"She has the Jesus knowledge and the police knowledge, and she puts those things together." —The Rev. Janet Bell Odom, describing the Rev. Doris Smith, a Dallas police detective and part-time licensed local pastor.
Dallas police detective also is a pastor
TERRELL, Texas (UMNS) — The Rev. Doris Smith works full time as a Dallas police detective but also serves as a part-time licensed local pastor, leading Warren Chapel United Methodist Church in Terrell, Texas. Smith felt the support of the North Texas Conference after a July 7 ambush claimed the lives of four Dallas police officers and a transit officer, including one of her former patrol partners. Sam Hodges reports.
Read story
Shadow of Ebola lingers for Sierra Leone hospitals
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UMNS) — The shadow of the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history lingers over United Methodist and government hospitals, where staff even now prepare for the possibility of another outbreak. Phileas Jusu reports on the aftermath of the epidemic.
Read story
Texas church opens doors to refugees
SAN ANTONIO (UMNS) — The Rev. John Feagins and his parishioners at La Trinidad United Methodist Church have, with help from the United Methodist Committee on Relief, become deeply engaged with refugees and other immigrants coming across the Texas-Mexico border. Feagins writes about the experience for the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
Pew: U.S. views on liberty and nondiscrimination
WASHINGTON (UMNS) — Two-thirds of U.S. adults say employers should provide birth control in insurance plans, but the public splits over same-sex wedding services and use of public bathrooms by transgender people. The Pew Research Center reported these results of a survey, which explores controversies that pit claims of religious liberty against policies aimed at nondiscrimination.
Read survey overview
Movie portrays professor’s fight with Holocaust denier
ATLANTA — The movie “Denial” is based on Deborah Lipstadt’s experiences during a libel lawsuit brought by David Irving, who she identified as a Holocaust denier in a 1993 book. The professor at Emory, a United Methodist-related university, chronicled the legal battle in her 2005 book, “History on Trial: My Day in Court With a Holocaust Denier.” A website founded by Lipstadt has been redesigned and relaunched.
Scholarship helps student pursue nursing
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Ashanti Wright, recipient of the Joseph Bethea Scholarship, is a pre-nursing major at Hampton University in Virginia. The scholarship, established in memory of Bishop Joseph B. Bethea’s lifelong commitment to Christian higher education, assists African-American students who are members of the Southeastern Jurisdiction’s Black Methodists for Church Renewal. The United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry reports.
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, Oct. 16
Day 1 — Bishop Larry Goodpaster, bishop-in-residence at United Methodist Candler School of Theology at Emory University, is the featured preacher on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace. The nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also is accessible online at Day1.org. Details
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Window on Wesley Theological Seminary — 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT. Opportunity for prospective students to get to know the Wesley community in Washington and to experience a day in the life of a Wesley seminarian. Details
Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.