Getting Busy for Lent, in the Feb. 17 'Reporter'

Greetings e-Readers!

Observing Lent can mean taking things on as well as giving things up. Staff writer Mary Jacobs looks at how some United Methodists get busy between Ash Wednesday and Easter, combating human trafficking, holding study groups, discussing films, even building Habitat for Humanity houses.
 
Don House is an economist and influential UMC layman who passionately believes the denomination must focus on local church growth to survive, even if some mission work must be sacrificed in the short term. Tending to growth now is the way to make sure there’s money for missions over the long haul, he argues. We have an extensive interview with Mr. House, soon to attend his fifth General Conference as delegate.
 
A young pastor in the North Texas Conference has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment by the Rev. Tyrone Gordon, who recently stepped down as pastor of St. Luke “Community” UMC in Dallas. The suit names as defendants Mr. Gordon, but also the church and conference. Our story includes comments from the plaintiff, Cameron Greer, and from Bishop Earl Bledsoe.
 
Allie Klein, a sophomore at UMC-affiliated Southwestern University in Texas, took it on herself to organize an event benefiting Kamina Methodist University, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Special contributor Joan La Barr reports.
 
United Methodists are growing crops to help Foods Resource Bank, a Christian non-profit that assists farmers in East Africa and other developing areas. Carrie Madren did a story about this for United Methodist News Service.
 
Volunteers at Woodbine UMC in Georgia managed to complete a long-delayed project of adding stained glass windows to the sanctuary. The effort helped unify the church, reports special contributor Kara Witherow.
 
In commentaries, Missy Buchanan makes a case in her “Aging Well” column that seniors sometimes pass the baton too soon on church work. The Rev. Mouzon Biggs Jr. writes that it’s not a compromise of faith when Christians build ties and mutual understanding with Jews and Muslims. Donald Haynes, in his “Wesleyan Wisdom” column, shares what his heart and his head are telling him about the Call to Action reform initiatives up for consideration at the 2012 General Conference.
 
There’s plenty more in this edition, including a review by Religion News Service’s Dick Staub of a new film by Spike Lee (Mr. Staub calls Red Hook Summer a “thoughtful, respectful and savvy film about religion”), and C. Michael Hawn’s History of Hymns column, which this week considers “Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days” by Claudia Hernaman.
 
We welcome story tips, comments and brief, civil letters to the editor. Send to news@umr.org.
 
And thanks, as always, for keeping the faith with us. 

Sam Hodges, managing editor

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Comments

[Gary Bebop]

Don House's interview was eye-popping, for it reveals just how uncomprehending leaders are of the real peril. He's only barely concealing his panic. The notion the UMC has ten years in which to save itself, and that it will do this by growing all these new churches (to 800) is a false hope. Many of these church starts will be sputterings...

[Jim]

Continuity is a great thing. But, the umc just like the federal government, is controlled by individuals who return and return and return and return and rehash old solutions to old problems by a "gaggle" of different names. Perhaps Mr. House should stay home and send a fresh delegate........................

[Gary Bebop]

The problem with Donald Haynes' work is that it's bogged down in historical lessons: mired in the debate of "Call to Action," which (bottom line) means preserving "my beloved denomination"; meanwhile, the non-denoms are filling their nets. Read the current Atlantic article on why big corporations die: they cannot change their corporate culture. Again, that's us.