"Our windows continue to tremble night and day, only now with the roar of foreign military transport planes arriving." — Deirdre Zimmerman, United Methodist missionary in Nepal.
Access to villages in Nepal proves challenging
NEW YORK (UMNS) — Getting help to rural villages in Nepal that were damaged by the April 25 earthquake has proved a major challenge. Katherine T. Parker, assigned by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries to the United Mission to Nepal, said mule trains as well as helicopters may be needed. Linda Bloom reports.
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Bishops Ough, Carter win elections to lead bishops
BERLIN (UMNS) — Dakotas-Minnesota Area Bishop Bruce R. Ough will be the next president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, effective in 2016, and Florida Area Bishop Kenneth H. Carter was elected as the president-designate. Heather Hahn reports from Berlin.
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Sierra Leone Conference meets amid Ebola restrictions
BO, Sierra Leone (UMNS) — Because of the Ebola crisis, the United Methodist Sierra Leone Annual Conference that ended April 26 conducted its business in two days rather than five. But Resident Bishop John Yambasu said he was grateful to God that the conference, postponed from early March, happened at all. Phileas Jusu has the story.
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Perkins offers cultural competency training
DALLAS (UMNS) — Twenty-five United Methodist pastors and laypersons are getting cultural competency and Hispanic ministries training from Perkins School of Theology, thanks to a grant from the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.
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$5 million gift for University of Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (UMNS) — Local civic leader Yvonne Shaheen has given $5 million to the University of Indianapolis, a United Methodist-affiliated school, to boost innovation in the College of Arts and Sciences. That college will be renamed for her and her late husband, Riad Shaheen. Yvonne Shaheen is a longtime trustee of the University of Indianapolis.
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Minnesota offers internships for potential pastors
MINNEAPOLIS (UMNS) — Eight college students who feel they may have a call to ministry will have internships at churches this summer under Exploring Leadership Internship, a new program in the Minnesota Conference. A $60,000 grant from The United Methodist Church’s Young Clergy Initiative is underwriting the effort. Christa Meland reports.
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History of Hymns: `We Cannot Measure How You Heal’
DALLAS (UMNS) — John L. Bell has earned acclaim for his work as a hymn writer and the attention he has given to congregational singing. For this week’s History of Hymns, Perkins School of Theology student Taylor Vancil offers background on Bell and Bell’s hymn “We Cannot Measure How You Heal.”
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Looking ahead
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have an item to share, email [email protected] and put Digest in the subject line.
Thursday, May 7
Webinar "Taking Faith Formation Online" — 7 to 8 p.m. EDT. The Internet offers an abundance of options for faith formation that meet the needs of busy people. Many of these are low- or no-cost tools that can be easily used by those without a lot of technical expertise. Debbie Kolacki, a certified Christian educator and certified United Methodist lay servant, will lead. Details.
You can see more educational opportunities and other upcoming events in the life of the church here.
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