About Us
Grab interest
OUTLINE—OCC (Oklahoma Conderence of Chirches) 1979-1988: Memories & Highlights by Max E. Glenn (Rev. Dr. ret) Executive Director of statewide ecumenical body.
THE CALL—In 1979 I was trying to help a friend relocate & contacted chair of search cmte—we want YOU!
Arrival—I found OCC had a reputation as a “do nothing” organization.
Started with “Listening Conferences” across state
-gathered all congregations in a local community, asking what are the issues/needs in our community that the churches working together can meet/address? Also, which of these need statewide help to meet/resolve? As I remember we had 20 some sessions all across the state, occasionally included neighboring community
- build statewide agenda from these grassroots sessions (required at least one Denom Exec accompany me to each session.
Initiated an informal monthly breakfast for Bishops and denominational executives.
Leadership for Statewide OK Alliance on Aging
Changed rules for Nursing Homes, requiring on-site administrators & improved rules for operating in OK
Success of Alliance on Aging, legislator’s ask us to provide Leadership to create Statewide OK Coalition on Children, Youth & Families
New policies re Child Care for INS kids Closed institutions & started group homes
1980- Study – “Hunger & Poverty in OK” – researched & written by Sandy Ingraham when Fed Govt stopped entitlement programs
Sandy Ingraham monitored State Legislature on human service issues for us
Disaster Response – facilitated statewide committee, worked with FEMA and all OK groups- our interfaith/interagency approach contributed to the FEMA “Interfaith” model for disasters
Initiated Christian Unity with World Council of Churches study on Baptism, Eucharist & Ministry
Held legislative briefings in Tulsa in cooperation with Tulsa Metro Ministry
Day at the Legislature - brought over 500 people from across state to spend a day at Okla Capitol with speakers. workshops & visits to their legislator’s
Second, follow-up Study on “Hunger in OK” researched and written by Sandy Ingraham
1985 request by United Methodist Bishop to address FARM CRISIS in Oklahoma because of escalating foreclosures & suicide’s
$25,000 grant from Willie Nelson’s first FarmAID concert received to create a Crisis Hotline for Farmers
Organized AgLINK around hotline, recruited Mona Lee Brock, a farmer (lost their farm), school principal & counselor with all but one semester of a doctorate in counseling. The HOT LINE averaged a thousand calls a month at its peak and documenated over 500 lives saved from suicide.
Training sessions conducted with farmer team
-Organized AgLINK coalition of farmers, Univ Ag & Law, church
-Conducted training sessions across state for clergy with coalition team to recruit action teams of clergy & farmers to go to distressed farmers while they were kept on Hotline for suicide prevention
- organized teams in most of 77 counties of state-- documented over 500 lives saved
Advocacy for family farmers
-served on Exec Committee of Nat’l Save The Family Farm Coalition
-consulted with other state ecumenical bodies on how to address crisis in their state
-helped create a regional strategy for multi-state approach and brought Futurist, Robert Theobold for statewide work in OK & with the regional group resulted in Heatland Center
-created special task force bringing lawyers working for farm credit, lawyers representing farmers, OSU Ag economist and a federal judge who recommended a mediation approach
Created first accredited FARMER-CREDITOR MEDIATION program in USA staffed by James Stovall—recruited and trained volunteer mediators
Testified twice to US Senate Agriculture Committee on Farm Crisis & foreclosures in OK
Resource for OK Attorney General & state legislature and OK BAR Assoc with numerous opportunities for collaboration & advocacy.
- Attorney General directed staff “to check with OCCC/AgLINK before involvement in any farm/ag related cases”.
-Likewise, state Senate leaders looked to OCC for information & affirmation related to human services related budgets
OIL OVER-CHARGE REFUNDS—OK Governor Belmon asked OCC to distribute the $800,000. OK received -- worked with Homeless Shelters across state and provided architectural services to upgrade facilities with funds
The Rev. Marie Soward Green, a staff member, who coordinated the Oil Over-charge program also began an informal support group for clergy women
LETTERS
January 2, 2021
Mr. Wayne Allen
1102 Mahar Drive
Perkins, OK. 74059
Dear friend Wayne:
It is always fun to talk with you and share our memories. This morning was one of those “special” times and I want to follow it up by putting on paper my gratitude for our friendship over the past thirty-seven or so years.
We first met in the organizing meeting for the Oklahoma “AG-LINK” FARM CRISIS Hotline and family farmer support program at the Congregational Church in Kingfisher, if my memory is correct. This successful endeavor was sponsored by the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, the statewide ecumenical organization including protestant and catholic church bodies in Oklahoma.
You became an active part of the executive committee to guide this program. Your farm background, experience and passion for helping distressed farmers was a valuable asset in launching this statewide program, which soon became a vital part of the National network created by Willie Nelson’s FARM AID. In fact, our first $25,000 to establish the statewide HOTLINE came from Willie’s first FarmAid concert in 1985. The success of our program and the national credibility of our friend and colleague, Mona Lee Brock, resulted in you and Mona Lee providing counsel and help to Carolyn Mugar, FarmAid’s executive director in later years.
Wayne, one of the things I most appreciated about you and our relationship was your churchmanship. As an active elder in the in the Perkins Christian Church, you recognized my ministry in all that we were doing with farmers and communities across Oklahoma. You understood ministry beyond the local pastorate and supported me and became an advocate for my “ministry of presence.” In fact, you became a vital part of that ministry without questioning its validity! We were implementing the gospel—giving it legs! I always approached ministry asking “What would Jesus do in this situation?” There was never a question in my mind nor your mind but that Jesus would be fighting along side of every struggling farmer and proving food for their families when needed.
I remember Mona Lee closing every Hotline call with two questions: “Are your kids eating three meals a day?” and to get beyond the farmers’ pride asking the second “Is there food in your refrigerator?”
You helped me organize and staff the small meetings/training sessions across the state for clergy and farmers who became part of our statewide network of clergy/farmer teams to work with Mona Lee and go immediately to suicidal farmers while Mona Lee kept them on the phone. It is hard to believe, looking back, that this work documented over 450 lives saved! It was certainly worth the many long hours and long late-night drives to save these lives.
Your connections with family farmers through AMERICAN AG was a helpful resource.
Your support of the system we created was always more than 100%. Then you took on additional duties and operated the bulldozer given to us and you built ponds for farmers,
Then when we were offered a train load of SEED CORN you worked with AJ Rexroat to distribute that seen corn to farmers. And it did not stop there, you even collected roast-n-ears from the mature corn to feed the hungry at the Homeless shelter in OKC!
At 91 years old, you are still reaching out to people by phone and giving them a positive word of encouragement. I love our talks. Your memory of details is amazing.
Some day, when you have finished your earthly work, you will be greeted by our God with “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
And I say, thank you for being my friend and colleague these many years
Max
Max E. Glenn (The Rev. Dr. retired)
P.O. Box 325
Yachats, OR. 97498
Former Executive Director, Oklahoma Conference of Churches , 1979- 1988.