Daily Digest - February 4, 2019

“We face a real danger of undermining the trust clause’s efficacy in such times if we start defaulting to carving out trust-clause ‘escape hatches.’ ” — Thomas Starnes, chancellor of Baltimore-Washington Conference

NEWS AND FEATURES

Church’s trust clause: Critical amid struggle?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — John Wesley was thinking about church property when he wrote the first trust clause in 1750. Gracious exit plan petitions going to the 2019 General Conference ask for a temporary halt to the trust clause if local churches decide to leave The United Methodist Church. Kathy L. Gilbert has the story.
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Traditional plans keep status quo 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Two plans to be considered at the special General Conference would continue to restrict the role of LGBTQ persons in the church. The Traditional Plan and Modified Traditional Plan provide penalties for those who act against the Discipline’s guidelines on sexuality. This is the final in a four-part series explaining the most prominent proposals. Jim Patterson has the story.
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Connectional Conference Plan
One Church Plan
Simple Plan

Solar lights increase security at Nyadire Mission
NYADIRE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) — Walking across a dark campus at night now is safer at the Nyadire United Methodist Mission, thanks to recently installed solar lights. The lighting project is part of a five-year partnership with Engineers Without Borders USA. Chenayi Kumuterera has the story.
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Greensboro News & Record
Struggling Bennett College gets boost
HIGH POINT, N.C. — United Methodist-related Bennett College has received financial lifeline from a fellow United Methodist school. High Point University on Feb. 1 announced a gift of $1 million to Bennett, a historically black women’s college that is also in Guilford County. This is the biggest donation Bennett has received since it began its aggressive fundraising effort two months ago in an attempt to hold onto its accreditation. Bennett also receives support through the United Methodist Black College Fund. John Newsom reports.
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Read about Black College Fund

UM Disabilities Ministries
Wesley students engage in recovery ministry
WASHINGTON — Students at United Methodist Wesley Theological Seminary spent a recent term focused on ministering to people with addictions. Part of the course work focused on how clergy are among those susceptible to addiction problems. The Rev. Leo Yates Jr. has the story.
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COMING THIS WEEK

Panel offers ‘Perspectives on a Way Forward’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Spokespersons for four proposals on the future of The United Methodist Church gathered for a panel discussion that will be streamed at 11 a.m. Central Time on Feb. 6 on UMNews.org. The panel, “Perspectives on a Way Forward,” comprised the Rev. Mark Holland, One Church Plan; the Rev. Rob Renfroe, Traditional and Modified Traditional Plans; the Rev. Chris Ritter, Connectional Conference Plan; and the Rev. Althea Spencer-Miller, Simple Plan. The panel discussion will be archived on UMNews.org after the streaming.


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.

An LGBTQ United Methodist on why he stays
MIAMI (UMNS) — Kipp Nelson writes about why he stays with The United Methodist Church even amid the painful debate over the place he and other LGBTQ people have in the denomination. “It’s always been home,” he writes. 
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EVENTS

Tuesday, Feb. 5
Tuesdays in the Chapel