“I’ve essentially lived some of just about every verse of the hymn.” — Tom Lough, talking about “Ever Faithful to the Call,” which he composed as an Army counterpart to the Navy Hymn.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
Central Texas Conference
United Methodist layman creates Army hymn
ROUND ROCK, Texas — Tom Lough, an Army veteran and United Methodist layman, was frustrated that there was no Army counterpart to a well-known Navy Hymn (“Eternal Father, Strong to Save”). He finally decided to write one. Vance Morton and Dustin Kaps share the story of Lough and his new composition, “Ever Faithful to the Call,” which is winning praise as Veterans Day approaches.
Read story and watch video
Listen to hymn and download sheet music
Coming next week: UM News reporter Jim Patterson talks with Lough, a former Olympian, about how his life has prepared him to write a hymn in honor of veterans.
Michigan Conference
Flint churches share key to the city
FLINT, Mich. — Two United Methodist churches were among 11 that were awarded a key to the city for their work helping residents during two health emergencies. Flint Asbury and Flint Bethel United Methodist churches are serving the community while it is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and a water crisis. Kay DeMoss reports.
Read story
Iowa Conference
Couple’s song about faith finds audience
SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa — A segment on “60 Minutes” led Dan Tritle and Karla Oleson Tritle to write “Faith Sees Best in the Dark.” Now, with the song moving up the contemporary Christian music charts, the couple has plans for a Christmas song and video that will feature their congregation of Spirit Lake United Methodist Church. Courtney Levin has the story.
Read story
The Bitter Southerner
Immigrant’s photos made difference for Great Smokies
HIGHLANDS, N.C. — A young Japanese college student converted to Christianity under the influence of a Methodist missionary around the beginning of the 20th century. The student changed his name to George Masa, immigrated to the U.S. and ultimately became an important photographer, regarded as the Ansel Adams of the Great Smoky Mountains. His photographs helped lead to the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Eric NeSmith offers an account of Masa’s influential life.
Read story
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.
Faith & Leadership
Accompanied by a communion of ordinary saints
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — All Saints’ Day, celebrated on Nov. 1, is a time to remember the people who’ve made possible our faith. This year, the Rev. Isaac Villegas remembers his great-aunt, who gave up dreams of becoming a nun to help her widowed sister raise 11 children. “She was an ordinary saint, someone who gave her life for the lives of others,” he writes in this reflection.
Read commentary
RESOURCES
United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy
Inclusiveness webinar planned
DENVER — The United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy will have its fifth inclusiveness gathering from 8:30 a.m. to noon U.S. Mountain time Nov. 20. This year’s webinar is titled “Celebrating the First Five Years of Bishop Karen Oliveto’s Episcopacy.” Speakers include Bishops Harald Rückert of Germany, Cynthia Moore-Koikoi of Western Pennsylvania and Oliveto.
To register
EVENTS
Tuesday, Nov. 2
Tuesdays at the Table: Do I have to believe a certain way to belong?
Thursday, Nov. 4
Impact COVID-19 Research Report — Black UMC Congregations, Pastors and Leaders
TOP STORIES FROM THE WEEK
Bishop Asbury shapes church today
BALTIMORE (UM News) — Francis Asbury played a key role in developing what is now The United Methodist Church. As people celebrate the 250th anniversary of his arrival in America, fresh discoveries continue about his extraordinary ministry. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story
View a map of Asbury’s travels
UM News: Celebrating Asbury’s impact on 2 shores
Women clergy still paid less
CHICAGO (UM News) — Men make up 68% of the clergy in The United Methodist Church and earn 8% more in compensation than women, according to a study commissioned by the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women. The disparities are getting smaller, but very slowly, said researcher Magaela C. Bethune, assistant professor of African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University. Jim Patterson reports.
Read story
Read press release
Center helps rape survivors restart lives
KINDU, Congo (UM News) — Once-vulnerable women who learned trades at the United Methodist Church of East Congo’s Mama Lynn Center are supporting themselves and becoming indispensable to their families. The church established the center in 2018 to give hope to sexually abused, widowed and abandoned women in the region. Chadrack Tambwe Londe reports.
Read story
Hartzell school embraces new technology
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — The 173 young students at United Methodist Hartzell Central Primary School now have access to 10 desktop computers, thanks to a United Methodist Global Ministries grant. The technology is helping teachers and children adapt to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kudzai Chingwe has the story.
Read story
California-Nevada Conference
Bishop visits wildfire areas
GREENVILLE, Calif. — The Dixie and Caldor fires are extinguished and the burn scars remain. Yet, signs of rebirth are emerging from the ashes in Northern California. Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño led a California-Nevada Conference delegation on a three-day tour of the areas affected by the "super fires." Selby Ewing reported on each day of the journey.
Read Day 1: Dixie fire area
Read Day 2: Caldor fire area
Read Day 3: Peaceful rain and worship in Quincy
North Georgia Conference, Louisiana Conference
North Georgia teams rally for Louisiana
HOUMA, La. — Early response teams from the North Georgia Conference have been at work in and around Houma, helping with Hurricane Ida recovery. The teams have cleared trees and debris for residents and for badly damaged Golden Meadow United Methodist Church. Sybil Davidson of the North Georgia Conference reports on the effort, and the Louisiana Conference shares brief video testimonies by volunteers.
Read story
Watch videos
TODAY’S HEADLINES
Central Texas Conference
United Methodist layman creates Army hymn
ROUND ROCK, Texas — Tom Lough, an Army veteran and United Methodist layman, was frustrated that there was no Army counterpart to a well-known Navy Hymn (“Eternal Father, Strong to Save”). He finally decided to write one. Vance Morton and Dustin Kaps share the story of Lough and his new composition, “Ever Faithful to the Call,” which is winning praise as Veterans Day approaches.
Read story and watch video
Listen to hymn and download sheet music
Coming next week: UM News reporter Jim Patterson talks with Lough, a former Olympian, about how his life has prepared him to write a hymn in honor of veterans.
Michigan Conference
Flint churches share key to the city
FLINT, Mich. — Two United Methodist churches were among 11 that were awarded a key to the city for their work helping residents during two health emergencies. Flint Asbury and Flint Bethel United Methodist churches are serving the community while it is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and a water crisis. Kay DeMoss reports.
Read story
Iowa Conference
Couple’s song about faith finds audience
SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa — A segment on “60 Minutes” led Dan Tritle and Karla Oleson Tritle to write “Faith Sees Best in the Dark.” Now, with the song moving up the contemporary Christian music charts, the couple has plans for a Christmas song and video that will feature their congregation of Spirit Lake United Methodist Church. Courtney Levin has the story.
Read story
The Bitter Southerner
Immigrant’s photos made difference for Great Smokies
HIGHLANDS, N.C. — A young Japanese college student converted to Christianity under the influence of a Methodist missionary around the beginning of the 20th century. The student changed his name to George Masa, immigrated to the U.S. and ultimately became an important photographer, regarded as the Ansel Adams of the Great Smoky Mountains. His photographs helped lead to the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Eric NeSmith offers an account of Masa’s influential life.
Read story
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.
Faith & Leadership
Accompanied by a communion of ordinary saints
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — All Saints’ Day, celebrated on Nov. 1, is a time to remember the people who’ve made possible our faith. This year, the Rev. Isaac Villegas remembers his great-aunt, who gave up dreams of becoming a nun to help her widowed sister raise 11 children. “She was an ordinary saint, someone who gave her life for the lives of others,” he writes in this reflection.
Read commentary
RESOURCES
United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy
Inclusiveness webinar planned
DENVER — The United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy will have its fifth inclusiveness gathering from 8:30 a.m. to noon U.S. Mountain time Nov. 20. This year’s webinar is titled “Celebrating the First Five Years of Bishop Karen Oliveto’s Episcopacy.” Speakers include Bishops Harald Rückert of Germany, Cynthia Moore-Koikoi of Western Pennsylvania and Oliveto.
To register
EVENTS
Tuesday, Nov. 2
Tuesdays at the Table: Do I have to believe a certain way to belong?
Thursday, Nov. 4
Impact COVID-19 Research Report — Black UMC Congregations, Pastors and Leaders
TOP STORIES FROM THE WEEK
Bishop Asbury shapes church today
BALTIMORE (UM News) — Francis Asbury played a key role in developing what is now The United Methodist Church. As people celebrate the 250th anniversary of his arrival in America, fresh discoveries continue about his extraordinary ministry. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story
View a map of Asbury’s travels
UM News: Celebrating Asbury’s impact on 2 shores
Women clergy still paid less
CHICAGO (UM News) — Men make up 68% of the clergy in The United Methodist Church and earn 8% more in compensation than women, according to a study commissioned by the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women. The disparities are getting smaller, but very slowly, said researcher Magaela C. Bethune, assistant professor of African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University. Jim Patterson reports.
Read story
Read press release
Center helps rape survivors restart lives
KINDU, Congo (UM News) — Once-vulnerable women who learned trades at the United Methodist Church of East Congo’s Mama Lynn Center are supporting themselves and becoming indispensable to their families. The church established the center in 2018 to give hope to sexually abused, widowed and abandoned women in the region. Chadrack Tambwe Londe reports.
Read story
Hartzell school embraces new technology
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — The 173 young students at United Methodist Hartzell Central Primary School now have access to 10 desktop computers, thanks to a United Methodist Global Ministries grant. The technology is helping teachers and children adapt to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kudzai Chingwe has the story.
Read story
California-Nevada Conference
Bishop visits wildfire areas
GREENVILLE, Calif. — The Dixie and Caldor fires are extinguished and the burn scars remain. Yet, signs of rebirth are emerging from the ashes in Northern California. Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño led a California-Nevada Conference delegation on a three-day tour of the areas affected by the "super fires." Selby Ewing reported on each day of the journey.
Read Day 1: Dixie fire area
Read Day 2: Caldor fire area
Read Day 3: Peaceful rain and worship in Quincy
North Georgia Conference, Louisiana Conference
North Georgia teams rally for Louisiana
HOUMA, La. — Early response teams from the North Georgia Conference have been at work in and around Houma, helping with Hurricane Ida recovery. The teams have cleared trees and debris for residents and for badly damaged Golden Meadow United Methodist Church. Sybil Davidson of the North Georgia Conference reports on the effort, and the Louisiana Conference shares brief video testimonies by volunteers.
Read story
Watch videos
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