Daily Digest - November 1, 2016

"Once a youth is placed in detention, they will not get a high school diploma." — Terry S. Smith, chief juvenile probation officer for Dallas County, on the school-to-prison pipeline.

Speakers: Mass incarceration is civil rights issue

DALLAS (UMNS) — Ndume Olatushani is an artist, teacher and internationally known speaker — success he achieved after spending 28 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Olatushani was one of the speakers at a national Prison Summit on Mass Incarceration sponsored by the United Methodist Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century. Kathy L. Gilbert has the story.
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Ough addresses Council of Bishops

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (UMCom) — Bishop Bruce R. Ough told the Council of Bishops its retreat was designed to explore how the council can lead when “the entire United Methodist Church is holding its breath.” In his first address to his peers as president, he urged them to build and model unity within their own body. The retreat, which the bishops typically hold at the beginning of a new four-year period, is not public except for a session on Nov. 2.
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Bishops apologize for promoting World Series

CLEVELAND, Ohio (UMNS) — Bishops Tracy Malone and Sally Dyck thanked people who donated to the World Series Challenge for Haiti relief and apologized for any unintended hurt caused by their promotion of the World Series between Chicago and Cleveland. “While we were careful not to use the Cleveland Indians mascot logo, we now realize that just promoting the World Series has caused great hurt and harm to our native sisters and brothers and to others,” they wrote.
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United Methodists help town heal after shooting

TOWNVILLE, S.C. (UMNS) — United Methodists continue to grieve after an elementary school shooting Sept. 28 claimed the life of a 6-year-old boy and wounded two others. The Rev. Judy Hames, pastor of Dickson Memorial United Methodist Church, was one of the first on the scene after the shooting to offer support and show the love of Jesus. “A lot of times all you can be is that presence,” she said. Jessica Brodie, editor of the South Carolina Conference Advocate, reports.
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Videos encourage faithful to vote

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — United Methodist leaders and others explain in shareable videos why it is important for people of faith to vote. The initiative was inspired by MARCHA and supported by the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry of The United Methodist Church.

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Commentary: Election is opportunity, responsibility

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Christians have had an ambivalent relationship with politics in the United States, but politics and government are part of life and “Jesus Christ wants to be lord of all of life, not just certain parts,” writes the Rev. Thomas A. Lambrecht in a commentary for Interpreter magazine. While Christians have a responsibility to participate, he adds that it is important for them to guard against equating a certain political party as being THE Christian party.
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Looking ahead

Here are some of the activities ahead for United Methodists across the connection. If you have an item to share, email [email protected] and put Digest in the subject line.

Sunday, Nov. 6

Return to Daylight Standard Time — In most of the United States, people will need to make sure their clocks fall back an hour to make it to church on time. Details

Monday, Nov. 14 to Wednesday, Nov. 16

Faith and Guns Forum — The United Methodist Board of Church and Society invites United Methodists to share and learn about gun violence, gun control legislation, and strategies for coalition building and mobilizing congregations to be the change God calls Christians to be. The forum will be at United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. $200 for those who need housing; $75 for those who do not. Details

More United Methodist events