“I was outside getting lunch a little bit ago and on my Apple Watch the decibel reading went up to 91.” — The Rev. Jennifer Smith Walz, on the volume of cicadas in Princeton, New Jersey.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Cicadas show up for church, testing clergy
GERMANTOWN, Md. (UM News) — United Methodist clergy are finding inspiration for sermons and devotionals in the arrival of billions of Brood X cicadas after 17 years spent underground. But the red-eyed, flying insects also have disrupted outdoor worship services. Sam Hodges reports.
Read story
Holston Conference
Bishop Taylor announces retirement
ALCOA, Tenn. — Holston Conference Bishop Mary Virginia “Dindy” Taylor announced that she plans to retire Sept. 1. Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett will serve both Holston and the North Alabama conferences. “My cup has overflowed as I have been humbled and honored to serve for 17 years as a member of the Council of Bishops,” Taylor writes.
Read announcement
Read Southeastern Jurisdiction episcopal supervision plan
Spectrum News
Church hosts memorial for Pulse victims
ORLANDO, Fla. — First United Methodist Church of Orlando gathered loved ones and community members to remember the 49 victims killed in the Pulse nightclub massacre five years ago. The church also tolled its bell for each life taken. Pete Reinwald reports.
Read story
AZfamily.com
Church’s pride banners stolen
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This June, North Scottsdale United Methodist Church displayed rainbow banners for LGBTQ Pride Month. But in the past week, banners were first knocked to the ground, and then two days later, they were stolen. Elliott Polakoff reports on how the church is moving forward.
Read story
Native American International Caucus
After mass grave found, groups urge action
WASHINGTON — After the bones of 215 children were found at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Canada, Native American United Methodists are urging a closer look at Methodist-run schools. The Native American International Caucus asks bishops to commit time and money to the investigation. The executive committee of the Northeastern Jurisdiction Native Americans Ministries Committee also has issued a letter of solidarity with the caucus.
Read Native American International Caucus letter
Read committee letter
Read BBC story
Michigan Conference
A virtual conference ‘takes a village’
LANSING, Mich. — The production of an annual conference session has always had many moving parts, but hosting such a big event completely virtually brings an entirely new set of challenges. However, Mark Doyal, the conference director of communications and executive producer of the annual conference session, says there is “real potential to evolve into a new era of conferencing.” Kay DeMoss reports.
Read story
Read 2021 annual conference reports
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.
UM Insight
Why am I United Methodist?
WASHINGTON — Despite being raised and ordained as a Southern Baptist, the Rev. Clayton Childers found himself resigning from his first pastorate and disillusioned. When he discovered The United Methodist Church, its commitments to faith in action and racial justice “literally redeemed my ministry,” he writes.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
Churches have role in overcoming vaccine hesitancy
Former bishop known for 'reconciling spirit'
Wednesday, June 16-Friday, June 18
New Mexico Annual Conference
Sunday, June 20
World Refugee Day
NEWS AND FEATURES
Cicadas show up for church, testing clergy
GERMANTOWN, Md. (UM News) — United Methodist clergy are finding inspiration for sermons and devotionals in the arrival of billions of Brood X cicadas after 17 years spent underground. But the red-eyed, flying insects also have disrupted outdoor worship services. Sam Hodges reports.
Read story
Holston Conference
Bishop Taylor announces retirement
ALCOA, Tenn. — Holston Conference Bishop Mary Virginia “Dindy” Taylor announced that she plans to retire Sept. 1. Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett will serve both Holston and the North Alabama conferences. “My cup has overflowed as I have been humbled and honored to serve for 17 years as a member of the Council of Bishops,” Taylor writes.
Read announcement
Read Southeastern Jurisdiction episcopal supervision plan
Spectrum News
Church hosts memorial for Pulse victims
ORLANDO, Fla. — First United Methodist Church of Orlando gathered loved ones and community members to remember the 49 victims killed in the Pulse nightclub massacre five years ago. The church also tolled its bell for each life taken. Pete Reinwald reports.
Read story
AZfamily.com
Church’s pride banners stolen
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This June, North Scottsdale United Methodist Church displayed rainbow banners for LGBTQ Pride Month. But in the past week, banners were first knocked to the ground, and then two days later, they were stolen. Elliott Polakoff reports on how the church is moving forward.
Read story
Native American International Caucus
After mass grave found, groups urge action
WASHINGTON — After the bones of 215 children were found at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Canada, Native American United Methodists are urging a closer look at Methodist-run schools. The Native American International Caucus asks bishops to commit time and money to the investigation. The executive committee of the Northeastern Jurisdiction Native Americans Ministries Committee also has issued a letter of solidarity with the caucus.
Read Native American International Caucus letter
Read committee letter
Read BBC story
Michigan Conference
A virtual conference ‘takes a village’
LANSING, Mich. — The production of an annual conference session has always had many moving parts, but hosting such a big event completely virtually brings an entirely new set of challenges. However, Mark Doyal, the conference director of communications and executive producer of the annual conference session, says there is “real potential to evolve into a new era of conferencing.” Kay DeMoss reports.
Read story
Read 2021 annual conference reports
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.
UM Insight
Why am I United Methodist?
WASHINGTON — Despite being raised and ordained as a Southern Baptist, the Rev. Clayton Childers found himself resigning from his first pastorate and disillusioned. When he discovered The United Methodist Church, its commitments to faith in action and racial justice “literally redeemed my ministry,” he writes.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
Churches have role in overcoming vaccine hesitancy
Former bishop known for 'reconciling spirit'
Wednesday, June 16-Friday, June 18
New Mexico Annual Conference
Sunday, June 20
World Refugee Day
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