April 2024

Here from Luther’s preface is his explanation of a new beginning through grace by faith: Faith, however, is a divine work in us which changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, John 1[:12-13]. It kills the old Adam and makes us altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers; and it brings with it the Holy Spirit. O it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done them, and is constantly doing them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever. He gropes and looks around for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Yet he talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace. Thus it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate heat and light from fire. Martin Luther’s “Preface to the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans” 1522

Wesley’s heart was strangely warmed by the fire of God’s intimate love. It was the interior holy fire of the Spirits indwelling which comes to those born anew of God by faith in Jesus.  May, 1746 at the Methodist Conference, faith and works were discussed. Is so doing holiness was defined as salvation continued The definitions is an adaptation of Galatians 5:6 the only thing that counts is faith working through love. The conference declared: In asserting salvation by faith, we mean this: (1.) That pardon (salvation begun) is received by faith producing works. 315  (2.) That holiness (salvation continued) is faith working by love MINUTES OF SOME TUESDAY, TEN O’CLOCK. MR. TAYLOR of Quinton, and T. Glascot

This scriptural holiness of faith at work is a mainstay of Methodism. It is to begin by faith with new being and then progress in becoming and doing. Separating faith from works though is not just an ancient malady. It is as fresh as today, as local as the nearest church and evidenced by improbable warm darkness and cold firelight.

So UMRA, what is our faith at work through love. I would understand it to be our advocating first that Jesus makes the difference in our lives, in our congregations and communities. Do we agree that our Wesleyan inseparable faith and works witness informs Our Mission: To be an advocate for the work of Jesus Christ in rural town and country communities?  

As we pray and prepare for General Conference, I commend this passage from Galatians 5 translated by Eugene Peterson^4-6. I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.  Galatians 5:4-5 MSG

As Wesley, may our hearts too burn and may the fire be inseparable being and doing, faith and works, and heat and light.

UMRA Banquet

by Deb Ketcham, Event Coordinator

United Methodist Rural Advocates National Banquet

All who are attending the UMC General Conference in Charlotte, NC are invited to attend the UMRA National Banquet on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. for a meat and vegetarian buffet at the Doubletree by Hilton, Charlotte uptown, near UNC.

Our guest speaker will be the Reverend Allen Stanton, author of Reclaiming Rural: Building and Thriving Rural Congregations. We will honor various persons who have promoted, to the greater church, the needs of the town & country and rural churches in the U.S. and around the world. We will install our new officers for the next quadrennium and enjoy greeting Dr. Dana Lyle, Director of Multiethnic Ministries of the General Board of Global Ministries, and other special guests.

Reservations are due April 10, 2024. Each meal is $48.00. Please complete and send the reservation form, with check payable to UMRA to: Rev. Deb Ketcham, 9546 Lakeshore Dr. E., Huntsville, OH 43324. We look forward to seeing you there!

Registration form may be found here.

Growing Hope Globally

submitted by Rev. Mark E Swanson, Interim CEO/Regional Director

Growing Hope Globally is a Christian response to hunger that works predominantly in rural communities through Growing Projects to raise funds for agricultural development programs with our trusted partners including UMCOR.

One of our Growing Projects is in Greenfield, Iowa which involves Greenfield United Methodist Church called "Fields of Faith". Here's a video the church made: https://vimeo.com/875320741.

UMRA at General Conference

by Randy Wall, UMRA Chair

At the time that you read this,  United Methodists from around the globe will be soon heading to Charlotte North Carolina for General Conference or they are already there.      Due to the COVID pandemic,   General Conference did not take place in 2020 as had  been planned.     General Conference delegates will not be the only ones in attendance as there will be host of  others including persons working with the United Methodist Rural Advocates.    The United Methodist Rural Fellowship (the predecessor for what is now known as the United Methodist Rural Advocates)  was born at General Conference 1940.   Since then,   lay and  clergy volunteers working with the United Methodist Rural Advocates have attended to work for the vitality of rural people, rural churches, and rural communities.  There are a number of petitions to the General Conference that the United Methodist Rural Advocates has sent for consideration of  the General Conference.  You can review information about these petitions at the following web site:    www.umruraladvocates.org.     If you are a General Conference delegate, I hope that you will give them  your support.   If you are not a General Conference delegate and you support them,  I hope that you will share the same with the General Conference delegates from your annual conference. 

As I write this,  General Conference in Charlotte is  just a few weeks away.    I have been reflecting  in recent days that the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, stated that Christian conferencing was a means of grace   (along with other Christian disciplines such as prayer, the Bible, and the Lords Supper.   It is obvious that the Methodists of Mr. Wesley's day did not gather in a place for Christian conferencing like the Charlotte Convention Center or  come to conferencing  via a plane, train, or  automobile.   Yet,  I believe that Christian conferencing can still be a means of grace.    As I look at myself, here are a few things that are essential for me to know that grace at General Conference in Charlotte:

·         That I see each person I meet or I listen to as a brother or sister in Christ even if their thoughts, opinions, skin color, language, or nationality might be different than my own

·         That I am as quick to listen to what people say as I am to respond with my thoughts about what they have said

·         That amid the hours of meetings, motions, and gatherings  that I take time to listen well and listen often to what God  is saying to me and to all of us

It is my hope and prayer that our Christian conferencing in Charlotte might be a means of grace for me and for all  who come.   Let it be Lord.  Let it be!

Devotions - a Letter from Jim

submitted by Ron Williams



Dear Friends,

Growing up in the central part of the San Joaquin Valley, my brothers and I loved backpacking in the high Sierra’s during the summer. On one of the trips, a good friend of mine who was working that summer for the California Department of Forestry organized our itinerary. We began the five-day hike in the evening to get a good start on the 26-mile loop trail. We had never hiked at night before, so we had to use our flashlights for that portion. On the last day of our backpacking trip, we hiked the same portion of the trail, but during the day. One of my brothers, who was afraid of heights, swore at my friend because the trail was narrow and on one side of the trail it was nearly a sheer cliff. We found it more difficult to navigate during the day than at night, because at night we could not see the danger. We trusted in our flashlights and in my friend’s experience and leadership to lead us one step at a time.

I often reflect back on that hike and how analogous it is to our life experiences. Sometimes life’s circumstances can feel like treacherous terrain and the pathways through it both narrow and precipitous. In Psalm 119:105 the passage reads, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word is able to guide us, even in the darkest moments. As Lent comes to an end and as we enter into Holy Week, my prayer for all of us is to ask God to help us keep our eyes on the living Word of God, our Lord Jesus, and to follow his example of humility and suffering through his passion and into his glory. I wish you all a blessed Holy Week.

Reprinted with permission from Jim Ennis, Executive Director, Catholic Rural Life

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