"My neighborhood and the church were thought to be in imminent danger as they predicted winds would blow the flames that are two blocks away. Praise be to God, that didn’t happen." — The Rev. Cathie Capp, pastor of Ojai United Methodist Church.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Pastor shares experience of California fire
OJAI, Calif. (UMNS) — The Rev. Cathie Capp, pastor of Ojai United Methodist Church, evacuated along with other local residents earlier this week. Before the evacuations, the church had offered shelter to some families affiliated with the church. Kathy L. Gilbert reports that all California-Pacific Conference churches are offering “prayers and hope.”
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The Salvation Army's Methodist roots
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMC.org) — The Salvation Army’s red kettles and ringing bells are part of the Christmas season. British Methodist preacher William Booth founded the organization in the 1860s, determined to bring lost souls to Christ and care for their basic needs. United Methodist Communications draws on the expertise of Dale Patterson, of the United Methodist Board of Archives and History, for a video on Methodism and the Salvation Army.
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Memphis Conference
ESPN visits church to record Heisman finalist
JACKSON, Tenn. — Wells Johnstone, a decathlon competitor, is a top-10 finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. She is also an active member of Jackson First United Methodist Church, so when ESPN decided to cover a day in Johnstone’s life, the church was part of the story. Bobbie Mays has the story.
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United Methodist Committee on Relief
Church response to Dreamers
ATLANTA — The United Methodist Church has focused on advocacy and increasing support for National Justice for Our Neighbors since the Trump Administration announced in September that it would end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. “The JFON network continues to grow,” said attorney C. Todd Willis, a NJFON board member from Orlando, Florida. Volunteers have been eager to assist JFON in exploring legal options for Dreamers. Bella DiFlippo reports on the United Methodist immigration ministry.
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Protests for Dreamers lead to arrests
Oklahoma Conference
Majority white, majority black churches to share building
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two United Methodist churches — one majority African-American and one mostly white — will join hands Dec. 10 to share the same downtown space. On that day, First United Methodist — near the Oklahoma City National Memorial — will welcome The Christ Experience, which is moving out of its aging building. Chris Schutz has the story.
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PRESS RELEASES
Board of Higher Education and Ministry
A better path for lay ministry
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Certification in specialized ministry needs to be more accessible and affordable for United Methodist laity. That’s the conclusion of representatives from United Methodist educational institutions and the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry at a recent meeting. Future meetings will look at how to make that happen.
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COMMENTARIES
Pushing back against 'comfortable guilt'
AUSTIN, Texas — Tom Locke, president of the Texas Methodist Foundation, says Christians are prone to settle for “comfortable guilt” in giving and living. Locke writes, “As people of faith, is there anything about which we can afford to be comfortable — as individuals, a foundation, congregations, organizations, or a denomination?”
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RECENT HEADLINES
Agency employees to see changes in pay scale
EVENTS
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have a United Methodist event to share, you can add it to the calendar with this submission form.
Monday, Jan. 8-Friday, Jan. 19
Online discussion: Finding serenity
Monday, Jan. 8-Friday, Jan. 12
Intensive five-day online Safe Sanctuary policy workshop
Share your story or tips with us at [email protected].
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