Seminar for the Laity at Lambuth, March 14-15

John Allen, a writer for the National Catholic Reporter and Official Correspondent for the Vatican, will be the guest speaker at the Seminar for the Laity at Lambuth University on March 14 and 15.

Held in the Wisdom Parlor of the Varnell-Jones Building, the seminar will focus on “What is Happening in the Catholic Church and Why It Is Important For All Christians.” The schedule is:

Friday, March 14 

7:00 PM            Registration

7:30 PM            1^st Session

Saturday, March 15

8:15 AM            Refreshments

8:45 AM            Devotion,

            Dr. Cindy Wesley

9-10 AM           2^nd Session

10-10:30 AM     Refreshment Break

10:30 -noon       Interaction with

            Mr. John Allen

Registration is $10.00 per person. Make checks payable to Seminar for the Laity. The deadline is March 7.  Enrollment is limited. Send checks to:  Dr. Gene Davenport, Lambuth University, 705 Lambuth Blvd., Jackson, TN  38301.

John Wesley’s Birthday tour still open

Spaces are still available for John Wesley’s Birthday Conference & Tour, June 13 - 24, 2003, sponsored by the Paducah District U.M.C. The Conference will be at the University of Manchester and the tour will visit the historic Wesley sites of Britain. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about our Wesleyan heritage. Go to the Memphis Conference Web Site or contact Rick C. Dye (rcdye@comcast.net) for more information.

New Centenary building will be consecrated on Sunday, March 2

On Sunday, March 2, Centenary UMC, 584 E. McLemore in Memphis, will hold a special consecration service for its new all purpose building. Bishop William Morris will deliver the morning message; special music will be presented by the choir. A tour and reception will follow. The public is invited. For information call (901) 774-7604.

Apply now to serve as marshal or page at General Conference 2004

Volunteers are invited to apply now to serve as pages and marshals at the next General Conference, scheduled for April 27-May 7, 2004, in Pittsburgh. The application deadline is Aug. 31. 160 volunteers are needed. More than 5,000 people are expected to attend the conference during its two-week span. Marshals and pages travel and work at their own expense. Application forms are available at the official 2004 General Conference Web site, http://www.umc.org/gc2004. Request an application by mail or get more information from Mark Wharff, 2064 Sheldon Drive, Modesto, CA 95350-0389;  or e-mail: MRWharff@cs.com.

AIDS Awareness Program targeting African Americans, March 2-8

The largest AIDS awareness program targeting African Americans will take place March 2-8 at the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, 2128 11th Avenue North, Nashville. The program will include special workshops, church services and the opportunity to meet and hear about the successes and struggles of individuals who are living with HIV/AIDS. On Wednesday, March 4 from 10:00 AM.—12:00 noon, Nashville residents who are infected by HIV/AIDS will share how the epidemic has forever changed their lives and what must be done to prevent it from happening to others. The session is part of The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, an observance by thousands of churches across the nation, Africa and the Caribbean. For more information, call 615-321-9791.

What are the lives of our children and youth worth?

Don Thrasher, chair of the Clergy Sexual Misconduct Response Team, prayed during one of the recent seminars  led by Joy Thornburg Melton on how to build our churches into safe sanctuaries.

All three seminars were packed with Memphis Conference clergy and laity intent on learning how to protect our children and youth.

By Cathy Farmer

 Every week another scary story about child abuse in the church makes news. Joy Thornburg Melton estimates that a child is abused in the church every ten seconds of every day of every week.

For those who don’t want to practice their multiplication, that works out to 3 million children per year. And that’s a conservative estimate based on incidents actually reported in 2000.

Melton, who is both a lawyer and a deacon in the United Methodist Church, has devoted the last 10 years to making churches safer for children. She came to the Memphis Conference recently to lead three seminars on “Safe Sanctuaries.”

The Rev. Deborah Suddarth, a member of the original Task Force for the Conference Policy for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, spent a good deal of time with Melton.

“Creating ‘Safe Sanctuaries’ has been a priority for me for over six years,” Suddarth said. “Needless to say, when I had the opportunity to finally meet in person Joy Thornburg Melton, the author of the book “Safe Sanctuaries: Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church,” I was humbled. Her book is the premier text for protecting our children and youth.

“Joy brings a depth of understanding to the topic. As a lawyer, she represents churches that are being sued. In that capacity, she hears horrific stories, but she’s still on a quest to “prevent” not just “reduce” child abuse!” Suddarth said.

Melton’s first stop was at Grimes Memorial in Memphis where 90 people from the Asbury and McKendree Districts were trained. Stop number two was Fulton (Ky.) First UMC where 113 pastors, youth directors, children’s directors, lay leaders and other staff from the Dyersburg, Paducah and Paris Districts were trained. And the third stop was at Northside UMC in Jackson where a standing room only crowd of 123 from the Brownsville and Jackson Districts learned how to make their churches safer.

Don Thrasher, the chair of the Clergy Sexual Misconduct Response Team, commented: “One of the concerns for churches who are considering becoming a Safe Sanctuary  is the cost of background checks. Joy answered that concern with a simple question, ‘What are the lives of our children and youth worth?’

“The heart of the Safe Sanctuary policy is the heart of Christ,” Thrasher said. “Put simply, it is taking Christ seriously when he tells us we must never knowingly put a stumbling block before one of the little ones. Safe Sanctuary has us enacting caring guidelines that protect our children and youth. Knowing that, it becomes a labor of love, not some cumbersome aggravation.

“Joy told me,” he said, “that the Baptismal Covenant we make compels us to live out Safe Sanctuaries. We promise to provide an atmosphere of nurture and safety.”

Cecil Bellew, Brownsville District Superintendent, noted that Melton emphasized the importance of Safe Sanctuaries by pointing out that the process is a building process. “She said, ‘You build brick by brick, layer by layer–and each brick, each layer moves the potential child abuser farther and farther away from those who can be exploited. Each step in implementation moves the church closer to safety.’

“A primary means of implementation is to have in place a screening process for persons who work with children and youth,” Bellew said. “Most communities can provide a background check for a small fee. We may believe we know people well, but it’s for the well-being of all involved that people can feel comfortable that the best leadership is being made available.”

Patsy Camp, Jackson First lay leader, said a task force at her church spent six and a half months formulating a policy for reducing the risk of child abuse. It was modeled on the Memphis Conference policy and Melton’s book.

“I was intrigued and grateful to learn that Joy Melton would be sharing her expertise with us in Jackson,” Camp said.  “Our recent work was confirmed by her guidance and her strong conviction that everyone has a right to worship in safety and harmony.

“We can no longer ignore the risk and vulnerability in our churches,” she said.  “We share her goal of assuring children, youth and adults that we can come together in a safe and secure community of faith.”