Gilbert C. Hanke, top staff executive of the General Commission on United Methodist Men, is one of 11 persons nominated as “United Methodist of the Year.”
The United Methodist Reporter selected two staff executives with the General Board of Global Ministries who died in the Haiti earthquake for the top honor.
“For the courageous service to the poorest of God’s children that cost them their lives,” the national weekly newspaper selected the Rev. Sam Dixon and the Rev. Clinton Rabb to posthumously share the distinction of being their 2010 United Methodists of the Year.
“They literally gave their lives in the cause of improving human living conditions,” said Thomas Kemper, top executive of the mission board.
Hanke was nominated for his mission work in the U.S. and abroad. Putting his professional skills in speech pathology to work, Hanke has led 18 mission trips to Haiti, eight trips to Costa Rica and one trip to Tomsk, Siberia, to help children with hearing impairments and other handicaps.
Hanke also traveled to Haiti in January 2010 as part of a mission team rebuilding a school in Mellier.
As general secretary, Mr. Hanke worked with the North Carolina Bible Outreach program to introduce DISCIPLE Bible study in male prisons within five states, and partnered with Stop Hunger Now in an effort to provide emergency rations all around the globe. At the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Fort Hill, Va., he promoted the Nothing But Nets program and passed out New Testaments to the 5,000 scouts attending a worship service.
Other nominees
Pittsburgh Area Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton was nominated for his work as United Methodism’s “point man” for wiping out malaria.
Dr. Tom Brian, , a dentist and a member of First UMC in Allen, Texas, created Send Hope in 1995 to help provide for the medical and dental needs for persons in the remote area of La Mosquitia, Honduras.
The Rev. Noel Denison, retired director of Serving Ministry at Chapelwood UMC in Houston, Texas, was nominated for her long-time dedication to children and others in need in the community.
Robert “Bob” Dibble, was honored for his ministries at First UMC in Boerne, Texas, and his mission work in Mexico and Uganda.
The Rev. Donald E. Messer, executive director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS in Centennial, Colo., was nominated for his dedication to helping those affected by HIV and AIDS.
The Rev. Romeo del Rosario, a missionary for the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) who served in Sierra Leone, Jerusalem, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Philippines. He now serves in Cambodia
Stefanie Schutz, 17, a member of Wellspring UMC in Georgetown, Texas, was nominated for work with the Connectional Table. Active in all levels of youth ministry, she wrote a piece of legislation passed at the Global Young People’s Convocation in Berlin.
Stephen Wilke, executive director of the Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship, was nominated for work to bring “the current tools of the culture (online software for providing online college course curriculum) to the UMC.”