Channels 68 News Now News Now December 2013 5 Birthing Kits Are the Latest UMCOR Kits
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Issue #68 • December 2013 Hope for the Chil- dren of Africa 16 Bishop Swenson, PNWUMW Meeting 16 God is on the side of the damned 14 Imperfect Signs of Perfec- tions 19 issue #68, December 2013 Connecting with stories making headlines from the UMC into December By LINDA BLOOM Photo by WIKIMEDIA COMMONS* *For more info on this image, visit http://bit.ly/1aPlmSC. eDITOR’s note: On Dec. 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela died at age 95. South African President Jacob Zuma made the announcement. Mandela, a former prisoner, became a statesman who led South Africa out of decades of apartheid. hroughout his life, Nelson Man- free of bitterness. His life reflects the qualities of dela had many connections to the World Methodist Peace Award.” Methodism. A graduate of a Methodist EARLY METHODIST ROOTS boarding school where many future Mandela was born July 18, 1918, at Mvezo African leaders were educated, the in the Eastern Cape and graduated from Heald- anti-apartheid champion was men- town, a boarding school started by Methodist tored by Methodist preachers and educators missionaries in 1845. The Rev. Seth Mokitimi and formed a bond with a Methodist chaplain was the school’s chaplain. A renowned Methodist while in prison. preacher and educator who in 1964 became the As president of South Africa, he worked with first black person elected to lead a major denomi- church leaders in shaping a new nation and nation in South Africa, he had a powerful influ- eventually married Graça Machel, a United Meth- ence on Mandela. odist, widow of the former president of Mozam- A new Methodist seminary, opened in 2009 bique and an advocate for women’s and chil- within the Pietermaritzburg Cluster of ecumeni- dren’s rights. cal theological institutions at the University of When that couple made a surprise appear- KwaZulu-Natal near Durban, is named after ance before the United Methodist Council of Mokitimi, who died in 1971. Bishops during a November 2006 meeting in As a leader in a campaign against the apart- Whenever you see Maputo, Mozambique, Bishop Janice Huie, then heid system, Mandela was sentenced to life The monthly, award-winning publication of the Pacific northwest conference of the united methodist church The Shelf icon the council’s president, declared the group was imprisonment on Robben Island in 1963. The beside an article in “blessed” to have them in their presence. “We Rev. Peter Storey, a Methodist pastor, served as RESIDENT BISHOP Grant J. Hagiya EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CONNECTIONAL MINISTRIES The Rev. David Valera Channels, Regional have been in the company of the saints and we chaplain to Mandela and other prisoners. Director of communications, Young PeoPle’s ministries Patrick Scriven OFFICE MANAGER Anna Conklin Media Center Manager know it, and we are grateful,” she said. Storey, a former president of the Methodist PRINT & PUBLICATIONS MANAGER Jesse N. Love COPY EDITORS Gretchen Engle, et. al. Ellen Johanson has The World Methodist Council recognized Man- Church of Southern Africa, also became a close CONTRIBUTORS Linda Bloom, Barbara Dadd Shaffer, Joan Hackett, the Rev. Brian Diggs, Alethea McGavran, Marsha carefully chosen a video dela as a “symbol of freedom, justice and peace” associate of Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu Aufenkamp, the Rev. Lara Bolger, Pastor Karen Yokota, Ellen Johanson, the Rev. Shalom Agtarap, Moses Garibay, the Rev. that compliments the Darryn Hewson, the Rev. Rich Lang, and the Rev. Paul Graves SPECIAL THANKS United Methodist News Service, Hope for when presenting him with its 2000 peace award. in the church’s anti-apartheid struggles. story you are reading the Children of Africa, UMCOR Depot (Salt Lake City, Utah), United Methodist Women, and Blaine UMC “As a national and world leader his name is Freed from prison on Feb. 11, 1990, Mandela in an effort to help synonymous with reconciliation,” said Frances Al- was elected South Africa’s president in 1994. He further your interest guire, the council’s chairperson, when the award appointed Storey to help form South Africa’s Truth channels is a monthly publication of the Office of Connectional Ministries, The Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church, 816 S. 216th Street, Building 2, P.O. Box 13650, Des Moines, in a particular topic or WA 98198-1009 • channels is also available for download at www.pnwumc.org/channels • For any photo or article contributions, questions, comments, or letters to the editor, e-mail channels@pnwumc. was announced. “As a person he is remarkably and Reconciliation Commission, which was es- org • Submissions are due by the 1st of each month for publication the following month • All submissions are reviewed by members of the Office of Connectional Ministries and the Staff of the PNWUMC • theme. We reserve the right to reuse, modify, or decline any contribution to this publication • The opinions expressed in channels may or may not reflect the views of the producers of this publication, the PNWUMC or The United Methodist Church • Please give courtesy credit(s) when reprinting articles or photos from channels. Let us be good stewards of the earth; please recycle. Continue to the next page mandela: reconciliation, healing and forgiveness in south africa Continued from previous page By BISHOP GRANT J. HAGIYA Photo by GREG NELSON tablished in 1995 and received world attention as a model of how to seek national healing and forgiveness. “We knew we needed the truth to build a new nation,” Storey said in 2005 when he was a professor at Duke Divinity School. “Without truth, no healing. Without forgiveness, no future.” hanksgiving has always been a spe- Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Southern part of the cial time for me. Less commercial Philippines, and made it almost impossible to hold the an- CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH than our secular Christmas, it is the nual Christmas Institutes in this area. However, people like After Mandela’s election, Method- one time of the year we have a clear our own Rev. David Valera could not accept such a can- ist leaders recognized the church’s focus: to be thankful. Unfortunately, the cellation. To give the youth hope for the future, David and “critical role” in creating a new South secular world is not interested in our scrip- many partners began to organize a way to hold Christmas Africa. “The biggest challenge is tural basis of thanksgiving, and that being Institute even amid the typhoon recovery effort. A new ven- for the church to learn to work with thankful is never confined to one season ue was found, and organizing for the event began anew. a government that is legitimate,” By THE REV. ELIZABETH INGRAM SCHINDLER or time period. Every single moment of our However, they do not have the financial resources to fund then-Bishop H. Mvume Dandala said Image courtesy of WIKIMEDIA COMMONS* lives in Christ Jesus are moments of sheer the Institute. during a 1998 interview with United gratitude. In everything we do and everything we are, we This is where our “Thanks-Giving” comes into play. Methodist News Service in New York. above all must be thankful. Why? Because God gives us The cost for each youth to attend Christmas Institute is But the reluctance to criticize had hortly before I sat down to write presents under the tree, the family gather- everything, absolutely everything, $75. We hope to make it possible to be addressed. “The euphoria of a blog post for Browns Point, ings, the special music or the holiday meals. and to acknowledge that gift is to be for a minimum of 300 youth to at- having our own government is still I had heard that Nelson Man- I’m longing and waiting for Jesus to come, thankful. And let the peace of Christ tend Christmas Institutes in the af- with us and it still is not easy to draw dela had died. When I saw the and I believe with all my heart that he will. What we also need to acknowl- fected area. If each of us across the attention to what might be wrong,” rule in your hearts, to which news, I could only sit in silence It’s this belief that gives me hope, that edge is the word itself: “Thanksgiv- Greater Northwest Episcopal area Dandala explained. Churches also for a while, thinking and pray- people like Mandela will continue to rise to ing” implies a deep sense of stew- can contribute toward that cost, we had to help continue the healing pro- indeed you were called in the ing. I am sad that I live in a leadership in the world, that we will make lots ardship. Our “Thanks” must turn will easily fund 300 or more insti- cess started by the Truth and Recon- world that he is no longer in, but I’m confident of mistakes as humanity but we will also take into a “Giving.” First and foremost, one body. And be thankful. tute campers. I pray you can join ciliation Commission, he said. that he walks with God in eternity, hearing the some giant leaps forward toward justice and we give our thanks to God, and far me in sending at least 300 youth to Mandela retired as South Africa’s -colossians 3:15 words, “Well done, good and faithful servant;” peace, toward everyone having enough of from not needing such thanks; God Christmas Institute this month. Just president in 1999 after serving one and I’m glad he’s not ill any longer. what they need, toward loving each other the takes in every such acknowledge- send your check into the Treasurer term, but he continued to have an in- Nelson Mandela taught the world a lot way God loves all of us.