Daily Digest - March 9, 2020

“There are people who couldn’t work this week because there was no power at their job. There are people who experienced a physical tornado but there are also people who have experienced a financial tornado.”The Rev. Shelia Peters of Braden Memorial United Methodist Church on tornado damage.


NEWS AND FEATURES

Church members worship after tornadoes 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Church members gathered to find comfort and inspiration in worship after tornadoes killed at least 24 people and caused extensive property damage in Middle Tennessee. The UM News team reports on Sunday services.
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Tennessee tornadoes take lives, damage churches
Retired pastor’s home lost to tornado

ʽLiberation Methodist Church’ gets a hearing 
DALLAS (UM News) — A proposed new denomination, tentatively called the Liberation Methodist Church, got plenty of discussion at a UM-Forward event held March 6-8 in Dallas. Others attending said they still prefer to work within The United Methodist Church for a comprehensive social-justice-focused approach to ministry. Sam Hodges reports.
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Michigan Conference 
Michigan sends protocol plan to GC2020

ALBION, Mich. — The Michigan Conference voted 927-92 to send the protocol legislation, a plan for an amicable separation of The United Methodist Church, to the 2020 General Conference. Michigan, the third conference and the first U.S. conference to send the legislation to the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly, did not endorse the plan. Kay DeMoss has the story. 
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Sierra Leone Conference approves protocol plan

Florida Conference
Pastor’s call stronger than obstacles she faced

TAMPA, Fla. — The Rev. Geraldine McClellan grew up serious, studious and devout. But she was a girl instead of a boy and black instead of white, and that would make things difficult later. Eventually she became the first black woman pastor and district superintendent in the Florida Conference. William March has McClellan’s story.
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United Methodist Development Fund
New partnership will provide church loans

AUSTIN, Texas — The Kansas Area United Methodist Foundation and the Austin-based United Methodist Development Fund will provide loans to local churches in the Great Plains Conference, starting this year. Partnering with UMDF will allow the foundation to make larger loans and a greater volume of loans than it could on its own. 
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Watch video


PRESS RELEASES

Inter-Ethnic Strategy & Development Group
Inter-ethnic group calls for prioritizing regionalization

MINNEAPOLIS — Regionalization legislation that originated in the Philippines and Africa should take priority at the 2020 General Conference followed by the protocol for separation, said the Inter-Ethnic Strategy and Development Group. The group represents five United Methodist racial-ethnic caucuses. 
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RECENT HEADLINES 

Fostering healthy smiles in Zimbabwe


Comparing plans headed to GC2020


EVENTS

Tuesday, March 24

Lecture: Providing Sanctuary as Witness

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