Friday Digest | Jan 13, 2023 |
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 | "Few in church music bring Dr. Young’s array of gifts — as composer, professor, editor, conductor, performer, scholar. His new book is for anyone who wants insight into the church and its music since 1960.” — C. Michael Hawn on the Rev. Carlton R. “Sam” Young’s new autobiography.
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| At 96, hymnal editor shares his story | | NASHVILLE. Tenn. (UM News) — The Rev. Carlton R. “Sam” Young, editor of The United Methodist Hymnal, shares the story of his long life and career as a church musician in the new book “I’ll Sing On: My First 96 Years.” C. Michael Hawn, himself a major contributor to church music, assesses Young’s autobiography. | | | | |
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| United Methodist Committee on Relief
How to help amid tornadoes and floods
| | ATLANTA — Storms swept through Alabama, Georgia and other southern states, spawning at least 35 tornadoes and claiming the lives of at least seven people, including a child. Floods that have killed at least 19 people continue to ravage California. United Methodists can help by assembling cleaning kits and donating to the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s Advance for U.S. disaster relief. | | | | |
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| Texas Conference
Faithful United Methodists form worshipping community
| | CYPRESS, Texas — A growing group of committed United Methodists whose churches disaffiliated has begun to meet in the Cypress Fairbanks area, near Houston. The Cy-Fair United Methodists — as they’re tentatively calling themselves — had organizing help from a veteran Texas Conference leader, the Rev. Godfrey Hubert, and now are being led by the Rev. Shuler Sitsch. Lindsay Peyton reports. | | | | |
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| Western Pennsylvania Conference
Church offers warmth, fellowship
| | ERIE, Pa. — On the Friday before Christmas, leadership at First United Methodist Church learned that there would be a three-hour gap on Christmas morning when people on the street would not be able to access available shelter in temperatures of 25-below zero. A team was organized to host about 40 unhoused people, provide warm drinks and food, scarves, hats and gloves and fellowship, and seek ways to develop further relationships. Conference staff have the story. | | | | |
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| | | | 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 UM News staff. |
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| Baltimore-Washington Conference
What would Martin Luther King say in 2023? | | BALTIMORE — The Rev. C. Anthony Hunt, a United Methodist pastor and scholar on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., offers what might be King’s message to the United States in 2023. “King helped us to understand more fully the essence of human dignity and worth, and the importance for these to be enacted among all of us if we will ever be all that God calls us to be,” Hunt writes. | | | | |
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| Alabama-West Florida Conference
Disaffiliation should not be viewed as a business deal | | MONTGOMERY, Ala. — For several months, Bishop David Graves said he has heard people push church disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church as a good business deal. “If this is a business deal for you, then I ask you to please do some soul searching and reflect on your motivations,” he writes. He also explains why he is encouraging churchgoers to wait on disaffiliation decisions until after the 2024 General Conference. | | | | |
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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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Churches help pay off medical debt | OKEMOS, Mich. (UM News) — Paying off medical debts is how some United Methodist churches are making their charity dollars stretch. The churches work with nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, which buys up medical debts from collection agencies, hospitals and physician groups in bundled portfolios for pennies on the dollar. By raising $15,000, Okemos Community Church retired more than $2.2 million in long-term medical debt for Michigan families. Jim Patterson has the story.
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First United Methodist Latina sworn into US Congress | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Rep. Delia Ramírez Hernández (D-Ill.) was sworn into the 118th U.S. Congress on Jan. 7, becoming its first United Methodist Latina. Ramírez Hernández, who grew up attending Humboldt Park United Methodist Church in Chicago, also has been a leader in the denomination. The Rev. Gustavo Vasquez reports. | | |
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North Georgia hits pause on disaffiliations | ATLANTA (UM News) — The largest United Methodist conference in the U.S. announced it is blocking church exits, for now, citing “defamatory” misinformation. The North Georgia Conference decision has been met with both celebration and consternation. Meanwhile, at least two conferences are already exploring other ways for handling church exits. Heather Hahn reports. | | |
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Congolese president donates car to Bishop Unda | KINDU, Congo (UM News) — In recognition of The United Methodist Church’s work in East Congo, the president of the country gifted a Nissan 4x4 vehicle to Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda. The vehicle will help with efforts to evangelize in remote areas. Judith Osongo Yanga has the story. | | |
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Ask The UMC
What is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity? | NASHVILLE, Tenn. — During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, held Jan. 18-25, Christians everywhere are invited to remember one another in prayer and strengthen the bonds of love and mutual mission shared in Jesus Christ. Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, has more on the annual observance, which is sponsored by the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. | | |
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New annual conference reports posted | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News is continuing to post 2022 annual conference reports as they are submitted. New this week is the Mozambique South Conference. | | |
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Commentary: Physician urges update of abortion stance | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year has put women’s lives at risk, and The United Methodist Church should revise its Social Principles, writes Dr. Amy Gordon Bono. She says in some states doctors risk being convicted as criminals for saving the lives of pregnant patients who need evidence-based care. “I urge our faith leaders to stand up for women and families and their physicians. In these times of controversy, silence is deadly,” she writes. | |
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