November 4, 2011


AN OCCASIONAL WORD from the Bishop BY CHARLES CRUTCHFIELD


Dear Friends: For the past several days Karen


and I have been sharing in spiritual life retreats with our United Methodist military chaplains in the Pacifi c, fi rst in Okinawa and now in Hawaii. We’ve had the opportunity to be with chaplains serving in the Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Army. Some were just beginning their


service; others were nearing the end of thirty-year military careers. Several have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan confl ict. T e chaplains we met are currently stationed in Korea, Japan and Hawaii, and one is serving aboard a guided missile cruiser that just happened to be in Pearl Harbor for maintenance. One of the highlights of the


visits has been the opportunity to strengthen the connection between the “church back home” and these


men and women who are going where most of us cannot go—indeed do not want to go, doing a ministry we cannot do, but doing so for us and in the name of our church. T ey are truly itinerant, serving


in a multitude of locations and settings, generally moving every two or three years. T ey sacrifi ce a great deal of personal comfort for the sake of the mission to bring Christ into the lives of service personnel and their families. I am frankly humbled by their commitment. We have also been privileged to


visit with several of the Navy and Marines commanding offi cers at Pearl Harbor. Without fail, they have been articulate, thoughtful and very supportive of the work of the chaplains. In every conversation the talk has turned to the subject of post-traumatic stress disorder and the important role of chaplains and


the church in responding to PTSD. T e military are seeking to


address the issue with persons on active duty, but oſt en cannot maintain the same level of contact with Reserve and National Guard personnel. T is leaves it to the church and other local agencies to respond. T ere are wounded, hurting military service personnel in our communities who need our care. It is a challenge the church can address. T e Arkansas Annual


Conference has chaplains serving from Baghdad to Japan and across the United States. Let us keep them in our prayer.


Faithfully, Charles Crutchfi eld


3A


Northwest Ark. churches partner with Habitat for Humanity on Apostles’ Build


Brightwater Memorial and Pea Ridge United Methodist Churches


presented recently a $3,245 donation to Habitat for Humanity of Benton County, Inc. to support the upcoming Apostles’ Build. The Apostles’ Build is a new home sponsored by area churches that have raised money and will provide volunteers throughout the construction process. The home’s construction began Sept. 16, with a dedication planned for Nov. 17. Other churches involved include Bland Chapel UMC, First UMC Bentonville, First UMC Bella Vista, Highlands UMC Bella Vista, Bella Vista Presbyterian Church, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church of Rogers and Cross Church of Rogers. Pictured (from left): the Rev. Brian Timmons, pastor for both churches;


Debby Wieneke, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Benton County; and Ken Mangold, member of Brightwater Memorial UMC and the Habitat for Humanity of Benton County board of directors.


T e United Methodist Church is just fi ne


BY ROGER HOOK Special Contributor


To hear some tell it, you’d think


the United Methodist Church is in such dire circumstances as to render it ineff ective in ministry. I know, the numbers show


decline, and we cannot ignore the numbers; however, statistics do not tell the whole story. Unfortunately, we have elevated numbers to such importance that we are now questioning our sustainability. We are drawing conclusions that must be rebuff ed. We live in a complicated world,


confused about matters of faith. A 2010 Barna Group survey found that three out of fi ve U.S. adults who don’t attend church describe themselves as Christians. T ere is something wrong with that reality. T e church has looked inward,


as it should, and asked, “What is wrong with the church that people claim to be Christian disciples but want nothing to do with the church?”


‘Church growth’ plans When it comes to the health of


the church, I sometimes wonder if the “church growth” industry has done more damage than good. Tell a


www.arumc.org


person how bad he or she looks on a regular basis, and that person will begin to believe it. One of the fi rst books on


growing a church came along early in my ministry. It suggested that if a church followed twelve keys of church growth, it would grow numerically. I thought, “I can do that.” “Make sure the church follows


up on every visitor by contacting them the same day they fi rst attend worship,” the author suggested. I went charging forth every Sunday aſt ernoon and evening, visiting the visitors. Some came back and eventually joined, but only a small percentage. T ere was also a plan for


their attendance. T en one day, a member stopped to speak with me. “Brother Roger,” he said, “I


want you to know that each time you contact me about church attendance it makes me feel like a teenager who has done something wrong.” I changed strategies following that conversation. A bright future in the UMC will


not come from a “church help” book (although we can learn some things from them), nor will it be discovered by communicating how bad the church is today. T e United Methodist Church is just fi ne. I do not believe pastors are


Roger Hook


ineff ective, or lazy, or just don’t care. I’m not aware of a single pastor who wants to do a poor job in ministry. T e clergy I know need


maintaining high worship attendance that involved contacting members who missed two consecutive Sundays. Well, I could do that, too! I wrote to every member who


missed. If the absences continued, I made a pastoral call. I wanted them to know their pastor cared about


encouragement. T ey need leaders who support and guide them from a spiritual perspective. I’ve been fortunate to have such leaders in my ministry. However, it is less common today than a few years back. Pastors need pastors, not personnel managers. Today’s trend is to train


spiritual leaders in the strategies of the secular world. District superintendents, carrying enormous workloads because of vast geography and a penchant to allow secular


policy to dictate what is inherently spiritual, no longer have time to engage pastors in supportive, encouraging relationships.


Strong theology, doctrine I have long believed the


numbers will serve us fi ne as long as we do not let numbers become our focus. So, where should the focus of the local church be? It should be in the very areas that today stand as our strengths. We are strong in fellowship and


worship. We are strong in searching the Scriptures. We are strong in the true vital signs of the church: kindness, compassion, concern for social justice and love of neighbor. United Methodists remain


faithful to their calling. T e laity of local churches give and give. Ask a United Methodist to take on a ministry and it will happen. But just as clergy need


encouragement, so do laypersons. T ey need the support of their pastor, district superintendent, bishop and Conference leaders— spiritual leaders readily available and eager to share Christ. T e UMC is theologically and


doctrinally strong. We have the strength of open Communion, open


hearts and open doors. T ings are not so bad that we need to abandon what it is to be United Methodist. Who would want to follow the


path of the mega-church that markets worship as a “fast-paced service that will have you in and out in thirty minutes”? Worship is more than a nod in God’s direction. It’s part of a way of life in Jesus Christ. Every United Methodist


congregation is crucial to our future, whether two or three are gathered or two or three thousand. We would do well to claim who we are and who we have been. Let’s quit focusing on what is


wrong with the UMC. Let’s quit taking our cues from outside the church, allowing other infl uences to tell us what we ought to be. Let’s concentrate on what is right with the church. United Methodism has a sure


and strong heritage, rich in Christian tradition, built on a solid foundation that sustains us even today. If we have lost anything, it just


might be that we have lost courage and heart.


T e Rev. Hook serves as pastor of Cave City and Bear Creek UMCs. To contact him, e-mail brorogerhook@ gmail.com.


Arkansas United Methodist


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