Spring Strong Rural Churches Build Strong Rural Communities! THE GATHERING

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1 1 Strong Rural Churches Build Strong Rural Communities! The purpose of the Great Plains United Methodist Rural Advocates is to promote effective ministry and service in rural Kansas, and Nebraska. *To serve as an advocate for rural ministry, especially in the Annual & General Conference Sessions. *To provide programming above and beyond the annual conference with emphasis on rural needs. *To work with Great Plains Annual Conference committees concerned with rural ministry on matters of mutual interest. *To assist congregations in interchurch communication & fellowship. *To promote cooperative/shared ministry Spring 2015 THE GATHERING The Great Plains United Methodist Rural Advocates will have their Annual Gathering on August 7 and 8 at the First United Methodist Church in Hays, Kansas. The title for the Gathering will be Resurrection of Ministry in a Changing Culture. It is designed by and will be led by the Rev. Linda Battello, pastor of the United Methodist Churches at Elsie and Madrid, Nebraska. Also in leadership will be Dr. Carl Ellis, currently pastor of the Fredonia United Methodist Church and Hays District Superintendent James Akins. The Executive Committee has felt that one of the areas that the small and rural congregations need for change and growth is spiritual depth. Linda has designed this year s Gathering to help guide us in that direction. Registration will begin at 1:00 pm (cdt) on Friday August 7 th. Use the North (8 th Street parking lot entrance) to enter. This will be the handi-capped & elevator entrance. The GPUMRA Executive Committee will be meeting from 1:00 to 3:00 pm and the actual event will begin at 3:00 pm. The Executive Committee is an open meeting. If you would like to sit in on it, you are invited to do so. The cost of the Gathering will be $20. Which will include the cost of the event and the evening meal on Friday. While there will be no breakfast served there will be morning snacks. A listing of the motels in Hays will

2 2 be available from Ron Williams, the Executive Director by ing him at There is a registration form available in this issue of the newsletter. DIRECTIONS-- If you are coming from the North, come down on Highway 183 which is Vine Street go South on past Interstate 70. If you are coming from the East or West take the Hays West or highway 183 Exit. Go south on highway183 or Vine Street to 8 th Street and turn right (West) to Ash Street. You will see the back of the United Methodist Church to the left in the next block. Either turn left onto Ash and into the Parking Lot, or turn left into the parking lot. If you are coming from the South come north on highway 183 or Vine Street to 8 th Street and turn Left and follow the above directions. ELECTION OF OFFICERS The election of officers for the GPUMRA will be held at the Gathering at Hays, Kansas First UMC on Friday August 7 th. Those offices that are open for election are Vice-President, Secretary, Media Coordinator and Member at large positions 1 and 2. President Robbie Fall is presently appointing a nominations committee. All of the current officers are eligible for nomination. The officers who will be continuing are President-Robbie Fall, Treasurer-Jada Hodgson, Publicity Director-Dennis Linton/Hendrick, and positions Member at large positions #3 & #4, Roger Kingsley and Mary Feit. MEMORIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING It appears that, with exception of the August 7th/Gathering meeting our Executive Committee Meetings will be by telephone conference. Our next meeting will be July 8 th at 2:00 cdt (1:00 mdt). If there is a topic you wish to bring up contact the executive director at It would be possible for you to listen in with arrangements made with the executive director. We celebrate the life and ministry of Rev. Beth Hodgson and husband Willis who were killed in an auto accident this spring. Beth was a member of GPUMRA and its predecessor organizations for over 20 years. She was the pastor of Plum Creek UMC. Willis was always her faithful helpmate, an accountant, a tax preparer by trade with an office in Osawatomie. Willis and Beth were the parents of GPUMRA treasurer Jada Hodgson. We will also meet before the Gathering, August 7 th at 1:00 pm cdt.

3 3 GENERAL CONFERENCE RURAL REPRESENTATION Will rural and small congregations be represented at General Conference in in April 2016 in Portland? You bet we will be represented! In October/November 2014 a group of UMRA members met in Portland to plan for the 2016 General Conference. Among other things they formulated the petitions and resolutions that UMRA is presenting at the General Conference They can be seen in other places in this newsletter. There is a second and very important part of our presence at General Conference Up to 100 UMRA members will gather at Portland at the same time as General Conference and will form a Witness Team. They will have an office set up to be a command center for the job of lobbying the delegates of general conference for the cause of the small and rural congregations. We will have an observer in each of the 11 general conference committees, who will have identified committee members who are sympathetic to the cause of the small and rural churches. In the meantime the UMRA office will be tracking its own legislative proposals and watching for other legislation which will affect small and rural congregations. The office will publish a daily newsletter which will be passed out to all those attending the general conference. If you would like to be a part of the UMRA General Conference Witness Team contact the executive director at rwilliams@greatplainsumc.org, or phone There are openings and your participation would be strongly encouraged. STICKERS Remember the little green stickers we handed out to everyone who would wear them last year at annual conference. Well, we are doing it again. For those receiving the newsletter by hard copy there are two of the little green stickers attached, and for those who receive it by the website, stop by the GPUMRA booth at annual conference and we will provide you with all you want. Attach them to your name tag or any other convenient place, this will help identify you with the GPUMRA. Thanks for making his form of identifying yourself with us. GREAT PLAINS ANNUAL CONFERENCE SESSION GPUMRA will be present at the Great Plains Annual Conference Session. Stop by our booth and visit with us. Look for the green sticker, and take a few and pass them out. There are a limited number of the black and white large buttons. Dennis (Buck) Linton/Hendrick is designing the booth display. Stop by and visit with us. GENERAL CONFERENCE DELEGATES There are enough small and rural congregations in the Great Plains

4 4 Conference to control every vote that is taken. Small and rural churches are a huge majority in our conference. As you vote for delegates to the 2016 General Conference study their statements carefully and see if the candidates are inclined to support the positions of the small and rural churches. Great Plains Annual Conference is very fortunate for this General Conference. We will have one delegate in each of the legislative committees, which is 22 delegates. UMRA PETITIONS AND RESOLUTIONS TO GENERAL CONFERENCE The National UMRA Executive Committee is refining the following petitions to submit to the General Conference These are the results from the Legislative Consultation which was held last September/October. The UMRA Executive Committee has since been refining these petitions. This is quite a job and includes a Discipline wide search to find what changes each petition will make in other paragraphs in the Discipline. The numbers indicate what paragraphs from the 2012 Discipline that are affected by the proposed legislation. Paragraph #324.6 The petition proposes that when a Local Pastor has completed the Course of Study (5 years of one month study each year) and begins the Advanced Course of Study, the Local Pastor is enrolled in the conference as a Provisional Member. Paragraph #96.1 The denominational Connectional Table has representatives from ethnic and other caucus groups, but had no representative from the 250,000 small and rural churches. This petition proposes representation from our small and rural churches. Paragraph 633.4b2 We have a good system of disaster response in the Great Plains Conference, but that is not true across the denomination. Small and rural congregations have a great interest in disaster response. This petition asks that there be appointed a case manager for disaster response in each district, and that there be disaster coordinator training across the denomination. Paragraph When a church is closed its assets are under the control of the Conference Board of Trustees. Often these assets are diverted to conference and often urban mission projects. This new subparagraph directs that when a rural church is closed, its assets are directed to rural ministry. Note: Guidance for the formation of petitions has come from the UMRA Statement of Values. "The Statement of Values can be found on page #8 of this Newsletter." After each general conference there is published a Book of Resolutions that expresses the message(s) that the General Conference has to send to the whole United Methodist Church. It is the Church s interpretation of the Biblical Witness. Copies of the Book of Resolutions are usually available in a church. If you cannot come up with a copy of the Book of Resolution, please contact the Executive Director for help.

5 5 This is the guide or resource that is used throughout the next four years for church positions and decisions. The following are resolutions that the UMRA has proposed to the 2016 General Conference. The numbers coincide with the numbers in the 2012 Book of Resolutions. #1024 Environmental Law: The Precautionary Principle renew and update #1026 Environmental Stewardship renew and update #1027 God s Creation and the Church renew and update #1028 The Law of the Sea renew and update #1029 Protection of Water renew and update #3103 Facilitation of Cooperative Ministry renew and update #3104 Church and Community Workers renew and update #3105 Delete and replace with 3104 #3107 Missional Personnel in the United States renew and update #3391 Call to the Churches for the support of rural ministries renewal and update #3392 Rural Communities in Crises renew and update #3393 Support and Protection of Rural People renew and update #3394 Support for all who minister in Rural Settings renew and update #3395 Ministries of Rural Chaplains renew and update New Petition: Local Church participation in global health ministry The officers of the national UMRA are as follows President Roger Grace Clergy from Ohio Vice President Peggy Page Clergy from Michigan Secretary Debra Ketcham Ohio Treasurer Mollie Stewart Mississippi Clergy from Lay from Membership Sec Carl Ellis Clergy from Kansas Spiritual Director Peggy Jeffries Clergy from Missouri Communications Director David Karges Clergy from Oklahoma Advocacy Director Judy Hill Lay from Colorado The South Central Jurisdiction Member at Large is Claudean Harrison from Lindsey Oklahoma

6 6 "Farming for the Long Haul: Protecting the Legacy, Helping it Happen" November 7, :00-7:00 P.M., Quinter United Methodist Church, 218 W. 4th St., Quinter, Kansas Speakers: Ms. Julene Bair, author of The Ogallala Road, will recount her journey from irrigation farmer in Sherman County to activist who asks the question: "How is it fair that our actions will deprive those who come after us of the water they will need to survive?" Julene Bair currently lives in Longmont, Colorado, but returns to Kansas to speak out about her concerns regarding the Ogallala Aquifer. Dr. Allyn Lockner, a retired economist living in Topeka, says: "I believe that water issues are the most important public policy issues in Kansas." Dr. Lockner has served as South Dakota Secretary of Environmental Protection as well as Director of the Kansas Water Office. He has done extensive research on water usage and policy in Kansas and elsewhere. He will invite us to think together about the question: "What do we need to do now to manage the water withdrawal and recharge rates so that the aquifer can provide water for beneficial uses on a sustainable basis for current and future generations?" He will stress the need to make changes, noting that there are options! And he will remind us that if we don't change, the aquifer will eventually get so depleted that we will be without water for farming for the long haul in Northwest Kansas. Other speakers will include a current irrigation farmer and one of the members of the Regional Planning team for the Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas. The panel discussion at the close of the event will feature the speakers as well as local irrigation farmers who are experimenting with possible solutions to do sustainable farming in Northwest Kansas.. The panel will invite audience participation, questions and comments. Snacks and a supper featuring local foods will be available. Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting. Come, let us reason together. Giving the Gift of Family Farming to a New Generation By Bishop Paul D. Etienne (The following article was copied with permission and appreciation from the Catholic Rural Life Magazine. Bishop Etienne is the Catholic Bishop of Cheyanne, and the president of Catholic Rural Life.) Some of my best memories while growing up were times visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousins on their farm in rural Indiana. They lived in the country and raised cows, pigs, chickens and farmed about one hundred acres of land. As far as I was concerned, they had it all. I remember the great tasting meals that we would enjoy from my uncle s farm. There

7 7 was always fresh milk, as well as the cream that was skimmed from the top. Almost everything we ate came from the farm, from the fried chicken to the fresh vegetables, to the homemade ice cream we loved so much for dessert! Even the farm property and buildings provided an excellent place for all of us kids to play, run, and simply enjoy being young. These family gatherings provided me with some of my best family experiences. Being a part of a family also included being part of a bigger community. Almost all of these gatherings revolved around some kind of event, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays. Very often, part of the day would include Mass. Even though I was from a small town, the parish church out in the county was even smaller, and I loved going to Mass there with my cousins and family. It was a great joy the day I was made pastor of my home parish, which by then also included this country parish, although I was able to enjoy that assignment only a few months before I was named bishop and sent west to Wyoming. I share these memories with you in the hopes of pro- viding a strong rationale for the next generation to continue to discover the joy of living close to the land. Many young people today seek to build their lives and families in suburban rather than rural settings. City life seemingly affords greater financial opportunities and more time for leisurely pursuits. Granted, everyone has to live their own life, and everyone must make a living. But what makes up the true treasures of life? We at Catholic Rural Life believe such richness is found in faith, family, and fulfilment. I know from my experience as a pastor of rural parishes in southern Indiana and now as bishop of the entire state of Wyoming that is more and more difficult for people to make a living in Rural America. There are startup costs, estate tax laws associated with passing on the family farm or ranch operation to the next generation, and the serious challenge of finding local markets for their produce. These are just some of the issues that Catholic Rural Life seeks to address in our outreach and advocacy efforts. Despite these challenges, America still needs small farms and families to live there. Positively, the relationship between the Creator, the human family and creation is still a reality to be lived and realized today. Farming is perhaps one of the first human vocations God intended, and this is why it is so important for young people today to prayerfully consider this life. Pope Francis spoke eloquently of this important relationship: Nature, in a word, is at our disposition and we are called to exercise a responsible stewardship over it. Yet so often we are driven by greed and by the arrogance of dominion, possession, manipulation and exploitation; we do not preserve nature; nor do we respect it or consider it a gracious gift which we must care for and set at the service of our brothers and sisters, including future generations.

8 8 (12/8/13) This working hand-in-hand with God in dayto-day work is precisely where the human person finds fulfillment. May more young people become these collaborators with God, with nature, and in the process discover the joy of life lived in faith on a family farm. STATEMENT OF VALUES OF THE UNITED METHODIST RURAL ADVOCATES 1) The health, vitality, and sustainability of each local congregation should be held as the primary value of the denominational structure. 2) The global nature of the church must be recognized and mutually respected. 3) We affirm the value of rural communities as a context for mission, ministry, and the making of new disciples for Christ. 4) We hold in high value the welfare of rural people worldwide, including access to adequate food, shelter, medical care, clear water, education, spiritual care, economic development, and systems of justice. 5) We are called to be faithful stewards of creation; environment, ecologies, and resources. 6) God s call to ministry should be a foundational consideration for all Christians, lay and clergy. 7) Regarding congregational life, we value: Pastoral leadership The accessibility of sacraments The mutuality of ministries, lay and clergy Partnerships across ecumenical boundaries 11) We stand against the structured inequities of racism, sexism, classism, ageism, and similar forms of discrimination. 12. Money is not God! 13. We value partnerships with others of common cause, including the ecumenical community, in the work of making disciples for Jesus Christ. 14. We do not require agreement on all things to work together, whether within denominational processes, or with the poor, or for the transformation of our communities. 15. We value our partnership with people of differing opinions and of various faiths and with non-profits who do good and love justice GPUMRA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS President Robbie Fall Bennington, Kansas Clergy Secretary Linda Battello Elsie, Nebraska Clergy Treasurer Jada Hodgson Parker, Kansas Lay Media Coordinator April Wegehaupt Chanute, Kansas Clergy Publicity Dennis Linton-Hendrick Ness City, Kansas Clergy Member at Large #1 Bob Aderholt Kenesaw, Nebraska Lay Member at Large #2 Janice Farrell La Crosse, Kansas Clergy Member at Large #3 Roger Kingsley Ellis, Kansas Lay Member at Large #4 Mary K. Feit Lincoln, Nebraska Lay Past President Russell Fincham Beloit, Kansas Clergy The Vice President position is open at present EX OFFICIO MEMBERS Executive Director Ronald Williams Manhattan, Kansas Clergy District Supt. Liaison James Akins Hays, Kansas Clergy Conference Rural Micki Mc Corkle Wichita, Kansas Clergy Consultant Carl Ellis Fort Scott, Kansas Clergy

9 9 REGISTRATION FOR THE THE 2015 GPUMRA GATHERING Name Address City State Zip District Church Lay Clergy Special Diet Necessity The facility is very accessible. If a member of Executive Committee arrive between 12:45 and 1:00 pm cdt. For all others: registration will be open between 1:00 and 3:00 pm cdt. The Gathering will be August 7, 2015 and will close at noon August 8, Cost: Please enclose $20.00 If you wish to become a member of the Great Plains United Methodist Advocates please use the membership form. Use the North or rear parking lot entrance which is most convenient and Is close to the elevator. To Register for The Gathering send the registration form to Ronald Williams, whose address is below: Great Plains United Methodist Rural Advocates Newsletter c/o Ronald Williams 3839 Fox Ridge Drive Manhattan, Kansas

10 Please send the membership application form with check to Ronald Williams 3839 Fox Ridge Drive, Manhattan, Kansas

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