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Two Sections – Section A
Volume 157 Number 4
The Bishop
Getting our
priorities straight
BY BISHOP W. EARL BLEDSOE
North Texas Conference
I had the wonderful experience of watching a television
movie with one of my grandkids the other day. The movie,
G-Force, is
the story of
a group of
guinea pigs
who believed they
had been
genetically
Bishop Bledsoe engineered
to perform
heroic espionage activities to
save the world.
Needless to say, Ben, their
owner, had told them that they
had these super powers. In the
end, they discovered that they
were ordinary guinea pigs, not
genetically engineered. When
they found out, they lost hope
and began to despair.
However when it seemed all
was lost, they began to believe
in themselves again. They not
only believed, they also acted
on those beliefs, understanding
that they were members of a
family with a special purpose
in life. Ultimately, the FBI recognized their heroic work and
they became special agents.
The movie caused me to
think about our lives with a big
question. What are the GForces
in life that cause us to believe
in ourselves and in God again?
I believe there are three very
powerful forces.
• The first is Grace, which is
God’s unmerited gift freely
given that says we are loved
even before we know or
believe it.
• The second is Gratitude,
those words, such as “thank
you,” that encourage us to
focus on God’s gift of life
to us.
• The third force is Growth, the
ability to risk doing things
differently, to make mistakes
and learn from them.
See “Priorities…” on Page 4A
072000
May 28, 2010
Internet stream radio initiative now ‘Going Public’
BY DR. JOAN G. LABARR
Editor
Four NTC churches ventured
out into a new stream in February
2010 with the launch of an internet radio program called “Going
Public.” The four predominantly
African American congregations
have partnered with the Conference and Service Broadcasting
Inc. to produce and distribute
four shows on K104 Praise,
part of the broadcast group that
includes the most highly rated
radio stations in the Metroplex.
St. Luke “Community,” Warren and Hamilton Park UMCs,
Dallas, and New Beginnings
Fellowship, Grand Prairie, (listed
in order of the program schedule)
each produce a one hour show
of music and lively proclamation to be streamed at 10:00 a.m.
Monday through Thursday. The
pastors host the shows, occasionally bringing in other clergy
members of their staffs. Each
show reflects the individual pastor’s personality and interests,
providing diversity and variety
within a consistent format.
Participating pastors include:
Rev. Tyrone Gordon, Rev.
Jackie Wickware, Rev. Jeremiah
Booker and Rev. Perry Crenshaw. Though the program may
be accessed through the websites
of all three participating stations,
the most direct way to log on is
From left, K-104 Praise personality, “G-Man,” visits with internet manager Jeff Wodka and Revs.
Jackie Wickware, Perry Crenshaw and Dr. Tyrone Gordon at the studios in Grand Prairie.
www.dfwpraise.com.
Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe planted the seeds of “Going Public”
more than a year ago following
discussions with Jeff Wodka
and Wayne Jones, representing
K104-FM, KRNB-FM (including KRNB Praise and dfwpraise.
com, the internet “station”).
Bishop Bledsoe called a group
of African American pastors together to explore the potential of
“Going Public” through internet
radio. The overall concept was
Consulting
about program
plans are,
from left,
Wayne Jones,
Wodka and
Rev. Jeremiah
Booker,
Hamilton Park
UMC, Dallas.
See “Internet…” on Page 5A
SPT addresses decision-making process
BY CLAYTON OLIPHINT
First UMC, Richardson
The new Strategic Plan calls
for a significant shift in how
visioning and decision-making
happen in our conference. We
have gotten used to a
“representative” model
of leadership wherein
constituencies are represented by someone
at “the table”.
After the new plan
is in place, a smaller
group of persons, the Core
Leadership Team, would be
providing guidance for the work
of the annual conference. Can
this really work? How will we
be certain our voices are being
heard? Is this really more effective leadership? These are questions we been wrestling with on
the Strategic Planning Team.
I am convinced that there are
very strong advantages to this
new model of leadership.
First, a smaller group is more
nimble, more able to address
needs as they arise. A larger
group most often functions
simply as a rubber stamp. We’ve
all seen it happen in our own
churches! So, I love the idea of a
smaller group truly focusing on
the mission of the church.
Second, we so often have
groups that are outside the
power structure doing important
ministries. Whether or not those
ministries get attention
depends whether or not
they have a person at
the table. With this new
model, we establish
priorities and values and
hold the central power
structure accountable
to addressing those things we
value most. Visit the Strategic
Planning Website www.
holyconferencing.com, and see
Appendix E for a list of the
criteria through which decisions
will be
filtered and
made.
Third,
because this
group will be
focused solely
on our mission of making disciples Dr. Oliphint
and will be
held accountable to the priorities
established by the conference,
there is less room for getting
distracted by ministries that are
not in line with our values and
priorities. Our resources can be
used in focused ways that help
the local church be more effective in reaching its mission field.
See “Decisions…” on Page 4A
4A NTCcircuit
‘Battle of the Bands’ benefits Christ’s Foundry
Decisions
BY JOHN A. LOVELACE
Continued from front page
Special Correspondent
“Battle of the Bands” proved
to be more of a kids’ carnival
Saturday, May 15, on the spacious Cochran Chapel UMC
lawn bordering Dallas’ Northwest Highway.
That was just fine, since the
battle/carnival raised nearly
$1,000 for children’s ministries
at Christ’s Foundry Fellowship,
the NTC’s outreach to the Hispanic community in the Bachman
Lake area. Mixtures of food and
games, all moderately priced,
occupied adults and kids equally
while the bands played on.
The event was hosted by
Christ Foundry’s covenant
churches and other supportive
congregations.
From two facing (“competitive”) stages, the bands played
30-minute “sets,” mostly old
favorites from their respective,
varied playbooks.
Featured, in sequence, were
a five-person combo from
University Park and Highland
Park UMC, the 14-piece jazz
band from Lovers Lane UMC,
a four-piece percussion-driven
crew from St. Paul’s UMC and,
finally, the seven-person Dixie
Disciples from First UMC, Coppell. It was a two-hour blowout!
The Dixie Disciples from First UMC, Coppell, capped the afternoon’s “battle” with old favorites
and a sing-along for ‘Do Lord, Oh Do Lord…”
PHOTOS BY JOHN A. LOVELACE
LEFT: “Ephesians 5” (minus one) from St. Paul UMC featured heavy percussion (trap drums and
bongos) supporting and propelling guitar and keyboard. RIGHT: In true big-band style, the
woodwind “line” carried much of the load for Lovers Lane UMC’s jazz band contribution to the
Battle of the Bands.
YES they are our resources.
Every local church is invested
through the apportionment.
Finally (and I think this aspect is absolutely foundational!),
where we have in the past put
energy toward who was represented at the table (an “input”
model), this new plan calls for
energy being given to the results
of what happens at the table
(an “output” model). In other
words, we expect our leadership
to cast visions, make decisions,
and impact ministries in ways
that actually help local churches
make disciples.
If they are not, if we find that
we are not in fact reaching more
of our mission field, if lives are
not being transformed, if local
churches are not stronger, then
adjustments need to be made so
that we can live out our mission
more effectively.
No structure will save us, but
I do believe we can shift our
paradigm so structure is not an
obstacle. The new strategic plan
is not magic and will not make
all our struggles go away, but I
believe it is a definitive step in
the direction of being guided
first and foremost by our mission
of making disciples of Jesus
Christ and transforming our
world one life at a time.
TMF offers challenge grant for Christ’s Foundry building
BY CANDY GROSS
Texas Methodist Foundation
The Texas Methodist Foundation recently announced a
challenge grant made possible by
a donor advised fund to support
Christ’s Foundry Fellowship, a
ministry of help and hope serving
within the North Texas Annual
Conference. The grant will provide up to $100,000 in matching funds raised toward Christ’s
Foundry’s building fundraising
goal.
This $200,000 in matching grant funding will enable
Christ’s Foundry to begin construction on a home for its ministry to better serve a vulnerable
community with many needs.
This United Methodist mission
provides both a community center and a center of worship and
spiritual growth to the immigrant
Spanish-speaking community
located just north of Love Field
in Dallas. Through Christ’s
Foundry, essential community
assistance and spiritual guidance
is provided to an area challenged
by above average school dropout rates, gang violence, crime,
and abusive labor practices.
“The challenges are great in
the community we serve, but we
worship a God who is greater
and more powerful than our
challenges,” said Rev. Owen K.
Ross, pastor of Christ’s Foundry,
in recent fundraising communications. “After five years of
praying, raising funds, ringing
bells, selling tamales, making
drawings, redrawing plans, platting lots, holding fasts, having
dinners, dealing with the city and
experiencing the process bringing
us to this moment: We are ready
to build!”
Christ’s Foundry has garnered
enough financial support from
Dallas-area UM churches, other
grant sources and individual
givers to begin Phase I of its
construction plan once this challenge grant is met. But extending
that goal to raising an additional
$500,000 over the next four
months will allow completion of
MAY 28, 2010 | NORTH TEXAS CONFERENCE NEWS
both Phases I and II in 2010 and
bring all the ministry’s efforts
together under one roof—a plan
that allows for even greater lifetransforming outreach opportunities and further strengthening of
ties in a neighborhood where its
mission is crucial. Additionally,
completing both phases together
will save the ministry $300,000500,000. Christ’s Foundry would
then be able to shift its fundraising focus from construction to developing more programs to serve
its neighbors, particularly at-risk
youth and underserved children.
“This $100,000 challenge
grant to help Christ’s Foundry
with fundraising, knowing it
will ultimately yield $200,000
and get their construction under
way, is so important and appreciated,” said Candy Gross, Texas
Methodist Foundation Sr. Vice
President of Charitable Services
and Grants. “The Foundation
has been a supporter of Christ’s
Foundry for many years now in
a number of ways. We’ve seen
the impact this United Methodist
ministry is having in the heart of
Dallas. When a mission is this
significant, we want to make
every effort to help it meet or
exceed fundraising goals.”
Christ’s Foundry currently
worships at Lovers Lane United
Methodist Church in Dallas, and
accomplishes important outreach
to its community in other various locations. Their new facility
will allow the ministry to have a
cohesive home of its own where
lives can be changed, and more
people than ever will come to
Priorities
Continued from front page
I believe these are the G-Forces of life that gives us a quality
relationship with God and each
other.
We will be assembling together soon in Wichita Falls for holy
conferencing. We will be making
some important decisions regarding our future together.
May the G-force, the God
force, be with us!
know the healing love of Christ.
To contribute toward the
$100,000 challenge grant contact
Rev. Owen Ross at 214/4979552 or Candy Gross, Texas
Methodist Foundation, at 800933-5502. Donations may also
be made securely online at
www.christsfoundry.org.
Around the
Conference
NTC Clergywomen are invited
to a “Breakfast Together” at
7:10 a.m. June 8 at the MPEC
in Wichita Falls. The breakfast
will be in Room 10 and cost is
$10 to be paid at the door. For
reservations contact Rev. Linda
Roby, [email protected].
Births
Finnley Conner Shaddox, son
of David and Leah Shaddox
and grandson of Rev. Bill and
Judy Shaddox, Salem-Kinser/
Floyd UMC, was born May
18, weighing 7lbs, 6 oz. and
measuring 18 inches.
NTCcircuit
5A
Internet stream radio initiative now ‘Going Public’
Rev. Perry
Crenshaw, New
Beginnings
Fellowship, Grand
Prairie, has
become familiar
with the station’s
recording studio
equipment as
he records his
weekly program
every Wednesday
morning.
Continued from Page 1A
for the participating churches to
fund half the cost, and special
funding for the other half would
be raised from sources coordinated through the NTC. The Texas
Methodist Foundation provided
a $15,000 grant to help move the
project forward.
It took more than a year to
come up with the final roster of
churches, a financially feasible
proposal and funding, but by the
end of 2009, all the obstacles
were overcome.
In addition to the hour of
internet stream programming,
the churches receive banner ads
on the station’s website, on-air
commercials and added value
streamed ads. The banner ads link
to the churches’ own websites.
Looking back at the process,
Bishop Bledsoe says: “I believed
‘Going Public’ was an excellent
opportunity for the churches
involved to share with the greater
audience the ministries going
on inside the churches. Internet radio is just getting off the
ground, and it is an opportunity
for churches to connect with
listening audiences. We wanted
to learn some things about how
internet radio can enhance the
ministry of the church and how
the ministries of our various congregations could be shared with
the greater Dallas community.
This has been a pilot project, and
we hope at the conclusion, we
will be able to share our learning
to apply to future ministry.”
Been a Blessing
Dr. Gordon is enthusiastic
about the St. Luke “Community” UMC participation. He
says, “The ‘Going Public’ Radio
Internet ministry has been a
blessing the short time it has
been in place. We had members
use it as a witnessing tool, inviting persons to church through
listening to the stream, even in
the workplace. It has given many
members a sense of pride and
they often make a reference to
the program when talking up
the church and the ministries we
have to offer.”
Dr. Booker views the experience as, “… a growing and challenging experience with internet
broadcast evangelism. It has
given us an opportunity to access
and upgrade our current technological applications and marketing strategies to reach a much
broader audience. Our congregation is excited about us being
on the ‘airwaves’ in the name of
Jesus to offer people hope and a
bright future through the unconditional love and saving grace of
Jesus Christ.”
Rev. Crenshaw, whose new
congregation meets in a Grand
Prairie Funeral Home, has no established recording facilities, so
he goes to the radio station each
Wednesday to do his program. As
he grows more familiar with the
process, he is learning new skills
and making contacts that are
very helpful in building a new
congregation.
A new family has been visiting New Beginnings for about a
month and is now talking about
joining. In addition to attracting
visitors, Rev. Crenshaw cites
two more advantages from the
program: “One, our members
are excited about hearing their
Dr. Clara Reed to preach
at opening service
Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe has announced that
Sherman-McKinney District Superintendent
Rev. Clara Reed will preach at the June 6 opening worship of the North Texas Annual Conference, replacing Bishop John Innis of Liberia
who had to withdraw due to health issues.
The service will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the
Kay Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls. It will
follow the Clergy/Laity Dinner scheduled to
begin at 5:30 p.m.
Dr. Reed’s sermon, “Alignment for Divine
Dr. Reed
Assignment,” will be based on Joshua 1:1–9.
church on the ‘radio’ and have
begun to show a new pride in
New Beginnings. Two, I have
become even more knowledgeable about how to integrate media into ministry and have met
some very key media personalities in the process.”
Rev. Wickware says that the
campaign has been a great asset for doing evangelism in the
South Dallas area served by the
Warren church—as well as in the
rest of the city.
“It has afforded us the opportunity to communicate the
Gospel to those who listen at
their jobs, at home, and even on
cell phones. Recognizing that,
we at Warren UMC have taken
full advantage of ‘Going Public’ by intentionally developing
our web streaming to share the
‘Good News’ from the start of
the program to the very end.
Commercials
She goes on to say that the on
air radio commercials broadcasting on KKDA, KRNB and K104
have provided an opportunity to
connect with a wide cross section of people who may never
have heard of Warren previously. “Many have heard our
commercials and are becoming
interested in what we are doing.
These commercials are produced
‘in house’ by members of our
congregation, and they are of the
utmost quality, promoting the
church and our weekly worship
service. The results have created
a great deal of foot traffic,” she
explains, adding:
North Texas Conference
United Methodist Reporter
Joan Gray LaBarr editor
Jo Ann Hayes circulation
[email protected]
972-526-5006
P.O. Box 866128
Plano, Texas 75086-6128
972-526-5000
800-969-8201
www.ntcumc.org
“Just a week before Easter,
a man stopped by the church
expressing an interest in our
outreach ministry. He said he
listens to us on streaming radio.
At a recent conference at least 20
people told me they listen to the
weekly program. More importantly, web streaming reaches
people who eventually do come
through our doors. On the other
hand, it connects us to people
we will never see. We know this
because we receive e-mails from
persons who live in other cities
and states.”
Pastor Wickware brings out
an important aspect of web
streamed programming. Internet
radio can be accessed from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. It is a continuous
stream that cannot be paused or
replayed, much like traditional
radio. Unlike podcasting, internet streaming does not require
downloading. Though programming could be archived through a
special process, this is not part of
the “Going Public” plan.
Internet Manager Wodka is
excited about the success of
“Going Public” and thanks the
churches for an exciting first
quarter of praise, saying: “From
Pastor Wickware’s story about
the man who heard her sermon
online and came in off the street
looking to volunteer to Pastor Crenshaw’s story about the
couple who heard the Easter
broadcast and has been to New
Beginnings several times since,
we are ALL doing a great job of
spreading the word.”
“Together, we have successfully ‘Gone Public’ and now we
are working to make disciples
of Jesus Christ throughout the
Metroplex,” says Wodka (who is
a member of Custer Road UMC,
Plano).
As a pilot program, “Going Public” will be evaluated
throughout the year. Meanwhile,
the participating churches are
seeing immediate benefits of an
increased presence in the greater
Dallas area—and beyond—
through the internet.
Looking for a mission opportunity for your
Sunday School class or church group this summer?
PROJECT TRANSFORMATION
Seeks Volunteer Groups to
• Read one-on-one with underserved children
• Provide a dinner for 100 college interns living in
community at SMU or 10 college interns living at
Austin College during the summer
Project Transformation provides ministry exploration
internships to college students and community-oriented
programs for children and youth living
in low-income neighborhoods.
Summer Day Camps operate from June 7–July 28.
For more information, contact Janalee Shadburn at
www.projecttransformation.org or 214-946-3600
NORTH TEXAS CONFERENCE NEWS | MAY 28, 2010
8A NTCcircuit
Irving GDS volunteers help change community, world
Volunteers from three NTC congregations
joined forces with other churches and businesses
in the community to make the eighth annual
Great Days of Service (GDS) a success. Teams
from First UMC, Plymouth Park and Kirkwood
UMCs were part of the April 16–17, 23–24 effort
to do repairs on 25 homes.
The final GDS dates coincided with the United
Methodist “Change the World” weekend.
Since GDS was launched in 2002, volunteers
have assisted more than 175 Irving homeowners
with renovations, repairs and clean-up of their
homes and property.
Good Shepherd Lutheran was host church for
2010. Partner churches exchange hosting duties from year to year. First UMC will assume
host duties in 2011. Volunteers gather at the host
church for a prayer breakfast at the beginning of
GDS and gather the Sunday after for a celebration
with the homeowners. Each homeowner family
receives a special gift basket as part of the event.
Governance for GDS is through Vision Impact, a 501 (c) (3) not for profit corporation with
an all-volunteer board of directors. Goal of the
organization is to help revitalize the community
by providing more affordable housing through
refurbishment of existing homes.
All properties selected for GDS work are
resident-owned and selected in cooperation with
City of Irving Code Enforcement.
To learn more about GDS and Vision Impact,
log on to website www.visionimpact.org.
LEFT: Plymouth Park UMC youth Andrew
Heller, Don Flagler (adult volunteer), Andrew
Bullard, Rebecca Quasebarth, Laura Dinou and
Elizabeth Quasebarth help clean a homeowner’s
yard. TOP LEFT: Glenna Hash, homeowner’s
daughter; Helen Hopkins, Kirkwood UMC;
David Price, Plymouth Park Baptist; Charles
Hash, homeowner’s son-in-law, and Kenneth
Cadenhead, First Baptist, help tear down a shed
as part of a yard clean-up. ABOVE: Helen Rice,
Kirkwood UMC; Meredith Key, Plymouth Park
Baptist; Anita Nigrin, Good Shepherd Lutheran;
Darla Williams, Kirkwood: Kay Fielder, Plymouth
Park UMC; and Don Rice, Kirkwood, help
prepare lunches for GDS volunteers.
From Bogata to Burkburnett…Thoughts about Annual Conference
BY RICHARD B. HEARNE
NTC Board of Laity, Chair
Annual Conference may be
“old hat” to some or considered a
waste of time by others but it has
always been a joy and blessing
to me. It is the
one time each
year when
I get to see,
visit and share
in the lives of
my brothers
and sisters in
Christ, laity
and clergy,
Hearne
and share the
joys and sadness of the past year.
I look forward to seeing each of
you in Wichita Falls.
Annual Conference 2010 has
taken on an increased sense of
importance this year because
of the issue of the voting on the
Strategic Plan. For many of us,
we have had a “full measure” of
the topic of the Strategic Plan. It
has been discussed in dozens of
official meetings that I (we) have
attended and been the source
of many more individual meetings. What has been interesting
to me is that while many have
concerns about the SP, there is
no one or two concerns that have
surfaced—most persons are just
worried about their “ox being
gored.”
I know that was my concern
when I first looked at the plan. I
saw what I perceived as a major
shift of shared responsibility and
power between clergy and laity
to a clergy dominated system.
Since I am pretty “slow on the
uptake” it took several hours of
discussions with Bishop W. Earl
Bledsoe and members of the
Strategic Planning Team to assure me that my initial concerns
were incorrect.
It has only been in my discussions with persons leading other
committees and work areas that
I have realized that I am not
the only one being impacted
by the SP. In speaking to other
leaders, both laity and clergy,
I have discovered that in most
cases people are concerned, as
they should be, with the areas in
which they work.
To the credit of the SPT, as
these concerns have surfaced
they have been answered as well
as possible. The reality is that
today we don’t have all of the
answers and we will never have
all the answers. If we waited to
have all the answers by the time
we got to the end of the list of
questions the answer we have
from the top of the list will have
MAY 28, 2010 | NORTH TEXAS CONFERENCE NEWS
changed. Some are concerned
that we are voting on the SP on
June 7th and implementing on
July 1st—“we are moving too
quickly,” they say—which is not
a statement I have heard very
much, if at all, in my 20+ years
of involvement in The United
Methodist Church.
I lift up several reasons why
I support this SP. First, when the
NTC Delegation interviewed the
candidates for Bishop in 2007,
the number one question to each
of the prospective bishops was
“are you willing and able to lead
an annual conference through
change?” I think it was agreed
that we could not continue to do
what we have been doing for it is
obvious that it is not working—
that the NTC like other AC’s
needed change. Your delegation
asked for a “change agent” (at
least I perceived that we did),
and I believe Bishop Bledsoe has
tried to serve us in that role without dominating the process.
Second, the SPT, of which I
am not a member, is a cross section of the NTC without getting
so large that it is unwieldy. It was
a concern that all voices be heard
without creating a SPT that was
so large it became ineffective.
Third, the SPT has sought
input from the NTC. We had
breakout groups last year at
annual conference, numerous
meetings within the districts and
a web site/blog. We all have been
given the opportunity to raise
concerns. Believe me, the SPT
has heard, listened and tried to
answer as best they can.
Fourth, we voted as an annual
conference last year to move
forward with the SP and the time
line that has been laid out—I
believe it was a unanimous decision.
Fifth, annual conferences that
have voted broad changes like
we are proposing and that have
waited a year to implement have
found that year is lost. No real
action happens because everyone knows that everything will
change soon. Ministry suffers
which translates into people suffering.
My sixth and final reason to
support the SP is that we must do
something to reverse the negative trends within the NTC. What
we are doing is not working. Our
denomination is becoming more
and more irrelevant within our
society (yes, I know there are
some exceptions). Not taking
action is not an option.
I believe in the leaders, of
which I am one, that we have
and if we do something and it is
not working we will change it.
We will establish and fund work
areas as needed to address one
of the focus areas of the UMC,
which will be the foundation
for work in the NTC. I think we
need to do something—even if
it is wrong—to get us moving in
the right direction of answering
the call to “make disciples for
the transformation of the world.
One of my favorite quotes
from Winston Churchill was
issued at the end of the Battle
of Britain after a small band of
Royal Air Force fighter pilots
had defeated the mighty German Luftwaffe. Churchill stated,
“Now this is not the end. It is
not even the beginning of the
end. But it is perhaps the end
of the beginning.”
I believe that voting to approve the SP is not the end. We
will still have much work to do. I
do believe that it is the end of the
beginning. As we begin this new
journey to return the UMC to a
vibrant and relevant denomination, we are taking the first steps.
We may take a wrong turn or
two, we may have to back track
and we may even get lost, but
together we can make the corrections to respond to God’s will
for the North Texas Conference.
Will you join me on the journey?