Alternate restructure proposed
MFSA charges Call to Action doesn’t reflect diversity of United Methodist Church
By Heather Hahn
Federation only unofficial caucus of denomination to submit restructuring legislation to General Conference.
Date: 1/25/2012
Claremont trustees expand
Winkler joins McLaren, Flowers to help theological school prepare for diverse future
New initiatives aimed at becoming leading center for study of emerging forms of Christian community, best practices in ministry.
Date: 1/25/2012
Haiti reconstruction
Advocacy week draws Haitians, NGOs, U.S. aid officials
On heels of 2-year commemoration of earthquake, briefings examine land and housing, cholera, women, accountability, U.S. policy toward poorest natiion in Western Hemisphere.
Date: 1/25/2012
Hear from a former death-row inmate
General Board of Church & Society to partially underwrite costs
By Bill Mefford
Offer intended to expand reach of powerful testimonies through Witness to Innocence partnership.
Date: 1/25/2012
National mass incarceration mobilization
Social-justice agency sponsoring 35 United Methodists to Proctor Conference on ‘Reckoning with Power’
By Laura Markle Downton
Deepening connection between ethnic caucuses and restorative justice initiatives across the United Methodist connection critically importance.
Date: 1/25/2012
On cruelty to animals
‘Religious leaders had a founding role in the humane movement in the 19th century, and today in the 21st century, they remind us of our solemn responsibilities to other creatures.’
—Wayne Pacelle
Date: 1/25/2012
Pray to end violence against Christians
Nigerian extremist group demanding Christians leave region
By Thomas Kemper
Societal, religious and economic imbalance creating volatile climate, despite calls for peaceful resolutions.
Date: 1/25/2012
Sex and the church
3 voices discuss pornography
A conviction on child pornography possession causes upheaval both personally and professionally in lives of ‘exemplary Christian couple.’
Date: 1/25/2012
Social-justice startups
Start12 takes page from tech world to entice young adults
By Tita Parham
Concept to provide incubator to bring to fruition ideas for life-changing social-justice ministries by allowing young adults to take the lead, rather than fitting into existing projects or ministry models.
Date: 1/25/2012
Word from Winkler — 1984
By Jim Winkler, General Secretary, General Board of Church & Society
An historic Western Jurisdiction Conference reached across the continent to elect the denomination’s first black, woman bishop.
Date: 1/25/2012
Caretakers of God’s Creation
Denominationwide organization under consideration
Virginia Conference to host discernment meeting Jan. 27-28 about organization similar to United Methodist Rural Fellowship.
Date: 1/16/2012
Family planning funding stable
Survives contentious U.S. 2012 budget fight
By Katie Kraft
Minor decrease in funding for international family planning signals advocacy community holding its ground.
Date: 1/16/2012
God loves more than whales
Non-controversial compassion seems to rule today
By the Rev. Jack Copas
Christians are called to care about all of God’s creation — instinctively, equitably and holistically — whether or not it makes for good television.
Date: 1/16/2012
Heeding God’s call
A reflection on 1 Samuel 3:1-10 and human trafficking
By Michael Neuroth
When you wrestle with the figures — mostly affecting women and children — and horrific stories of 15-year-old granddaughters trafficked for sex, you wonder where God is in all of this.
Date: 1/16/2012
Immigration policy change applauded
DHS opens path for some immigrant families to be reunited in U.S.
General Board of Church & Society hopes change will finally make it easier for thousands of American families with mixed immigration status to remain together.
Date: 1/16/2012
On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
‘It is Dr. King’s call for the end of poverty that has been tragically ignored.’
—Bishop Kenneth Carder
Date: 1/16/2012
Proclamation on modern slavery
National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month
President Obama declares U.S. stands with all those held in compelled service; recognizes the people, organizations and government entities working to combat human trafficking; and recommits to bringing an end to this human rights abuse.
Date: 1/16/2012
Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.
An unforgettable encounter in 1955
By Dr. Thomas Lane Butts
An unusual experience played an important role in defining white pastor’s journey in the civil rights movement.
Date: 1/16/2012
Urban ministry summit
City pastors gather to build strategy in Upper New York
By Nelson Price
Summit allows persons to share stories of ministry and service to families living in poverty in ‘our neighborhoods,’ lay groundwork for planning summit in March.
Date: 1/16/2012
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Worship resources available for week and throughout 2012
By Wayne Rhodes, Editor, Faith in Action
Theme: ‘We will all be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
Date: 1/16/2012
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