“There’s no reason to waste a good crisis. I really think that we can have a much brighter future having gone through this.” — The Rev. Kim Goddard on dealing with disaffiliations.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Church sees signs of renewal even as exits rise
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — At this point, The United Methodist Church has seen about 20% of its U.S. congregations disaffiliate. But that also means about 80% remain, and many United Methodists see opportunities for both existing churches and new ones to grow. Heather Hahn reports.
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See chart of disaffiliations approved
New England Conference
Bishop Devadhar dies unexpectedly
METHUEN, Mass. — Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar, who led the Greater New Jersey Conference and then the New England Conference before his retirement in 2022, died unexpectedly on July 18. United Methodist News is at work on a feature obituary that will be posted on UMNews.org and shared in an upcoming Daily Digest.
Holston Conference
Couple lives in church parking lot
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the past 16 weeks, a couple and their dog have been sleeping under the shadow of the steeple at Cedar Lane United Methodist Church after their car broke down. As the couple sought more permanent housing, the church worked to offer hospitality in all the ways it could. Annette Spence has the story.
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Oregon-Idaho Conference
Music academy helps reach new people
MADRAS, Ore. — Madras United Methodist Church’s Joyful Noise Music Academy recently completed its first season, offering a much-needed music education outlet in central Oregon. The academy also has helped the congregation form relationships with young families. John Shaw reports.
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PRESS RELEASES
General Council on Finance and Administration
Finance agency releases quarterly report
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The General Council on Finance and Administration has released the financial updates on general church apportionment collections through the second quarter of 2023. Apportionments are shares of church giving that support ministries beyond the local church. In total, collections for denomination-wide ministries are slightly down compared with the same time last year.
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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.
United Women in Faith
From refugee to college grad
NEW YORK — With the help of a scholarship from United Women in Faith, Neresa Boymah has lifted herself from a refugee camp in Ghana to pursuing an MBA from Wisconsin International University College in that nation. Born in Liberia, Boymah learned to be more confident during her college years. Mary Beth Coudal offers excerpts from her correspondence with Boymah.
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RESOURCES
Reconciling Ministries Network
Group plans convocation in October
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Reconciling Ministries Network, a group that advocates full inclusion of LGBTQ people in The United Methodist Church, plans to hold its Convocation 2023 on Oct. 13-15 both virtually and at First United Methodist Church in Charlotte. The theme will be Onward to Perfection. Pre- and post-Convocation workshops are also scheduled for Oct. 12 and Oct. 16. Early-bird rates end July 31.
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