August 11, 2016

Dear Reader,

We often talk about The United Methodist Church being “Connectional” as a description of how our organizational structure is established. It describes bishops, appointments, oversight, annual reports, etc. But in the last two weeks the connection has come alive for me.

As we learned a conference staff member was being arrested, here are some of the ways that connection became a living thing, fueled by the Holy Spirit and powered by prayer:

Bishop Hagiya; Conference Treasurer, Dan Wilson-Fey; Mission and Ministry Coordinator, Lowell Greathouse; Conference Chancellor, Paul Cosgrove; myself and other key leaders came together to begin a response. This response team met regularly face-to-face or on the phone to stay coordinated and up-to-date.
Staff from camp and retreat ministries began a support network for each other to focus on the key task of continuing safe programing at our six camp and retreat sites while offering emotional support to each other.
Staff from general church agencies have offered advice, time, resources and prayer as we respond to a changing situation.
Our Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries met to officially respond. Board Chair David Armstrong sent a letter to every parent of a youth camper at our sites.
Camp Directors have fielded phone calls from concerned parents with grace.
Counseling support has been brought in for conference and camping staff as they deal with the grief and upset that goes with a betrayal of trust by a co-worker.
Bishop Hagiya shared a pastoral letter, and Mission and Ministry Coordinator Lowell Greathouse wrote about how “life breaks in.”
And the prayers! As news became more public, words of prayer have come from across the connection - from agencies, clergy, communicators, and camp staffs. The camping staff in Wisconsin even sent flowers to show their support and prayer.

All these things remind us that God is with us, even in the difficult times – or rather, especially in the difficult times.

On behalf of everyone on the Conference and Camp and Retreat staff, we thank you for your support, prayers, and patience.

Yours in Christ,

Greg Nelson, Director of Communications

CONFERENCE NEWS

Conferences say goodbye to Bishop

Bishop Grant with a gift
from the Conference Staff

While bishops officially take office on September 1, Bishop Grant Hagiya may have held his last meetings with staff this week. He gathered with Pacific Northwest Conference staff and cabinet leaders in Des Moines and was thanked with words of encouragement, cake and ice cream.

Tuesday he was in Portland for meetings and took time for a celebration lunch with staff and leaders in the Oregon-Idaho Conference. True to the humble style he has shown in his time at the conference, Bishop Hagiya asked that those gathered, “please give me the gift of letting me go last in line for the lunch buffet.”

The conference Episcopacy Committee wants to offer you a chance to share your thoughts and thanks with Bishop Hagiya. View or download the attached flyer to see how you can send a card or note of appreciation to Bishop Hagiya. You can share how his leadership has affected your ministry, how you have been inspired, or how you will be holding him in prayer as he transitions. There’s an email option too. Donna Pritchard, Chair of the committee, will collect them to share with Bishop Hagiya.

Conference staff member arrested

On August 2, Rev. James Parkhurst was arrested by federal authorities on charges related to child pornography. Parkhurst was first put on administrative leave by the Board of Camp and Retreat Ministry and later resigned from his position as Executive Director of Camp and Retreat Ministries. He has also surrendered his clergy credentials.

The understanding of conference staff, in consultation with legal counsel, is that Parkhurst’s arrest did not stem from activity involving his work in the Oregon and Idaho camping program. He remains in custody and will be transferred to the Colorado Federal Court system.

In a letter to parents of youth campers, David Armstrong, Chairperson of the Board of Camp and Retreat Ministries shared, “the board wants to reiterate to you that safety of campers is the highest priority of the Camp and Retreat Ministry program. Polices and guidelines have been in place and will continue to be in place to assure that camp experiences are places of physical and emotional safety for all involved.”

Questions can be directed to Greg Nelson, Director of Communications at greg@umoi.org or Dan Wilson-Fey at dan@umoi.org. Wilson-Fey is serving as caretaker for camping administration while an Interim Executive Director is being identified.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE

University Park continues to be in the news

University Park United Methodist Church continues to be on the news with its plans for affordable housing. Read about it in the Portland Tribune.

MFSA looks at homelessness

The Methodist Federation for Social Action will hold their fall event, "Homelessness: Relationships and Responses" on Saturday, October 15.

Homelessness has become an issue, not just in big cities, but in smaller towns and rural areas. The keynote speakers for this event will be Rob Justus and Paul Schroeder, two of the leaders in addressing this issue in the Portland area. But discussions and information at the event will go far beyond Portland, challenging churches and individuals in all settings, urban and rural. More details and registration information will be published in September. The event will be from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Tigard United Methodist Church. For more information, watch the Oregon-Idaho MFSA Chapter website.

AROUND THE GLOBE

John Dean Town Clinic in Liberia

Traditional birth attendants celebrate positive
changes at the John Dean Town Clinic in Liberia.

A once-dilapidated clinic, with no water, electricity, or trained staff, has received a new lease on life, thanks to the Abundant Health initiative and the work of the Liberia Annual Conference health board.

The John Dean Town Clinic is the only health facility serving the remote John Dean Town community in Grand Bassa County, Liberia. Until recently, most care, including that for pregnant women, newly delivered mothers, and babies, was provided by traditional birth attendants with limited skills. This often led to negative outcomes for mothers and babies.

Now, with support from Abundant Health and the Liberia Conference health board, the John Dean Town Clinic has the capacity to provide community health education, delivery services, medicines, medical supplies, immunizations, family planning services, and treatment for common childhood illnesses. The clinic has hired a new nurse/midwife, built a well with water piped to the clinic, and established a regular supply of medicines. The resident nurse/midwife also helps train Community Health Volunteers to serve the community and encourage mothers to have their babies at the health center.

Shared DNA: Moravians and United Methodists

NEW YORK (UMNS) — Throughout the Rt. Rev. J. Christian Giesler’s life, there has always been a United Methodist church — and a community partner — close by. So it made perfect sense to Giesler, a bishop in the Moravian Church, that the two denominations follow a closer path to unity. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.

New depot aids West Virginia flood response

NEW YORK (UMNS) — A new relief-supply depot established last spring by the West Virginia Conference, together with training for disaster response coordinators and volunteers by the United Methodist Committee on Relief, resulted in a more effective response when flooding occurred in June. Read more on the UMCOR website.

RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

An evening with Brian McLaren

Author Brian McLaren will offer a free book reading and presentation of his book, “The Great Spiritual Migration” at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland on September 21. An afternoon program is also planned for $99. Get more detail and register on the events page of the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.