News

$25,000 Raised for West Angola Pastors' Support

Pastors in the California-Nevada Annual Conference now have raised more than $25,000 to support the salaries of pastors in West Angola. Twenty-five pastors in this Conference give 1% of their salaries, designated to supplement salaries of pastors in West Angola whose salaries have not been fully paid in their local situations. In all, 197 pastors in West Angola do not receive their full salaries.   "Every $100 that we send will help supplement a West Angolan pastor for one month....

Cal-Nevada Pastors Send Nearly $10K to Support West Angola Colleagues

At last year's Annual Conference Session some pastors in the California-Nevada Annual Conference committed 1% of their salaries to supplementing the salaries of pastors in West Angola. Nine months later we can report that they have sent nearly $10,000 to their West Angola colleagues! These funds are an investment in the biggest asset of the West Angolan Church – its pastors. The pastors represent the cutting edge for building peace in an impoverished country torn by years of civil war;...

Ship Carrying Tractor Was Scheduled to Dock on March 18

The ship carrying a John Deere tractor, Ford pick-up truck, and assorted farm implements and supplies donated to West Angola by the California-Nevada Annual Conference was scheduled to dock at Port Angola on Thursday, March 18. Relocation Benefits, which handled the shipment, reports that it could take five days or more for the cargo to clear customs and the farm equipment to be on its way to the Agricultural Training Farm near Porto Quipiri, north of Luanda.   The company will advise...

Teamwork Stretches Across the Miles to Realize a Dream for West Angola

United Methodist Connectionalism at work By Cate Monaghan Interim Communications Director CA-NV Annual Conference   Moving thousands of pounds of agricultural equipment 9,000 miles may seem to be a daunting task. When members of the team needed to accomplish that task are 2300 miles apart, it may seem undoable – or at the very least, unlikely. But that's not accounting for United Methodist Connectionalism!   This "journey of a thousand (plus) miles" began,...

Support African Children's Choir - Fill Sanctuary at FUMC Sacramento

The African Children's Choir will perform at First United Methodist Church of Sacramento next Wednesday evening, February 3 (at 7 p.m.), as part of a nationwide tour. There is no charge to attend the concert – but a love offering is requested.  Please – help fill the sanctuary, in support of these children.   First UMC is located at the corner of 21st and J Streets in Sacramento. Enter the sanctuary through the 21st Street entrance.   For more...

Tractor, Truck Are to Depart for Angola This Month

The 2009 Annual Conference Offering was designated for purchase of much-needed equipment for the Agricultural Training Farm near Porto Quipiri, north of Luanda, in West Angola. Thanks to your generosity, at long last the John Deere tractor (with accessories) and 2004 Ford F250 pick-up truck are due to depart the port of Savannah, Georgia on January 21, according to Phil Bandy, Interim Director of California-Nevada Volunteers in Mission, who is overseeing the project. "The items in this...

Consultation Paves the Way to Better Theological Education in Africa

Sept. 18, 2009 | KAMPALA, UGANDA – The lack of theological education and training resources in Africa is all too familiar to Yatta Young, dean of Gbarnga School of Theology in Monrovia, Liberia. "We rely on teachers' notes. We don't have books," Dr. Young said.   Young was among 23 United Methodist theologians, seminary representatives, and leaders from across Africa, as well as representatives from general church boards and agencies in the U.S., who gathered August...

Can You Give One Percent to Close the Gap?

Forty-seven others say, "Yes, I can!" Forty-seven pastors from the California-Nevada Annual Conference have committed themselves to giving 1% of their salaries to support the salaries of pastors serving in the West Angola Annual Conference - and they hope you will join them.   Many West Angola clergy do not receive their full salaries because of the impoverished situation of many of the congregations there. Through the Conference's West Angola Partnership, Cal-Nevada's...

Tractor, Truck Are Ready for Angola!

This year's Conference Offering was designated for purchase of agricultural equipment for West Angola. Today, "thanks to the generous donations of the people of the California-Nevada Annual Conference," reports Phil Bandy, Interim Director of Cal-Nev Volunteers in Mission, which is overseeing the project, "both the John Deere tractor (with accessories) and the 2004 Ford F250 pick-up truck have been procured and soon will be bound for the Agricultural Training Farm near Porto Quipiri, north of...

Churches - Remember to Take Conference Offering!

With Annual Conference Session only two weekends away, churches are reminded of the need to take a special Conference Offering, to be donated at ACS for purchase of agricultural equipment for the West Angola United Methodist Conference.   Your donations will go directly for purchase of a JD 5425 commercial-grade tractor, disc plow, cultivator, and other equipment for the Agricultural Training Farm near Porto Quipiri, north of Luanda.   Porto Quipiri was the site of a refugee camp...

Korean Language Version of Conference Offering Resource Is Available

A Korean language version of the Conference Offering slide narrative is now available for download.   Visit the 2009 Annual Conference Session page and scroll down to "Conference Offering" - where, in addition to the new Korean language slide narrative, you will find the PDF Presentation itself, the English language version of the slide narrative, a PowerPoint Presentation (in English), and a bulletin insert.   This year's Conference Offering, to be collected at Annual Conference...

Conference Offering Bulletin Insert Now Available to Download

A bulletin insert churches may download and print to inform their congregations about this year's Conference Offering has been added to the 2009 Annual Conference Session Page.   Also on that page: a PowerPoint presentation, and a PDF presentation with slide narrative - either of which churches may download and use to illustrate where the Conference Offering will go and the importance of it.   All new information and materials related to ACS are posted on the 2009 Annual...

Conference Offering Announced

The Conference Offering to be taken at this year's Annual Conference Session will go to support the West Angola Tractor Project. The offering is designated specifically for the purchase of a tractor, disc plow, and cultivator in support of the West Angola Conference's agricultural training project.   Donations received beyond the cost of the equipment will be used to buy trees, quality seed stock, and hand tools.   The equipment will be instrumental in getting the planned...

How to 'Do Good' Better

Learn how to "do good" - better. Sign up for "100 Villages Liberated: Dialogue and Practices for Sustainable Community Empowerment," a free one-day training taking place next month in West Sacramento.   Sponsored by California-Nevada United Methodist Volunteers in Mission and the Angola Partnership Committee, the training will be Saturday, April 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the UM Center (Room C), 1276 Halyard Drive, West Sacramento, CA 95691. It targets pastors, lay leaders, and...

Can Buying a Tractor and Trees Change the Future for Angolan Kids?

By Sue King UMVIM Director, CA-NV Annual Conference The answer is, "Yes, it can." Buying a tractor and trees can change the future for Angolan kids - at least, the 2004 California-Nevada UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) team believed so when they planted mango and banana trees at the site of the West Angola Training Farm north of Luanda. And today, the mango trees (below) stand 10 feet high in rows, thirsty for the irrigation waters that will soon flow again at the...

Sue King Writes From Angola

Oct. 17, 2008   Greetings from Angola!   After arriving here on October 3 we went almost immediately to the Annual Conference Session of the West Angola Conference, which was held in a northern province of Ndalantando, Oct. 5-12. Our team (Laura, Selena and Emily Heffernan; Donna Van Maanen; Rob Jennings-Teats; and I) are all well and our cups overfloweth with new learnings, new sights, and beautiful music!    Please greet your churches from the Angolan United...

New for Christmas 2007: 'Thank you for giving' cards to download

California-Nevada Conference Director of Stewardship Betsy Schwarzentraub has created Christmas “thank you” cards for Apportionments and Angola Partnership giving.   Brand new for the 2007 holiday season, the cards are available for downloading and reproducing by linking to 2007 Christmas Thank You Cards (under “Resources” on the green navigation bar near the top of the Conference Home Page at cnumc.org).   There are three versions of Apportionments cards, with the messages...

Journal from Luanda

Note from Editor: There is a strong heartbeat to our Angola Partnership – did you know? A heartbeat, hands, arms, voices, willing hearts and minds taking part in ministry and mission. We may not all be able to be there. But we are grateful to those who are going on our behalf. Here is the first of several  journal entries from Charles Hebel, chair of the Angola Partnership Committee in California-Nevada Annual conference and a member of Palo Alto UMC. Charles  just returned...

Educators are part of West Angola Partnership

Editor's Note: There is a strong heartbeat to our Angola Partnership – did you know? A heartbeat, hands, arms, voices, willing hearts and minds taking part in ministry and mission. We may not all be able to be there. But we are grateful to those who are going on our behalf. Here is the first of several  diary entries from Charles Hebel, chair of the Angola Partnership Committee in California-Nevada Annual conference and a member of Palo Alto UMC. Charles  just returned from...