“Another one of my prayers is that we will respond to our children by offering a whole loaf, that we will take our prayers and our thoughts and turn them into constructive action, to build a kinder world, a less violent world.” — Michigan Conference Bishop David Bard.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Michigan Conference
Campus shooting shatters community
LANSING, Mich. — “Ash Wednesday has come early,” said Michigan Conference Bishop David Bard at a prayer vigil less than 24 hours after a mass shooting at Michigan State University shook the state. Donning a Michigan State University Spartan tie, Bard stood in solidarity with those gathered and pointed to the ritual of marking foreheads with ashes in the shape of the cross that many Christians, including United Methodists, will participate in next Wednesday as the Lenten season begins. James Deaton reports.
Read story
Watch video of Bard’s message
Conference plans gun control advocacy day
Ask The UMC
More disaffiliation questions answered
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, continues to receive questions related to local church disaffiliations. In Part 9 of its "Is The United Methodist Church Really…?" series, the team tackles more inquiries related to Paragraph 2553 and the appointment of clergy who wish to stay with The United Methodist Church after their churches disaffiliate.
Read story
Read previous installments
United Methodist Communications, Archives and History
Remembering powerful Black Methodist preacher
MADISON, N.J. — Thomas Coke, one of American Methodism’s first two bishops, described Harry Hosier as “one of the best preachers in the world.” The historical record includes some “ear-witness” testimony to Hosier’s influence. John G. McElhenney and retired United Methodist Bishop Forrest C. Stith have the story.
Read story
Virginia Conference
Virginia to hold first special session of 2023
GLEN ALLEN, Va. — The Virginia Conference plans to hold a special session online on Feb. 18 to consider the ratification of 34 church disaffiliations. At least 20 annual conferences, including Virginia, have special sessions planned in the coming months before the Book of Discipline’s Paragraph 2553, a church law that allows churches to disaffiliate with property, expires at the end of this year.
Learn more about Virginia special session
See special session schedule
PRESS RELEASES
Global Ministries
Agency adds exec for mission engagement
ATLANTA — A strategist tasked with broadening the missional engagement of United Methodist Global Ministries has been hired. The Rev. Deanna Stickley-Miner has been a board member of the agency for more than 10 years and leaves a position as director of mission and justice in the West Ohio Conference. Stickley-Miner said she will bring an open, collaborative leadership style to her new role.
Read press release
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.
Greater Northwest Area
Ensuring livestreams remain safe for youngsters
DES MOINES, Wash. — Vigilance in protecting vulnerable members ought to extend to churches’ online worship presence as much as it does when worshippers are gathering in person, writes Patrick Scriven, director of Young People’s Ministries for the Pacific Northwest Conference. He offers advice for including people in remote worship while keeping young people safe from would-be predators.
Read commentary
RESOURCES
Religion and Race
Podcast episode looks at new anti-racism series
WASHINGTON — In an episode of “Expanding the Table,” the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race’s podcast on anti-racism, staff members discuss the agency’s newest resource series, "What Is?" The series looks at the definition and evolution of terms such as accent bias, colonialism and gaslighting.
Listen to podcast
RECENT HEADLINES
Haitians find comfort in faith in face of violence, hunger
Methodism overdue for becoming ‘woke,’ author says
EVENTS
Tuesday, March 7
Voices from the Field: The Order of Deaconess & Home Missioner
Tuesday, March 14
Webinar: The Church Audit — It’s Easier Than You Think
NEWS AND FEATURES
Michigan Conference
Campus shooting shatters community
LANSING, Mich. — “Ash Wednesday has come early,” said Michigan Conference Bishop David Bard at a prayer vigil less than 24 hours after a mass shooting at Michigan State University shook the state. Donning a Michigan State University Spartan tie, Bard stood in solidarity with those gathered and pointed to the ritual of marking foreheads with ashes in the shape of the cross that many Christians, including United Methodists, will participate in next Wednesday as the Lenten season begins. James Deaton reports.
Read story
Watch video of Bard’s message
Conference plans gun control advocacy day
Ask The UMC
More disaffiliation questions answered
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, continues to receive questions related to local church disaffiliations. In Part 9 of its "Is The United Methodist Church Really…?" series, the team tackles more inquiries related to Paragraph 2553 and the appointment of clergy who wish to stay with The United Methodist Church after their churches disaffiliate.
Read story
Read previous installments
United Methodist Communications, Archives and History
Remembering powerful Black Methodist preacher
MADISON, N.J. — Thomas Coke, one of American Methodism’s first two bishops, described Harry Hosier as “one of the best preachers in the world.” The historical record includes some “ear-witness” testimony to Hosier’s influence. John G. McElhenney and retired United Methodist Bishop Forrest C. Stith have the story.
Read story
Virginia Conference
Virginia to hold first special session of 2023
GLEN ALLEN, Va. — The Virginia Conference plans to hold a special session online on Feb. 18 to consider the ratification of 34 church disaffiliations. At least 20 annual conferences, including Virginia, have special sessions planned in the coming months before the Book of Discipline’s Paragraph 2553, a church law that allows churches to disaffiliate with property, expires at the end of this year.
Learn more about Virginia special session
See special session schedule
PRESS RELEASES
Global Ministries
Agency adds exec for mission engagement
ATLANTA — A strategist tasked with broadening the missional engagement of United Methodist Global Ministries has been hired. The Rev. Deanna Stickley-Miner has been a board member of the agency for more than 10 years and leaves a position as director of mission and justice in the West Ohio Conference. Stickley-Miner said she will bring an open, collaborative leadership style to her new role.
Read press release
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.
Greater Northwest Area
Ensuring livestreams remain safe for youngsters
DES MOINES, Wash. — Vigilance in protecting vulnerable members ought to extend to churches’ online worship presence as much as it does when worshippers are gathering in person, writes Patrick Scriven, director of Young People’s Ministries for the Pacific Northwest Conference. He offers advice for including people in remote worship while keeping young people safe from would-be predators.
Read commentary
RESOURCES
Religion and Race
Podcast episode looks at new anti-racism series
WASHINGTON — In an episode of “Expanding the Table,” the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race’s podcast on anti-racism, staff members discuss the agency’s newest resource series, "What Is?" The series looks at the definition and evolution of terms such as accent bias, colonialism and gaslighting.
Listen to podcast
RECENT HEADLINES
Haitians find comfort in faith in face of violence, hunger
Methodism overdue for becoming ‘woke,’ author says
EVENTS
Tuesday, March 7
Voices from the Field: The Order of Deaconess & Home Missioner
Tuesday, March 14
Webinar: The Church Audit — It’s Easier Than You Think
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