"He built on his UMCOR experience to help the Russian people. Out of that, Bible studies and churches started to emerge." — The Rev. Sergei Nikolaev, describing the Rev. Bruce Weaver's role in reviving Methodism in Russia.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Texas pastor helped revive Methodism in Russia
DALLAS (UMNS) — A natural disaster brought the Rev. Bruce Weaver into United Methodist relief work, and he would go on to be the founding leader of the Russia Initiative, reviving Methodism in the former Soviet Union. Weaver died Feb. 18 in Carrollton, Texas, at age 97. Sam Hodges reports.
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Providing early education in rural Zimbabwe
MACHEKE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) — Kindergarteners in the Hanwa Community can learn and play closer to home with a new state-of-the-art early childhood development center and playground. The $51,000 facilities at Hanwa Mission School are the result of a partnership between The United Methodist Church’s Zimbabwe Episcopal Area and Zimbabwe Volunteers in Mission from the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Kudzai Chingwe has the story.
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East Ohio Conference
Church shows love to local teachers
NAVARRE, Ohio — Otterbein United Methodist Church served up homemade soups and salads to teachers between the end of the school day and the beginning of parent-teacher conferences recently to show love and appreciation for their service at a local elementary school. Brett Hetherington has the story and video.
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PRESS RELEASES
United Methodist Women
UMW hosts gathering for central conference women
ST. LOUIS — United Methodist Women invites central conference women who are delegates to General Conference 2019 to a Feb. 22 gathering at Centenary United Methodist Church at 55 Plaza Square from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The event will be a time of tea, fellowship and sharing the importance of women’s leadership at this special session and of prayer. For more information, contact Sung-ok Lee at [email protected].
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RESOURCES
United Methodist Communications
Ways to follow what’s happening at GC2019
ST. LOUIS (UMC.org) — United Methodist Communications will be livestreaming proceedings at the special General Conference in English, French and American Sign Language. The stream at umc.org/live will include all open sessions when the lawmaking assembly meets Feb. 23-26. Visual learners also can view a chart that offers an overview of four main plans under consideration.
Watch the livestream
See chart on plans heading to GC2019
More resources on GC2019
COMMENTARIES
United Methodist News Service includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about the plans for the future of the church and other issues in the denomination. The commentaries reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UMNS staff.
I am not leaving
MEXICO, Ind. — No matter the outcome of decisions made by the 2019 General Conference, the Rev. John Meunier says he’s staying in The United Methodist Church. Meunier, a provisional elder currently going through the ordination process, writes, “I cannot accept the polity of the UMC and refuse to accept the outcome of its politics.”
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RECENT HEADLINES
Lessons from other denominational divides
Church in Côte d’Ivoire focuses on farming, food security
EVENTS
Saturday, Feb. 23
2019 General Conference Day of Prayer
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