“As we have deliberated, we have been mindful that we are all the church and no one party has that label exclusively.” — North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals about ruling on gay pastor.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Gay pastor’s case heads back to West Ohio committee
INDIANAPOLIS (UMNS) — The North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals ruled the West Ohio Committee on Investigation made errors of church law in dismissing some of the charges against the Rev. David Meredith, a gay pastor who married his partner, and remanded the case to the conference committee. However, the appeals committee asked the appellant, the West Ohio Conference, to “pause” further judicial proceedings until the completion of the special General Conference next year. Kathy L. Gilbert reports.
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Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
Pennsylvania youth respond to school shootings
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — Many students across the United States are taking their response beyond thoughts and prayers, as they march and rally to protest the national epidemic of gun violence in schools, homes, churches, workplaces and communities. John W. Coleman reports on how youth in his conference are responding.
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Pastor caught up in political violence
BO, Sierra Leone (UMNS) — A United Methodist pastor and his family were among those “under siege for five hours” in a wave of post-election attacks on the community. The violence followed an earlier confrontation between the country’s two leading political parties. Phileas Jusu reports.
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Photo by Phileas Jusu
PRESS RELEASES
Commission on the Status and Role of Women
Agency engages with women leaders
SAN FRANCISCO — The board of the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women hosted a women’s leadership panel when it met March 8-10. The board also heard from the Rev. Gail Murphy-Geiss, the principal researcher of the agency’s U.S. Sexual Harassment Survey.
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Read UMNS story on survey
COMMENTARIES
The Commercial Appeal
King's '68 challenge to church still our calling
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Rev. Rick Kirchoff, a retired United Methodist pastor, heard the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preach on behalf of the city’s striking sanitation workers less than a month before King’s assassination. The civil rights leader’s challenge to the city that day remains unfinished, Kirchoff writes.
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Discipleship Ministries
New tax law not 'moving-friendly'
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As the church enters a season of pastors moving to new appointments, those pastors may be surprised to learn that the recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will now treat their moving expenses as income. The Rev. Ken Sloane, director of Stewardship and Connectional Ministries at Discipleship Ministries, explains.
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RECENT HEADLINES
Church site to provide low-income housing, ministry
EVENTS
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have a United Methodist event to share, you can add it to the calendar with this submission form.
Monday, April 2-Monday, April 16
Online course: Developing a Dynamic Church Service
Share your story or tips with us at [email protected].
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