Daily Digest - February 6, 2020

“The Traditional Plan created a moral obligation for a lot of us to do something we would never have done before.” — The Rev. Rebekah Miles, who is organizing United Methodist pastors willing to officiate at same-gender weddings.


NEWS AND FEATURES

New effort starts for same-sex weddings
DALLAS — A new group called Marriage Rites is seeking to connect LGBTQ couples with United Methodist clergy willing to officiate at their weddings. This effort across the U.S. comes as new mandatory penalties for performing such unions take effect. Heather Hahn reports. 
Read story 

Theological e-Academy is ‘game changer’ in East Africa
NAIROBI, Kenya (UM News) — United Methodist theological colleges in East Africa now can deliver education at a distance. Launched in December, the new United Methodist e-Academy aims to equip people for ordained and lay leadership in rural communities. Gad Maiga has the story.
Read story 

Pre-General Conference presentations online
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Now online are videos and related materials for each of the presentations at the Pre-General Conference Briefing on Jan. 23-24. The gathering offered an overview of various proposals heading to the 2020 General Conference.
See videos and presentations 
Foretaste of what’s on the table at GC2020 

New annual conference reports 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News is continuing to post 2019 annual conference reports. New reports from the central conferences include North Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe West.
Read reports   


PRESS RELEASES 

MRC Retirement Foundation 
Grant boosts service to low-income elderly
JACKSON, Mich. — The United Methodist Retirement Communities Foundation has received a $1 million grant from the Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation. The grant supports an expansion project for Thome PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly), which serves low-income older adults in the Jackson area. 
Read press release  


COMMENTARIES 

Michigan Conference
The power of love and compassion
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In 25 years of adopting rescue greyhounds, the Rev. Elizabeth Hill learned that each dog came with its own distinct fears and reactions due to previous treatment, but those fears usually went away after the animal was shown compassion and love. She likens new people arriving at a church to her dogs. They bring their past hurts with them, and showing them compassion and love will go a long way, Hill writes.
Read commentary 


RECENT HEADLINES

Sierra Leone church celebrates end of land dispute 

Taking church archives from hi-fi to Wi-Fi


EVENTS

Friday, Feb. 14
Webinar: 5 things a caregiver of faith needs to know about dementia