Monday, December 16, 2024

UM News Weekly Digest

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Photo by NoName_13, courtesy of Pixabay; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News

Notable United Methodists remembered

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — This year, United Methodists mourned the passing of beloved bishops, trailblazing women church leaders and a pastor who taught many of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement’s most prominent leaders how to transform a nation through nonviolence. Heather Hahn has 32 remembrances of notable church members memorialized in 2024. 
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Music image by Frauke Riether, courtesy of Pixabay; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News. Lyrics by Amy Speace.

Christmas single inspired by kids’ pageant

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Three years ago, singer-songwriter Amy Speace attended a Christmas pageant at a church near Nashville because her 3-year-old son Huck was participating. It inspired her to write the comic but touching song “First United Methodist Day Care Christmas Show,” her entry into the Christmas song canon. Jim Patterson has the story.
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Baltimore-Washington Conference
Day shelter proceeds with persistence
EDGEWOOD, Md. — Helping the unhoused for almost 20 years, the New Hope Day Shelter closed its doors during the pandemic, and the double-wide trailer where it operated became unusable. Funding and city permit obstacles arose. Post-pandemic, area United Methodists felt compelled to reenergize this ministry. Their tenacity is paying off. Baltimore-Washington Conference staff report.
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United Methodist Communications
Training wild mustangs: A guide to harmonious living
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Rev. Calvin Yashie Hill used the 4 Cs — clarity, consistency, communication and compassion — to train wild mustangs. On an episode of the “Get Your Spirit in Shape” podcast, Hill shares how to use the 4 Cs in building authentic relationships across cultures.
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Status and Role of Women
York Arnold to lead GCSRW
CHICAGO — The Rev. Stephanie York Arnold, currently the senior pastor of Birmingham First United Methodist Church, has been elected to serve as the top executive for the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women during a special called Dec. 12 meeting of the Board of Directors. York Arnold will succeed Dawn Wiggins Hare, who is set to retire on Feb. 28 after serving in the agency’s top role since 2012.
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Scarritt Bennett Center 
Scarritt Bennett collects toys, hosts symphony
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Scarritt Bennett Center, part of United Women in Faith, held a toy drive for the Salvation Army and hosted a Christmas concert by the Nashville African American Wind Symphony on Dec. 8. The Salvation Army has British Methodist roots. The center also is gearing up to offer a free shopping experience through its Kids’ 4 Good Christmas Store. The center is seeking volunteers for Dec. 16-21 in a variety of roles. The store is scheduled to be open 1-6 p.m. Dec. 20 and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 21.
Read concert press release
Read Christmas Store press release
Religion and Race
Archival project collects church stories
WASHINGTON — The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race has launched “Our Sacred Journey,” a project dedicated to celebrating the rich diversity of the United Methodist community by sharing stories that reflect our cultural identities, faith journeys and shared humanity. Churches are invited to contribute their stories, becoming a part of a larger narrative that honors the unique ways in which God’s grace has touched our lives.
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Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News
West Africa elects Ande Ikimun Emmanuel as bishop
 
ACCRA, Ghana (UM News) — The Rev. Ande Ikimun Emmanuel has been elected as a bishop in The United Methodist Church’s West Africa Central Conference. The longtime leader in the Southern Nigeria Conference was the first bishop elected during the Dec. 5-8 gathering. He will serve the Nigeria Episcopal Area, following the resignation of John Wesley Yohanna in July. In his post-election remarks, Emmanuel said that church unity is his top priority. Eveline Chikwanah reports.
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Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News
Boye-Caulker elected as Sierra Leone bishop
 
ACCRA, Ghana (UM News) — West Africa Central Conference delegates elected the Rev. James Boye-Caulker, a district superintendent in Sierra Leone, as a bishop on Dec. 7. He was the second bishop elected during the meeting. Boye-Caulker will lead the Sierra Leone Area, where retired Bishop Warner H. Brown Jr. has served since the death of Bishop John K. Yambasu in 2020. Eveline Chikwanah reports.
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Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News
Training helps Asian young adults to ‘soar high’
 
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (UM News) — Methodist young adults from Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Vietnam gathered for 2024 ASCEND, a global leadership development training event. The program was sponsored by the United Methodist boards of Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry and the General Board of Missions of the Korean Methodist Church. The Rev. Thomas E. Kim has the story.
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Screenshot United Methodist Communications
Couple raises $80K+ for immigrant legal assistance
 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Richard and Kathryn Spry are longtime United Methodists and stained-glass artists. Their passion for immigrant rights led them to establish the Chimes for Justice initiative, through which they donate all of the proceeds from their artwork sales to Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors. They’ve raised more than $80,000 and plan to continue to create, sell and assist individuals and families in need. United Methodist Communications has produced a video highlighting their ministry.
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