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Ministry Info
	The TN Conference is comprised of seven (7) districts where there are 50 predominantly African-American churches with a total of 5,075 members. The average attendance each Sunday is 2,717. Clarksville Dist.: 6 churches, 231 members, 186 avg. attendance Columbia Dist.: 5 churches, 256 members, 140 avg. attendance Cookeville Dist.: 10 churches, 379 members, 299 avg. attendance Cumberland Dist.: 8 churches, 658 members, 391 avg. attendance Murfreesboro Dist.: 8 churches, 619 members, 310 avg. attendance Nashville Dist.: 11 churches, 2872 members, 1353 avg. attendance Pulaski Dist.: 2 churches, 60 members, 38 avg. attendance More info: > There are 36 charges served by 11 full-time pastors and 25 part-time pastors > There is one African-American serving as Superintendent (Columbia Dist.) > One as Director of the CCOCM > Two serve as directors of the Wesley Foundations, TSU and Fisk University > There are 7 African-Americans serving cross-racial appointments (3 in Nashville Dist., 2 in Cumberland Dist., 1 in Clarksville Dist., and 1 in Cookeville Dist.) > One of these cross-racial congregations can be considered mixed (Hobson UMC) of East Nashville > Nancy Webb Kelly UMC is a unique ministry in East Nashville with 76 African-American members and 8 Anglo members served by an Anglo pastor. This full-time ministry is connected to Community Care Fellowship and our United Methodist Mission.
Leadership Personnel	VIEW Comprehensive African-American Strategic Team personnel	Chair: Stephen Handy
Ministry Resources	> The SBC-21 The General Conference has voted to set forth several new programs to address membership growth and development in the United Methodist Church utilizing the theme of Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors. The African-American segment of the UMC was to receive special attention and focus for growth and developing vital ministry. The special program is called SBC-21, better known as Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century. The SBC-21 focus is to partner stronger churches with churches in need of assistance toward their development. The resource centers being the stronger churches as indicated previously will host persons from around the country to spend time in their church community observing and being mentored. They will then follow-up on a regular basis to evaluate and provide encouragement. It is hoped that the efforts of the General Conference along with the resourcefulness of our Tennessee Conference will serve to help stimulate every church to be centers for vital, spiritual and dynamic ministries. For more information, please visit the Black Methodists For Church Renewal website by clicking on the banner below:

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Black College Fund, leaving a legacy for generations (Press release, 12/12/11)
SBC 21 leaders encouraged by transformational learning model (from TNUMConnects 7/28/11)

Black College Fund, leaving a legacy for generations (Press release, 12/12/11)

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UMC Giving Facebook

Dear Friends,

Every family strives to leave a legacy for generations to come. Interwoven in the legacy of The United Methodist Church is the success of Black College Fund institutions and the students they serve. We are grateful for your continued support that creates opportunities for students to access quality education.

Your contributions to the Black College Fund provide resources needed to sustain the 11 historically black colleges and universities. Each institution is equipped to provide practical educational experiences that prepare students for meaningful careers. Faculty and staff members translate their own passion and commitment to excellence in education by creating relevant, challenging and innovative programs. At our colleges and universities, students embark on lifelong journeys as they explore their calling and commitment to leadership, mission and ministry.

Our institutions nurture students who are motivated and inspired to achieve success. As students find supportive learning environments, they begin to understand the importance of using their skills to make a difference for others. Bethune-Cookman University student volunteers, for example, offer free tax service to members of the community. Bridget Sisney, a student at Dillard University, pursues her dream of helping children with health disorders through a career as a pediatric geneticist. Having grown up in the foster-care system, Deborah Denzel helps youth experiencing foster care through a mentoring program at Bennett College. Claflin University will train students interested in forensic science in its new lab that also supports the work of local law enforcement. These examples demonstrate how students are encouraged to be in service and to find ways to combine their life experiences and their education to make a worthwhile impact in communities around the world.

The more than 16,000 students of the Black College Fund institutions value your support as they strive to achieve their educational goals. They appreciate your prayers and financial gifts. Your continued investment in their education will ensure the sustainability of our United Methodist family legacy.

With humble thanks and gratitude,

Cynthia A. Bond Hopson, Ph. D., Assistant General Secretary

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SBC 21 leaders encouraged by transformational learning model (from TNUMConnects 7/28/11)

For immediate release

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century launched its Collaborative Coaching Network (CCN) with more than 40 of the most effective pastoral and lay leaders in the African-American Church. The CCN is charged by the SBC 21 Coordinating Committee to nurture partner congregations via covenant relationships and coaching.

“Our main purpose and focus in designing and launching this Collaborative Coaching Network is to increase the number of highly vital congregations within the SBC21 scope,” said Fred Allen, National Executive Director of SBC21. “This has been an unwavering mission of ours and we have made tremendous progress towards that goal. We often hear that our training events are productive and informative, but the disconnect is often the follow-up. So introducing this method of follow-up with Mentor Coaches will help close the gap,” he said.

The 2-day training, led by Dr. Sherry Daniels, CEO of OnPoint Church Coaching & Consultation and Dr. Rodney Smothers, Lead Coach for Coachmin: A Ministry Training Resource Team, introduced about 33 CCN Coaches to the collaborative coaching system which will more effectively resource the partner congregation Churches. “We have to ask ourselves- what will success look like as a result of our Collaborative Coaching Network presence?” Smothers said. Will churches be healthy, relevant and innovative in their approach to meeting the spiritual needs in their communities,” he asked.

Participants were introduced and trained on new resources using technology as well as was informed on the overall Call to Action and what it means for the local churches. The remaining training events for 2011 will be the first groups to participate in this new model.

Senior Pastor Junius Dotson, whose church will host a CRC Training event in September, says that this method will bold well for the effectiveness of his upcoming training. “We must be more intentional about helping our partner congregations experience vitality in ministry not just through teaching, but through demonstration, modeling and coaching," Dotson said. A list of all the 2011 SBC21 training events is available at www.sbc21.org.

“From this training we will assemble a team of coaches who are innovative, thorough and effective in leadership and outreach," said Rose Booker-Jones, Chair of the Program Committee for SBC21. “These Coaches are charged with engaging, connecting and leading Pastors to help set clear vision and desired outcomes that can be measured for success. This type of accountability will make the relationships with the SBC21 coach and the PC more meaningful,” Booker-Jones added.

About the Collaborative Coaching Network
The primary task of the Collaborative Coaching Network is a relationship-based program with the intent to nurture Partner Congregations via covenant relationships and coaching. A Mentor Coach will be carefully selected and matched with a PC who has met the SBC21 application criteria. The PC must be accepted into the CCN program. The Mentor Coaches will serve as a subject expert and assist their PC team(s) in areas such as worship, leadership administration, outreach and Christian education that will allow them to achieve measurable success.

About SBC21
Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century is a transformational learning model that enables one congregation to share its gift with other churches that are seeking growth, vitality and transformation and wanting to expand their gifts of mission and ministry, in the process, to revitalize Black congregations and The United Methodist Church.

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