Daily Digest - November 9, 2018

"I can't think of a more worthy comprehensive effort for the Methodist churches of the world and for the World Council of Churches together and others … than to work for peace in the Korean peninsula and also particularly for peace between North Korea and the United States." — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

NEWS AND FEATURES

Carter commends peace efforts for Korea
ATLANTA (UMNS) — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who helped avert a crisis between North Korea and the United States in 1994, commended representatives of various Methodist denominations and ecumenical organizations for their longtime efforts toward peace and reunification. Carter gave the opening address at the 2018 Roundtable for Peace on the Korean Peninsula at the Carter Center.
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Building momentum for peace in Korea

Bishop: 'Let God do what God does best' at GC2019
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton is episcopal leader of the New York Conference and also a member of the commission that plans the General Conference. As the special called 2019 conference approaches, Bickerton addressed some concerns he's heard and acknowledged that delegates have a lot of work to do in a very short time frame. Bickerton spoke with United Methodist News Service as part of "Seeing a Way Forward," a video series featuring different perspectives of church leaders on the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.
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Watch "Seeing a Way Forward" video series

Los Angeles Daily News, California-Pacific Conference
Mourning, prayers after mass shooting
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Bishop Grant Hagiya issued a pastoral letter as the community mourns the mass shooting at a local country music bar. "I'm sure God grieves even more than we do because it is God's own creation that is lost and taken by those who have turned their back on the goodness of God's longing for our world," he wrote. A planned prayer vigil at a United Methodist church was postponed because of fire and evacuation, but the Rev. Jim Powell, North District superintendent, asked people to hold vigils wherever they are at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9. One of those killed, Noel Sparks, grew up attending Westlake Village United Methodist.
Read bishop's letter
Read about Noel Sparks

Oregon-Idaho Conference
Native American Fellowship becomes Great Spirit UMC
PORTLAND, Ore. — When a name no longer fits the identity of a church, it may just have to change. That is what the people now called Great Spirit United Methodist Church, formerly Wilshire Native American Fellowship, discovered and formalized during a recent naming ceremony. Eric Conklin has the story.
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Read previous UMNS story: Native ministry experiences rebirth

Seniors seek increased attention from church in Liberia
GANTA, Liberia (UMNS) — Even though people older than 65 represent a tiny minority — about 3 percent — of the total population, United Methodist seniors in Liberia are asking the church to make their health care a priority ministry. E Julu Swen has the story.
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