letter from the
EDITOR
Twenty-five years ago, I didn’t pay much attention to a proposal to create a separate agency for UM Men. I was serving as the editor of the Daily Christian Advocate for the 1996 General Conference. As editor I spent most of my time in the DCA offices at the Denver Civic Auditorium. I did not know Gil Hanke nor any of the other advocates for the commission.
REV. RICH PECK Editor
When delegates were debating the pros and cons of creating a General Commission on UM Men, my attention was focused on my daughter who had broken her foot while running copy between DCA offices. She spent the rest of the two-week period editing copy from a wheelchair. Since I grew up in Denver, I also spent all my free time chatting with family members who dropped by for visits. Yes, the daily edition of the DCA did report on the final vote to establish the commission, but I had no idea that someday I would serve that agency. The General Commission on UM Men has had a remarkable history, beginning with the election of Dr. Joe Harris as the first general secretary. In this issue, Joe takes us back to his time as a delegate to the 1996 General Conference and his hesitancy about applying for the post of general secretary. We are grateful to Dale Waymire for encouraging Joe to apply. Joe started us in the right direction. Larry Malone and Larry Coppock talk about their beginning days, and Hank Dozier writes about our unfinished task of eliminating racism. The actions and accomplishments of the commission during the last 25 years are extraordinary. I started an article on the top 10 successes; that list expanded to 15 and then to 20. Even then, I know I left out at least 20 other major achievements. This issue welcomes Greg Arnold as the new general secretary and he gives us a glimpse into the beginnings of the next quarter-century adventure. Enjoy your trip to the past and the future.
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