NASHVILLE, Tenn. - United Methodists will have an opportunity to chat online with the top executive of the church's missions agency May 15.The online conversation with the Rev. R. Randy Day, staff head of the UnitedMethodist Board of Global Ministries, will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time.People can participate in the event, "Mission in the 21st Century: A Chatwith Randy Day," by logging on to www.UMC.org, the denomination's officialonline ministry.

Day will outline his vision for the future of mission and discuss thechallenges and opportunities ahead. The audience will submit questions andcomments in real time directly to him, so participants will guide the chat'sdirection and focus. Topics are expected to include:- The reality of the church having to do more with fewer resources.- The church's role in helping rebuild Iraq after the war.- The Board of Global Ministries' financial situation.- The challenges the church faces as it becomes increasingly global.

Day was elected chief staff executive of the board in October, succeeding theRev. Randolph Nugent, who held the position for 21 years. Day, 55, hadoverseen the agency's program areas of Evangelism and Church Growth as wellas Community and Institutional Ministries since September 2000. Before then,he served pastorates in Connecticut and New York and was a districtsuperintendent for New York City from 1984 to 1990.

He has been involved in mission work around the world and has been active onhuman rights and peace issues.

"Mission in the 21st Century: A Chat with Randy Day" is being produced bywww.UMC.org, an initiative of United Methodist Communications, in cooperationwith the Board of Global Ministries. More details are available at the Website.

By Albert H. Lee
chtoday_editor@chtoday.com