NEWS AND FEATURES
General Conference postponed until 2022
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — General Conference organizers announced that the denomination's top lawmaking assembly — long postponed by pandemic — must wait to meet another year. The global gathering is now scheduled for Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2022, in Minneapolis. At the same time, the Council of Bishops has announced a special one-day General Conference on May 8 to deal with a limited agenda. Heather Hahn reports.
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Discipleship's top executive dies of cancer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — The Rev. Junius B. Dotson, the top executive of Discipleship Ministries, died late Feb. 24, less than a month after announcing his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 55. Heather Hahn has an obituary.
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Church's future again a hot topic
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — The future of The United Methodist Church has lately been the subject of a flurry of statements and opinion pieces from groups and individuals. Sam Hodges reports.
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Delegates map out vision for church future
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — An international group of General Conference delegates asked United Methodists from around the globe to help them envision a better church. Using that feedback, the group unveiled "Out of Chaos, Creation," a vision map for the denomination's future. Heather Hahn reports.
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Cyclone survivors receive new houses
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — Nearly two years ago, Cyclone Idai left catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi. Now, four families in Zimbabwe have moved into new houses built through a rehabilitation program sponsored by the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Chenayi Kumuterera and Priscilla Muzerengwa have the story.
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After the cyclone, faith abides
Church grapples with resurgence of Ebola
BUTEMBO, Congo (UM News) — As COVID-19 numbers continue to rise, with more than 25,000 cases and 700 deaths in Congo, the country wrestles with a resurgence of Ebola. With these and other diseases threatening lives and livelihoods, United Methodists are helping raise awareness and offering other assistance. Philippe Kituka Lolonga reports.
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South Carolina Conference
Mourning closure of World Methodist Museum
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — History lovers in South Carolina and beyond are mourning the announced closure of the World Methodist Museum on the campus of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. The museum, part of the World Methodist Council, has significant artifacts from the early days of Methodism. Jessica Brodie has the story.
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Read museum's announcement
South Georgia Conference
Pastor mixes baking with Bible study
COLUMBUS, Ga. — Like thousands of others, the Rev. Adriane Burgess found solace in the kitchen amid the pandemic. The pastor of St. Mary's Road United Methodist Church now has combined her love of sweet treats and Scripture in a regular Facebook video series named "Dessert. Devotion." Kara Witherow has the story.
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California-Nevada Conference
Church helps with hunger and housing
CRESCENT CITY, Calif. — "If we are to be the church that worships God on Sunday morning, we also have to be the church that creates the Kingdom of God the rest of the week," says the Rev. Dana Gill Port, pastor of Crescent City United Methodist Church. Her church is now organizing a community-wide homeless ministry. JB Brayfindley reports.
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Texas Conference
Texas church rallies after broken pipes, flooding
FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — Many churches across Texas are dealing with broken pipes and flooding from freezing temperatures last week. Lindsay Peyton reports on members’ quick actions to minimize the damage at Friendswood United Methodist Church, near Houston.
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Donate to UMCOR's U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery
Churches serve as warming centers, shelters
Church helps displaced in Central African Republic
BANGUI, Central African Republic (UM News) — As post-election violence continues to rage, United Methodists are offering shelter and other humanitarian aid to people seeking refuge from armed rebels. Chadrack Tambwe Londe and Isaac Broune report.
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United Methodist Communications
Hymns can be healing
SUWANEE, Ga. — "The language of God" is what Karen Crenshaw Swenson calls hymns. The retired librarian and journalist says hymns inspired her to support civil rights in the 1960s and more recently cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Jim Patterson reports.
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Holston Conference
Bishop, cabinet tackle white privilege
ALCOA, Tenn. — As part of the denomination’s anti-racism initiative, Holston Conference Bishop Dindy Taylor and her cabinet have been reading books and meeting weekly to learn more about white privilege and find ways to dismantle systems that still bind people of color. The self-examination process sometimes leads to confession and tears. Annette Spence reports.
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North Georgia Conference
Vaccine volunteers put faith into action
ATLANTA — Clergy and laity across the North Georgia Conference are volunteering in dozens of ways to help others get the COVID-19 vaccine, including participating in vaccine trials, using church facilities for vaccine clinics and lending a hand to their local health departments. Sybil Davidson has the story.
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Alabama church key to mass vaccination site
Virginia Conference
Bishop discusses COVID-19 with White House adviser
GLEN ALLEN, Va. — Bishop Sharma Lewis spoke recently with nationally renowned scientist Dr. David Agus as part of the conference’s COVID Connection video series. Agus, who advised the Trump administration about COVID-19 and is continuing to do so in the Biden administration, spoke with Lewis on the importance of vaccines, when things will get back to normal and safe worship practices. Madeline White reports.
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Watch interview
Northwest Florida Daily News
The Rev. Thomas Butts, civil rights veteran, dies
MONROEVILLE, Ala. — The Rev. Thomas Lane Butts Jr., an outspoken pastor who championed desegregation during the civil rights movement, died Feb. 15 at 90. Butts served United Methodist congregations in Florida and Alabama, including serving as pastor to famed novelist Harper Lee and her sister, Alice Lee, a pioneering lawyer. Kevin Robinson has an obituary.
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Baltimore Heritage
Birthplace of American Methodism featured
BALTIMORE — The historic preservation group Baltimore Heritage has released a short video on Lovely Lane United Methodist Church. Lovely Lane's original meeting house was where the Methodist Episcopal Church formed at the Christmas Conference in 1784.
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National Justice for Our Neighbors
Torture victim wins asylum
ANNANDALE, Va. — Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors, a United Methodist immigration ministry, recently won an asylum case for an African man of the Fulani ethnic minority. He was kicked off his ancestral land and tortured before making his escape to the U.S., where lawyers for the group helped him secure a future.
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Global Ministries
Global Ministries helps hurricane survivors
ATLANTA — The 2020 hurricane season produced 13 hurricanes and 30 named storms, many of them battering Central America. The United Methodist Committee on Relief helped with a series of emergency grants. Christie R. House has the story.
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Caring for vulnerable migrants as they cross Central America
PRESS RELEASES
Gammon Theological Seminary
Gammon elects first female president-dean
ATLANTA — United Methodist Gammon Theological Seminary has named a Florida Conference district superintendent as its first female president-dean. The Rev. Candace M. Lewis, a Gammon alumna, starts work on April 1.
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United Methodist Men
Civil rights leader joins Wesley society
LOS ANGELES — The Society of John Wesley inducted the Rev. James Lawson as a fellow. Lawson trained civil rights activists in nonviolent protesting during the 1960s, work that he continues to this day. The society was established by the United Methodist Men Foundation to recognize people who exemplify the characteristics of Methodism’s founder.
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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.
United Methodist Communications
Faith, integrity and anti-racism
MINNEAPOLIS — The history of racism and Christianity in America are intertwined, and many white supremacists have been radicalized in Protestant churches, writes Pastor Laquaan Malachi. "If you truly believe that your faith is different from theirs, then people should be able to tell the difference in your living."
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RESOURCES
West Ohio Conference
Clinic on digital discipleship in March
WORTHINGTON, Ohio — Insights on doing effective ministry and discipleship on social media will be offered during Bishop Gregory Palmer's March 4 leadership clinic. Palmer's guest will be author Nona Jones. Cost for the webinar is $20 for people inside the West Ohio Conference and $40 for others.
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