UM News Digest - Dec. 9, 2024

West Africa elects two bishops
Training helps Asian young adults soar
Leadership Gathering design team named

“I am calling for a time of unity, and I pledge that the No. 1 priority for me is how to unite the different factions that have been in The United Methodist Church. I want to send a message of peace, unity and forgiveness.” — Bishop-elect Ande Ikimun Emmanuel

Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News

West Africa elects Ande Ikimun Emmanuel as bishop

ACCRA, Ghana (UM News) — The Rev. Ande Ikimun Emmanuel has been elected as a bishop in The United Methodist Church’s West Africa Central Conference. The longtime leader in the Southern Nigeria Conference was the first bishop elected during the Dec. 5-8 gathering. He will serve the Nigeria Episcopal Area, following the resignation of John Wesley Yohanna in July. In his post-election remarks, Emmanuel said that church unity is his top priority. Eveline Chikwanah reports.

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“We want to create a stronger bond in (the) West Africa Central Conference. We will continue to give our service, not just for Sierra Leone but across the African continent.” — Bishop-elect James Boye-Caulker

Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News

Boye-Caulker elected as Sierra Leone bishop

ACCRA, Ghana (UM News) — West Africa Central Conference delegates elected the Rev. James Boye-Caulker, a district superintendent in Sierra Leone, as a bishop on Dec. 7. He was the second bishop elected during the meeting. Boye-Caulker will lead the Sierra Leone Area, where retired Bishop Warner H. Brown Jr. has served since the death of Bishop John K. Yambasu in 2020. Eveline Chikwanah reports.
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Read press release: Bishops welcome new colleagues

Training helps Asian young adults to ‘soar high’

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (UM News) — Methodist young adults from Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Vietnam gathered for 2024 ASCEND, a global leadership development training event. The program was sponsored by the United Methodist boards of Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry and the General Board of Missions of the Korean Methodist Church. The Rev. Thomas E. Kim has the story.
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United Methodist Communications
Couple raises $80K+ for immigrant legal assistance
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Richard and Kathryn Spry are longtime United Methodists and stained-glass artists. Their passion for immigrant rights led them to establish the Chimes for Justice initiative, through which they donate all of the proceeds from their artwork sales to Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors. They’ve raised more than $80,000 and plan to continue to create, sell and assist individuals and families in need. United Methodist Communications has produced a video highlighting their ministry.
Watch video

Church and Society
Rust College choir closes out centennial celebration
WASHINGTON — The United Methodist-affiliated Rust College World Renowned A’Capella Choir performed in the Simpson Memorial Chapel Dec. 4 for the United Methodist Building’s 100th anniversary grand finale. Throughout 2024, the United Methodist Board of Church and Society has celebrated the momentous 100-year history of the United Methodist Building, offering educational resources and sharing stories about the building and the dedicated people committed to social witness since 1924.
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Church leaders respond to Korean martial law
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — Following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, a group of 83 Korean American pastors released an urgent statement Dec. 4 calling for him to immediately abolish the action and “be judged by the law.” Though the Korean National Assembly lifted the declaration within hours, the statement defined Suk Yeol’s action as “a coup d’état.” On Dec. 6, the United Methodist Council of Bishops sent a letter to the National Council of Churches of Korea, expressing deep concern about the situation and pledging solidarity with the church and people of South Korea.
Read pastors’ letter in Korean
Read Council of Bishops’ letter in Korean

Council of Bishops
Leadership Gathering design team named
WASHINGTON — Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone has named the design team to plan the council’s Leadership Gathering that is scheduled for April or May of 2026. The team will design an experience that will bring together episcopal leaders, clergy and laity from across the worldwide connection to engage in collaborative conversations that inspire vision, hope and imagination for the future of The United Methodist Church.
Read press release
UM News: Bishops plan for different kind of gathering

UM News includes in the Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not UM News staff.

Iowa Conference
Christmas is sad for some
DES MOINES, Iowa — For some people, the holiday season is muted by grief and loss, but Christmas is also for them, writes the Rev. Brian Williams. “In many ways, the nativity story is one for those with less-than-perfect lives, full of cracks and creases,” he writes.
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