“We live in a broken world and people need to know this hits everybody.” — The Rev. Paula Napier, who lost a son to opioid overdose.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Pastors cope with sons' overdose deaths
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (UMNS) — Pastors are expected to care for their congregations. But when two United Methodist clergy lost sons to overdoses, their congregations helped care for them. This is the fourth in an ongoing series about churches in West Virginia dealing with the opioid crisis. Joey Butler reports, Mike DuBose has photos.
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Ask The UMC
Understanding the Judicial Council's rulings
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — At its April meeting, The United Methodist Church's top court reviewed actions taken by the 2019 General Conference regarding the Traditional Plan and church disaffiliation requirements. The court ruled separately on the constitutionality of each of the petitions making up the Traditional Plan. Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, breaks down the rulings and when changes take effect.
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Read UMNS story on Judicial Council rulings
Church aids 2,000 cyclone survivors in Zimbabwe
CHIMANIMANI, Zimbabwe (UMNS) — The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe handed out more than $25,000 in aid to thousands of Cyclone Idai survivors in the hard-hit Ngangu and Copper communities. Priscilla Muzerengwa has the story.
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Coming tomorrow: Zimbabwe pastors focus on the spiritual needs of survivors.
Global Ministries
Committed to ‘unity in God's mission'
ATLANTA — Directors of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, which includes the United Methodist Committee on Relief, have issued a statement to “acknowledge and lament” the deep division in the denomination. But the need for God's mission continues, the board's directors pointed out. “We believe we have an opportunity to work for healing, peace and reconciliation — no matter what form the future of United Methodism takes,” the statement said.
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UMNS: How will denominational divide affect mission?
PRESS RELEASES
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Appointment of Tran is milestone for seminary
EVANSTON, Ill. — The appointment of the Rev. Mai-Anh Le Tran as vice president for academic affairs and academic dean marks the first time a woman of color will hold that position at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
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COMMENTARIES
United Methodist News Service includes in the Daily Digest various opinion pieces about issues in the denomination. The commentaries reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UMNS staff.
Wesleyan Covenant Association
When a dream dies and is resurrected
MONROVIA, Liberia — Reflecting upon the despair Jesus' disciples felt prior to his resurrection, the Rev. Jerry P. Kulah, dean of the United Methodist University Graduate School of Theology in Monrovia, writes about his own despair during his country's civil war. That war separated him from his family and his fiancee and almost claimed his life. He shares the story of his own resurrection on the Wesleyan Covenant Association blog.
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RECENT HEADLINES
Court rulings escalate talk of church split
Ohio college severs formal ties with denomination
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