Friday Digest | Jul 16, 2021 |
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 | "The church's problems cannot be dealt with in haste but require prayer, reflection and dialogue. We remain, therefore, in prayer for our brothers and sisters of the church in Nigeria.” — Bishop Benjamin Boni, leader of the Côte d’Ivoire Area and president of the West Africa College of Bishops, speaking about division among Nigerian United Methodists.
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| Divide deepens among Nigerian church leaders
| | JALINGO, Nigeria (UM News) — Conflict among Nigerian United Methodists has intensified in recent months, growing to include a police inquiry and even the jailing of three clergymen and a layman. One of those who spent two nights behind bars is the Rev. Ande Emmanuel, former top aide to Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, and now his outspoken opponent. Sam Hodges reports from Dallas, based on interviews with United Methodists in Nigeria. | | | | |
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| Agencies sell jointly owned building
| | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — With reduced staff and more people working from home, two United Methodist agencies have sold their jointly owned building to nearby Vanderbilt University and are moving into shared offices. Discipleship Ministries and the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry are among the denomination-wide general agencies consolidating space in response to changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Heather Hahn reports. | | | | |
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| Ask The UMC
Do United Methodists offer last rites?
| | NASHVILLE, Tenn. — United Methodists do not have a ritual called "last rites." However, ministry with those who are ill and dying and with the families of those who have just died is an important part of the work of United Methodist pastors. Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, explores United Methodist beliefs about death and resurrection in a new series. | | | | |
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| Claremont School of Theology
Professor taught at Claremont for 50 years
| | CLAREMONT, Calif. — William "Jack" Coogan, a professor of communication arts at Claremont School of Theology for 50 years, died July 7 at age 82. Coogan was the only faculty member to serve under all seven of Claremont's presidents. He also established the United Methodist seminary as a pioneer in the field of religion and film. | | | | |
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| Philippines College of Bishops
Bishop Torio taking medical leave
| | BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Baguio Area Bishop Pedro "Pete" M. Torio Jr. is taking medical leave, the United Methodist Philippines College of Bishops announced on Facebook. In the interim, Bishop Rodolfo "Rudy" A. Juan will lead both the Baguio and Davao episcopal areas. Bishop elections in the Philippines initially were planned for December 2020, but because of COVID-19 and the delay in General Conference, the three current bishops' terms were extended to December 2021. | | | | |
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| Wespath Benefits and Investments
New leadership for pension agency
| | GLENVIEW, Ill. — The agency that handles pensions and benefits for The United Methodist Church will be led by Andrew Hendren starting next year, after the retirement of Barbara Boigegrain. Hendren is currently chief legal and governance officer for Wespath Benefits and Investments. He begins his new position Jan. 3. | | | | |
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| United Methodist Publishing House
Online worship resources' permission extended
| | NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Publishing House is extending full permission to all churches for use of its copyrighted worship materials through Dec. 31. In this challenging time for churches, the publishing house aims to ensure access to essential worship aids and use of the Common English Bible for online worship and studies. | | | | |
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| | | | Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have an item to share, you can add it to the calendar by clicking here. |
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| Monday, Aug. 2-Monday, Aug. 9 | | |
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Conference assumes management of megachurch | MARIETTA, Ga. (UM News) — The North Georgia Conference announced that conference trustees are assuming oversight of the assets of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church, the largest-membership congregation in the conference. This move comes amid continued strife over a new pastor's appointment to the church. Heather Hahn reports. | | |
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Anti-racism campaign marks one year | MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UM News) — The anti-racism work of The United Methodist Church is just getting started after the first year of the Dismantling Racism campaign, say bishops and others. Upcoming initiatives include an anti-racism social justice agenda, more educational materials and an Advent devotional series. Jim Patterson reports. | | |
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Young musicians praise God, share faith | HARARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — Three young Zimbabweans with United Methodist roots enrich their church as they pursue and nurture their love of music. Kudzai Chingwe has the story. | | |
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Congregations eagerly embrace VBS opportunities | COLUMBUS, Ohio (UM News) — Vacation Bible school, a favorite summer staple for churches big and small, is back in 2021, and United Methodists are optimistic. Learning from 2020 experiences, many churches are reopening their doors to the community while others continue virtual VBS. Some have opted for evening classes or all-outdoor events. Barbara Dunlap-Berg has the story. | | |
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Minnesota Conference
Testing new clergy supervision process | MINNEAPOLIS — A pilot program of a new style of clergy supervision is being tested in Minnesota. The "reflective supervision" system is being launched by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry and The Wesley House in England. The process is designed to give clergy safe space to explore challenges in their ministry and personal life. Similar pilot programs are happening in Iowa, Tennessee and the Great Plains Conference. Karla Hovde reports. | | |
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Rethink Church
Podcast: Remembering mental health proponent | NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The death of Steve Austin, who struggled with and spoke often about the importance of mental health, has shaken those who knew him. The Remembering Steve Austin Compass Podcast seeks to promote the legacy of Austin for the help he provided and the laughter he brought, rather than for his suicide. | | |
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South Georgia Conference
Quilters sew friendship, care for others | AMERICUS, Ga. — The Grateful Threads Quilting Guild has gathered weekly for the past several years to sew, stitch and create as many quilts as possible to give away to others — most recently veterans. The ecumenical group meets at Lee Street United Methodist Church's parsonage. Kara Witherow has the story. | | |
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Greater Northwest Area
Cat leads to pastor's new adventure | DES MOINES, Wash. — The Rev. Paul Graves' adventurous cat inspired the retired Pacific Northwest Conference pastor to write his first children's book, "Sox Looks for Home." He talked to Rachel Permann about his own adventure publishing a book for a young audience as an older adult. | | |
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Western Pennsylvania Conference
Boat ministry caters to special needs | ERIE, Pa. — At the Lake Ministries, part of the Western Pennsylvania Conference's camping and retreat ministry program, takes people with special needs and their families aboard a converted commercial fishing boat to fish or just cruise on Lake Erie. The Rev. Rob Wilson, the conference director of congregational development and revitalization, started the ministry. Gwen and Clay Kisker report in a video story. | | |
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North Texas Conference
Churches collaborate on summer Vespers | ARCHER CITY, Texas — Four United Methodist churches in a rural part of the North Texas Conference are holding joint Vespers services this summer. The service moves from church to church, and the preacher is from one of the non-hosting churches. Care was taken to make sure the churches led by men get to hear a woman preacher, and vice versa. | | |
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Michigan Conference
Child hunger fundraising exceeds expectations | LANSING, Mich. — Donations to alleviate child hunger were closing in on $50,000 after the results of the 2021 Virtual 5K Days of Action were tallied. The event couldn't be in one place because of the coronavirus, so participants were encouraged to walk, run or ride wherever they wished. Kay DeMoss reports. | | |
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Global Ministries
Fresh water for Ecuador, Bolivia | ATLANTA — Methodists in Bolivia and Ecuador are supporting the work of Engineers in Action to bring fresh water and sanitation facilities to rural communities. United Methodist Global Ministries has granted more than $300,000 toward construction and community training. Christie R. House has the story.
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Greater Northwest Area
Commentary: A spirituality too small | TACOMA, Wash. — Andy Lang, a United Methodist high school teacher, shares a short reflection on the limitations of the progressive Jesus of his childhood. While this faith helped him to have a strong sense of right and wrong, it also left him with "a spirituality too small for the complexities of life." | | |
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Religion and Race
New podcast episode explores anti-Asian racism | WASHINGTON — In the second episode of "Expanding the Table," a new podcast series on practicing anti-racism by the Commission on Religion and Race, three Asian American Christian theologians examine the history and current realities of anti-Asian racism in the U.S. and what every Christian should know and do. | | |
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California-Nevada Conference
Planting a Hispanic church in Fresno | FRESNO, Calif. — The Rev. Vicky Flores is planting the seeds of a new Hispanic/Latino ministry inside Grace United Methodist Church. "Do I feel that The United Methodist Church is a wonderful place for Hispanic people? I do think so. It has been a great place for me," she says. JB Brayfindley, who spent part of her childhood at Grace, has the story and two videos. | | |
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Explore United Methodist photos | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — UM News has thousands of images from around the world of The United Methodist Church in action. These images are free to use for United Methodist organizations that provide an identifying credit. | | |
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United Methodist Volunteers in Mission
Tips for re-entering the mission field | ATLANTA — United Methodist Volunteers in Mission has developed an instructional video for churches and mission teams that are preparing to re-enter the mission field beyond their local communities. Due to varying COVID-19 protocols in different countries, domestic missions are recommended, but opportunities for international trips are available. | | |
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