"We’ve discovered The United Methodist Church can’t live in the same house together peaceably, but we can live next door to one another." — The Rev. Kent Millard on a plan for separating the denomination.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Group drafts separation plan for denomination
INDIANAPOLIS (UM News) — The United Methodist Church’s conflict over homosexuality is irreconcilable and calls for amicable separation into different denominations, says a 12-person group of centrists, traditionalists and progressives. They met first in Indianapolis and have drafted the “Indianapolis Plan” for separation, to be considered by the 2020 General Conference. Sam Hodges reports.
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Zimbabwean lay leader dead at 63
NEWARK, N.J. (UM News) — Betty Spiwe Katiyo — a United Methodist lay leader from Zimbabwe who held many leadership positions throughout the global church — died suddenly Aug. 10 after leaving the Commission on General Conference meeting in Lexington, Kentucky. Kathy L. Gilbert reports.
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Pittsburgh preschoolers help orphans in Zimbabwe
MUTOKO, Zimbabwe (UM News) — When a group of preschoolers at Dutilh United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh learned of the long distance that orphans at the Nyadire Mission’s Home of Hope were traveling to school, they agreed to hop into action. Their “Hop for Hope” fundraiser generated enough money to buy seven bicycles for the orphaned children, who also are enjoying spacious new quarters thanks to funding from the Finnish government and support from The Nyadire Connection. Eveline Chikwanah has the story.
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Virginia Conference
Bishop Lewis to return in September
GLEN ALLEN, Va. — Virginia Bishop Sharma D. Lewis will return to work in September after a medical leave for hip surgery. Bishop Peter D. Weaver, retired bishop, led the conference while she was gone.
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Black Methodists for Church Renewal
African American caucus calls out violence
ATLANTA — Black Methodists for Church Renewal has responded to the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. It joins MARCHA — Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans — in urging The United Methodist Church to denounce white supremacy as incompatible with Christian teaching.
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Read UM News story on church response to shootings
The Southern Illinoisan
Stigma big problem with opioid addiction treatment
MARION, Ill. — Local Illinois legislators recently toured a medication assisted treatment facility that opened in April. The facility, run by the nonprofit health care organization Centerstone, offers both medication and counseling for those suffering from substance abuse disorder. John Markley, regional CEO for Centerstone and a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, told the legislators, “Stigma is really a big thing, and showing grace is a big deal.” Marilyn Halstead reports.
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Read UM News opioid series: The Road to Recovery in West Virginia
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