Coordinator's Corner
 
General Conference Updates 
Bishop Gregory Palmer Receives Leadership Gavel: 
Bishop Gregory V. Palmer of Iowa receives the ceremonial gavel from Bishop Janice Riggle Huie on April 26th.  Bishop Palmer was installed as the new president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops.
Black Methodist Celebrate Unity of Africana Dinner: 
Black Methodists for Church Renewal celebrated unity at its first Africana Dinner and Worship Event help April 27th at the Renaissance Washington Hotel.  Nearly 500 attendees were from the United States and Africa.  Honored guest included bishops, delegates, observers, and monitors from Africa.  
Leaders Remember Central Jurisdiction's Dissolution: 
Erin Hawkins, General Secretary, General Commission on Religion & Race led this remembrance at 2008 General Conference honoring men and women who worked 40 years ago to end a separate Central Jurisdiction for Black Methodists and who sacrificed to integrate The United Methodist Church.  
Uganda Children's Choir Awes General Conference:
Thousands of teary-eyed United Methodists watched the Hope for Africa Children’s Choir perform which was the most blessed moments of General Conference.  <read more>
 
 
General Conference News
FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS)—The 12-year-old initiative, known as Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century (SBC-21) was approved for the 2009-2012 Quadrennium by the delegates to the 2008 General Conference in a vote of 739 to 15. <read more>
 
SBC21 Requesting Continuance for 2009-2012 Quadrennium
Strengthening the Black Church is requesting continuance for the 2009-2012 Quadrennium at the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, TX. SBC21 is encouraging all General Conference Delegates to support this vital initiative of the United Methodist Church. The SBC21 Mission is to offer The United Methodist Church the gift of a transformational learning model that enables one congregation to share its gift of vitality with other churches that are seeking ministry growth, spiritual vitality and life transformation. <read more>
 
If We Are Out Of Our Mind, It Is For The Sake Of God!
These very words from Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:13 express the thoughts I had during the celebration of Resurrection Sunday at my home church, Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita, KS. Saint Mark is also a Congregation Resource Center for Strengthening the Black Church. In weeks leading up to Resurrection Sunday, the Senior Pastor and Staff of Saint Mark planned weekly worship around the theme “Rolling the Stones Away”. The Gospel Messages centered on Luke 24. <read more>
 
2007 Breathing God's Will! (August, 2006)
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the day to receive and believe in the miraculous signs and blessings the Lord has for you and for His Church.  When God reveals His Glory through you whether it is through spiritual healing, a spiritual awakening of how to deal with life’s challenges, or through a hallelujah time of celebrating victory in Jesus name, we are all blessed and strengthen as we put our total faith in the one and only true God. <read more>
 
  
A Prayer In Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
O how marvelous, Lord, you are to your people called by you to make a difference in your name!  Lord, we thank you for the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man, Lord, called to be the voice, a voice calling in the wilderness of injustice, racism, segregation and discrimination.  A voice Lord, like Moses--a prophet of the people and to the people, declaring your worth, your faithfulness, your righteousness, your justice, your peace, your love, your mercy!  A voice calling out for freedom to let your people go! <read more>
 
 
 

Doing New Things
Strengthening the Black Church takes this scripture to heart and we believe God is doing a new thing! Rivers of spiritual vitality are flowing through dry deserts in our congregations. New visions, new life, new beginnings and new stories of hope and possibilities are springing forth in our Black Churches. We believe and trust in God’s vision for spiritual vitality, evangelistic growth and life transformation in our churches across this nation. <read more>