"Nothing can replace gathering together for worship and study and listening for the voice of the spirit in the conversations on the floor and in the hallways." — The Rev. Donnie Wilkinson, senior pastor of Broadmoor United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Annual conferences plan online, hybrid events
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Some annual conferences will do a portion of their 2021 meetings in person as the coronavirus threat subsides. Resolutions on issues including sexuality and race will be considered. Jim Patterson has the story.
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Michigan Conference
Church doors open for Albanian immigrant
DETROIT — Ded Rranxburgaj, an Albanian immigrant, walked out of Central United Methodist Church without fear of deportation for the first time in three and a half years, following a May 18 decision by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He and his family have been in sanctuary at the church since 2018. Kay DeMoss has the story.
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UM News: Woman in sanctuary relishes new freedom
Louisiana Conference
More flooding in Louisiana
BATON ROUGE, La. — On the eve of its annual conference gathering, the Louisiana Conference is scrambling to help churches and communities cope with flood damage from this week's heavy rains. Baton Rouge and Lake Charles are among the affected areas, and the latter is still recovering from 2020 hurricanes. The Rev. Todd Rossnagel has a roundup story and a video interview with a pastor at a flooded church. Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey offers her own video report.
Read story
Watch Bishop Harvey video
Watch video with pastor
PRESS RELEASES
Greater Northwest Area
Bishop Stanovsky postpones retirement
DES MOINES, Wash. — With renewed focus and changing circumstances in the church, Greater Northwest Episcopal Area Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky announced that she is postponing her retirement, earlier planned for Jan. 1, 2022. She leads the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest conferences. She expresses hope that her retirement will follow the election and assignment of new bishops in 2022.
Read announcement
Read Bishop Stanovsky's letter
Religion and Race
Podcast focuses on anti-racism
WASHINGTON — "Expanding the Table," a new video podcast series from the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, will debut June 1. Series guests will focus on how individual Christians and church-based entities can promote racial justice and combat racism. The first podcast will focus on "Racism, Police Reform and Faith." M. Garlinda Burton, interim top executive, said the series will offer a deeper understanding of how racism harms the church and society, and how anti-racism and racial justice are expressions of Christian discipleship.
Read press release
Learn more
Wesley Theological Seminary
Administrator named seminary president
WASHINGTON — The Rev. Asa J. Lee is the 2021 Society of John Wesley Award inductee. He is a Wesley Theological Seminary alumnus and now an administrator at the seminary. Lee has been named as new president of Presbyterian-affiliated Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, a role he will assume in June.
Read Wesley Theological Seminary press release
Read Pittsburgh Theological Seminary 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.
'Build the church that we are sent to serve'
SEOUL, South Korea (UM News) — The Rev. Dr. Hyekyoung Pauline Kang recalls a time when she protested an appointment by her bishop that she felt was a bad fit. It came to be one she considered a great opportunity. "God always works through faithful servants," she writes. "Our job as pastors is to build the church that we are sent to serve."
Read commentary
RESOURCES
United Methodist Communications
Video calls out comments Asian Americans face
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a new video reveals offensive comments made to clergy and lay leaders in churches or other United Methodist settings. Volunteers read the statements on camera for the first time. The goal is to bring deeper understanding in the work of dismantling racism.
To watch
RECENT HEADLINES
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EVENTS
Thursday, June 3-Sunday, June 6
Friday, June 4-Saturday, June 5
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