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UMCOR response
to Haiti needs YOU
If you or your church would like to help with the Haiti earthquake recovery, a specific number for the Haiti Disaster Response has been posted on the UMCOR Website. Use it or the International Disaster number, either will work, but the Haiti Disaster Response #418325 is preferred. You can also give online on the UMCOR website.
UMCOR is also asking that you consider putting together Health Kits as part of your response. Get them to any warehouse in the system (Midwest Mission Distribution Center, Chatham, Illinois is one or the other closest is Sager Brown, Baldwin, Louisiana.
Haiti quake survivor Chand
recalls hotel rescue
 A UMNS Report
Linda Bloom
The glimpse of light is glorious.
Sarla Chand spent hours in the dark, trying to poke her way out of the lobby of the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to find help for herself and colleagues, all trapped when the hotel collapsed during the Jan. 12 earthquake.
Finally, through an opening, she sees a tree and a beam of light from a helicopter. Outside, the sound of voices brings hope.
Chand, 65, a United Methodist who works for IMA World Health, made it safely home to Teaneck, N.J. But as she reflects on her dramatic rescue, there also is a sense of distress—both for the people of Haiti and for two of the five colleagues trapped with her who died from their injuries. More
Jeff Maxwell named Saginaw Bay District Superintendent
 Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announced today (January 27) that he has appointed the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey R. Maxwell as the superintendent of the Saginaw Bay District. Maxwell, who currently serves as the senior pastor at Farmington: First United Methodist Church, will begin his appointment on July 1, 2010. Maxwell is replacing the Rev. Louise R. Ott, who has been the Saginaw Bay District Superintendent since 2004.
“Jeff is a compassionate, able, friendly, and connectional pastor," said Bishop Keaton. "He accepts the call to be a district superintendent knowing that he can meet the challenge with God’s help and God’s grace."
Maxwell was ordained an elder in 1989 and has led five congregations during his 28-year ministry. Maxwell served Garfield UMC as a local pastor from 1982-84 prior to attending seminary and spent three years (1987-1990) as the pastor of the Kilmanagh and Unionville UMCs immediately following graduation. Maxwell was appointed to Holly: Calvary UMC in 1990, where he served 11 years before being sent to Farmington: First UMC in 2001. Maxwell is currently in his ninth year at Farmington: First. More
Update on human trafficking
On Wednesday, January 20, a package of five bills passed the Michigan House of Representatives aimed at stopping human trafficking in our state. The legislation defines various expressions of "trafficking,"
clarifies penalties for those convicted of the crime, and addresses issues of restitution for survivors. This is very similar to the legislation passed in the Michigan House two years ago that "died" in the Senate. The bills are HBs # 5575, 5576, 5577, 5578, and 5579. They
can be viewed on the official State of Michigan website: www.legislature.mi.gov
Those bills are now in the Michigan Senate, awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee. We have until the end of the year to get them through the Senate. My piece in February's Advocate asks folks to
contact their state representatives to get the bills approved in the House, but that just happened! Good news, even though my plug will come out with slightly dated info. They should now contact their state senators and keep it moving on that end of the legislature.
–Chris Momany, Adrian College Chaplain
Two new district superintendents to start serving July 1
Hill named Heartland DS
 Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton has announced the appointment of the Rev. David F. Hills as the superintendent of the Heartland District in the West Michigan Conference, effective July 1, 2010. Hills is currently serving as pastor of the Delton Faith United Methodist Church in the Albion District.
Regarding his decision to appoint Rev. Hills to this position, Bishop Keaton stated “Pastor Hills is well equipped for the superintending ministry of the church. In his previous lay and ordained ministry David has demonstrated the spiritual leadership, personal integrity, administrative acumen, commitment to connectional responsibilities and a love for God’s people that will serve the District and Conference well.”
Previously, Hills had been appointed as Pastor at Third Avenue/ Paris/Rodney in Big Rapids 1992; Scotts and Climax 1994; Coloma and Watervliet 1999; and Faith UMC in Delton 2007.
Hills will succeed current Heartland District Superintendent the Rev. William Dobbs. Dobbs will become the Clergy Assistant to the Bishop on July 1, 2010 following the retirement of the Rev. Terry Euper.
Spaw named Ann Arbor DS
 Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton announced January 19 that he has appointed the Rev. Mark E. Spaw as the superintendent of the Ann Arbor District. Spaw, who currently serves as the senior pastor
at Trenton: Faith United Methodist Church, will begin his appointment on July 1, 2010. Spaw is replacing the Rev. Thomas P. Macaulay, who has been the Ann Arbor District Superintendent since 2004.
"Mark Spaw brings energy, passion, knowledge, experience, a dash of humor and a servant's commitment to the work of superintending," said
Bishop Keaton. "In both pastoral appointments of 16 and 11 years respectively, Mark has met the needs of God's people, both church and unchurched."
Ordained an elder in 1985, Spaw has led two congregations during his 27-year ministry. Spaw served Hartland UMC for 16 years from 1983-99, during which time the church grew from 33 to over 300 members. Spaw is
currently in his 11th year at Trenton: Faith UMC and has received over 300 new members into the church during his time as senior pastor. More
Detroit Conference VIM Team Safely Airlifted from Haiti
A United Methodist Volunteers-In-Mission team from the Detroit Conference has landed in the Bahamas after being safely airlifted from Jeremie, Haiti, this afternoon (Monday, Jan. 18). The 17-member team, led by the Rev. Don Gotham, pastor of St. Clair: First United Methodist Church, has been in Haiti since January 1 and was stranded in Jeremie following the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas.
“We are grateful that we got our team safely out of Haiti, and the flights that came in to get them were able to leave relief materials for the people of Jeremie,” said the Rev. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) DeVine, Detroit Conference Director of Connectional Ministries. “The effort to get the team home was a close collaboration between Detroit Conference leadership, family members, and an extended network.”
The team was airlifted from Haiti by three planes from Bahamas Habitat (www.bahamashabitat.org), a United States-based Christian non-profit organization that provides housing and disaster relief in the Bahamas. Bahamas Habitat has been running airlift operations with volunteer aviators between the Bahamas and Haiti since January 15, delivering relief supplies and evacuating missionaries and mission teams.
In addition to Bahamas Habitat, the team was also supported by the office of Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan), which was coordinating with Detroit Conference officials for ways to support the evacuation of the team from Haiti. The North Central Jurisdictional United Methodist Volunteers-In-Mission Coordinator, Lorna Jost, also aided in the effort by putting the conference office in contact with Bahamas Habitat to airlift the team out of Haiti.
The Rev. Paul Doherty, chair of the Michigan Area Haiti Task Force, contacted the families of team members to notify the safety of their loved ones once the airlift took place. The Rev. Joanne Bartelt, Port Huron District Superindentent, will be coordinating post-trip counseling for the team members once they return home.
The VIM team was in Haiti to work with the Methodist Church of Haiti on the construction and painting of a school in Jeremie. The team also delivered medical supplies to a clinic and planted fruit trees. The team was originally scheduled to depart Port-au-Prince on January 16, but travel between Jeremie to Port-au-Prince became impossible after the earthquake rendered roads between the two cities impassable.
The team is scheduled to arrive on several flights at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Tuesday (Jan. 19). No further details are available at this time.
Haiti quake survivor vows return following her ordeal
A UMNS Report
By Joey Butler
Jan. 17, 2010
One seat was available on the cargo plane leaving earthquake-ravaged Haiti, and Pam Carter took it.
“They came in and said, ‘If you can take just a bag that will fit on your lap and leave, you can meet us’” and get on the plane, she said.
“I looked at Patti (Kaufman of the Wyoming Annual Conference Haiti Partnership) and I said, ‘Patti, I can do that, and I’m ready to go home,’ and she said, ‘Please go home.’ ... I felt kind of bad leaving her, but I felt like it was a choice we were both making, and she was in a safe place.” More
How to help – Haiti Emergency
Click on the following link to find the latest Haiti earthquake information and how you can help.
For more UMCOR information
Albion College Lessons
and Carols celebration
available via internet
Albion Mich – Albion College evokes memories of Christmas past, with its annual celebration of the Victorian-era Lessons and Carols. This year, Albion College's Lessons and Carols is available to 21-st century audiences via an audio stream posted on the College Web site through the month of December at www.albion.edu/news.
English Archbishop E. W. Benson designed the service for the cathedral at Truro, England, in 1880. Albion's late choral director David L. Strickler introduced the service to Albion in 1966, and it has been a cherished tradition ever since.
While the service's Biblical texts, and much of the music were part of the original 1880 service, Albion's Lessons and Carols also features carols, instrumentation and arrangements with more modern roots. This year's Lessons and Carols included percussionists and a the College's new women's chorus, along with pieces arranged by Strickler.
New opportunities
arise for the Michigan Christian Advocate
With the recent announcement by the Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences that they will no longer provide funding for the publication of the Michigan Christian Advocate there have been a wide variety of rumors regarding the future of the publication flying about.
First of all let me tell you that the Board of Directors of the Michigan Christian Advocate have every intention of continuing the publication of this 137-year-old magazine. We strongly believe in and work to support all opportunities that spreads God’s word and enhances the communication of our Christian family by providing a forum for all with no bias toward any one political agenda. More
2010 Bishop's Day on Evangelism
details announced
 Okemos, Mich. – The dates, sites, and keynote speakers for the 2010 Bishop's Day on Evangelism have been determined, it was announced today (August 5) by Michigan Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton. "Called Out – Creating New Places for New Faces" will be the theme for the 2010 Bishop's Day, which will be held in six regions across the Michigan Area on selected Saturdays during March.
"The regional leadership teams have assembled an excellent lineup of speakers from across the country to call us out," Bishop Keaton said. "With six regional sites across the Detroit and West Michigan
Conferences, each offering a wide variety of speakers, I am expecting all churches in the Michigan Area to send a team of leaders to at least one of these events so that we all can become more effective at creating new places for new faces in our local churches." More
West Michigan seeks
"Vital Signs of Hope"
Ann Whiting
The West Michigan Annual Conference convened June 4 at Calvin College. The theme – "Vital Signs of Hope" – was highlighted by six video presentations on vital local churches: Concord UMC, Grand Rapids: First UMC; Harrison: The Gathering; Lansing: Korean UMC; Indian River UMC; and Plainwell UMC.
In two presentations, Dan Dick addressed the theme and pointed to several of the churches as examples of vital, sustainable congregations. A key characteristic of vital congregations is a "strong sense of identity and purpose." Dick is a consultant in conference and congregational planning based in Nashville, Tenn.
The conference celebrated another new church start, the Valley Church in Allendale. The Rev. Brad Kalajainen, pastor of Cornerstone Church south of Grand Rapids, introduced the pastor of the new church, the Rev. Matt Bistayi. As the pastor of an earlier new church start, Kalajainen noted West Michigan’s strong history of new church starts, but said "one thing about West Michigan culture ... has to change." Every church, he said, needs to support new churches. "In the past, most nearby churches have been supportive, others lukewarm, and some even hostile." More
Detroit Annual Conference focus
is 'Principled Christian Leaders'
Ann Whiting
"For Such a Time As This" was the theme as the Detroit Annual Conference convened May 13-17 at Adrian College. Preachers and speakers invoked the theme often and also addressed the first of Four Areas of Focus adopted by the 2008 General Conference: "Developing Principled Christian Leaders."
 Bishop Gregory Palmer (Illinois Area and president of the Council of Bishops) combined both concepts when he preached at Friday morning worship. His sermon, "Fit to Lead," referenced two stories recorded in the Hebrew scripture about Samuel and Esther, who each answered God’s call to lead "for such a time as this."
Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton preached at opening worship, urging conference members to "Rejoice in our Sufferings." Referring to the apostle Paul’s instructions in Romans 5, the bishop said, "Paul is convinced that we can accomplish God’s mission in Michigan regardless of the pain and suffering wrought by unemployment, bankruptcy, church closings, swine flue, death, doubt and pessimism." More
Opportunities
------------------
In the March issue of the Advocate:
Michigan United Methodists react to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Michigan United Methodists are…
Supporting mission teams heading in and out of Haiti
Learning from a mission trip to Nicaragua
Wesley Foundation ministries enhancing campus life
Providing food through community food bank
Plus…
"Change the World" takes place on April 24-25
Theme, Speakers announced for 2010 DAC
Combined United Methodist/Lutheran Communion Service
New District Superintendents named
Across the "Connection"
Haiti earthquake survivor tells her story
"Deacon Dialogue III" focuses on deacons roll in the church
WORDS FROM WESLEY: Les Longden discusses the riddle of Wesley's politics
MAKING IT PLAIN: Guest writer, Diane Allarding writes about the
church and its people.
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Advocate Editor, Tom Ferguson, asks readers to "talk among yourselves."
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