Briefly
Tulsa District sets training for lay speakers Tulsa District will sponsor Lay Speaking training on March 5-6 (Friday evening and Saturday) at Memorial Drive UMC. Both basic and advanced courses will be offered. Patience Mutiso will lead the basic course, and Suzanne Davis will lead the advanced class, "Lay Pastoral Care Giving." Deadline to register is Feb. 12. For more information, contact the district office, 918-742-7496, tulsaumc@sbcglobal.net. Family gives $1 million to OCU campaign A $1 million gift from the Lemon family has established a new scholarship and lecture series at Oklahoma City University as part of the university’s "Cradle of Dreams" campaign. The Lemon family is active at OKC-Church of the Servant and operates Haskell Lemon Construction Co. The gift honors OCU alumna Martha Jean Lemon, a member of the Class of ’68. The donation recognizes her work as an independent comparative religion scholar. The Martha Jean Lemon Scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate or graduate religion students, students pursuing master’s degrees at Saint Paul School of Theology at OCU, sacred music students, and Christian education students. The annual lecture series will feature programs that promote religious leadership and service. Escamilla to lead Order of Saint Luke retreat Roberto Escamilla will lead a retreat Feb. 15-16 sponsored by the Oklahoma Chapter of the ecumenical Order of Saint Luke. The Monday-Tuesday event will be at St. Crispin’s Conference Center, near Seminole. Rev. Dr. Escamilla of Ada teaches courses on Worship and Sacraments, at Perkins seminary in Dallas, and Preaching, at Saint Paul School of Theology at Oklahoma City University. Registration deadline is Feb. 1, through Frederick UMC. For more information, contact David Mingus, pastor at Caddo UMC, dmingus@netcommander.com. Waymire re-elected to lead General Church committee Mona Mae Waymire of Madill has been re-elected to chair the Funds Management Committee of The United Methodist Church Foundation Board. She began her second term of service Jan. 1. The Foundation is a ministry of the denomination’s General Council on Finance and Administration (GCF&A); offices are in Nashville, Tenn. Waymire has also served eight years each on the boards of GCF&A and the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits. For 16 years, she was a trustee for Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City. She has held a number of leadership positions for the Church in Oklahoma. Since 1980, she has been a Jurisdictional Conference delegate, and she twice was a General Conference delegate. She and her husband, Dale, are members of Madill-First UMC. Exercise class donations will help Skyline On Feb. 13, an exercise boot camp in Bethany will boost Skyline Urban Ministry as well as healthy lifestyles. "Burn the Fat, Feed the Hungry" will take place from 8 to 11 a.m. at Empire Elite Cheerleading, 4520 N. Martin Ave., Suite B, Bethany. A $25 donation from each participant will go to Skyline, an Oklahoma Conference inner-city mission in the Oklahoma City metro. "This is fitness with a purpose," said coach Chad Northcutt. Participants determine the length of their workouts. Willow UMC honors pastor's years of service On Jan. 3 at Willow in southwestern Oklahoma, Elbert Shumaker began his 67th year as a pastor—serving at the Willow church, where he first preached during 1949-59. A celebration of his ministry drew 65 supporters that day, including Oklahoma’s Sen. Tom Ivester of Sayre and Rep. Purcy Walker of Elk City, Clinton District Superintendent Chuck Nordean, and Lay Leader Mike Sparks of Mangum. Three generations of the Shumaker family helped lead the service. After worship, the United Methodist Women of Willow served a buffet luncheon. Now age 89, Rev. Shumaker of Mangum was licensed to preach on Jan. 1, 1943, and assigned to Hammon Methodist Church in the former Elk City District. He was ordained as an elder in 1949. He served nine churches during his active career. After retiring in 1985, Shumaker agreed to serve at Eldorado and then became Visitation Minister of the Southwest Oklahoma Cooperative Parish. He later served as an interim pastor at three other United Methodist churches. Professor of evangelism to speak in Tulsa On Feb. 22, Professor George Hunter of Asbury seminary will speak in Tulsa, and the program is being co-sponsored by the Conference Evangelism Committee, chaired by Bob Pierson. Rev. Dr. George Hunter is the distinguished professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at the Kentucky theological school. He has written 10 books. The United Methodist clergyman also has served in the General Board of Discipleship’s section on evangelism. The Monday program has two parts. Hunter will speak at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Tulsa during a day-long seminar. Then he will present in a dinner meeting, at 6 p.m. at Tulsa-First UMC. Both events are open to all. For seminar costs and dinner reservations, call Randy Thompson of Bartlesville, 918-914-9762. The university is primary sponsor for Hunter’s appearance. He will speak Feb. 23 on its Bartlesville campus. Chandler UMW plans Valentine fund-raiser Chandler United Methodist Women are seeking vendors and reservations for "Valentine Tea & Gifts," 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 13. Funds support UMW "helping hearts" mission projects in the community. The event includes an arts and crafts show, lunch, and dessert buffet. Contact the church: 405-258-1440, chandlerumw@sbcglobal.net; or UMW President Rinda Alsip, rstarr721@yahoo.com, 405-258-5500. |
