NEWS AND FEATURES
Boy Scouts lawsuit raises legal concern for churches
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — A Nov. 16 deadline approaches for churches to file paperwork intended to shield them from any potential liability stemming from a class action lawsuit against Boy Scouts of America over past sexual abuse claims. Joey Butler reports.
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New group explores General Conference options
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — With COVID-19 still menacing the globe, General Conference organizers are exploring various options for holding The United Methodist Church's international lawmaking assembly. They have appointed a technology study team that will look at online options. Heather Hahn reports.
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UM News: Should General Conference go virtual?
Faith calms fears for COVID-19 survivors
MANILA, Philippines (UM News) — Several Filipino United Methodists, including some on the front lines, credit God and their faith with helping them triumph over the coronavirus. "COVID-19 was life-threatening, but God's love and faithfulness was lifesaving," said Dr. Glenn Roy V. Paraso, who spent a month in the hospital after contracting the virus. Gladys P. Mangiduyos has the story.
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Racial and sexual parity linked, panelists say
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Real progress on racial issues in The United Methodist Church is impossible unless LGBTQ people are accepted as full participants in every aspect of the denomination, said both panelists during a sometimes emotional online discussion about racism. The topic of intersectionality was discussed in the hourlong conversation. Jim Patterson reports.
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Read about panel discussion on voter suppression
Learn more about Dismantling Racism initiative
Ask The UMC
Do United Methodists observe Sabbath on Sunday?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For United Methodists and other Christians, Sunday is the Lord's Day, the day of Christian worship. Sabbath is a Hebrew word meaning "seventh," and the seventh day, for both Jewish and Christian people, is Saturday. Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, has more on the history of Sabbath.
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Read more Ask The UMC
Pastors reveal emotional toll of pandemic
HARARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — More than seven months after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Zimbabwe, United Methodist leaders are reflecting on the emotional toll of the pandemic. Pastors are busy counseling traumatized families while also dealing with their own fears and anxiety. Chenayi Kumuterera has the story.
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Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
Bishop: 'Numb with sadness' after police shooting
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Area Bishop Peggy A. Johnson said the fatal shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. by police leaves Christians "numb with sadness for this continual bloodshed." She called on United Methodists to pray for justice, peace and the investigation.
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Nigeria bishop calls for dialogue on police reform
JALINGO, Nigeria (UM News) — Nigeria Area Bishop John Wesley Yohanna is calling on the government to address the protests going on in the country through dialogue rather than police and military forces. According to Amnesty International, the Nigerian army and police killed at least 12 protesters on Oct. 20. Several United Methodist pastors said they were witnesses to the violence. The Rev. Ande Emmanuel reports.
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Effort underway to restock library after fire
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — After fire gutted parts of United Methodist Hartzell High School last year, the school's former students wanted to help. The Hartzell Old Student Association set its sights on restocking the library, which lost an estimated 40,000 books. Kudzai Chingwe reports.
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New 2020 annual conference reports posted
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News is posting 2020 annual conference reports. New this week are California-Nevada, Holston and Susquehanna.
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Tennessee Conference
Remembering COVID-19 dead with ribbons
LASCASSAS, Tenn. — The United Methodist Church at Dunaway's Chapel has been hanging ribbons of remembrance in front of the chapel for lives lost due to COVID-19. The Rev. James H. Overcast writes about making sure people are not forgotten.
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Holston Conference
8 ways to be a peacemaker
ALCOA, Tenn. — A bitter election. A deadly virus. Unrelenting racism. Economic, environmental and social crises. With the Christian witness of peace desperately needed, Annette Spence talked to eight United Methodists about how they model peace.
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Greater Northwest Conference
Wildfires, COVID-19 put communities in survival mode
PORTLAND, Ore. — For the Hispanic and Latinx migrant communities working the fields and farms of the Willamette Valley to the southern border of Oregon and north through the landscape of central Washington, there has never been a safety net for them or their families. Wildfires and COVID-19 have added fuel to their fears. United Methodist Hispanic ministries are working to support them. Kristen Caldwell reports.
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Great Plains Conference
Megachurch began in funeral home
LEAWOOD, Kan. — The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection had its start 30 years ago in a funeral home. It has become the most-attended church in the denomination. Todd Seifert's latest "In Layman's Terms" podcast features the Rev. Adam Hamilton and other key leaders of the church.
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WATE-TV
Hiwassee lacked 'management oversight'
MADISONVILLE, Tenn. — An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office found that the now-closed Hiwassee College had operating deficiencies related to "a lack of management oversight and inadequate maintenance of accounting records." The United Methodist-related college closed in 2019 after the board of trustees determined the college's financial struggles were insurmountable. Robert Holder reports.
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UM News: Hiwassee College closing
The New York Times
Fraternity challenged by one of its chapters
GEORGETOWN, Texas — The Kappa Alpha chapter at Southwestern University, a United Methodist-affiliated school, wants the national fraternity to drop its association with Robert E. Lee and investigate alleged racial harms committed by Kappa Alphas. Amy Harmon reports.
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PRESS RELEASES
Council of Bishops
Bishops to discuss church future, pandemic
WASHINGTON — The Council of Bishops plans to meet Nov. 2-5 amid a pandemic and racial unrest, as well as denominational and political anxiety. The opening session on Monday, including the president’s address, will be streamed live on the Council of Bishops Facebook page: facebook.com/umcbishops.
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United Methodist Men
Pre-election prayer meeting planned
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Men's ministry leaders in The United Methodist Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church will hold a one-hour virtual prayer meeting for peace and healing, in preparation for the Nov. 3 U.S. election. The meeting is set for 11 a.m. U.S. Central time Oct. 31.
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Mountain Sky Conference
Colorado bishops support COVID-19 health guidelines
GREENWOOD, Colo. — Mountain Sky Area Bishop Karen Oliveto and the bishops of the state's Episcopal and Lutheran churches issued an open letter criticizing a recent federal court ruling allowing faith communities to ignore state public health mandates on crowd size and mask wearing. "We believe in science. We believe in the public good. We believe that we are loving our neighbor when we follow guidelines to reduce transmission in our communities," the episcopal leaders wrote to Gov. Jared Polis in support of his guidelines aimed at slowing COVID-19 transmission.
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COMMENTARIES
UM News includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UM News staff.
Covered in the Master's Dust
How to avoid using bad online metrics
SAVANNAH, Ga. — With so many churches turning to online worship and small groups, churches are having to rethink how they usually measure participation. The Rev. Ben Gosden, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, examines three myths about online metrics.
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