Friday Digest | Mar 03, 2023 |
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 | “With the big boost of 24-hour electricity, there will surely be an astronomic leap in everything we do.” — Raymond Kabbah, a teacher at the church's Taiama Enterprise Academy in Sierra Leone.
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| Solar electricity enhances growth at church academy
| | TAIAMA, Sierra Leone (UM News) — Solar electricity at the Sierra Leone Conference's first hybrid vocational and entrepreneurship school will unlock new opportunities for students and teachers alike, church leaders say. Taiama Enterprise Academy now has 24/7 solar-powered electricity, thanks to funding from Operation Classroom, a United Methodist organization supported by U.S. churches in the Indiana Conference. Phileas Jusu has the story. | | | | |
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| Group plans for budget cuts, regionalization
| | ATLANTA (UM News) — The Connectional Table set in motion some changes that will guide The United Methodist Church as it ministers in an uncertain time. During meetings last week, the leadership body's efforts to come up with a consensus budget, move toward a U.S. regional conference and streamline its own membership all moved forward. Jim Patterson reports. | | | | |
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| South Carolina Conference
Ministry houses people with special needs | | FLORENCE, S.C. — United Methodists in South Carolina are gearing up to open two more homes for adults with special needs this year, in addition to the three they already operate. Kim Thomas, executive director of Aldersgate Special Needs Ministry, said the homes are part of Aldersgate's mission to provide quality homes in a Christian environment for people with special needs and enable them to be as independent as possible. Jessica Brodie has the story. | | | | |
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| Dakotas Conference
Welcoming people from disaffiliating churches
| | SPEARFISH, S.D. — Spearfish United Methodist Church has joined other Dakotas Conference churches as an Oasis Network church, indicating it will welcome United Methodists who plan to leave a disaffiliating church and are looking for a new church home. The Oasis Network was started in the Texas Conference. Janelle Jones reports. | | | | |
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| Religion News Service
Heritage center seeking support
| | CHIGAGO — The African American Methodist Heritage Center is looking to raise some money to help it with its mission of preserving the history of Blacks in Methodism. Until 2008, General Conference allocated money for the center, which does not have a headquarters building. Gifts from the Holston Foundation and the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History in 2021 helped, but more is needed. Emily McFarlan Miller reports. | | | | |
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| Gammon Theological Seminary
Online opportunity planned for students, grads | | ATLANTA — Gammon Theological Seminary, a historically Black United Methodist institution, plans to hold an online recruitment opportunity from 7 to 9 p.m. U.S. Eastern time March 16. Gammon and other International Theological Center seminaries with which it shares its campus hope to provide a space where people of color in seminary or recent graduates can learn about opportunities to serve in United Methodist annual conferences. | | | | |
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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, March 20-Monday, April 3
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Bishop: Time to move from rancor to revival | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Amid the vitriol about rising church disaffiliations, Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton called people who are staying United Methodist to change the conversation and reclaim God’s calling on the church. Heather Hahn reports on the bishop’s midterm State of the Church address.
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Growth for some churches staying United Methodist | KINGWOOD, Texas (UM News) — Disaffiliations are reducing the number of United Methodists and United Methodist churches in the U.S. But a realignment also is going on, with some United Methodist churches having growth spurts as they pick up members from churches departing the denomination. Strawbridge United Methodist is in a disaffiliation hotspot and has seen attendance double. Sam Hodges has the story. | | |
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After hurricanes, Gulfside ministry marches on | WAVELAND, Miss. (UM News) — Gulfside Assembly, a Mississippi Gulf Coast resort long popular with African American United Methodists, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year with fundraising celebrations April 27-29. The property was devastated in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed all of its buildings. Jim Patterson has the story. | | |
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Report sheds light on disaffiliating churches
| WASHINGTON (UM News) — A new Lewis Center for Church Leadership report finds that churches disaffiliating from The United Methodist Church are overwhelmingly in the South and Southwest. Compared with remaining United Methodist churches, they also are more likely to have a male pastor and a majority white membership. Sam Hodges reports. | | |
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Church court addresses disaffiliation questions
| NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — The United Methodist Judicial Council released nine rulings March 1 dealing with the church law that governs church disaffiliations. The church court addressed such matters as the eligibility of some churches to exit and the role of conference trustees in setting the terms for disaffiliation. Heather Hahn reports.
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Indiana Conference
Lifting up three key Black history figures
| INDIANAPOLIS — Bishop Julius C. Trimble has shared a Black History Month reflection. He focuses on three people he believes deserve broader recognition. "The arc of the universe may bend toward justice," Trimble writes. "However, this is only made possible by people like Claudette Colvin, Abraham Galloway and Althea Gibson."
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