May 19, 2013                                                       Pentecost Sunday

Virginia Conference laywoman helps arrange controversial burial
   A United Methodist woman from Richmond said she was acting out of Christian compassion in helping to arrange the burial of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.
   “Jesus tells us to love our enemies, not hate them after they’re dead,” said Martha Mullen.
   Mullen, a 48-year-old counselor in private practice who studied at United Methodist-related United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, was distressed at news accounts about the difficulty of finding a burial place for Tsarnaev, who died in an April 19 shootout with police.
   The body had been kept at a funeral home in Worcester, Mass., as cemeteries in Massachusetts and some other states refused to accept it for burial.
   Mullen said she suspected his religious background was part of the problem.
   “I understand he’s a terrorist and he did something terrible, but it seemed like the hatred was coming out of the fact that he was Muslim, uniquely – and that bothered me,” she said.
   Mullen said she reached out by e-mail to representatives of local Muslim, Jewish and Hindu congregations. An offer of a donated burial plot came from Al-Barzakh Cemetery in Doswell, run by a group called Islamic Funeral Services of Virginia.
   Mullen said she contacted Worcester police, who worked with the funeral home in Worcester and Tsarnaev’s family, resulting in the burial this week in the Doswell cemetery, in accordance with Islamic law and practices.
   “I just kind of coordinated things and took a step back and let the family make their decision,” Mullen said. “They had many, many offers of burial places.”
   Mullen would not identify her Richmond District church. “I don’t want to put the church out there because I think it would be perturbing to some members,” she said. “Not everybody is going to agree with me.”
   Mullen said she did talk to her pastor about helping arrange the burial.
   “Let me ask that you and your members hold their courageous and compassionate sister Martha in your prayers,” Richmond District Superintendent the Rev. Steve Jones wrote. “As she has said, she simply sought to live out the command of Jesus that she should love her enemy. Just as your church and its members have prayed — and should continue to pray — each week for the many victims of the Boston bombings, so we should pray for every act of healing and love – even if the world around us fails to understand those acts.”
   Mullen said her Wesleyan background informed her decision to get involved in the matter.
   “John Wesley advocated practicing a social gospel,” she said. “I take that very seriously – that I am to be involved in life, and I am to be an ambassador for Christ, even if it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient or dangerous.”

Wesley Theological Seminary names new dean: Wesley Theological Seminary’s board of governors and president announced the selection of the Rev. Dr. Robert Martin as dean of the seminary, beginning in July. Martin is an ordained elder in the Missouri Conference and has been associate professor of Church Leadership and Practical Theology at Saint Paul School of Theology since 2000. He holds three advanced degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Harvard University Divinity School.

Emory & Henry names Schrum as new president: The board of United Methodist-related Emory & Henry College announced April 22 that it has selected Jake B. Schrum to serve as president of the institution. Schrum, who retires as president of United Methodist-related Southwestern University in Texas on June 30, will begin work on Aug. 1. Emory & Henry College is located in southwest Virginia, in the Holston Conference.

Lifetouch to be on hand at Annual Conference for photos: This year the Virginia Conference will create a new Pictorial Directory of the Virginia Conference Ministry. Lifetouch will have a booth in the exhibit hall at Annual Conference from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22, to take photos. All clergy, local pastors, diaconal ministers, certified professionals, those serving as pastoral supply, retired bishops and conference staff are asked to go to the booth during those times to have your photo taken. No reservations are needed. Three photographers will be available, so there should not be long waits. For more information, contact Linda Rhodes, conference director of Communications, at LindaRhodes@vaumc.org, (804) 521-1111 or 1-800-768-6040, ext. 111.

May 26 is Peace with Justice Sunday: Peace with Justice Sunday is next week, May 26. Now is the time to order free offering resources to promote this offering that supports programs that advocate for peace and justice. The Virginia Conference keeps 50 percent of the offering receipts to support local efforts. The other half is used to support Peace with Justice ministries in the U.S and globally. For more information, visit http://UMCgiving.org/PWJS.

Quote of the Week: ““(T)hose of us who are involved in the movement for equality in The United Methodist Church cannot be dismissed as radical activists trying to change this church into something it is not. Because we are The United Methodist Church. We sing in the choir and bring casseroles to the potlucks. We chair Trustee boards and pray at hospital bedsides. ...We devote our careers to the church, we write the Book of Discipline, we serve as deans of United Methodist seminaries, and we love our children unconditionally according to the family values we learned in United Methodist local churches.”  — The Rev. Vicki Flippin, pastor of Social Justice, Faith and Inter-generational Ministries at The Church of the Village, a United Methodist faith community in New York City, blogging about same-gender marriage.

Published weekly, the electronic Sunday Advocate summarizes news events affecting Virginia United Methodists and serves as a link to the in-depth reporting of the Virginia United Methodist Advocate, the official magazine of the Virginia Conference. To subscribe to the monthly Virginia Advocate magazine, call (804) 521-1110 or 1-800-768-6040, ext. 110; or e-mail Advocate@vaumc.org. Unless indicated, all news compiled courtesy of the Virginia Advocate, the weekly e-Advocate, United Methodist News Service or The United Methodist Newscope.

May 12, 2013                                                  Seventh Sunday of Easter

United Methodist bishops visit U.S.-Mexico border
   This week United Methodist bishops from all over the world visited the U.S. – Mexico border to immerse themselves in the reality of life at the border and sharpen their focus on how the church can be in ministry to persons there.
   “We bishops carry a long biblical and historical commitment to caring for the sojourner among us. This season when the U.S. Senate is considering a major bill on immigration policy reform provides us a critical opportunity to continue to give witness to the grace and mercy of God through this visit to the immigrant communities of the U.S./Mexico border,” said Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the Los Angeles Episcopal Area.
   Episcopal leaders of The United Methodist Church were joined by leaders of the Methodist Church of Mexico. Some of the bishops visited the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the busiest border crossing in the world, as well as the border wall, the most striking symbol of U.S. border enforcement policies, and the Plaza de las Americas. Others crossed over into Mexico and visited the Plaza del Bordo, an open-air migrant encampment.
   Meanwhile, United Methodist advocates for immigration reform are watching the U.S. Senate closely as it starts amending the immigration reform bill. These advocates hope to ensure family reunification and humane treatment of the undocumented are high on the priority list.
   Bishop Carcaño, Iowa Area Bishop Julius Trimble, Carol Barton of United Methodist Women, and Bill Mefford, director with the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, with input from many church agencies and organizations, have written a statement outlining how the bill fits — or does not fit — with United Methodist beliefs. The statement has been signed by 120 United Methodist bishops, national and international agencies, state and conference groups, Mefford said.
   This week’s bishops’ meeting in San Diego also marked the first gathering of the Forum of Residential Bishops. Those are bishops who now actively lead an episcopal area. All 66 active bishops from the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe were to attend. The meeting has drawn fire from some because it was closed to the media and outside observers, unlike most meetings of church bishops.
   “This is a learning and community-building opportunity,” said Raleigh (N.C.) Area Bishop Hope Morgan Ward. “I do not see why a learning and community-building opportunity would be open to the press. … It’s not decision-making. It’s a different sort of gathering than we’ve had in the past.”
   Paragraph 722 in the Book of Discipline calls for church bodies to hold open meetings in “the spirit of openness and accountability.” It restricts closed sessions to only certain matters including real estate, personnel discussions, legal consultation and negotiations. But in 1999, the Judicial Council ruled that the provision does not apply to the Council of Bishops.

Conference updates Safe Sanctuaries information: The Safe Sanctuaries program is an expression of a faith community in making the church a safe place where children, youths, seniors and vulnerable adults may experience the abiding love of God and fellowship within the community. The Virginia Conference has updated its information and resources in a more “user-friendly” web page. Visit www.vaumc.org/SafeSanctuaries for full details.

Cokesbury introduces ‘Resource Consultants’: Cokesbury is offering community resource consultants across the United States to offer customer support, even as its stores shut their doors. So far, the United Methodist Publishing House’s retail arm has hired 43 consultants and ultimately plans to have 50 on call. Many will work near the locations of former stores. To find a consultant near you, go to www.cokesburynext.com and click on “Community Consultants” tab at the top.

Camp Overlook to hold modern day camp meeting Saturday: “Light the Fire Fest — A Modern Day Camp Meeting” will be held at Camp Overlook next Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring praise bands and speakers. Other activities will include an antique car rally and a hamburger cook-off. Proceeds will provide scholarship funds for Camp Overlook campers. For more information, contact Sherri Miles at Sharon_Miles@msn.com.

Next weekend is ‘Change the World’ weekend: On May 18-19, United Methodists around the globe will unite in service with their local communities for the fourth annual “Change the World” weekend. “Change the World” was observed in more than 1,500 locations internationally in 2012. To register your project or locate an event in your area, go to http://RethinkChurch.org.

Retired theologian faces charges for performing son’s wedding: A United Methodist theologian and retired elder is facing formal charges under church law and a potential trial for officiating at the same-sex wedding of his son. The Rev. Thomas Ogletree, a retired seminary dean noted for his work on Christian ethics, presided over the wedding of his son, Thomas Rimbey Ogletree, to Nicholas Haddad last October. Ogletree, 79, is a Yale Divinity School professor emeritus, veteran of the civil rights movement and lifelong member of the Methodist tradition. He described the ceremony as “one of the most significant ritual acts of my life as a pastor.” Clergy in the New York Conference filed a complaint against Ogletree after a wedding announcement appeared in The New York Times.

Quote of the Week: “God’s Sixth Commandment should be more vital to God’s faithful than our Constitution’s Second Amendment — enough so that rampant murders, whether they happen all at once or daily in our streets and homes, should prompt us to adhere even more vigilantly to the Commandment than the Constitution.” — Retired Bishop Felton May, writing about gun control legislation.

Published weekly, the electronic Sunday Advocate summarizes news events affecting Virginia United Methodists and serves as a link to the in-depth reporting of the Virginia United Methodist Advocate, the official magazine of the Virginia Conference. To subscribe to the monthly Virginia Advocate magazine, call (804) 521-1110 or 1- 800-768-6040, ext. 110; or e-mail Advocate@vaumc.org. Unless indicated, all news compiled courtesy of the Virginia Advocate, the weekly e-Advocate, United Methodist News Service or The United Methodist Newscope.

May 5, 2013                                                     Sixth Sunday of Easter

United Methodists remember one of our own
   The Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist minister and a “tireless defender of the poor and an advocate for justice,” died April 23 of a heart attack at his home in Burke. He was 69.

   Edgar, who was top executive of Common Cause, is the former top executive of the National Council of Churches and a former six-term member of Congress from Pennsylvania. He was president of United Methodist-related Claremont (Calif.) School of Theology from 1990 to 2000.
   Jim Winkler, top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, was a close friend and colleague. “Bob Edgar was a close personal friend of mine. I cannot believe we have lost him. He was a great servant of Christ, possessor of a magnanimous and positive personality, and a faithful United Methodist. Those of us who knew him have been sharing our sadness and our fond memories of him all day.”
   “Bob was a valued friend, social progressive and committed Christian leader,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, top executive of United Methodist Communications. “He brought a wonderful sense of humor to any gathering in which he was present. He was a tireless defender of the poor and an advocate for justice. His voice will be missed.”
   As a young minister, Edgar helped start Philadelphia’s first homeless shelter for women. As a congressman, he attacked public works bills, a sacred cow to colleagues eager to send millions of federal dollars back to their districts. As chief of the National Council of Churches, he urged members to emphasize aid to the poor.
   Conservatives criticized his actions as much as liberals applauded them. Christian Voice, an influential conservative lobbying group, gave him a zero rating, and President Ronald Reagan once called Edgar “the most dangerous man in America,” The New York Times wrote in an obituary.
   Edgar nonetheless won re-election five times in a suburban Philadelphia district where registered Republicans outnumbered Democrats by as much as three to one and Democrats had won only twice since the Civil War.
   “We are deeply saddened and shaken today by the passing of Bob Edgar,” said current Common Cause board chair Robert Reich. “Bob will be remembered for his decency, kindness, compassion and humor. His deep commitment to social justice and strengthening our democracy is his greatest gift to the nation."
   “All who know Bob know of his penchant for puns and bad jokes,” Winkler added. “He possessed an endless store of them and could derive a silly pun from the most mundane matters. There were those who rolled their eyes and expressed irritation with this trait of his, because they felt it was less than dignified, but many of us appreciated his lack of pretense.”

Communications Board to offer Annual Conference workshop: The Virginia Conference Board of Communications recently surveyed local churches to identify the greatest communications needs of churches in the Virginia Conference. The Board will host a seminar at Annual Conference at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 21, during the dinner break, to respond to key areas for improvement identified in the survey. Speakers will address the need to communicate in a technology-infused world, with breakout discussions on topics including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogging and website design and hosting. Cost for dinner is $10. For more information, contact the Rev. Jacob Sahms at jacobsahms@gmail .com.

Shea, 104, was Methodist preacher’s kid: George Beverly Shea, the Methodist minister’s son from Ontario, Canada, who became known as “America’s beloved Gospel singer” died April 17 in Asheville, N.C., at the age of 104. As a result of his singing at Rev. Billy Graham’s worldwide crusades, it is estimated that Shea’s powerful bass voice was heard in person by more than 230 million people, a Guinness Book of World Records mark unlikely to be broken. Shea’s friends called him “Bev”; his uncommon middle name was in honor of a circuit rider, Dr. Beverly Carradine, who visited the Rev. Adam Shea’s Methodist church.

Bush Library dedicated at SMU: The George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University was dedicated April 25 in Dallas, with President Barack Obama and all living former presidents and first ladies attending. The $250 million facility includes a library and museum, housing official records and artifacts of the 43rd president, as well as a public policy center. The dedication was, to no small degree, a United Methodist event, given that former President Bush and his wife, Laura, are active United Methodists; that they chose to put the facility at a United Methodist school (Laura Bush’s alma mater); and that their pastor, the Rev. Mark Craig, of Highland Park UMC (right by the campus), gave the invocation. “The Bushes are very strong church members,” said Craig in an interview. “Every Sunday they’re sitting there … They love their church and they love the Methodist Church.”

Resource Center moving to Virginia Union campus: The Resource Center is moving into Kingsley Hall, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, on the campus of Virginia Union University. The address is 1500 N. Lombardy Street, Richmond, VA 23220. Other contact information will remain the same: phone (804) 358-8306 or 1-888-241-5132; e-mail address resourcecenter@cavtel.net. You can also visit the website www.resourcingchurches.com.

Quote of the Week: “By removing ourselves for a few days from the day-to-day urgency of leading annual conferences, we have an opportunity to jointly gain a wider perspective of the church as a whole and to help one another as leaders from around the globe!” — Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, president of the Council of Bishops, preparing for this week’s first-ever meeting of the Forum of Residential Bishops, to be held in San Diego.

Published weekly, the electronic Sunday Advocate summarizes news events affecting Virginia United Methodists and serves as a link to the in-depth reporting of the Virginia United Methodist Advocate, the official magazine of the Virginia Conference. To subscribe to the monthly Virginia Advocate magazine, call (804) 521-1110 or 1-800-768-6040, ext. 110; or e-mail Advocate@vaumc.org. Unless indicated, all news compiled courtesy of the Virginia Advocate, the weekly e-Advocate, United Methodist News Service or The United Methodist Newscope.