Stories of Faith 2021 by WNCCUMC

ST0RIES of

SEPTEMBER 2021 FAITH IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

Faith

STORIES OF FAITH

The Rev. Mike Carr preaches to an empty sanctuary for online worship at Mount Holly First UMC. Photo shared by Frazier Smith.

Miss Myrtle (101 years old) at South River UMC, Woodleaf drivein church. Photo shared by Cindy Weaver Moore.

Drive-through Communion at Light of Christ UMC. Photo shared by Rev. Marianne McMasters Romanat.

Front Cover: Myers Park UMC by Melissa McGill

SEPTEMBER 2021

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES... I think we‘ve all heard that phrase more times than we can count over the past 18 months. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life and church in every possible way. We‘ve lost family and friends, church members and clergy. The murder of George Floyd reawakened us to the work for justice still desperately needed in our communities, our churches and ourselves. We‘ve navigated divisive politics, a fraught election cycle, an attack on the U.S. Capitol, a twice-postponed General Conference, and delayed Episcopal elections.

The grief, the struggle and the anxiety have been real for so many. Each new month has seemed to bring new challenges. Even now, the Delta variant is surging in our Conference and prompting the return to precautions we had hoped were behind us. It‘s been exhausting, traumatic and nearly impossible.

In the parking lot. On the glitchy Facebook Live worship. At the vaccine clinics. In the hard but necessary conversations.

And yet. We know that he who promised is faithful. Even in the midst of suffering, we have seen God alongside us this year and always. By the graveside.

Melissa McGill

Even when our sanctuaries sat empty, God, and God‘s Church, have shown up. This magazine contains just a glimpse of those stories happening across our Conference.

Director of Communications Have a story to share? Email me at mmcgill@wnccumc.org.

LET US HOLD UNSWERVINGLY TO THE HOPE WE PROFESS, FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL. Hebrews 10:23 03

STORIES OF FAITH

Bishop Paul L. Leeland

GRATITUDE FOR THE JOURNEY

SEPTEMBER 2021

BY KEN GARFIELD We express our gratitude for Bishop Leeland and his faithfulness in guiding the Western North Carolina Conference for the past five years – the four years of the quadrennium plus one additional year due to the postponement of General and Jurisdictional Conferences in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Conference has benefitted from Bishop Leeland’s emphases on collaboration, clergy leadership development, anti-racism efforts, and the planting of new churches. A Bishop in The United Methodist Church retires and you might think first to honor his or her grand successes. But as Bishop Paul L. Leeland prepares to depart from his office September 1, we affirm above all how he shared God’s love with us, tenderly and without fanfare, one soul at a time, often in the nick of time. When the Rev. George Ragsdale of First United Methodist Church of Belmont went through a painful divorce in 2018, he was comforted by Bishop Leeland. The Bishop’s prayers on his behalf inspire Ragsdale to think of 2 Peter, which speaks of Christ as the overseer and bishop of our souls. When the Rev. Mark Conforti’s mother-in-law, the Rev. Mary John Dye, was hospitalized with a life-threatening infection, Bishop Leeland was a regular caller to see how everyone was doing. The Rev. Dr. Bill White, Jr., first to fill a new post focusing on justice and equity ministries in the Conference, recalls Bishop Leeland reaching out to him after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis

sparked worldwide protests. When he speaks of the Bishop, White doesn’t think first of programs and appointments, though both are important. He joins others in speaking of the qualities that distinguish the five years the Bishop served as leader of the Western North Carolina Conference. Pastoral care. Humility. A genuine concern for us all, shown in even the seemingly smallest gesture. “He always asks about my wife whenever we talk,” White says. “It’s not about him,” says Wanda Musgrave, former chair of the Committee on the Episcopacy. “It’s about us.” That is the legacy of a man whose journey began with faith and love, but without his parents. ‘He’s The Kind Of Guy’… Having reached the mandatory age of 72, Bishop Leeland is ready for the next phase of life’s journey. He was planning to retire last year, but the pandemic delayed the election of new bishops. He agreed to stay on, which was a blessing because he was able to shepherd the Conference through the COVID-19 crisis.

If you are hoping to “book” the Bishop for a Sunday guest sermon, please give him some time. He’s putting such commitments on pause as he and his wife, Janet, relocate to Holly Springs near Raleigh. Two of their three adult children and four of their six grandchildren live nearby. The Leelands will also get away to their home at Lake Junaluska when the mountains call out to them. For now, the Leelands plan to spend as much time as possible with family and friends, especially those grandkids. At the time of the interview for this story, Janet Leeland says they are involved in lacrosse, dance, soccer and inblade hockey. Cheering them on in person? “There’s nothing like it,” she says. “You want to seize every moment.” Bishop Leeland also plans to play a lot of chess. “With anybody that will play with me,” he says. So after five years, with family time in his future, how did Bishop Leeland touch the lives of the 300,000 people who call the Conference their spiritual home? continued on next page... 05

STORIES OF FAITH

Bishop Leeland serves Communion at the Called Special Session of General Conference in 2019. Photo by Melissa McGill

Paul Leeland was consecrated Bishop in 2008. He has served the Alabama-West Florida and Western North Carolina Conferences. Photo shared by Bishop Leeland.

Throughout his tenure in Western North Carolina, being the resident Bishop has been his priority, often joining congregations in worship across the conference. He is pictured here with former District Superintendent, the Rev. Mike Bailey and the Rev. Rebekah Ralph for the 150th Anniversary Celebration of Mitchell‘s Chapel United Methodist in 2019. Photo by Janet Leeland.

SEPTEMBER 2021

While others will decide the fate of the church, Bishop Leeland’s call for unity hearkens back to a familiar theme in his life. Family. “There’s something in the DNA of the Methodist family that brings us back together,” he says. “No family thinks the same, but I’m not leaving my family. That’s my hope.“

The Rev. Jim Gilland of Salisbury, long retired from Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte, has known Bishop Leeland for 40-plus years. Gilland, 88, cites his sense of fairness and gift of administration. He says the Bishop still calls to pick his brain about potential pastoral appointments and to check on him and his wife, Glener. Given Wanda Musgrave’s insight about Bishop Leeland – “It’s not about him” – the Rev. Sandy Giles, current chair of the Committee on the Episcopacy, is happy to share the Bishop’s achievements. Having known him for 15 years, Giles says the Bishop would be the first to say he didn’t do it alone. “He doesn’t throw his weight around,” Giles says. “He’s the kind of guy on your team that you know you can depend on.” During the pandemic, Bishop Leeland has been a steadying presence, visible on Zoom, sharing the latest CDC health guidelines with clergy and congregations. The Conference provided funding for 450 Zoom accounts for smallmember churches that couldn’t afford to communicate on that platform. With giving during COVID-19 a concern, salary support totaling more than $500,00 was shared with local churches by the Conference. Another example of those quiet acts of kindness that reflect Bishop Leeland’s personal style: To offer exhausted clergy a break, the Conference provided prerecorded worship services for

the Sundays after Christmas and Easter. As the church and all of society begins to come out of the pandemic, Bishop Leeland hopes older clergy will remain on the job rather than retire, so they can lead us back to normalcy. The Conference created a Cabinetlevel position – Director of Equity and Justice Ministries – to address the racial divide that plagues this community and nearly all communities. Dr. Bill White, Jr. started work April 1. The goal, White says, is to provide pastoral leadership during turbulent times and to reach out more effectively to people of color as well as women. Small steps, but steady steps: Of the 12 new churches started during Bishop Leeland’s tenure, four are culturally or racially diverse. The Emerging Leadership Initiative offers leadership training and coaching with a goal of reaching 400 clergy. One key part of the program involves clergy working with a development coach. Partnering on the project are Queens University of Charlotte and Passion in Partnership Ministries. One participating pastor shared this about the initiative: “I gained better clarity of who I am as a pastor, of how God has been working in my life up to this point, what some of my gifts and graces and tendencies might be, so that I can identify that and start reflecting when situations happen.”

As the Bishop steps down, he shares a concern he hears from some laity: Politicized sermons that make no effort to link today’s issues with the gospel. As he puts it, sermons “without the awareness of how Christ intersects with our culture.” His message to clergy: Don’t manipulate the doctrine of the church to fit your own personal beliefs. His message to congregations: Each one can be welcoming, and each one can serve others no matter its size. That brings up the elephant in the room. The United Methodist Church is wrestling with a decision whether to split or stay united amid the years-old debate over same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy. He calls this current schism a “failure of love.” While others will decide the fate of the church, Bishop Leeland’s call for unity hearkens back to a familiar theme in his life. Family. “There’s something in the DNA of the Methodist family that brings us back together,” he says. “’No family thinks the same, but I’m not leaving my family.’ That’s my hope. I think there is space for the common ministries that we share.” “I’ve Been Thinking About You’ There’s a reason why Bishop Leeland opens Cabinet meetings by inviting colleagues to share the names of clergy families needing pastoral care. There’s a reason why he walked with George Ragsdale through the darkness of a divorce. continued on next page...

STORIES OF FAITH

Paul Leeland as a young man

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Bishop Leeland was four years old when his parents left his life. He was raised by his greatgrandmother, Marion Plummer, whom he knew as Mumsie, and his grandparents, Harry and Mary Harrington. They went by Pop and Nanie. To this day, the sacrifices they made leave him in awe. They made sure he attended church (United Methodist, of course) on Sunday. They gave him love, direction and discipline in ample amounts. The gave him a deep appreciation for older adults. They set an example to follow for a lifetime. One illustration: His greatgrandmother – Mumsie – wrote letters of encouragement to young people from their church who had gone off to college. Often she’d send them The Upper Room devotional or Sunday worship bulletin. “He saw that,” Janet Leeland says. And so the greatgrandmother who wrote letters to college students begat the Bishop who will be working at his desk when a name pops to mind. Perhaps it’s a pastor facing a 08

Janet and Paul Leeland

problem or a friend grieving a loss. He’ll put down his pen, pick up the phone and say, “How ya doing? I’ve been thinking about you.” “That is who he is,” Janet Leeland says. “He’s been that way all of his life.” Early in his career, Bishop Leeland thought he might want to be a family therapist, helping others address the brokenness in their lives. When he served as a student chaplain at Duke Medical Center, the work of healing once again spoke to him. Eventually he heard the call to the church, where he could share God’s love with all who need it. That means all of us. Ordained in 1976, Bishop Leeland went on to fill his resume with a variety of achievements. Among them, he served as Bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference for eight years before his tenure in the Western North Carolina Conference. As a member of the North Carolina Conference for 40 years, he served as Superintendent of the Goldsboro District, Director of Ministerial Services and Assistant

to the Bishop. He also served as pastor of small, medium and large congregations. But isn’t this the way in any profession? When your time comes to step away, your heart takes you back to the beginning? Bishop Leeland still beams at the memory of his first appointment, Fairview United Methodist Church, in Elon, N.C. You can hear the pride in his voice as he shares that under his leadership, the church grew – from 198 to 218 members. Janet Leeland tells a story from the early days, when these two high school sweethearts from Suitland, Md., were engaged to be married. (They celebrated their 53rd anniversary on July 27.) She prefers to leave the name of the church a mystery. Her husband-to-be thought he might be appointed to lead this small congregation in eastern North Carolina, so he invited her to join him to check out the parsonage. When they pulled into the driveway there was the parsonage – an Airstream trailer. The young pastor (Bishop Leeland) was excited, until

SEPTEMBER 2021

The Leeland Family

he opened the door. “It was teeny tiny,” she recalls. Turns out the Leelands were assigned to another church. They figure the Conference didn’t want to jam a married couple into an Airstream. But the Bishop likes to tell the story to young clergy, driving home the message as soon as the laughter subsides… “Yes, Lord, I will go anywhere.” ‘What Is In His Heart‘ It has been a profound journey for Bishop Leeland, from being raised by Mumsie, Pop and Nanie to leading the Western North Carolina through the challenges and crises of our time. And yet for all the joys and sorrows, accomplishments and challenges, he does not hesitate when asked what is in his heart. “Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. My great-grandmother. My grandparents. My journey.“ Ken Garfield, former Director of Communications at Myers Park United Methodist Church, is a freelance/writer editor in Charlotte. Reach him at garfieldken3129@ gmail.com.

DID YOU KNOW? • That Bishop Leeland took 10 years of accordion lessons. Lest he become known as the accordion-playing bishop, he doesn’t play much in public. • That he’s a voracious reader of all genres. Except romance novels. • That he’s the proud owner of a red glass slipper after receiving the Red Shoe Award in 2007, presented by clergywomen of the North Carolina Conference for his support of women in ministry. • That his voice is heard loud and clear during times of crisis. On Nov. 23, 2020, amid the divisiveness of the presidential election, racial tension and the pandemic, he shared a “Message of Hope, Peace and Thanksgiving.” From that message: “As people of faith, we move through the uncertainties of our time in hope, faith and love, believing that ultimately love will prevail and God’s will shall ultimately be done.”

STORIES OF FAITH

WELCOME HOME, BISHOP CARTER

This Page: Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Jr.

Opposite Page: United Methodist Bishop Ken Carter joins other worshippers in quiet contemplation along the bank of the Nantahala River during the River of Life service at the Nantahala Outdoor Center near Bryson City, N.C. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. will serve as the resident bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference upon Bishop Leeland‘s retirement. We welcome Bishop Carter home to Western North Carolina and look forward to fruitful ministry together. Along with the Cabinet, he will give pastoral and administrative leadership to more than 1000 congregations, fresh expressions of church, campus ministries and outreach initiatives in an episcopal area that stretches across the 44 western counties of the state.

Bishop Carter served as the president of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church from 2018-2020, and he was one of three moderators of The Commission on a Way Forward, from 2016 to 2018. In addition to his responsibilities with the Western North Carolina Conference, he serves as the bishop of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and as bishop-in-residence and a consulting faculty member at Duke University Divinity School.

SEPTEMBER 2021

Bishop Carter is author of eighteen books, most recently a memoir, God Will Make a Way (Abingdon, 2021). He has also written two books on the Fresh Expressions movement with Audrey Warren: Fresh Expressions: A New Kind of Methodist Church (Abingdon, 2017), and Fresh Expressions of People Over Property (Abingdon, 2020). His editorials have appeared in the Charlotte Observer, Greensboro News and Record and Winston-Salem Journal, and his commentary on Christianity in the United States has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and on National Public Radio. Bishop Carter has preached in camp meetings, prisons and jails, college and university chapels, synagogues, megachurches and house churches, and in twenty countries on four continents. He was a local church pastor in the Western North Carolina Conference for twenty-eight years. His ministry at Providence United Methodist

Church in Charlotte was described by the American Religious Historian Diana Butler Bass in her book, Christianity for the Rest of Us. In the annual conference he served as chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Committee on Episcopacy, and in five delegations to Jurisdictional and General Conferences. He has served on the Board of Visitors of Duke University Divinity School and the Institutional Review Board of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He earned degrees from Columbus College, Duke Divinity School, the University of Virginia and Princeton Theological Seminary. In addition, he is a graduate of Leadership Greensboro and Leadership Winston-Salem. Bishop Carter’s great hope for the church is that she will rediscover an orthodox Christian faith which offers the radically inclusive grace of God to all people, and at the same time calls every follower of Jesus to inner holiness, missional compassion, justice rooted in

the gospel and a hopeful story of transformation. He plans to travel extensively across the conference, preaching in local churches and encouraging lay and clergy leaders. Bishop Carter and his wife Pam have been married for forty years. Pam has served as an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, most recently in disaster recovery, and she has a deep involvement in God’s mission in Haiti. They are blessed with two adult daughters: Liz, a professor of Chinese at Western Washington University, and Abby, chief officer for Communications and Marketing at the University of Tennessee Southern. Abby and her husband Allen are parents of Paige and Natalie, the bishop’s granddaughters. In this season of assignment to two episcopal areas, the Carters reside in Charlotte, North Carolina and Tampa, Florida and consider it a great blessing to serve the people of the Western North Carolina. 11

STORIES OF FAITH

MEET DR. BILL WHITE, JR. Rev. Jesse Enniss hosted a conversation with the Rev. Dr. Bill White, Jr., Conference Director of Equity and Justice Ministries on the Means of Grace podcast. An excerpt of their conversation appears here and you can listen to the full conversation at www.wnccumc.org/meansofgrace.

Rev. Jesse Enniss: Tell us a little bit about what motivates you to work towards equity and justice? Dr. Bill White, Jr.: From childhood until now, I’ve always been concerned about those who have been left out, mistreated. Those who had no voice to speak up for themselves. I’ve been blessed to serve in leadership positions, literally all my life and they have helped me, I believe, bring positive change through bridge-building and establishing healthy relationships. It is my hope and desire to work with the conference clergy to bring about positive changes, build bridges, and relationships. 12

Jesse: You mentioned that you have been in this role for several months now. Can you tell me a little bit about how it‘s been going so far?

collaboration, coordination, and communication, so that we’re all working together towards the common goal.

Bill: Right now, I’m having a lot of conversations. I‘m doing some very deep listening to hear the concerns that have been expressed throughout the conference to discern the lay of the land, and to become acclimated to not only the position on staff, but just to get to know the conference better and how best to bring about the changes that are necessary to achieve the goals that we’ve set, as well as helping us with what I call the three C’s. That would be

Jesse: As two African-American pastors in this conference, we know of the importance of this work, we know of the necessity of this work. And we know how important it is to raise awareness and then to get into those conversations. We also know though, that with those conversations, comes a lot of conflict. And that may lead folks to feel very hesitant to get into this work. What resources are available to help clergy, lay leaders who are willing, but don’t feel prepared to

SEPTEMBER 2021

Rev. Dr. Bill White and Rev. Jesse Enniss recorded this conversation for the Conference‘s Means of Grace podcast via Zoom.

get into this work. What resources are available for them to have these conversations? Bill: There are several books that I‘ve suggested that people read. They are located on the conference website (www.wnccumc.org/ antiracism). I would encourage our listeners to visit that website and it covers a variety of issues. This is a controversial issue for some. There may be cases of conflict for others. And in addition to the awareness, I think it’s important for people to understand that it‘s not enough just to not be racist but that there’s a next step to be anti-racist. It’s important that people are aware, and that we provide a space and opportunity for people to share; a safe space, a setting to share openly. The important thing, I believe, is that the issue is addressed; that it’s addressed in our conversations and also in our actions. After we’ve talked about it, what is it that we do? How do we make the positive change? I think that‘s the only way we can be effective and efficient in our

ministry. We cannot, as the body of Christ, have members of the body suffering, and not address those members and the suffering that they’re experiencing. In the body of Christ, it is my hope and desire that we will be a healthy body. And that we will be concerned about every member and every need of the members of the body of Christ, particularly within the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. Jesse: I will say that I believe that the body is currently in the process of healing. And we have already seen some of that healing happen, but we can still see the areas where growth and healing still need to come. Bill: And one of the things that we also have to be aware of is that in the healing process, sometimes there’s discomfort. There’s pain even in the healing. And the key is that healing takes place. Jesse: Absolutely. And I genuinely feel like having you with your

background and your heart for these issues of equity and justice, to continue on with the metaphor, I feel like you have been prescribed to the body. And this role has been prescribed for our church. And so I want to thank you for leading the charge in this, for stepping in and being willing to do the work to move from the situations of conversation and building awareness to putting your hand to the plow and doing the work and leading us in following you as you follow Christ in bringing us to this place of the kingdom of God. Thank you so much for sharing your time with us today and for the great work that you do. And I’ve enjoyed our conversation and I‘m sure our listeners have too. Bill: Thank you so much, Jesse, for this opportunity to share. Praise God for the prescription that we‘ve all received through the blood of Christ and for this tremendous opportunity and responsibility. And I look forward to working with you and others throughout the conference.

STORIES OF FAITH

VACCINATING

THE METRO DISTRICT HOSTS A SERIES OF VACCINE CLINICS

14 01

SEPTEMBER 2021

OUR NEIGHBORS BY AIMEE YEAGER

What happens when the church finds itself in crisis and God calls us to action despite our frantic pleas for calm? Earlier this year, the Rev. Dr. Stephanie Moore Hand, Metro District Vitality Associate, and more than a dozen Metro District churches learned the answer to this question when they chose to step in and serve, even during a chaotic and inopportune time.

We are all too familiar with the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic rocked our country, communities, and churches. In America, the arrival of the virus kicked off what became a whirlwind year of shocking and tragic events across our nation. For Black, Latinx, and Indigenous populations, however, the pandemic has been disproportionately devastating.

Ana Salazar (left) receives a COVID-19 vaccination from Tabitha England, RN, during a clinic at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

These communities not only experienced a higher likelihood of serious illness and death from the virus, but also were hit hardest by the social and economic crises caused by COVID-19. As the vaccine became more readily available, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services became acutely aware there was disparity among the races in vaccine distribution, too.

“In January of 2021, as the federal government was about to roll out vaccines to each state, I was contacted by Nicole Johnson from the North Carolina Council of Churches,” the Rev. Dr. Stephanie Moore Hand recalls. “Because of the work I am doing in the Metro District, she invited me to a statewide conversation with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, to discuss how to ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines to traditionally underserved communities throughout the state. We were invited to fill out a survey through the NCDHHS to indicate whether we were willing to host sites once the vaccine became available in North Carolina.” continued on next page...

STORIES OF FAITH

Fifteen churches throughout the Metro District of the United Methodist Church have coordinated to vaccinate approximately 17,000 of their neighbors. Eighty percent of those vaccinated at the church events came from the populations the state identifies as underserved.

By completing the survey, Hand entered the Metro District into the statewide database as a willing partner for vaccination rollout in North Carolina. Little did she know the enormous impact that small action would have on her work, her ministry, and her community. Eight months later, fifteen churches throughout the Metro District of the United Methodist Church have coordinated to vaccinate approximately 17,000 of their neighbors! Eighty percent of those vaccinated at the church events came from the populations the state identifies as underserved. Just as the Metro District was preparing to answer the call to help, Carl Wood, a pharmacist for a large corporate pharmacy in North Carolina, felt God’s call to leave the corporation and go into the community. “When I learned that the United States government purchased 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, I felt God’s clear and undeniable direction to open a licensed, permitted pharmacy just doing vaccines,” Wood shares. “I had no idea what I was doing. This type of pharmacy model had never been done before but God just kept opening doors along the 16

way. I continue to be amazed at the ways God is working through this endeavor.” In January, Wood officially opened VAXVAN Mobile Vaccination Services and vaccines arrived on March 16th – a day he says he’ll never forget. With vaccines on the way, Wood searched the NC DHHS database to find organizations willing to serve as host sites for vaccine clinics. The Rev. Dr. Stephanie Moore Hand, Metro District Vitality Associate, was on that list. “When Carl called me, he said he had vaccines arriving and they needed to be in arms within seven days,” Hand says with a laugh. “We launched the first five clinics the following week, which was Holy Week.” Hickory Grove UMC was the first to host a clinic on Wednesday of Holy Week. As a multi-cultural and multiethnic community with two of their three services designed to serve the Latino and African populations in their community, Hickory Grove was strategically primed to reach the specified underserved populations. Those “populations” are their neighbors.

The Rev. Charlie Rivens and the Rev. Dr. John Boggs during a vaccine clinic at The Place UMC/University City UMC. Photo by the Rev. Dr. Stephanie Moore Hand.

Carl Wood draws a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a clinic at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C. Wood is president and pharmacy manager of Vax Van by MVS, the company administering the vaccines. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

SEPTEMBER 2021

“We felt that this was a way to be involved with and be of service to the community,” said the Reverends Phyllis and George Coates, copastors of Hickory Grove UMC. “The whole country is affected by the pandemic and everyone should do all they can, whenever and however they can, to try to make a difference.”

“This event gave us the opportunity to get to know Latinos in the community that live close to the church. The fact that we are able to serve those that look like us is a blessing,” Albino remarks. “It is an opportunity to open the church’s doors and let the community see us as a church that cares and will take action to meet their needs.”

Zip code demographics around Hickory Grove, which is located in east Charlotte, report a Black and Latino population higher than the state average.

For many immigrant populations, receiving their vaccine is not as straightforward as it may seem. There is a level of distrust and fear that undergirds tasks, such as filling out a vaccine application, which require them to disclose their names and addresses. There have been unfounded rumors of ICE agents patrolling vaccination sites. Misinformation regarding the safety and validity of the vaccine

The Rev. Candido Albino, who serves as the pastor of the Latino congregation at Hickory Grove, shares the importance of this ministry for the local Latinx community.

has spread widely. University City UMC and The Place Church, who jointly hosted a clinic during Holy Week, had the privilege to be a living sanctuary where their undocumented neighbors could get vaccinated without fear. “The leaders in their communities assured them that they did not have to worry about ICE being at the church,” says the Rev. Charlie Rivens, pastor of The Place. “Because of this, they were able to get their vaccine. This is the work of the Church – to help those who are afraid.” “We were working on Monday and Tuesday as to how we were going to do this on Thursday,” says the Rev. Dr. John Boggs, former continued on next page...

STORIES OF FAITH

This Page: The Rev. Dr. Stephanie Moore Hand (left) and her daughter Ashlee Hand monitor the line of people waiting to receive a COVID-19 vaccination during a clinic at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Opposite Page: Camisha Henson holds her son Welles in her lap while receiving a COVID-19 vaccination from Tabitha England, RN, during a clinic at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Patients form a line in the church sanctuary as they wait to receive a COVID-19 vaccination during a clinic at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C. Those who have already received their dose wait in the background while being monitored for any possible side effects. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

pastor of University City UMC who retired in June 2021. “There was an impression that because of our connectional nature as a Church, we could probably get after this, get organized quickly, and deploy. I think with our tradition, our history, and our values [as United Methodists] we are known for being community-oriented and doing mission where and when it’s needed most.” “Connectionalism” is a buzzword that flies around United Methodist circles, which the Book of Discipline defines as “a vital web of interactive relationships” (Book of Discipline 2016, ¶ 132). United Methodists are not only connected to one another, we are connected to our communities. The wild success of the Metro District vaccination clinics is nothing if not a lived example of God multiplying Kingdom work through United Methodist connectionalism. “Our community networks aid us – the Church – through the power of the Holy Spirit to impact and transform our communities,” says Hand. “In my humble opinion, people are the most valuable assets we have on earth.”

Hickory Grove connected with the Latino American Coalition, Crisis Assistance Ministry, the Salvation Army, and the YMCA of Greater Charlotte. “Hickory Grove provides so many amazing opportunities to the Latino community in the East Charlotte corridor,” says Pilar Perez, Association Director of Family Engagement for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte and member of Hickory Grove. “The Y was proud to partner with Hickory Grove UMC to support the vaccination events and share the opportunity with many of the Latino families we serve. Through this kind of collaboration, we’re able to better understand and meet the needs of our community, and intentionally serve them where they are.” For those first clinics, the churches only had six days to organize and spread the word. In the weeks that followed, more churches opened their buildings to offer their neighbors lifesaving vaccines, and there was a need for more intentional networking. Some networking happened on a personal level as United Methodists

SEPTEMBER 2021

continued on next page... 19

STORIES OF FAITH

Scenes from Central UMC, Hickory Grove UMC and St.Mark‘s UMC Vaccine Clinics.

SEPTEMBER 2021

laced up their tennis shoes and canvassed their communities. Other networking happened through mass communications. Joe Bruno, community news reporter for WSOC-TV, caught wind of what the United Methodists were doing, and he began to spread the word on the WSOC webpage – even interviewing several clergy for a piece on the nightly news broadcast. I had the pleasure of attending Hickory Grove’s fourth vaccination clinic in mid-May. At this event, people were returning to the church to receive their second dose of the Moderna vaccine. I found a place to sit and observe the process in the hospitality room. In this room, guests were offered bottled water, a place to sit while waiting for the rest of their party to complete their vaccinations, and a “swag bag” containing a mask, a bottle of hand sanitizer, a mint, and information about the church. Also in the hospitality room were Mr. & Mrs. James and Wendy Russell. The Russells, who are members at St. Mark’s UMC, also volunteered at all four events at Hickory Grove. After discussing the weather and the latest CDC mask mandate, I asked the Russells, “Why churches? Is there anything that makes the experience of receiving your COVID-19 vaccination different at a church than at a stadium or your local pharmacy?” “Safety,” says Wendy. “The church is a safe haven.” James began to discuss the false information that’s been circulating regarding the vaccines. “Particularly, I have seen it in the AfricanAmerican community,” he says. “As a Black male, I am able to have conversations with other Black

family and friends and I can push back on that false information. I can say, ‘I got my shot and now I’m volunteering at the church.’ Telling friends that I’m involved with the vaccinations has helped, especially other Black males, understand that it’s safe.”

Holtzhausen took their concern to Rivens.

Then, almost as if on cue, the first person of the day to complete their vaccination walked through the room. Arms raised, eyes smiling above his mask, he says, “I survived!” and the hospitality room volunteers erupt in cheers and applause. And it struck me – community, hospitality, holistic care for mind, body, and spirit – I didn’t receive that at Walgreens when I was vaccinated. That’s what makes this ministry so perfect for the church. What is more fully the embodiment of Christ than literally saving lives?

In that private space, the women were able to receive their injections from a female nurse and maintain their sense of dignity.

“The church should really be at the center of this,” Hand says. “There is enhanced fear, anxiety, and uncertainty all around us. More than ever, we need the United Methodist Church to be a nonanxious presence throughout the land, opening our doors, extending hospitality, showing abiding love, and being imitators of Christ as we put our faith into action in our neighborhoods.” “Three Muslim women showed up for our first vaccination event [at University City and The Place],” Boggs shares. The women were standing to the side, quiet, with a look of hesitation. Noticing their discomfort, Ria Holtzhausen, the church’s administrative director, went over to speak with them. Learning they had concerns about exposing their arms in a room filled with so many men,

“I said, ‘Let’s go to the cry room, which is where parents can take their kids during the service if they need a quiet space,” Rivens continues.

Inside a church, a place where it is unlikely these women would find themselves under normal circumstances, three Muslim women experienced the compassionate, judgment-free love of Jesus. They were welcomed in, not just to receive a vaccine, but to be cared for as Divine image bearers with inherent worth. And stories like these are flowing abundantly out of these churches. Reflecting on all that I have seen and heard, I can’t help but ask the question – what really happened here? A district vitality associate listened to the needs of her community. A pharmacist colored outside the lines with God. Churches, amid their own crisis, set aside their fears and become available to their communities. The connectionalism of the United Methodist Church spread the word. And God moved in bold and powerful ways. “Yes, our neighbors received a vaccine; but I also know something else occurred on those days,” says Hand. “We received the gift of experiencing a glimpse, a foretaste, of the power and glory of God. And all God’s people said, “Amen.”

STORIES OF FAITH

ART AS A MISSION COMPILED/EDITED BY MELISSA MCGILL STORIES SHARED WITH BROOK VAN DER LINDE PHOTOS BY WARNER PHOTOGRAPHY

SEPTEMBER 2021

The Haywood Street Fresco by artist Christopher Holt

AFFIRMING SACRED WORTH, RESTORING HUMAN DIGNITY, AND SABOTAGING THE SHAME OF POVERTY, THE HAYWOOD STREET FRESCO ANNOUNCES, IN PLASTER AND PIGMENT, THAT YOU MATTER. The Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville is now home to a beautiful new fresco, measuring 28.5 feet wide by 11 feet tall on the central wall of the sanctuary, based on The Beatitudes in the gospel of Matthew. Portraits of community members were woven into the art by artist Christopher Holt. We invite you learn a few of their stories here.

Visitors can view the Fresco Monday - Thursday from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Sunday from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00, and Fridays and Saturdays by appointment. For a deep dive into the Fresco, go to visit.haywoodstreetfresco.org. For more information or to schedule a group tour, email April Nance at april@haywoodstreet.org.

continued on next page...

STORIES OF FAITH

MARY

Mary is an Asheville native and helps lead the Downtown Welcome Table. Mary’s meatloaf is by far the most popular meal served at the Welcome Table, and she is loved and revered by the community of Haywood Street. Most everyone calls her Miss Mary. Children and folks in her neighborhood have always known they could come to Mary’s house if they needed a meal.

CHARLES

Charles had a presence about him. He and his constant companion, Emma the Wonder Dog, met the Rev. Brian Combs as the young pastor was just getting started trying to establish a new church in downtown Asheville that would be relevant and welcoming to folks struggling with addiction and homelessness. Combs would later say that having Charles vouch for him gave him the street credibility that became the foundation of Haywood Street Congregation. Charles was the first person Christopher Holt wanted to draw

Mary says her life has been filled by making sure that those who need it have something to eat. In the Fresco, Mary is the central figure, leading the charge of Welcome Table Companions, imagined by the artist to be saying “Keep the house open and be generous with your life.“

for the Fresco because he meant so much to so many in this Community. In the painting, Charles is one of two sentinel figures, or light-bearers, each of whom are holding the light so that those lost out in the darkness can find their way. They are painted as statues to reflect their eternal importance offering a light of hope. Below Charlie is his dog Emma. Charlie is painted as an unfinished sculpture, reminding us that we are all works in progress. Living with throat cancer, Charlie made every day count. He died in 2019.

EDWARD Edward was Haywood Street’s organist. He found great fulfillment in being able to share his musical gifts with the community. His considerable talent combined with a passion for playing and intense love for Haywood Street ministries yielded dramatic results. The prominent position of the organist in this composition acknowledges Edward’s role in creating a spirit-filled experience 24

for those that worship at Haywood Street every Wednesday and Sunday. His presence also suggests, according to the artist, that music is in the air — perhaps an indication that the Spirit will not descend without sound and song. After a battle with cancer, Edward died in December 2020.

SEPTEMBER 2021

ANGEL Angel was the inspiration for Haywood Street Respite. Living on the streets and struggling with multiple health problems, Angel had a series of hospital stays during the summer of 2012. She just couldn‘t get well. Angel faithfully showed up for worship at Haywood Street whenever possible, often pulling an oxygen tank along and resting after the service under the large shade tree that used to sit in front of the church. That summer and all through the next year, Haywood Street Board members worked with Mission Hospital and other community partners to establish the first medical respite program in the Asheville area, a place where

adults experiencing homelessness could have a chance to rest and recover following surgery or hospitalization. Once she obtained permanent housing, Angel’s health dramatically improved and she became a frequent companion at Haywood Street. In the painting, Angel is a literal angel, floating above the other figures. According to the artist, the presence of the angel illuminates for the viewer the notion that something magical/divine is taking place — that there is a holiness in the work being done at Haywood Street, which can turn the world around.

JEANETTE “Someone asked me one day what brought me here, and I said lunch. They asked what kept me here and I said, I came for lunch and found love... a love that I didn’t know, I’d never experienced. I just know the only thing that would draw me to leave Haywood Street would be death itself,“ Jeanette says. In a practical quest to fill time and grab lunch between job interviews, Jeanette first found herself at Haywood Street in 2011. The atmosphere at the Downtown Welcome Table during that brief, unplanned visit — people of different shapes, colors, and cultures eating side-by-side —

reminded Jeanette of the energy in her grandmother’s home and she knew she’d be back. Jeanette says she began to see a little bit of herself in every person at Haywood Street. That heightened sense of common humanity enabled her to relate with new friends, no matter where they were on their journey with sobriety, poverty, mental illness or homelessness. In the fresco, Jeanette is one of two light-bearers painted as statues to reflect their eternal importance offering a light of hope to those lost in the darkness.

STORIES OF FAITH

LABORING WITH GOD FOR THE KINGDOM ON EARTH BY REV. DAVID LEE

Pictured: The Rev. David Lee with his wife Amy and their two sons, Lincoln Soo-Han and Rohry SungHan.

A Devotion by the Rev. David Lee, Central United Methodist Church (Shelby), given to the Asian Ministries Network on March 31, 2021. My name is David Lee. My full name is David Jong-Hyun Lee. I was born in Seoul, South Korea. I moved to the United States when I was seven years old. My first U.S. President was Ronald Reagan. I remember him describing Asian-Americans as “the model minority.” It sounded like a compliment, but not quite, not quite there – almost there. The second best, second class was how I heard it.

Growing up, I would hear Korean families talk about making sure their children would speak “perfect English.” I remember thinking that was odd. Why was that a goal? I saw my Korean peers who could speak perfect English but could not fully communicate with their parents. There was a cost to their own native language and culture. We call America “a melting pot,” and it seems like you have to give up your own distinctiveness to be fully American.

SEPTEMBER 2021 When I went to college, I met Korean students from all over the world from countries like Brazil and Italy. They spoke perfect Korean and perfect Italian or Portuguese as well as English. It was around the time of the World Cup, and I remember these Korean students from around the world having so much pride for Brazil or Italy, as well as Korea. I wondered where my pride was for Korea and for America.

of proximity. People had not seen a person that looked like me in a position like that, so it would be perfunctory to overlook or dismiss the unfamiliar and place what was familiar in that position.

something like, “Why don’t you have a say? Why don’t you have a place? Why don’t you belong on the issue of race?” I was stunned and speechless. I didn’t have a response. I didn’t understand then, but I hear her clearly now telling me: You have a say; you have a place; and you do belong – not just on the race issue but in this country, too.

I have a responsibility to partner and labor with God for God’s kingdom on earth to look as it is in heaven.

Several years back, “multiculturalism” was the big thing in our Conference. That’s a good thing, but here is the way I experienced multiculturalism: think of a nice garden salad with all kinds of greens and vegetables, with raisins, olives, and nuts, with all the works! Looks beautiful! Then we pour ranch dressing all over the salad so that everything looks and tastes like ranch dressing.

My wife, Amy, is white. We’ve been married for almost four years. Early on, she saw my interactions and conversations with church members, and immediately, called me out saying, “Why are you acting white? You even preach white. This is not you. Be yourself – be the person I know you to be.” I hadn’t even realized how much I was trying to be American. I struggle with sharing this next experience, but I believe it is true, important, and speaks to my experience. When I got married, I realized I made enough for myself, but with hopes of starting a family, I was concerned about our finances. So I went and spoke with my Superintendent at the time, and she asked me, “How much do you make?” I told her. She said, “Well, why do you make that? That’s much less than what you’re supposed to make.” I had no answer. It turned out that I made nearly $20,000 less than my peers with similar years of experience. I wondered, “Was it my race or ethnicity?” I view this as a matter

So was race a factor? Yes, I believe it was. The recent event of the Atlanta shooting of six Asian female workers along with two white patrons has been personally heartbreaking and frustrating to follow. I heard two police chiefs or sheriffs say emphatically that race was not a factor. It took the one police chief of color to say, “Nothing is off the table.” Primarily Asian workers were killed in multiple Asian-owned businesses in the course of the gunmen’s shooting spree. How is race not a factor? At the very least, race has to be on the table. Several years ago, I had an opportunity to hear and meet Ruby Sales, an African-American social justice activist, scholar, and public theologian. She is considered a “legendary civil rights activist” and one of fifty Civil Rights leaders being showcased by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC. Ruby is still fighting the good fight. She was razor-sharp and didn’t hold back in speaking to a group of mainly United Methodist pastors in Greensboro. After the talk, I went up to speak with Ruby. Trying to be self-deprecating, I said, “Well, in the South, race is mainly a Black and white issue, but…” Before I could even get the rest of my sentence out, Ruby interrupted me saying

I am a father of two boys, Lincoln Soo-Han (23 months) and Rohry Sung-Han (7 months), who are neither Korean nor White, but both Korean and White. I wonder what kind of country they will be growing up in. Will they feel like they have a place, a say, and feel like they belong? I will fight to make sure they do. I am reminded of a quote from Pastor Martin Niemoller speaking about 1930’s Germany: “First they came for the Jews, but I did nothing because I’m not a Jew. Then they came for the socialists, but I did nothing because I’m not a socialist. Then they came for the Catholics, but I did nothing because I’m not a Catholic. Finally, they came for me, but by then there was no one left to help me.” This is not a struggle just for Asians or Blacks or Hispanics or any other race, gender, or orientation. This is a fight for the sacred worth of every human being who has been created in the image of God. As a follower of Jesus, I pray daily for God’s kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done. I have a responsibility to partner and labor with God for God’s kingdom on earth to look as it is in heaven. I look forward to the day when all of God’s children will see “before [them] a great multitude that no one [can] count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the lamb.” (Rev. 7:9). For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

STORIES OF FAITH

BELOVED COMMUNITY

IN THE NORTHERN PIEDMONT DISTRICT The Northern Piedmont District Team shares how they have addressed vaccinations in their district through the lenses of equity and beloved community.

Equity is the quality of non-violence. This sentence packs a punch to how we live our days within the community of faith. Quality of non-violence speaks to the depths of how we think, react and develop as a disciple. In the fall of 2020, Northern Piedmont District communities had to think, react and form as ones who understood the past and strive to change our former violent ways of racism. The vaccine was coming into our communities, and how would we bring equity and honesty to our discipleship?

As the vaccinations came into our communities, we saw the past repeat itself with the lack of equity for all communities to receive their shot. We had honest conversations about the equity of vaccination appointments with the local health departments. With love, we spoke the truth of how communities of color were not getting a “shot to get their shot.” After conversations and authentic partnership, our churches collected names and numbers of persons who wanted the vaccine but lacked the venues to get an appointment.

We needed to remember and learn how vaccines brought violence and trauma to our communities in the past. We knew we must bring the quality of non-violence to our ways of healing from the generations of trauma. We began with Zoom conversations about the vaccine. We held open forums between communities of color and health departments. Communities needed to recognize past violence with vaccines and the honesty of how the vaccines would impact their families and communities in 2021.

Our next step was hosting vaccination sites across counties with honesty and support from the health departments in the hopes of learning from our past. One month later, we started a more extensive effort with FEMA. We hosted vaccination appointment sites in communities with little opportunity to register due to a lack of information, technology, or diverse cultural barriers. We provided oneon-one conversations to make sure everyone felt comfortable and had access to get their shot.

SEPTEMBER 2021

The Rev. Tamara Ingram and the Rev. Rodvegas Ingram receive their COVID-19 vaccination at the Greensboro Coliseum in March 2021. Photo shared by the Ingrams.

What we learned through these ministries: •

Listen for all sheep to be counted. We searched in and around our communities to make sure all who wanted the shot could get an appointment. Listening is the only option for all to be heard and known.

•

Speak up to violence with a way to change our practices. When we found out about the lack of equity, we spoke to our health department not to complain, but with ways we could support equity.

•

Kindness spreads. When one person experiences an opportunity to get shot, they will share it with a friend or family member. Our appointments and vaccination opportunities spread like the Gospel. Now we must continue our relationship

with new friends forward to grow the faith. •

We all want to find healing. Whether it was an educational conversation about the vaccine or opening the doors to get a shot, we all want healing for ourselves and our neighbor.

Our collaboration brought the quality of non-violence to our communities and our own discipleship. This article does not name all the saints who made the Gospel come to life in our district. This article does not speak to all the wisdom we have learned on the way. Yet the next step toward healing our communities is living the quality of non-violence as daily devotion. This is what The Beloved Community is about. Beloved Community is not a destination, yet it is the way...the way we think, react, and form our faith.

STORIES OF FAITH

ORDAINED INTO AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE BY REV. LUKE EDWARDS

The Rev. Luke Edwards‘ ordination on June 19, 2021 in Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. Photo by the Rev. Earl Bradshaw.

SEPTEMBER 2021

A REFLECTION ON AN UNPRECEDENTED ORDINATION FROM A MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 2020.

Being a part of the 2020 ordination class was a wild ride. Ordination in the United Methodist Church is a long, arduous journey, and for good reason. The Book of Discipline reads, “The covenant of ordained ministry is a lifetime commitment, and those who enter into it dedicate their whole lives to the personal and spiritual disciplines it requires.” This commitment cannot be made hastily. Nor can the Church authenticate God’s call upon candidates for ministry quickly. I sent a letter to my district superintendent requesting to enter the process in October of 2008. Twelve years later, I kneeled before the Bishop. Along this twelve-year journey, I felt confidence in my call by God to serve the United Methodist Church. But in the final years, as ordination drew closer, the reality set in that I was committing my life to something far more uncertain than I had imagined. I was working on an early draft of my ordination papers while watching the livestream of General Conference 2019, typing words of lifetime commitment to an institution that looked like it was falling apart. The United Methodist Church didn’t fall apart (we’re a durable bunch), I turned the papers in and passed my interviews, and on February 19, 2020, I was approved for ordination as an elder. I can hardly describe the joy I felt driving home from Gastonia that day. The excitement

didn’t last long. As COVID-19 cases increased, Annual Conference was moved to Zoom and plans for an alternative ordination service were made. Eventually, the Board of Ordained Ministry made the difficult (but correct) decision to postpone the ordination service for a year. In the grand scheme of 2020, a delayed ordination certainly isn’t the worst thing that could have happened to us, but it was hard on our class nonetheless. The anticipation of celebrating this covenant with our friends, families, and colleagues was taken away along with everything else we had looked forward to last year. The Church that we were committing to again felt uncertain, but in a new and unexpected way. Pastors preached to cameras and empty pews, hospital visits were halted, and funerals were postponed. Clergy supported their congregations through fear, loss, loneliness, and polarization — while experiencing many of these emotions themselves. Ordained, finally The spring of 2021 brought mass vaccinations and a big boost of hope. And on June 19, the ordination service finally happened. It was a day of delight and celebration. The grounds of Lake Junaluska rang with the sounds of reunion, many of us seeing each other for the first time in more than a year. I walked across the stage and heard the words that I had so

looked forward to hearing: “Luke, take authority as an elder to preach the Word of God, to administer the Holy Sacraments, and to order the life of the Church, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The Rev. Dr. James Cone said, “To be ordained as a minister, to preach the word of God as disclosed in Jesus Christ, is not a safe vocation. It is a dangerous and lonely road to travel… [It is] defined by a commitment to the way of the cross.” In many ways, the road to ordination prepared us for this. I was never committing myself to a safe and secure future, I was agreeing to lose my life for the sake of the gospel. The class of 2020 and subsequent ordination classes have our work cut out for us, particularly our work of ordering the life of the church. We are called to lead the United Methodist Church forward in the vital conversation around human sexuality, we are called to address the systemic issues of racism and oppression that have permeated our institution, we are called to lead the church through a coming decline in membership that none of us can begin to comprehend, and we are called to pass on the distinctive faith of John Wesley, Francis Asbury, Phoebe Palmer, Richard Allen, and Julia Foote to future generations. It’s a difficult and beautiful calling.

STORIES OF FAITH

BEHIND-THESCENES HEROS BY SHANTÁ BRYAN During the past year and a half of a global pandemic and quarantines, administrative professionals in our churches, District, and Conference offices have played a vital role in keeping ministries and missions going strong.

“Alone together” was easily the motto of 2020. The world stilled as people remained “safer at home” without an end date in sight. Some people lost their jobs, while others were fortunate to keep their jobs. The world lavished well-deserved thanks and praise upon the frontline workers – the first responders, medical professionals, retail workers, teachers, and the military. But there was also another group that provided signifcant support. This group was not out on the front lines; rather, they were behind computer screens. Administrative professionals on the conference, district, and local church levels remained committed to the ministries they support and were instrumental in keeping the churches active during the pandemic. Unable to go into their offices at all or only on a hybrid schedule, administrative 32

professionals across Western North Carolina created that workspace in their homes. As an administrative professional myself, working as the Ministry Assistant for the Rev. Amy Coles, Assistant to the Bishop and the Rev. Dr. Bill White, Jr., Director of Equity and Justice Ministries, I know firsthand the challenges of working from home as an admin. I also knew I was not alone. You may not know the names of all the administrative professionals who kept the work of the Church running this year. But those leaders whose names you do know, will all agree their admins are among the unsung heroes of this abnormal year. So, I wanted to take some time to sing their song. Here’s a peek into the pandemic lives of a few of the administrative professionals in and around our Conference.

SEPTEMBER 2021

TOP ROW (L-R): SHANTÁ BRYAN, ADRI BULLARDROGERS, TISH SCHULTHEISS, CAROL BATEMAN BOTTOM ROW (L-R): KATIE HUTTON, DEETTA RIVENS, ANJI DEAN

How has your job changed? “During the pandemic, I feel like I’ve been able to use more creativity. It’s been fun exploring new ways to do my work, and I feel like I’ve been able to do some things I might not have otherwise. For instance, we started a YouTube account for the WNCC Board of Ordained Ministry, where we post videos that explain the work of the BOM. It’s been exciting to see this resource come to life, and I’m excited to see where it goes in the future!” Adri BullardRogers, Ministry Assistant, WNCC Office of Ministerial Services “My job changed in the way we produce bulletins for the worship services. We do bulletins for the live stream and TV service by way of PDF format. We do have in-person worship, but we do not have hymns or the pew Bible in the Sanctuary.

I scan in the hymns and then type scriptures into the bulletins. This is a little challenging at times.” Tish Schultheiss, PAUMCS, Administrative Assistant for CONNECT Ministries, Wesley Memorial

How do you stay connected? “This has been the hardest part of the pandemic and working from home. The admin staff is a very tight-knit group. We have our weekly staff meeting via Zoom, but that does not make up for the personal interaction. The best way we have stayed together is with our group chat messages where we share prayer requests, news, encouragement, etc.” Carol Bateman, Ministry Assistant, WNCC Connectional Ministries & Missional Engagement

“Zoom, E-mail, Text, and Facetime! Some of my pastors would rather e-mail than talk on the phone or text back and forth. The District Staff Zoom for our staff meetings or Facetime to catch up on work things instead of just chatting on the phone. It makes it more personal to see the person I am talking to. Our District offered a weekly Monday morning Zoom call with the Rev. Dr. Carl Arrington, the Rev. Gloria Hughes and any Appalachian District appointed clergy who wish to be involved to stay in touch with each other and catch up and do studies together. It has been a real hit!” Katie Hutton, District Office Administrator, Appalachian District

continued on next page...

STORIES OF FAITH

TOP ROW (L-R): KIM HOPKINS, MARSHA PATTON, JANA ALEXANDER, LIBBY CRAVEN BOTTOM ROW (L-R): PAULETTE GREGORY, CANDY CARON, JOY ALLEN

How do you stay organized? “I have established a routine, set priorities, and goals. I also have an evening review of upcoming and future tasks and assign deadline dates.” DeEtta Rivens, Executive Administrative Assistant to the Bishop, WNCC Episcopal Office “I love lists. When I make my daily lists, it streamlines what needs to be done and I feel accomplished when I get to check them off. Also, the greatest tool is the calendar I have in my phone. I simply put an item in the day, check it as an “All Day” event, then when I complete it, I edit it and put DONE at the end, and change the All Day to the actual time I did it (it greys out, showing complete).” Anji Dean PAUMCS Publicity Committee “Lots of sticky notes!” Kim Hopkins, District Office Administrator, Uwharrie District 34

“When we worked remotely in full, I brought home many of my files. I’ll admit it was a challenge since my husband and I had just bought a house and were moving as the pandemic began. So it helped that I designated a particular crate for my work items and kept those separate from my personal belongings. As we launched into a more hybrid format, splitting between days in the office versus working remotely, it has helped to organize my files more specifically, and plan ahead for what work I’ll do remotely, so I can bring just those files away from the office and leave behind all the rest. One of the best things I did, was creating a “To Print” folder on my computer’s desktop, and when I am remote, I change my default printer to Adobe PDF, so that I can save items as PDFs to my print folder and the next time I’m in the office, print everything in bulk.” Marsha Patton, Ministry Assistant, WNCC Office of Ministerial Services

How do you handle stress? “Walking everyday” Kim Hopkins, District Office Administrator, Uwharrie District “Stress? What stress? Ha! I handle stress by making sure I write down all the things I need to get done and mark them off as I go to hopefully avoid mistakes. Once the stressful day is over, I can look back at my check list and feel a sense of achievement for the day.” Katie Hutton, District Office Administrator, Appalachian District “To handle stress, I usually take a deep breath, hold it for 10 seconds then exhale. Then I say a quick prayer asking for God‘s guidance on dealing with what is causing the stress. By that time, I tend to have relaxed enough to address the issue at hand calmly and orderly.” Libby Craven, PAUMCS Vice President, Senior Church Administrator at Mount Tabor

SEPTEMBER 2021

Are you a Church Administrative Professional? Learn more about PAUMCS (Professional Administrators of the United Methodist Structure) at www.wnccumc.org/paumcs.

“Music. I have a CD player and play instrumental Christian music during the day.” Paulette Gregory, PAUMCS Past President, Administrative Assistant St.Luke’s (Hickory)

How do you practice self-care? “Setting up workspace some days on the deck lets me listen to birds and experience beautiful nature surroundings. That has created a wonderful work environment. Working near a window on cool/ cold days to get sunshine. Going to bed reading God’s promise scriptures while listening to soothing nature music to rest well. Wearing relaxed comfort wear – sweat suits, leggings – no need to decide what to wear to the office.” DeEtta Rivens, Executive Administrative Assistant to the Bishop, WNCC Episcopal Office “Remember your work hours. Because you are working from home, it’s easier to work more. Come to your “work space” as you would when you drove to the office. Sing, pray, meditate to start the work day, take your lunch time, and step away every little bit to walk & refocus.” Anji Dean PAUMCS Publicity Committee “I have a routine I stick to just as if I was going into work, I keep everything organized, take breaks during the day (which I don’t do at work) and I make sure I get eight hours of sleep every night.” Candy Caron, Ministry Assistant, WNCC Church Development “My biggest self-care has been adding on to my garden, mostly

through containers on my front and back porches.” Jana Alexander, District Office Administrator, Catawba Valley District

What do you think the postpandemic work life will look like? “Many people that I know who worked in an office setting prior to the pandemic have been told that they will continue to work remotely post-pandemic. I think many companies and organizations have learned that we can be better stewards of resources by allowing for remote work and meetings. Honestly, though it’s still tough for me to imagine a post-pandemic existence.” Adri Bullard-Rogers, Ministry Assistant, WNCC Office of Ministerial Services “I think the post-pandemic work atmosphere will provide opportunities for more virtual meetings as an easy way to cut down on expenses and time. Also, maybe a more flexible schedule for people who still wish to work from home.” Joy Allen, Conference Receptionist “I’m not sure what the postpandemic atmosphere will look like, but I hope we get back to normal and the church will be open to all. I do think we will have to be careful and safe with re-opening the church and the church office. Things have changed so much with the way we handle safety. We are looking into having a buzzer installed on the front church door to buzz visitors in and make sure we know where they go in the

building. We will also continue to have contact tracing when there are gatherings.” Tish Schultheiss, PAUMCS, Administrative Assistant for CONNECT Ministries, Wesley Memorial “I think, unfortunately, we are all going to be subconsciously keeping our distance from other people, not getting too close. This might cause us to be less hospitable to visitors in our offices. I hope not!” Jana Alexander, District Office Administrator, Catawba Valley District Administrative professionals remain a valuable part of keeping the church active and creating a safe environment for all. Many of these professionals overcame challenges of their own to ensure that their job did not suffer. We all had to learn how to navigate throughout the workday in a pandemic world. Self-care was an extremely important part of having a productive workday. Activities such as stepping away from the computer, getting eight hours of sleep, going for a walk, or working in the garden are all examples of how we can handle the stress that comes with this chapter of life. Whether it was caring for a newborn baby, starting a new job two weeks before “work from home” was implemented, changing jobs and location, or creating the WNCC Journal and planning Annual Conference all from home, admins continued to work behind-the-scenes to produce great results. Not even a pandemic could stop WNCC administrative professionals! 35

STORIES OF FAITH

MATCHING FORM & FUNCTION How Long‘s Chapel UMC‘s new building is helping them live into their vision to be a spiritual center for the community. BY MELISSA MCGILL

Long‘s Chapel UMC‘s campus under construction. The church is located in Waynesville, a stone‘s throw from Lake Junaluska. Photo shared by the church.

The church invited the congregattion to write messages and scriptures on the beams during the construction process. Photo by Shelby Heath.

Opening a new church building in the midst of a global pandemic isn’t for the faint of heart but the leadership of Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Waynesville is already seeing the incredible fruit it’s bearing in their community. The church completed their new multi-purpose space in October 2020 but the journey to get there was almost 20 years in the making. The Rev. Chris Westmoreland, who just started his fifth year as lead pastor of Long’s Chapel, shares, “The conversation about this new

building started in 2001 when Long’s Chapel finished a sanctuary expansion for more worship space. They pretty much maxxed out that space as soon as it opened and the conversations began that more gathering space was needed, that more space for the various age levels.” And that’s exactly what they’ve created – multiple large gathering areas, indoor and out; a café; a fully remodeled children’s enrichment center with double the space; a twostory indoor playground;

SEPTEMBER 2021

continued on next page... 37

STORIES OF FAITH

“I’m not even a big building advocate,” Westmoreland says. “The Church is meant to build people, not just buildings. But within six months of arriving here, I realized how much our space was hindering our ability to build up people the way we wanted to.“

and a large community room with an LED-screen wall and black-out shades where modern worship and other events are held. “Our vision as a church is to be a spiritual center for our community but our campus hasn’t been able to function that way,” Westmoreland says. “Now we actually have space to accommodate those communitydriven activities, from internal programming to hosting community events.”

Modern worship held in the new community room at Long‘s Chapel UMC. Photo by Shelby Heath.

Even with pandemic restrictions still in place, their community is already responding. The local high school hosted their soccer banquet in the new space the week before our conversation. “We’ve already received a tremendous amount of interest in the community room, it’s unique for our area,” Director of Operations Torry Pinter says. “I’m not even a big building advocate,” Westmoreland says. “The Church is meant to build people, not just buildings. But within six months of arriving here, I realized how much our space was hindering our ability to build up people the way we

wanted to. So many ministry ideas when I first came were derailed by our space, with the conversation immediately shifting to ‘where are we going to host that?’ Now the lid has been lifted, and we can dream in a different way.” During a build of this magnitude, it would be really easy for a church to become more self-focused but the opposite has happened with the design of the building enabling more of a focus on mission and inviting everyone in. “Now the heart of the church really is the gathering space. People are able to just come in and be together, to build relationships, or to do homework using our internet. We’ve had the space to host a food truck for our homeless neighbors, and to hold vaccines clinics. There is so much potential for community transformation that is already beginning to be being realized,” Pinter says. And that invitational attitude doesn’t stop with programming. It’s infused into every design choice they made throughout the building process, from glass front doors to the overall aesthetic.

SEPTEMBER 2021

“Church buildings, for folks who aren’t used to them, can be a barrier. Often the people who really appreciate traditional church architecture and the way it draws them closer to God grew up in the church. Those elements can be familiar and comforting,“ Westmoreland says. “But for most people in our culture, even in our relatively churched community here in Waynesville, 70% of people aren’t coming to church regularly. So we redesigned our space to help folks on the outside see what is happening inside and to invite them in. Our hope is that this becomes an even safer place for folks to explore their questions about the meaning of life.”

The church completed a three-year capital campaign in May, centered on the theme “Imagine” based on Ephesians 3:20. Westmoreland explains, “Paul is inviting us to consider what it means to receive the gift of God’s grace that is beyond anything that we can ask or imagine. God is always dreaming bigger and bolder than we are. So our desire in this effort was to catch up with what God was already doing in our church community. It’s been neat to watch not just the building become a reality but also that capacity to dream bigger and to join in what God is already doing in us and around us.”

STORIES OF FAITH

A TURNING POINT IN THE OPIOD CRISIS BY AIMEE YEAGER

Pictured: February 2020 Mount Airy Community Opiod Forum. Photo shared by the Missional Network.

The Mount Airy Missional Network is coming together around their community‘s greatest concern the opiod crisis in Surry County.

SEPTEMBER 2021 Mount Airy, N.C., holds a claim to fame as the hometown of actor Andy Griffith and rumored inspiration for the fictional and wholesome town of Mayberry. Today it is the largest city in Surry County, where illicit substance abuse – particularly opioids – has reached crisis level. In 2019, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found the Partner-Surry County Substate region ranks “above average, across all geographic sections (national, state and local) in 23 of the 27 categories” indicating substance use prevalence.

UMC, took the lead organizing the panel and marketing the event. “In October, Ray was pushing to go ahead and hold the forum in February 2020,” Miller laughs as he recounts the conversation. “He had never been through charge conference, end of the year, Advent/ Christmas and I said, ‘Ray, do you

Miller proposed a three-fold plan. Each year the Missional Network would conduct a poll of their congregations to determine their greatest area of concern. Using that polling data, they would name an annual focus, which they would address in three ways:

• •

“Addiction is a disease of isolation and despair,” explains Willis. “The antidote, then, has to be community and hope. And, who has more expertise in community and hope than people of faith?”

“Who has more expertise in community and hope than people of faith?”

“When I stepped in as convener of the Greater Mount Airy Missional Network,” recalls the Rev. Danny Miller, pastor of Central UMC in Mount Airy, “I remember telling everyone, ‘If we’re coming together as a Missional Network, it shouldn’t be just one more meeting on our calendars. We need to do something.”

•

which contained items to support individuals and their families who were referred to the Intervention Team of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery.

hosting a moderated panel discussion with experts in the field; resourcing a Bible study to be conducted at each church, and participating in a mission project that seeks to alleviate the suffering.

After the first poll, one issue clearly rose to the top – the local opioid crisis. The Missional Network began planning their first public forum in October 2019. Because of his background in public relations and media, the Rev. Ray Morgan, pastor of Franklin Heights & Maple Grove

know what you’re doing?’ As it turns out, it was God’s timing. We barely got it started before COVID hit.” In February 2020, more than 300 residents of Surry County poured into the Earl Theater in Mount Airy for the public forum. Several media outlets covered the event, including one local radio station who broadcast the discussion live. “A turning point occurred during the Greater Mount Airy forum,” recalls Mark Willis, director of the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery. “For the first time, people stopped asking for the numbers and they started asking what we were doing about it and what else could be done.” As COVID-19 began tearing through the United States, unemployment rates in Surry County, which were already high due to manufacturing jobs moving offshore, rose to 14%. The percentage of the population collecting disability rose to 19%. “As the jobs went away, so did the hope that tomorrow could be any better,” Willis laments. Understanding the urgency of their mission, the churches pushed forward starting study groups on Zoom and packing “Survivor Bags,”

“The energy was powerful as we packed, blessed, and prayed over those bags,” says the Rev. Kennette Thomas, campus chaplain at Surry County Community College and minister of outreach and care at Central UMC in Mt. Airy. “We’ve been able to hear testimony in response to the bags since, stories of grown men moved to tears as they held the handmade items lovingly packed in those bags.” “When you see that Substance Abuse Disorder rewires the brain,” Morgan explains, “you can see the disease at work, and still see the person behind that. The person that Jesus died for. The person that God stamped His own image into and said, ‘You are my beloved child.’ And so, as pastors, as Christians, I don’t think we felt like we had any choice other than to show them love.” “Through all of this, I just keep going back to Jesus,” says Thomas. “What would Jesus want us to do?” As we look around our own communities, we may not see a community in crisis from Substance Abuse Disorder; but each community has its own unique struggle. Despair shows up in a myriad of ways in our neighborhoods, churches, and even within our own spirits. Will we have the courage to recognize despair – in whatever form it takes – and ask what Jesus wants us to do?

STORIES OF FAITH

The Rev. Dr. Carl Arrington and the Rev. Linda Kelly at Lake Junaluska in June 2021. Both former district superintendents retired this year. Photo by Melissa McGill

Milford Hills UMC shared their virtual choir hymn catalog with other churches as a worship resource.

Unity in Community, a justice-oriented group formed out of Mt. Zion UMC, gathers to protest the Confederate Monument near their Church property in July 2020. Photo by Melissa McGill.

SEPTEMBER 2021

The Rev. Darryl Dayson preaches at Simpson Gillespie UMC‘s Park and Praise Worship in September 2020.

The Appalachian District held virtual Conversations on Living as Faithful Disciples during COVID on Zoom.

The Rev. D‘Andre Ash at the Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration at Lake Junaluska in June 2021. Photo by Melissa McGill

Back Cover (L-R) Summerfield Peace, Broad Street Mooresville, Bryson City, Biltmore, First Salisbury.

ST0RIES of

Faith