NEWS AND FEATURES
31 United Methodists serve in 117th Congress
WASHINGTON (UM News) — A near-equal number of United Methodists serve on each side of the aisle in the 117th U.S. Congress, which faces the work of responding to a wounded nation and breached Capitol building. The newly started Congress has 31 United Methodists. Albert J. Menendez reports.
Read story
Council of Bishops
Bishops call for action in changing times
WASHINGTON — The upcoming commemoration of the birth of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Inauguration Day that follows offer some much-needed opportunities for reflection and rededication, writes Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey. The president of the Council of Bishops and her fellow bishops invite United Methodists to take seriously the call to follow Jesus during these challenging times.
Read statement
Portland Press Herald
Church display honors pandemic victims
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — People’s United Methodist Church is displaying strips of cloth at its entrance in recognition of Maine residents who have died of COVID-19. Catherine Bart reports.
Read story
Global Ministries
Feeding the 5,000 (weekly) in New York
ATLANTA — When COVID-19 cases started to rise in New York City in March 2020, state and city restrictions effectively shut down the city, causing job losses for many people, with the highest rates of unemployment experienced by communities of color. A few grants, including funding from The United Methodist Church’s Human Relations Day offering, and strong connections opened food pantries and kitchens in key underserved areas. Christie R. House has the story.
Read story
United Methodist Communications
Believing you can make a difference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lindsey Krinks is a street chaplain and difference maker. On the Compass Podcast, she shares how other people can be difference makers, too. She is an activist and a cofounder of Open Table Nashville, a nonprofit that aims to disrupt cycles of poverty.
Listen to podcast
No Daily Digest Jan. 18
In observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, there will be no UM News Daily Digest on Monday, Jan. 18. The digest will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
PRESS RELEASES
Vanco
Vanco now offers software for child care
MINNEAPOLIS — Vanco, a digital-giving platform for churches, has acquired Smartcare, a provider of software specifically for child care centers. Vanco is part of the General Council on Finance and Administration’s ministry partner program for churches.
Read press release
COMMENTARIES
UM News includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UM News staff.
The content of our character
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Leading into Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the interim top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race calls for the church to address its institutional racism. “Ignoring racism, or any sin, does not repair, nor restore,” writes M. Garlinda Burton. “It is only when people of character and courage have walked out, shouted down and sat in that institutional racism has been brought to its knees.”
Read commentary
Read Burton’s tips for addressing racism
Pastor writes birthday letter to MLK
FLORENCE, S.C. (UM News) — On the occasion of the 92nd birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. Reginald Lee, pastor of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, penned a birthday letter to the civil rights icon. Looking back on a trying year, “progress is slow, and the climb dizzying, yet, we are still ‘marching to Zion,’” Lee writes.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
Africa University vice chancellor Furusa dies
United Methodists killed in Congo massacre
EVENTS
Sunday, Jan. 17
Human Relations Day
31 United Methodists serve in 117th Congress
WASHINGTON (UM News) — A near-equal number of United Methodists serve on each side of the aisle in the 117th U.S. Congress, which faces the work of responding to a wounded nation and breached Capitol building. The newly started Congress has 31 United Methodists. Albert J. Menendez reports.
Read story
Council of Bishops
Bishops call for action in changing times
WASHINGTON — The upcoming commemoration of the birth of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Inauguration Day that follows offer some much-needed opportunities for reflection and rededication, writes Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey. The president of the Council of Bishops and her fellow bishops invite United Methodists to take seriously the call to follow Jesus during these challenging times.
Read statement
Portland Press Herald
Church display honors pandemic victims
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — People’s United Methodist Church is displaying strips of cloth at its entrance in recognition of Maine residents who have died of COVID-19. Catherine Bart reports.
Read story
Global Ministries
Feeding the 5,000 (weekly) in New York
ATLANTA — When COVID-19 cases started to rise in New York City in March 2020, state and city restrictions effectively shut down the city, causing job losses for many people, with the highest rates of unemployment experienced by communities of color. A few grants, including funding from The United Methodist Church’s Human Relations Day offering, and strong connections opened food pantries and kitchens in key underserved areas. Christie R. House has the story.
Read story
United Methodist Communications
Believing you can make a difference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lindsey Krinks is a street chaplain and difference maker. On the Compass Podcast, she shares how other people can be difference makers, too. She is an activist and a cofounder of Open Table Nashville, a nonprofit that aims to disrupt cycles of poverty.
Listen to podcast
No Daily Digest Jan. 18
In observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, there will be no UM News Daily Digest on Monday, Jan. 18. The digest will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
PRESS RELEASES
Vanco
Vanco now offers software for child care
MINNEAPOLIS — Vanco, a digital-giving platform for churches, has acquired Smartcare, a provider of software specifically for child care centers. Vanco is part of the General Council on Finance and Administration’s ministry partner program for churches.
Read press release
COMMENTARIES
UM News includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UM News staff.
The content of our character
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Leading into Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the interim top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race calls for the church to address its institutional racism. “Ignoring racism, or any sin, does not repair, nor restore,” writes M. Garlinda Burton. “It is only when people of character and courage have walked out, shouted down and sat in that institutional racism has been brought to its knees.”
Read commentary
Read Burton’s tips for addressing racism
Pastor writes birthday letter to MLK
FLORENCE, S.C. (UM News) — On the occasion of the 92nd birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. Reginald Lee, pastor of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, penned a birthday letter to the civil rights icon. Looking back on a trying year, “progress is slow, and the climb dizzying, yet, we are still ‘marching to Zion,’” Lee writes.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
Africa University vice chancellor Furusa dies
United Methodists killed in Congo massacre
EVENTS
Sunday, Jan. 17
Human Relations Day
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