Conference Promotes Ministries of Health and Inclusion
Peninsula-Delaware Conference Promotes
Ministries of Health and Inclusion
By Elliott Wright
Princess Anne, MD, June 12, 2010—Ministries that promote physical health and reach out to all people were high on the agenda of the 2010 meeting of the United Methodist Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference, meeting June 10-12 in Princess Anne, Maryland.
The clergy and lay members representing 491 churches on the Eastern Shore, approved resolutions covering general health care, persons with disabilities, mental illness, and persons with impaired hearing.
Healthy, Inclusive Church
These measures are part of the conference’s “Healthy Church Initiative” aimed at the spiritual and physical health of church members, their congregations, and communities, according to the Rev. Dr. Sandra Steiner Ball, Director of Connectional Ministries for the conference.
“We Reach Out” was the theme of the 21010 Annual Conference. It carried through the worship and the business agenda.
A resolution promoting health coverage for all Americans produced some debate but was supported by a large majority of the lay and clergy members. The measure basically supported the existing policy of The United Methodist, which on its highest legislative level has endorsed universal health care as a basic human right.
The local resolution made no reference to the recently enacted federal health care reform legislation. It supported “the development and implementation of a program of health coverage that assures basic coverage for all Americans.
Further, the resolution called upon congregations to help families without access to health care to access existing federal, state, and community health-delivery systems.
Ministry with the Deaf
The conference affirmed a commitment to “ministry with people who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind.” It set up a conference-wide committee on deaf ministries and endorsed an appeal for funds to support such ministries.
The resolution said that there are 130,000 people who are hard of hearing within its area, and 3,000 to 5,000 whose primary language is American Sign Language. Every session of the conference meeting was signed by a team of professional interpreters.
Members voted to take steps to reach out more aggressively to persons with disabilities and their families. Those with disabilities, their caregivers, and family members “represent one in five American families,” according to the resolution. Conference leaders were authorized to set up a comprehensive church disability assessment and training effort.
A similar action promoted awareness about the extent of mental illness today and ways the churches can include this segment of the population and their families in their ministries.
Overcoming Malaria
On the international level, The United Methodist Church is working to overcome malaria in collaboration with a range of health agencies and foundations. The Peninsula-Delaware Conference heard that to date $105,000 has been contributed within its boundaries to Nothing But Nets, a church-sponsored effort to prevent the spread of malaria by mosquitoes in Africa.
A mock funeral celebrated the demise of “Marvin Mosquito,” who, unfortunately, has living heirs.
The conference commended and asked congregations to study a Pastoral Letter from United Methodist Bishops on poverty and disease, environmental issues, and violence and weapons. The letter, entitled God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action, reflects a growing Christian concern for the care of the natural environment as an expression of mission. Many denominations are finding common ground around the issues addressed in the pastoral.
The Peninsula-Delaware Conference adopted a resolution encouraging the use among congregations of educational resources that promote “the study and advancement of Christian unity.”
Many conference reports distributed but not individually considered the roles of United Methodist congregations and their members in such ministries as disaster relief, prison ministry, fair trade, and peace with justice.
In an administrative action, the conference updated its sexual ethics policy, which provides guidance to clergy and lay employees of the conference and local churches “in cases of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and abuse.” The policy also offers protection to church members. Most of the updates bring the policy into line with provisions approved by the denomination’s 2008 legislating General Conference.
The revised policy requires that new clergy attend sexual ethics/boundaries training within a month of their appointment, or whenever the first training is given. In addition, all clergy must undergo criminal background checks every four years. The conference “Care Team” is charged with the implementation of the sexual ethics policy.