“They banded together for common support, to pray together and send a message internally to the candidates themselves and to others that their primary concern was about good elections taking place, rather than any one individual winning.”
— Bishop Bruce Ough, on pre-election meetings between episcopal candidates in the North Central Jurisdiction.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Bishop candidates created community over Zoom
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (UM News) — The 10 candidates for bishop in the North Central Jurisdictional Conference tried to remove the competitive aspects of the process and replace it with something more congenial. Every Friday for a month before the November elections, the candidates met to pray, get to know each other and build connections of love and camaraderie. Jim Patterson has the story.
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Holston Conference
Church takes root in flower shop
WHITWELL, Tenn. — First United Methodist Church of Whitwell found its 15,000-square-foot building too much to handle. Now renting space in what was once a flower shop, the church is seeing attendance start to rebound. It also has a growing ministry that feeds 200 or more families each month. Annette Spence has the story.
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UM News: Making the best use of church space
United Women in Faith
Chicken farming helps Zimbabwean women
HARARE, Zimbabwe — An initiative to transform the lives of women centers on poultry farming because it takes less capital and physical labor to launch than mining and maize and tobacco farming. “Doing chicken farming has improved my life and taught me certain skills that are valuable in this harsh economic environment where white-collar jobs are scarce,” said Lindsey Dandajena. Patience Chapata has the story.
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United Methodist Communications
A conversation about words we use and misuse
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — We hear terms such as gaslighting, implicit bias and cultural bias in the news, on social media, perhaps even at church. In the latest episode of the “Get Your Spirit in Shape” podcast, the Rev. Enger Muteteke from the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race shares how understanding the terms and viewing them through a scriptural lens can help build a culture of belonging in congregations and communities.
Listen to podcast
PRESS RELEASES
Baltimore-Washington Conference
National vigil honors gun violence victims
WASHINGTON — The Baltimore-Washington Conference is inviting United Methodists to participate in the 10thannual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence, which will be 7-9 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time Dec. 7 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill in Washington. Participants can also watch on Facebook. The vigil is also endorsed by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence and the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence.
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Florida Conference
Update on lawsuit filed against Florida Conference
LAKELAND, Fla. — Bishop Ken Carter has published an update on a lawsuit filed by 106 churches seeking to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church. He writes that “a number of those churches that originally filed suit have reconsidered, and they no longer wish to be part of that lawsuit.” Instead, he said, these churches plan to follow Paragraph 2553, the disaffiliation provision in The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline.
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COMMENTARIES
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.
Discipleship Ministries
Six church projects for 2023
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mission projects don’t have to be overly complex to be effective, says the Rev. Ken Sloane, director of stewardship and generosity for United Methodist Discipleship Ministries. Sloan suggests six projects tied to six Special Sundays that are celebrated by congregations of The United Methodist Church.
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