“AIDS is not over. We need to revive our programs across the nation. Our churches are everywhere; we can make a difference.” — The Rev. Asir Ebenezer, National Council of Churches in India.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
Faith communities help revive AIDS ministries in India
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (UM News) — India continues to have a high rate of HIV infection and ranks third in the world in the number of people living with HIV. In response, the National Council of Churches in India is restarting ecumenical educational efforts to engage faith communities in AIDS ministry. United Methodists were among those in attendance at seminars focused on faith-based responses to the epidemic. The Rev. Donald E. Messer has the story.
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Holston Conference
Church builds treehouse for grieving family
ATHENS, Tenn. — On a tragic day, a pastor promised a treehouse to a little boy. Three months later, the congregation of Keith Memorial United Methodist Church had not only worked together to build a top-notch treehouse but also walked with a family after a terrible loss. Annette Spence has the story.
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Minnesota Conference
Bishop calls for prayer following fatal shooting
MINNEAPOLIS — Bishop Lanette Plambeck of the Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area has called for prayer following a May 30 shooting near the conference office that left a Minneapolis police officer and another person dead and injured four others. The shooter was also killed. “We must support efforts to bring healing to our community and work tirelessly to address the underlying issues that lead to such senseless acts,” she wrote.
Read letter
New England Conference
UMCOR grant will assist in Vermont flood recovery
METHUEN, Mass. — The flood waters that washed over Vermont in the summer of 2023 have long since receded, but the work of recovery is far from done. To help with the recovery effort, the New England Conference has been awarded a $399,450 grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The funds will be used to support recovery and direct assistance to survivors impacted in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Response teams are expected to begin work in mid-June. Beth DiCocco reports.
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Missouri Conference
Esports boosts church’s youth program
SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. — Ashland United Methodist Church has seen its youth program go from eight to 40 kids. The growth came after Tom Keller, director of youth ministries, offered those attending the chance to do esports — competitive video gaming. He got the idea from attending UNITE, a gathering of United Methodist youth from across Missouri. Robby Criswell reports.
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Upper New York Conference
Celebrating creation with ‘Wild Worship’
PINE CITY, N.Y. — On Earth Day, Webb Mills United Methodist Church hosted an outdoor worship service beneath the shelter of a large pine tree on church grounds. The event, dubbed “Wild Worship,” attracted members from surrounding area churches and the local community. Ann Wood has the story.
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PRESS RELEASES
Huntingdon College
Huntingdon announces new president
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The board of United Methodist-related Huntingdon College unanimously elected Anthony Leigh to serve as the college’s 15th president. Leigh currently serves as Huntingdon’s senior vice president for student and institutional development and dean of students. Effective July 1, Huntingdon President J. Cameron West will assume the role of president emeritus and senior adviser for United Methodist polity.
Read press release
COMMENTARIES
UM News includes in the Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not UM News staff.
Medium.com
Open letter to a post-General Conference church
DALLAS — Jessica Vittorio, a delegate from the North Texas Conference, shares her hopes and prayers for The United Methodist Church moving forward after a momentous General Conference. “Our role was to open the door, it remains our collective responsibility as a global church to walk through it,” she writes.
Read commentary
RESOURCES
Discipleship Ministries
See-Create-Disciple conference back
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The See-Create-Disciple conference, formerly the School of Congregational Development, is back after a break due to COVID-19. The Aug. 4-7 event in Schaumburg, Illinois, will feature ministry-building strategies aimed at discipleship formation. The registration fee is $349, and enrollment closes on Aug. 2.
Learn more and register
See agenda
EVENTS
Sunday, June 2-Tuesday, June 4
North Texas Annual Conference
Sunday, June 2-Tuesday, June 4
South Georgia Annual Conference
TOP STORIES FROM THE WEEK
United Methodists offer help after deadly storms
DALLAS (UM News) — United Methodists are already at work in communities hard hit by deadly storms that swept across multiple states ahead of Memorial Day. Local church volunteers are clearing debris and handing out donated goods. The United Methodist Committee on Relief is processing solidarity grants to annual conferences that will be doing long-term disaster relief. Sam Hodges reports.
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Donate to UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response
Church revives itself with community engagement
SMYRNA, Ga. (UM News) — Taking advantage of grants from the North Georgia Conference, officials at Bethany United Methodist Church are working to diversify the congregation to better reflect its multicultural neighborhood. The Rev. Tony Phillips, a former Coca-Cola Company executive, is leading the community engagement effort. Jim Patterson reports.
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UM News: Promoting God instead of soda
Côte d’Ivoire votes to leave denomination
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire (UM News) — Members of the Côte d’Ivoire Conference, meeting in special session on May 28, voted to leave The United Methodist Church. The decision comes after the denomination’s General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, where delegates voted on several changes, including the wording of the church’s definition of marriage and the removal of restrictive language regarding LGBTQ people, as well as approved a regional structure that now will go to the annual conferences for a vote. The Côte d’Ivoire Conference was provisionally received into the denomination at the 2004 General Conference and fully received in 2008. Despite the vote, Côte d’Ivoire has not yet left the church. Following the vote, Bishop Benjamin Boni directed the church’s lawyers to begin working on the legal details for leaving the denomination. UM News will have a story with more details as they become available.
Episcopal News Service
Episcopalians call for more dialogue with UMC
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Episcopal Church plans to vote in June on a resolution that would continue dialogue with The United Methodist Church, which recently voted for full communion with Episcopalians. The resolution going before The Episcopal Church’s General Convention congratulates The United Methodist Church on its recent votes ending LGBTQ restrictions and sets out additional planning before Episcopalians vote on full communion. Melodie Woerman reports.
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UM News: Full communion with Episcopalians gets closer
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