“I think of God’s mercy eternally pouring out God’s love into what is the darkness of the world that we seem to live in.” — The Rev. Tom Hazelwood, on the symbolism of the waterfalls and reflecting pools at the 9/11 Memorial in New York.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Finding light in the darkness of 9/11
NEW YORK (UM News) — United Methodists remember two decades ago when they rose to the challenge of caring for survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but the trauma still affects many. Among the church’s responses was a program in New Jersey to help people who lost jobs because of the attacks to pay their bills and find work. Jim Patterson has the story.
Read story
UM News: 9/11 healing aided by United Methodist funds
Conference sues for control of megachurch
MARIETTA, Ga. (UM News) — After a failed attempt at mediation, the monthslong dispute between the North Georgia Conference and Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church has landed in civil court. The conference trustees are suing the megachurch seeking the transfer of property and assets. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story
North Texas Conference
Woodworking clergyman builds pulpit, cross
DALLAS — The Rev. Evan Jones, associate minister at First United Methodist Church, is a woodworker and welder in his spare time. He built liturgical furnishings — cross, pulpit, communion table and baptismal font — for a renovated space that will be home to a worship service called The Collective. Monica Frazier reports.
Read story
Arkansas Conference
Sustaining a church summer camp during a pandemic
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Conference’s Camp Tanako, near Hot Springs, had to close in summer 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders found ways to work around the public health emergency and keep the camp open this summer, serving about 1,500 kids over 10 weeks. The conference has done a Q&A with camp executive director Kayla Hardage in which she elaborates on the challenges and adaptations.
Read interview
Michigan Conference
Case manager tackles third flood in 7 years
DETROIT — When heavy rains soaked the southeastern part of the state in late June, flooding parts of the area for the third time in seven years, leaders from the Michigan Conference and Greater Detroit District mobilized to help. A familiar voice began to be heard as assessment of damage got underway — that of Cheryl Tipton, newly named Greater Detroit District disaster recovery manager, who has been part of recovery teams since 2015. Kay DeMoss reports.
Read story
United Theological Seminary
Seminary reaches debt-reduction goal
DAYTON, Ohio — United Theological Seminary, one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries, has reached, through gifts and pledges, its $4 million Burn the Mortgage campaign goal. The Rev. Kent Millard, the seminary’s president, and Callie Picardo, its vice president for development, shared the debt-reduction news in a video.
Watch video
PRESS RELEASES
Perkins School of Theology
Perkins dean preaches on US divisions
DALLAS — The Rev. Craig Hill, dean of the Perkins School of Theology, focused on the polarized U.S. atmosphere in a sermon for the Feast of Beginnings, a worship service marking the start of Perkins’ school year. Hill titled his sermon “A Modest Proposal: Let’s Tell the Truth About Each Other.”
Read sermon
Read press release about service
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 the UM News staff.
Indiana Conference
Christian witness and critical race theory
CARMEL, Ind. — There’s been confusion as to what critical race theory is, blurred by people with agendas trying to define it to suit their own purposes, says Bishop Julius C. Trimble of the Indiana Conference. Some of this uncertainty is an attempt to distract from things such as the assault on voting rights of American citizens, childhood poverty and attempts at racial healing, he writes.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
United Methodist connection kicks in after Ida
AU student copes with father’s COVID-19 death
EVENTS
Thursday, Sept. 16
Webinar: More Than Allies — Justice, Faith and a Place for All in the Struggle for Freedom
NEWS AND FEATURES
Finding light in the darkness of 9/11
NEW YORK (UM News) — United Methodists remember two decades ago when they rose to the challenge of caring for survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but the trauma still affects many. Among the church’s responses was a program in New Jersey to help people who lost jobs because of the attacks to pay their bills and find work. Jim Patterson has the story.
Read story
UM News: 9/11 healing aided by United Methodist funds
Conference sues for control of megachurch
MARIETTA, Ga. (UM News) — After a failed attempt at mediation, the monthslong dispute between the North Georgia Conference and Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church has landed in civil court. The conference trustees are suing the megachurch seeking the transfer of property and assets. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story
North Texas Conference
Woodworking clergyman builds pulpit, cross
DALLAS — The Rev. Evan Jones, associate minister at First United Methodist Church, is a woodworker and welder in his spare time. He built liturgical furnishings — cross, pulpit, communion table and baptismal font — for a renovated space that will be home to a worship service called The Collective. Monica Frazier reports.
Read story
Arkansas Conference
Sustaining a church summer camp during a pandemic
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Conference’s Camp Tanako, near Hot Springs, had to close in summer 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders found ways to work around the public health emergency and keep the camp open this summer, serving about 1,500 kids over 10 weeks. The conference has done a Q&A with camp executive director Kayla Hardage in which she elaborates on the challenges and adaptations.
Read interview
Michigan Conference
Case manager tackles third flood in 7 years
DETROIT — When heavy rains soaked the southeastern part of the state in late June, flooding parts of the area for the third time in seven years, leaders from the Michigan Conference and Greater Detroit District mobilized to help. A familiar voice began to be heard as assessment of damage got underway — that of Cheryl Tipton, newly named Greater Detroit District disaster recovery manager, who has been part of recovery teams since 2015. Kay DeMoss reports.
Read story
United Theological Seminary
Seminary reaches debt-reduction goal
DAYTON, Ohio — United Theological Seminary, one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries, has reached, through gifts and pledges, its $4 million Burn the Mortgage campaign goal. The Rev. Kent Millard, the seminary’s president, and Callie Picardo, its vice president for development, shared the debt-reduction news in a video.
Watch video
PRESS RELEASES
Perkins School of Theology
Perkins dean preaches on US divisions
DALLAS — The Rev. Craig Hill, dean of the Perkins School of Theology, focused on the polarized U.S. atmosphere in a sermon for the Feast of Beginnings, a worship service marking the start of Perkins’ school year. Hill titled his sermon “A Modest Proposal: Let’s Tell the Truth About Each Other.”
Read sermon
Read press release about service
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 the UM News staff.
Indiana Conference
Christian witness and critical race theory
CARMEL, Ind. — There’s been confusion as to what critical race theory is, blurred by people with agendas trying to define it to suit their own purposes, says Bishop Julius C. Trimble of the Indiana Conference. Some of this uncertainty is an attempt to distract from things such as the assault on voting rights of American citizens, childhood poverty and attempts at racial healing, he writes.
Read commentary
RECENT HEADLINES
United Methodist connection kicks in after Ida
AU student copes with father’s COVID-19 death
EVENTS
Thursday, Sept. 16
Webinar: More Than Allies — Justice, Faith and a Place for All in the Struggle for Freedom
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