It Happened
November 7, 2008 Arkansas United Methodist 9
It Happened
England First UMC sponsored a that she had been named as one of the
fun and profitable Pumpkin Patch Oct. top 100 Sunday School teachers in
14-31. The project was not only suc- America. She was presented with a cer- Retired UM pastor
cessful as a fundraiser but also as a tificate and gift.
Maurice Webb walks
great opportunity to interact with the
across the Big Dam
community. Several school groups, First UMC, Jonesboro, held a
Bridge to celebrate his
95th birthday and is
England Child Development Center, churchwide celebration event at the
joined by First UMC
Scouts and other church groups partic- Arkansas State University Convocation
associate pastor Mary
ipated in special activities provided by Center Oct. 12. This was the culmina-
Jane Cole; his sister,
church members. Also, art classes from tion of a 40-day, churchwide study of
Lorene Hamilton; and
the England school held a pumpkin
great-grandson, Jonathan
“Treasures of the Transformed Life”
Coulter.
painting contest. In conjunction with by John Ed Mathison, and a sermon
the pumpkin patch, church women series called “Transformed Living.”
held a bake sale with total proceeds of The study examines the commitments
Brisk walk marks 95th birthday
$1,800 benefiting the youth program. Christians make when they join the
church, dedicating their
Retired United Methodist pastor 1935. The college closed, money was
prayers, presence, gifts, serv-
Maurice C. Webb Sr. of Little Rock cel- tight, and he returned home to work
ice and witness to Christ and
ebrated his 95th birthday by walking with his father in the family’s general
the church.
across the Big Dam Bridge that spans store in Egypt, Ark. Later, he bought
At the end of the 40-day
the Arkansas River at Murray Lock the store from his father. He volun-
study, one service was held
and Dam with family and friends. teered for the Navy and was assigned
symbolizing coming together
Webb, now blind, walked the to the Seabees. He spent his war years
as One in the body of Christ.
length of the bridge Sept. 24 guided by on Guam as a crane operator. His wife
With five different worship
the handrail and family members, ran the store while he was gone. After
services offered each Sunday
including his three children, Maurice returning home, he moved his family to
morning, the Convocation
Webb Jr., Kathy Webb and Marcia Blytheville so his children would have
Center was the only space in
Webb Caplinger. The celebration con- better educational opportunities.
the area that could hold the
tinued with lunch at Lilly’s Dim Sum Webb answered the call to ministry
entire congregation.
Then Some. in 1949. He enrolled in Hendrix
Music featured
The achievement exemplifies the College in 1950 and had the distinction
Children’s Choirs, Youth
“wonderful spirit and strength that of being the oldest student there. He
Members of First UMC, England, help set up the church’s
Choir, Adult Mass Choir, the
continues to inspire those around probably was the only student who
fall Pumpkin Patch.
Praise Band and special
him,” one friend said. also had three children and served a
guest Derrick Burt from
Webb was born Sept. 25, 1931, in church in Vilonia.
St. Paul UMC, El Dorado,
Jackson Miss. Senior pastor John P
Kansas City, Mo. During infancy and After graduation from Hendrix he
cele- Miles II delivered the message to a
early childhood his family lived in moved to Dallas in 1953 to attend
brated Children’s Sabbath Oct. 19. crowd of more than 1,400.
Alicia and Egypt, Ark. He graduated Perkins School of Theology. He also
The children were in charge of every
Greenwood UMC
from Hoxie High School in 1932. He served as a pastor’s assistant during his
aspect of the morning worship service.
Family Life played on the basketball and football time in Dallas. He returned to
One highlight was the recognition of
Center was full of ghosts and goblins teams and ran track. From 1933-1934 Arkansas in 1956 and began his min-
all St. Paul Kids’ volunteers, including
Oct. 26 as the annual Fall Festival he attended Jonesboro Baptist College istry, which included serving Asbury,
all Sunday School teachers in the chil-
provided fun, games and food for the where he played left end on the foot- Trinity and First churches in Little
dren’s department. Teachers were also
entire church family. Costume contests, ball team. Because he played football, Rock and First Church in Springdale.
nominated for a national award.
pumpkin decorating and a chili cook- he got one semester’s tuition paid. He also participated in a ministerial
Angelia Sewell received notification
off were part of the fun. He married Atha Mae Williams in exchange and spent a summer in
JUDICIAL, continued from page 1
as part of the ratification process. Responding to questions of consti- states Decision 1109. “But the means islation is in direct violation of the
The Judicial Council, however, said tutionality from the Western North for doing so is not to act on a petition Discipline, including Paragraph 32 of
the amendment does nothing to “har- Carolina Conference, the council said by a simple majority of the General the Constitution, which lists the crite-
monize its content” with the rest of the that amendments made to Paragraph Conference. Rather, the proper proce- ria for being a pastor.
Book of Discipline, and that enabling 1117.9 create a doctrine of “reserved dure is akin to that for amending the “Retired local pastors are not cler-
legislation is necessary. The court clari- sacrament” and alters the Discipline Constitution, except for the provision gy and may not vote as clergy during
fied that the structural changes could not without proper authority. The church’s that a larger aggregate vote of the annual conference,” the decision
take effect before 2012, even if ratified Articles of Religion explicitly say that annual conferences — three-fourths — states. “Nowhere in the Book of
at the annual conference level in 2009. the sacraments are not to be must be achieved. An argument from Discipline does the local pastor have
The council also rejected two “reserved” or “carried about.” expediency, to make it easier for laity the opportunity to determine his or her
changes to the Book of Discipline In Decision 1109, the council said it in remote areas to receive the sacra- status.”
approved by General Conference when would “not become the arbiter of the- ment, does not abrogate the Church’s That status, the council said, is
the assembly met last spring in Fort ological debates” and that the amend- methods for changing its doctrine.” determined by the district committee
Worth, Texas. The first was designed ments create “a fundamental shift in The second General Conference on ordained ministry and the confer-
to make it easier for laity to distribute the way that the Church talks about change rejected by the council offered ence board of ordained ministry. The
Holy Communion in remote areas. The the elements of the Sacrament of Holy local pastors the option of choosing court said the original petition was
second offered local pastors the option Communion.” their status as lay or clergy if they have “fatally flawed” because a local pastor
of choosing their status as lay or clergy if “It is quite permissible for The completed the Course of Study but are is only considered clergy when under
they have completed the Course of Study United Methodist Church to change its no longer under appointment. In appointment and resumes lay status
but are no longer under appointment. doctrine regarding Holy Communion,” Decision 1101, the council said the leg- when not appointed.
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