Daily Digest - March 15, 2018

March 15, 2018

I want to model for the church how important it is for the people of God to literally stand with people who have been marginalized because of race.” — Bishop Peggy Johnson, about participating in the April 4 rally to end racism.

NEWS AND FEATURES

United Methodists to join DC rally against racism
WASHINGTON (UMNS) — United Methodists are expected to travel by the busload to Washington for the A.C.T. to End Racism rally on April 4, organized by the National Council of Churches. The rally will kick off a multiyear campaign. Linda Bloom reports.
Read story 
Read Council of Bishops press release

Bombing victims had family ties to church
AUSTIN, Texas (UMNS) — A man and a teenager killed in separate package explosions here both had family ties to Wesley United Methodist, a historic African-American church. The pastor said neither of the victims attended Wesley and he has no reason to believe the church was targeted. Sam Hodges reports. 
Read story 
Read Austin American-Statesman coverage 

​Immersed in Native culture, history
OKLAHOMA CITY (UMNS) — United Methodists from around the connection immersed themselves in Native American culture March 7-11 during a special event hosted by the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. The immersion experience helped participants live out the Act of Repentance. Ginny Underwood reports.
Read story 

Arizona DACA student writes Lenten devotion
TUCSON, Ariz. (UMNS) — As a student intern at Frontera Wesley, Ana Mendoza is bringing her insight as an immigrant to a Lenten devotion, “40 Days in the Desert: Resisting Temptation in the Borderlands.” Frontera Wesley serves students at the University of Arizona and Pima Community College. Kathy L. Gilbert reports.
Read story 

WRKF
Louisiana bishop appears on local public radio
BATON ROUGE, La. — Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey of the Louisiana Conference appeared recently on WRKF’s “Talk Louisiana” to discuss her work with 486 congregations and over 118,000 members of The United Methodist Church in the state.
Listen to program 

Greater New Jersey Conference
From disaster recovery to community outreach
NEPTUNE, N.J. — After completing its rebuilding mission after Superstorm Sandy, A Future With Hope is planning to partner with congregations and nonprofit organizations to develop “Hope Centers.” The centers will offer youth development, education, job training and other services and support. Carolyn Conover has the story.
Read story 
 

PRESS RELEASES

Wespath Benefits and Investments
Wespath highlights affordable housing
GLENVIEW, Ill. — Wespath Benefits and Investments, the United Methodist pension and investment management agency, highlights its support of affordable housing since 1990. In a short video, the agency explains how its Positive Social Purpose Lending Program helped Prairie Commons apartments in Dallas.
Watch video 

COMMENTARIES

#MeToo and The United Methodist Church
RUSH, N.Y. (UMNS) — As other professions grapple with realities of sexual harassment and misconduct, the Rev. Cathy Hall Stengel explains how these problems have affected The United Methodist Church. “Clergywomen in The United Methodist Church have faced harassment, abuse, inappropriate treatment and discrimination,” she writes. “It’s a fact — not a rumor, not a question — fact.”
Read commentary 

RECENT HEADLINES

Delegates’ early thoughts on Way Forward

Ministering to 3 churches brings challenges, joys
 

EVENTS

Monday, April 2-Saturday-April 14
Online Lay Servant Workshop: Biblical Storytelling I