Daily Digest - February 18, 2021

“It is hard to speak up, even the best people among us.”John Archibald, author of “Shaking the Gates of Hell.” 


NEWS AND FEATURES

Book revisits pastor’s reticence on civil rights

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (UM News) — A Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and United Methodist has written a book about how his minister father failed to speak out boldly during the civil rights movement. Jim Patterson has the story.
Read story

Northern Illinois Conference
Delegation releases anti-racism statement

CHICAGO — The Northern Illinois Conference delegates to General Conference and the North Central Jurisdictional Conference have released a statement against racism. “This is a critical time in both our church and our country. We cannot remain silent on these matters," said the Rev. Alka Lyall, delegation chair. 
Read statement (PDF)
Watch video of statement
Resources from conference’s Anti-Racism Task Force

Mountain Sky Conference
Remembering Ann Fort, ‘Mama Kenya’

LONE TREE, Colo. — Ann Fort, a Colorado United Methodist, embarked on her first trip to Kenya after she was widowed at the age of 74. Returning 19 times, often leading mission teams, she built a living legacy of schools, water projects, churches, orphan care, university scholarships and medical assistance. She died Dec. 24 at age 96. The Rev. Donald E. Messer has a remembrance.
Read remembrance

The Washington Post
Getting COVID-19 vaccine to those who need it most

WASHINGTON — The Rev. Joseph Daniels, lead pastor at Emory Fellowship United Methodist Church in D.C.’s Brightwood neighborhood, was one of a handful of pastors, along with their spouses, who received a COVID-19 vaccination as part of the city’s pilot program staging clinics at churches. The initiative is part of an effort to combat vaccine hesitancy and improve access to the shots in hard-hit neighborhoods where vaccination rates are low. Jenna Portnoy has the story.
Read story
Churches increase access to COVID-19 vaccines

KDFA
United Methodist troop makes history

AMARILLO, Texas — The BSA troop chartered by Saint Paul United Methodist Church has made history with two of the first female Eagle Scouts. Ainsley Mason and Hope Ennis took almost two years to achieve the Eagle Scout rank, an endeavor that usually takes about five years. Taylor Mitchell has the story.
Read and watch story


RESOURCES

South Carolina Conference 
Poor People’s Campaign inspires Lenten study

LAKE CITY, S.C. — The Rev. Amiri B. Hooker, senior pastor of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, has developed a Lenten study based on the Poor People’s Campaign’s agenda and revival, as well as some of his favorite social justice quotes. He has written a daily Lenten devotional and weekly Bible study, each titled “On-Fire but Not Consumed.”
Read story
Download Lenten devotionals (PDF)
Download Bible (PDF) study

World Council of Churches
Applications open for ecumenical course

BOGIS-BOSSEY, Switzerland — Applications are now open for a new online course offered by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. The course, titled “Together Towards Unity. Being Church in a Fragmented World,” runs April 5-June 12. Deadline to apply is March 1. 
To see course details
To apply


RECENT HEADLINES

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