“I pray that the decisions made this weekend, as difficult as they were, will lead to fruitfulness.” — Nordic-Baltic-Ukraine Bishop Christian Alsted on the decision by Estonian churches to leave The United Methodist Church.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Estonian churches leave United Methodist fold
TALLINN, Estonia (UM News) — The 23 churches in the nation of Estonia have completed the steps to depart The United Methodist Church and form the autonomous Estonia Methodist Church. United Methodists in the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference met earlier this year to approve a process allowing the churches to disaffiliate. Heather Hahn reports.
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UM News: Eurasia and Estonia begin exit from church
EducationNC
Church-run camps help kids read
WILSON, N.C. — The Duke Endowment’s 10-year-old investment in teaching youngsters to read appears to be working at churches. West Nash United Methodist Church is among the congregations that have offered the literacy camps. The summer literacy program also focuses on wraparound services for the kids to address other unmet needs. Rupen Fofaria reports.
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World Council of Churches
International ecumenical group marks 75th year
GENEVA — The World Council of Churches celebrated its 75th anniversary with an ecumenical celebration June 25 at Saint Pierre Cathedral, recalling the organization’s founding three years after the end of the Second World War. “People came together in Amsterdam in 1948 with a clear purpose of leading the churches of the world together and making them an instrument of peace,” said Lutheran Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, World Council of Churches moderator.
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World Council of Churches celebrates with dance, song
PRESS RELEASES
United Methodist Higher Education Foundation
Foundations help send students to college
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Missouri United Methodist Foundation led the pack of more than two dozen United Methodist conference foundations that partner with the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation’s UM Dollars for Scholars program. The Missouri foundation contributed $22,000 in scholarship matches for 22 students attending United Methodist-related institutions of higher education last year.
Read press release
See list of foundation partners
RESOURCES
Wipf and Stock
Book highlights church’s history on race
AUSTIN, Texas — The Rev. John Elford, pastor emeritus at Austin’s University United Methodist Church, has published a new book on American Methodism’s tangled history on racial matters as well as the current work toward racial justice. “Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm: The American Methodist Church and the Struggle with White Supremacy” is available from publisher Wipf and Stock and other booksellers.
To learn more and order
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