FAITH focus 3B UM CONNECTIONS


Website given to UMC’s Claremont The website Religion-On- line.org has been donated to UMC-affiliated Claremont School of Theology by the Rev. William F. Fore. Dr. Fore, a retired Yale Univer- sity professor, created the site in the late 1990s so that his theology students in India could have access to theol- ogy books online. The site has had about 10 million “hits” this year, from visitors in more than 200 countries. The site offers more than 6,000 book chapters, arti- cles and speeches. Dr. Fore said he hopes Claremont will be able to fills its gaps in Judaism, Islam and other re- ligions.


Bedford led churches, called square dances The Rev. Lee Alvin Bedford, Jr., a UM pastor for 60 years, died Sept. 30, at age 83. Born in Runge, Texas, he earned degrees from South- ern Methodist University and its Perkins School of Theol- ogy. While in seminary, he was a profes- sional square dance caller, singing with RCA records. He was pastor of several North Texas Conference churches, and formed Casa


‘Sesame Street’ special a hit at UM center


BY HEATHER KEMPER-HUSSEY United Methodist News Service


EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL.—Jagged


lines of 4- and 5-year-olds zigzagged into the room. Excitement rumbled through the tiny crowd as their widen- ing eyes recognized the red and blue monsters surrounding the television. On this Friday morning, Sesame


Street had come to the children of the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, a United Methodist commu- nity center. Thanks to the St. Louis Area Food- bank and a grant from Walmart, the children at the center viewed a screen- ing of a primetime special of Sesame Street, titled “Growing Hope Against Hunger.” The special features celebrity guests Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams Paisley and, of course, the Sesame Street Muppets, including a new Muppet named Lily, whose family doesn’t always have enough to eat. Many of the children who watched


Lily at the Oct. 14 screening could identify with her experience. “Right now, 41 percent of our resi-


dents here in East St. Louis are living in poverty, and 20 percent are in ex- treme poverty,” said Aundrea Young, deputy director at the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House. “That means 40 percent of our area children are going hungry. So this message by Sesame Street is very close to us, very close to our hearts. “


Lee Bedford


Linda UMC, which grew to 1,800 members in his tenure. He served as director of evangelism for the North Texas Conference and as chaplain for the Texas Air National Guard and Dallas Police Department.


UMCOR looks to help Turkish quake victims The United Methodist Com- mittee on Relief (UMCOR) was in discussion with part- ner International Blue Cres- cent about how to assist Turkey after a 7.2-magni- tude earthquake hit that country on Oct. 23, leaving at least 279 people dead. UMCOR expected to be able to provide blankets, plastic sheets and hygiene kits for survivors. The area affected is populated mainly by Kur- dish communities and is among the nation’s poorest regions, UMCOR said.


—Compiled by Sam Hodges


Lessons from Muppets The one-hour special follows the


familiar and beloved Muppets— Elmo, Rosita and Grover. Together, through song and humor, they help


LETTERS ‘Hot button’ issues distract The world is in need of serious at-


tention to social justice and to the real standards of our Christian faith. Historically, Methodists have been


among the most active and productive advocates for that. But such “hot but- ton” issues as homosexuality and abortion have distracted us. If we want to reestablish ourselves


as a serious advocate for the kind of things John Wesley advocated, the very first thing that should happen in the 2012 General Conference is re- moval of provisions in the Discipline regarding these hot button matters. Philip Susag


Manchester, Conn. ******


I found Dr. Haynes’ column on Arminianism (Oct. 14) to be ex-


tremely interesting and informative. I was raised in a Southern Baptist church and have been a United Methodist for 11 years. I coordinate children’s ministries and small group studies for our church. I suspect a lot of the Christian books and curricu- lums out there reflect a Calvinist view so pervasive that we don’t even recog- nize it.


I use a Vacation Bible School kit


that is “grace-focused” rather than “salvation-focused.”


Alyce Leytham Lawson, Mo.


The Reporter welcomes brief, civil letters. Send to news@umr.org or The United Methodist Reporter, 1221 Profit Drive, Dallas, TX, 75247.


UNITED MET HODI S T REPORTER | NOVEMBER 4, 2011


Lily realize that her family is not the only family that suffers from hunger. Lily plants the seed in her audience that communication can also help. “Talking about it with my parents


made me feel a lot better,” she says. Hunger may seem an unusual


topic for the sunny TV show famed for teaching generations of children their ABCs and 123s. But in the troubled economy, many more American chil- dren are experiencing empty bellies. They need the food pantries that so many United Methodist congregations offer.


The Annie E. Casey Foundation re-


ported in August that more than 2.4 million more children joined the ranks of the U.S. poor over the past decade. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 17 million American children are “food inse- cure,” which means their access to food is limited or uncertain. “By Lily coming out and talking


about having to go to the food pantry, it makes our kids not feel so ashamed of having to reach out for help,” said Vera Jones, director of education and youth development at the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House. “Plus, we want to make sure that if they need help and are not currently reaching out, that they feel comfortable enough to do so.”


Seeing Jesus’ face During the episode of “Growing


Hope for Hunger,” Mr. Paisley began a song with words of “planting hope.” As the kids of the Neighborhood House clapped along, Mr. Paisley provided simple strategies on how anyone can lend a hand—by planting a garden,


UMNS PHOTO BY HEATHER KEMPER-HUSSEY


Bethany Prange, communications coordinator at the St. Louis Foodbank, talks to children at the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House.


holding a food drive, donating food or even just by being a friend. The friends at the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood go a few steps further. At the Neighborhood House, Ms.


Jones said, staff members are a re- source for parents and their commu- nity. They have counselors on hand who can connect and transition par- ents to any assistance they may need. “If we identify a family that may


not be aware of the WIC (Women, In- fants and Children) program, or maybe they need food delivered from our food pantry, we help get them connected to those resources and will deliver food,” she said. The mission work of the Lessie


Bates Davis Neighborhood House began in the early 1900s with the sup- port of the Rev. W.F. Fransee. During the past 10 years, Neighborhood House has continued to expand its


programs and services to youth, fami- lies and the elderly. The ministry is now a national


mission institution supported by United Methodist Women. Through the years, Fransee’s origi-


nal commitment—“To try to see the face of Jesus Christ in every person who walks through the doors of the Neighborhood House”—continues. “I think Lily is just perfect!”


squealed 5-year-old Anastasia, as she twirled the yellow bracelet just given to her by the St. Louis Foodbank. When asked why she thought Lily


was so perfect, she looked up with bright eyes and exclaimed, “Because she’s just like me.”


Ms. Kemper-Hussey is the director of communications at Morning Star Church, a United Methodist congregation in Dardenne Prairie, Mo.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20