Report of the President
to the
Women’s Division
April 4, 2003

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

             There’s a baby boom occurring in our family.  Between our children, nieces, nephews, and cousins, six babies are set to arrive between now and September.  Much of the talk at family gatherings has been centered on the names these persons will be given.  Even though I know my opinion really doesn’t count in such matters, I still enjoy making suggestions.  The new parents have run the gamut on names—from old-fashioned names to family names, to trendy names.  My sons have even suggested their offspring should be named after politicians or sports figures.

            Nonetheless, I think you would agree with me that names are important.  The names we are given are uniquely ours and should be treasured and respected.

            I realized at an early age the importance of a name.  I was named after a friend of my mother’s—Eugenie—but it was always shortened to Genie.  I can remember standing up at the beginning of every school year and asking my teacher if she would please call me Genie instead of Eugenie.  That sounds simple enough, but it was very difficult for me since I was an extremely shy child.  And then I had to deal with the spelling of my name which was another matter altogether.  No one wanted to spell my name the way that it’s spelled.  That’s even true today.  Now I could let that go, but it’s my name!  It’s important to me.

            Names are important!

            Just what is in a name?  What’s in the name—Women’s Division?  What’s in the name—United Methodist Women?  What’s the uniqueness of those names and what significance do they hold in our denomination?

            You could all answer these questions.  The answers may vary, but there would probably be some common themes.  First would be our faith in God and our belief that we are to follow the teachings of Christ.  Then we would probably list our commitment to be in ministry with women, children and youth.

            Those are obvious, but I’d like to share with you some additional thoughts I have.

            When I think of Women’s Division in this setting, I think of you, the directors and staff, who have shown dedication, perseverance, and courage, not just recently, but over the years.

            The dedication manifests itself in a variety of ways.  You are not only faithful in your attendance at Division meetings, you are faithful in your committee assignments.  You sacrifice week-ends, work days, and personal days to be present at those places where important decisions are made.  You spend hours traveling and some of you have become all too familiar with airport delays.  But—you are dedicated!

            These committee meetings are places where much work is done in preparation for Division meetings.  Issues are thoroughly discussed and debated before a decision is finally made.  You work together and you prayerfully act.

            And you persevere.  With budget constraints and limited resources you creatively find ways to accomplish your goals.  You realistically assess situations realizing the importance of your actions.

            And you persevere in the face of adversity.  There are some in the church that, let’s face it, just don’t get it.  They don’t understand what’s in the name “Women’s Division” and, frankly, they don’t wish to understand what’s in that name.  It appears from here they really have no purpose other than to interpret things negatively and to look for controversial edges.  Their agenda is clear and we live with that.

            But, our agenda is clear, too.  In fact, it’s very clear!

            As the Women’s Division, we have accepted the mandate given to us by the church to “be actively engaged in fulfilling the mission of Christ and the Church.”  Our responsibilities are listed in the Discipline and include, among the 10 listed:  to recommend program and policies to United Methodist Women; to enlist women in activities that have a moral and religious significance for the public welfare and that contribute to the establishment of a just global society; to provide resources and opportunities for women that enrich their spiritual life and increase their knowledge and understanding of the needs of the world and their responsibility in meeting those needs.

            At this meeting you will take action on many areas that help fulfill the mission of Christ and the Church.  You will approve grants of over $255,000 from the 2002 Assembly Offering.  Women around the world will become empowered because designated monies are helping them sing a new song in life.  In addition, the Committees on National and International Ministries with Women, Children and Youth will present their program recommendations for your approval.  You will approve scholarships that will enable women from Zimbabwe and Brazil and the Philippines and other places around the world to further their education. 

            The Section of Christian Social Responsibility will bring several General Conference Resolutions for our action.  The topics for these resolutions range from teen suicide to privatization to protection of water to the status of women.  These resolutions touch on critical areas in church and society.  They will be debated and fine-tuned and presented to the Division for our approval. 

            We will accept persons to serve on the teen and college women’s task force for the next two years, and hear more about the new district training that is coming in the fall.

            As a division we will continue our anti-racism work with the special opportunity afforded us by being in the city of Birmingham.  This will be especially enlightening for those of us who were raised in the north.  Our eyes will be opened as we experience this time together. From the time we first saw that racism is a sin until today, the Women’s Division has helped educate, interpret, and work to eradicate racism in society.  We have been the voice that has called the church to accountability in this matter.  Our work has been constant and we have been faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

            All the action we take at this meeting will be done prayerfully and thoughtfully.  We know that Christ has said we are to give voice to those in our society that are voiceless.  Our ministries with women, children and youth are many and varied.  We have helped heal and teach.  We have counseled and guided.  We have visited those in prison.  We have cared for those who are hungry and poor.  And we have taken stands. 

            Our stand against war has been in keeping with, not only the teachings of Christ, but the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church.  Our stand took wings when Prayers for Peace from Advent to Easter was launched.  Across the country, United Methodist Women began a prayer campaign that included prayer vigils at church, phone calls, written prayers, and prayer meetings.  Members were joined in this campaign by men, women and children from around the world.  We continue to pray for peace.  We continue to pray for those who are in harm’s way.  We continue to pray for the leaders of the nations.  We continue to pray for those who are our enemies.  And—we continue to pray without ceasing for peace in our world. 

            It takes courage to speak up on issues when others are reluctant to do so, but as the Women’s Division we have consistently done just that. 

            Those are just a few of the things I think of when I think of the name:  Women’s Division.

            And when I think of the name “United Methodist Women” I think of dedicated women of the past who sacrificed and worked so their dream of mission with women and children became a reality.  I think of the ways they educated the church on what it means to be in mission, and how the church joined them and participated in the mission of Jesus Christ.  I think of their eagerness to learn about different cultures

            Today’s United Methodist Woman has that same enthusiasm for mission.  From the oldest member to the youngest, women are excited about the ways we are in mission today. Along with mission education, today’s United Methodist Woman is seeking to grow spiritually.  Through retreats, Bible Studies, and Schools of Christian Mission, she is discerning God’s will for her life.  She is also a woman who participates in responsible social action.  She is informed about justice issues at home and around the world.  She sees herself as a person with a voice and is a woman who is not afraid to use that voice to speak up and speak out when she sees injustice.  She realizes that undesignated giving is the means by which mission happens.

            I know that United Methodist Women of today have the same tenacity, the same commitment, and the same daring their foremothers had. 

            It was a local United Methodist Woman from Washington State that wrote to the Women’s Division suggesting that United Methodist Women begin a “Prayer for Peace in Iraq” campaign.  Her thinking was that if United Methodist Women were to spearhead such a campaign, other denominations and faith groups would join in.  Thus, the Prayers for Peace from Advent to Easter was developed and continues today not only within the organization, but within the entire United Methodist Church.  More than ten thousand prayers for peace have been received at Service Center or on the internet.  Members of the organization have embraced the idea and continue to be in prayer for peace.  And the week after Easter local United Methodist Women will make a public witness of our Prayers for Peace in Washington, DC.

            That’s what I think of when I think of “United Methodist Women.”

            So—why all of this emphasis on names?  We know who we are.  We’re well aware of our history, our programs, and our mission.  We know how to raise money and we know where that money goes.  We know the good we do.  The trouble is, not everybody in the church does.  Some pastors and some lay people have little or no knowledge of who we are and what we’re about, and the knowledge they do have is often distorted or untrue. So, we have work to do.

            Annual Conferences will begin next month.  This is the year delegates to General Conference are elected.  Some of you may be running.  All of you should be aware of those who are.  Many of you are members of your annual conference and will be voting for those general conference delegates.  Those persons we elect to General Conference need to know the names: Women’s Division and United Methodist Women. They need to know what those names stand for.  We cannot assume they do, so it’s up to us to question and to listen and then make an informed vote.  You can be assured that there are those in the church making a concerted effort to elect those not friendly to our organization.  We must make an equally concerted effort to elect those who ARE friendly to the Women’s Division and United Methodist Women.  We know that we have been given, through the Discipline of the church, responsibilities that we have carried out as we have interpreted them.   We need to be proactive in our approach, questioning those who are running, and if we are running, know that we too will be questioned. 

            And so, I ask you:  “Do you know your name?”  Are you willing to stand up before others and, clearly and confidently, say who you are?  Are you willing to defend your name, insisting that it be defined correctly?

            We need to be confident in who we are. We are the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.  We must have no doubt on what our name means.  We need to be willing to speak up and speak out in defense of that name.  Our name is uniquely ours and should be treasured and respected.  It’s a name we have chosen, but it’s also a name we’ve been given.  It’s a name that has a history and it’s a name that has a future.  Claim that name and go forward today, remembering that in all we say and do, our purpose is clear and ever before us.