January 6, 2012 AN OCCASIONAL WORD from the Bishop BY CHARLES CRUTCHFIELD


Dear Friends: All the churches of the


Arkansas Conference are beginning to post numbers on the Vital Signs dashboard. Pastors have received and will continue to receive information (as necessary) on the use of the dashboard. As with anything new, there is some discomfort. Actually, this is not really new.


It is just a 21st-century application of what every pastor had to do at the old District Conference, when all the preachers in a district gathered and gave a personal report on their ministry, including statistics, to all their colleagues.


John Wesley knew the


importance of numbers. He required them from his preachers. He understood that we pay attention to what we count. If the numbers related to people displease us, we ask the question, “Why are the numbers as they are?” And if we are wise, we act to make the changes necessary to open more widely our arms to those outside the fellowship of the church. Still, it is easier said than done.


I once served as the senior pastor in a large, downtown, west Texas church. It was in the middle of oil country. On arrival, I asked how many members were on the roll. I then asked when a membership audit had been done. T e answer


was that we were very careful to add and subtract the appropriate numbers from the fi gures in the Conference Journal. When we did an audit—actually


counted the names on the roll—we discovered that we were reporting 400 digits more in membership than we actually had in names. Ouch! All this happened during a


“bust” in the oil industry. My community led the nation in the outfl ow of U-Haul trucks and trailers. Population declined. We worked hard at evangelism, but all we could do was hold our own. T ere was no growth over our actual membership. Attendance stayed fl at. I


worried about how this would look at the end of the year. I did not need to worry. Both the bishop and the district superintendent understood the context of the numbers. And frankly, given the context, the numbers encouraged the church. As we review worship


attendance, professions of faith, baptisms and the other statistics, they will help us paint a picture of what is happening in our churches. T e additional “box” for you to share your testimony about what is happening in the church will help to set the context for the numbers. I believe knowledge is power. If


we know there is a problem, we can address the problem. If we know


Peace Conference offers challenge


BY NATASHA MURRAY- NORMAN AND BRITTANY RICHARDSON WATSON Special Contributors


What is the Church’s role in


addressing matters of economic justice, and how does it relate to our pursuit of peace? We, along with the Revs.


Maxine Allen, Jessica Durand, and Bishop Kenneth Hicks, had the privilege of attending the 2011 Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, an inspiring and challenging event held at Lake Junaluska, N.C., Nov. 12-15, to discuss that question. T e United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas made it possible for our small group of Arkansas clergy to attend. T e focus of this year’s


conference, “Poverty, Abundance, and Peace: Seeking Economic Justice for All God’s Children,” led us to explore issues of systemic poverty, economic disparity and interfaith action through a variety of speakers and small group discussions. Bishop Nukulu Ntanda Ntambo


of the North Katanga Area, Democratic Republic of Congo, who spoke at Arkansas’ 2010 Annual Conference; David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World; and several other speakers shared their visions for the continued role of the Church in issues of economic justice. Bishop Ntambo stated in his address that Americans have privilege and abundance. “America is blessed to be a


blessing,” he said. “With the www.arumc.org


abundance of everything that you have, you must be willing to share.” Bishop Ntambo described how


diff erent conferences in America have taken on projects to help build wells and help build bridges in places where bridges were torn down because of the war. T e role of the Church in the midst of poverty and brokenness is to build bridges in communities that are impacted by these conditions. T e Peace


Natasha Murray- Norman


Conference


maintains a focus on interfaith dialogue surrounding peacemaking. T is year, an interfaith panel with scholars of Judaism, Islam and Christianity discussed what we can learn from each faith’s sacred texts about peace, justice and economics. T e beauty of this discussion was not in the brilliant words spoken, but instead in the true congeniality and love expressed among those on the panel, and the hope they shared in God’s will for peace in the world. T e conference’s leaders


encouraged us to seek ways to live in peace and rethink our understanding of peace not just through our own faith lens, but through the lenses of all faiths. Our discussions gave us a sense of hope that we can all develop greater understanding of each other. Most people attending the


conference were actively involved in ministries of justice. Many used it as a place for sharing information with other laborers from their respective fi elds, as well as for a time of spiritual renewal. Small group discussions


centered on topics presented throughout the day. Group members shared their context and experiences of addressing hunger and poverty within their communities. T roughout the weekend, we


received encouragement to answer God’s call for us to work toward good and justice in the world. While the promise of God’s presence brings us hope, the task ahead seems daunting.


On the last Brittany


Richardson Watson


morning of the conference, Dr. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist clergyman, former U.S. Representative, and current president and CEO of Common


Cause, leſt us with words of inspiration as we returned home to our ministry contexts. “We are the leaders we have


been waiting for,” he reminded us. His statement is both a


challenge and a word of hope. We must stop waiting for someone else to come in and do the work for us. God has called us—yes, even us—to bring words of love and actions of


peace to the world around us. At the close of the conference,


we all were asked to write a letter stating what actions we would be willing to commit to once we arrived home. Aſt er writing the letters, we addressed the envelopes to ourselves in the hope of keeping us accountable to the commitment we made. Now that we have returned


home, our challenge is to continue to do the work that was planted in our hearts by sharing it with those in our ministries. We were all forced to ask ourselves, “What are we doing and how are we being the bridges to provide resources to those in need?” In the coming year, we hope to


continue the conversation that began at Lake Junaluska as we seek God’s direction and vision for what lies ahead. Others will incorporate this into their day-to-day ministry by taking seriously their call and responsibility to journey toward economic justice. We must fi nd ways to foster this sense of call in the congregations we serve. T is is not just a duty for our


mission committees or our social action groups. It is a call for each and every Christian to be sure that our brothers are fed, that our sisters are clothed and our children have the hope of a peace-fi lled world.


T e Rev. Murray-Norman serves at New Hope and Parkview UMCs, both in Benton. T e Rev. Watson serves as associate pastor at Highland Valley UMC Little Rock.


there is a roaring success, it will be an encouragement to us and those around us. Count me as one of those who thinks the Vital Signs dashboard will be a helpful tool for us to continue to build the Kingdom of God in Arkansas.


Faithfully, Charles Crutchfi eld


Editor’s Note: To read more about the Vital Signs dashboard and see a sample of the online form pastors are using to report ministry data, visit www.arumc.org/dashboard.


Two DSes to retire


Bishop Charles Crutchfi eld


has announced that the Rev. C.E. McAdoo and the Rev. Charlie Settle will be requesting the retired relationship at the 2012 Annual Conference session. McAdoo currently serves as superintendent of the Southwest District, and Settle as superintendent of the North District. “I have been deeply


3A


C.E. McAdoo


appreciative of the profound wisdom, abounding grace, strong loyalty and deep faith C.E. and Charlie have brought to the cabinet,” said Bishop Crutchfi eld. “T ey will be missed.”


Charles Settle


To view a list of retirements


and other appointment changes, visit www.arumc.org/appointments. Updates will be posted as available.


Arkansas United Methodist


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