"I saw one heartbreaking experience after another with the seminary students and their families. The vast majority of their problems came as a result of the financial strain that they were experiencing." — The Rev. Karl K. Stegall, founder of a program to help Alabama-West Florida seminarians pay for education.
Program offers seminarians financial lifeline
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (UMNS) — United Methodist pastors credit a program founded by the Rev. Karl K. Stegall with providing critical financial resources during seminary. Martha Simmons has the story on the program in the Alabama-West Florida Conference.
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New Hmong ministry baptizes 18 in single day
MINNEAPOLIS (UMNS) — Just eight months after launching worship, Northwest Minneapolis United Methodist Ministry — one of the Minnesota Conference’s newest church starts — baptized 18 new Christians on a single Sunday. Christa Meland of the Minnesota Conference reports on how this new ministry is bringing people to Christ.
Bishop Easterling responds to racism
FULTON, Md. (UMNS) — Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, who leads the Baltimore-Washington Conference, responds to bullying and racism on the campus of United Methodist-related American University and the recent police shootings of black men. She said Psalm 69:1-3 “could have been written today.”
Read news coverage of racist attacks at American University
Memphis artist creates gifts for retiring bishops
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UMNS) — The five retiring bishops of the Southeastern Jurisdiction each received a gift of artwork made by a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Memphis. The jurisdiction’s active bishops commissioned the art for their colleagues. Lane Gardner Camp has the story for the Memphis Conference.
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The power of spirituals
WASHINGTON (UMNS) — A musician and professor at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, Eileen Guenther has just published “In Their Own Words: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals.” The book traces the heart of the spiritual and uses the history of this music to tell the compelling story of slavery in the United States. Melissa Lauber reports for the Baltimore-Washington Conference.
Candler hosts German theologian Moltmann
ATLANTA (UMNS) — Candler School of Theology will host renowned German theologian Jürgen Moltmann for a two-day conference on issues of contemporary theology, the church and the world. “Unfinished Worlds: Jürgen Moltmann at 90” will take place Oct. 19-20 in Cannon Chapel.
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.
Wednesday, Sept. 28 to Friday, Sept. 30
Leadership Institute at Church of the Resurrection — United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, will offer this training event aimed at helping church leaders to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Speakers include the Rev. Adam Hamilton, the church’s lead pastor; retired Bishop Will Willimon; and Haydn Shaw, an author and generational expert. Sept. 28 is the Pre-Institute. $49 a session for the Pre-Institute and $199 for Leadership Institute. Details
Friday, Sept. 30
Leadership Post-Institute: Leading the Conversation about Race and Equality — 2 to 5 p.m. CDT. United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, will offer a special Leadership Institute session for pastors and other church leaders led by the Rev. F. Willis Johnson, pastor of Wellspring Church, a United Methodist church in Ferguson, Missouri. The session will introduce a new resource for leading guided conversations on race and equality. $10. Details
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