NEWS AND FEATURES
Complaint filed against gay bishop’s consecration
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Western Jurisdiction bishops are facing an unusual public complaint following the consecration of the denomination's second bishop who is openly gay and married to someone of the same gender. The complaint, which is online and open to others to sign, comes after each of the five U.S. jurisdictions passed a resolution urging The United Methodist Church to affirm LGBTQ people. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story
Florida Conference
Big gifts help recovery needs after Ian
LAKELAND, Fla. — Hurricane Ian damaged more than 100 churches in the Florida Conference, causing the most destruction since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Leaders of the conference’s recovery emailed an update including news of big donations from the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas and Floris United Methodist Church in Virginia. Bishop Tom Berlin, who is set to become the conference’s next bishop on Jan. 1, most recently served as Floris’ pastor.
Read update
North Georgia Conference
NOMADS are on a mission
ATLANTA — NOMADS have been “on the road” in service for 35 years and there’s room for more to join their numbers. The mission outreach group assists United Methodist churches, children’s homes, colleges and camps, and works with outreach ministries and disaster recovery projects across the United States. Sybil Davidson has the story.
Read story
PRESS RELEASES
New England Conference
Retired Bishop Johnson to serve New England
METHUEN, Mass. — The United Methodist Council of Bishops has approved the recommendation from the Northeastern Jurisdictional College of Bishops and the committee on the episcopacy that retired Bishop Peggy A. Johnson serve as interim bishop for the New England Conference beginning Jan. 1 and continuing through Aug. 31, 2024. The New England Conference did not receive an assignment or coverage at the conclusion of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference earlier this month. The Book of Discipline tasks the College of Bishops with filling vacancies in such circumstances.
Read press release
Higher Education and Ministry
Bond Hopson wins Meharry award
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Meharry Circle of Friends Award was presented to Cynthia A. Bond Hopson, chief equity officer and assistant general secretary of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Under her leadership, The United Methodist Church’s Black College Fund has provided Meharry Medical College with over $29 million in funding, allowing it to renovate, make campus-wide technology upgrades and restore essential areas that support the academic and clinical services of the college.
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 UM News staff.
Hollering for Change: Reflections on historic election
SEVERNA PARK, Md. (UM News) — In the wake of the election of Bishop Delores “Dee” Williamston, the first Black woman elected to the episcopacy in the South Central Jurisdiction, the latest installment of “Hollering for Change” looks at the history-making event. The Rev. Dr. Tori Butler speaks with the Rev. Wanda Bass about what it was like to be in the room when Williamston was elected and her hopes for the new bishop’s leadership.
Watch video
UM News: ‘You can holler for your safety because you matter’
RESOURCES
Religion and Race
New Advent series for clergy available
WASHINGTON — God’s Unimaginable Surprises is a free, four-week Advent resource for clergy, produced by the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. The series includes sermon starters and children’s sermons based on the Isaiah lectionary texts.
View resource
RECENT HEADLINES
Love of children brings $800,000 gift to Zimbabwe
Couple count Zimbabwe twins as blessings
EVENTS
Monday, Nov. 21-Sunday, Dec. 18
Taking Back Advent: Moving Toward the Miraculous
Monday, Nov. 28-Friday, Dec. 16
Advent: A Photography Journey
Complaint filed against gay bishop’s consecration
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Western Jurisdiction bishops are facing an unusual public complaint following the consecration of the denomination's second bishop who is openly gay and married to someone of the same gender. The complaint, which is online and open to others to sign, comes after each of the five U.S. jurisdictions passed a resolution urging The United Methodist Church to affirm LGBTQ people. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story
Florida Conference
Big gifts help recovery needs after Ian
LAKELAND, Fla. — Hurricane Ian damaged more than 100 churches in the Florida Conference, causing the most destruction since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Leaders of the conference’s recovery emailed an update including news of big donations from the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas and Floris United Methodist Church in Virginia. Bishop Tom Berlin, who is set to become the conference’s next bishop on Jan. 1, most recently served as Floris’ pastor.
Read update
North Georgia Conference
NOMADS are on a mission
ATLANTA — NOMADS have been “on the road” in service for 35 years and there’s room for more to join their numbers. The mission outreach group assists United Methodist churches, children’s homes, colleges and camps, and works with outreach ministries and disaster recovery projects across the United States. Sybil Davidson has the story.
Read story
PRESS RELEASES
New England Conference
Retired Bishop Johnson to serve New England
METHUEN, Mass. — The United Methodist Council of Bishops has approved the recommendation from the Northeastern Jurisdictional College of Bishops and the committee on the episcopacy that retired Bishop Peggy A. Johnson serve as interim bishop for the New England Conference beginning Jan. 1 and continuing through Aug. 31, 2024. The New England Conference did not receive an assignment or coverage at the conclusion of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference earlier this month. The Book of Discipline tasks the College of Bishops with filling vacancies in such circumstances.
Read press release
Higher Education and Ministry
Bond Hopson wins Meharry award
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Meharry Circle of Friends Award was presented to Cynthia A. Bond Hopson, chief equity officer and assistant general secretary of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Under her leadership, The United Methodist Church’s Black College Fund has provided Meharry Medical College with over $29 million in funding, allowing it to renovate, make campus-wide technology upgrades and restore essential areas that support the academic and clinical services of the college.
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 UM News staff.
Hollering for Change: Reflections on historic election
SEVERNA PARK, Md. (UM News) — In the wake of the election of Bishop Delores “Dee” Williamston, the first Black woman elected to the episcopacy in the South Central Jurisdiction, the latest installment of “Hollering for Change” looks at the history-making event. The Rev. Dr. Tori Butler speaks with the Rev. Wanda Bass about what it was like to be in the room when Williamston was elected and her hopes for the new bishop’s leadership.
Watch video
UM News: ‘You can holler for your safety because you matter’
RESOURCES
Religion and Race
New Advent series for clergy available
WASHINGTON — God’s Unimaginable Surprises is a free, four-week Advent resource for clergy, produced by the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. The series includes sermon starters and children’s sermons based on the Isaiah lectionary texts.
View resource
RECENT HEADLINES
Love of children brings $800,000 gift to Zimbabwe
Couple count Zimbabwe twins as blessings
EVENTS
Monday, Nov. 21-Sunday, Dec. 18
Taking Back Advent: Moving Toward the Miraculous
Monday, Nov. 28-Friday, Dec. 16
Advent: A Photography Journey
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