Who Will Care for the Orphan?: If You Are a United Methodist, It Could Be You! b

Description: Who Will Care for the Orphan? by Wayne Lavender This book is an important contribution for all United Methodists concerned that their denomination is approaching irrelevance. Within its pages Dr. Lavender offers a Biblical, Wesleyan and means-tested approach that both saves the lives of millions of orphans and vulnerable children and inspires evangelical hope for the church. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Feeding, providing potable water, clothing, housing, education, and access to healthcare for orphans and vulnerable children will provide the United Methodist Church its raison dê·tre for the 21st offers United Methodists an alternative to the bitter infighting that has defined, divided, and created deep divisions within the denomination for the past forty years. Suggesting that United Methodist must agree to disagree on some political and theological positions, this proposed path forward replaces internal debate with service to the least, the last, and the lost. Dr. Lavender, drawing from decades of pastoral leadership, personal stories, and extensive research, presents the compelling needs of orphans and vulnerable children around the planet, laying out the case that caring for these little ones is a key to true peace with justice. Author Biography Wayne Lavender is a United Methodist pastor dedicated to creating a world of peace and justice for all people. In addition to serving churches in Connecticut for twenty years, he is a teacher with experience in both Iraq and the US, author, and active speaker, having led over 200 workshops on peace with justice. A winner of the Harry E. Denman Evangelism Award in 2004, he earned his B.A. from Drew University, M.Div. and M.A. from the Pacific School of Religion, and a Ph.D. from the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. Long Description This book is an important contribution for all United Methodists concerned that their denomination is approaching irrelevance. Within its pages Dr. Lavender offers a Biblical, Wesleyan and means-tested approach that both saves the lives of millions of orphans and vulnerable children and inspires evangelical hope for the church. Excerpt from Book "In the midst of life we are in death." They are words that have been spoken by thousands of pastors down through the centuries. This phrase is found in "A Service of Committal" from the United Methodist Churchs (UMC) Book of Worship, and is one that I used over 400 times during my years as a UMC pastor. Derived from the Latin media vita in morte summus, the phrase likely originated in France in the 8th Century and is part of a longer passage: Media vita in morte sumus ; quem quaerimus adjutorem, nisi te Domine, qui pro peccatis nostris juste irasceris? Sancte Deus, mnia fortis, mnia et misericors Salvator, amarae morti ne tradas nos. In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we seek for succor, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased? Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Savior, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Sadly, these words could be spoken 26,000 times per day, every day, over the lifeless bodies of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) who succumb to the effects of extreme poverty around the planet. These deaths are, almost without exception, avoidable: together, the human family has the resources, technology and capacity to greatly reduce infant and child mortality rates, reproducing in the developing world what has taken place in the rich, developed nations across the planet. Tragically, what we lack, however, is the commitment to make this happen. Modern medical and technological innovation--in the form of sanitation, vaccinations, potable water and nutrition--have lowered the infant mortality rate (deaths of children under the age of 1) in the rich, developed, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Nations (OECD) to less than 5 per thousand and the child mortality rate (deaths of children under the age of 5) to 7 per thousand. This contrasts sharply with the developing nations, located primarily in the global south, where the infant mortality rate runs as high as 150 per 1000 and the child mortality rate exceeds 200 per thousand. Acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, measles, malaria and malnutrition linked to extreme poverty continue to take their toll on children through and past the age of 18 in the developing world in great contrast to the OECD nations where these issues are virtually non-existent. This is, in essence, a discussion about location: the odds of a child dying before the age of 18 are approximately fifty times higher if said child is unfortunate enough to have been born in a poor, undeveloped nation. This staggering reality--26,000 children die daily around the world from the effects of extreme poverty--means that eight times more children die every day from the effects of extreme poverty than the total number of persons who were killed in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Consider this: One child dies every three seconds somewhere on planet earth from the effects of extreme poverty. Twenty children die every minute around the world from preventable causes: this is the same number of children who were murdered in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. 400 children die every twenty minutes whose lives could be spared for as little as a dollar per child per day: this is the same number of passengers on a fully loaded Boeing 747. 1,200 children die every hour: this is similar to the number of persons who died on the Titanic (Titanic - approximately 1,500 deaths). 26,000 children die every day: more children die every day around the world than the total number of persons who can attend a concert, hockey, basketball game or circus at Madison Square Garden. 182,000 children die every week: this is approximately the total number of who live in Providence, RI, the capital of that state. 10 million children die every year because of a lack of potable water, vaccines, food and other basic medicine: this is a number equal to the total number of persons the Nazis executed in Germany under Adolf Hitler during the reign of the Third Reich (6 million Jews plus 4 million gypsies, homosexuals, disabled persons and others the Nazis considered inferior). The ongoing death toll of these children rarely makes news in the mainstream media, in faith-based publications, in the blogosphere, worship services or in personal conversations. Out of sight and out of mind for most of us in the developed world, we turn a blind eye to the suffering of these little ones whose very care we--as global citizens, persons of faith, Christians and members of the United Methodist Church--are responsible for. These are real deaths of real children taking place during our lifetimes despite our propensity for collective denial and a shared refusal to accept moral responsibilities. These deaths occur all around the globe but are primarily centered in the undeveloped nations of the global south. The angel of death hovers over these children in the favelas of South America, in the slums of India, in the villages and cities of Africa and beyond. Parallel and overlapping the tragic death of these 26,000 children per day is the crisis of orphans, of children being raised without one or both parents. Although reliable data is difficult to find a recent UN Report estimates that there are up to 210,000,000 orphans worldwide, and that every day 5,760 more children become orphans. War, AIDS, malaria, cholera, famine, environmental degradation and the mismanagement and or corruption of governing institutions have created conditions of extreme poverty and communities filled with orphaned children and teenagers. The suffering of children around the planet--from the death of 10 million children per year to the existence of 210 million orphans alive and struggling to survive--should elicit an unparalleled response from people of faith all around the world instead of the collective sigh and shrug of our shoulders it usually generates. Seriously, how can any follower of Jesus Christ not be affected and moved to action by these facts? There is no simple answer to this question. On a daily basis we hear of wars, death and destruction: there are always stories in the news of sexual abuse, disease, natural disasters, car/train/airplane accidents, school shootings, police brutality. No matter which way we turn, there are more victims to help, worthy causes to support, rallies to attend, and rights to protect. And we have helped: we have walked and sponsored friends in CROP Walks, we have worked at soup kitchens and overnight shelters, we have sponsored children through agencies where, "for $3 per day you can save a child;" we have paid our World Service apportionments and given to special UMCOR Disaster Responses through specific Advance requests. We have participated and supported others in Volunteers In Mission (VIM) Teams, have sponsored missionaries and given to programs such as the "Imagine No Malaria Campaign." We have engaged in all forms of fundraising, from pancake breakfast to spaghetti suppers, from car washes to the sale of chocolate and wrapping paper. We have held walk-a-thons, sit-a-thons, dance-a-thons and fast-a-thons. We have given and we have helped--to be sure. But the problems still persist. In fact, they are probably getting worse. It is obvious that the worlds needs are greater than our personal or denominational resources. And, because we cannot address all of these issues, we sometimes retreat and neglect to address any of them. Instead of using our time, talents, gifts and resources to help where we are capable of making a difference we, as individuals, avoid the mission field altogether and choose, instead, to mulch our garden, renovate the kitchen or build a new storage shed in an effort to feel that we are at least accomplishing something. As a denomination our collective apathy towards helping the human condition around the planet is sidetracked by interdenominational quarreling or the ongoing quest for church growth. But while these activities might salve our conscience for a while we know, on a deeper level, that the call to true discipleship demands far more. We will not solve the worlds problems through fundraisers. The world has some significant problems. United Methodists could take a lead role in addressing these concerns, but we have been too busy with other issues and, to an extent, discouraged and disillusioned. If we change our minds and our approach and return to a Wesleyan theology and methodology, however, we can help lots of people, including ourselves. We can contribute greatly towards building a world of peace with justice and, through our faithful service and sacrifice, attract millions of new members. Wouldnt this be a great direction for a world with children in great need and our struggling denomination? The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) defines an "orphan" as a person under the age of 18 who has lost at least one parent. Most Americans think that an orphan is a child under 18 who has lost both parents: internationally, a child who has lost one parent is considered an orphan and a child whose mother and father have both died is considered a "double orphan." A maternal orphan is a child whose mother has died and a paternal orphan one whose father had died. While it is obvious that a double orphan, in most circumstances, will suffer more than a maternal or paternal orphan, conditions in the developing world often make it extremely difficult for a child who has lost even one parent to become successful or, in too many circumstances, even survive. In nations where the competition for resources is fierce and the life expectancy hovers around the age 50, as it does in most of Sub-Saharan Africa, the loss of one parent usually creates a crisis--the loss of both parents is often catastrophic. The word " Description for Sales People Although the United Methodist Church is in great decline, the denomination still has over 7 million members in the US and another 5+million around the world. Members of the UMC are, generally speaking, well educated, eager readers and greatly interested in addressing the declining numbers of the denomination and finding solutions to growth. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Movement, focused his ministry on evangelism and service to the poor - key components of this new book. This book moves the discussion within the denomination from theological debate and division to constructive dialogue across political and religious division on how to best serve the needs of orphans and vulnerable children around the planet. Details ISBN1630478563 Short Title WHO WILL CARE FOR THE ORPHAN Language English ISBN-10 1630478563 ISBN-13 9781630478568 Media Book Format Hardcover Author Wayne Lavender Pages 200 Series Morgan James Faith Year 2016 Subtitle If You Are a United Methodist, It Could Be You! Country of Publication United States Illustrations black & white illustrations Imprint Morgan James Faith Publication Date 2016-05-26 NZ Release Date 2016-05-26 US Release Date 2016-05-26 UK Release Date 2016-05-26 Publisher Morgan James Publishing llc Alternative 9781630478568 Audience General AU Release Date 2016-05-25 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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