From Ben Silva-Netto

Charge Conference. The first round of charge conferences took Marlyn and me to the North Coastal Region. It was a good and for many reasons genuinely inspiring and profoundly learning experience. Beyond the superficial nature of cold statistics and addresses in the Conference Journal, I got acquainted with our local churches and was able to hear the celebrations of their ministries, their genuine sense of exciting possibilities within their specific contexts, the conflicts and problems that have stimulated their life as a community for better or for worse. I got to know our pastors and their families. I have been deeply blessed as they shared with me their faith journey, the fire or the passions that have provided meaning and fulfillment in their life and ministry, the focus of their professional ministry and their church, the fruits that they and their congregations could celebrate and be thankful for, and the things they do for fun and family to provide balance in their life.

Places of holy mystery. I wish to whisper silently to you, lest my colleagues in the Cabinet would see me as an object of envy, that this trip to the North Coast has further confirmed my feeling that I have been assigned to the most wonderful area of our Conference. Driving through Highway 299 led us through breathtaking scenery where a river seems to slither its way through rocks and hills and trees running playfully parallel to the precipitously winding road. And the giant redwoods tower like magnificent cathedral compellingly inviting weary travelers to worship the Creator. And when we reached the beaches, as the river, I suspect, did too, the great ocean seems to rush to shore and kisses the sand with its white foamy waves. I tell you, in spite of all the things that are happening in the world, Marlyn and I couldn't help but stand on tiptoe at the edge of profound wonderment. There are many of these places of holy mystery around.

Church of the Redwoods. There must have been close to thirty five folks who attended the Charge Conference at Klamath United Methodist Church. In addition to the food (wonderful salmon cooked in a variety of ways), fun (the jokes were clean and demonstrated Rule #6), and fellowship, the people shared their dreams. They talked about the first Sunday of worship with Michael Piña with only fifteen folks in attendance to an average of forty five and growing. They talked about making strong connections with the Yurok tribe, the predominant Native American tribe in the area. They talked about making this church one of the centers for the blending of Native American and Christian spirituality. They talked about improving the church building and their facilities to make it attractive for tourists as a place where they could stop and worship as they go through highway 101 (the church is only a few yards from the highway). They talked about a building that will house products produced by the women's group. And I saw a sign in the highway that indicates that the church is participating in the "Adopt a Highway" program. They talked about changing the name of the church to "Church of the Redwoods," as they are the only "active" church in the area.

Church of the Joyful Healer. It was an unusual building for a church. The newly planted congregation started by Pastor Rod Brayfindley bought a Western Auto shop and converted it into a Karate training center as well as a worship space for the fledgling congregation. They now have a membership of about 180 faithful disciples and growing. The Charge Conference of over 40 folks celebrated the progress they have made in reaching out to the people of the community with programs that address the holistic needs of people. They are evidently outgrowing their facility and the owner of the shopping center where they are located is giving them a hard time because of the growing parking spaces being used by their folks. So they talked about building a new church building.

The Crescent. It is probably not the northernmost church in the District, but it's close enough to the Oregon border that some of its members connect more closely with the Walk to Emmaus chapter in Oregon. After five years of focusing on remodeling their building and upgrading their facility (because of termites and other damages), Pastor Carol Layton indicated that she is just now starting her ministry at Crescent City. This is not exactly true because her ministry started the moment she was appointed to this church and the congregation has seen growth in membership, increase in financial giving and stewardship, more visibility in the community with their strong involvement in the ecumenical activities and Pastor Layton's programs specially with grief ministry. When asked what legacy would she leave in the community, Pastor Layton indicated exciting transformations, but most specially the strengthening of the JUMP (Jefferson United Methodist Parishes) Cooperative Parish, which includes Smith River and Klamath. They dream of having regular meetings and seminars with the North Coast Cluster and of developing effective communication system within the District (Pastor Layton has been appointed the Chairperson of the Committee on Communication for Shasta).