“We look at each other and realize five years ago, none of us was going to church regularly. We aspired to it, but we hadn’t found a church home. Now we are serving, and we couldn’t imagine our lives without it.” — Emily Fan, who is on the leadership team of the newly formed Embrace Church in California’s Bay Area.
How to reclaim the church-planting tradition
ALAMEDA, Calif. (UMNS) — Methodists once planted at least a church a day across the American frontier. Today’s United Methodists are trying to recover that legacy — with a modern twist. Heather Hahn reports on church planters who are blazing a trail among the religiously unaffiliated.
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Latin American Methodist leader remembered
ATLANTA (UMNS) — The Rev. Oscar Bolioli, 83, three-time president of the Evangelical Church of Uruguay, longtime ecumenical leader and champion for social justice, died on June 18. For two decades, he also was affiliated with the Latin American and Caribbean work of the U.S. National Council of Churches and Church World Service. The Rev. Gustavo Vasquez reports and Elliott Wright has a Global Ministries tribute.
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Bishop Ough: Pastoral letter on high-profile trials
MINNEAPOLIS — Dakotas-Minnesota Area Bishop Bruce R. Ough writes about the recent acquittal of Jeronimo Yanez in the death of Philando Castile and the mistrial in the sexual assault case against Bill Cosby. Ough, who is also president of the Council of Bishops, reflects on what it means to worship a God of truth and justice.
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Palestinian Christians call for support
BETHLEHEM (WCC) —The National Coalition of Christian Organizations in Palestine issued an open letter to the World Council of Churches and the ecumenical movement, calling for action and support. The WCC participated in the June 20-22 “Consultation on 50 Years of Occupation and the Ecumenical Response” in the Holy Land.
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Prayers to postcards: Seeking better health care
WASHINGTON — As a young mother, the Rev. Merrilee Wineinger learned what it is like to have few options for affordable health care. Now she and other leaders are working to transform the health care system in Tennessee. The United Methodist health care advocate spoke with Rebecca Cole of the denomination’s Board of Church and Society.
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Church robbed multiple times
DURHAM, N.C. — St. Paul United Methodist Church’s outreach ministry has been robbed, once again. “It’s like they’re taunting us,” said the outreach chairman of what’s happened to the church’s Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse. Colin Warren-Hicks reports for The Herald-Sun.
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Looking ahead
Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have a United Methodist event to share, you can add it to the calendar with this submission form.
Tuesday, Aug. 1 to Friday, Aug. 4
4th Global Methodist Missions Conference of the Deaf — Lakeview Camp and Retreat Center, Waxahachie, Texas. Presenters will include Emmanuel Deaf Ministry of Brazil, United Methodist Bishop Peggy Johnson and the Rev. Caesar Rentie, a former NFL player reared by deaf parents. Details
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