Three NC Conference ministries received the 2024 Jack and Kay Crum Award administered by the NC Conference Board of Church and Society.
In 1990, Jack and Kay Crum established The Endowment for Prophetic Church. The purpose of the Endowment is to encourage churches and ordained ministers to be “on the cutting edge for incisive prophetic ministry” in order to aid NC Conference churches to become active in social action, not just social service.
The 2024 award recipients are Partners in Ministry, Benson Memorial United Methodist Church, and Duke Memorial United Methodist Church.
Partners in Ministry
Since 2007, Partners in Ministry has been impacting and transforming lives in Richmond, Scotland, and Robeson counties with a mission of, “Instilling hope and empowering change, one family at a time, by helping to break the cycle of generational poverty in struggling communities and building and sustaining healthy communities.”
Under the servant leadership of Dr. Melba McCallum, Deaconess and Executive Director, Partners in Ministry is a National Mission Institution that has a history of investing in the lives of all touched by their ministries:
- 4,679 young adults have graduated through Youth Empowered to Succeed (YES) programs
- 353 mission teams deployed to provide urgent home repairs to impoverished housing
- 3,500+ families served through the food pantry
- 16,000+ volunteer hours in support of ministries
Partners in Ministry represents a clear and present example of being “on the cutting edge for incisive prophetic ministry,” especially in its efforts to support young people in living to their full potential. It encourages, equips, and assists students to excel, propelling them into a future full of confidence and hope. Partners in Ministry is indeed a prophetic ministry that embodies the social action values of the Crum Award.
Benson Memorial United Methodist Church, Raleigh
Benson Memorial UMC is committed to antiracism work in several ways. It has hosted antiracism training for community leaders in Raleigh by the Racial Equity Institute in partnership with Raleigh Organizing Against Racism. The church also marks the anniversary of George Floyd’s killing each year with either a memorial march or an interfaith and ecumenical service of prayer and lament, calling attention to the need for continued attention to the work of antiracism.
Benson Memorial also extends the work of antiracism with a thriving prison ministry that involves ministry to the incarcerated and finding ways to assist those who are leaving prison to rebuild their lives. They have involved over 20 people and have worked alongside and learned from a formerly incarcerated person as they do their work of understanding the layers of intersectionality and this ministry focus. Last year, Benson Memorial sponsored a re-entry simulation that simulated leaving prison and re-entering life outside of prison. This opportunity to do the hard work of becoming educated garnered 60 people, of which 30 were from Benson Memorial and 30 from the surrounding community.
The work of these ministries has now manifested in the launch of a Justice Choir, a group of singers committed to supporting antiracism and other justice work through the gift of music. This new choir will provide music as part of the rotation of Benson Memorial music offerings and targeted special services like the George Floyd service of Prayer and Lament.
Through all these efforts, members of Benson Memorial have collaborated with leaders of the larger community to work for change and better understand that as God made all humanity, we are to love our neighbors and work for the flourishing of all.
The work of antiracism is foundational to Benson Memorial’s discipleship model. This recognition is leading Benson Memorial to explore activities to support spiritual formation for better justice and antiracism work.
Duke Memorial United Methodist Church, Durham
Duke Memorial has been a strong advocate for the prophetic ministry of full inclusion and radical hospitality. In teaching, congregational practice, and missional emphasis, they live into their mission statement, “You are welcomed. You are loved.” While their mission and ministries are strong and varied, two that stand out are their work with LGBTQ+ inclusion and antiracism.
In 2017, the church established a strong welcome statement that affirmed Duke Memorial’s intent to be a place of welcome and hospitality for all people, including persons of all gender identities and sexual orientations. After the General Conference of 2019, the church focused on being a beacon of welcome and support for the LGBTQ+ community in Durham both in their welcoming practice and through rainbow banners outside the church. They developed a task force on inclusion. This has led to a number of programs and events.
Three initiatives of note are:
- Marching in the Durham PRIDE parade
- Development of Queerly Beloved, a worship service that celebrates and affirms the gifted ministry of LGBTQ+ clergy
- Creating the Supportive Church Initiative to empower, encourage, and financially support LGBTQ+ seminarians
In 2022, Duke Memorial’s active Anti-Racism team was succeeded by the newly created Anti-Oppression Team. The three-fold purpose of this team is to keep the church moving forward in its effort to be anti-racist and anti-oppressive, hold the church accountable, and build bridges across the congregation in this important work. The work of this team has led to the development of an Anti-Racism Formation Guide for individuals, an anti-racism small group guide, and an event entitled “Pilgrimage of Pain and Hope.”
Duke Memorial is ever-evolving as they seek to reach out to persons who are “left outside” in the church and in the community.