Wednesday on into Thursday

Wednesday was a day of celebrations.

Africa University has been in existence for 16 years and has already graduated 2500 students. These are graduates that remain in Africa to improve their culture. Prior to the founding of Africa University, the pattern was for the student to go to Europe or the US for their education and not return home. There was the loss of the educational factor and the lack of trained persons to fill the professional levels in that society. Now, the teachers, pastors, and others are there to help train others. According to the material about Africa University, there are 1,395 students representing 21 African countries. The university has colleges in education, management and administration, agriculture and natural resources, theology, health sciences and the Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance. Visit the website at www.support-africauniversity.org and find out more.

In 1908, the Methodist Men’s organization had its beginnings. Over these 100 years the ministry has grown and changed as the world has changed. Actually, the celebration revealed that John Wesley first formed the Brotherhood in 1752, but no much is known about its history. Since 1908, the organization has ebbed and flowed as it responded to the needs of men to be in ministry. The 1968 Discipline had a “watered down” version of the organization/ministry. From 1976 to 1996, UMM was housed in the General Board of Discipleship. The 1996 General Conference voted to create the Commission on United Methodist Men in 1997. In its lifetime UMM has fostered ministries that are aids in the growth of men in ministry. They have fostered the Boy Scouts, the Heifer project and any of a number of mission projects. They report that they continue to develop unique ministries that will carry on that tradition. Complete information about United Methodist Men can be found on www.gcumm.org.

All petitions that have financial implications have been dealt with the plenary on Tuesday night finished them up and sent them on to the General Council on Finance and Administration & Connectional Table for coordination. Coordination is a euphemism for weaving them into the proposed budget for the 2009-2012 quadrennial. There was an approximate amount added beyond the planned budget of about $14 million. When that is added to the $655million budget, some will probably be rolled into the budget of the agencies and some will be placed in special categories that will be part of the Advance. That should be listed in the Daily Christian Advocate (the daily journal/minutes) on Thursday. I will try to give you those figures tomorrow night.
A number of matters of importance were cleared off the calendar, today, but it is now past midnight and I will probably get those to you, tomorrow. (Thursday) Maybe I should say later today.

Your delegation is faithfully serving in the midst of the agony of the chair. Mike Mckee was on the stage and monitors filing a part of the Church and Society report.