Mississippi Methodist Advocate, 25 November 1967
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of Mississippi eGrove Publications Civil Rights Archive 11-25-1967 Mississippi Methodist Advocate, 25 November 1967 Author Unknown Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/civ_pubs Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Unknown, Author, "Mississippi Methodist Advocate, 25 November 1967" (1967). Publications. 24. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/civ_pubs/24 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Civil Rights Archive at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Calls for Radical Reform, Decentralization- OuUer Blasts Appointive System DALLAS - The Rev. Dr. Al 3. In which appointments are matched with the needs of a con ers, on the one hand, and of the bert C. Outler declared in an ad made on grounds other than those gregation." congregations, on the other. dress h,;!re that disaffection and of Wesley's conception of spirit mutiny are swelling to epidemic Bishop Mathews added that he 2. Radical decentralization of ual gifts, pastoral graces and does not believe low mQrale of all the (general) boards and agen proportions in the ranks of the evangelistic . fruits. Methodist clergy, and he put the ninisters today is "due in any pro cies, the vigorous reversal of the major blame on the "fourfold 4. In which there is an increas current trends toward programs ing atrophy of initiative and re nounced way to the oppressive from above, and encouragement failure of the appointive system." ness of bishops." "Rather," he "There is a crisis in vocational sponsibility at the local, district of "impulses and programs that identity and professional commit and regional level. said, "morale is low among rmin arise at the locallevels." ment that has already shattered Methodist Bishop James K. isters, including bishops, because 3. Renewal of the principle of the esprit de corps of our once Mathews, Boston, was on the pro our image has become blurred. "governance by conference" proud 'itinerant system' ," he gram as the reactor to Dr. N ow a new image is emerging local, district, annual, and re said. Outler's speech. He said it may of pastor.-teacher, pastor-counsel gional. Dr. Outler, a professor at be that the appointive power of lor, pastor-Ieader-who leads as a 4. A resolute decision to risk the Perkins School of Theology, Methodist bishops, who assign servant of man and God." changes in polity, and outward ap Southern Methodist . University, pastors to their churches, needs Dr. Outler said he thinks that pearance, that are "certain to Dallas, spoke at the biennial na to be revised, but he added that "nothing short of basic constitu come with . any really serious tional Methodist Conference on its values ought first be examined tional change will suffice for the achievement in Christian unity Christian Education, held Nov. 6- carefully. reform and renewal of The United over and beyond simple mergers 10 at the Statler Hilton Hotel. Bishop Mathews said the values Methodist Church that most of us between Christians within the The internationally known the of the appointive system are at profess to desire." same pan - den 0 min a t i 0 n ologian and ecumenist told the least three in number: "(1) It is al family." He said it seems to him that the 1,300 Christian educators that the a principal guarantee of the free H!;!.,.added tha. ~.nited Meth appointive system in our time is a dom of the pulpit. (2) It is the price of reform in contemporar ocfist - " p.r-esent w fairest way to deal both with the Methodism "will include at least system: four m'1ljor items": w te.r.ma};k in- union without re 1. Which degrades professional pastor and the congregation when orm; it is e last time we will men to the actual status of em real problems of compatibility 1. Decisive abrogation of the ~ e that sort of 'cheap ecumen ployees. arise. (3) It is best suited for the "absolute appointive power of the ·-ism' agam. y contr.ast fu~ Con- 2. Which operates a double church adequately to fulfill its Methodist episcopacy," by a s - ion mea s standard in its administration of mission. That is to say, the abili formal and substantial recogni- _ir~~~;;~~~~~~~wto-4ace absolute power. ties of a man may readily be tion of the rights of the preach- Vietnam Veteran ' Honored From Tidings- At Meridian Church New Paperback on On November 5th, at the close of the Evening Worship 's ervi{~ at Druid Evangelism .e"gio.. I .. Hills Methodist, Me'"fidian, Mr. and inding The T uth A out ! an-G. Byron Deshler, Tidings, 1908 Grand Mrs. Brooks Legate honored their Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 Rura'I"e son, Bruce, with a coffee. Specialist pages 128 $1.25 each or for orders of Five Legate has just returned from a 4 or more $1.00. years duty in Vietnam. Following a By Carl Keightley 3O-day leave, he will report to Fort Dr. Deshler, a former staff mem Rucker, Alabama for duty. ber of the General Board of Evan Members of the congregation and gelism, has produced a sequel to his other friends, who called after the "Finding The Truth About God". It worship service, visited with Bruce is aimed, as was the first volume, and were served a dessert plate with toward the small groups and individ coffee by Misses Gail Ervin, Donna ual Bible stuciy. Clark, Marsha Herrington and Shelia The real value of the book is in Miller. the questions presented for self ex amination, rather than the comments of the various passages by the author. Charles Darwin was wrong on more I Dr. Deshler, however, makes no missions. In many areas of . Religion claim for definitive treatment. of the than one thing. One of the times when in Rural Life missionary zeal is lack scripture in his brief comments, but he was wrong wa·s in a report he ing. Churches often times feel that rather describes them as aiming at made after a scientific expedition to gifts for missions could better be used stimulating thought. Tierra del Fuego. at home. The volume offered meditations for thirteen weeks. The daily format pre In the report he submitted his con John McDowell said, "The Mission sents questions · on Hie search for clusion that the inhabitants of that ary enterprise is not the church's aft meaning, questions for inner exami island were hopelessly savage. Many erthought. It is the church's fore nation, and suggestions for personal years later he revisIted the island. In thought. It is not . secondary and op prayer. the meantime, missionaries 'had ven tional, it is primary and vitaL" This Those who wish to supplement their usually brief daily devotions with tured into the area. seems to be as it should be since lengthier meditations on scriptural Seeing a change, he wrote in his God's only Son was a missionary. passages or for a deeper look into diary, "It was without exception the There's an old story about the near their personal lives will find some most i~teresting spectacle I have ever sighted woman who talked religion to guidance in Dr. Deshler's sequel to beheld. I could not have believed how "Finding the Truth About God". a wooden Indian in front of a cigar wide was the difference between sav- store. She later declared she would age and civilized man ... The suc- rather be a live Christian and talk ~ra;L~tJi cess of the missionaries is most won religion to a wooden Indian, than a t\VBR4101.EY derful, and channs me . wooden Christian who never talked LfJ "The march of improvement conse religion to anybody. CLEANERS quent on the introduction of Christian Robert E . Speer put it well when ity throughout the South Seas prob 926 W. Capitol St. Dial FL 3-1631 he said, "If you want to follow Jesus If you don't like the budget, why ably stands by itself in the record of Christ, you must follow him to the didn't you submit your ideas to the Jackson, Mississippi history." ends of the earth; for that's where finance committee-in writing. Darwin became a supporter of world he is going." ' !\Qv\!tn\>er. .25, 1967 . PAGE FIVE GROWING MINISTRY AT EAST GREENWOOD MISSION NEEDS SUPPORT VAIDEN MEMORIAL GIFT "A beautiful bulletin board has been given to the Vaiden Method· ist Church in memory of Mrs. Ef· fie Audrey Cross by Mr. and Mrs. Vacation Church School at the East Home visitor to assist needy families ence Treasurer, and mark it District W. B. Cross, Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Greenwood Methodist Mis s ion in in working out some of their complex Advance Special. Cross, and Rusty Cross." Greenwood is one of the most unique problems. The local churches collect The volunteer workers responsible ministries of the church. For the past clothing that is used to provide for for <this p:r;ogram are Mrs. Waymon Durant Children Attend East two years it has been conducted en the children and families of the Mis Minyard, Mrs. Ben Branch and Mr. Greenwood Mission Service tirely by volunteer workers from sion. We are hoping to get a much and Mrs. Harry Rumfelt. They are Most of the members of the Chil First and St. John's Methodist wider support from the churches and assisted by members of their fami dren's Department of the Sunday churches in Greenwood. Under t his individuals so we, can provide these lies a,nd some of the parents.