Church vs. Soccer on Sunday Morning

The newspaper was just full of good stuff today. My wife pointed out this column, which is just one more piece of the puzzle when it comes to reaching this generation of youth.

By BETSY HART
Scripps Howard News Service
2007-05-03 00:00:00

Now that it's getting warm, look for church attendance to drop even more.

That's the implication of an article in the current issue of the Baptist Press. Why? Because as Erin Roach reports, sports and other activities for families often trump church time for families, even for those who "regularly" attend church. The trend is most pronounced when it comes to church activities during the week. But as anyone who has driven past a busy soccer field on a Sunday morning knows, the trend affects the fullness of the pews on that day, too.

The Baptist Press looked at a survey of almost 500 pastors done for Leadership Magazine, a publication of Christianity Today. It found that family commitments and kids' activities are definitely bringing down church attendance. It seems that families are looking for more time together. But, ironically, on the menu of things to choose from, church is becoming one more option, even for Christian families. It's an "option" they often find is just not as relevant to them as sports or other events.

Pastors and other church leaders rightly bemoan the trend. I feel their pain, especially when I have to tell my kids they can't go to a Sunday-morning birthday party or Saturday-night sleepover, for instance.

But having watched this trend for some time, I also think the church too often enables parents. As at least one church leader and many parents noted in the Baptist Press piece, too often churches themselves split families up when they come in the door: kids here, adults there, teens in that program around the corner.

Youth programs are great, but historically families worshipped together on Sunday mornings. The age-divided worship programs (versus Sunday school after a church service, for instance) are new to the last half century. Interestingly, in his book "Intergenerational Religious Education," James White reports on studies showing that children who attend worship with their parents are more likely to regularly worship as adults than children who exclusively attend "children's church."

If families want together time, and they don't get it at church, that's one less reason to go. There's evidence, though, that the pendulum on segregating families may be swinging back again, as more and more churches seem to be realizing that as wonderful as their kids programs are, they've got to find ways to build on that and get families worshipping together, so that church becomes a family activity.

But I don't think even that vision will help reverse the trend toward lower church attendance by families if another trend not mentioned in the Baptist Press isn't addressed: Too often today, when it comes to the religious education of their kids, parents seem to think it's up to the "church experts" to handle it, and the church too often enables parents in their thinking.

When it comes to our kids, we are an expert-obsessed culture. We'll hire or find or read or rely on experts for almost every aspect of our kids' lives. Parents may too often think, "I'll let the church handle my child's religious life and give them what they need in that one hour a week."

But parents, by design, are the ones who have the time and intimacy with a child, over time, which is most likely to impact them with religious values. One hour a week, no matter how devoted the teachers. can do little if the parents aren't leading the way. Few people know this better than children's-ministry workers, who typically report that one of their biggest frustrations is that parents aren't more involved in the child's religious upbringing.

If churches communicated to moms and dads (the biblical pattern) that parents are the ones primarily responsible for their child's religious education and growth, might that refill those pews on Sunday mornings? I'm not sure. But I do know that if the church doesn't communicate that message, the church has little chance of winning families to worship before today's generation of youngsters are taking their own kids to soccer practice on Sunday morning.

(Betsy Hart hosts the "It Takes a Parent" radio show on WYLL-AM 1160 in Chicago. She can be reached at www.BetsyHart.net.)

Dear Abby - Is this for real?

For any of you with small children in the home, this letter to "Abby" is absolutely hilarious as well as disturbing. It is no wonder that our society is having problems dealing with children and violence. Read on.

DEAR ABBY: I have a 4-year-old who tends to act up from time to time. I have tried "time-outs" and even soft spanking and have taken his privileges away. Nothing seems to work. However, I have found that smashing one of his small toys with a hammer works well. Do you see any danger in this form of punishment? -- YOUNG MOM IN OKLAHOMA

OK, dry your eyes, quit laughing, and stop saying, "Do I see a DANGER?!" It is sad that she had to write a columnist to get an answer to this question. While I often have a problem with Abby's liberal viewpoint, she is right on this time.

DEAR YOUNG MOM: I certainly do. Smashing a child's toy with a hammer carries the same message that an abusive husband delivers when he smashes his fist through a wall. It implies, "You're next!" If you continue punishing your child in this way, he could begin modeling his behavior after yours and destroy other people's property -- including yours -- when he's angry.

Take the toy away if that's the only way to get through to your son. Tell him that it will be given to a child who has no toys to play with. But do not destroy the toy in front of your child.

Time's Article on Teens turned on to God

I was surfing the web on Saturday when I came across this article. It's interesting to note that the world is starting to take notice of what the religious community is doing, even if they don't understand it. It was also interesting to see how the teens responded to the survey which asked teens why they attended worship services. Take a look and tell me what you think.

Ormet reaches agreement

The following article appeared on the front page of the Oct. 21-22 Weekend edition of the Marietta Times:

By Connie Cartmell

The final agreement that will bring 900 Ormet Corp. employees back to work was reached Friday.

A power agreement with American Electric Power Co., announced Friday by Ormet, means that the 900 hourly workers, all members of United Steelworkers Union, will return to the company’s reduction plant, located in Hannibal, Monroe County, in a phased plan.

One-hundred-fifty workers returned to the plant this week, while another 100 workers will return by January to assist with the re-start, company officials said. One hundred new jobs may also be available due to the number of former workers that have moved on to other jobs or retired.

“(The workers) won’t be doing their own jobs right away, but will be helping with restarting, which is going to be a huge job,” said Ken Campbell, chief executive officer at Ormet, a major U.S. producer of aluminum, aluminum billet products and smelter-grade alumina.

“It will take us about six months from start to full ramp up.”

Prior to August when dozens of workers returned to the plant after agreeing with the company on a labor agreement, more than 1,200 union members had not worked at either of Ormet’s two Monroe County plants since going on strike in November 2004.

The power agreement means the company will be able to afford to reopen the six potlines at the reduction plant to full capacity. The company’s other Hannibal facility, an aluminum rolling mill, was sold to Aleris International last December and is not in operation.

The favorable agreement with AEP was helped along by the fact that the price of aluminum has more than doubled on the world market in the past two years that the plant has been closed.

“The price we’re paying now is higher than what was being paid when we closed down, but less than retail. We’re about in the middle,” Campbell said.

Electricity is a key component of the reduction plant’s mission.

The aluminum product, later used in the manufacture of automobiles, airplanes, construction, even in new housing, begins with powdered alumina, which is poured into pots, “zapped” with electricity, turned to molten metal, then poured into molds to be sold.

Late Friday, Monroe County officials, a worker at the cast house in the reduction plant and a union representative described their feelings about the news.

“This is very good news for the valley,” said Mark Shaw, contract coordinator with United Steel Workers.

“It’s been 26 months, the work stoppage was for 22 months and it’s been another three to four months negotiating with AEP,” he said.

Chuck Green, a nearly 18-year Ormet employee, said he’s heard rumors of the power agreement, but was thrilled to hear the news Friday.

Green 48, of 163 Cornerstone Drive, Marietta, returned to Ormet in mid-August after the labor agreement was finalized, but said the power agreement provides some security for his job too.

“I’m very pleased because if we didn’t get the power agreement and didn’t get the potlines up and running there’s no way we could get the cast house to survive, where I work,” Green said.

“With the pot rooms the cast house will survive. Without the pot rooms the whole plant would shut down eventually. ... It wasn’t cost effective the way we were having to do it.”

The average worker at the reduction plant earns about $20 an hour, along with full health care (no contribution), a 401K and pension plan. With all benefits, it works out to about $70,000 a year, Campbell said.

The response of Monroe County officials was quick and emotional.

“Fantastic,” said Francis “Sonny” Block, president of the board of Monroe County Commissioners. “Our prayers have been answered.”

Monroe Commissioner Gary Hudson breathed a sigh of relief, saying late Friday commissioners knew the agreement might be coming, but didn’t know when.

“I knew they were close,” Hudson said. “I’m elated. It’s fantastic news, I just can’t tell you. It’s time we had some good news in Monroe County.”

The ongoing strike and plant closure at Ormet caused the unemployment rate to soar to the highest in the state, 11.3 percent in May. By August, Hudson said the number dropped to a bit over 9 percent, still not good.

“We were up there before the plant even shut down,” he said. “This should help us out a lot, although all the employees going back to work are not from Monroe County.”

It’s expected some new jobs will be created next spring after all union members are recalled.

“We will be short people by the time we recall everybody,” Campbell said. “We know some of our workers have retired, some moved on to other jobs. The good news is there will be a bunch of new jobs for the last 100 people or so.”

The news is good, economically, for the entire region, said Mike Jacoby, director of Southeastern Ohio Port Authority.

“I think this is a big relief for the Mid-Ohio Valley,” Jacoby said. “Ormet is a big, big employer and this will ripple throughout the region.”

“We have companies in Washington County that supply Ormet,” Jacoby said.

At the same time, there was bad news for Burnside, La., where Ormet also announced Friday it will close the Burnside Alumina Division by the end of the year. Jobs will be gone for 250 employees there.

Workers from Burnside are not expected to be hired in Ohio for the Hannibal plant, he said, because of the vast distance between the two sites and because ample construction jobs have opened up there since Hurricane Katrina.

Loren Hartshorn, president of the local USWA 5724, said Campbell deserves the bulk of the credit for getting the plant back to being operational.

“His efforts are really appreciated,” Hartshorn said. “Ken was the major player in being able to successfully get a labor agreement and to now successfully reach a long-term agreement with American Electric Power.”

Campbell, at the helm of the dark and lifeless Ormet plant at Hannibal only since April, made a prediction to the handful of management employees left the day he arrived.

“I told them when I came that first day that I was going to fill the parking lot,” he said, adding that the plant is back online through the work of everyone involved.

“For some reason, everybody suddenly wanted to help and they did,” Campbell said. “They dropped their own agendas. It was cool to watch.”

Marietta Times reporter Sam Shawver and editor Justin McIntosh contributed.

Waning membership forces rural Ohio churches to close

The weekend edition’s religious section (Marietta Times Sept 29-Oct 1) featured an interesting article by the Associated Press. While the setting is western Ohio, the same trends are seen across the state. I don’t necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the article, but as a whole it is well worth the time to read:

CARLISLE – Many of Ohio’s small, rural churches are fading – even dying – as their congregations age and younger generations find other ways and places to worship.

The United Methodist Church, with the bulk of its churches in towns of under 50,000 or in the country, illustrates one measure of the decline: Total membership in western Ohio slipped one-third between 1980 and 2004, from 352,348 to 237,374.

“There’s a church in our conference that has a McDonald’s Playland in it,” said Pat Hiegel, a member of the 195-year-old McKendree United Methodist Church in eastern Miami County, where worship attendance two weeks ago stood at 13 people. “These little country churches don’t offer that. McKendree does not offer guitars and drums and that type of music. It’s very traditional, very conservative. People today have to be entertained.”

Topscott Primitive Baptist Church in Carlisle organized in 1814 and closed in 2003. In the village of Casstown, the Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1827, closed in 2002.

Many of these churches are unsure of how to change with the times or whether they should embrace change at all. Some see a tension inherent in trying to keep the church relevant to younger generations, yet reverent to God.

“You get a quality of irreverence with the casual dress of pastors, roc ‘n’ roll music and high tech equipment that’s transforming the way many growing churches across the Miami Valley worship,” said Elder Eddie Garrett, 73, who heads a membership of about 15 at the Thompson Memorial Primitive Baptist Church in Franklin. “It takes away from the spirituality of the service.”

But Mike Slaughter, 55, senior pastor at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church near Tipp City, one of the region’s largest churches, offers a different view.

“Jesus was considered irreverent,” he said. “Whatever the traditions of the religious people were, he violated those traditions. What he showed was true faith is how you treat people, how you made God make sense to people.”

Churches assume a primary role in building relationships and trust among people, especially in the countryside and in small towns, said Mark Partridge of Ohio University’s rural-urban policy program.

“They’re part of the glue that holds the community together,” Partridge said.

One of the area’s oldest surviving churches, McKendree, was founded in 1811 and held its services in a log cabin. Attendance reached about 80 to 100 people in the 1860’s and hovered around 60 in the 1940’s.

Today, two elementary pupils and one high school student attend McKendree, Hiegel said. The rest of those in attendance – typically about 15 people – range in age from mid-40’s to 90’s.

“It used to be churches were the only thing there was,” Hiegel said. “Now kids are so busy with soccer and football that churches just…,” she said, her words drifting off. “It’s a sad situation.”

Pastor Tim Reeves, who coordinates a United Methodist program that provides funding and educational programs, said rural congregations sometimes lack the resources to maintain aging churches, and to hire and keep a good pastor. In the Methodist church system, for example, it can cost 30 to 40 percent more to hire ordained elders instead of local pastors, who often have other jobs.

Garrett, whose small Primitive Baptist congregation shuns even instrumental accompaniment during hymns, sees another reason for exponential growth at larger churches.

Anonymity is appealing,” he said. “You get lost. Nobody knows your business. What they want is a religious country club. I pay my dues, and nobody says anything beyond that. That attracts the crowds.”

Poverty spreads in Ohio

We’ve known it is happening for some time, but seeing it in black and white on the front page of the newspaper is still a bit disconcerting. Ohio’s economic indicators are poor and getting worse. The article reflects this trend through the lens of a Salvation Army Officer, Maj. David Hathorn.

Marietta Times reporter Connie Cartmell writes, “The apparent local downturn comes in the wake of a report from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Survey and the American Community Survey that puts Ohio among states with the highest rates of poverty and lowest household income. Ohio is losing manufacturing jobs, adding low-paying service-related jobs, and steadily falling behind, a recent report shows.”

“From what I have read of this U.S. Census Bureau study, there is nothing specific about areas, such as southeastern Ohio,” said Jon Allen, deputy director for communications with Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. “There are a lot of economic factors that complicate this picture. Fewer jobs is one.”

While some look to the politicial races in 2008 to bring about a regional seachange, the somber reality is that the only way things will change is if we change. The current trends indicate that we are not yet ready to change.

Feasibility Study opens doors for Higher Ed.

In the August 3 edition of the Monroe County Beacon, Arlean Selvy reported on the progress of Belmont Technichal College in bringing a branch campus to the county. The county commissioners adopted a resolution by Dr. Joseph Bukowski, president of Belmont Tech., to conduct a feasibility study. This study will seek to identify the educational needs of the area, as well as the wants and wishes of current students, county residents, and the business community.

The study should be completed and analyzed in the next three to four months. The plan is to present at least three educational program proposals, and then select the one which will best fit the county's needs.

What is the goal of Education?

In our current cultural climate of “leaving no child behind,” proficiency testing has become the means of assessing progress. Such testing creates a climate in which a school’s curriculum is based upon what is being tested. This raises a serious question: What is the basis for a standardized “proficiency” test? Is it not to test children for a minimal standard of achievement? Such thinking makes educators set the bar at the least common denominator rather than setting it at the level of the average student’s potential. This means that in our current system, only the weakest students struggle, while those who are in the upper 40-50% of their class are being kept from realizing their own potential.

This leads to the opening question: What is the goal of education? Is it to prepare our children for their future, providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to be a productive member of society in a workplace that is increasingly global. If this is the goal of education, then the least common denominator cannot be our standard. Such an education would teach only the basics, never daring the students to push themselves to their potential.

Others would say that the goal of education is more complex. For those students who can not (or will not) attend college, school teaches those basic skills necessary for living and being productive in the workforce. For those students who do wish to pursue a college degree, the goal is to help them be well rounded, preparing each student for the unique experiences they will find in college. Yet how does standardized testing help these children?

At its best, testing does little more than diagnose where problems exist. It does nothing to fix the problems. And testing is not always at its best. Consider the child to whom the test is administered. Does that test show the child’s ability or does it show how well the child tested that day? As a pastor, I’ve talked to parents whose child has failed one of these tests. On one occasion, the child’s parents were divorced just a few days before the test. Another child was ill the day of the test, but was well enough to go to school. Both of these children are bright; both were functioning well under their full potential, and both failed the test. When the test was re-administered later, both children passed the test easily.

Talking with several teachers, it seems clear that this type of testing is not the way to move forward. Yet if we move away from standardized testing, how then do we assess the effectiveness of our children’s education? The answer to that question is yet to be found.

Ormet OKs Contract

(By Brad Bauer of The Marietta Times, bbauer@mariettatimes.com)

CLARINGTON — Striking Ormet workers voted Sunday in favor of a tentative agreement that could end a 20-month dispute and get 865 workers back to their jobs.

The agreement gives workers wage increases, improved pension, $1,500 signing bonuses and guaranteed 40-hour work weeks, and gives retirees back their health benefits.

More than 1,200 union members have not worked at either of Ormet’s two Monroe County plants since going on strike in Nov. 22, 2004.

Mark Goddard, recording secretary for United Steelworkers Local 5724, said union members approved the new contract by a vote of 551-79.

Still, it remains unclear how soon or how many of the company’s workers will be called back to work.

Ormet still needs to negotiate a new deal for electricity service similar to what other industrial users have in the region before the company can restart the reduction facility, which turned ore into aluminum for processing, the union said.

“One major hurdle has been taken care of. The next hurdle is to get this smelter reduction plant back up and running,” said Jim Markus, vice president of United Steelworkers Local 5724, which represents about 850 workers.

“This is just a positive first step in a process that’s still going to take some time,” Goddard said. “Really, we have no idea of how long it could take and what all is going to be involved.

Goddard said Ormet officials are working with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to secure an electric rate to run the aluminum reduction facility about 50 miles north of Marietta on Ohio 7.

“If they get that agreement worked out, we could be back in there reasonably quickly,” Goddard said.

The company’s other Hannibal facility, an aluminum rolling mill, remains closed. All of its equipment was sold to Aleris International in December.

Most workers going to vote at the union hall Sunday seemed eager to get back to work. A few workers expressed concern about labor issues left unsettled in the agreement approved Sunday, including forced overtime and seniority rights.

“It sounds like a good deal to me and I’m all for it,” said Josh Semon, 28, of Woodsfield, a three-year employee of the company. “This strike has been hard on everyone and I’m ready to get back to work. We had some forced overtime before all of this. Really, I’d rather be working forced overtime than to not be working at all.”

John Sidon, 61, of St. Clairsville, a 38-year Ormet employee, said he was comfortable with the agreement.

“I’m not a bit concerned with any of this,” Sidon said. “This is a good contract and I’m comfortable with it the way it is.”

The few who spoke out against the agreement asked their names not be published.

Sidon and several other workers commented they were glad the agreement will continue to take care of retirees.

One of the sticking points in contract negotiations had been ensuring that about 2,000 Ormet retirees would not lose their health benefits as they was scheduled to happen at the end of this year.

Once finalized, the contract between the union and Ormet will be in effect until Dec. 31, 2009.

Ormet was the largest employer in Monroe County, which has about 15,000 residents and had a 9.2 percent unemployment rate in May, the highest in the state.

The company has about 2,200 employees at operations in Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Louisiana.

On the Net: Ormet Corp.

United Steelworkers

Recent Issues Impact Education

First, I want to apologize for the lack of posts this week. Things have been pretty crazy here the last week or two. For anyone waiting for the third part of the model of church sermon, look for it to be up sometime early next week.

There are two issues that I would like to touch on, both of which would have been their own posts any other week. The first is the TEL amendment and the second is the push for legalized gambling in Ohio. Both of these issues have a common thread—they will directly impact our educational system.

The TEL amendment, short for Tax Expenditure Limitation, was an issue that would have been placed on the fall ballot. Both parties have sought to gain political leverage from the issue, which in its original form would limit all government spending within the state. However, the implications this act would have on local government and school systems were not considered.

When the problems with the issue were raised by advocacy groups, the state’s legislature passed their own version of the bill, which fixed the problem of local governments and schools. While the issue should be dead, there is still some uncertainty as to the fate of the ballot issue and if it can be repealed.


The other issue that caught my attention this week was the push for legalizing gambling in Ohio. While this has been a hotly debated topic for years, the issue has always been pretty clear. The benefits that legalized gambling brings are offset by the increase in crime and the social impact.

What I find sickening is that one of the selling points for legalizing more vegas-style gambling is that a percentage of the profits go to help fund education. That is what they also said about the Ohio lottery. While it is true that the Ohio lottery gives a percentage of their proceeds to education, the government then took an equal amount back out so that it could be used elsewhere. This is not new funding, but reshuffling the deck. The negatives that surround this issue make it a pretty easy decision. Gambling is not the path to the future in Ohio.

For more information on these stories, see the links below:

TEL and Schools

TEL and local government

TEL and politics

gambling editorial

gambling story

Grants pave way for broadband

The Monroe County commissioners met on May 8, 2006, discussing issues that included wireless broadband internet and a proposal for a higher education center. According to an article in the Monroe County Beacon by Arlean Selvy, “county officials committed … over $100,000 [for] … the successful development and expansion of wireless broadband within the county and beyond.” Currently, wireless exists only within a two-mile radius around the county seat of Woodsfield.

High-speed internet access is a vital part of helping small businesses compete and grow in an increasingly global marketplace. With this faster internet, county residents may also be able to utilize both distance learning and telemedicine technologies, which could help the county overcome the isolation that exists within the region.

Current plans will require only about 300 customers to the service for it to break even. The long-range goal is to expand coverage to surrounding counties. In a related matter, commissioners signed a letter of support for additional grant monies. The grant, if received, would build a broadband community connectivity center in Graysville.

Finally, Dr. Joseph Bukowski, president of Belmont Technical College, spoke to the commissioners about a proposal to build a higher education center in the county. While the proposal is still largely conceptual and more study is needed, a possible site has already been identified.

As regular readers of this blog will know, these are issues that I have talked about several times. It is good to see that I am not alone in my assessment of the situation, and that steps are being taken by the residents of the area to respond to the changes they see around them. These proposals, if brought to fruition, will be a huge leap forward for an area that often lags behind much of the rest of the state. While these projects (especially the education center) are still off in the future, they are important steps towards making Monroe County a strong and vital area for future generations.

Kindergarten testing links poverty to achievement in education

It was not shocking information. Rather, its impact was based more upon the implications of something many in the educational field have known for a long time. General educational performance is linked to economic means.

In Monday’s edition of the Marietta Times, an article by the Associated Press looked at the results of the test administered to kindergarten-age children in Ohio this year. While there were exceptions to the trend (especially among charter schools), the general trend was still solidly established.

When this trend is established, the implications are greater than the information itself. Our current system of funding (though declared unconstitutional) continues to provide funding based upon property taxes. Thus, affluent areas have greater revenue due to higher property values, while impoverished areas have less revenue. The implications of the testing, however, suggest that impoverished areas have the greater need. How does money help? Better equipment, better teacher/student ratios, and the ability to hire tutors, aides, etc. to help students who need more individual attention.

At the Bishops’ statewide hearings on public education, the need was put into concrete terms: to make the funding of Ohio’s schools fair and equitable for every student. (see Education 101) There is general agreement about the need for a fair and equitable funding for education, but there is little agreement about where this funding should come from.

I think the solution requires more than just economic know-how. It requires each of us to envision what the educational system would look like if it were fair and equitable. The picture needs to be established, because it is so far removed from our normal frame of reference. Only by finding that vision can we begin to work backwards to finding a means of getting there. The discussion, both within the church and within the capital, is ongoing. If you would like to offer your view, drop a comment to the post. I would like to hear others views on the subject as well.

The trouble with statistics

In several recent posts, I’ve talked about the picture painted by the statistics that I’ve read regarding the state of Monroe county in particular, and the state of Appalachian Ohio in general.

However, the reality is that most of the statistics that I have been able to find have been dated. The most complete information comes from the 2000 census, so it is a little over five years old. Other data has been from as late as 2004. Only articles in the local papers have provided more recent statistical information, and they often quote the statistic without giving the source or any means of verifying the numbers they present.

Another issue with statistics is the manner in which the raw data is gathered and compiled. With a variety of statistical methods in use, data can often be interpreted in a variety of ways. Further, different methods of gathering data offer varying degrees of accuracy.

That is the trouble with statistics. What I have learned about the area I minister in tells me what the county was like five years ago. While Appalachia changes more slowly than other areas, recent socio-economic changes that have been felt in the region have caused a major shift. This makes all the previous data a prelude to the current reality.

So here is a plea to the readers of this blog: if you read, stumble onto, or surf your way to sources of statistical information that is more recent, please drop me a line. You can leave a comment with the information, and I’ll make sure to give proper credit in posting.

Thanks in advance.

- Pastor Tom

Monroe's jobless rate 11.3 percent, tops in Ohio

The sound of hammers pounding in the distance ushers in the beginning of Summer. While many look to this season as a time to be outdoors and enjoy nature, it is also a boon to many in the construction business. This is only one of many areas of business that see a surge of work over the warmer months.

The result of this trend is a decline in the unemployment rate over these months. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported that 87 of Ohio’s 88 counties have seen such a drop. Yet despite a drop of over 2% (from 13.9 in Feb. to 11.3 in March), Monroe County remains on top of the state’s counties in unemployment.

The high rate is largely the result of the strike at the Ormet plant. In a county of only about 15,000, the loss of Ormet’s 600 jobs has had a devastating effect on the local economy. While 600 jobs might not sound like a lot, the decrease in disposable income has caused local craftsmen and merchants to cut jobs as well.

The effects are being felt in the church as well. While giving has remained has steady at my churches, many local pastors I’ve talked to have seen a sharp drop in the offerings over the last few months. All of this begs the question: what is the future of Monroe County?

As I write this, I am thinking of Jesus words about the birds and the flowers. He will continue to provide. But my heart breaks for so many who do not have a source of hope and comfort. With the future looking so dim, how can the church provide a ray of hope for the hurting?

Troubling Statistics

Before I get too far along with this post, I need to apologize for my absence the past week. I’ve had several hospital visits, a wedding, started a three-day revival last evening, and have a funeral tomorrow. Life has a way of overwhelming you from time to time and this was just my time.

Some weeks ago, I began to scour the internet for statistics on Appalachia and my specific county. I was looking for concrete numbers with which to construct a more accurate picture of where the region/county has been and where we now are. So much of what you hear is colored by emotions, worry, fear, and pessimism. I wanted hard, empirical evidence of what was going on.

I was not able to find very much. The most helpful information I found was county-by-county statistical reports based off of information from the last census. I dove into the report and tried to get a good handle on the statistics that were there. What I found surprised me. The picture that I hear from people in the area, while far from optimistic, pales in the light of the picture painted by the statistics. What appears to be pessimism is really blind optimism, with little reality behind it.

To make matters worse, the data in the report is old. The bleak picture is based on the assumption that the aluminum plant is still in operation. The prevailing opinion remains that the county survived before the factory went in, and they’ll survive again without it. However, since the factory went in, the steel and coal industries in the county have dried up. So what appears to be a slow, steady decline has been accelerated by a failing economy, poor schools, and the false hope that someone will come and bail them out. Already, the county has jumped to the top with the highest poverty rate of any of Ohio's 88 counties. Further, unemployment is soaring, the county's population is dropping, and the future looks disheartening.

Despite these troubling statistics, God is a god of hope. While I believe that a pie-in-the-sky hope of the nameless someone saving the county is a joke, I also believe that with God, all things are possible. With hard work, determination, and a godly vision, the people of this region can begin to see transformation. But before that can happen, they need to take off the rose-colored glasses and take a long, hard look at where they are.

Diversity in Appalachia

As I reflect on the problem facing the region commonly known as Appalachia, I was struck by the realization that the region is so diverse that no one solution is likely going to fit. In my ministry, I’ve served in four pastoral charges (a total of seven churches), each of which have been located in Appalachia. Further, my hometown is also in Appalachia, although it does not really fit the commonly conceived profile of the region.

Consider first New Philadelphia, which is a small city of roughly 18,000 people, located in the center of Tuscarawas County. I was born in raised here, and served my first three churches within this county. While there are parts of the county that are rural, it is far from what many would call Appalachia. New Philadelphia boasts a strong manufacturing base, a regional campus of Kent State University, and a small-town atmosphere. Add to this fact that Dover has grown right into New Philadelphia, and you have two similar towns that together have a population of about 30,000 people.

Stillwater, on the other hand, better fits the Appalachian stereotype. Located about 30 minutes south of New Philadelphia on State Route 800, this crossroads boasts a general store, a gas company (recently sold), and a dozen houses. Just off the state route is the first church I served. The people there were either retired (35%), worked in New Philadelphia/Dover (25%), and the rest farmed (25%) or were still in school (5%). The area looked to the New Philadelphia/Dover area for its continued existence.

My next two churches were in the northwest corner of Homes County. Just outside of Amish country, Lakeville was a farming community that was undergoing change. The younger families that were moving in worked in Wooster, about 20 minutes North, while many of the older families still farmed or where retired. The town’s makeup was simple: there was an elementary school, a post office, the fire department (volunteer), and the church. There was an abandoned feed mill, a closed garage/gas station, and two to three dozen houses. Just outside of town, on a Friday night, you could see dirt-track auto racing. The thing that was most striking in that area was the trailer park about two miles outside of town. When we took Thanksgiving baskets the first year, we took two to the trailer park. I have rarely ever seen so many people living in abject poverty in my life. While Lakeville fit the stereotype, the poor had been priced out of town and relegated (by their own economic means) to the trailer park.

Now I find myself in the heart of the Appalachian region, living in the midst of the stereotype. In town, there is one business, a post office, and houses. Woodsfield, the county seat, is shrinking, and we are living 45 minutes from any large population center. Thus, these people lack many of the opportunities that have existed in the communities I have lived in. Without any tangible hope, many folks down here have simply given up.

Much of what I had come to know simply as “rural ministry” has really been Appalachian ministry. There are some characteristics that have largely remained unchanged (see the post "Ten Characteristics of Appalachia", but the quality of life and the opportunities available vary widely. There is little hope that my current context will ever become as prosperous as New Philadelphia. Yet as I read many of the articles about Appalachia, Marietta, New Philadelphia, and other pockets of prosperity are lifted up as a sign of hope for the region. While I am glad that these areas are flourishing, they should not be allowed to take the eyes off of the reality that is Appalachia, the “hidden Ohio.”

Ohio: a microcosm of the U.S.

I was searching on-line for material for another post when I stumbled onto this old CNN article by Richard Quest, entitled Ohio: a microcosm of U.S. Below, I’ve extracted just the beginning of this article, which points to the importance of Ohio in the bigger political picture. With the primaries coming up, I thought that this might get some reaction. Further, it will be interesting to see how accurate this plays out. Here's the article:

WELLINGTON, Ohio (CNN) – It has been said many times, but repetition does not diminish its importance. In the race for the White House, the state of Ohio has taken on an importance quite out of proportion.

Only a visit to the state really underscores why this is so, and why with its 20 electoral votes, Ohio will define who wins the presidential elections.

The reason is Ohio is a microcosm of the entire United States.

The major newspaper, The Plain Dealer, has called it “The Five Ohios,” with differing economies and politics.

The northeast for instance, which includes Cleveland, and where the voters traditionally turn democrat.

The Southwest, which is deeply conservative and traditionally votes republican.

And in between, a huge farming belt (where church and family are strong), a desperately poor Appalachian region with the highest concentration of Veterans in the U.S., and a central region which is suburbia personified.

This is America writ small.

Can ARC live on?

On Thursday evening, U.S. Senator George Voinovich (R – OH) visited Washington State Community College to build support for the continue funding of the Appalachian Regional Commission or ARC. Formed in 1965, ARC “was founded on the premise that the Appalachian region was not keeping up with the rest of the country in terms of access to trade, industry, jobs, education, and infrastructure.” (Diane DeCola, Support for ARC gathered, The Marietta Times, April 21, 2006) The Senator stated that “despite our success to date, ARC has not completed its mission in southeastern Ohio and throughout Appalachia. The most valuable investment we can make in a region is [in] its people.”

In all, ARC covers 400 counties in 13 states, representing more than 23 million people. ARC continues to be a vital player in the success of the region. For every federal dollar that ARC spends, $11 is spent from other sources, including $8 from the private sector.

ARC’s success can be seen in the numbers. Since its creation, ARC has helped lower the poverty rate from 31 percent to 13 percent. The infant mortality rate has dropped by two-thirds. Adult education has soared with an increase of 70 percent in adults with at least a high school education. The commission continues to focus on a wide range of issues and projects, ranging from jobs to telecommunications; from education to healthcare; and from sewer and water to highways.

In 2002, the ARC was reauthorized for five more years. Now, with 2007 just around the corner, the push is on to secure funding for its continuance into the future. But Voinovich points out there are still barriers to receiving funding. “One problem…is that…the pressure on…non-defense discretionary [funding] is enormous,” he said. Still, the program has considerable leverage in terms of investments beyond ARC funds. The $11 that match the federal investment will go a long ways to help secure ARC’s future. With the help of testimonies like those voiced at Thursday’s meeting, Sen. Voinovich is preparing to go to battle for ARC, and for the future of the region.

For more information on ARC, go to their web site at http://www.arc.gov/

The "New" Blue-collar industry

Appalachian Ohio is a study in contrasts. Worry coexists with a sense hope; the struggle of daily life compliments the continued sense of progress. In a time when the manufacturing base that has long supported this area is largely drying up, many have pointed to information and technology as the solution. However, there will always be a blue-collar segment of the population in this area. For them, a new industry is emerging – or rather an old one has arisen from the ashes and is back again.

The industry? Energy. With the cost of oil and natural gas rising so dramatically over the past few years, there has been a renewed interest in alternative energy sources. One of these alternatives is Ohio coal.

In one of his recent articles on Appalachian Ohio, AP writer James Hannah states, “Coal mining was once king in the state’s Appalachian foothills. But the industry went into a nosedive in the 1980s because of falling foreign demand and increased production of cheaper coal from Western states. Mines closed, and a generation of potential miners left their tiny towns to make their livings elsewhere, dealing a hard blow to a region already lagging behind the state economically.”

In addition to the cheaper coal from out west, the high sulfur content in Ohio coal (often referred to as “dirty coal”) caused many buyers to turn to other alternatives when the EPA began to crack down on the air pollution caused by sulfur dioxide gasses. The process of cleaning the coal was expensive and drove the cost of the commodity up even higher.

But as the cost of oil and natural gas continue to rise, many power companies (now equipped with pollution-controlling scrubbers) are turning back to the yet untapped resources in their own back yard. The new technology required by the government makes it possible for most of these power plants to burn the high-sulfur coal without any noticeable increase in pollutants.

Hannah reports that the “demand for U.S. coal is expected to be a record 1.2 billion tons this year,” and with “about 100 mines and 35 coal companies in Ohio” and the mining workforce at a twenty-year low, companies “are running ads and conducting job fairs, . . . offering pay increases, and improved benefits and bonuses to attract new miners.”

In the midst of a rapidly changing economy, the boom being felt in the mining industry is a boon to the Ohio Valley. It offers the area a chance to ease the transition from blue-collar labor to service and high-tech information jobs. Further, the increased revenue that mining will bring is vitally needed to stimulate the economy and bring the necessary infrastructure into place. The contrast between coal mining and high-tech might seem out of place most places, but in Appalachian Ohio, it is just one more contrast.

For more information, check out the Ohio Coal Association at: http://www.ohiocoal.com/

10 Common Characteristics of Appalachia

1. Individualism, Self-Reliance, Pride - most obvious characteristics; necessary on the early frontier; look after oneself; solitude; freedom; do things for oneself; not wanting to be beholding to others; make do

2. Religion - values and meaning to life spring from religious sources; fatalistic (outside factors control one's life, fate, believe things happen for a reason and will work out for the best); sustains people in hard times

3. Neighborliness and Hospitality - help each other out, but suspicious of strangers; spontaneous to invite people for a meal, to spend the night, etc.

4. Family Solidarity or Familism - family centered; loyalty runs deep; responsibility may extend beyond immediate family; "blood is thicker than water"

5. Personalism - relates well to others; go to great lengths to keep from offending others; getting along is more important than letting one's feelings be known; think in terms of persons rather than degrees or professional reputations

6. Love of Place - never forget "back home" and go there as often as possible; revitalizing, especially if a migrant; sometimes stay in places where there is no hope of maintaining decent lives

7. Modesty and Being Oneself - believe one should not put on airs; be oneself, not a phony; don't pretend to be something you're not or be boastful; don't get above your raising

8. Sense of Beauty - displayed through folksongs, poems, arts, crafts, etc., colorful language metaphors, e.g. "I'm as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs."

9. Sense of Humor - seem dour, but laugh at ourselves; do not appreciate being laughed at; humor sustains people in hard times

10. Patriotism - goes back to Civil War times; flag, land, relationships are important; shows up in community celebration and festivals

(from: Appalachian Values by Loyal Jones. The Jesse Stuart Foundation, 1994.)