African-American pastors and members of the United Methodist Church are gathering this week in Baltimore to map strategies for drawing communities closer to Christianity.

The 32nd meeting of the Black Methodists for Church Renewal will conclude a six-day conference Saturday at the Omni Inner Harbor Hotel.

The theme of the annual conference is "reaching out to the community," said Anne Williams, vice chairwoman of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. Her group is part of the United Methodist Church, which has 8.5 million members in the United States, about 36,000 of whom are African-American.

About 1,000 participants are expected.

The conference is "not only worship and fellowship, but a programmatic training to enhance the quality of ministry in the life of the church," says the Rev. Walter L. Kimbrough of Atlanta.

Delegates from the five jurisdictions of the church gathered yesterday to discuss reports of the past year and plans.

Workshops are addressing such issues as teen sexuality, alternative worship styles, self-imaging, AIDS and preaching the gospel in the inner city.

Workshops and meetings addressing parliamentary concerns of the renewal group are interspersed with worship, praise and messages.

Pub Date: 3/18/99