Online Archives

BY LINDA WORTHINGTON
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Preparations are underway for a grand celebration of the new Baltimore Region, with youth and adult mass choirs assembling, former superintendents and bishops preparing their remarks and churches from throughout the region submitting photos of their buildings and ministries for a visual display.

"We're hoping to represent, through the worship, the diversity and richness of this area, both rural and urban," said the Rev. Mary Jo Sims, associate pastor at Towson UMC and co-coordinator of the celebration.

All churches and congregations are invited to the celebration, "A Hope with a Future: Making All Things New," to be held at Towson UMC Sept. 7 at 4 p.m. Towson was chosen both for its size to accommodate the number of people expected and also because it's quite central to most parts of the region.

"This is an opportunity for us to reflect on the history of the Baltimore Region and its various districts over the years, and to embrace our future with hope," said the Rev. Karin Walker, superintendent of the new Baltimore Suburban District and team leader of the Baltimore Region.

The Baltimore Region has faced a number of changes as district boundaries were realigned at the 2008 annual conference session. Where once there were three districts, there are now two, reducing the overall number of districts in the Baltimore-Washington Conference from nine to eight.

The two new districts, differing geographically in size but nearly equal in the number of churches, "will allow congregations in the city to work closer together to strengthen leadership in our churches and communities, and start new congre-gations," said the Rev. Tony Hunt, superintendent of the Baltimore Metropolitan District.

Embracing these new districts will be part of the celebration.

"It's important to recognize, ritualize and bring to closure the former districts," Sims said, "and look to the future and the promise this new alignment has for the future."

The celebration theme reflects not only the new boundaries of the region but also the dreams of its leaders for new revitalization in Baltimore City. Toward that end, an offering will be taken for Hope for the City, the regional initiative for ministries to transform Baltimore City.

The Hope for the City Fund is foundational to the revitalization efforts, said Hunt, chair of the Hope for the City initiative.

The money raised will be used, in part, to support Communities of Shalom, seven churches located in parts of the city where drug dealers are a common sight and poverty is rampant, creating a cycle of hopelessness.

Progress in the Shalom ministries is already underway with members and clergy of each church receiving special training over the past few months.

"We will seek to make systemic changes to address root causes," said the Rev. Bruce Haskins,who is directing the Shalom Initiative.

"What happens in this city should be of concern to all of us," Sims said.

Each church in the region was asked to send a four-foot long colored ribbon, which has been woven together to make a special parament, illustrating that "we are woven together in ministry, " Walker said, "to make all things new."

"We have a lot of hope we'll work together as a region - we need one another, the rich needs the poor, the big churches need the small ones," Sims said. "We are yearning for a new day and looking to a future with hope."