May 3, 2004 GC04-052

By Linda Green*

PITTSBURGH (UMNS) — The United Methodist Church’s belief in family as the place where individuals are nurtured and sustained compelled delegates to adopt legislation to strengthen African-American family life.

Delegates to the denomination’s top legislative body amended and readopted a resolution stating that while all types of families are affected by economic and social change, today’s African-American families face problems of epidemic proportions, such as violence within the geographical community, new and virulent health problems, a high rate of cardiovascular illness and economic stress.

In an effort to make more people aware of the problems black families face, the delegates mandated that the United Methodist Board of Discipleship identify or create resources and materials to assist local congregations in developing mentoring, counseling and referral programs, which include implementing strategies for strengthening African-American family life. Delegates also called on the discipleship agency to produce listings of the resources and distribute and promote them in each of the church’s 63 annual conferences.

The Board of Discipleship is the church agency that provides resources and services to help church leaders build systems that enable every congregation to fulfill its primary task of making disciples of Jesus Christ. 

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer.

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