Daily Digest - October 12, 2018

“The commission worked to focus on our mission. We find our unity … in the mission and the purpose of the church.” — West Virginia Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, describing the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.


NEWS AND FEATURES

Bishop explains Way Forward commission’s work

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, resident bishop of the West Virginia Conference and one of the moderators for the Commission on a Way Forward, filmed a series of videos for her conference members explaining various aspects of the Way Forward process and offering brief overviews of the three plans being considered by the special 2019 General Conference. Steiner Ball shared those videos with UM News as part of “Seeing a Way Forward,” a video series featuring different perspectives of church leaders on the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.
Watch videos
Watch Bishop Yambasu’s Seeing a Way Forward video

Hurricane Michael leaves deadly trail
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (UMNS) — United Methodists were assessing the damage as Hurricane Michael blazed a deadly trail across the southeastern United States. This is an updated version of the story that ran in the Oct. 11 Daily Digest.
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South Georgia Conference assessing damage
Damage updates from Alabama-West Florida
Florida Conference ready to help survivors

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Daylong standoff ends with mother back in sanctuary

PHILADELPHIA — Carmela Apolonio Hernandez purposefully left the Church of the Advocate after 10 months in sanctuary there, and traveled to demand answers of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in his Center City office. Her day of freedom and confrontation nearly ended with her arrest before she returned to sanctuary. The Rev. Robin Hynicka of Arch Street United Methodist Church was handcuffed and taken away during the daylong standoff. Jeff Gammage reports.
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Church in Liberia renovates school in rural village

TONGLAYWEIN, Liberia (UMNS) — Children in this rural community will no longer have to carry their own chairs to school thanks to the efforts of The United Methodist Church in Liberia, which recently unveiled a newly renovated public school in the northern Liberia village. Students also now will have access to clean water and working toilets. E Julu Swen reports.

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Greater New Jersey Conference
High school leaders embark on civil rights pilgrimage

NEPTUNE, N.J. — A group of United Methodist high school leaders have embarked on a civil rights pilgrimage to develop an understanding of racial justice in the U.S. and their lives. The group is called The Joshua Generation and the pilgrimage is supported by a grant from the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. Josh Kinney has the story.
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COMMENTARIES

Evaluating the GC2019 organizational plan
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (UMNS) — The veil on how the upcoming special 2019 General Conference will unfold has been lifted at least a little with the release of the plan from the Commission on General Conference. Lonnie D. Brooks, a reserve lay delegate, praises some of the organizational plan, but raises concerns about other points.

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RECENT HEADLINES

Top court plays decision-making role

Big crowds for meetings on denomination’s future


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