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GLENDORA, CA – May 11, 2012 – In a significant and conclusive way, the Wesleyan Holiness Consortium has made it evident that women in ministry continue as a vital part of the movement.  In response to a recommendation from the Board of Directors, the Steering Committee voted unanimously to adjust the WHC bylaws to include in its composition those who are also serving as Board members of the Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy (WHWC).  

This action signals that the matter of women in ministry – a hotly debated issue in the contemporary church – is not an issue in the WHC.  They have settled the question both in their founding and affirm their commitment by this action.  This clear signal places the WHC at odds with such upstart groups as the Gospel Coalition and many of its constituencies which have historically limited ministry oversight to males only.  

Further, this action allows the WHWC to relationally lodge itself within the broader spectrum of the WHC so as to affirm its central focus on holiness. It frees the WHWC to focus upon this mission without constantly needing to clarify that it is not simply promoting women in ministry.

The Rev. John L. McCullough was awarded the Council of Bishops 2012 Ecumenical Award May 1 at the United Methodist General Conference in Tampa, Fla.  The award, given every four years, recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to strengthen Christian unity and interreligious relations.

“John McCullough brings commitment and great energy to international, national and regional ecumenical work, ” said Bishop Sharon Rader, ecumenical officer of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. “Under his leadership, Church World Service (CWS) has strengthened its international reputation as an innovative, adaptive and transformative leader in its programmatic fields. ”

McCullough is President and CEO of CWS, an international humanitarian agency that works with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world through programs of sustainable development and humanitarian assistance, advocacy for social justice, and services to immigrants and refugees. Many United Methodists annually partner with CWS through the CROP Hunger Walks, which are community-wide events sponsored by CWS and organized by local congregations to raise funds to end hunger in the United States and  developing countries around the world.

By Rich Peck

May 1, 2012 | TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS)

Pan-Methodist church leaders join together at the 2012 United Methodist General Conference in Tampa, Fla. From left are: Bishop Sharon Zimmerman Rader, United Methodist Church; Bishop Thomas Hoyt Jr., Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; the Rev. W. Robert Johnson III, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; and Bishop John F. White, African Methodist Episcopal Church. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

After several hundred years of separation, members of six Pan-Methodist denominations have committed to ministry together.

The United Methodist Church is the last of the denominations to adopt the full communion agreement, which was celebrated May 1 during the 2012 General Conference.

The affirmation establishes a new relationship among the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, African Union Methodist Protestant, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Union American Methodist Episcopal and United Methodist denominations.

Bishop Sharon Zimmerman Rader, ecumenical officer for the United Methodist Council of Bishops, noted that acknowledging past difficulties is part of the process. “We believe this is a significant moment in all of our histories,” she said during a news conference preceding the celebration.