NEWS AND FEATURES
Publishing House among pandemic victims
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — The United Methodist Publishing House has seen its sales dive in the COVID-19 pandemic, as churches unable to meet in person cut back on orders. The self-supporting agency made big changes before the pandemic but has had to go further, laying off employees and putting its headquarters up for sale. Sam Hodges reports.
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Black United Methodists want changes
HOUSTON (UM News) — Black United Methodists are pushing for change in the denomination — changes they believe are both long overdue and overshadowed by the debate about LGBTQ people in the church. A new book — "I'm Black. I'm Christian. I'm Methodist." — features essays from 10 Black United Methodists. It was edited by the Rev. Rudy Rasmus of St. John's Downtown Church. Jim Patterson reports.
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United Methodists flee insecurity in Mozambique
BEIRA, Mozambique (UM News) — The United Methodist Church is responding to a growing humanitarian crisis in the Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique as attacks by Islamist insurgents have escalated, forcing thousands of people from their homes. Eurico Gustavo reports.
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2020: Remembering notable United Methodists
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodists this year marked the passing of civil rights giants, groundbreaking bishops, founding leaders of Africa University and a mathematician who charted the way for astronauts. Heather Hahn has 34 remembrances of notable church members memorialized in 2020.
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United Methodist Communications, Discipleship Ministries
Christmas choir video to enjoy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Christmas choir video is available for small groups, Sunday school classes, online worship services and other uses. The video is a Christmas medley.
Watch video
Celestial event recalls star of Bethlehem
Keeping water flowing at church missions
HARARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — At a time when clean water is scarce in many parts of the world, The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe is keeping the precious liquid flowing at its three missions, with help from Zimbabwe Volunteers in Mission and the Nyadire Connection. Kudzai Chingwe reports.
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Explore UM News' 'Water is Life' photo essay
Ask The UMC
How do United Methodists celebrate Epiphany?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Epiphany is the day Christians remember the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus, bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It occurs on Jan. 6 every year, the 13th day of the Christmas season. Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, has more on the ancient celebration.
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Read more Ask The UMC
West Virginia Conference
Wrapping up West Virginia disaster work
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In the years since the June 23, 2016, storms and flood disaster that impacted 44 of West Virginia's 55 counties, the West Virginia Conference Disaster Recovery Team oversaw repairs or rebuilds to hundreds of homes and churches. The team, which handled more than 160 personal claims and even replaced six bridges, is preparing to complete its mission on Dec. 31.
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Membership rises with churches in East Congo
GOMA, Congo (UM News) — Thousands of United Methodist faithful in eastern Congo have a new place to worship with the completion of a large, modern church in Amani. It's the 33rd new church to be built since 2012 as part of Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda's "Rise and Build" campaign to strengthen evangelism. Philippe Kituka Lolonga reports.
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United Methodist Committee on Relief
Providing relief to a shattered Beirut
ATLANTA — The city of Beirut, Lebanon, is still trying to deal with a massive explosion Aug. 4 that shattered both its buildings and the lives of its citizens. To date, the United Methodist Committee on Relief has provided several grants to partners in the region to aid in the process of relief and long-term recovery. Stacy Jones has the story.
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Daily Memphian
Plan to increase doctors in underserved areas
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, the University of Memphis, Church Health Center and United Methodist-related Meharry Medical College in Nashville intend to create training and research for medical students of color that ultimately could increase the number of primary care physicians across Memphis and in underserved areas of the state. Jane Roberts 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 Kentucky and Western North Carolina.
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United Methodist Communications
The real story of 'Joy to the World'
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Christmas perennial song “Joy to the World” dates to a 1719 poem and isn't about Christmas at all. The lyrics to the song, based on Psalm 98, are about the second coming of Christ. The music wasn’t added until 1839. Crystal Caviness has the story.
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Kids making music amid COVID-19
East Ohio Conference
Christmas trees signal hope
LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Lakewood United Methodist Church is spreading joy during the Christmas season with its Trees of Hope display. People in the congregation were invited to adopt a tree and come up with a theme for how to decorate it. There are about 30 decorated Christmas Trees of Hope on the front lawn of the church. Brett Hetherington reports.
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Baltimore-Washington Conference
Sign language lessons for the holidays
LAUREL, Md. — The Rev. Leo Yates is taking time this Christmas season to teach common holiday terms in American Sign Language to help Deaf people be included in the festivities. At the end of a 60-minute session, participants usually can sign the Christmas carol "O Come, All Ye Faithful." Erik Alsgaard reports.
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Memphis Conference
College ministry expands to be multi-campus
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — While COVID-19 has led the Memphis Wesley Foundation to move most ministries online, the pandemic has not prevented the campus ministry from expanding and reaching more students. Morgan Stafford, Memphis Wesley Foundation, writes about the ministry's expansion across multiple college campuses.
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Greater New Jersey Conference
Clinics reach immigrants in rural farming areas
NEPTUNE, N.J. — Justice for Our Neighbors of Delaware Valley is setting up regional legal clinics to assist immigrants in underserved rural farming communities, including Kennett Square, Pennsylvania; Hammonton, New Jersey; and Georgetown, Delaware. Heather Mistretta reports.
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Holston Conference
Face masks, gloves go to 2,500 in East Africa
ALCOA, Tenn. — United Methodists helped provide face masks, sanitizer and gloves to more than 2,500 people in East Africa to protect against COVID-19. The Holston Conference's South Sudan Ministry Team provided a grant of $1,868 for the project. Annette Spence has the story.
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United Methodist Communications
Advent podcasts spotlight missionaries
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For Advent 2020, the "Get Your Spirit in Shape" podcast has partnered with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries for some special conversations. Each of the four weeks of Advent, the podcast will feature United Methodist missionaries who serve in a variety of places in amazing ways.
Listen to podcasts
No Daily or Weekly digests Dec. 21-Jan. 1
Friday, Dec. 18, will be the last UM News Weekly Digest before Christmas. The digest will resume on Monday, Jan. 4. The Weekly Digest will resume on Friday, Jan. 8. The staff at UM News wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
PRESS RELEASES
Council of Bishops
Bishops urge trust in God for better 2021
WASHINGTON — Despite the tribulations brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, United Methodist bishops call on their fellow Christians to be optimistic about 2021 and to trust that God will make things better in the coming year. In the 2020 Advent letter released Dec. 15, the bishops urged people of faith to continue to have love, joy, hope and peace.
Read press release
Read letter
Religion and Race
Agency leader decries racist attacks on DC churches
WASHINGTON — M. Garlinda Burton, interim top executive of the Commission on Religion and Race, has called out acts of vandalism against two Black churches, one United Methodist and one African Methodist Episcopal, in Washington. Demonstrators ripped down and burned church signs supporting Black Lives Matter. "Far too many white Christians — including United Methodists — continue to view the battle against racism and racial violence as a non-issue for them," she said in a statement. Burton also conducted a video interview with the Rev. Ianther Mills, senior pastor of Asbury United Methodist, one of the vandalized churches. The video can be viewed on the agency Facebook page.
Read statement
Watch video
Read statement from Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling
Read Washington Post story
Wespath
Top pension executive plans to retire in 2021
GLENVIEW, Ill. — Barbara Boigegrain, top executive of Wespath Benefits and Investments, has announced her intention to retire at the end of 2021. She is the United Methodist pension agency's longest-serving chief executive officer and general secretary, with more than 26 years leading the organization.
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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.
Our public discourse should model the life of Jesus
NEPTUNE, N.J. (UM News) — Divisive rhetoric and actions following this year's presidential election caused Greater New Jersey Bishop John Schol to reflect on the role our faith can play in resolving conflict.
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My pursuit and dreams of Korean peace
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (UM News) — More than 70 years since Korea split into North and South, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung still dreams of reunification for his homeland. "Just as Jacob and Esau reunited, because blood is thicker than any separation, I know that Korea can heal," he writes.
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The church is not yet a 'great multitude'
SAN ANTONIO (UM News) — Sharing instances of racism he saw committed by the church throughout his life, retired Bishop Joel Martinez feels we still have much work ahead to resemble the inclusive choir from the Book of Revelation.
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RESOURCES
Michigan Conference
Kids' Christmas Eve service available online
LANSING, Mich. — The ABCs of Christmas, a 15-minute children's Christmas Eve worship service, is now available for local churches to use. The service is geared for younger children and was developed by the Rev. Kathy Pittenger, the children's ministry coordinator for the Michigan Conference. The video can be shared as is or downloaded and edited as a personalized local church service, as long as "a production of the Michigan Conference" appears somewhere in the video.
Watch video
Download editable video
See more Advent resources
Churches Uniting in Christ
Resources for Watchnight 2020
WASHINGTON — Churches Uniting in Christ is offering ecumenical resources to teach congregations about "Watchnight," a traditional service in historically Black churches that gathers members in unity to welcome in the new year. One of the resources is a preaching video featuring United Methodist Bishop LaTrelle Easterling of the Baltimore-Washington Conference.
Read overview
See resources
Church and Society
Youth lectionary curriculum available
WASHINGTON — "Connecting Faith and Justice Youth Curriculum, Lectionary Year B," for junior high and senior high students, is available now from the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. The free curriculum was written by a diverse group of people from around the globe who are passionate about youth faith development.
Get resource
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