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Proposal offers major shift in clergy housing
A proposal up for vote at this year's Florida Annual Conference event May 27-31 would phase in the need for clergy to purchase their own parsonage furniture and require churches to take stronger efforts to ensure housing quality.
A task force commissioned during last year's conference event to explore the issue will present four key recommendations May 30. The first involves changes to the 23-year-old conference
parsonage/housing guidelines, giving them more clarity and enforceable teeth. The second is a list of guidelines for churches providing housing allowances instead of parsonages. The third concerns transferring the responsibility of furniture to clergy families across a four-year period, and the final recommendation is a district process for clergy families or churches to follow when problems arise over housing.
Part of the task force's research involved privately surveying clergy on their housing needs and concerns. Results showed pastors had far more negative things to say about housing when compared to charge conference forms signed off on by key lay leaders.
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Ethnic Local Church Concerns springs into action with focus meeting
A group of clergy and laity came together May 10 to redefine, reorganize and revitalize the conference's Ethnic Local Church Concerns (ELCC) ministry. It was the group's second meeting.
Established decades ago to include African-American voices within the Florida Conference, ELCC has grown to include Haitians, Hispanics and other ethnic groups.
The group of about 18 people gathered at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Ocala, to continue conversations about restructuring and regaining the focus ELCC has lost in recent years.
Led by Bill Walker, conference director of Connectional Ministries, the group grappled with its lack of leadership and problems afflicting African-Americans.
"We're not getting anywhere," Walker said of the ELCC. "We need to be effective and coherent so we can live out what Christ calls us to be. I think this could be a group of people of various ethnic concerns to keep the majority group accountable and paying attention. We want to bring together an ELCC that will be useful and responsible."
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Churches rock with SOUL team
It's a win-win situation for everyone involved with SOUL Team, a program that provides Vacation Bible School to inner city churches that can't afford to start their own.
Developed by Miami Urban Ministries, the Summer Outreach Leadership (SOUL) Team will get a boost this year when the Florida Conference Council of Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty (BICAP) task force kicks in a $7,200 grant to help SOUL Team hold Vacation Bible School programs at nine churches this summer.
SOUL Team began leading Vacation Bible School last year at five Miami United Methodist churches, with the churches funding the cost.
The Rev. Cathy Williams, pastor of Palm Springs United Methodist Church, said the SOUL Team program has given her church a way to minister to its community. "We can see God work," she said.
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Tornado rattles Miami community
Gloria Elvine crawled on the floor of her Liberty City home screaming for her daughter as a tornado unleashed its fury on Liberty City.
The looming dark skies of March 27 beckoned Elvine home because she knew her daughter, who is fearful of storms, would be afraid.
Fifteen minutes after arriving home, the two scrambled for cover as a tornado ripped through the area. It was about 5:30 p.m.
Although the tornado lasted only five minutes, a month later the city is still grappling in its wake.
"I thank God for saving our lives," the Miami native said. "It was a scary experience. It was 100 times worse than Hurricane Andrew. It took your breath away."
Now, the Rev. Jimmie Brown, minister of Miami's Ebenezer United Methodist Church, and the Florida Conference Disaster Response team are working hard to breathe life into the devastated community.
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