STAMFORD, Conn. (GBGM) -- Staff of GBGM heard highlights of activity of the annual meeting of the Women’s Division and of the full GBGM board, which took place in Stamford, Connecticut, October 16-22, 1998.

Prison Ministry and Restorative Justice was reported on by Deputy General Secretary Robert J. Harman. The General Conference has assigned responsibility to GBGM for moving the church forward in these ministries. The Board is coordinating efforts to enhance the programs of the general agencies in responding to this need. GBGM has an option of deciding if the program merits initiating a mission. In the meantime the ministries can comprise any of the following:

• Nurturing of believers. Some local UMC congregations and conferences have entered the prisons to initiate programs of Discipleship Bible Studies, for example.

• Church membership. There are restrictions on proselytism in prisons, but prisoners can choose a church membership. The UMC could create a general membership for persons in prison just as it has done for persons in the military services.

• Education. Programs of formal education in the prisons have proven to be a major factor in reducing recidivism.

• Leadership development. One scenario is that a UMC pastor could serve as a mentor for a theological studies program in each of the 850 federal and state prisons in the U.S.

• Leadership recognition and deployment. Another scenario is that each of the 850 prisons might be identified as a charge for pastoral appointment, and graduates of prison programs of theological studies might be recognized and assigned as traveling preachers.

• Program development. If prison ministries were organized as a mission, its program would need to be developed in relation to several UMC agencies and would also need to have an international character.

Women’s Division. Assistant General Secretary Maxine West shared a summary report of the Women’s Division. Highlighting significant actions, she urged staff to study and share with others the Women's Division "Statement and Recommendations Related to Hate Crimes" and to continue to be advocates of peace and justice in our respective communities.

Youth/Young Adults. Jorge Domigues, executive secretary for youth/young adults in Mission Contexts and Relations, spoke on the contributions of young adults, which were presented both through song and personal testimony. The singing performances came from the Global Praise choral group that traveled to Lithuania this past summer under the direction of Assistant General Secretary S.T. Kimbrough, Jr., and from and a group of Korean United Methodist young adults from the New York Annual Conference. Testimony of youth witnesses were heard from the U.S. as well as from central conferences, all of whom offered exchange on how the church can be better involved in emerging young adult programs. Concern was registered by a Hispanic witness on need for more intentionality in informing ethnic minority youth about mission opportunities of the church. Work continues on The Shared Mission Focus on Youth, mandated by the 1996 General Conference in an effort to reorder the denomination's priorities and concentrate on the needs of people ages 12 to 30.

Medicine Boxes. GBGM Public Relations Executive Lesley Crossan gave an update of the success of the UMCOR Medicine Box Campaign. She recalled the story shared at the meeting by central conference director Abraham Sellu of Sierre Leone, who told of its life-saving effect in his family. Mr. Sellu’s daughter was cured of cholera with supplies from one of the medicine boxes, which are shipped at cost of $325 and contain as much as $4000 worth of medicine. Sharing other highlights of the meeting, such as the commissioning of new missionaries, Crossan urged that staff avail themselves of the literature, web site information, and many resources available to "tell our story" of how The United Methodist Church is in worldwide ministry.

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