“Free education has positively impacted lives. We see more girls coming to school because parents are not being asked to pay fees, which used to be a challenge.” — Isatu Peacock, principal of Harford School for Girls in Moyamba, Sierra Leone.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
Free education policy affects church schools
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UM News) — Sierra Leone’s Free Quality School Education initiative is creating challenges for United Methodist schools. While school rolls have increased, many are contending with overcrowded classrooms and understaffing. Phileas Jusu reports.
Read story
Justice for Our Neighbors
Immigrant stories sought for diversity project
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Justice for Our Neighbors Michigan is looking for immigration stories for a project called “Journeys to America.” The project hopes to connect personal family stories to a fuller appreciation of the nation’s diversity. Submissions should be under 400 words and will be cataloged and displayed on the JFON Michigan website.
View stories
Submit a story
Fox17, Holston Conference
Church cemetery receives national recognition
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Historical Commission has announced that Beck Knob Cemetery will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hurst United Methodist Church owns Beck Knob, the first organized Black cemetery in Chattanooga, with graves dating to the 1860s. Samuel Britten has the story.
Read story
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 the UM News staff.
Florida Conference
Freedom is the right thing at the right time
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — “Freedom is the right thing because its cultivation reflects the highest ideals that a people can amass,” the Rev. Sharon Austin preached on Independence Day at Lake Junaluska Assembly. In her sermon, she speaks about how many who fought for freedom — including her husband’s ancestor, John Chubb, a free Black man who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Read commentary
UM News: Little church looms large in Black history
EVENTS
Friday, July 16-Saturday, July 17
Northern Illinois Annual Conference
TOP STORIES FROM THE WEEK
Churches urged to relaunch, not just reopen
DENTON, Texas (UM News) — Church leadership experts are urging pastors and churches not to miss an opportunity for change as COVID 19-restrictions lift. Pastors themselves say it’s important to continue the innovation and experimentation that marked church life in the pandemic. Sam Hodges offers the latest story in an occasional series on the post-pandemic church.
Read story
UM News: Rural churches emerging from coronavirus
Bishop Yeakel, caring leader, dies at 93
WOOSTER, Ohio (UM News) — In his more than 70 years of ministry, Bishop Joseph H. Yeakel served a variety of leadership roles, including Council of Bishops president. He later became an advocate for full LGBTQ inclusion. Friends say he took on these roles with humility and compassion. He died July 4 at age 93. Heather Hahn has the obituary.
Read obituary
Read Council of Bishops press release
New 2021 annual conference reports posted
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News is posting 2021 annual conference reports. New this week are the Alaska, Burundi, East Ohio, Missouri, Pacific Northwest, Susquehanna and West Virginia conferences.
Read reports
Michigan Conference
Assassination, storm hit Haiti
LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Conference Covenant Partners in Haiti is asking for prayers and donations after the country’s president was assassinated and the tropical storm Elsa caused damage. Also, a fire on July 6 destroyed laptops and other equipment used by a computer lab that provides job training. Kay DeMoss reports.
Read story
The Raleigh News & Observer
Man, deported from sanctuary, has died
DURHAM, N.C. — Samuel Oliver-Bruno, a Mexican man who took sanctuary at CityWell United Methodist Church in 2018, has died. Oliver-Bruno was in a very bad car accident in Veracruz, Mexico, in April 2020, after he was deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Oliver-Bruno succumbed to his injuries this week. Laura Brache reports.
Read story
UM News: Church extends support to deported man
Religion and Race
Arroyo named top executive of Religion and Race
WASHINGTON — The Rev. Giovanni Arroyo, an ordained elder and member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, has been elected as the top executive for the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, effective Aug. 31. He succeeds M. Garlinda Burton, who has been serving as interim executive during the search process. With his election, Arroyo will be the first Latinx person to head a denomination-wide agency.
Read press release
United Methodist Communications
Finding unexpected joy in memory care
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Retired and looking for a way to serve, United Methodist John Bell feared that volunteering at his church’s program for people with memory loss would be a sad experience. But it soon became apparent that instead there was a great deal of joy. One of the reasons for the success of the Respite Ministry program, leaders believe, is the love that radiates throughout. Crystal Caviness reports.
Read story
Church and Society
Sacred Worth book-reading series begins
WASHINGTON — The United Methodist Board of Church and Society is kicking off a Sacred Worth Books Summer Read-along Series on its YouTube channel. Every Wednesday in July at 2 p.m. U.S. Eastern time, leaders from the agency will read and discuss a different book that speaks to particular justice issues and connects with faith. The first book will be “We Are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom.
Watch video
WFMJ-21
Churches build free community garden
SHARON, Pa. — The city of Sharon wanted neighbors to adopt properties to take care of vacant lots so they wouldn't become dumping grounds. The churches of the Sharon United Methodist Parish decided to step in and put a free community vegetable garden on a few of the lots. “Being able to provide fresh produce for the community is an amazing feeling,” said the Rev. Doug Dyson, pastor of the churches. Tyler Ryan reports.
Read story
World Council of Churches, World Methodist Council
Calls for global tax reform
GENEVA — Ecumenical groups, including the World Methodist Council and World Council of Churches, have sent a joint letter to G20 finance ministers. The letter urges global tax reform, such as unitary methods for corporate taxation, to address the global inequities exacerbated by COVID-19.
Read letter (PDF)
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas
Clergy featured in vaccination videos
SAN ANTONIO — Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas has done a series of videos featuring clergy of the Rio Texas Conference asking people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The public service announcements are in English and Spanish and include a diverse group of clergy.
Watch sample video
See more from Methodist Healthcare Ministries on the vaccines
The McGovern Report
Podcast features the Rev. Don Messer
MITCHELL, S.D. — The Rev. Don Messer, a longtime United Methodist leader, talks with The McGovern Report podcast about his efforts to promote health in Africa and combat violence against transgender people. The podcast is the voice of the McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service at United Methodist-related Dakota Wesleyan University.
Listen to podcast
Read about Center for Health and Hope newsletter (PDF)
Rethink Church
Commentary: Do we need the institution to do church?
RICHARDSON, Texas — When Shandon Klein hears the word “institution,” she can’t help but think of its negative characteristics. It occurs to her that many people have the same reaction to the word “church.” Klein, a ministry associate at First United Methodist Church Richardson, asks, as an institutional church, “are we truly creating disciples of Jesus Christ or are we simply creating disciples of our institutional standards and policies?”
Read commentary
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Financial lessons for the post-pandemic church
WASHINGTON — In the aftershocks of the COVID-19 crisis, many churches face a period of financial reckoning. The Rev. Lovett Weems and Ann Michel of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership offer eight tips for helping churches navigate uncharted territory.
Read tips
TODAY’S HEADLINES
Free education policy affects church schools
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UM News) — Sierra Leone’s Free Quality School Education initiative is creating challenges for United Methodist schools. While school rolls have increased, many are contending with overcrowded classrooms and understaffing. Phileas Jusu reports.
Read story
Justice for Our Neighbors
Immigrant stories sought for diversity project
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Justice for Our Neighbors Michigan is looking for immigration stories for a project called “Journeys to America.” The project hopes to connect personal family stories to a fuller appreciation of the nation’s diversity. Submissions should be under 400 words and will be cataloged and displayed on the JFON Michigan website.
View stories
Submit a story
Fox17, Holston Conference
Church cemetery receives national recognition
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Historical Commission has announced that Beck Knob Cemetery will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hurst United Methodist Church owns Beck Knob, the first organized Black cemetery in Chattanooga, with graves dating to the 1860s. Samuel Britten has the story.
Read story
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 the UM News staff.
Florida Conference
Freedom is the right thing at the right time
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — “Freedom is the right thing because its cultivation reflects the highest ideals that a people can amass,” the Rev. Sharon Austin preached on Independence Day at Lake Junaluska Assembly. In her sermon, she speaks about how many who fought for freedom — including her husband’s ancestor, John Chubb, a free Black man who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Read commentary
UM News: Little church looms large in Black history
EVENTS
Friday, July 16-Saturday, July 17
Northern Illinois Annual Conference
TOP STORIES FROM THE WEEK
Churches urged to relaunch, not just reopen
DENTON, Texas (UM News) — Church leadership experts are urging pastors and churches not to miss an opportunity for change as COVID 19-restrictions lift. Pastors themselves say it’s important to continue the innovation and experimentation that marked church life in the pandemic. Sam Hodges offers the latest story in an occasional series on the post-pandemic church.
Read story
UM News: Rural churches emerging from coronavirus
Bishop Yeakel, caring leader, dies at 93
WOOSTER, Ohio (UM News) — In his more than 70 years of ministry, Bishop Joseph H. Yeakel served a variety of leadership roles, including Council of Bishops president. He later became an advocate for full LGBTQ inclusion. Friends say he took on these roles with humility and compassion. He died July 4 at age 93. Heather Hahn has the obituary.
Read obituary
Read Council of Bishops press release
New 2021 annual conference reports posted
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News is posting 2021 annual conference reports. New this week are the Alaska, Burundi, East Ohio, Missouri, Pacific Northwest, Susquehanna and West Virginia conferences.
Read reports
Michigan Conference
Assassination, storm hit Haiti
LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Conference Covenant Partners in Haiti is asking for prayers and donations after the country’s president was assassinated and the tropical storm Elsa caused damage. Also, a fire on July 6 destroyed laptops and other equipment used by a computer lab that provides job training. Kay DeMoss reports.
Read story
The Raleigh News & Observer
Man, deported from sanctuary, has died
DURHAM, N.C. — Samuel Oliver-Bruno, a Mexican man who took sanctuary at CityWell United Methodist Church in 2018, has died. Oliver-Bruno was in a very bad car accident in Veracruz, Mexico, in April 2020, after he was deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Oliver-Bruno succumbed to his injuries this week. Laura Brache reports.
Read story
UM News: Church extends support to deported man
Religion and Race
Arroyo named top executive of Religion and Race
WASHINGTON — The Rev. Giovanni Arroyo, an ordained elder and member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, has been elected as the top executive for the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, effective Aug. 31. He succeeds M. Garlinda Burton, who has been serving as interim executive during the search process. With his election, Arroyo will be the first Latinx person to head a denomination-wide agency.
Read press release
United Methodist Communications
Finding unexpected joy in memory care
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Retired and looking for a way to serve, United Methodist John Bell feared that volunteering at his church’s program for people with memory loss would be a sad experience. But it soon became apparent that instead there was a great deal of joy. One of the reasons for the success of the Respite Ministry program, leaders believe, is the love that radiates throughout. Crystal Caviness reports.
Read story
Church and Society
Sacred Worth book-reading series begins
WASHINGTON — The United Methodist Board of Church and Society is kicking off a Sacred Worth Books Summer Read-along Series on its YouTube channel. Every Wednesday in July at 2 p.m. U.S. Eastern time, leaders from the agency will read and discuss a different book that speaks to particular justice issues and connects with faith. The first book will be “We Are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom.
Watch video
WFMJ-21
Churches build free community garden
SHARON, Pa. — The city of Sharon wanted neighbors to adopt properties to take care of vacant lots so they wouldn't become dumping grounds. The churches of the Sharon United Methodist Parish decided to step in and put a free community vegetable garden on a few of the lots. “Being able to provide fresh produce for the community is an amazing feeling,” said the Rev. Doug Dyson, pastor of the churches. Tyler Ryan reports.
Read story
World Council of Churches, World Methodist Council
Calls for global tax reform
GENEVA — Ecumenical groups, including the World Methodist Council and World Council of Churches, have sent a joint letter to G20 finance ministers. The letter urges global tax reform, such as unitary methods for corporate taxation, to address the global inequities exacerbated by COVID-19.
Read letter (PDF)
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas
Clergy featured in vaccination videos
SAN ANTONIO — Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas has done a series of videos featuring clergy of the Rio Texas Conference asking people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The public service announcements are in English and Spanish and include a diverse group of clergy.
Watch sample video
See more from Methodist Healthcare Ministries on the vaccines
The McGovern Report
Podcast features the Rev. Don Messer
MITCHELL, S.D. — The Rev. Don Messer, a longtime United Methodist leader, talks with The McGovern Report podcast about his efforts to promote health in Africa and combat violence against transgender people. The podcast is the voice of the McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service at United Methodist-related Dakota Wesleyan University.
Listen to podcast
Read about Center for Health and Hope newsletter (PDF)
Rethink Church
Commentary: Do we need the institution to do church?
RICHARDSON, Texas — When Shandon Klein hears the word “institution,” she can’t help but think of its negative characteristics. It occurs to her that many people have the same reaction to the word “church.” Klein, a ministry associate at First United Methodist Church Richardson, asks, as an institutional church, “are we truly creating disciples of Jesus Christ or are we simply creating disciples of our institutional standards and policies?”
Read commentary
Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Financial lessons for the post-pandemic church
WASHINGTON — In the aftershocks of the COVID-19 crisis, many churches face a period of financial reckoning. The Rev. Lovett Weems and Ann Michel of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership offer eight tips for helping churches navigate uncharted territory.
Read tips
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