2001 Wellsprings Journal Fall issue

A Journal for United Methodist Clergywomen
EDITORIAL CIRCLE
Susan Beehler
Marion Jackson
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Sandy Walker
DESIGN
Lisa Moore
COVER ILLUSTRATION
Chris Suerdick
is published periodically by rhe Section of Elders and Local
Wellsprings:
A Journal for • Pastors, Division of Ordained Ministry, General Board of Higher
Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church, P.O.
United Methodist Clergywomen
Box 340007, Nashville, TN 37203-0007
POSTMASTER: • Send address changes to Wellsprings, P.O. Box 340007,
Nashville, TN 37203-0007
invitation
___-'!II,_ ou are invited to create a journal of clergywomen. This journal is
a forum for our collective experience and emerging stories as
women in ministry Our hope is to:
• make connections with other clergywomen;
• exchange our imaginings, knowledge, and ideas;
• call forth the creative spirit that exists in each clergywoman;
• nurture creativity through worship, music, visual arts,
dreams and dance;
• share our pain and anger;
• dance our joys and laughter;
• speak grace and compassion;
• seek authentic expressions of spirituality and
celebrate our diverse experiences of the divine;
• reclaim the essence of the gospel as revealed in the life,
death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ;
• provide for inclusiveness and affirm our diversity;
• advocate for women and all of creation;
• engender dreams, transformations, and a vision of
wholeness in the church.
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We proclaim with Bishop Leontine Kelly, "Wellsprings of
hope-it may well be the women of The United Methodist
Church." This journal is dedicated to that hope.
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FALL 2001 • VOL. 9 NO . 2
"Women's Gatherings"
the journal guide
THE INVITATION
1
THE EDITORIAL CIRCLE
4
spinning the sacred yarn
SABBATH: Contemplation, Companionship and Compassion
Barbara Troxell
7
A N N 0 TAT E D B I B L I 0 G R A P H Y Barbara Troxell
13
gathering the clouds of witnesses
I M AG I N E A T I M E Kathy Sage
IN THE BEGINNING
16
21
CONSULTATIONS 197 5-1995
2
23
connections
CLERGYWOMEN'S CONSULTATION-2002
Meet the Design Team
28
Interview with the Co-Chairs Garlinda Burton
The Preachers
Workshops
37
37
San Diego Attractions
Telephone Numbers
STATISTICS
MAP
48
44
41
42
34
27
;/ii.
mists-margins-meditations
TIME 0 UT K<rl•
Kill~
50
actions/ref Iect ions
SA B BAT H C ER EA L Rebecca Carnpney Carver 54
THE SABBATH QUESTION DonnaFadolvery 55
1995 IN ATLANTA SusanRuach 58
DOING NOTHING Maria Coleman 60
RECOLLECTIONS ON DALLAS Nan Self 61
GLORI ETA MaryAnnMoman
62
WOMEN'S WORSHIP Marsha Wiggins Frame 63
the creating spirit
T H E W0 M E N M U ST B E GAT H ER I NG Susan Beehler 15
BONDING, REFLECTING, AND SEWING MarilynPoteHutton 43
COME AWAY AND REST AWHILE PeggyGarrigues-Cortelyou 64
high I ights
NEWS/AN NOU NCEM ENTS
65
Anna Howard Shaw Center
Clergywomen's Retention Study
3
Georgia Harkness, Women of Color, and Dempster Scholars
National Council of Churches
CORRECTIONS
70
CONSULTATION REGISTRATION FORM
72
editorial
c ire Ie
4
The Women Must Be Gathering. The frrst issue of Wellsprings came out in the
Summer of 1988. It was birthed by Kathy Sage, along with Susan
Beehler and Liz Lopez. The focus of that first issue was the
Consultation of 19 8 7, and to commemorate that event Susan Beehler
wrote a song, "The Women Must Be Gathering." It became the official
mantra for subsequent gatherings. "I can feel it; feel the movement.
The women must be gathering!" We are pleased to include in the
pages of this issue a retrospect of the Consultations written by Kathy
and a reprint of Susan's wonderful song. From 197 5 to 1995 the
Clergywomen's Consultations have been held every four years, the
year before General and Jurisdictional Conferences. These gatherings
have been important events. This edition will highlight the upcoming
event as well as celebrate and remember all the previous ones.
The theme for the Consultation in January is: "Creating a
Woman's Sabbath: Come Away and Rest A While." Barbara Troxell has
written a fme article on the history and meaning of Sabbath in preparation for our time together. In these pages you can meet the design
team, review the workshops, and sample the creative works and
thoughts generated. There is music, poetry, and musings on the need
for Sabbath time. Karla Kincannon, who had planned to be a part of
the editorial circle, has had new developments in her life and is
unable to be a part of the team. We are sorry she had to leave before
starting, but we are grateful for her contribution toward the generation of ideas for this edition and her stellar article "Time Out." We
round out this edition with a walk down memory lane. We have listed
dates, places, themes, and names of the design team members of the
six Consultations held since 197 5. Additionally, women who have
attended all or many of the past Consultations share their memories
from these events.
The last Consultation was in I 9 9 5 in Atlanta, and much has happened in the past seven years. The number of clergywomen has almost
doubled, there is a new category of ministry - deacons in full connection - and six women have been added to the ranks of the episcopacy.
We have worked hard. We hope this edition encourages you to come
away and rest a while. "I can feel it; feel the movement. The women
must be gathering."
Marion Jackson
Greater New Jersey Annual Conference
I try to take my three mile walk each morning before the sun comes
up in this part of the world. We who live in west Texas know well the
concept of "global warming" : it occurs daily in July and August when
the sun rises on the desert!
I tend to be an early morning person by nature. It is my time! I
can be totally observant with nothing interrupting my reflections and
thoughts. It is indeed my Sabbath in each day. Even more wonderful
than these daily Sabbath moments is having an entire day of Sabbath
when nothing is scheduled. Now, when that presents itself to me, well
bring on the heat, the humidity, and whatever other challenges the
environment might present - they don't bother me a bit.
Unscheduled time is good, it is very good. It is one of the most
incredible gifts I can experience. And even though I might con myself
into thinking otherwise, I do have some control over that. "But I like
to produce and create and read and practice and teach and
counsel...and there's the new movie just out ... and I have a lot of
responsibility with mom," I say to myself I can come up with a lot of
reasons why I can't have a full day of Sabbath. So I truly cherish my
early morning moments of Sabbath, just being connected to creation
and spirit.
As I have been reading about the clergywomen's gathering set for
January, 2002, I have been caught about how closely that feels to my
5:00 A.M. walk time. It is time to just be, to experience openness and
light and cool breezes from the ocean. Singing songs of creation,
women will seek the spirit in the midst of laughter, serious and not so
serious thoughts, alone and together. Each woman being who and
how she needs to be to breathe in Sabbath for herself or for others.
"Come away," they say, before the desert of your soul heats up. Come
away to drink deeply of the well of the spirit, our Sabbath together
calls us to us.
Reflecting on all that may be possible in January, this issue of
Wellsprings explores some of the spirit and activities of that event. My
prayer is that my reflections on my own quest for Sabbath might open
up possibilities for you. There is some great stuff in this edition. Read
on, sisters!
Susan Beehler
Baltimore Annual Conference
Send all editorial circle correspondence to:
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Wellsprings
Division of Ordained Ministry
Section of Elders and Local Pastors
P.O. Box 340007
Nashville, TN 37203-0007
Wellsprings is sent free to every United Methodist clergywoman.
For all others, subscriptions may be purchased at a cost of $7 .00 for two issues.
Checks should be made payable to the Division of Ordained Ministry, U.M.C., and sent to:
Wellsprings
Division of Ordained Ministry
P.O. Box 340007
Nashville, TN 37203-0007
SABBATH:
contemplation, companionship,
and compassion
"Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while."
(Jesus to his apostles, who had recently returned from active ministry
in the villages, as reported in Mark 6:3 la)
As we move toward the 2002 International United Methodist
Clergywomen's Consultation, we are invited into a "woman's
Sabbath." But what is Sabbath? It is a gift of God and a space in time,
greeted often in Jewish tradition as a feminine presence. Sabbath is
both imprinted in the human soul and celebrated in history and, thus,
it is essential to our lives. But as we are busy about many things and
moving fast to get everything done, how often do we forget, to our
peril, the gift and necessity of Sabbath. I will not spend words on the
ways we forget this gift, for we know these all too well. Rather I will
share a story from my own life that offers an image of my own need
for Sabbath; and I will outline where I find the Sabbath gift in biblical
tradition and in contemporary living.
In 1980 while I was serving as superintendent of the beautiful
and diverse Golden Gate District of the California-Nevada Annual
Conference, I began to sense that I was moving too fast, getting minor
illnesses too often, and becoming abrupt with people with whom I
worked. One late afternoon, standing on a busy San Francisco boulevard waiting for a bus, I saw in a pawnshop window an image that
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called out to me. A large, gray cat slept peacefully on a faded green
velveteen cushion. A neatly hand-printed card taped inside the glass
window directly above the cat read: "Please do not tap on this window. The cat needs her rest."
Suddenly I was aware of the necessity in my own life for a sign that
would read, "Please do not tap on me; my soul needs her rest." After
that small revelation, I began to find more ways to "remember the
Sabbath." Though I had read those words many times, now it was getting serious. I needed to honor that ancient commandment in my own
life for deeper healtl1 and wholeness. I read again, with more intentional attentiveness, the biblical texts on Sabbath. I searched for and found
helpful books on the theme. I began to repeat inwardly a holy sentence
of God's speaking to me, "Be still, and know that I am God!" (Psalm
46 : 1Oa) This has continued to be a centering text in my life.
Gradually it dawned on me: Sabbath is a God-given time and
place for rest, renewal, and restoration of ourselves, others, and the
earth. These are the elements of Sabbath - in the Bible, in the tradition, and in our own lives : Sabbath as a time of contemplation (resting in God); Sabbath as a time of companionship (renewal with others); Sabbath as a time of compassion (restoration and reconciliation
of divided ones, of a wounded society, and of a bruised earth).
As women how do we celebrate Sabbath in all its fullness and how
may we help Sabbath be a more conscious part of our lives? Let's look
at the rhythms of Sabbath within each of the three elements noted
above: contemplation (rest), companionship (renewal), and compassion (restoration and reconciliation) . Consider these not in a linear
way, but in a wondrous cycle or rhythmic spiral that continues
throughout all time. We are heirs, after all, of a tradition that is both
"fixed in nature, in the created cosmos, and found in history, in the
commandment at Mount Sinai" (James Ashbrook, Minding the Soul, 18 3) .
First, Sabbath is a time of contemplation - of resting in God, of
setting aside our everyday work, for a given period of time. Indeed rest
is holy, grounded in God's way for us.A fanlliiar text (Genesis 2:2) tells
us that God finished the good work of creation by resting, which also
can be interpreted as "catching one's breath." Creation is only complete when there is menuha - stillness, serenity, peace, rest. Some rabbis
teach that on the seventh day God indeed created rest. Thus our active,
doing modes are not the whole story. Jesus knew this well and prac-
ticed Sabbath rest regularly. Consider the many accounts of Jesus going
off alone for prayer, early in the day, all night, and out in a boat with
his disciples.(See, for example, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:46, Luke 6: 12.)
The time of Sabbath may be a day each a week, a retreat time each
month or year, a morning or night quiet time, a full school term or
year, or simply a few moments of mini-sabbaths in the midst of busy
days or nights. People who have studied brain functions have noted
that our brains need a Sabbath every 90 to 120 minutes; that's why
when our meetings go too long, we find ourselves tuning out. Our
brains need their rest. Our bodies and souls know what our biblical
forebears knew: Sabbath rest remains for the people of God (Hebrews
4:9) as an essential pattern written in our genes.
Within the resting, contemplative times, we are often silent and
sometimes in solitude. We may be praying wordlessly or reading
scripture or singing a melody. We may be walking or bathing, gardening or hugging a tree, sipping a cup of tea or washing a dish mindfully, aware that all is of God. We may be sitting still or gazing out a window. We may literally be sleeping, for we recall the wondrous ways
God works in us through dreams and other unconscious processes
even as we sleep. What a great and helpful shift after we have been
talking, preaching, teaching, organizing, and sometimes feeling bombarded by words from others and from ourselves.
Sabbath rest is indeed a "pause that refreshes." As a morning person I find that a quiet time of prayer, journaling, and review of my day
ahead, after I shower and before breakfast, is an essential daily contemplative practice. Before sleeping at night I reflect briefly on the
day, considering what was graced in the day and what was disturbing;
each element can be offered to God in gratitude and in hope. In
between, there are many mini-sabbath moments of deep breaths,
inner quick prayers of thanks or of intercession, as I move through my
days. These are but some of my ways; you have yours that renew your
spirit as you rest, by the grace of God.
Remember Sabbath as contemplation, as resting in God.
Second, Sabbath is a time of companionship, of renewal with others with whom we share abundant life. Sabbath involves solidarity and
friendship, keeping company with those who are dear to us and those
with whom we reach out in hospitality. Remember Jesus going apart
with his disciples in a boat on the Lake of Galilee, because it was a
place where they would be quietly together yet not surrounded by the
crowds. Remember also that in Jewish tradition the Sabbath begins at
sundown Friday night with a special meal in the family home to
which guests are often invited. Sabbath is a holy time of companionship and friendly communion with others.
These are some of the ways of Sabbath companionship that I have
found to be special blessings in my life and in the lives of other friends :
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• worshiping with the gathered community, for times of corporate worship are central to Jewish Sabbath on the seventh day
and to the Christian Sabbath on the first day, as well as at other
times of the week;
• preparing and sharing meals with family and friends where we
enjoy the presence of our companions (literally, those with
whom we share bread);
• collaborating in times of play with laughter, dance, spontaneity,
and joy;
•being with spiritual companions who are soul friends supporting our journey with God, offering us their grace-filled presence, and holding us accountable for who we are;
• making love with an intimate partner (incidentally, one of the
traditional elements of Sabbath activities enjoined in the Talmud
for righteous Jewish couples);
•blessing our children, our partner, our elderly parents, our siblings, our friends with gentle touch and other signs of God's
mercy and healing;
• remembering dear ones who live in other places with letters,
phone calls, and visits;
• serving meals and eating with persons in soup kitchens and
community feasts;
• enjoying concerts, films, theatre that reflect God's wondrous
world.
You may want to add to this list and elaborate upon each element for
yourself. Companionable Sabbaths offer an alternative to legalistic,
restrictive rules about Sabbath that too often evolved in both Jewish
and Christian communities. The joyous possibilities of companionable
Sabbath practices may grow and grow as we recall the biblical affirma-
tions of delight in the Sabbath (see Isaiah 5 8: 13-14) and as we revel
in the renewal of relationships given to us here and now.
Remember Sabbath as companionship, as God-given
renewal with others.
Third, Sabbath is a time of compassion - restoration of all creation. In Jewish tradition Sabbath was never individualistic but rather
was given for the sake of everyone's rest, everyone's freedom from
bondage. Sabbath was a time for healing the terrible wounds of separation, alienation, misery, and oppression. Even the land was to have
regular years oflying fallow. Not only was Sabbath celebrated every
seventh day but also every seventh year, with a connection of the
Sabbath year with the Jubilee year - seven times seven plus one. (Read
Exodus 20:9-11; 21 :2; 23:10-13; Leviticus 25 .) Jesus affirmed and
celebrated the Sabbath day, which also included healing and feeding
on the seventh day as a continuation of the Sabbath commandment.
(See Luke 13:10- 17; 14:1-6; Mark 2:23 -3:6.)
Movements for justice and peace in caring for all of creation are
an essential aspect of Sabbath. The restorative justice aspect of Sabbath
reveals a "double purpose in life: to rest in God joyfully, and to direct
the holy energy of that rest into caring for the creation with whom
we share community" (Tilden Edwards, Sabbath Time, 81) . We women
in ministry know well this sense of caring.
May we also know that part of Sabbath restoration includes compassion for ourselves. Sabbath reminds us that we are not superwomen nor are we expected to do everything. Dorothee Soelle, in an
article written years ago, wrote of Sabbath as "an interruption of life's
repetitiveness ... a break in our daily patterns." I am so very grateful for
friends who remind me to honor the close relationship of soul and
body by urging me to take a break when I get compulsive about completing a task. Take a brisk or a slow walk, they say, stop and gaze at a
bright spring flower, listen attentively to a bird's song or a beautiful
piece of music, welcome a back rub or a foot massage. We forget
Sabbath compassion at our own peril and at the world's peril. A statement I heard years ago remains with me as a vivid reminder: "We
contemplate or else we exploit."
To live lives of compassion in which we are intentionally seeking
the restoration of others (even those different from ourselves), of the
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earth, and of ourselves, is a strong aspect of Sabbath celebration, for
Sabbath witnesses to the promised rest and fulfillment of all of creation in God's peaceable kin-dam. Sabbath rest enables us to be present in a creative, compassionate way to persons in need, and to the
earth that requires our care.
Remember Sabbath as compassion, as restoration of all creation.
So come away by yourselves to contemplate, to rest in God.
Come away by yourselves with companions, for renewal with others.
Come away by yourselves offering compassion, for the restoration
and reconciliation of others, of the world, of yourselves, and of God.
So may these be our invitations to Sabbath, as women in ministry!
Barbara B. Troxell
Senior Scholar in Spiritual Formation,
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois
California-Nevada Annual Conference
Barbara is retired, but she continues to teach part-time, to offer spiritual direction, to lead retreats, and to be more aware of celebrating
Sabbath.
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SABBATH:
annotated bibliography
Ashbrook, James B. Minding The Soul: Pastoral Counseling as Remembering. (esp.
chapter 13, "Sabbathing: Integrating Experience") . Fortress Press,
1996.
Written by a wonderful pastoral counselor and seminary teacher,
the late Dr. James Ashbrook, this book gathers up his learnings on
"minding the soul," the links between soul, the brain, memory,
gender differences, and Sabbath as we affirm our origins, our
endings, and our journeys in God.
Edwards, Tilden. Sabbath Time: Understanding and Practice for Contemporary
Christians. Upper Room Books, 1992.
Edwards (one of the founders of The Shalem Institute for
Spiritual Formation) explores the roots of Sabbath in Jewish and
in Christian traditions, and demonstrates how deeper understanding and practice of Sabbath can provide an alternative to our societal pulls between driven achievement and abdicating escape.
Good historical material as well as practical applications.
Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The Sabbath. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 19S1
(reprinted for twenty-second time, 1995).
A classic by the well-known late Jewish scholar, teacher, writer,
mystic, and activist, this beautiful book illumines the holiness of
time and holiness in time.
Muller, Wayne. Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest. Bantam Books,
1999.
Written by an ordained minister and therapist, this book offers
wise and poetic reflections on a deep tradition that has enormous
implications for releasing stress and affirming needed healing in
our lives today.
"Sabbath" Alive Now! July/ August 1989, The Upper Room.
Helpful quotations from some of the books listed here as well as
brief stories and poems on Sabbath.
Schaper, Donna. Sabbath Sense:A Spiritual Antidote for the Overworked. Innisfree
Press, 199 7.
Written by an area minister of the United Church of Christ, who
is also a wife (married to a Jewish man), mother, gardener, and
writer, this book is a refreshing, challenging, and hopeful account
of the value of Sabbath in our busy and often-cluttered lives.
Schaper is practical, reflective, and insightful.
Sorensen, Christina Marie, "Sabbath as Re-Creation: Discovering Sabbath as a
Way of Life". Unpublished MTS thesis , Garrett-Evangelical
Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois, May 1998 .
Sorensen invites us into Sabbath spiritual practices, rooted in the
historical traditions of Sabbath. In each section she offers "suggestions for action."
Waskow, Arthur, David, and Shoshana. Before There Was a Before (esp. last
section, "Resting"). Adama Books, 1984
Rabbi Waskow and his children open our eyes to the wonder of
the seven days of creation and to God's sense of humor in the
process.
14
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Can you imagine a time when there were no women bishops, no
women District superintendents, few women on seminary faculties,
and quite likely, not a woman in sight when you appeared before the
Board of Ordained Ministry? If you actually remember such a time,
you might also remember the first UM Clergywomen's Consultation at
Scarritt in 19 7 5.
One of the many legacies of COSROW is the wisdom of advocating
with GBHEM for a gathering where clergywomen could be present in
enough numbers so that male leadership in the above mentioned
groups (bishops, DSs, seminaries and BOMs) would be forced to say
"something new is happening here." The something new was the
number of women graduating from seminaries. The something new
was the ferment provided by the women's movement in the church.
The something new was liturgy, theology, and career expectations for
ministry shaped by women thinking together about the church in a
new way.
I needed the rainbow that appeared boldly over the Scarritt campus at the end of the 19 7 5 Consultation. Six months out of seminary
and serving a two point charge in rural Michigan, I needed a booster
shot of hope and inspiration in gigantic proportions. Women preached
every service, dancers embodied the transformation, and women managed heated legislative debate, women of color demanded to be heard,
and we learned that by listening together to the voices, silences, and
contradictions we could find a way to sustain and grow a vision of
ministry through the dry spells of sisterhood. I shared the car trip from
Michigan to Tennessee with one who graduated seminary before the
influence of the women's movement and a "local preacher" who spoke
in tongues. These differences did not create a barrier to community in
the late 7Os. We were fairly representative of the diverse ages, theology,
and training of women in ministry, and our trip back was full of
appreciation for the common experience and plans for regular meetings of the clergywomen of the conference. Groups of women in ministry emerged in many annual conferences because we "saw ourselves"
together at that first Consultation.
Every consultation has its rich heritage of women arriving in the
company of Ezekiel, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost,"
(3 7: 11). Our numbers grew in Dallas and a tradition was established,
"Come from the four winds, 0 breath and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live" (Ezek. 3 7: 9b) . The 19 79 ice storm in Dallas seemed
to symbolize the icy reception to our optimistic petitions from the
Scarritt 19 7 S Consultation regarding the numbers of women bishops,
DSs and BOM chairs that we had expected over the quadrennium. Our
numbers had grown, and there was equally a hunger for women in
leadership positions and for practical, yet inspired ideas of how we
could be about the everyday ministry of the church at all levels.
Workshops, caucuses, and plenaries suggested that education; strategy
and collaboration would help us achieve our goals. The theme that
emerged: power. Women preached with such power, exerted with such
clarity, and inspired with growing creativity so that we could even
laugh off the question someone asked us on the homeward bound
plane, "What are you, Mary Kay consultants?" One more time, with
the Spirit within, each was placed in our own land.
Soon enough I learned the awesome responsibility of planning
such an endeavor as my "land" of the 1980s became the portfolio of
BHEM that included clergywomen's issues. To listen more carefully to
the voices of African American, Native American, Hispanic, and Asian
American clergywomen, the Consultation planning committee needed
to represent such growing diversity Wonderful hours of listening,
planning, and dialogue created the shape of the Consultation in
February, 1983, at Glorieta, New Mexico - following a huge snow
storm. If you were there, you consider Habakkuk one of the major
books of the Hebrew Scriptures as "Make Plain the Vision" was used in
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every worship service, sung in original compositions, and dramatized
in the appearance of our first woman bishop. We did make plain that
the vision was a future concerned with global issues, ethnic diversity,
and growing leadership in the church by women. The Ballet Folklorica
welcomed and entertained us at the opening ceremony. We wore out
the "panel" mode of presentation in the middle. Like the first two
Consultations, by the end we had caucused, petitioned, and worshiped
with renewed vision and "if it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely
come, it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:3b) .
Innovations in our style of gathering marked Great Gorge in 198 7.
We moved with the dancers, sang with the choir, learned to listen to
our own hearts and, through the constancy of the fountain, embodied
Wellsprings of Hope. Spirituality groups provided an intimate gathering each morning. Proclamation workshops reminded us of the importance of preaching. Nearly 1,000 participants listened as stories that
could not be shared openly were brought in sacred vessels and poured
into our midst. Stories that previously had been hidden and silenced
now asked to be welcomed, just as other differences and gifts had been
recognized and woven into the whole. In the closing, we lifted the
chalice and paten and blessed the journey. Of course we caucused and
petitioned - more women bishops and DSs were in our midst, we
were finding places of creativity, we were finding ways to bring the
vision to life. So it must be working and we spiraled out.
Planning for St Charles in 1991 proved more challenging. Was it
the caucusing, petitioning, and strategizing in the previous four
Consultations that had sparked the increased numbers of women in
leadership? Or was it simply inevitable that call, competence, and creativity among clergywomen would be recognized and become commonplace at all levels ofThe United Methodist Church. Our increased
presence and influence are threatening to some and efforts were made
to remove the "political" nature of the Consultations. The women gathered once again bidding je vous en prie, renew us by rituals that match the
power of the call to justice, transformation, and hospitality. Korean
drums invited us to enter and make sacred our answer to the call to be
in ministry. Music, dance, puppets, preaching, spirituality, sisters from
many lands, and old friends renewed us - some at our fifth consultation and others attending their first. This was my last Consultation.
Atlanta in 19 9 5 added new elements such as the building of a
Habitat for Humanity home. And once again, women answered the
call to gather and be renewed in familiar liturgy and song with traditions confirmed, friendships renewed, and dreams rekindled.
Another call sounds, this one promising the gifts of a woman's
Sabbath. Hints of Sabbath renewal and offerings of soothing ointment
have been a part of each Consultation. This seventh Consultation offers
time for weary and weathered souls to discern the depth of their ministry call. By the sea in San Diego in 2002, the small trickle of women
in ministry from the first Consultation in Nashville will indeed have
gathered new generations to meet at the ocean Pacific.
We have held many visions and hopes for the church. Some have
been realized while others have eluded our most fervent efforts.
Disappointments live alongside the faithful witness-bearing ministry
of so many sisters along the way. From the beginning, we petitioned
and projected our power onto those in leadership. And the wise ones
in our midst pirouetted and lined back the songs of hope, the words
of inspiration, and the courage to be the transformation. It is amazing
to reflect that the babies clergywomen held in Nashville will be twenty-seven years old if they accompany their mothers again to this the
seventh United Methodist Clergywomen's gathering. We claim those
twenty-seven year old "children.'' In our midst, little boys grew up to
be gentle, little girls learned to be strong, and so many learned that
differences were okay. Likewise, churches have been transformed and
ecclesia renewed. UM clergywomen pursued Ph.D.s and write books
that challenge us and shape a new generation of seminarians women and men who benefit from the vision proclaimed creatively
and lived boldly by clergywomen claiming our power and wholeness
throughout these years.
A generation has passed since the first Consultation. May Sabbath
renewal be found as first time Consultation goers discover the rituals
and power of gathering. May this recounting of our history through
the very personal lens of one remind us of the power of our herstory:
We stress different events as having been decisive at different
times in our life history and, as we do so, we give those
events new meanings . .. What we remember, what we stress
as significant, and what we omit of our past defmes our pre-
19
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sent. And since the boundaries of our self-defmition also
delimit our hopes and aspirations, this personal history
affects our future. If we see ourselves as victimized, as powerless and overwhelmed by forces we cannot understand or
control. we will choose to live cautiously, avoid conflict and
evade pain. If we see ourselves as loved, grounded, powerful,
we will embrace the future, live courageously, and accept
challenges with confidence. 1
Kathy S. Sage
Kathy was Kathy Nickerson when she was on staff of DOM in the
1980s. A Unitarian Universalist minister since 1997, she has just
accepted a call to be parish minister in Kingston, Ontario, Canada
20
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' Gerda Lerner,; Why History Matters. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997 . p. 199.
1n the
BEGINNING
Consultation on Women in United Methodist Ordained Ministry
The task force faced up to the question of the increasing number of
ordained women in The United Methodist Church and the implications of this for the church. It was believed that the purpose of such a
gathering of these women would be to provide:
• an arena of mutual support
• clarification of issues
•highlighting of problems of women "post-ordination"
•"caucus empowerment"
• directions for boards of ministry and cabinets
• recognition of lifestyle shifts which are not satisfactorily
understood
• sensitizing the church to the ordained woman
It is believed that such a Consultation should be held nationally
and that hopefully "spin-offs" might occur at jurisdictional levels for
continuing support of ordained women in relationship to the particular jurisdictional problems that they meet.
(Since approximately 2 5 0 ordained women were listed in the
1970 Study Commission figures, it is estimated that about 300
ordained women throughout United Methodism would be invited to
such a Consultation) .
The Consultation would include ordained women on trial and in
full connection.
It was therefore recommended that such a consultation be
called as soon as feasibly possible, but within the next 18
months at least, and that other agencies concerned with the
ordained woman be invited to share in the sponsorship.
(Board of Higher Edu~ation and Ministry, Women's
Division) Approved
21
~
It was hoped that boards of ministry of annual conferences might
also contribute to such a Consultation, particularly with travel funds
for ordained women from their respective conferences.
The Commission voted to include an item of up to $2,000 as
seed money for this Consultation. Primary contribution from the
Commission on the Status and Role of Women, however, would be in
terms of staff and "Commission members" work time.
Will Hildebrand will develop the proposal for the consultation.
From the minutes of the Task Force
on Women Employed by the Church
September 21-23, 1973
This information provided by Nan Self.
22
~
consultations
1975 - 1995
The first Consultation was sponsored by the Commission on the
Status and Role of Women, the Division of Ordained Ministry of the
Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and the Centers for
Continuing Education and Women's Studies at Scarritt College.
Resolutions passed:
•Asking COSROW to develop strategies for electing one
bishop in three jurisdictions in I 9 7 6.
•That ten women be appointed district superintendents in
each of the five jurisdictions by 19 7 6.
• Upon leaving or upon retirements, all seminary presidents
and deans be replaced by women until half the seminary
presidents are women and half the women are third world.
Following is a list of all the Consultations, the theme when specified,
and members of the design teams. The asterisk (*) indicates people
who became bishops.
23
January 6-10, 1975, in Nashville, Tennessee
Design Team Members
Harriet Miller
Lynne Morrison
Jeanne Audrey Powers
Robert Reber
Robert Thornburg
Louise Weeks
Martha Wilson
Doris Jones, Staff
Phyllis Bird
George Butchee
Jeanne Conover
Jesse De Witt
Ethel Johnson
Ellen Kirby
Mary Kraus
Helen McKune
January 2-5, 1979, in Dallas, Texas
Design Team Members
Sharon Zimmerman Rader,* Co-Chair
Susan Ruach, Co-Chair
Trudie Preciphs Reid, COSROW. Staff
Doris Jones, GBHEM, Staff
Esther Edwards, Registrar
Bishop Ralph T. Alton
Thomas Lane Butts
Wesla Fletcher
Gerald Heilman
Janice Riggle Huie*
24
Mary Hurmence
Lydia Martinez
Velma Smith
Judy Weidman
Bishop Melvin Wheatley, Jr.
Highlights: Worst ice storm in Dallas in SO years, Marjorie Matthews*
was drafted to run for the episcopacy. Preachers included: Liz Lopez,
Leontine T. C. Kelly,* Sharon Brown Christopher,* and Tullulah Fisher
Williams.
February 7-11, 1983, Glorieta, New Mexico
Make Plain The Vision
Design Team Members
Sharon A. B. Christopher,* Co-Chair
Leontine T. C. Kelly,* Co-Chair
Kathy Munson-Young
Liz Lopez Spence
Gessel Berry, Jr.
Joethel Jeannette Cooper
Patricia Farris
Susan Henry-Crowe
Bishop Earl G. Hunt, Jr.
Sue B. Ralph
Barbara J. Ruth
Evelene "Tweedy" Sombrero
Naomi P. F. Southard
Mamie Alethia Williams
Kathy(Nickerson)Sage,
GBHEM Staff
August 17-21, 1987, Great Gorge, New Jersey
Wellsprings of Hope
Design Team Members
Deanne Bleyle, Co-Chair
Marnie Alethia Williams, Co-Chair
Martha Randall
Jo Ann Black
Susan Davies
Susan Hart
Lynne Josselyn
Charlene Kammerer*
Hea Sun Kirn
Kathy (Nickerson) Sage,
GBHEM Staff
Anna Kpaan
Bishop Herbert Skeete
Gloria Soliz
Patricia Toschak
Susan Beehler
Michele Sue Shumake
Evelene "Tweedy" Sombrero
25
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August 5-9, 1991, St. Charles, Illinois
Illumination of the Holy
Design Team Members
Minerva Garza Carcano, Co-Chair
Judith Craig,* Co-Chair
William W Hutchinson*
Susan R. Beehler
Karen Y. Collier
Sade Davis-Reynolds
Caroline B. Edge
Diana Mason Facemyer
Donna Friesen
Sharon Rhonemus Hausman
Billie Nowabbi
Joanne B. Mendheker
Tumani Mutasa Nyajeka
Annette Sowell
Barbara B. Troxell
Ana Awilda Vargas
Lily Malonzo Villamin
M. Lynn Scott, GBHEM Staff
August 7-11, 1995, Atlanta, Georgia
Women of Spirit: Transformed and Transforming
Design Team Members
Janice Riggie Huie,* Co-Chair
Nobuko Kiyake-Stoner, Co-Chair
26
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Carol Roettmer Brewer
Elaine Eberhart
Martha Forrest
Barbara Harper
Linda Thomas
Lydia Salazar Martinez
Mary Ann Moman
Susan Johnson Morrison
Bishop Mary Ann Swenson
M. Lynn Scott, GBHEM Staff
clergywomen's consultation
2002
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and
taught. He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and
rest a while."
- Mark 6:30-31
The 2002 International United Methodist Clergywomen's
Consultation is an invitation to clergywomen from around the world
to enter a time of Sabbath. Come reflect and study the biblical mandate for a Sabbath in light of Jesus' command to his disciples in Mark
6 :30-31. Workshops will provide practical suggestions and opportunities to experience what it means to rest in God. A flexible schedule
provides the time and space.
The other scripture passages that inform the consultation are
Psalm 23 , Matthew 11 :28, Ecclesiastes 3:9-13, Isaiah 40:29-31,
Exodus 20:8-11, Hebrews 4 : 1- 11, and John 10 :9- 10. All of these biblical references will be reflected in our worship, workshops, and gathering at various times.
27
Throughout the week you are invited to participate in daily worship, workshops, seminary gatherings, and informal moments of connecting with women from around the world. There will also be displays featuring books and liturgical garb.
Continuing Education
2.5 CEUs are available at no cost to those attending the Consultation
and who complete an evaluation form and reflection questions. A
textbook and study guide will be provided for individuals or groups
to use to reconnect with learning as a creative process.
Visit our site at: http:/ /www.gbhem.org/clergywomen/
Meet the Team
Carol Roettmer Brewer, Co-Chair
Elder, Nebraska Annual Conference
Pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska
Attended Seminary at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and
United Theological Seminary
"My hope for the Consultation is that we will be an international
gathering of women who share a time of prayer, presence, and play."
28
Dorothy Watson Tatem, Co-Chair
Elder, Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference
Director, Office of Urban Ministries
Attended Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY
D. Min. from Eastern Baptist Seminary, Philadelphia
"My hope for the Consultation is that through the spiritual disciplines
including worship, the arts, and play that clergywomen will be wondrously invigorated for service wherever they fmd themselves in the
world."
Bishop Sharon Zimmerman Rader
Elder, Wisconsin Annual Conference.
Elected to the episcopacy in 1992
Attended Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.
"My hope for the Consultation is: 'Renewed hope, friendship, theology, and spirit.' Praise God!"
Nancy (Nan) L. Allen
Elder, Iowa Annual Conference
Senior Pastor, Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Des Moines, Iowa
Attended seminary at Duke Divinity School and United Theological
Seminary
"My hope for the Consultation is that women leaders ofThe United
Methodist Church will experience a time of renewal and that we can
give each other support and the courage to regularly practice the spiritual discipline of Sabbath."
(Nan is also a part of the Consultation Worship Design Team.)
Lori Doyle
Elder, California-Pacific Conference
On Family Leave
Attended Claremont School ofTheology
"My hope for the Consultation is that we all get a little taste of
Sabbath Rest."
Delia Estrada
Deacon in Full Connection, Rio Grande Annual Conference
Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Rio Grande City, Texas
"My hope is to see unity and peace among all clergywomen and that
peace reign over our Consultation and that the Sabbath renews us to
go and serve the people of God."
Marva Jean Hutchens
Elder, Minnesota Annual Conference
Faith United Methodist Church, Farmington, Minnesota
Attended seminary at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
"My hope for the Consultation is that United Methodist Clergywomen
truly will 'come away to rest for a while' in order to be renewed and
energized for their ministry. We each have said yes to God's call and
claim on our lives. We need to pause to check our course."
(Marva also serves on the Publicity Committee for the Consultation.)
Lynne Josselyn
Elder
Senior Pastor of Gray Memorial United Methodist Church, Caribou,
Maine
Attended Drew Seminary
29
"My hope for the Consultation is that this Sabbath time together will
be playful and pleasing, filled with worship and wonder, and that our
personal connections can be strengthened and our professional selves
renewed."
Kabama Kiboko
Elder, Southern Congo Annual Conference
Lee Tabernacle United Methodist Church (ministry setting)
Attended seminary at University of Denver and Ph. D. candidate at Iliff
School ofTheology
"I hope this Consultation will be a spiritual quality time in the presence of God for spiritual growth."
(Kabama is a workshop leader, preacher, and member of the
International Committee.)
Jenny T. Lannom
30
~
Elder, Texas Annual Conference and Endorsed by the Section on Chaplains
Under appointment in Extension Ministries to Presbyterian Healthcare
Services in Albuquerque, New Mexico as the CPE Supervisor (Director
of Pastoral Education)
Attended seminary at Candler School ofTheology at Emory University.
"My hope for the Consultation is that women from all over the nation
and the world will come to re-connect with themselves and one
another and worship the Lord in creative, exciting, and life-renewing
ways. As a member of the Design Team I have witnessed the mysterious and wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in leading and directing us
as a group toward this goal. I look forward to seeing what God has in
store for us as we gather together in San Diego!"
(Jenny is a member of the Publicity Committee for the Consultation.)
Carmen Lile-Henley
Elder, Tennessee Annual Conference
Coordinator of Love and Justice Ministries
Attended seminary at Vanderbilt Divinity School
D. Min from Wesley Theological Seminary
"My hope for the Consultation is that we can all come closer to seeing
that we are sisters, with gifts that complement each other and the
Body of Christ, and that Sabbath is indispensable to our individual and
corporate wholeness."
(Carmen will be the leader for the Creative Writing Workshop at the
Consultation)
Miyoung Paik
Elder, South Carolina Annual Conference
Associate pastor at Lexington United Methodist Church
Attended seminary at Drew Theological Seminary
"My hope for the Consultation is to experience Sabbath together with
women in ministry and to learn to honor our Sabbath time when we
come back."
(Mi young is also a member of the Worship Design Team.)
Barbara "Bobbie" Rambach
Elder, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference
Senior Pastor, Manasquan United Methodist Church, Manasquan,
New Jersey
Attended New Brunswick Theological Seminary
"My hope for the Consultation is that we may come together with our
diverse experience and share with wit, grace, power, and faith ."
Sharon Rubey
Deacon in Full Connection, North Georgia Annual Conference
Director of Conference Relations with the Section of Deacons and
Diaconal Ministers, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
Attended Saint Paul School ofTheology in Kansas City, MO.
"My hope for the Consultation is to share stories with other women
of faith and ministry; enjoy the rich, creative diverse worship and plenary gatherings; and to expand relationships, friendships and networks between and among deacon and elder clergywomen."
Evelene "Tweedy" Sombero
Elder, Desert Southwest Annual Conference
Rural ministry setting
Attended Seminary at Iliff School ofTheology
"My hope for the Consultation is that it will reconnect us to ourselves
and to each other in a very spiritual way" .
(Tweedy is also a member of the Worship Design Team and will be
one of the preachers for the Consultation.)
Lydia J. Waters
Elder in the California-Pacific Conference
31
Senior Pastor, Crossroads Njia Panda United Methodist Church
Attended seminary at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas and the
School of Theology at Claremont. She received a Doctor of Divinity
from Southern California School of Ministry in Los Angeles.
(Lydia will be one of the preachers for the Consultation.)
Mamie Alethia Williams
Elder, District Superintendent in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference,
Annapolis District
Attended seminary at Wesley Theological Seminary
"My hope for the Consultation is that all those who attend and participate feel the presence of Christ in new and refreshing ways that will
help to sustain all of us for the journey back to God. And that each of
us take the time to be with ourselves and with our God."
Worship Design Team
Kay F. Albury
Elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference
32
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Pastor to a 550 member predominately African-American congregation in the "hood" in West Baltimore, Maryland
Attended seip.inary at Gammon Theological Seminary
"I am looking forward to this 'Sabbath' at the Consultation. I anticipate singing, listening, sharing, playing, learning, praying, dancing,
and best of all, doing some self-care. There is something exciting that
happens to me when women who love God get together. It is a
birthing experience."
SeHee Sarah Han
Elder, California Pacific Annual Conference
Euro-American urban middle class congregation
"My hope for the Consultation is that it provides a time for renewal
and an opportunity to celebrate the womanize in God."
Barbara Day Miller
Deacon in Full Connection, North Georgia Annual Conference
Assistant Dean of Worship and Lecturer in Liturgical Practice, Candler
School of Theology, Emory University
Attended seminary at Candler School ofTheology
"My hope for the Consultation is that through times of quiet reflection and moments of worship, we might know a stronger connection
with each other and a greater assurance of our own vocation."
Meeting Planner
Paula J. Garber
Western North Carolina Annual Conference
Director of Inside Sales and Customer Service, Travelink, Incorporated
Attends Central United Methodist Church and Jubilee Church in
Asheville, North Carolina
"My hope for the Consultation is that as the meeting manager,
Travelink can work with the design team and the hotel to provide the
atmosphere and environment appropriate for 'Creating a Woman's
Sabbath,' and thus allow the United Methodist Clergywomen a true
opportunity to come away. .. and rest a while."
Staff
Marion A. Jackson
Elder, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference
Director of Continuing Education for Ministry, Section of Elders and
Local Pastors, Division of Ordained Ministry, General Board of Higher
Education and Ministry
Attended Princeton Theological Seminary, D. Min from Wesley
Theological Seminary
Sandy A. Walker
Coordinator for Marion Jackson
Attends Brentwood United Methodist Church and Hobson United
Methodist Church
Graduated from Middle Tennessee State University
33
INTERVIEW
with the CO-CHAI RS
"And !Will Give You Rest"
The design team of the upcoming Clergywomen's Consultation invite
clergywomen to come, reflect, retreat and renew.
34
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When nearly 1,300 participants gather at the seventh United
Methodist Clergywomen's Consultation set for January 7-11, 2002, in
San Diego, their experience will be a little different from what we've
come to expect from church meetings. Instead of gulped meals, long
plenary session and jammed agendas, the women - and men - who
attend will be invited to discover the holistic meaning of Sabbath, and
the ways Christians can live that out everyday. The theme, in fact, is
"Come Away ... and Rest a While" (based on Mark 6:30-31).
The Rev. Dr. Carol Roettmer Brewer and the Rev. Dr. Dorothy
Watson Tatem are co-chairwomen of the Consultation planning team.
Brewer has attended all seven Clergywomen's Consultations; this will
be Tatem's first. They recently spoke to M. Garlinda Burton, editor of
INTERPRETER magazine, about their hopes for the San Diego gathering
and the importance of the Sabbath experience in the lives of clergywomen.
Q: Why is the Sabbath experience the centerpiece of the consultation?
Carol: The emphasis on the Sabbath is also an emphasis on what it
m eans to be women and how we care for ourselves while caring for
others. We want to lift up the great attributes of Sabbath, not only biblically but also experientially.
Dorothy: Our call to Sabbath is an invitation for clergywomen to
gather and let go of what they're dealing with at home, not as a way
of escape but for renewal. Observing a Sabbath is a way for our souls
to become refreshed and refilled. Then we are able to go back to our
workplaces with more courage and creativity Sometimes we women
forget that need for refreshment because we are conditioned to take
care of everybody else's needs first, and we're last on the list. The
Sabbath experience teaches us that renewal is part of our calling.
Q: What components of the Sabbath will be shared at the San Diego meeting?
Carol: Worship and prayer are, of course, important to the Sabbath
experience. This time there will be even more emphasis on the worship experience. Because clergy are responsible for designing worship,
we don't get a chance to participate, so it will be wonderful to experience worship together. There's nothing better than singing with 1, 200
other women.
Dorothy: Since this is an international, multicultural consultation, we
will be worshiping from several cultural perspectives, which most of
us seldom have the opportunity to do. We want to encourage women
to move readily into new cultural spaces and worship together. I may
not be Korean, but when we worship in a Korean context, I want to
experience the spirit along with my Korean sisters. We have a very creative group of women from diverse backgrounds planning worship in
Native American, African American, African, European, and Asian contexts, but the common goal is to create Sabbath.
Q: You've got lots of workshops to choose from. What are some of the offerings and what
have they to do with the Sabbath experience?
Carol: As in the past, we will offer opportunities for women to do
mission in the San Diego area, but we're also offering opportunities to
be creative and open ourselves for new experiences. I read somewhere
a description of Sabbath as a time for "prayer, presence, and play." The
workshops at the consultation allow clergywomen to tap into all three
elements.
Dorothy: There is a strong emphasis on creativity and nurturing the
child within.
Carol: We'll have workshops on creative writing, on "the gospel of
music," on different cultural expressions on the faith - Hispanic
praise music, traditional Korean folk songs and dances, and the Native
American "sweat lodge" - and Sabbath in various African traditions.
35
There's also a lot on self-care for clergywomen, such as the workshops
on nutrition, Sabbath for senior or lead pastors, and walking the
labyrinth.
Dorothy: We will also offer free time for people to go and explore San
Diego. So many times at meetings, people never get out of their hotel
rooms. As part of the renewal, we want to allow time to enjoy the city.
Q: It sounds great. Still, some people will wonder why it's particularly important for
United Methodist clergywomen to gather together. What do you say to them?
36
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Dorothy: Although The United Methodist Church leads the way in
terms of ordaining women, we are still a relatively new group in this
denomination. Some of us know one another, but many of us are isolated in parishes and appointments across the nation and around the
world. Many times, in our "home bases," we are still the only clergywoman at the table. That is hard work, emotionally and physically. Just
coming together and sharing our stories is a way to heal and grow.
That's not to bash our brothers, it's just to say the sisters need time to
affirm and appreciate one another.
Carol: Somewhere in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible there's a
reference to the "sound of sheer silence." This Consultation offers an
important opportunity for women to meet in a wonderful setting full
of hospitality, share with old friends, and make new ones. Each
Consultation is a new experience - I've been to all of them - but the
common theme is coming together to experience God through communion with our sisters.
It is important - claiming that Sabbath experience. Our hope is
that clergywomen will read this and say, "I can figure out how to get
to San Diego" and "I can encourage other women to go, too."
Dorothy: We also hope that women who can will add a little extra
money to their registration fee to help with scholarships for clergywomen coming from outside the United States. To have a truly global
conference, people have to travel great distances at great expense, so
we need help from as many of us as possible.
Garlinda Burton, Editor
INTERPRETER Magazine
Preachers for 2002 Consultation
Monday Evening
Bishop Charlene Kammerer,
Charlotte Area
Tuesday Morning
The Reverend Dr. Minerva Carcano,
District Superintendent in the
Oregon Idaho Annual Conference
Tuesday Evening
The Reverend Kabamba Kiboko
Wednesday Morning
The Reverend Dr. Lydia Waters
Wednesday Evening
The Reverend Dr. Ha-Kyung Cho-Kim,
Director of Resourcing Ministries,
New England Annual Conference
Thursday Morning
Bishop Linda Lee, Michigan Area
Thursday Evening
The Reverend Dr. Heather Murray Elkins,
Associate Professor of Worship and
Liturgical Studies at the Theological
School of Drew University
Friday Morning
The Reverend Evelene "Tweedy"
Sombrero
2002 Clergywomen's Consultation Workshops
Workshop 101: Creative Writing. Carmen Lile-Henley.
This workshop will focus on using our everyday experiences, joys,
struggles, longings and images to create personal and corporate liturgies, reflections and devotionals around the theme of Sabbath time.
Bring paper and pencils. (Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 102: "Jesus in the Movies:' Melissa Nelson.
A night at the cinema will never be the same when we ask the question "Where can we find Christ in the movies?" We will view scenes
from all types of movies, listen to comments from actors and movie
makers, and bring our belief in Jesus into dialogue with this geme of
storytelling as a new resource for preaching and teaching the Christevent. (Tuesday and Thursday afternoon)
37
Workshop 103: Painting of the Soul (2 sessions). Lydia Martinez.
"In Search of the Soul" is to help clergywomen who are helping others with spiritual growth. This workshop will help as we search deep
within ourselves to explore our own soul and to make a visual interpretation of that vision on canvas. (Tuesday only, sign up for both
morning and afternoon)
Workshop 104: Journaling. Sonia Jermaine.
This workshop is for those who already journal and for those who
would like to but just haven't found the time. This experience will
provide helpful hints for content and ways to get started, as well as
new ideas for those already in the process. (Tuesday and Thursday
morning)
Workshop 105: Hispanic Music. Anna Soltero.
Experience the melodic and rhythmic music in the Hispanic tradition,
and learn music that will enhance and enrich your worship services.
Come, share, and enjoy! (Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 106:The "Gospel" of Music. Pat Spearman.
Come Get Your Praise On! "O magnify the Lord with me, let us lift up
God's name together." Come and explore ways to renew your spirit
and revitalize your worship with gospel music. As an integral part of
the African American heritage, it has influenced various worship genres in contemporary and "traditional" churches. (Tuesday and
Thursday morning)
38
Workshop 10 7: Spiritual and Holistic Aerobics for the Soul.
Karen Vannoy.
Neuromuscular Integrative Action (NIA) is a mind-body fitness program which incorporates ideas from yoga, tai chi, tae kwon do,
dance, free form movements, and healing imagery, blending to create
an exhilarating aerobic exercise program to feed spirit, mind, and
body. Wear comfortable clothes. (Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 108:Traditional Korean Folk Songs and Dance.
Young Sook Shin.
You don't need to know the language, only the desire to experience
beautiful music and graceful dance in the Korean tradition. (Tuesday
and Thursday afternoon)
Workshop 109: Sacraments and Liturgy. Mary Beth Benedict.
This workshop will focus on the restorative aspects of the Eucharist,
the table, and sabbath-aspects of its liturgy. Baptism's restorative
aspects will also be explored, along with its connection to the
Sabbath. (Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 110: Preaching and the Arts. Carol Pifer.
Come and see an artist/preacher draw as she proclaims the Word;
learn some creative ways to incorporate artistic gifts into the worship
experience. (Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 11 l:Traditional Music. Nan DeAndrade.
This workshop will focus on reading and singing Sabbath songs as
examples of traditional Western hymnody as a means for meditation
and prayer. (Tuesday and Thursday afternoon)
Workshop 112:Worship and Drama. Linda Hollies.
Salvation's drama continues. Worship is an unfolding drama and we,
as preachers-teachers-pastors play a significant part. This workshop
helps us focus on our starring role, producing a worthy script (the
sermon) and then playing our part in delivery. (Tuesday and Thursday
morning)
Workshop 113: Sabbath for Lead/Senior Pastors. Liz Lopez.
"Sabbath in the Large Membership Church" is for women who are
lead/senior pastors in churches of 350 or more in worship with multiple staff. We will look at how to find, claim, and communicate the
need for Sabbath time in the midst of the responsibilities of the large
church. (Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 114: Sweat Lodge. Minerva Blacksmith.
The sweat lodge ceremony is a cleansing ceremony and a healing ritual used in several Native American tribes, consisting of prayers and
songs in a lodge made from elements of the earth. It is an unforgettable means of purification and a spiritual healing of the world's hurts
and pains. (Tuesday and Thursday afternoon)
Workshop 115: General Conference Legislation. Barbara Thompson and
Nan Self. Major General Conference issues will be explored in the light
of the impact on clergywomen. Concerns for the next quadrennium
will also be addressed, and suggestions for writing legislation will be
included. (Tuesday and Thursday afternoon)
39
Workshop 116: Meditation. Annette Jones.
This is offered for anyone who wants to experience meditation or to
learn the basics of meditation in order to include this method of
Sabbath in everyday life and work. Feel free to bring a pillow for sitting, and wear comfortable clothes. Limited to I 00 people in each
workshop. (Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 117: Nutrition for the Body, Mind and Soul. Nancy Jo
Johnson.
This workshop will explore positive ways to care for ourselves. The
ways we manage fears, tensions, competition for attention and energy,
and family concerns will be discussed in an open, relaxed manner.
Come join us for thought provoking and helpful ideas on feeding
your body, mind and soul. (Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 118: Masking. Jenny Lannom.
You are created in the image of God. Come have fun making an image
of your face. No artistic ability is required; simply bring your face and
a playful spirit. Materials will be provided. Limited to 3 0 participants
in each workshop. (Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, 1-4:30 only)
Workshop 119: Labyrinth.
At your convenience, come and pray your way through the intentional maze of the labyrinth, which will be available during workshop
times and free times. This is an experience you won't want to miss.
(Tuesday and Thursday mornings and afternoons)
40
Workshop 12 0: Massage Techniques for Sabbath. Marilyn Buchanan.
Come experience massage techniques that can be used for personal
renewal or for group relaxation. Be prepared to share your learnings
and wear comfortable clothes. (Tuesday and Thursday afternoons)
Workshop 121: Finding Sabbath. Gerri Fowler.
Discover the sacred, holy, yet ordinary opportunities for Sabbath time.
In this workshop, we will experience how to "come apart" in a variety of ways that will help still our "noisy hearts." (Tuesday and
Thursday afternoon)
Workshop 12 2: Sabbath in Various African Traditions. Kabamba Kiboko
Learn and experience a non-Western understanding of Sabbath by
exploring its meaning from the diverse viewpoints of several African
traditions. This will be a panel discussion moderated by Kabamba
Kiboko, a Sanga woman of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
(Tuesday and Thursday morning)
Workshop 123: Sabbath in Various Multi-Cultural Settings.
Leader: To Be Announced
What does sabbath mean in Latin America, Pacific Islands, Eastern
Europe, Mediterranean, and various other cultures? Each brings its
own special insights depending on its history, traditions, and environmental influences. This workshop will explore some of those aspects.
(Tuesday and Thursday afternoon)
- Registration form is on the last page -
sight-seeing
attractions
in San
&
Diego
41
San Diego, one of the world's most beautiful cities, is set among
beaches and bays of the Pacific Ocean. Within five minutes of the
Town and Country Resort & Convention Center are the beautifully
kept public beaches, with white sands and rolling surf, that San Diego
is famous for.
Ideally located to access all of the great sites and attractions of this
dynamic, cosmopolitan area, the Town and Country Resort &
Convention Center is just three minutes east of Mission Bay with
more than 2 7 miles of shoreline and recreation facilities. Mission Bay
is also the home of Sea World, one of San Diego's most popular attractions.
~
San Diego's rich Spanish influence is apparent throughout the city.
Nothing is more enchanting than the Mission San Diego de Alcala,
which is only three minutes away. Still an active Roman Catholic
parish, the San Diego Mission de Alcala was the first of the 21 churchgarrison settlements established in California by Father Janipero Serra.
important
telephone numbers
e-mail addresses
&
42
Clergywomen 's Consultation
brochures and information
Sandy Walker 615 -340- 7409
swalker@ gbhem.org
Marion Jackson
mjackson @gbhem.org
Reserve meeting space for
special interest groups
Beth Dow 800-227-5689
bdow@trvlnk.com
Registration
Clergywomen's Consultation
Registrar at Travelink
800- 227-5689
Lodging
You must make your
own lodging
reservations
Town and Country Resort
800- 772 -8527
Clergywomen's Consultation
Website
www.gbhem.org/ clergywomen/
~
bonding,
~
reflecting,
and sew1 ng
•
Nearly two dozen clergywomen from the Greater New Jersey Annual
Conference gathered in April for a time of bonding, reflecting, and
sewing at the Stella Maris Retreat House in Long Branch, New Jersey.
With the ocean as a backdrop, the Reverend Mickey Bender, the
Reverend Joyce Mayer, the Reverend June Stitzinger-Clark, and others
with sewing skills assisted the Women in Ministry (WIM) as they
made stoles and mandellas to sell at annual conference. The proceeds
will help defray the cost of those who will travel to San Diego,
California, to attend the Clergywomen's Consultation. The Stella Maris
site was an ideal spot to prepare for the upcoming Consultation. It is
located right on the beach where the ocean can be viewed from practically every room.
Marilyn Pote Hutton
Greater New Jersey Annual Conference
43
Shown are (left) Reverend Ruth Hennessey,
(right) Reverend Esther H. Ahn.
~
ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
statistics and map
2000 STATISTICS UNITED METHODIST CLERGYWOMEN
Elder Full
Deacon Full Probationary Associate
Connection Connection Member
Member
FT Local
Pastor
PT Local
Pastor
Total
WESTERN JURISDICTION
no clergy members
Alaska Missionary
Pacific
Northwest
83
19.2%
6
66.7%
68.8%
4
44.4%
9
64.3%
6
54.5%
119
24.2%
OregonIdaho
68
20.1%
91.7%
8
57.1%
3
23.1 %
16.7%
5
38.5%
96
24.2%
CaliforniaNevada
129
20.5%
12
92.3%
23
63.9%
0
0.0%
9
42.9%
15
57.7%
188
25.5%
CaliforniaPacific
123
15.9%
24
80.0%
31
40.8%
6.7%
3
13.0%
6
16.7%
188
19.7%
Desert
Southwest
37
16.7%
13
86.7%
16
55.2%
2
11.8%
4
50.0%
3
27.3%
75
24.8%
Rocky Mountain
98
20.2%
18
72.0%
21
61.8%
0
0.0%
5
35.7%
4
33.3%
146
25.4%
Yellowstone
27
19.3%
0
0.0%
4
44.4%
2
22.2%
2
15.4%
2
66.7%
37
21.1%
11
11
NORTH CENTRAL JURISDICTION
44
~
Dakotas
42
14.1%
3
100.0%
5
38.5%
10.0%
10.0%
2
33.3%
54
15.9%
Detroit
94
15.3%
7
100.0%
14
56.0%
34
82.9%
34
81.0%
25
62.5%
208
27.0%
Minnesota
91
17.3%
16
80.0%
14
50.0%
2
100.0%
3
42.9%
7
30.4%
133
22.0%
Iowa
128
14.3%
12
85.7%
18
42.9%
17
22.4%
14
31.1%
14
35.0%
203
18.2%
Wisconsin
109
19.8%
4
80.0%
26
59.1%
8.3%
12
36.4%
13
48.1%
165
24.6%
Northern
Illinois
145
22.8%
0
n/a
24
48.0%
20.0%
0
n/a
0
n/a
170
24.6%
Illinois
Great Rivers
87
10.4%
6
66.7%
16
42.1%
22
21.4%
21
24.1%
18
34.6%
170
15.1%
North Indiana
54
8.1%
10
76.9%
16
35.6%
5
22.7%
7
25.9%
27
24.8%
119
13.4%
South Indiana
72
11.9%
7
77.8%
14
48.3%
5
9.4%
6
17.6%
20
22.2%
124
15.2%
East Ohio
124
14.4%
9
75.0%
13
40.6%
12
17.1%
6
14.6%
32
35.6%
196
17.8%
West Ohio
200
15.9%
22
91.7%
22
37.9%
8
10.1%
19
29.7%
22
17.9%
293
18.3%
SOUTH CENTRAL JURISDICTION
New Mexico
18
7.9%
5
83.3%
3
42.9%
4
33.3%
7
29.2%
20.0%
38
13.5%
Nebraska
54
13.9%
7
87.5%
10
52.6%
13
40.6%
15
57.7%
6
54.5%
105
21.6%
Kansas West
46
12.2%
9
81.8%
11
47.8%
9
28.1 %
11
30.6%
4
40.0%
90
18.4%
Northwest
Texas
18
6.6%
4
66.7%
5
27.8%
0
4
11.8%
8
47.1 %
39
10.6%
*Rio Grande
6
7.4%
0
0
0
n/a
n/a
0.0%
4
57.1%
2
100.0%
12
11.3%
Southwest
Texas
73
14.9%
12
80.0%
27
65.9%
6
28.6%
12
27.9%
16
44.4%
146
22.6%
Central
Texas
65
16.7%
21
75.0%
8
30.8%
2
22.2%
3
25.0%
4
30.8%
103
21.6%
North Texas
55
12.8%
14
66.7%
18
48.6%
2
28.6%
8
26.7%
11
29.7%
108
19.2%
Oklahoma
42
7.2%
24
66.7%
19
45.2%
5
14.3%
12
25.0%
8
26.7%
110
14.1%
Oklahoma Indian 9
Missionary
20.0%
0
0
0
0.0%
n/a
4
40.0%
2
n/a
13.3%
15
20.0%
Kansas East
10
90.9%
11
50.0%
2
9.1%
2
18.2%
4
36.4%
102
25.1%
73
22.2%
0.0%
*1998 Data
SOUTH CENTRAL JURISDICTION
Kansas West
46
12.2%
9
81.8%
11
47.8%
9
28.1%
11
30.6%
4
40.0%
90
18.4%
Missouri
East
45
14.3%
7
100.0%
12
44.4%
8
11.8%
4
23.5%
7
33.3%
83
18.3%
Missouri
West
54
14.5%
10
83.3%
15
75.0%
5
19.2%
4
17.4%
17
26.6%
105
20.3%
North Arkansas
18
6.3%
8
80.0%
4
3.6%
6
24.0%
13
26.0%
50
12.0%
25.0%
45
Little Rock
Louisiana
Texas
13
5.8%
4
57.1%
6.7%
0.0%
38
9.6%
13
68.4%
9
47.4%
4
72
9.7%
27
67.5%
37
40.7%
4
0
2
8.7%
9
15.5%
29
8.4%
15
24.2%
23
31.5%
102
16.3%
9.5%
18
13.3%
23
28.0%
181
16.0%
6.9%
NORTHEASTERN JURISDICTION
West Virginia
50
10.2%
4
50.0%
14
35.9%
27
23.7%
18
16.8%
21
16.4%
134
15.1%
Western
Pennsylvania
78
9.9%
7
100.0%
11
25.0%
11
13.8%
6
20.7%
18
28.1%
131
12.9%
Central
Pennsylvania
43
6.9%
2
9
40.0%
32.1%
4
10.5%
13
28.9%
10
43.5%
81
10.7%
Western
New York
40
15.2%
4
100.0%
8
34.8%
5
18.5%
3
27.3%
6
24.0%
66
North Central
New York
56
16.6%
2
66.7%
10
50.0%
14
36.8%
7
35.0%
24
49.0%
113
24.2%
Wyoming
43
20.3%
12
75.0%
4
100.0%
25.0%
5
38.5%
8
33.3%
73
25.9%
41
17.1%
50.0%
14
63.6%
2
14.3%
9
42.9%
14
41.2%
81
24.3%
New England
155
24.6%
11
100.0%
35
72.9%
5
31.3%
13
44.8%
17
41.5%
236
30.5%
New York
133
18.1%
10
100.0%
25
43.1 %
9
15.5%
5
29.4%
15
65.2%
197
21.9%
Eastern
Pennsylvania
88
13.4%
6
66.7%
9
34.6%
0
0.0%
2
12.5%
37
38.9%
142
17.3%
Northern
New Jersey
75
21.6%
7
87.5%
11
50.0%
100.0%
4
40.0%
13
59.1%
111
27.0%
Southern
New Jersey
51
14.4%
13
92.9%
9
40.9%
5
29.4%
3
25.0%
9
15.0%
90
18.8%
Peninsula
Delaware
47
16.0%
4
100.0%
6
31.6%
6
24.0%
12
44.4%
4
22.2%
79
20.4%
BaltimoreWashington
184
23.0%
18
78.3%
47
63.5%
7
14.9%
7
30.4%
14
28.0%
277
27.2%
Troy
46
18.7%
SOUTHEASTERN JURISDICTION
Mississippi
49
7.5%
15
60.0%
12
27.9%
2
3.0%
16
25.8%
20
16.3%
114
11.7%
Memphis
29
8.4%
6
54.5%
2
7.4%
2
9.1 %
5.9%
4.0%
41
9.2%
Kentucky
35
6.5%
17
68.0%
8
18.6%
2
5.1%
7
9.5%
10
7.1%
79
9.2%
Red Bird
Missionary
0
0.0%
0
n/a
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
14.3%
0
0.0%
5.3%
Tennessee
55
14.6%
17
60.7%
10
32.3%
2.2%
2
3.1%
15
20.0%
100
16.1%
Holston
47
7.7%
14
70.0%
18
37.5%
4
5.3%
8
11.6%
13
11.5%
104
11.1 %
North Alabama
37
6.4%
5
62.5%
6
25.0%
3
5.3%
2
6.5%
21
12.1%
74
8.5%
AlabamaWest Florida
21
4.5%
15
62.5%
6
25.0%
0
0.0%
7
15.6%
6
10.0%
55
8.2%
North Georgia
110
12.2%
33
68.8%
33
37.5%
3.8%
4
9.8%
21
12.7%
202
15.9%
32
6.6%
11
78.6%
12
41.4%
1.9%
9
17.0%
15
38.5%
80
11.9%
Virginia
128
11.1%
25
83.3%
39
40.2%
3
3.5%
24
27.0%
15
25.9%
234
15.5%
Western
North Carolina
112
10.2%
33
80.5%
36
39.1%
9
10.7%
14
19.7%
15
20.3%
219
15.0%
North Carolina
93
12.1%
13
65.0%
16
25.0%
3
7.9%
10
21.7%
19
25.7%
154
15.3%
South Carolina
95
11.6%
17
81.0%
18
30.0%
3
7.1%
4
7.8%
15
14.9%
152
13.9%
Florida
68
7.0%
35
77.8%
28
27.5%
6
11.8%
15
20.0%
10
25.6%
162
12.6%
TOTALS
4,460
13.2%
712
75.9%
967
41.8%
332
14.6%
537
23.5%
795
24.9%
7,803
17.5%
South Georgia
Prepared by The General Council an Finance and Administration Section an Records and Statistics
In addition, there are 800 Retired Clergywomen in All Categories
47
~
North Dakota
Yellowstone
•
--- - --- \)'.~- .
\j"r--~ .
South Dakota
-
Mlnnasola
•••
~-"-N\~
: ------------
\)'-'"
'
Rocty ~ounta;n
···:
'
Hawaii
(Calilornla-Pacific)
49
48
LEGEND
;\; Shows Women Bishops
• Shows Women 2001 District Superintendents
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~
time out
KEEPING your spirit alive
&centered
Have you ever been overwhelmed with feelings of not having enough
time? Too much to do and not enough time in which to do it? With
parishioners to visit, reports to write, district meetings to attend, sermons to prepare, children to chauffeur, spouses to enjoy, there are not
enough hours in the day We often try to stuff more into one day than
is humanly possible!
Our culture treats time as a commodity, something not to be
wasted. Time is to be conquered, managed, and acquired. The more
we can accomplish in an hour, the more successful we are believed to
be. Our society teaches us our worth is assessed on the basis of our
productivity If we could just figure out how to prepare a sermon
while we sleep, we would have it made!
The perception that there is not enough time is a dis-ease of our
modern culture, causing us to feel stressed, rushed, and anxious.
Living life in a hurry can lead to serious heart disease, depression, and
fatigue. Time shortage is a distress few cultures before us experienced.
Our ancestors lived in sync with nature's slower rhythms. They
rose at dawn, retiring as night blanketed the earth. They measured
time with the cycle of the moon. We, on the other hand, burn the
midnight oil, trying to squeeze one more project into a day already
bulging at the seams. We measure time in minutes. Perhaps we could
learn something from our ancestors.
In Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, Marva Dawn tells the story of a wagon
train on its way from St. Louis to Oregon. The members of the wagon
train were faithful Christians who kept the practice of stopping for a
day of Sabbath rest. With winter rapidly approaching, some of the
group began to panic, fearing they would not make it to Oregon
before the winter snows. Those who were fearful proposed that the
wagon train cease resting on the Sabbath in order to arrive in Oregon
before the snow made travel impossible.
After much heated discussion, a decision was made to split the
group into those who wanted to travel on the Sabbath and those who
wanted to observe the day of rest. The groups traveled together until
the next Sabbath day when one group continued westward while the
other group rested.
Who got to Oregon first?You guessed it. The group that stopped
each Sabbath was able to travel far more vigorously than the other
group because the people and horses were well rested by their
Sabbath observance. Those who kept the Sabbath holy arrived in
Oregon first.
Like the settlers who trudged westward on the Sabbath, we might
be tempted to keep pushing in the face of mounting deadlines and
shrinking time, forgoing sleep and relaxation in favor of finishing one
more project. However, we need to learn from those Oregon settlers
who - in spite of the threats of winter - kept the Sabbath rest. When
there are numerous demands on our time, it is imperative to slow
down and smell the roses, take a walk outdoors, spend a few
moments in prayer - do something to nourish our souls.
We cannot live well without resting, so God created the Sabbath.
Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word, Shabbat, which means "to
cease" and "to rest." In the biblical creation story, even God rested on
the seventh day! A culture suffering from time shortage needs to be
reminded of the power of sabbath time to restore a sense of balance
to life by releasing us from the tyranny of too much to do.
What is sabbath time? Quite simply, it is time spent in being, not
doing. It is ceasing work for accomplishment's sake in order to enter
into "being" for pure enjoyment's sake.
In the Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff tells a story about an incident in
the life of the Japanese emperor, Hirohito. The life of an emperor is
extremely busy. From sunup to sundown every minute is tightly
51
52
scheduled, filled with meetings, speeches, audiences, and other
important duties. One busy day, there was a colossal foul-up in the
scheduling. The emperor was driven to a huge meeting hall where he
was to address a group. When he arrived, the hall was empty.
The emperor walked into the middle of the large room, stood
silently for several moments, then bowed to the empty room. With a
large smile on his face, he turned to his assistant and said, "We must
schedule more appointments like this; I haven't enjoyed myself so
much in a long time." The emperor experienced sabbath time in those
few moments of silence.
Keeping the Sabbath can help put things in perspective in our
hectic lives. It informs us that we are valuable, not because of what we
produce, but because we are loved by God.
Sabbath time helps us slow down to participate in the rhythm of
creation. It reminds us that God provided manna and water for those
desert wanderers called the people of God, and God will provide for
us, too. For a few moments or a few hours, we can cease struggling to
work things out for ourselves, allowing the Divine to provide for our
needs. Sabbath time enables us to rely on God and God's plan for our
future, to quit striving for perfection, love, and security. Sabbath time
teaches us to trust God to order our lives with what is best for each of
us.
Sabbath time transforms us into the persons God intends us to be.
When we come to know ourselves as worthy of God's love because of
who we are - and not what we do - we are freed to love others
because they, too, are God's children. We are freed to love, along with
Jesus, those who society says are a drain on our culture. Keeping the
Sabbath reminds us that "the last shall be first." It teaches us that all
life is precious.
When we practice sabbath time, we are invited to become God's
servants and good stewards of the gifts God has given us. We are acting as agents of Divine love in a broken world. Perhaps we will be
prompted to share our love by working with Habitat for Humanity or
another service agency that helps the economically distressed. Maybe
we will be led to pray and fast one day a month, donating the money
we might have spent on meals to a local food bank. Or maybe we will
sense a desire to tutor a child in an after-school program. Keeping the
Sabbath holy leads us to an awareness of how to use our gifts on
behalf of others. It makes us better lovers of God's creation.
We may not practice sabbath time on the day we usually set aside
for communal worship. Keeping the Sabbath was never meant to be
legalistic. Jesus, who healed on the Sabbath, said the Sabbath was
made for humans and not the other way around. The important thing
is that we set aside time each week to enjoy being who God created
us to be. The time can be spent in any enjoyable activity that feeds our
soul. A long hike in the woods, a good movie, writing letters to
friends, participating in a much-loved hobby, all can be sabbath experiences. Sabbath time is not just a day of rest but a day of life. It is a
return to the spiritual dimension of life seeing ourselves and the
world as God sees us. Keeping sabbath time helps us recognize the
divine in each moment, giving us motivation to choose life-giving
activities over those that rob us oflife's energy.
The act of setting aside time for sabbath rest is countercultural. To
make time for rest and for God, we will have to say no to certain
activities in our lives. We will have to take a realistic look at our limitations, realizing we cannot do it all or have it all. Trying to do more
than is humanly possible soon leaves us dry with nothing to offer to
anyone, including ourselves. Sabbath time teaches us that doing less
enriches our lives and leads us to the abundant life of which Jesus
spoke.
Including sabbath time in our life is to live with the understanding there is enough time to do what is really important. Keeping the
Sabbath holy teaches us that time is not a commodity. It is a holy
creation.
Karla Kincannon
Virginia Annual Conference
Executive director of SpiritARt;The Center for Arts and Spirituality, Nashville.
Bibliography
Dawn, Marva]. Keeping the Sabbath Wholly. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989.
Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. NY, NY: Penguin Books, 1983.
53
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54
cER EAL
We became friends while we were both taking the class "Theology
from a Feminist Perspective" at Saint Paul School ofTheology.
Throughout the next year and a half, we ate Frosted Flakes for breakfast together and drove all around Kansas City for classes and for
fun.Then I graduated, returned to Iowa, and began to serve churches.
Peg stayed another year, then returned to the Dakotas. We didn't know
if we would ever see each other again.
But we did. What started out as a friendship has become a time of
Sabbath for both of us. Each year since graduation, one or the other of
us has traveled to the Dakotas or Iowa or Minnesota to spend some
Sabbath time together. It may be a week, it may be four hours in a
Perkins restaurant over pie. We find the time. For both of us, this friendship is important enough to plan yearly gatherings and time away.
We have said over and over that we would go to the
Clergywomen's Consultation together. Each time, however, something
has happened to keep us away. Moving to a new parish, the birth of
my son; too much going on in our lives to take time away. That is why
this time, this Sabbath time, we have already registered together and
have committed to attend. Nothing is stopping us this time - it will
be our time away. Sisters in the faith, sisters in ministry, sisters in the
celebration of life.
We are both awaiting the coming ofJanuary, 2002, because it will
be our time together with other sisters in the faith. May it be a time of
rest and reflection; fun and laughter; oh, and maybe a time for a box
of Frosted Flakes or a piece of pie!
Rebecca Campney Carver
Associate Pastor, Coralville UMC
Coralville, Iowa
(For her friend, Peggy Zerface, in North Dakota)
the
sabbath
question
The two hundred-plus pound, six-by-eight foot glass partition didn't
shatter when it landed on me, but parts of my brain did. All of a sudden "doing" became virtually impossible. Thinking, writing, remembering, reading, grabbing, speaking, and walking were now strenuous
activities. Prescribed bed rest sandwiched all of my doing. In the first
few months, a big day would be taking a shower or sitting in a recliner on our driveway to watch my four year old rollerskate. Full-time
care was found quickly for my baby and my pastor husband became
primary caregiver.
Folks would ask me, "How are you doing?" I'd pull on the
veneering mask and say something like, "Hanging in there," but
inside me the question cut deeply because it summarized the magnitude of my loss.
I believe it is significant that the most common wellness barometer-type question is, "How are you doing?" The question betrays my
55
'hJ
56
~
own white-middle-class-American culture's obsession with "doing"
as tantamount to quality of life. The frenetic pace of busyness grows
naturally in this kind of culture whose Ultimate Concern is doing.
Good days are evaluated on the basis of getting enough done. The disease is pervasive, complex, and organically connected to philosophical
idolatry. Would it be a crude over-generalization to say that my culture
upholds both the how and quality of life to be inextricably connected
to a GNP escalator? Instead of How are you doing? wouldn't the grammatically correct question be, What are you doing? If a god is doing, the How are
you doing? weaves through the system beautifully. The Hebrew slaves
were faced with survival in a culture that worshiped "doing" to an
exponential extreme; if unable "to do" the work of Pharaoh, then life
was worthless. The Sabbath was a gift and continues to be a survival
lifeline: On one day out of seven, do nothing, and remember that your lives are worthwhile because God created your very being. (Paraphrase, Exodus 2 0: 8f).
The Sabbath philosophy became a survival skill in my healing
journey as well. Each time somebody would ask me, "How are you
doing?" I would switch channels to what I call the Sabbath Question,
and instead ask myself, silently in my mind, "How are you being?" The
word being appropriately connects with the grand "How" of life.
Whereas the cliche, "How are you doing?" harped on what I had lost,
the question, "How are you being?" drew me to focus on the riches of creative grace, the very seeds of healing. The Sabbath Question helped to
cushion the harsh transition from joyous activity to too many hours
of lying on a mattress by pointing my attention to all sorts of movement and activity within and around me. There is a noticeable rhythm
and predictability to the shadow greetings of moon and sun. Holy
Waters moving into and through my body, the greeting of magnificent colors in a floral bouquet, and my breathing connecting me
directly to the breath of God. I could relate to St. Francis of Assisi
identifying creative beings as personal relatives during his time of
sudden convalescence. The Sabbath Question begs me to consider my
being related to a widely cosmic community of creation, to consider
my connection to the Creator and all created beings. My response to
the Sabbath Question dips into a meditative, restful, sacred space
wherein my stamina regenerates and pain is ceased.
How are you being? became more than a survival skill for times of
crisis. The Sabbath Question grew into an instrument of transforma-
tion for my healing journey. My attention to rhythm, form, and image
developed into a vocabulary for meditation. Because processing words
continued to be brain drains one year post-injury, I began to paint in
order to express myself Color, form, and image became prayerful discourse. Whenever I touched upon truth, the Holy Spirit would speak
through the image, directing me to the healing motion. Creativity
became a mode of conversation, spirituality, and connection between
creature and creator. It is after a Sabbath Question process of integration and transformation that I can answer, "I am well, disabled, and
whole."
Now over seven years post-injury, I am appointed to disability
leave and periodically lecture, preach, and lead workshops on the Art
of Healing. I have a cherry red wheelchair I scooter that allows me to
get around without the discombobulating effects of walking or standing too long. When I lead silk scarf painting workshops, I have found
it necessary to debunk the myth perpetuated in my culture that we are
not artists and not creative. So many have been informed that they
can't "do" art, which is another symptom of worshiping the doing
disease. From the Sabbath perspective of being, it is true recreation to
rejoice in the colors, flow with the breath of the Spirit, and let it be.
People are so thrilled when they see the beauty bubble up on silk, and
then they say guiltily, "But I didn't really do anything... just splashed
on some color." Creativity isn't an activity of doing, it's an activity of
being relational with creation.
With the glimpse revealed about my background, it is clear why I
have responded quite passionately to the International United
Methodist Clergywomen's Consultation, "Creating a Woman's
Sabbath: Come Away ... and Rest a While." I have been imagining
myself there, painting with Lydia Martinez, seeing the power of the
tide, meeting new and old friends, and feeling the energy swell with
the creation community's chorus, "Jubilate!" I have been imagining
ways to make it financially feasible for me to attend. And, I have been
imagining hearing the Sabbath Question, "How are you being?" spoken quite often in natural, appropriate, and courteous exchanges.
Could the Consultation be the appointed time to let the Sabbath
Question roll easily off our tongues, to make visible the invisible, to
make verbal a voice of the inner life, to boldly disclaim an obsession
of doing and proclaim the mystery of being? Even if my imaginings
57
of the Sabbath Question becoming common discourse is a dream, I
will still continue to hear the "How are you doing?" questions as,
"How are you being?" Why? Simply because this is an easy way to
embody a deeply grounded and revolutionary quality of life.
Donna Fado Ivery
Cal-Nev Annual Conference
1995
in
Atlanta
I went to the Clergywomen's Consultation in Atlanta with a heavy
heart much in need of nurture and comfort. My mother had died two
months before and my father had just gone into a nursing home with
Alzheimer's. At the Consultation, I was comforted by:
58
~
• sharing a dessert with four or five other clergywomen,
most of whom I did not know before I went to dinner with
them.
• being nurtured by one of the members of the class I led on
contemplation.
• praying for a specific person in need and for all persons in
that same situation; for example, praying for Joan, whose
mother has Alzheimer's and for all who have Alzheimer's or
care for someone who does.
• visiting with old friends and meeting new ones.
• receiving support from clergy sisters who had lost their mothers.
•listening to Marjorie Suchocki talk on the subject "Behold, I
make all things new."
• receiving advice from a friend about a decision I had to
make.
Although I probably could not have articulated a need for growth and
challenge when I went to Atlanta, I did need it. I was challenged by :
• Marjorie Suchocki asking us how we dealt with both "As it
was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without
end," and "Behold, I make all things new."
• a friend's explanation of fetal alcohol syndrome and
another friend's story of her struggle with alcohol addiction.
• the prayers I mentioned above, which poignantly raised the
questions for me: "How can my own grief give me more
compassion for others when they grieve?" and "Is it possible
to fmd energy to reach out in ministry to others even as I am
grieving?"
• working on the Habitat for Humanity house.
Susan Ruach
South Indiana Annual Conference
59
doing
nothing
My first reaction was "Well, really, to respond to Wellsprings' invitation
to write about Sabbath is one way not to be at Sabbath!" "To be at
Sabbath," I continued my conversation with myself, "is to look at my
computer screen and leave it blank!"
To do nothing is to be at Sabbath. To rest.
Not to work.
Not to speak, to write, to think, to lead, to answer telephones,
to manage conflict,
Not to coach pastors, to encourage colleagues, to cook or clean
for families,
Not to comfort the ill, the dying or the distressed, to sign,
to reflect, to pray,
Not to hug, to cry, to smile.
To do nothing. To simply be. That is Sabbath?
When God rested on the seventh day, God did not become less.
God did not disengage. God did not cease to love. Creation did not
stop. God's presence was not absent or invisible.
60
~
At rest, at Sabbath, I am still who I am.
No less.
No less forgiven . No less loved. No less called.
No less empowered. No less afraid. No less able.
No less sorrowful or joyful.
I simply am. I am simply still.
And I am still who I am.
Tonight, as I write this reflection, I am at Sabbath.
Praise the Lord.
Thank you for the invitation to pause and give thanks.
Maria L. Coleman
District Superintendent
Connecticut and Western Massachusetts District
New England Conference
recollections
on
Dallas
During the Dallas Clergywomen's event, I worked with Linda
Strominger of the Missouri East Conference on the Resource room.
Artist Jean Lacy did four magnificent banners that were hung in
Highland Park Church where the worship was held. COSROW took
the banners after the Consultation, and we had them on display at the
February I 9 7 9 meeting of the Commission. I remember that Liz
Lopez (Spence) preached, and I think Sharon Brown Christopher did
as well. A clergywoman from Central Illinois danced "Miriam" for
one of the worship services.
We were delayed out of O'Hara because of severe snowstorms
and Dallas (which we had chosen because it was in the so-called
"sun" belt) had the worst ice storm in thirty years! Packets were
delayed until well after midnight, and I drove to the DFW airport
three times that night on the most treacherous roads I had encountered in my lifetime (including eighteen years living in Chicago!) . The
city was not prepared for the weather. One of the women delegates
from India fell on the ice and broke her arm.
I seem to recall a huge auditorium where plenaries were held and
I remember Jeanne Audrey was one of the "summarizers." What is so
hard to believe is that it was twenty-two years ago! Barbara Troxell
was there, I remember that well because she sprained or broke her
ankle and we were trying to persuade her to be a candidate for the
episcopacy. It was at that meeting that Marjorie Matthews agreed to
run. At the 1980 Jurisdictional Conference Marjorie went on to
become our first female episcopal leader!
Nan Self
Retired Clergywoman
Cal/Pac Annual Conference
61
Glorieta
62
~
The first Clergywomen's Consultation that I attended was at Glorieta.
It was a transforming experience for me. I was a young clergywomen
trying to juggle the demands of serving two churches while my husband and I were raising three little children. The Consultation was an
oasis in my hectic life.
I didn't get a lot of sleep that week. Conversations carried on into
the night with old and new friends . Although I had shared important
friendships with women throughout my life, a new sense of connection with clergywomen was born in me that week. Women's faces
were etched in my memory. The faces of women tired of fighting for a
place in the church. The wrinkled faces of women who had made the
path clearer for us all. The faces of women who didn't understand
what all the fuss was about. I saw my face in a new way. I was one of
hundreds of women who were claiming a place in ordained ministry.
At each Consultation that followed I was blessed by the gifts of a
myriad of clergywomen - some whose name I don't remember, some
who have become dear friends and colleagues. Each time we gather, I
give thanks for the great cloud of witnesses that surround me and
strengthens me in ministry.
For many years now I have found the same kind of oasis in quarterly days apart with two clergywomen colleagues in my annual conference. These women have provided a safe place to share my deepest
pain and greatest joys. We laugh, cry, pray, walk, and talk our way
through the journeys of our lives.
The connections with clergy sisters has been the greatest gift of
our gatherings. I am grateful for the challenges and encouragement
that has come to us during each of the consultations.
Mary Ann Moman
Associate General Secretary
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
South Indiana Annual Conference
women's
worship
I have attended nearly all of the Clergywomen's Consultations and the
most moving and profound experiences for me have always occurred
during worship. I have been uplifted by the music, transformed by the
witness of sister clergy, touched by the powerful and sensual images
of the divine feminine, and blessed by the women's voices and stories.
The most significant moments of worship I have ever experienced
have occurred in gatherings of women, especially at the Consultation.
Marsha Wiggins Frame
Florida Annual Conference
63
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Music and Lyrics for "Come Away and Rest for a While" by Rev. Peggy GarriguesCortelyou of EarthSong Ministry (pgarrigues@voyager.net) . Peggy is a member of the
Detroit Annual Conference.
II
news
On November 1, 2001, the Anna Howard Shaw Center will honor the
Reverend Yolanda Pupo-Ortiz with the Anna Howard Shaw Award at
Boston University School ofTheology This award recognizes women
"who embody those values expressed in the life of Anna Howard
Shaw; courage born of Christian faith, dedication to increased opportunities, devotion to social justice, persistence in difficult circumstances, service for the common good, and a vision of a better world."
Please plan to join us for a day of celebration. If you cannot attend but
would like to send a letter to be included in a book for the recipient,
please send it to the Shaw Center, 745 Commonwealth Avenue,
Boston, MA 0 2 215. For more information about the event, contact the
Shaw Center 617 -353-307 5 or e-mail shawctr@bul.edu.
Margaret Wiborg
Director, Anna Howard Shaw Center
Boston University School of Theology
The Clergywomen's Retention Study can be found on the world
wide web. The address is www.bu.edu.sth/shaw/retention/
65
AShared Journey, songs composed by Susan R. Beehler and Jan
Powers and sung by the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference
Clergywomen is being re-issued. Included among the selections is
"The Women Must Be Gathering." Hacienda Springs, Inc., a not-for profit center for women and children, is re-issuing the songbook,
which will include piano accompaniment and a CD of the 1985 original tape recording. Both of these will be available for purchase in the
early Fall, 2001. Pre-publication orders may be made by contacting
Hacienda Springs, Inc., attention Inelle Bagwell, president, P.O. Box
340, 614 S. Water Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 1914 7.
Breaking Barriers: An African American Family and the Methodist Story.
This life story of Bishop Leontine T. C. Kelly, penned by her daughter,
Angella Current-Felder, is riveting. Bishop Kelly is the first African
American woman elected bishop in a mainline denomination. It's a
must read. Published by Abingdon Press it is available through
Cokes bury.
Warning! Ministry May, Be Hazardous to Your Health! National Council of
Churches, Women in Ministry Retreat. You are invited to gather with
other clergywomen and church professionals to discern how ministry
affects your overall health. The question to be addressed is: What are
the specific issues women in ministry face that may impact on health
and well-being? October 21-24, 2001, at Plaza Resolna in Santa Fe,
New Mexico. For more information and registration, contact Karen
Hessell at Khessel@ncccusa.org or call 212-870 -2421.
66
Georgia Harkness
h
.
sc olarsh1p
Congratulations To This Year's Selections
Name
Dianne M. Bowden
Amy E. Boock
Sherrill A. Clontz
Elizabeth S. Cooper
Sandra L. Copeland
Judith B. Davis
Nancy N. Emrich
Diane L. Gordan
Marion Grant
Susan M. Grittman
Regina ]. Hall
C. Kaye Harvey
Carolene B. Highfield
Karen L. Horan
Florence L. Howell
Kathleen W Kershaw
Emily S. Knapp
Sandy ]. Kraft
Karen M. Larson
Betty D. Marshall
Cynthia L. Mayes
Pamela ]. Marsh
Sharon K. Miller
Ann E. Peterson
Carol M. Pifer
Mary B. Rhine
Marlu P. Scott
Laura A. Schearer
Sue E. Shorb-Sterling
Jeanine E. Spangeberg
Lois F. Swestyn
Seminary
Drew Theological Seminary
Evangelical School ofTheology
Vanderbilt Divinity School
Methodist Theological Seminary
Perkins School ofTheology
Duke Divinity School
Vanderbilt Divinity School
Garrett Evangelical Seminary
Union Theological Seminary
Perkins School ofTheology
Memphis Theological Seminary
Vanderbilt Divinity School
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Perkins School ofTheology
Asbury Theology Seminary
Perkins School ofTheology
Associated Mennonite Seminary
Duke Divinity School
Dubuque Theological Seminary
Duke Divinity School
Phillips Theological Seminary
Wesley Theological Seminary
Wesley Theological Seminary
Garrett Evangelical Seminary
Austin Presbyterian Seminary
Associated Mennonite Seminary
Vanderbilt Divinity School
Candler School ofTheology
Wesley Theological Seminary
Candler School ofTheology
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
67
Seminary
Interdenominational
Theological Center
Methodist Theological Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary
Duke Divinity School
Princeton Theological Seminary
Name
Delores B. Thomas
Beth D. Titus
Kimberly C. Uchimura
Kristen D. Williams
Jennifer H. Yu
women
of color
The goals of the Women of Color Scholars Program are to : place
women of color in faculty positions at all United Methodist
Seminaries; increase the number of women of color who teach, lecture, write, and research at the Ph.D. level in all seminaries; heighten
churchwide awareness of the need for women of color in theological
education and encourage United Methodist women of color to consider careers in theological education; sponsor regular events for dialogue, networking, and support. Biannually scholarship recipients
meet with mentors - women of color already working in theological
education.
68
Listed below are the scholars currently working on their Ph.Ds and
those persons serving as mentors in the program.
Scholars
LeGretta Bjorn
Yoo-Yun Cho-Chang
Bessie G. Collins
Andrea Green
Leah T. Gunning
Wonhee A. Joh
Kabamba Kiboko
Schools
Drew University
Boston University
Claremont School ofTehology
Emory University
Garrett-Evangelical Theological
Seminary
Drew University
Iliff School ofTheology and
Denver University
Scholars
Jeong S. Kim
Seang Hee Kim
Boyung Lee
Pamela R. Lightsey
Velma Love
Beauty Maenzanise
Debra M. Mubashshir
Imani-Sheila
Newsome-McLaughlin
Diane Turner-Sharazz
Carol L.Youngbird-Holt
Schools
Garrett-Evangelical Theological
Seminary
Drew University
Boston College
Garrett-Evangelical Theological
Seminary
Union Theological Seminary
Drew University
Garrett-Evangelical Theological
Seminary
Boston University School of
Theology
Vanderbilt Divinity School
Graduate Theological Union and
UC Berkley
Mentors
Dr. Karen Collier
Dr. Jung Ha Kim
Dr. Jacquelyn Grant
Dr. Rosetta Ross
For information about the Women of Color Scholarship program,
please contact Angella Current-Felder in the Office of Loans and
Scholarships, or Marion Jackson in the Section of Elders and Local
Pastors.
69
Dempster Graduate
fellowships
The Dempster Graduate Fellowships are for Ph.D candidates moving
towards careers in theological education. Scholarships are granted to
both men and women from around the world. The Scholarship program is administered through the office of Bob Kohler, Assistant
General Secretary of the Section of Elders and Local Pastors, General
Board of Higher Education and Ministry. For more information call
615 -340-7388 or e-mail jknox@gbhem.org.
Listed below are the women who are the 2001 -2002 recipients.
Name
Emily Lillian Burch
Amy Christine Cottrill
Janet S. Everhart
Seminary
Perkins School of Theology
Emory University
Iliff School of Theology
corrections:
70
~
The upcoming Clergywomen's Consultation is the seventh
Consultation. The last issue of Wellsprings stated in error that this
will be our sixth Consultation.
The Clergywomen's Consultation is open to all clergywomen:
Deacons in Full Connection, Elders, Local Pastors, Associate
Members, Commissioned/Probationary Members, and Student
Pastors.
2002 Clergywomen's Consultation
Jan uary 7 -11 , 2 0 0 2 · San D i ego
COME AWAY ... AND REST A WHILE
THE SEVENTH UNITED METHODIST
CLERGYWOMEN'S CONSULTATION
Tow n and Country Resort • San Diego, California
Re- creation • Celebration • Reflection • Re treat • Renewal
Registration:
Lodging :
$1 7 5. Includes workshops and banquet
$99 +tax, per room, single or double occupancy
$ 1 19 + tax, per room, triple or quad occupancy
Meals:
An abundance of low cost healthy options on the hotel
grounds and directly across the street in the food court
at the mall. Seminary hosted lunches.
Constituency group luncheons
(Chaplains and Campus Ministers)
Tuesday night banquet included in your registration
Financial help: There are a limited number of scholarships available
(call for form) - plus 2.5 CEU's making it eligible for
MEF funds from your BOM.
There will be plenty to do:
Worship
Come alone
Workshops
or bring the fam il y.
Recreational activities
Be renewed and refres llC:'d
The arts
by reconnecting
Displays and vendors
wi tb friends .
Jurisdictional gatherings
Visit our Web site at www.gbhem.org/clergywomen/
71
REGISTRATION FORM
LAST
MIDDLE
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(<p<"ly)
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WORKSHOP SELECTIONS
Tuesday Morning
ls1cboicc
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lrdcho1cc
ht choice
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Tuesday Afternoon
72
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WITH CHECK ENCLOSED TO:
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Biltmore Village
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PAYMENT INFORMATION : Registration Fee in Full: October 1,2001
($175 if received by Oct. I, 2001; $225 if received after Oct. I, 2001) Scholarship
contribution to assist clergywomen attending from outside the United States.
CANCELLATION FEE: A $50 cancellation fee will be charged if registration is
cancelled before December 7, 2001. No refunds will be given after December 7, 2001.
Cancellations must be communicated in writing. Participants are responsible for
notifying the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center.
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The United Methodist Church
Wellsprings: A Journal for United Methodist Clergywomen
Section of Elders and Local Pastors
P.O . Box 340007
Nashville, TN 37203-0007
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