General Conference 2024 Week One
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Mike DuBose Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News
Bishop's Sermon on Sexual Violence Broke Open My Lasting Silence
Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling didn't know about the editor's lasting silence about past sexual assault. Nonetheless she proclaimed April 25 that the church's silence obscures the fact that gender-based violence isn't about sex. Read more
Apr 26, 2024
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Let Bishop Easterling's Words Ring Out
A suvivor of clergy sexual assault, the Rev. John Sumwalt calls on bishops and General Conference delegates to lead services of lament back home to help other suvivors begin to heal. Read more
May 1, 2024
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Church Broadens Defense of Human Rights
General Conference delegates approved the first batch of Revised Social Principles, including an affirmation of the basic rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Read more
Apr 27, 2024
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A Journalist and a Cartoon Fish Can Point the Way
Laity Address speakers at General Conference urged United Methodists to work together and keep the faith despite the setback of more than 7,000 disaffiliated churches. Read more
Apr 25, 2024
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Delegates Urged to ‘Restart’ Church with Less
The budget presentation included the need to reduce the number of bishops in the U.S. and add less bishops to Africa than initially planned. Still, delegates also heard hope for the denomination to pivot from church exits to revitalization. Read more
Apr 25, 2024
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Young People Share Fears, Hopes for Future Church
Young delegate Alejandra Salemi of Florida said she sees similarities between the current state of the church and a family torn apart due to divorce. Senesie T.A. Rogers of Sierra Leone said he believes there is hope for a bright future and unity. Read more
Apr 25, 2024
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South Carolina Bishop Calls UMC to Become 'Who God Needs Us to Be'
In one of the most visual addresses in decades, Bishop L. Jonathan Holston built his message around a series of videos that contrasted traumatic world events of the past eight years with United Methodist events and activities that show God's reign. Read more
Apr 24, 2024
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Creation Advocates Stage Bank Protest at General Conference
On the opening day of General Conference, United Methodist creation justice advocates held a prayer vigil and march at the Charlotte, N.C., headquarters of Bank of America to call for the bank to stop funding fossil fuels. Read more
Apr 24, 2024
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UMC's High Court Says General Conference Decides Leader Elections
The United Methodist Church’s top court said it’s up to General Conference to determine how to handle the elections of the court’s membership. In a separate decision, the council also ruled that agency board members elected in 2016 can serve again. Read more
Apr 24, 2024
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Bishop Challenges Conference to Move Forward from Conflicts under God's Power
Bishop Thomas Bickerton challenged delegates to the 2024 General Conference to cast off the trauma of past conflicts and move forward "under the power of the Holy Spirit" to create a new United Methodist Church. Read more
Apr 24, 2024
UMC Now
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The T-Shirts on Display Outside a Texas Church Are a Call to Action Against Gun Violence
First United Methodist Church in Denton, Texas, north of Dallas, is sponsoring an art installation that draws attention to the "stolen lives" taken by gun violence in the state. The art is a project of the interfaith group Texas Impact. Read more
Jan 16, 2025
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Clinic Helps Immigrants Navigate Asylum Process
Neighbors Immigration Clinic in Lexington, Kentucky — part of the United Methodist Immigration Law and Justice Network — is one of few legal resources for the state’s growing immigrant community. Read more
Jan 14, 2025
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What Does Hate Feel Like in The Body?
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, but when hate sneaks into our hearts, we can lose both self-control and awareness of who we’ve become, writes the Rev. Neelley Hicks. Read more
Jan 15, 2025
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From Fear to Belonging: An Online Prayer Vigil
The United Methodist Church's Commission on Religion and Race will lead an online prayer vigil on Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Read more
Jan 14, 2025
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Churches Keep Neighbors Warm, Fed During Extreme Weather
United Methodist churches in the Holston Annual Conference are opening their doors to unhoused people to keep them warm and fed during cold, snowy weather. Read more
Jan 13, 2025
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Innovative Small Groups Strengthen Faith Connections
Innovation is a keystone to modern ministry, so looking to our small groups as opportunities to innovate is healthy. New methods and new experiences engage different people in different ways and will deepen the group's connection. Read more
Jan 13, 2025
