Daily Digest - January 14, 2016

"Our goal all along had just been to have our investments reflect the position of the church." — Susanne Hoder, a spokesperson for Kairos Response.

Israeli banks on ineligible list for pension agency

EVANSTON, Ill. (UMNS) — A recent decision by The United Methodist Church’s pension fund regarding investments in five Israeli banks is in keeping with its plan to use a human rights guideline for investments, but advocates would like to see broader action on the Israel-Palestine issue. Linda Bloom has the story.
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Church court convicts pastor of sexual misconduct

LAKELAND, Fla. (UMNS) — A church court removed a pastor’s credentials in The United Methodist Church after he was found guilty of sexual misconduct with a laywoman. Heather Hahn reports.
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Team of bishops to serve Rio Texas

SAN ANTONIO (UMNS) — A team of bishops will provide episcopal leadership and supervision for the Rio Texas Conference until a new bishop is assigned, Bishop Michael McKee announced. “Bishop Janice Huie of the Texas Conference, Bishop Michael Lowry of the Central Texas Conference, Bishop Joel Martinez, who is retired, and Bishop Robert Schnase of the Missouri Conference have agreed to come home to serve in the conference and area they love,” McKee, president of the South Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops, wrote in an e-mail to the conference. Bishops Huie, Lowry and Schnase will continue to serve in their respective conferences.
Read press release
Read UMNS coverage of Dorff’s resignation

Food pantry grows from small room to storefront

CHERRY HILL, N.J. (UMNS) — The Cherry Hill Food Pantry, co-founded by St. Andrews United Methodist Church, has grown from a small room in a church basement to a recently opened storefront. The pantry, open twice a week, has 900 families registered in its database. Thirteen churches of various denominations help with the volunteer effort. Jeff Wolfe reports for the Greater New Jersey Conference.
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Memphis churches help Guatemalan immigrants

MEMPHIS (UMNS) — The United Methodist Southeast Memphis Cooperative Parish hosted a mobile Guatemalan Consulate last month and has helped more than 800 Guatemalan immigrants living in the U.S. sign up for valuable documents and conduct consulate business. Lane Gardner Camp, director of communications for the Memphis Conference, reports.
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Saint Paul responds to coming clergy retirements

LEAWOOD, Kan. (UMNS) — Saint Paul School of Theology is responding to an expected wave of clergy retirements by offering full-ride scholarships, a fast-tracked master’s program and a new hands-on, collaborative curriculum.
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Looking ahead

Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have an item to share, email [email protected] and put Digest in the subject line.

Monday, Jan. 18-Friday, Feb. 5
Online course “Life Together in the United Methodist Connection” from beadisciple.com — Why does The United Methodist Church do things the way it does? This course will help newcomers to The United Methodist Church get their bearings, and longtime members consider the specific structural challenges the church faces in the 21st century. Participants must obtain the book, “The Method of Our Mission: United Methodist Polity & Organization” by Laceye C. Warner, which is not included in the course fee. $70. Details.

Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 21-23
Praying like Jesus Conference — Christ Church, a United Methodist congregation, 4488 Poplar Ave., Memphis, Tennessee, will host the conference. Speakers include Florida Area Bishop Kenneth Carter Jr. and the Revs. Jorge Acevedo, John Ed Mathison, Maxie Dunnam and Shane Stanford. Details.

You can see more educational opportunities and other upcoming events in the life of the church here.