quick note-taking on missionary newsletters since 911 of 2001, I commend our community on the global view of what happened in NY, Washington and Pennsylvania. Every single comment in these missionary newsletters from around the world consistently reflected:

Global concern for peace
Global concern for one another
Far-reaching effects of hate

What does that mean for you and me as active, inactive and retired missionaries? What does that tell us spiritually? We are well into the first quarter of a New Year and with this daily living out of our own 'calling' I encourage each of us to be creative in these ways:

Meditate daily, near the same hour as possible and good for you.
Share your own views of global peace, concern for one another and ways you have of neutralizing hate--share with those who already trust you.
Find a soul mate to share in a group meditation, e.g. look at Companions in Christ, a study guide produced by Pathways Center in Nashville and available through Cokesbury Book Stores.

For this time, I leave you with the first of the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." This is the first condition for spiritual life. Whoever is poor in spirit is blessed, says the Lord. It stands for the complete openness of us before God, for freedom from all pride and opinions. I believe this is why you have seen 911 so differently. I believe God is with you as you stand, in trust as you reach those who know you and who believe in what you are doing. God is with you as you go about your daily living out of your own "call" in your daily assignment, in your daily struggles and celebrations.

Grace and Peace to each of you from the Mighty One who loves us all!

Carolyn, (ccmission@cox.net) Chair, UMMA Spiritual Nurture Team. Note: The address in the recent UMMA UpDate Quarterly was lacking the first "c" in the address.Ideas and volunteers are welcome! Email me.

3. Tell Your Mission Story and Read Your Advance Via The Internet
SARDI-Net Still Continues its Mission

by Rainer Zachmann, Germany

Disseminate your stories on sustainable development through SARDI-Net (Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Initiative-Network)/ Hopefully GBGM will soon become aware again about their responsibility for sustainable development of human life. It is irresponsible, unethical, that half of humanity cannot afford to live in human dignity, and more than 800 million people are not sure about food for tomorrow, while others do not know what type of chocolate, whiskey, smoked salmon to buy first. Go to SARDI-Net, and scroll down to Join SARDI-Net.

Janet and Roy May serving in Costa Rica recently sent an email attachment. Those who couldn't open the newsletter were directed to go to their website. That's a good option, with the proliferation of computer viruses that can come in attachments, many would prefer to get a regular email with the website option where one can see and print out copies. This is the wave of the future that is here now for a growing number of our missionaries. More will follow as churches' expectations grow for fast and frequent missionary messages. Get local church people to set up your mission website and let them relay your email newsletters to their members.

Missionaries can find out how much their supporting churches have given for Advance over the last 10 years. Go to the GBGM website and enter your missionary Advance number. Also go to Annual Conferences pages and look for your supporting churches and the name of the pastor and address.

4. Missionary Gatherings and Non-Event "Georgia On My Mind"

July 9-10, 2002 UMMA Gathering in Atlanta, GA.

Contact Gil Bascom for latest details at gbascom1467@earthlink.net; (p): 253.879.8484; (f): 253.752.4484.

July ??? Global Mission Personnel Conference was to be in Georgia.

The Cabinet decided last fall to cancel the 2002 event due to income shortage. Regrettably, this was not communicated early or directly to mission personnel including the three mission associations, with a constituency of over 1,300. Less than one-third of these are elgible to attend each year.

Sept. 24-27, 2002 India Reunion at Epworth-by-the-Sea, St. Simons Island, Georgia

Dora Kennedy, Registrar, PO Box 75, Penney Farms, FL 32079-0075. Email: deekenn@webtv.net.

October 7-10, 2002 Reunion of 1948 J-3/K-3s at National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Belleville, IL

Email to R. Paul Sims at psims@springnet1.com

5. Support for UMMA Time

by Gilbert Bascom, Coordinator

2001 was a year in which UMMA sought new ways to fulfill its purpose of promoting communication among the GBGM missionary community (regular email and postal issues of the UMMA UpDate, expanded Task Forces to include Communications, Spiritual Nurture and the Transition of leadership of the GBGM) wherever they are serving and also sought to encourage the staff and directors of the GBGM to see their commissioned missionary servants as true partners with them in fulfilling the mission given to the United Methodist Church by our Lord and Companion. We hope you approve of these effort and will respond by renewing your membership in this our new financial year. Members should have received or will receive shortly their renewal forms. Those readers who are not yet members are urged to use the form on the website or write:

Gilbert Bascom (gbascom1467@earthlink.net)
6229-B N. Park Way
Tacoma, WA 98407
(p) 253.879.8484
(f): 253.752.4484

We welcome your comments:
gbascom1467@earthlink.net