“He used himself up with his passion for Christ and his faith in God and his love of people — those three things.” — The Rev. David Bevel Jones, speaking of his father, Bishop L. Bevel Jones III.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Bishop L. Bevel ‘Bev’ Jones III is dead at 91
ATLANTA (UMNS) — Bishop L. Bevel “Bev” Jones III is being remembered as the “ultimate people person” and a spellbinding orator. He also took a stand for racial reconciliation in 1957, when few white Southern ministers spoke out. Jones, born in a Methodist parsonage, died March 6 at age 91. Sam Hodges reports on his remarkable life.
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Read tribute by Gary Hauk of Emory University
Local pastor loses license after same-sex wedding
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) —The United Methodist Holston Conference has withdrawn the license for a local pastor who officiated at a same-sex wedding while serving as associate pastor at two United Methodist churches. Kathy L. Gilbert reports.
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Church offers peace training to youth in DRC
FIZI, Democratic Republic of Congo (UMNS) — With the support of United Methodist Discipleship Ministries and local ecumenical groups, the church in the Democratic Republic of Congo is offering peace training to young people here. The goal is to help them seek ways to find peaceful solutions to local conflicts and to challenge them to support a culture of nonviolence. Philippe Kituka Lolonga reports.
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The Herald-Sun and Duke Divinity School
LGBTQ protest interrupts dean’s speech at Duke Divinity
DURHAM, N.C. — A group of Duke Divinity school students interrupted the dean’s annual state-of-the-school address to press for better treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. The group has a list of 15 specific demands, Ray Gronberg reports. On March 6, Dean Elaine Heath announced the formation of a task force on gender and sexuality issues.
Read Herald-Sun story
Read Duke press release
COMMENTARIES
Interpreting the bishops’ meeting
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — The two church future options now being considered by the United Methodist Council of Bishops don’t include the model that would have kept the existing language on marriage and homosexuality in the Book of Discipline, writes the Rev. Thomas Lambrecht. He is a member of the Way Forward Commission and vice president of Good News, which supports the denomination’s current restrictions related to homosexuality. He offers his thoughts on what will happen.
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Church future hanging by thread
SEATTLE — The only way United Methodist bishops can overcome distrust is to propose a way forward with incredible novelty that “creates conditions for full inclusion of LGBTQ persons and keeps moderates from being seduced to the Wesleyan Covenant Association,” writes the Rev. Jeremy Smith. The progressive blogger admits he doesn’t know what that would look like but prays the bishops and the commissioners do.
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RESOURCES
Board of Higher Education and Ministry
Guide to United Methodist polity questions
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A new book provides a comprehensive, annotated guide to the Book of Discipline for pastors and church leaders. Wesley’s Foundery Books has released “Quick and Easy Guide to United Methodist Polity” by Anne L. Burkholder and Thomas W. Elliott Jr., with foreword by Thomas Edward Frank.
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RECENT HEADLINES
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EVENTS
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.
Monday, March 12-Saturday, March 24
Online class:
Monday, April 9
Deadline to register for United Methodist Women Assembly 2018
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