“Kaluwashi did not labor in vain, and he is our role model as laity. (He) looked at Congo as his parish.” — Kahenga Balimwacha Prosper, on the legacy of evangelist Banza Lubange Kaluwashi.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Church honors early Congolese evangelist
KABALO, Congo (UM News) — A Congolese man who came out of slavery to become an evangelist was honored at the recent Tanganyika Annual Conference for his role in spreading Methodism. Wearing T-shirts with Banza Lubange Kaluwashi’s picture, conference members named a newly built church in his honor. The Rev. Betty Kazadi Musau has the story.
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Baltimore-Washington Conference
Long-running youth mission project builds faith
HANCOCK, Md. — For more than 30 years, youth groups from the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware conferences have been serving in the Appalachian region by providing home repair to those who do not have the means to take on the repairs themselves. More than just repairing homes, this mission ministry, called CAMP JOY, provides transformative service experiences for youth and their leaders. Becki Wessinger reports.
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Western Jurisdiction
Leaders call for transparency in bishop’s trial
PASADENA, Calif. — Western Jurisdiction Bishops Dottie Escobedo-Frank and Carlo A. Rapanut have published an open letter detailing their requests for transparency in the church trial of Bishop Minerva Carcaño, scheduled for Aug. 21-25. Escobedo-Frank is president and Rapanut is secretary of the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops. Decisions about the trial are now in the hands of retired Bishop Alfred Gwinn, the presiding officer — the equivalent of a judge in the case.
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PRESS RELEASES
Wespath
Survey fuels concern for clergy
GLENVIEW, Ill. — Rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension continue to worsen for United Methodist clergy, according to a survey of 1,200 pastors in The United Methodist Church. However, the results showed some positive developments related to clergy’s spiritual vitality. The Clergy Well-Being Survey is conducted every two years by Wespath Benefits and Investments. The agency is planning listening sessions to help better understand the results.
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Read report
UMAC
Register for UMAC 2023 in Charleston
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Registration is open for the 2023 United Methodist Association of Communicators annual meeting Oct. 22-25 in Charleston. The theme is Salt & Light. Speakers include Sabrina Joy Stevens, Eric Seiberling, James Lee, the Rev. Matt Rawle and Dan Krause. In partnership with United Methodist Communications, this year’s UMAC gathering also will include a special General Conference orientation for communicators. Submissions for the annual UMAC Awards are being accepted through Sept. 1.
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To register
Submit award entries
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 UM News staff.
Looking at autonomy and connection together
ATLANTA (UM News) — Recent efforts by parts of The United Methodist Church in Europe to leave the denomination raise questions about autonomy, connectionalism and church polity. Dr. David W. Scott writes about the importance of seeing autonomy “as a positive theological quality that needs to be paired with, rather than opposed to, connectionalism.”
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RESOURCES
Calvary United Methodist Church
Bishop on panel about gun reform
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bishop William T. McAlilly plans to be among the speakers in a conversation about United Methodist teachings and gun reform scheduled for 5 p.m. U.S. Central time Aug. 6 both online and in person at Calvary United Methodist Church. The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference and the conference committee on Church and Society are sponsoring the panel.
To learn more
RECENT HEADLINES
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EVENTS
Monday, Aug. 21-Friday, Sept. 29
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Monday, Aug. 21-Friday, Sept. 29
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