Ordained Ministry
Ordained Ministry
Prominent Houston Pastor Indicted for Fraud, Money Laundering
The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of Windsor Village UMC in Houston, has been indicted by federal authorities on charges of defrauding elderly people by selling historical Chinese bonds. more
Apr 2, 2018
Ministry Truth
For Lent, the Rev. Jim Parsons collected 46 truths about ordained ministry, among them: "What we offer people online means a lot to the unchurched." more
Apr 2, 2018
Photo by Kathy L. Gilbert, UMNS
Appeals Committee to Rule on Charges Against Gay Elder
The North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals has 20 days to decide if the West Ohio process rightly dismissed two charges against the Rev. David Meredith, a gay pastor who married his longtime companion in 2016. more
Mar 12, 2018
The Rev. Homer Noley, Native American Trailblazer, Dies at 85
The Rev. Homer Noley worked for 40 years to gain inclusion of Native American United Methodists at all levels of the church. more
Mar 7, 2018
Indispensable: What Leaders (or Pastors) Really Matter
The United Methodist Church has plenty of "modal" leaders who provide stability for the institution, but what about those times when the denomination needs "extreme" leaders to solve major problems? asks the Rev. Jason Valendy. more
Feb 19, 2018
Grassroots UMC
News from local United Methodist congregations
Connecticut UMC to Host ‘Climate Reality’ Talk on Earth Day
On Sunday, April 22 — Earth Day — the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston, Conn., will host a “Climate Reality” presentation by Dawn Henry at 11 a.m., reported WestportNow.com. Ms. Henry will give practical ways that individuals can respond to the challenges of climate change, an announcement said. She is "one of 17,000 volunteers worldwide trained by former Vice President Al Gore to educate the public about climate change," according to a church press release. more
Texas UMC Singers Join in D-Day Concert
First UMC of Round Rock, Texas, north of Austin, will be the site for a D-Day remembrance preview concert by the Round Rock Community Choir, reports the Austin American Statesman. The community choir, which includes singers from First UMC, has been chosen to represent the United States at the 74th anniversary of D-Day in France in June. The choir will give a free concert, “The Torch be Yours,” 5 p.m. April 29 at First UMC. The concert will feature the same songs being performed at the D-Day Parade in Paris. more
United Methodist Kids Give 'Blessing Bags' to City Police
Police and other first responders are getting lots of love from Midwestern United Methodists these days (see also following brief). In Imlay City, Mich., the Imlay City United Methodist Church's children's ministry created "blessing bags" to thank local police officers for their service to the community, reported Tom Wearing of the Imlay City Times Online. Youngsters from kindergarten through sixth grade fill the bags with snacks and drinks to show their appreciation and support. more
Union Avenue UMC Presents Devotional Books to Local First Responders
Union Avenue United Methodist Church in Sebring, Ohio, recently honored local first responders with a gift of 150 copies of “Strength for Service to God and Community” devotional guides, reported the Alliance Review. The booklets are based on a previous guide, “Strength for Service to God and Country,” which was first published by the Methodist Publishing House as a response to the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The booklet was revived in 1988 as an Eagle Scout project by Evan Hunsberger, grandson of the original editor, the Rev. Norman E. Nygaard. A new version for first responders was created in 2013. more
