News

Project Revolution celebrates 5th year

By Marvé Ralston, special contributor Excitement was bubbling up from members of the Five Rivers District Council of Youth Ministry (DCYM) for months before the 2012 Project Revolution, the Five Rivers District youth rally. This year, the rally was at Worden United Methodist Church Sept. 8-9. This was the fifth year for the event.  Every year, lessons are learned as Project Revolution grows, and a new group of youth leaders plans it. This year, the attendance was the highest yet...

United Methodist clergy living dangerously

By Susan Cooper, Kansas communications associate director Church dinners can be a minefield of high-fat and high-sugar foods. (photo by Britt Bradley) Pastors are putting their lives at risk. They are constantly confronted with fat-laden food and sumptuous sweets prepared and served by the devoted and loving hands of their church members. They are expected to answer calls for advice, comfort and support 24...

Nebraska assistant to bishop named

Great Plains Area Bishop Scott Jones and the Nebraska Conference Personnel Committee announced that Rev. Carol Roettmer Brewer will have the additional designation of assistant to the bishop for Nebraska. Rev. Gary Beach has been serving as assistant to the bishop for Kansas. Brewer has been functioning in a similar capacity for Nebraska’s former bishop, Ann Sherer-Simpson. “I look forward to serving as the Assistant to the Bishop for Nebraska,” said Brewer. “It is...

Asbury Park to expand facilities

      Artist renderings courtesy Law-Kingdon Architecture Asbury Park, a United Methodist retirement community in Newton, has received a $16.2 million boost from USDA Rural Development to help finance a large construction and renovation project on its 34-acre campus. The project includes replacing Asbury Park’s...

Kansas conferences become part of Great Plains area

By Lisa Diehl, Kansas communications director Sept. 1 marked the beginning of a new era in United Methodism in Kansas and Nebraska when the two states and three annual conferences became part of the new Great Plains Episcopal Area. Previously, the Kansas East and Kansas West conferences shared a bishop as part of the Kansas Episcopal Area. The Nebraska Conference had its own bishop. The United Methodist Church uses an episcopal system of governance, which means bishops provide the top...

McMillan receives Torch Award

By Lisa Diehl, Kansas communications director Loreen McMillan, a member at Topeka First United Methodist Church, received the Torch Award for her leadership through the Boy Scouts of America at the June session of the Kansas East Annual Conference. Loreen McMillan received the Torch Award at the 2012 Kansas East Annual Conference. (photo by Britt Bradley) The Torch Award is a conference recognition awarded by...

Easton UMC gets youth infusion

By Barbara Nissen, special contributor Easton was abuzz about the new United Methodist pastor. For one thing, the pastor was young-–much younger than they’d seen in a long time. And she was a woman. Turns out, it was a combination that brought youth into the church. “It’s very exciting,” said Mary Jo Davis, a member of Easton United Methodist Church and one of the youth sponsors. “She became a role model.” “The youth seemed really excited to...

Bishop shares progress on area goals

The Kansas Area Extended Cabinet set several goals to be completed by the end of 2012. Bishop Scott Jones announced the goals for 2009 - 2012 during his state of the conference address at the annual conference session in 2009 and shared updates during the same report in 2010 and 2011. The goals came out of the dreams in the Kansas East and Kansas West strategic plans adopted in 2007 before the Bridges to the Future capital campaign. Jones said he has taken some heat over the years for asking...

Congregations aim high in goals

By Lisa Diehl, Kansas communications director Accountability and alignment were strong themes at the 2012 General Conference as bishops from around the world handed in goal sheets for their conferences during a celebration of the denomination’s ministries April 29. The goals came directly from congregations that completed the Vital Congregations planning process that began last fall. Congregations were asked to set goals for average weekly worship attendance, professions of faith, small...

One-conference momentum continues

By Kathryn Witte, Nebraska Area communications director Momentum for the formation of one new conference continued during the June 22 Nebraska-Kansas Episcopal Area Transition Team meeting at Centenary United Methodist Church in Beatrice, Neb., as team members met to map out next steps. Members of the Nebraska-Kansas Episcopal Area Transition Team meet to discuss the next steps in combining the Kansas West, Kansas East and...

'Do nothing' appointment a learning experience

By Lisa Diehl, Kansas communications director Being appointed to do nothing is harder than you think, Rev. Lorenza Andrade Smith told those gathered at the Come Celebrate event Aug. 4 at the west campus of Lawrence First United Methodist Church. Rev. Lorenza Andrade Smith talks about her ministry among the homeless. (photo by Lisa Diehl) In July 2011, Smith was appointed to live and serve among the homeless...

ABIDE inspires Oakland UMC to reach out

By Barbara Nissen, special contributor Oakland United Methodist Church in Topeka found a way to put its experience with the ABIDE program to work in the community. They started with children. Oakland UMC in Topeka ABIDE is a several-month process to help small-membership churches rediscover what it means to be abiding with Christ. “Part of the ABIDE process is to get to know and engage with our...

Heritage UMC goes camping for Cross-Lines

Heritage UMC member Mark Edwards, left, and Rev. Russell Brown try to get the attention of passing drivers to encourage donations to a clothing drive for Cross-Lines. (photo by Cindy Svec) A banner in front of Heritage UMC about the clothes collection for Cross-Lines. (photo by Cindy Svec) Youth...

Homeless pastor to speak at Come Celebrate

Rev. Lorenza Andrade Smith, a homeless and poverty advocate, will be the featured speaker at the Come Celebrate event Aug. 4 at Lawrence First United Methodist Church West Campus. Rev. Lorenza Andrade Smith, left, visits with Lester, a homeless man taking shelter inside a culvert beneath a busy street in El Paso, Texas. (UMNS photo by Mike DuBose) Smith is a United Methodist pastor currently serving in the Rio...

Taking time to save lives

Every 60 seconds, malaria claims another innocent life in Africa. Malaria is responsible for 655,000 deaths each year, and most of these are children. However, malaria is a preventable, treatable and beatable disease. With your help, The United Methodist Church, through the Imagine No Malaria campaign, is empowering the people of Africa to overcome malaria with prevention, treatment, communication and education. Encourage your congregation to support this life-saving ministry. Contact...

Four SCJ bishops to retire, recognized for their ministries

The Retirement Recognition Service was held Friday morning at the Cox Convention Center to honor four retiring bishops:  Ann B. Sherer-Simpson, William W. Hutchinson, D. Max Whitfield and Charles N. Crutchfield. Each bishop was introduced and given an opportunity to speak. Their retirements are effective Aug. 31, 2012. “Lord, there is no way to arrive to this moment without you,” said Bishop Robert E. Hayes, Jr., as he gave the opening prayer.  “We come to celebrate...

Jones assigned to Great Plains, conference boundaries approved

By Lisa Diehl, Kansas Area communications director During its meeting July 18-21 in Oklahoma City, the South Central Jurisdiction unanimously approved boundaries for the new Great Plains Annual Conference and assigned Bishop Scott Jones to serve the new area. Bishop Scott Jones presides over the South Central Jurisdictional Conference July 20 in Oklahoma City. (photo by Lisa Diehl) ...

Bishop Scott J. Jones assigned to new Great Plains Area

OKLAHOMA CITY—Bishop Scott J. Jones  was named bishop of the United Methodist Church in Kansas and Nebraska by the 2012 South Central Jurisdictional Conference July 20. Jones will serve the new Great Plains Episcopal Area effective Sept. 1. He will reside in Wichita, Kan. The Great Plains Area includes nearly 1,000 United Methodist congregations and more than 229,000 United Methodists in the states of Nebraska and Kansas. “I am excited to be the bishop of the Great...

Jurisdiction unanimously approves Great Plains boundaries

The 256 delegates to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference unanimously approved a resolution to establish the boundaries of the new Great Plains Annual Conference to encompass Kansas East, Kansas West and the Nebraska annual conferences, excluding the congregations in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC). OIMC has a number of Native American congregations within the bounds of the current Kansas East and Kansas West conferences and is looking forward to establishing new...

Mike McKee elected bishop of The United Methodist Church

The Rev. Mike McKee, senior minister of First United Methodist Church in Hurst, Texas, has been elected as a United Methodist bishop by delegates at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference. McKee was elected Friday, July 20, at the jurisdiction’s quadrennial meeting in downtown Oklahoma City. On the 23rd ballot, he received 186 of 256 votes cast. “My passion has been effectiveness in terms of clergy,” McKee said. “I would hope to continue to find ways to...