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Daily Digest - June 13, 2019

“We’re talking about 586 churches and 30 million bucks. There is no way to divide $30 million into 586 and get a small number.”The Rev. Derek McAleer, South Georgia Conference treasurer, on the cost of his conference’s pension liabilities. 


NEWS AND FEATURES

Exiting congregations face hefty price tag

COLUMBUS, Georgia (UM News) — U.S. conferences are calculating how much a church must pay if it leaves the denomination under legislation approved by General Conference 2019. Some, such as the South Georgia Conference, have already approved policies related to disaffiliation. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story 

Nigeria communication strengthens connection
JALINGO, Nigeria (UM News) — A new communications center will enable United Methodists in Nigeria to communicate more effectively with one another and with the global church. Sharon Adamu Bambuka reports. 
Read story

New 2019 annual conference reports posted 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News Service is posting annual conference reports. New this week are Illinois Great Rivers, South Carolina and South Georgia.
Read reports

Correction 
The June 12 digest item titled “Brexit threatens longtime peace in Northern Ireland” incorrectly stated that Irish Methodists and others were concerned “about the threat of closing the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.” Their concern is about the threat of imposing a “harder” border.


PRESS RELEASES

Meharry Medical College
Meharry center to launch with e-cigarette study

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Research and outreach projects around the use of electronic cigarettes will be the first projects of the Meharry Center for the Study of Social Determinants of Health at Meharry Medical Center, funded by a $7.5 million grant from JUUL Labs. Meharry is a United Methodist-related institution.
Read press release


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.

Son’s vote for peace set his father’s killers free
MANCHESTER, England (UM News) — On her first filming trip to Northern Ireland 24 years ago — during “the troubles” — the Rev. Kathleen LaCamera met Patrick Kielty, 22, a Catholic whose father, Jack Kielty, had been shot dead by UFF (Protestant) paramilitaries six years earlier. Four years later, Kielty voted for the Good Friday peace agreement that freed his father’s killers. Now, 20 years on, LaCamera shares his current concern about Brexit and its threat to the hard won peace that agreement enabled. 
Read commentary
Brexit threatens longtime peace in Northern Ireland


RECENT HEADLINES

Nigeria church faces fine, possible demolition


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