NEWS AND FEATURES
Bishops cancel May 8 General Conference
WASHINGTON (UM News) — At a March 22 meeting, the Council of Bishops decided it was not in the best interest of The United Methodist Church to hold the one-day special virtual conference at this time. Heather Hahn reports.
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New budget must wait for General Conference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — The United Methodist Church's finance agency lacks authority to set new denominational budget and apportionment guidelines, despite postponement of the church’s top legislative gathering, the Judicial Council has ruled. Linda Bloom reports.
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Court clarifies decision on clergy session voting
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — With the United Methodist General Conference postponed twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Judicial Council has clarified a 2019 ruling related to the administrative process for clergy ahead of annual conference sessions. Linda Bloom reports.
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Celebrating a trailblazer for women's ministries
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Growing up, Joyce D. Sohl learned important lessons: Think for yourself. Accept all. Always try to do your best. Prepare to be able to support yourself. Those values have served her well as a pioneer for women's ministries in The United Methodist Church. Barbara Dunlap-Berg has her story for Women's History Month.
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Judge rules for SMU over jurisdiction
DALLAS (UM News) — A judge has ruled for Southern Methodist University over the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church in a lawsuit over who controls the Dallas school. The jurisdictional conference and Texas Conference Bishop Scott Jones, who joined the suit on the jurisdictional conference's side, are appealing. Sam Hodges reports.
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Mountain Sky Conference
Prayer follows Colorado mass shooting
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Mountain Sky Conference Bishop Karen Oliveto joined with her Lutheran and Episcopal counterparts in a short online prayer service following the mass shooting March 22 in a Boulder supermarket. The shooting claimed the lives of 10 people, including a police officer.
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Texas Conference
Church works to remove racist language from deeds
HOUSTON — On the first Sunday after George Floyd's death, the Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe of St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church spoke about racism and how it exists even in their own backyard, including on the deed restrictions of homes in the nearby Oak Forest neighborhood. Not long after, Ashley Cavazos, a church member and Oak Forest resident, began her mission to have the racist language removed. Lindsay Peyton has the story.
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United Methodist Communications
Why is Good Friday called 'good'?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The New Testament describes Good Friday as a day of suffering that ends in Jesus' crucifixion — events that sound like anything but good. A short video from United Methodist Communications and its Ask The UMC ministry examines the third-century history behind the phrase, as well as how remembering the day moves us to the hope of Easter.
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A kid-friendly Easter explanation
Holston Conference
In the kitchen, preparing meals for homeless
RADFORD, Va. — A spacious, well-lit, well-equipped kitchen has been the source of many meals over the past four decades. In her award-winning The Call to Cook blog, Annette Spence has the story of how a United Methodist campus ministry makes connections with food.
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'The Call' wins awards for writing, food blog
Status and Role of Women
Nevertheless, she preached
MADISON, N.J. — Jarena Lee, a free Black woman in the 19th century, felt the call to preach twice in her life. The second time, her bishop encouraged that call. Ashley Boggan Dreff, the new top executive for the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History, offers an overview of Lee and other pioneering Methodist women preachers.
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Read spotlight on Ashley Boggan Dreff
Ask The UMC: Pioneering Black women in Methodism
The Enterprise-Tocsin
Remembering Turner Arant, church leader
INDIANOLA, Miss. — Andy Turner Arant Sr., a longtime leader at various levels of The United Methodist Church, died March 17 at the age of 86. A member of Indianola First United Methodist Church, Arant served his congregation, the Mississippi Conference and larger denomination. At various points, he was a General Conference delegate, United Methodist Committee on Relief board member and member of the Connectional Table, which coordinates denomination-wide ministries. He also was a pioneer in the catfish farm industry.
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Religion News Service
Ninth Appalachian Trail chaplain named
WALLAND, Tenn. — Chris Estus, director of recovery ministries at Alamo Heights United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas, has been named the 2021 United Methodist Appalachian Trail chaplain. A ministry of the Holston Conference, the chaplaincy has recruited both laity and clergy to hike the 2,200-mile trail annually since 2013. Estus plans to begin his hike in late May after he becomes a licensed local pastor. Emily McFarlan Miller has the story.
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Minnesota Conference
Ministering to health care heroes
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Daphne Soleil wanted to figure out a way to minister to health care workers, whom she describes as the "heroes of the pandemic." She collaborated with physicians, nurses and chaplains at her church, Christ United Methodist, to start the "Community Healers" ministry. Christa Meland has the story.
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Florida Conference
Meet the first woman to lead Gammon
LAKELAND, Fla. — As a Gammon Theological Seminary student in Atlanta, Candace Lewis was filled with conviction that she would one day change the world. Now a district superintendent with a doctorate, she is returning to the United Methodist seminary as the first woman to serve as its president-dean. Joe Henderson has the story.
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Missouri Conference
Church youth raise more than $10,000
WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. — Youth at The Gathering, a multi-site United Methodist church in the St. Louis area, exceeded their $10,000 fundraising goal for clean water projects in Mozambique. Amelia Alonzo started a face mask business, one of several fundraising tactics employed by group members. Lauren Miers reports.
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Global Ministries
Sri Lankans get clean water
ATLANTA — People in the Meehagahena Village in Sri Lanka have fresh water and sanitation facilities, thanks to a collaboration between the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Lanka Evangelical Alliance Development Services, a faith-based nongovernmental organization. Now, water is available from nearby spigots instead of having to be hauled up a hill. Christie R. House has the story.
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United Methodist Communications
COVID-19 has slowed, not stopped, missions work
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The fruitcake assembly line at Robertsdale United Methodist Church in Alabama was silent in 2020, but the church hopes to ramp back up its main mission fundraising ministry this year. From Indiana to Ireland, United Methodists have found ways to keep doing mission work throughout a year of global pandemic. Jim Patterson reports.
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Great Plains Conference
Black pastor welcomed by all-white churches
ELLIS, Neb. — The Rev. Hollis Patterson reports experiencing "nothing but love" in his nearly four years as a Black pastor serving two all-white churches in rural Nebraska. David Burke shares the details of Patterson's remarkable ministry journey.
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Lewis Center for Church Leadership
What keeps young adults from ordination?
WASHINGTON — The Lewis Center for Church Leadership conducted an informal survey to find out why young adults opted out of ordination in The United Methodist Church. The denomination's struggle around homosexuality emerged as a significant factor, but other factors contribute. Ann A. Michel reports on the results from the 239 respondents.
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PRESS RELEASES
NFAAUM
Speaking out against anti-Asian violence
EVANSTON, Ill. — With a rise in harassment and violence against the Asian American community in the U.S., Asian and Asian American church leaders and groups, including the New Federation of Asian American United Methodists and the Asian American Language Ministry Plan, are urging United Methodists to speak out and address the systemic nature of hate crimes. "Shifting this hatred into the light of God will require that all of us condemn acts of racist hatred and move toward love, tolerance and justice," the group’s statement said.
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UM News: Church leaders decry attacks against Asians
Archives and History
Agency ups gift to African American heritage center
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Commission on Archives and History will donate $30,000 annually to the African American Methodist Heritage Center for five years. The new commitment is being done in honor of the late Rev. William Bobby McClain, a former commission member.
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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.
Black clergywomen's stories offer insights into racism
SYLVANIA, Ohio (UM News) — Many of the Black clergywomen who have made advances in The United Methodist Church are pioneers. The Rev. Josephine Whitely-Fields, author of a new book chronicling these women’s stories, feels they can serve as inspiration for other women of color aspiring to ministry and provide insight to a denomination seeking to dismantle racism.
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New feature invites essays on racism
UM News: Clergywomen share challenges, rewards in new book
Closed-door meetings breed mistrust
DALLAS (UM News) — Too often, important decisions at the church's highest levels are being made in closed sessions that violate church rules about transparency, says one General Conference delegate.
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Mission and leadership in the new United Methodism
DALLAS (UM News) — Regionalizing its structure and electing gifted leaders as bishops will be key for The United Methodist Church of the future. In the second of a series of essays, the Rev. Stanley R. Copeland further outlines a vision for the new United Methodism.
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Read Part 1
Confronting racism as a lifelong journey
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (UM News) — For Ben Judkins, understanding and responding to racism began with a question in second grade. Growing up in rural Appalachia before the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the lifelong United Methodist wondered why Black children in his town had to go to another school 45 miles away.
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A Lenten call to reflect on human dignity
FULTON, Md. (UM News) — "This Lent, during your set-aside time of daily prayer, I invite you to consider the dignity of all people and the need to affirm human rights around the world," writes Bishop LaTrelle Easterling of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. In Rockville, Mizo United Methodist Church is praying for Myanmar, where many members have family ties, and the bishop also noted other areas around the world where suffering is great.
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RESOURCES
United Methodist Communications
Training series focuses on Christian communications
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Knowing how best to deliver messages effectively and efficiently can be a challenge for any local church. In response, United Methodist Communications is launching a series of ecumenical virtual communications learning conferences aimed to assist all who seek to share the gospel. The first offering, "Leveraging Communication for Greater Connection," will take place at 10 a.m. U.S. Central time April 20-21.
To register
United Methodist Communications
Pastors provide devotions for Holy Week
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — During Holy Week, starting March 29 through April 3, a different United Methodist pastor will provide a daily devotion to help guide Christians through Jesus and his followers' difficult journey.
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