| Gun control kills people In your Nov. 20 edition of UMConnection Mike Beard, in his commentary, states how further restrictions, added to the already pernicious gun laws in the state of Maryland will save lives. However, gun control kills people. Thats right: innocent, law-abiding citizens are the victims of violent crime every day because they are prohibited by the restrictive gun laws of this state from carrying firearms for their own protection. I am no longer a member of The United Methodist Church, primarily because I dont want to support its left-wing, radical anti-gun agenda. People who support gun control have the blood of all the innocent victims of car-jackings, robberies, and rapes on their hands. Why dont they explain to the woman who was raped in the dark parking lot that a handgun in her purse, along with just a few days of safety training, would have prevented the crime that befell her? Gun control advocates lack the intestinal fortitude and courage to defend themselves. They would rather pay others to do the job for them, even if these people are never around when needed. Be a man, Mr. Beard. Get a spine and stop supporting this radical left-wing lunacy. John T. Hoffman
Former United Methodist, Huntington Mission cuts could be avoided The General Bard of Global Ministries, faced with current levels of support from local churches, has been led to cut back on mission and ministry. No new missionaries will be commissioned. Fewer missionaries will be out in the field. One of our own conference missionaries, Chiewlen Teo, serving in Malaysia, will not be renewed. We are appalled that this has become the situation, but it need not be so. Less than 15 percent of our conference churches have a covenant relationship with a missionary. Not every church pays its apportionment in full. If every church would pay its apportionment and we could get even half of the churches to support missionaries in covenant relationships, there would be no financial problem no need to cut the pool of missionaries. Our record of expansion in mission could continue unabated. People like Chiewlen could continue her work with autistic children, street people and addicts. Our pool of 2,151 missionaries serving 74 countries could continue to grow. Choose this day which way our church will go. Will we choose faithfulness, mission and ministry the way of life? Or will we choose a survivalist mentality that actually leads to death? It doesnt take much to choose life just an annual contribution of $3 a member of $2,500 for a church with more than 833 members. We pray you will rise to this challenge and respond faithfully. Rev. Kimberly A. Brown-Whale
Chair, conference Mission Personnel Committee Rev. Richard E. Brown-Whale
Conference Secretary of Global Ministries | 
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