“It was with some courage and some stupidity that I finally decided to go to seminary and take a complete leap of faith into a denomination that was still deeming me incompatible with Christian teachings.” — The Rev. Lea Matthews on her ordination in the New York Conference.
NEWS AND FEATURES
New York Conference ordains LGBTQ deacon
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (UM News) — The Rev. Lea Matthews was ordained as a United Methodist deacon after a circular route starting in the Mississippi church of her childhood, a detour for 13 years as a teacher and then a return to church leadership just when the question of the status of LGBTQ people in the church was heating up. She sees her ministry as a helping hand to marginalized people in the world, including LGBTQ people like herself and her wife. Jim Patterson reports.
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Read New York Conference story
Reaching cyclone survivors at Malawi camp
NSANJE, Malawi (UM News) — A relief distribution to the Phokera camp for survivors of Cyclone Idai was complicated by the fact that the camp had 500 families, but The United Methodist Church only had food relief for 300 families. Francis Nkhoma has the story.
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Florida Conference
Church members’ homes bring ministry
MIAMI — In the heart of Little Havana, just west of the Miami River, sits an anomaly — a legacy church on a sizeable lot amid other storefront congregations. Members of Riverside United Methodist Church have little money, but they reach out with what they do have — even their own homes. William March has the story.
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United Methodist Communications
Reflecting on faith at the movies
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sitting in a movie theater can be a great escape from the routine (and heat) of summer. The Rev. Joe Iovino offers a preview to summer movies that have themes that can help United Methodists reflect on faith.
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.
Mainstream UMC
The Wesleyan character of Methodist centrists
DENTON, Texas — John Wesley was a centrist who believed “Christians could be united by a few essential doctrines and have differing opinions on less important things,” writes Tim Crouch, a North Texas Conference lay delegate to General Conference and member of the United Methodist Commission on Communication. Crouch lists 12 beliefs of Methodist centrists.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
Ramping up response to US spring disasters
Episcopal areas unite to grow church in Africa
EVENTS
June and July
Summer youth events at Lake Junaluska
NEWS AND FEATURES
New York Conference ordains LGBTQ deacon
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (UM News) — The Rev. Lea Matthews was ordained as a United Methodist deacon after a circular route starting in the Mississippi church of her childhood, a detour for 13 years as a teacher and then a return to church leadership just when the question of the status of LGBTQ people in the church was heating up. She sees her ministry as a helping hand to marginalized people in the world, including LGBTQ people like herself and her wife. Jim Patterson reports.
Read story
Read New York Conference story
Reaching cyclone survivors at Malawi camp
NSANJE, Malawi (UM News) — A relief distribution to the Phokera camp for survivors of Cyclone Idai was complicated by the fact that the camp had 500 families, but The United Methodist Church only had food relief for 300 families. Francis Nkhoma has the story.
Read story
Florida Conference
Church members’ homes bring ministry
MIAMI — In the heart of Little Havana, just west of the Miami River, sits an anomaly — a legacy church on a sizeable lot amid other storefront congregations. Members of Riverside United Methodist Church have little money, but they reach out with what they do have — even their own homes. William March has the story.
Read story
United Methodist Communications
Reflecting on faith at the movies
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sitting in a movie theater can be a great escape from the routine (and heat) of summer. The Rev. Joe Iovino offers a preview to summer movies that have themes that can help United Methodists reflect on faith.
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.
Mainstream UMC
The Wesleyan character of Methodist centrists
DENTON, Texas — John Wesley was a centrist who believed “Christians could be united by a few essential doctrines and have differing opinions on less important things,” writes Tim Crouch, a North Texas Conference lay delegate to General Conference and member of the United Methodist Commission on Communication. Crouch lists 12 beliefs of Methodist centrists.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
Ramping up response to US spring disasters
Episcopal areas unite to grow church in Africa
EVENTS
June and July
Summer youth events at Lake Junaluska
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