Daily Digest - April 23, 2019



“Not one family in my congregation doesn’t have firsthand experience with addiction.”The Rev. Chip Bennett, pastor of Bellemead United Methodist Church in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

NEWS AND FEATURES

Churches walk with addicts on recovery journey
AURORA, W.Va. (UMNS) — West Virginia United Methodist churches find numerous ways to support people in recovery from addiction, but just being there may be the most important thing churches do. This is the third in an ongoing series about churches in West Virginia dealing with the opioid crisis. Joey Butler reports and Mike DuBose has photos.
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Read series

New shelter helps expectant mothers
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) — A new state-of-the-art shelter at Old Mutare Mission Hospital is a blessing for expectant mothers. The Waiting Mothers’ Shelter allows pregnant women from remote communities to comfortably await the birth of their child without the risk of traveling long distances after labor begins. The 60-bed shelter and outpatient department at the hospital were completed with a $350,000 grant from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Kudzai Chingwe reports.
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Church & Society
Henry-Crowe condemns Sri Lankan attacks

WASHINGTON — United Methodists “stand in solidarity with the Sri Lankan community” after deadly terrorist attacks on Easter, said the Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe, top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, in a statement.
Read statement

Florida Conference
Ministry offers a new take on food trucks

LAKE WORTH, Fla. — Palm Beach County’s newest food truck doesn’t serve tacos or gourmet fare, but it does serve locally sourced food. And customers give it five stars. Lilla Ross writes about the new mobile food pantry launched by CROS Ministries (Christians Reaching Out to Society), a group begun by United Methodists.
Read story

Arkansas Conference
Lifting up singles in the church

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Never-married adults are a growing demographic, and they are a group that is looking for community. United Methodists of Arkansas offers a few ideas for helping singles feel more welcomed in church.
Read story

UM Disability
Ministers association names co-chairs, offers advice

WASHINGTON — The United Methodist Association of Ministers with Disabilities has elected as co-chairs the Revs. Jonathan Campbell of the Greater New Jersey Conference and Hank Jenkins of the Missouri Conference. The association also released a statement with advice for discussing people with disabilities.
Read statement

PRESS RELEASES

Council of Bishops
Bishops call for prayer for church court

WASHINGTON — Bishop Ken Carter, on behalf of the Council of Bishops, invites United Methodists to pray for the Judicial Council, which is in session this week. The Judicial Council will be discussing the constitutionality of actions taken by the special General Conference held in February. Carter is the Council of Bishops president and leads the Florida Conference.
Read press release
Read Bishop Carter’s letter (PDF)

RECENT HEADLINES

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EVENTS

Sunday, May 5

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