Regional Minister Reflects on Ecumenism in the Region

And still today we see as our unique calling the quest for Christian Unity.  The signs are evident and we continue the legacy given to us by our founders.  A few of the regional signs of our ecumenical work are:

• The well deserved honor that Betty Beeson (of United Disciples of Christ in Charleston) received last week at the annual assembly of our West Virginia Council of Churches. She was awarded the 2009 Mary Virginia DeRoo Service award for Ecumenism. Betty is the third member of our regional church to share this honor (Bonnie Thurston and William Allen being the other two.) Because of her life, work and Christian witness the unity of the church is made evident.
• At the same assembly mentioned above, I believe that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was the most represented communion at the Council of Churches event. We were present indeed.
• On October 4, 2009 several of our flock gathered in Washington, Pennsylvania for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address. Several of our ministers participated here and in Bethany the day before.
• This month the region received several gifts for the William B. Allen Fund for Ecumenical Ministry. Honoring two years of the fund’s existence and the ministry its namesake, members of the church committed precious resources to this invested fund in order that the ecumenical witness would be made possible into the future. 5% of the fund is used annually for ecumenical ministry.

The signs are evident.   Christian Unity remains our polar star.   May our Regional Church be a leader on this journey.

Thaddaeus B. Allen

 

Beeson Recognized at Council of Churches Assembly

The annual Assembly of the West Virginia Council of Churches was held on Monday, Oct. 19 at the Blessed John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston.  In addition to a productive and inspiring time of worship and networking, the Council recognized the ecumenical commitment and work of Betty Beeson, long-time regional leader and member of the United Disciples of Christ Church in Charleston.

Betty received the Mary Virginia DeRoo Ecumenical Award, a gesture of great respect and appreciation for her many years of dedication to the work of the Council and to the cause of Christian unity and interfaith efforts.

Rev. Thaddaeus B. Allen, Regional Minister, spoke of the powerful impact of her life upon the cause of Christian Unity, and the award was presented to her by her pastor, the Rev. Steven Smith.  Congratulations came from the Executive Director of the Council, Rev. Dennis Sparks, also a Disciples minister and member of the United congregation.  

The Disciples delegation was augmented by a number of Betty’s family and friends who attended the luncheon.  The Regional Church celebrates this honor with her.   See more photos on our Flick’r site.

 

Bethany Legacy Noted

from The President’s Letter, Bethany College, the following mention is made of the school’s rich heritage:

…This sense of continuity and community leaves an indelible mark on those who live and learn on this magnificent campus, chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia so many years ago. From our home in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, we are now boldly charting our future.

Our future is enriched by our founding ideals. Bethany is proud to participate in the October bicentennial commemoration of Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address which inspired unity among Christians throughout the nation. The College honors the educational vision of his son, Alexander Campbell, the founder of our institution. His faith in the intellectual freedom of students who enroll here remains our call to action as a community of scholars; support for this timeless mission continues to grow among alumni and friends of Bethany. Our campus celebration is being led by Dr. Larry Grimes, our recently appointed Director of Church Relations, longtime faculty member at Bethany, and pastor of the Community Christian Church in Beech Bottom, West Virginia.

The hymn “O God, our Help in Ages Past” speaks movingly about “time…like an ever-moving stream.”  Bethany’s rich heritage and tradition are like that, with alumni and friends from seven decades and three generations or more—families such as the Athols and Bados—continually refreshing and revitalizing that stream.   Read President’s Letter in its entirety

You can view a beautiful video slideshow prepared for Homecoming at their website.

 

Council of Churches Work Day

This was received from the Rev. Dennis Sparks, Executive Director of the West Virginia Council of Churches. 

The Council of Churches is in need of Volunteers to help with repairs and fall chores on our house/office building at 2207 Washington St. East, just east of the Capitol, on Friday, September 18 beginning at 9:00 a.m.-‘til.  Will you target a couple people from your church or organization (including you) who you know like doing such work – concrete step repair, exterior and interior painting, gutter repair, porch varnishing, window washing, yard work and landscaping?   Thanks for your assistance. 

Those interested  can contact the Council Office (304-344-3141) to volunteer, or call the Regional Office (304-428-1681)  for a Volunteer Workday form, which we can email.

 

Great Communion Weekend – Back to Bethany

The “Great Communion” weekend in Bethany and Washington, PA promises to be very special. 

On Saturday, Oct. 3, the events kick off with a showing of Wrestling with God  – the Alexander Campbell story in film – at 2:30 at the Bethany Memorial Church, followed at 4 p.m. with a lecture on Thomas Campbell’s ”Declaration and Address” by the Rev. Dr. Larry Grimes at the Bethany Old Meeting House.  Tours of the Campbell Mansion will be conducted all afternoon, and picnicking will be available on the lawn of the home. 

Sunday, the scene shifts to Washington, where it all began with the publication of the “Declaration and Address”.  Numerous historic displays and entertainments will be available, and worship will begin at 2:30 in a covered area on the site of the print house. 

Cathy Mansfield will have more details; contact her at 724-229-7398.   We have provided 3 versions of a beautiful poster (8.5×11) with details included posted in our webspace.  You may want to download one and pass the word on to others:  Original (2mb – large, high-quality pdf)  -  Smaller File (600kb color pdf) – Greyscale File (1mb – high-quality suitable for black & white printers). 

Let us know how your community will observe this historic day.  We’ll pass the word along on the NewsWire.

 

Social Networking and the Church – Free Webinar – Deadline Thursday

Milligan College is offering a free webinar, and you can squeak in if you contact them TODAY

Social Networking and the Church:  How to utilize social networking tools to reach your congregation and community

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15  

1:00 pm Social Networking…plain and unwrapped (Guest Speaker: Jose Castillo)
2:00 pm Ethical Implications of Social Networking for Ministers and Church Leaders
3:00 pm Panel Presentation: Best Practices of Social Networking for Ministry
4:00 pm Bonus Session – Tutorial: Create a Facebook or Twitter account with Milligan Communication faculty

Participants on the Panel Discussions:

• Jim Musser, Campus Minister, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
• Kit Dotson, Student Minister, Crossroads Christian Church, Gray, TN
• Aaron Wymer, Senior Minister, Grandview Christian Church, Johnson City, TN
• Bart Stone, Lead Planter, Momentum Christian Church, McDonough, GA
• Mark Michael, Lead Planter, Tallahassee, FL
• Matt Agnew, Student Ministry Director, Grace Fellowship, Johnson City TN
• Ryan Bader, Student Minister, Grandview Christian Church, Johnson City, TN
• Tammy Melchien, Community Christian Church, Naperville, IL

Details and Registration here

 

Bethany College and Church Invite You to a Birthday Party

We received this communication recently from the Rev. Dr. Larry Grimes, Director of Church Relations at Bethany College:

To celebrate Alexander Campbell’s Birthday, Church Relations, Bethany Memorial Church and the Office of the Chaplain invites employees of the college for form teams (2-5) and participate in a Campbell Heritage scavenger hunt. The hunt will take place on Saturday afternoon, September 12.  We will begin the hunt at the Renner Visitors Center at 2:30 and end at 5:30 with cake, ice cream, and prizes in the Fellowship Hall at Bethany Memorial Church. Teams will need a digital camera or phone camera to record some information.

To participate notify me by e-mail (lgrimes@bethanywv.edu) no later than noon, Wednesday, September 9.

 

Bethany Prof Receives HELM Award

News from Bethany College and  Disciples Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM):

BETHANY, W.Va. —Bethany Professor of Psychology John H. Hull is the 2009 recipient of the T. A. Abbott Award for Faculty Excellence, given by the Board of Directors of Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

“Dr. Hull embodies precisely the qualities listed in the criteria for this award. His passion and his accomplishments as a teacher, scholar and mentor to his students, and his commitment to faith and service to his fellow women and men, stand out as primary reasons for his achieving this honor,” stated Darin E. Fields, Bethany College Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. “John Hull is unquestionably one of the finest professors at Bethany College.  He serves as an unsurpassed example to his students and colleagues of a life of continuing education and service.”

The 26th recipient of the T. A. Abbott Award, Hull was selected by the HELM Board of Directors for his keen ability to inspire students toward excellence through teaching and personal example, his demonstration of an educational philosophy that focuses on wholeness of person, his continued commitment to grow and learn within his academic discipline and his manifestation of a personal faith. Hull joined the Bethany College faculty in 1976.

An engraved plaque will be presented during a public ceremony at Bethany in the 2009-2010 academic year. The award also includes a $1,000 cash gift for the purpose of Hull’s continued growth as a teacher and scholar.

The T. A. Abbott Award was established through a gift to the Higher Education and Leadership Ministries from the descendants of the Reverend T. A. Abbott, who served as an administrator and faculty member at Culver-Stockton College. Nominees must be full-time teaching faculty at Disciples-related institutions of higher education. Hull is the third member of the Bethany College faculty to be honored with the award.

Bethany College is a small college of national distinction located on a picturesque and historic 1,300-acre campus in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the state’s oldest private college.

 

Watkins to Address Bethany Seniors

Disciples General Minister and President, Dr. Sharon Watkins, will speak to graduating seniors during Bethany College’s baccalaureate service on May 15. She will be presented with an honorary doctorate of divinity during Bethany commencement May 16 as well.  We are grateful to have this beloved leader in the Region once more.  For more, see:
www.bethanywv.edu/about-bethany/news/bethany-college-sets-commencement-schedule

 

Scott Lectures Close

The Oreon E. Scott Lectures at Bethany College have come to a close today, having spent some encouraging times in conversation around the Declaration and Address, which is in its 200th year.  The leadership and hospitality of the college have been extraordinary, and both presenting scholars and attendees from all three streams of the Stone-Campbell movement were well-engaged in the discussion.  Sharing communion together Monday evening was a high and holy time. 

It is a reminder to us all, as well, that across the three streams of the movement many communities will be participating in the Great Communion, October 4, in celebration of the essential unity of Christ’s body.  If you want details on how to plan a Great Communion service in your community, please visit the Great Communion website.   We know that a celebration will be underway in Bethany, and we would like to hear from other communities around the region about their plans for the day.  Send your comments to us, and we will help pass them along as the day approaches.

We encourage folks from around the region to mark your calendars for the first Monday after “Low Sunday” (the Sunday after Easter) next year’s Scott Lectures, and prepare to attend.   The Rev. Dr. Bonnie Thurston, one of our own beloved scholars and pastors, will be leading a discussion around the Lord’s Prayer and how our lives may be shaped by it.  It promises to be a wonderful opportunity to gather again in this special place in the life of our church.