Warren celebrates return to South Dallas

Two Sections – Section A
Volume 152 Number 29
072000
November 25, 2005
Warren celebrates return to South Dallas
BY DR. JOAN GRAY LABARR
Editor
I
celebrate Warren because it
is a church that knows what
it means to answer present
when the roll is called down
here. You have been a history-maker in front of the
church, in the forefront of the
struggle for justice and liberty.
There is not a church in Dallas
that can stand up to the profile
of this church. I could write the
story of the Sixties and Seventies. I have some perspective. I
was there. Warren was there
too, here for those in the
struggle, opening its doors.
Rev. Zan Wesley Holmes, Jr.,
made this ringing declaration at
the Oct. 23 “Community Celebration Service” at Warren
United Methodist Church. Rev.
Holmes, pastor emeritus at St.
Luke “Community” UMC, Dallas, was guest preacher for an
afternoon of worship, praise,
music, and general rejoicing. The
celebration culminated a
Warren’s return to its South Dallas roots after fire destroyed the
original church four years ago.
“Reclaiming our Inheritance
and Transforming our Community” was the celebration theme.
Officials and guests from the
community joined Warren pastor Rev. Perry N. Crenshaw and
the congregation for the service.
The new 16,230 sq. ft. building is a striking and functional
model of modern urban architecture at the corner of Malcolm X.
Blvd., near the intersection with
Martin Luther King Blvd. Built
at a cost of nearly $2 million, the
new structure will be a center
for worship and outreach into the
community, according to Rev.
Crenshaw.
Consecration
Service
Rev. Zan Holmes, Jr., declares Warren UMC
a “history maker” congregation at the Oct.
13 “Community Celebration” service.
The Warren congregation had been
worshipping at Oak
Cliff UMC since the
August 2001 fire.
The actual move
back to South Dallas came in September, and NTC
Bishop Rhymes H.
Moncure, Jr. consecrated the new facility during another
celebrative service
on Sept. 25.
Bishop Rhymes H. Moncure, Jr. commends the Warren congregation for building on its historic site.
Bishop Moncure thanked the
pastor and congregation on behalf of the entire Conference. “It
is wonderful to see what you
have done here, to put it all back
together and everyone seems to
be happy and getting along.
Looking at all that is going on, I
would say that God has put you
here for a purpose,” he said, issuing a special call:
“It’s a beautiful building.
Don’t rust it out. Wear it out!”
Bishop Moncure commended
the congregation for its resolve
to rebuild on its historic site:
“Probably before the smoke
cleared, people were asking,
‘Should we build here?’ ‘Can we
build here?’ Can we afford to
build here, or should we build
where the grass is greener and
where the shopping centers are
closer?’ Look around and see the
beauty of this place…Thank you
for pushing all other messages
aside and listening to the triune
God.”
“If a difference is ever going
to be made in this broken, pitiful
world, if a difference is ever going to be made at Martin Luther
King and Malcolm X Boulevards,
Christ is saying that you are the
salt of the earth and the light of
the world. How much longer are
you waiting? you are the ones
who will transform this community,” Bishop Moncure declared
in his consecration sermon.
He told the congregation to
follow Jesus’ command to be
fishers of people, not using a rod
and reel but a net. “Go deep sea
fishing and put out your nets,”
the bishop challenged.
Already reaching out
Even as Bishop Moncure issued his challenge, Warren UMC
has been reaching out. After
evacuee guests staying at Tyler
Street UMC expressed a desire
for an African-American style
worship service, Rev. Crenshaw
arranged to have them bused to
Warren. One of the visitors has
already joined the church after
resettling in the area.
See Warren UMC on Page 4A
Russia Seminary’s professor sees challenge
BY DR. JOAN GRAY LABARR
Editor
One of the many exciting developments at the new Russia
United Methodist Church
(RUMC) Theological Seminary
in Moscow, which was officially
dedicated September 10, is the
presence of the first Russian professor and first full-time professor. Both distinctions belong to
Rev. Sergei Nikolaev, who was
installed as the E. Stanley Jones
Professor of Evangelism and
holder of the Minor Chair, as part
of the dedication ceremony.
Rev. Nikolaev also has strong
Dallas ties. He has been an SMU
doctoral student for the past several years and is due to receive
his Ph.D. in Christian History in
December 2006. He brings a
unique gift to his role as an evangelism professor, in that the
young professor knows what it
is like to be evangelized.
When asked how he became
a United Methodist, Rev.
Nikolaev smiled and said it was
because he heard the church
was giving free English lessons.
Once he started the lessons, he
became interested in Bible studies and other opportunities to
learn about the Christian faith.
He explained that when he
wanted to be baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church, a cousin
taught him the Lord’s Prayer and
a few other basics of the faith.
Being part of the United Methodist group piqued his interest
and soon became central to his
life. Before long Rev. Nikolaev
was studying to be a United
See Russia Seminary on Page 5A
Rev. Sergei Nikolaev, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at
the RUMC Theological Seminary, standing right, teaches a Christian History class. From left are students Jaroslav Demchuk,
Valentina Stavrova, Kira Volkova, Elena Korostelkina, Valentina
Ignatova, Andrei Kuznetsov, and Nikolai Parshin.
4A NTCcircuit
Continued from Page 1A
Among
a
host
of
acknowledgements,
Rev.
Crenshaw singled out Oak Cliff
UMC for its hospitality for the
past four years. An Oak Cliff
delegation led by Rev. Diane
Presley came forward to
present a striking new “One in
Christ” banner for Warren’s
sanctuary, a lasting recognition
of the close bonds forged by the
congregations..
Rev. Crenshaw introduced a
church-wide emphasis based on
Rick Warren’s Forty Days of Purpose at the Sept. 25 morning worship preceding the afternoon’s
Consecration service. “We are
anointed and appointed for an
awesome assignment,” he said.
Rev. Crenshaw set off a ripple
of laughter as he said, “It’s time
to set this church on fire,” adding, “Look at this. God has an
awesome assignment for every
last one of his children. God
Warren UMC celebrates return to South Dallas
loves you. God cares about you.
God has a plan for you, even if
you have failed, God can take the
failures and turn them into successes. I am not the same pastor that I was four years ago,
and you are not the same congregation.”
Beautiful, functional
A reception time and building
tours followed both the Consecration and Community services.
Visitors admired the beautiful and
very functional space. In addition to the sanctuary and fellowship hall, the church has classrooms, a library, prayer room,
space for the UM Men and UM
Women, a full kitchen, conference room, workroom, and
pastor’s office.
One of Rev. Crenshaw’s goals
was to have state of the art multimedia and sound systems, so
vital to the congregation’s vibrant music ministry. A funddrive to rehabilitate the aging or-
The Warren UMC congregation and guests enjoy a praise hymn
at community service.
gan also got a boost from a
$3,000 anonymous donation that
came the morning of Consecration Sunday.
The new stained glass windows designed by Foster Stained
Glass are a particularly striking
aspect of the building. They evoke
both a sense of sacred, worshipful space and a connection to the
urban environment outside.
Ten trees add beauty to the exterior. Building Committee members said that they were all donated.
The committee is particularly delighted that ten is the exact number of trees the city of Dallas requires and that all are considerably
larger than city specifications.
Building committee
Building Committee members
included: Dr. Thalia Matherson,
Chairperson; Roy Lee Beck (deceased); Clarence Bell, vice chairperson; Catherine Combs; Rev.
Crenshaw; Dewey Goins, Gregory Hamilton; Doris Hammond;
Robert Henderson; Maurice Lacy,
Board of Trustees chairperson;
Vahnita Loud; Ramona McCain;
Ellen Martin; and Kenneth Mullen,
Finance Chair.
James Pratt, Urban Design
Architects, known for innovative approaches to urban building and commitment to historic
preservation, designed the
structure. McCaslin-Hill Construction Company was the
general contractor.
For more information about
Warren’s ministries or the new
building, contact Rev. Perry
Crenshaw, 214-928-7373 or email: wumc@aol.com.
Babies in need of adoptive families
Methodist Mission Home
(MMH), San Antonio, is
seeking adoptive families
for five babies. Two are female African-Americans
born Oct. 28 and Nov. 13.
One is a special needs
male Anglo due Dec. 5
and two additional African-American babies are
due Dec. 9 and 15.
As there are no waiting
adoptive families in the
MMH portfolio, these babies may qualify for a scholarship. The criteria include:
the agency’s need for an adoptive family; the availability of scholarship funds, the family’s
need for assistance, and documented willingness to accept a special needs child and willingness to prepare to parent the child. For more information on these children, or other
babies who need a loving family, please contact MMH adoption counselor Whitney Luce.
(Contact information above.)
N OVEMBER 25, 2005 | N ORTH T EXAS C ONFERENCE N EWS
From left, Cindy Counts and Cleo Church, Oak Cliff UMC, present
a “One in Christ” banner to Warren UMC pastor Rev. Perry
Crenshaw, standing at right with Oak Cliff pastor Rev. Diane
Presley. Dallas South District Superintendent Rev. Mike Nichols
and the Warren Choir are in the background.
Caring for the Broken Heart
caregivers workshop, Dec. 6
Clergy and caregivers, especially those working with hurricane victims, are increasingly dealing with the traumatic after-effects
of such a life-changing trauma.
The NTC Disaster Response team
has arranged “Caring for the Broken Hearted” training events for
clergy and laity Dec. 6 at St. Andrew UMC, Plano. There is no
charge for the workshops.
The clergy workshop will be
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and laity
from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Clinical
psychologist and author Dr. Gloria
Morrow will facilitate the sessions.
She is a well-known clinician and
teacher from Upland, CA.
VBS children
collect pennies
to help MMH
Vacation Bible School (VBS)
children from five NTC congregations collected pennies and
prayers to support Methodist
Mission Home (MMH) ministries
serving children, families, and
people with disabilities.
Congratulations to the VBS
children from Caddo Mills UMC;
First UMC, Burkburnett; First
UMC, Mount Vernon; Flower
Mound UMC and Trietsch Memorial UMC, Flower Mound.
Together, with the other annual conferences in Texas, the
children raised $4,492.25 for
MMH in San Antonio.
For more information, please
send e-mail to Cynthia Hamilton,
cynthia@mmhome.org.
In addition to her responsibilities as a clinical psychologist, Dr.
Morrow is an academic researcher. The findings of her research projects related to AfricanAmericans have been presented
at professional conferences and
workshops world-wide, including Cape Town, South Africa. She
has been featured in numerous
publications and cited in critically
acclaimed national publications
such as Psychology Today, Jet,
and Heart and Soul magazines.
Dr. Morrow has developed the
multicultural counseling curriculum for the Clinical-Community
doctoral program in psychology
for the University of LaVerne.
Dr. Morrow also devotes
much of her time to facilitating
workshops, such as the one
scheduled Dec. 6. She is dedicated to educating mental health
professionals, church leaders,
and suffering individuals about
culturally competent care.
She has Master’s and Ph.D.
degrees in Clinical Psychology
from the Fielding Graduate Institute, a Master’s in Marriage and
Family Counseling from Azusa
Pacific University, and a Bachelor
of Science degree in Psychology
from the University of LaVerne.
She is a member of the Association of Black Christian Counselors and is affiliated with several
other community organizations
and causes promoting mental
health awareness and healing.
St. Andrew UMC is located at
5801 West Plano Pkwy. For more
information, contact the NTC
Disaster Response Team at 972490-3438, 800-969-8201, or email: Jacobson@ntcumc.org.
NTCcircuit 5 A
NTC clergy spouses retreat Many Gifts, One Spirit
set Jan. 27-29, Prothro Center on Lake Texoma
Ticket for a midfield seat at the Cowboy-Eagles game - $495
Full day Elizabeth Arden “Red Door” Signature Spa Experience - $476
Weekend at Prothro Center on Lake Texoma for NTC Clergy Spouse Retreat - Priceless!
BY MARCIA GORDON
St. Luke “Community” UMC
W
ith that in mind,
we’re calling all
clergy spouses of
the North Texas
Conference to
“save the date” for
2006 Clergy Spouse Retreat at
the Prothro Center on Lake
Texoma! The retreat is scheduled for Jan. 27-29, and will focus on the theme, “Many Gifts,
One Spirit.”
The retreat will begin at 5:00
p.m. on Friday and end at noon
on Sunday. The cost to attend
the retreat will be $89. Persons
unable to attend the entire retreat
may attend various sessions at
reduced costs: $49 (Friday/nightSaturday/day); $49 Saturday
(day/night); $30 Saturday/day
only). All prices include room,
linen, meals and snacks. If attending on Saturday, the group
dinner will be on your own.
NTC UMC Relief Resource Centers
The following churches and
agencies are being designated
NTC UMC Relief Centers:
• All Nations Fellowship, Plano
• Warren UMC, Dallas
• Camp Wisdom UMC, Dallas
• Wesley-Rankin Community
Center, Dallas
• Christ UMC, Plano
• Wesley UMC, Sulphur
Springs
• St. Andrew, UMC, Plano
• Wilkinson Center, Dallas
• St. Paul UMC, Dallas
The Relief Resource Centers
are ready to serve the Dallas and
surrounding cities, and the Sulphur Springs area. In cooperation with Hope Coalition these
centers have been established to
provide the following services to
those that were affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
• Assistance with Obtaining
Lost or Destroyed Personal
Identification
• Emergency Budget Guidance
• Emergency Credit Management
• Assistance with Deferring
Mortgage Payments
• Assistance with Working
with Creditors
• Referrals to Government and
Private Agencies
• Assistance with Obtaining
Copies of Destroyed Financial
Documents
• Insurance Claims Assistance
• The Emergency Financial
First Aid Kit and Personal Disaster Preparedness Guide
For more information, please
call the NTC Disaster Relief Office, 972-490-3438 or 800-9698201.
The keynote speaker for the
retreat will be the Rev. Georjean
Blanton. Dr. Blanton is a UMC
pastor serving as a spiritual director and guide with individuals and groups in an extension
ministry of the NTC. Dr. Blanton
is married to Dr. Mike Renquist.
Clergy spouse Johnnie Mireb,
husband of Rev. Valerie Mireb of
Grace UMC, Sherman will also
share as a speaker.
Clergy spouses from across
NTC are encouraged to take part
in the weekend retreat for a time
of relaxation, relationship building,
and renewal that promises to be
lots of fun. Please note the date,
and look for additional information.
Please make registration
checks payable to “North Texas
Clergy Spouses” and mail to
Betty Haynes, 213 Kingsbridge
Drive, Garland, TX 75040. For
more information, please e-mail
bhaynes6@juno.com.
NTC Igniting Ministry
New Home for Christmas
Complimentary oversize
postcard ordering deadline
extended to Dec. 1
Contact The Crouch Group
888-211-0273, e-mail
ron@thecrouchgroup.com
for shipping arrangements
Christmas Eve Candlelight/
Watch Night Service Information
to District Offices by Dec. 1
Merry Mobile Methodists rally near Tyler
“Merry Mobile Methodists,” an RV-Camping group of the NTC Older Adult Ministries, held
their semi-annual rally at Whispering Pines Resort, near Tyler on Oct. 10-13 with 71 in attendance. Gathered around the campfire, the group followed the evening meal with vespers and
hymn singing. The next outing is scheduled in April 2006. For more information, please call
Roy Hallmark, 214-331-6779.
The new Russia UMC Theological Seminary facility in Moscow
also includes the Russia Central Conference Bishop’s office.
Continued from Page 1A
Russia Seminary…
Methodist pastor. He had set out
on the journey that would bring
him to Dallas, then back to his
homeland as a key leader in the
emerging UM presence.
One of the most delicate issues for Russian United Methodists – indeed for all of
Russia’s Protestants – is relationship with the dominant Russian Orthodox Church.
Rev. Nikolaev’s doctoral
work will add an important element to that dialogue. He has
researched the work of two
eminent Orthodox theologians
and their response to other
Christians for his doctoral dissertation. Rev. Nikolaev hopes
with the insights gained to publish a book that will generate
new, positive discussions for the
Twenty First Century.
He is teaching Christian History and Evangelism classes at
the seminary this semester, helping shape Russia’s young, hopeful United Methodist pastors. He
acknowledges that one of the
great challenges ahead is for
United Methodist churches to
become visible in a culturally
sensitive way. He is examining
some of the NTC Igniting Ministry resources, evaluating how
they might be useful in this task.
Meanwhile, Rev. Nikolaev’s
wife, Deborah, who is an American, will soon receive her Ph.D.
in Russian History from the Indiana University. They met
when she was studying in Russia, and she hopes to teach in a
Russian University. The couple
has two children, Katya, age 6
and Alex, age 4.
Around the Conference
C.C. Young Auxiliary members, announce a program “Anticipating the Season,” Nov.
30 at 10:00 a.m. at Ridgewood
Park UMC, Dallas, with Dr. Bill
Bryan. Tickets are $10 to benefit C.C. Young.
***
Princeton UMC announces its
“Live Nativity,” Dec. 4 from
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. For more information, please call Rev. David
Yunker, 972-736-3241.
***
The Conference Council on
Youth Ministries (CCYM) announces the “Mid Winter Retreats.” at Bridgeport Camp
and Conference Center, Jan.
27-29 for Sr. High, Feb. 10-12 for
Jr. High and Feb. 17-19 for mixed
Sr. and Jr. High. The cost is $68
which includes a t-shirt. For more
information, please call 972-4903438 or 800-969-8201 or e-mail
wright-chapman@ntcumc.org.
Birth
Isaac Anderson Lindh, son of
Heidi and Eric Lindh, grandson of Jody and Rev. JoNell
Lindh, University Park UMC,
Dallas, was born Nov. 7 weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz and measuring
20 inches.
North Texas
United Methodist
Reporter
P.O. Box 516069
Dallas, Texas 75251
972-490-3438 • 800-969-8201
Joan Gray LaBarr editor
Lee Zastovnik prod. assistant
www.ntcumc.org
e-mail: labarr@ntcumc.org
N ORTH T EXAS C ONFERENCE N EWS | N OVEMBER 25, 2005
8 A NTC circuit It’s Time To Be Good Samaritans
Bishir traveled to
East Texas Nov. 68 to observe the
United Methodist
Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
and Christ UMC,
Plano, response to
Hurricane Rita.
She shares personal
reflections on that
experience and opportunities to serve
in the following
story.
BY MARJI BISHIR
NTC VIM Disaster
Relief Coordinator
I
Team leader Linda Jenkins
prepares to use her chainsaw
while Matt Walker supervises.
She is wearing a lime green
t-shirt that is a gift from the
Texas Conference .
just returned from a trip to
southeast Texas, where Rita’s
legacy lives on in the presence
of broken limbs, snapped off
trees, and blue tarps on roofs
everywhere. My goals were to see
the disaster zone, meet the Texas
Conference site coordinator Katie
Beran, and determine the needs
that mission teams could meet.
Leaving from Plano, I wondered when I would begin to see
signs of Rita. Would I see anything at all along I-45, I wondered?
It is the stretch between
Livingston and Woodville, both
towns situated on I-190, that Rita
damage is first visible. Where formerly dense forest was present,
naked bushes amidst large
swathes of snapped-off trees announced my entry into the hurricane zone. I had been told in advance that the trees all fell in the
same direction, from north to
south, due to the hurricane-force
winds which circled around. Seeing fields where all the trees had
fallen this way was eerie. I soon
learned to tell which direction I
was traveling in by observing the
fall pattern of the trees.
I met up with a team from
Christ UMC, Plano. Back home,
Team Bravo from Christ UMC, Plano. Back Row: Alan Hastings, Matt Walker,
Don Kyle, Clint Entrop, John Jenkins, Bill Holloway, Larry Rex and Ryan Rex.
Front Row: Charlie Tella, Homeowner Claudia, Team Leader Linda Jenkins.
this team of eleven consisted of a
few white-collar technical managers, some electrical engineers,
a flight attendant, a medical clinic
designer, and two college students. Here, they were chain-saw
wielding “maniacs,” driving
trucks and tractors and hauling
huge logs. It was quite a change
of pace, but they seemed to really like it. I think power tools
do that to people sometimes.
Kountze Hospitality
The team was staying in
Kountze, a small town that had
not been damaged too badly. The
First UMC there has a Family Living Center with showers and a deluxe kitchen. You know United
Methodists and kitchens - eating
is a big part of our fellowship!
Each day, the team was escorted by a local pastor who knew
the area and helped lead us to the
homes of those in the community
who had reported damage. Since
street signs and local landmarks
were often missing, this was a crucial to actually finding the work
sites. My deepest respect goes out
to these pastors who have the
added task of
escorting
teams around,
Ryan Rex uses a tractor to haul
a log out to the street.
in addition to dealing with the aftermath of the disaster and their
regular jobs.
While I was with the team, we
helped two widows: Claudia, and
Dorothy. Both were simply
stunned when eleven people appeared on their property. The
amount of work that eleven people
can complete is staggering.
Claudia kept saying all day “I feel
like I’m dreaming, and I’m afraid
I’m going to wake up and you
won’t really be here”. When I
asked Dorothy if she’d ever seen
anything like this team before, she
said “It’s like elves have come to
help me!” Both had suffered the
recent losses of their husbands
and it became apparent that they
were trying their best to remain
on the land that their husbands had
worked so hard to attain. Both
cried when faced with the overwhelming reality that people had
come from so far away to help
them for no money.
Eye-opening lesson
One lesson I learned the hard
way was to wear your PPE. PPE
stands for Personal Protective
Equipment. Yes, the Disaster
Response folks enjoy using acronyms to confuse people just like the military. Perhaps
it’s because many of the disaster response people are ex-military. Anyway, I wasn’t wearing any kind of eye gear and
sure enough I got smacked really hard right in the face with
a branch. I tried to be tough
but I have to admit I got really
wimpy right then. My eye is
fine, but the truly ironic thing
is that just the night before, I
used the scripture from Matthew 7 for our devotional - you
know the one - that teaches us
not to help our neighbor with
the speck in their eye while ignoring the logs in our own
eyes. I will never read that
scripture again without remembering this trip.
I did meet up with Katie
Beran, a true hero and UMCOR
staffer who is tasked with
finding work sites and host
sites for all the teams going into
the area. Without her, we’d all
be left to our own devices,
Homeowner Claudia is thrilled as Christ UMC, Plano,
Team Bravo members arrived at her house.
N OVEMBER 25, 2005 | N ORTH T EXAS C ONFERENCE N EWS
Bill Holloway wonders if this
is the can with the oil and
gas combined, or if it's pure
gas. Chainsaws can only
use a combination mixture.
hoping to find the places where
we could stay or work. Instead,
she knows the details and helps
make the team experience as rewarding as possible. “So many
parsonages and churches are
damaged,” she said. “Please
keep sending teams!”
Help heal scars
The hurricanes of 2005 have
left infinite scars on the ground.
As a conference, we are ideally
situated to be able to help heal
these scars, since we are so close.
If you have a few days, consider
organizing a few friends to go
down to East Texas. There’ll be
plenty to do there for a long time.
If you have a week, head on over
to Louisiana or Mississippi. Let
us follow the example of the Good
Samaritan - the one who helped
the guy who was down. With
God’s help, we can do so much.
For more information on
scheduling disaster response
training or planning a VIM trip
into the hurricane-stricken areas, please contact the NTC Disaster Response Team at 972490-3430, 800-969-8201, or email: bishir@ntcumc.org.
The three-year old family life center of
First UMC, Buna , ruined by Hurricane Rita.