Daily Digest - October 1, 2020

“We can post memes on social media. But if we don’t show up on Election Day, we won’t have said anything at all.”The Rev. Anil Singh, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Jensen Beach, Florida. 


NEWS AND FEATURES

Want to have your say? Churches urge voting

EDGEWATER, Md. (UM News) — Across the U.S., United Methodist churches are registering voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election. “If every voice counts, then all persons, including churches, should help ensure that every voice is heard,” says one pastor. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story 

Kentucky Conference 
Conference to hold prayer walk in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As pain and tensions continue about prosecutorial decisions in the killing of Breonna Taylor, the Kentucky Conference will hold a prayer walk for healing, concluding in a worship service in Louisville’s Jefferson Square Park. "Seeing Through Another’s Eyes: A Prayer Walk & Worship Service for Healing" is set for Sunday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. U.S. Eastern time. The event will be livestreamed on the conference Facebook page.
Read announcement

Greater Northwest Area
United Methodists respond to Washington wildfires

DES MOINES, Wash. — The Rev. David Valera, Pacific Northwest Conference executive director of connectional ministries, recently traveled to north central Washington State to speak with United Methodists responding to the needs of those impacted by wildfires. He produced a video documenting the response.
Watch video

Oklahoma Conference
Celebrating a century of ministry

OKLAHOMA CITY — Neighborhood Services Organization is in its 100th year of ministry, with a current focus on providing housing and other assistance to the city’s homeless and working poor. Founded as the Wesley Community House, the nonprofit is a National Mission Institute of United Methodist Women.
Read story

New 2020 annual conference reports posted 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News is posting 2020 annual conference reports. New this week are Baltimore-Washington, North Alabama, Pacific Northwest and Tennessee.
Read reports


PRESS RELEASES

Council of Bishops
Brown assigned as Sierra Leone interim bishop

WASHINGTON — The Council of Bishops has approved a recommendation from West Africa bishops to assign retired Bishop Warner Brown as interim episcopal leader for the Sierra Leone Area of The United Methodist Church. Sierra Leone Bishop John K. Yambasu died Aug. 16 in an auto accident.
Read press release

United Methodist Communications
Celebrating 80 years of telling the story

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Oct. 1, United Methodist Communications celebrates 80 years of telling inspirational stories of God's work in the world through the denomination. A new video, "The Power of Communication," recaps the agency's journey to resource church leaders to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and launch a new campaign aimed at ending racism.
Watch video
Read press release

Lilly Endowment
$93 million in grants to help churches thrive

INDIANAPOLIS — United Methodist recipients were among those awarded 92 grants, totaling nearly $93 million, through the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The Dakotas Conference, for example, will use its grant to build partnerships between town and rural churches. United Methodist-related Duke University has received a $3.79 million grant to support the initiative during the next five years.
Read press release
See full list of grant recipients


RECENT HEADLINES 

Grappling with how racism co-exists with faith


Conference backs replacing Cross and Flame


EVENTS 

Tuesday, Oct. 6

Zoom lecture: The cost of polarization to Latinx communities

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