Faith Stories

Church Leadership
(Top left) The Rev. Ralph Edwin “Ed” King Jr. (in a clerical collar) stands behind (left to right) John Hunter Gray (formerly John Salter), Joan Trumpauer (now Mulholland) and Anne Moody offering support as an angry mob attacks a sit-in on May 28, 1963, in the Woolworth’s in Jackson, Miss. King and others at Tougaloo College helped organize the nonviolent protest to segregation. (Bottom left) Another view of the sit-in and violent mob. (Right) In this June 25, 2016, photo, the Rev. Ed King, a former chaplain at Tougaloo College, sits in Woodworth Chapel at the liberal arts school in Jackson, Miss. Black and white photos by Fred Blackwell, courtesy of the Civil Rights Movement Archive; color photo: AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis.

Rev. Ed King, civil rights ‘icon,’ dies at 89

An ordained United Methodist, King worked for racial equality in his native Mississippi. Fellow church leaders remember his courage in the face of jailtime, rejection from church leaders and threats to his life.
Theology and Education
Rosemary Nyarugwe, the first female principal of The United Methodist Church’s Nyadire College of Education in Zimbabwe, is being remembered as a faithful and dedicated church leader and advocate for education in Africa. She died June 22 at age 64. Photo by Munyaradzi Matura for TV Ebenezer.

Leader of United Methodist teachers’ college dies

Rosemary Nyarugwe, the first woman principal of The United Methodist Church’s Nyadire College of Education, left her mark on the higher education landscape in Africa.
Mission and Ministry
Holly Petti and her dog Paisley chat with people entering the Sanctuary at Pinnacle View United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Ark. The church has a designated dog greeter every Sunday in addition to numerous pet outreach ministries the congregation offers. Image from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Dog church welcomes people and pets

A United Methodist church in Little Rock celebrates Earth Day by recognizing God’s care for his people and the pets they love.
Social Concerns
Gubernatorial candidate Olu Brown (left) mingles during a campaign event. The retired United Methodist pastor is running in the May 19 Democratic primary election in Georgia. Photo courtesy of the Olu Brown campaign.

Retired pastor running for Georgia governor

Olu Brown, a United Methodist and formerly pastor of a prominent church outside of Atlanta, is campaigning for the Democratic nomination for governor in Georgia. The primary election is May 19.

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