“We used to walk 11 kilometers to the nearest clinic. Many women would give birth at home, leading to high infant mortality. Today, the clinic is at our doorstep.” — Selina Muchaya, a village health worker, on the opening of the new Munyarari Mission Clinic in Zimbabwe.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Many hands help build church medical clinic
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — A dream that began nearly 20 years ago at Bel Air United Methodist Church in Maryland recently became reality with the opening of the new Munyarari Mission Clinic in Zimbabwe. Kudzai Chingwe reports.
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Holston Conference
Moving forward with multicultural ministry
ALCOA, Tenn. — As the Holston Conference’s first director of multicultural ministries, the Rev. Leah Burns is helping the conference move past a season of church disaffiliations and do ministry in new ways. She also wants to help the conference live into the multicultural vision of Pentecost. Annette Spence has the story.
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Discipleship Ministries
Church models a new way to worship
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vine United Methodist Church is trying a new way of being United Methodist by recruiting and equipping lay people who wish to develop intentional small faith communities. The Vine, a church without a building, has a team of four pastors working together to prepare worship services, develop discipleship content and shepherd a dispersed community. The Rev. Jefferson Furtado, The Vine’s pastor, has the story.
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Minnesota Conference
Developing a signature ministry
FAIRMONT, Minn. — A man who once lived next door to the Rev. Jeff Adams inspired a new ministry at Fairmont United Methodist Church, where Adams is the pastor. The church hosted a banquet for developmentally disabled people living in care facilities. The gathering included a dinner, singing and games. Each attendee got a handmade quilt. The church intends to expand the ministry. The key message Adams hopes that the residents hear: “Jesus loves you and so do we.” Christa Meland has the story.
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PRESS RELEASES
Council of Bishops
Bishops plan to promote regionalization
WASHINGTON — At the conclusion of General Conference, the United Methodist Council of Bishops committed to promoting the ratification of regionalization legislation passed by delegates. Regionalization requires amending the denomination’s constitution. The amendments require the approval of at least two-thirds of the total annual conference voters around the world.
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UM News: General Conference gives regionalization green light
COMMENTARIES
UM News includes in the 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.
Western Pennsylvania Conference
Ukrainian refugees navigate a new reality
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Rev. Michael Airgood, a pastor in the Western Pennsylvania Conference and a former Global Ministries missionary in Ukraine, recently visited Europe and spent time with old and new friends who had fled Ukraine after the 2022 invasion by Russian forces. He shares in a blog post his experience and the new realities faced by Ukrainian refugees, as well as the ways in which local United Methodist churches are providing support, love and care.
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UM News: United Methodist ministry with Ukraine
RECENT HEADLINES
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