“Hunger is the number one problem now.” — Isabel João, who was searching for edible corn or seed corn in a Mozambique cornfield flooded for days after Cyclone Idai.
NEWS AND FEATURES
After the cyclone, faith abides
BUZI, Mozambique (UMNS) — Cyclone Idai came in the darkest hours of the night, and she did not come quietly. The United Methodist Church is helping people pick up the pieces of their lives after the storm killed hundreds and displaced thousands. Kathy L. Gilbert reports, Mike DuBose has photos.
Read story
Bishops begin meeting in ‘chaotic’ moment
CHICAGO (UMNS) — The Council of Bishops begins its spring meeting amid conversations around the denomination about possibly splitting the church. Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Council of Bishops president, urged his colleagues to “leave this place different than when we arrived.” Heather Hahn has the story.
Read story
Read press release
Radio can help unite divided church, bishop says
KAMPALA, Uganda (UMNS) — Bishop Daniel Wandabula of the East Africa Episcopal Area called for oneness during the fifth annual United Methodist Radio Network meeting, noting that radio is an important tool to help unite the denomination following the divisive special General Conference. The Rev. Taurai Emmanuel Maforo reports.
Read story
World Council of Churches
Koreans form human chain for peace
DEMILITARIZED ZONE, Korea — Some 500,000 people joined hands to form a “human peace chain” along the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea in late April to express their strong desire for permanent peace in the Korean Peninsula and celebrate the first anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration.
Read story
PRESS RELEASES
United Methodist Publishing House
Committee adds ‘practicing’ to approved petition
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Committee on Correlation and Editorial Revision, which edits the United Methodist Book of Discipline, has decided that a petition passed by the 2019 General Conference will go into church law with the phrase “self-avowed practicing homosexual.” Petition 90036, dealing with consecration of bishops and ordination of clergy, was part of the Traditional Plan. The committee found inconsistent wording in some of the plan’s petitions and decided that adding “practicing” to Petition 90036’s phrase “self-avowed homosexual” was in harmony with the plan’s intent.
Read press release
Church and Society
Social justice agency suggests trimming its board
WASHINGTON — Directors of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society are asking the 2020 General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative body, to consider reducing the size of the agency’s board of directors while increasing international representation.
Read spring meeting press release
COMMENTARIES
United Methodist News Service includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UMNS staff.
Opinion: Two decisions, one a danger
DALLAS (UMNS) — The former president of the United Methodist Judicial Council analyzes the court’s rulings on the Traditional Plan legislation and the disaffiliation legislation. The Rev. William B. Lawrence finds one ruling helpful, the other so “densely written that it may actually obscure the dangers hidden in it.”
Read commentary
UMNS: Court rulings escalate talk of church split
Chart on Judicial Council April decisions
RECENT HEADLINES
Black colleges and universities face financial challenges
Cameroon UMW aims to empower displaced women
EVENTS
Thursday, May 23
Poet’s Corner: Sandy Coomer
NEWS AND FEATURES
After the cyclone, faith abides
BUZI, Mozambique (UMNS) — Cyclone Idai came in the darkest hours of the night, and she did not come quietly. The United Methodist Church is helping people pick up the pieces of their lives after the storm killed hundreds and displaced thousands. Kathy L. Gilbert reports, Mike DuBose has photos.
Read story
Bishops begin meeting in ‘chaotic’ moment
CHICAGO (UMNS) — The Council of Bishops begins its spring meeting amid conversations around the denomination about possibly splitting the church. Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Council of Bishops president, urged his colleagues to “leave this place different than when we arrived.” Heather Hahn has the story.
Read story
Read press release
Radio can help unite divided church, bishop says
KAMPALA, Uganda (UMNS) — Bishop Daniel Wandabula of the East Africa Episcopal Area called for oneness during the fifth annual United Methodist Radio Network meeting, noting that radio is an important tool to help unite the denomination following the divisive special General Conference. The Rev. Taurai Emmanuel Maforo reports.
Read story
World Council of Churches
Koreans form human chain for peace
DEMILITARIZED ZONE, Korea — Some 500,000 people joined hands to form a “human peace chain” along the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea in late April to express their strong desire for permanent peace in the Korean Peninsula and celebrate the first anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration.
Read story
PRESS RELEASES
United Methodist Publishing House
Committee adds ‘practicing’ to approved petition
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Committee on Correlation and Editorial Revision, which edits the United Methodist Book of Discipline, has decided that a petition passed by the 2019 General Conference will go into church law with the phrase “self-avowed practicing homosexual.” Petition 90036, dealing with consecration of bishops and ordination of clergy, was part of the Traditional Plan. The committee found inconsistent wording in some of the plan’s petitions and decided that adding “practicing” to Petition 90036’s phrase “self-avowed homosexual” was in harmony with the plan’s intent.
Read press release
Church and Society
Social justice agency suggests trimming its board
WASHINGTON — Directors of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society are asking the 2020 General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative body, to consider reducing the size of the agency’s board of directors while increasing international representation.
Read spring meeting press release
COMMENTARIES
United Methodist News Service includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UMNS staff.
Opinion: Two decisions, one a danger
DALLAS (UMNS) — The former president of the United Methodist Judicial Council analyzes the court’s rulings on the Traditional Plan legislation and the disaffiliation legislation. The Rev. William B. Lawrence finds one ruling helpful, the other so “densely written that it may actually obscure the dangers hidden in it.”
Read commentary
UMNS: Court rulings escalate talk of church split
Chart on Judicial Council April decisions
RECENT HEADLINES
Black colleges and universities face financial challenges
Cameroon UMW aims to empower displaced women
EVENTS
Thursday, May 23
Poet’s Corner: Sandy Coomer
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