What if the only people in the world who could remember your name were your parents? What if sometimes they even got confused? What if, every time you were introduced your name was mispronounced, or forgotten, or the introducers just made up something they felt was close? What if you were constantly being confused with someone else? Would you have an identity crisis?

Such has been the plight of the United Methodist Renewal Services Fellowship, Inc. Alias Manna Ministries, which is often confused with groups whose mission is to feed the poor, provide counseling services, or with gay groups that have adopted the same name. Sometimes, we are also known as UMRSF (which is not a good acrostic or easy to remember), the Renewal Fellowship, or Aldersgate.

Consultants tell me that it is impossible to promote a ministry that has an identity crisis...that is, one that is not easily recognizable and easy to remember.

After years of discussion, the UMRSF Board of Directors voted earlier this year to change our "working" name to something that identifies us more clearly and is easier to remember. The name that was chosen: Aldersgate Renewal Ministries. Aldersgate is who we are! Renewal is what we are about! Ministries are what we do!

It's what we call our national gathering, it's our family and community. Aldersgate is Wesleyan, Methodist, evangelical, charismatic, and ecumenical. Aldersgate implies new birth, new power, gifts, grace, sanctification, holiness, and servanthood. Years ago at Aldersgate street, a fire was lit in the heart of John Wesley that ignited flames in the hearts of multitudes. People still have "heart warming" experiences at Aldersgate.

We are praying and working to help renew the UMC to a New Testament, apostolic, church in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are an instrument of Godthat is "bringing the life of the Holy Spirit into the life of the Church."

A national conference on the Holy Spirit, Life in the Spirit Seminars, Regional Fellowships, Prayer Events, Leadership Training, etc. We are loving, caring, sharing, serving, healing, praying, praising, preaching, teaching, evangelizing vessels of God!

We will continue to use our legal name (United Methodist Renewal Services Fellowship, Inc.) on all published materials but our "Nickname" will be: