UM News Digest - March 31, 2025

UM News Digest - March 31, 2025

New attention for old hymn texts
Lay leader champions Indigenous voices
Church for the spiritual, but not religious

“I see it as a devotional book that brings to the contemporary reader what was the ‘hit parade’ of Methodist spirituality in the 19th century and even before.” — The Rev. Ted Campbell, on “A Core Methodist Hymnal.”

The Rev. Ted Campbell edited and published “A Core Methodist Hymnal,” a collection of 126 hymn texts by Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, Fanny Crosby and others. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Ted Campbell.

New attention for old hymn texts
DALLAS (UM News) — The Red. Ted Campbell sees Methodism’s classic hymns as an under-appreciated treasure, offering poetry with theological depth. The Perkins School of Theology professor has edited and published a devotional book called “A Core Methodist Hymnal,” which offers the words to 126 hymns, with brief commentaries by Campbell. Sam Hodges reports.

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Status and Role of Women
Lay leader champions Indigenous voices
TULSA, Okla. — As Women’s History Month comes to a close, the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women celebrates Jalisa Ross, lay leader at Haikey Chapel United Methodist Church and a member of the agency’s board of directors. A Muscogee Creek, Cherokee and Otoe-Missouria woman from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, Ross is committed to amplifying Indigenous voices in The United Methodist Church. She reflects on her work and calling.
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United Methodist Communications
Church for the spiritual, but not religious
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Studies indicate that a majority of people identify as spiritual, but a far smaller number see themselves as “religious.” Traditional forms of religion are largely ineffective in connecting with spiritual but non-religious people, but the Fresh Expressions movement offers an alternative. In Part 1 of a new series, the Rev. Luke Edwards shares how the movement offers a path forward in the changing religious landscape.
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Oregon-Idaho Conference
Jeanne Knepper, trailblazing pastor, dies
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Rev. Jeanne Knepper, the first openly gay woman to be ordained and appointed within the Oregon-Idaho Conference, spent decades campaigning for the full inclusion of members of the LGBTQ community in the life of The United Methodist Church. She died on March 7, and her family and colleagues remember her fierce advocacy. She was 77. Kristen Caldwell has this obituary.
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Michigan Conference
Standing up for crash survivors
LANSING, Mich. — More than 200 United Methodists spent a day at the state capitol urging lawmakers to make policy changes to increase care for people who are catastrophically injured in auto accidents. The annual Advocacy Day is designed to equip Michigan United Methodists to develop confidence and sharpen skills when communicating with lawmakers about issues they care about. James Deaton reports.
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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.

Wespath
5 potential impacts of tariffs and trade policy
GLENVIEW, Ill. — The Trump administration’s tariffs are just one of many topics investors will have to think about over the coming weeks and months, says Joe Halwax, senior managing director of Institutional Investment Services for Wespath Benefits and Investments. He shares five things to monitor. “This dynamic environment demands a sophisticated, nuanced approach to investment strategy,” he writes.
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Council of Bishops
Bishop Hans Växby dies at 80
WASHINGTON — Bishop Hans Växby, a retired leader in the Nordic and Baltic areas, has died at age 80. “The Finland Swedish United Methodist Church, as well as The United Methodist Church in Northern Europe and Eurasia, has lost a great leader and friend,” said Bishop Christian Alsted. Växby played a leading role in rebuilding the Methodist Church in Latvia and Lithuania after it had been closed for decades during the Soviet occupation. He also was involved in the early restart of the Methodist Church in Russia. UM News will have a feature obituary in the coming days.
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