“As the Church of Jesus Christ, we condemn hatred, injustice and sin in all its forms. Violence against another, whether with a gun or with another weapon, is sin and we must stand against it.” — Bishop Mark J. Webb of the Upper New York Conference.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Churches condemn hate, urge action after shootings
BUFFALO, N.Y. (UM News) — After what officials quickly identified as a racist attack, United Methodists are responding with prayers, counseling and condemnations of hate. Many church members in Buffalo are also grieving after the mass shooting at a grocery store claimed the lives of friends and loved ones. United Methodists also are responding after a gunman opened fire at a Presbyterian church in Laguna Woods, California. Heather Hahn reports.
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More support for African agriculture
ATLANTA — More than $13 million in grants and disbursements were approved during the May 11-12 spring meeting of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The Bishop Yambasu Agricultural Initiative continues to be a top priority, with $3.5 million approved to be spent realizing the late bishop’s dream of making the church in Africa self-sufficient through agriculture. Jim Patterson has the story.
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UM News: Bishop Yambasu Agriculture Initiative harvests first crops
East Ohio Conference
United Methodists help revitalize neighborhood
CLEVELAND — Members of Saint Matthew United Methodist Church are helping revive a Cleveland neighborhood. They have worked with city authorities to clear illegally dumped waste and helped to build a community orchard. Mittie Imani Jordan, a lay leader at Saint Matthew, has been working on the project since 2009. Families from as far away as California are expected to attend a dedication ceremony for a memorial garden at the orchard on May 28. Brett Hetherington reports.
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California-Nevada Conference
Highlighting Asian American innovations
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a video featuring snail and lamb puppets, JB Brayfindley highlights two inventions and a scientific discovery made by Asian Americans. Those innovations are the USB drive, the OLED screen used by most smartphones and the discovery of microscopic organisms living in extremely harsh conditions. The United Methodist Church joins in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
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PRESS RELEASES
Wesley Theological Seminary
Korean alumnus honored by Wesley
WASHINGTON — The Rev. Dong Chan Park has been given the 2022 Society of John Wesley Award of Merit, an honor for Wesley Theological Seminary alumni who have made significant contributions in church leadership and to the seminary. Park, who holds two degrees from Wesley, leads Ilsan Kwanglim Church, a Korean Methodist megachurch engaged in hundreds of mission projects in Korea and worldwide.
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Los Altos United Methodist Church
Church uses Lilly grant to reach young adults
LOS ALTOS, Calif. — The Changemaker Initiative at Los Altos United Methodist Church will use a $1.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help launch Change the Story, a young adult innovation hub. The project is designed to nurture the spiritual lives of young adults ages 23-29 in Silicon Valley and connect them in new ways with faith communities. Los Altos United Methodist Church received the grant through Lilly Endowment’s Young Adult Initiative. The grant will fund a full-time young adult director position, for which a search is currently open.
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Learn more about Los Altos United Methodist Church
RESOURCES
United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy
Webinar looks at choices between denominations
DENVER — United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy, a group that intends to stay in The United Methodist Church, plans to have a webinar at 6 p.m. U.S. Mountain time May 17. The webinar will look at the differences between The United Methodist Church and the breakaway Global Methodist Church. The webinar is titled: “Look Before You Leap: Examining the Choices Between The UMC and The GMC.”
Learn more and register
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