Daily Digest - July 29, 2015

"I did not believe the adult leadership policy could be sustained. Any effort to do so was inevitably going to result in legal battles in multiple jurisdictions and at staggering cost." — Robert M. Gates, national president of Boy Scouts of America.
 

Churches can have gay Boy Scout leaders

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — The Boy Scouts of America decision on July 27 to lift its national ban on openly gay adult leaders has the support of United Methodists of varied theological perspectives. But no church will be required to accept any volunteer as a Scout leader simply because of the new policy, says Gil Hanke, top executive of United Methodist Men. Heather Hahn reports.
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Fast-growing church leaves with property

QUARRYTOWN, Pa. (UMNS) — The fastest-growing church in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference recently left the denomination and kept its property. Conference leaders said it made financial sense to negotiate a settlement with Wesley United Methodist Church of Quarrytown, Pennsylvania, rather than to claim the property under the "trust clause" of church law. Sam Hodges and Heather Hahn have the story.
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Street Pastors minister at night

BANGOR, Me. (UMNS) — They are volunteer clergy and laity who are on the streets at night, walking and talking with people, whether those people are homeless, bar-hopping, curious or talking about their lives and their faith or loss of faith. Beth DiCocco, New England Conference communications director, tells the story of the Street Pastors.
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Happy 25th birthday, ADA

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (UMNS) — On the 25th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Bishop Peggy Johnson of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference urges churches to “find new ways every year to improve your church’s accessibility — be it physical or attitudinal. Your church can sign onto the new Faith Community Proclamation in honor of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the ADA law.”
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ADA anniversary toolkit

Commentary: Why churches are poor

CASPER, Wyo. (UMNS) — “We need a new consciousness around money — one that allows us to be honest about our needs and the unlimited God we serve. Money is not in short supply. But if we believe it is, we will act, and ask, accordingly,” writes Rebekah Simon-Peter, director of Bridgeworks, an extension ministry of the Rocky Mountain Conference. Simon-Peter offers five reasons why people do not contribute to the offering.
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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.

Saturday, Aug. 1

Deadline to apply to Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and its Houston-Galveston Extension Program — Perkins School of Theology/Southern Methodist University has extended the fall 2015 application deadline to August 1, with modified course schedules in Dallas and the Houston-Galveston Extension Program to better accommodate student needs. Details

Sunday, Aug. 2 – Sunday, Aug. 9

'We Are All Ferguson' conference — Wellspring Church, a United Methodist congregation in Ferguson, Missouri, will bring together community and business leaders to address the racial and economic issues that became widely known in the wake of the shooting of Michael Brown. The Revs. F. Willis Johnson Jr. of Wellspring and Steve Lawler of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church are organizers of the event. Details

Sunday, Aug. 2

The Rev. Quincy Brown preaches on ‘Day 1’ — Brown, associate pastor of Peachtree City United Methodist Church in Peachtree City, Georgia, is the guest. His sermon “You’re Not Yourself When You Are Hungry" is based on Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15. Details

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