'"It’s really about accountability and establishing a culture of no tolerance for it (sexual misconduct)."
— Bishop Tracy Malone, about results of a 2017 survey by the Commission on the Status and Role of Women.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Church survey finds drop in sexual harassment
CHICAGO (UMNS) — Incidents of sexual harassment within The United Methodist Church have decreased for clergy, laity and employees in recent years, but seminary students reported an increase. The survey by the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women was concluded before allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein and others snowballed into the #MeToo movement. Linda Bloom has the story.
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Bishops, agency respond to #MeToo movement
Zambia church helps with cholera prevention
KANDUNDU, Zambia (UMNS) — A United Methodist church is providing clean water to help prevent cholera, even as the government eases some restrictions aimed at containing the outbreak that began in October 2017. John Chikuta reports.
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Minneapolis Star Tribune
Super Bowl event: Faith and football
MINNEAPOLIS — Nearly a thousand faithful celebrated at an official Super Bowl event that put the spotlight on one of Minnesota's less glitzy claims to fame — its national leadership in multifaith cooperation. Jim Winkler, a United Methodist and president of the National Council of Churches, was intrigued. “I haven’t heard of a Super Bowl Host Committee having an event like this before,” he said. Jean Hopfensperger reports.
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Great Plains Conference
Strong talk for pastors about money
KEARNEY, Neb. — Great Plains Conference pastors got strong advice on fundraising from clergy consultants during a meeting here Jan. 17-19. “Preachers don’t like to talk about money,” said the Rev. Clif Christopher, founder of Horizons Stewardship. “It’s time that we change our way of thinking, and the way we do business.” Christopher challenged the idea that pastors shouldn’t know how much individual congregation members give.
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PRESS RELEASES
Commission on a Way Forward
Moderators: Mission is key to Way Forward
WASHINGTON — At the conclusion of the recent Commission on a Way Forward meeting, members were asked to share three words that expressed their prayer for the church. “Mission” was the most frequently repeated word.
Read press release
Read UMNS story on recent meeting
Boston University School of Theology
$1.5 million Lilly grant to United Methodist seminary
BOSTON — The Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded a $1.5 million grant to Boston University School of Theology. The five-year grant to the United Methodist seminary will be used to create an innovation hub to foster creative vocational reflection in congregations today. The hub will focus on mainline New England Protestant congregations.
Read press release
RECENT HEADLINES
Denomination's membership tops 12.5 million
Bishop: Immigration plan needs care and prayers
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.
Thursday, Feb. 8
Webinar: Introduction to "Women Called to Ministry" in Korean
Wednesday, Feb. 14-Saturday, March 31
Online Lenten Study: 40 Days with Wesley
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