Daily Digest - August 27, 2024

“Our journey may be long, our path uncertain, but our ongoing ecumenical pilgrimage ever seeks justice, peace and reconciliation among all Koreans and all nations.” — The Rev. Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches.

NEWS AND FEATURES

World Methodists gather for Korea Peace Night
GOTHENBURG, Sweden (UM News) — More than 250 young adults, leaders of world Methodism and the top executive of the World Council of Churches gathered to speak out against wars and racism during Korea Peace Night, held on Aug. 15 at the World Methodist Conference. Participants shared their thoughts, messages and prayers for peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. The Rev. Thomas E. Kim reports.
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UMC TV Ebenezer
Bishop Nhiwatiwa speaks out after trip to Nigeria
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa of the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area was in Nigeria Aug. 22-26 to guide nominations for episcopal elections scheduled for December. Following the resignation of Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, Bishops Nhiwatiwa, John Schol and Patrick Streiff were assigned to serve the Nigeria Episcopal Area through the end of the year. In a video from Zimbabwe’s UMC TV Ebenezer, Nhiwatiwa addresses misinformation about the church, his experience with government authorities in Nigeria, safety concerns that he encountered, progress made in the region and the issue of same-sex marriage. UM News is working on a full story on the situation in Nigeria to be posted later this week.
Watch video 

Minnesota Conference
New church playground connects neighbors
EXCELSIOR, Minn. — A Minnesota church has enlivened its community with a new playground. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck and neighborhood families began bringing their children to ride bikes and jump rope in the Excelsior United Methodist Church parking lot, the congregation became motivated to offer the community a more accessible and welcoming play space. Karla Hovde has the story.
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Austin Funeral Services
Bilha Alegría, longtime communicator, dies at 73
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Bilha Ramírez Alegría, who served United Methodist agencies during a long career, died Aug. 24. She was 73. Alegría worked for many years for United Methodist Communications, serving as staff for El Intérprete Magazine, InfoServ and Spanish media resources, and retired from UMCom in 2014. She also was an editor for Spanish-language Sunday school publications for the United Methodist Publishing House and served on the board of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry from 1984 to 1987. After retiring, she continued to work with UMCom and was featured in the YouTube series “Our United Methodist Table.” 
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California-Pacific Conference
US Vietnamese United Methodist caucus meets
ANAHEIM, Calif. — More than 200 clergy and lay people attended the 34th Convocation of Vietnamese United Methodists in the United States, which took place July 26-28 at West Anaheim United Methodist Church. The gathering had the theme of “Living Faithfully With God” (Romans 12:2). The Revs. Lui Tran and Ken Suhr report. 
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South Georgia Conference
Conference approves 106 disaffiliations
MACON, Ga. — During a special called South Georgia Annual Conference session on Aug. 17, clergy and lay members voted to ratify the departures of 106 congregations. In 2022, the annual conference approved a report from the conference trustees in which a departure process was affirmed that honors the terms of South Georgia’s disaffiliation policy through 2024. Conference staff report.
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PRESS RELEASES

Southern Methodist University
Longtime SMU president plans retirement
DALLAS — R. Gerald Turner intends to conclude his service as the 10th president of Southern Methodist University at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. He assumed the presidency of the university in 1995. The university is home to Perkins School of Theology, one of 13 United Methodist seminaries in the U.S. 
Read press release  

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