NEWS AND FEATURES
New budget must wait for General Conference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — The United Methodist Church’s finance agency lacks authority to set a new denominational budget and apportionment guideline despite postponement of the church’s top legislative gathering, the Judicial Council has ruled. Linda Bloom reports.
Read story
UM News: Court clarifies decision on clergy session voting
Texas Conference
Church works to remove racist language from deeds
HOUSTON — On the first Sunday after George Floyd’s death, the Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe of St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church spoke about racism and how it exists even in their own backyard, including on the deed restrictions of homes in the nearby Oak Forest neighborhood. Not long after, Ashley Cavazos, a church member and Oak Forest resident, began her mission to have the racist language removed. Lindsay Peyton has the story.
Read story
Status and Role of Women
Nevertheless, she preached
MADISON, N.J. — Jarena Lee, a free Black woman in the 19th century, felt the call to preach twice in her life. The second time, her bishop encouraged that call. Ashley Boggan Dreff, the new top executive for the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History, offers an overview of Lee and other pioneering Methodist women preachers.
Read story
Read spotlight on Ashley Boggan Dreff
Ask The UMC: Pioneering Black women in Methodism
The Enterprise-Tocsin
Remembering Turner Arant, church leader
INDIANOLA, Miss. — Andy Turner Arant Sr., a longtime leader at various levels of The United Methodist Church, died March 17 at the age of 86. A member of Indianola First United Methodist Church, Arant served his congregation, the Mississippi Conference and larger denomination. At various points, he was a General Conference delegate, United Methodist Committee on Relief board member and member of the Connectional Table, which coordinates denomination-wide ministries. He also was a pioneer in the catfish farm industry.
Read obituary
PRESS RELEASES
Archives and History
Agency ups gift to African American heritage center
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Commission on Archives and History will donate $30,000 annually to the African American Methodist Heritage Center for five years. The new commitment is being done in honor of the late Rev. William Bobby McClain, a former commission member.
Read press release
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.
Mission and leadership in the new United Methodism
DALLAS (UM News) — Regionalizing its structure and electing gifted leaders as bishops will be key for The United Methodist Church of the future. In the second of a series of essays, the Rev. Stanley R. Copeland further outlines a vision for the new United Methodism.
Read commentary
Read Part 1
RECENT HEADLINES
Judge rules for SMU over jurisdiction
Commentary: Closed-door meetings breed mistrust
EVENTS
Monday, April 19-Saturday, May 1
Online Lay Servant Ministries course: Come to the Waters
New budget must wait for General Conference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — The United Methodist Church’s finance agency lacks authority to set a new denominational budget and apportionment guideline despite postponement of the church’s top legislative gathering, the Judicial Council has ruled. Linda Bloom reports.
Read story
UM News: Court clarifies decision on clergy session voting
Texas Conference
Church works to remove racist language from deeds
HOUSTON — On the first Sunday after George Floyd’s death, the Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe of St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church spoke about racism and how it exists even in their own backyard, including on the deed restrictions of homes in the nearby Oak Forest neighborhood. Not long after, Ashley Cavazos, a church member and Oak Forest resident, began her mission to have the racist language removed. Lindsay Peyton has the story.
Read story
Status and Role of Women
Nevertheless, she preached
MADISON, N.J. — Jarena Lee, a free Black woman in the 19th century, felt the call to preach twice in her life. The second time, her bishop encouraged that call. Ashley Boggan Dreff, the new top executive for the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History, offers an overview of Lee and other pioneering Methodist women preachers.
Read story
Read spotlight on Ashley Boggan Dreff
Ask The UMC: Pioneering Black women in Methodism
The Enterprise-Tocsin
Remembering Turner Arant, church leader
INDIANOLA, Miss. — Andy Turner Arant Sr., a longtime leader at various levels of The United Methodist Church, died March 17 at the age of 86. A member of Indianola First United Methodist Church, Arant served his congregation, the Mississippi Conference and larger denomination. At various points, he was a General Conference delegate, United Methodist Committee on Relief board member and member of the Connectional Table, which coordinates denomination-wide ministries. He also was a pioneer in the catfish farm industry.
Read obituary
PRESS RELEASES
Archives and History
Agency ups gift to African American heritage center
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Commission on Archives and History will donate $30,000 annually to the African American Methodist Heritage Center for five years. The new commitment is being done in honor of the late Rev. William Bobby McClain, a former commission member.
Read press release
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.
Mission and leadership in the new United Methodism
DALLAS (UM News) — Regionalizing its structure and electing gifted leaders as bishops will be key for The United Methodist Church of the future. In the second of a series of essays, the Rev. Stanley R. Copeland further outlines a vision for the new United Methodism.
Read commentary
Read Part 1
RECENT HEADLINES
Judge rules for SMU over jurisdiction
Commentary: Closed-door meetings breed mistrust
EVENTS
Monday, April 19-Saturday, May 1
Online Lay Servant Ministries course: Come to the Waters
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