Racism must go, but how to get there?

It’s time — way overdue, in fact — for The United Methodist Church to make progress on racial issues that surpasses the bromides of the past, said Black leaders of the denomination.

Difficult, complicated racial justice issues were raised in 2020 by Black Lives Matters protests and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol building in Washington, as well as the police killings of African Americans including George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, and Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York.

Church members still fighting hunger from home for Lent

St. John’s Ivyland UMC is continuing its fight against hunger in a small but important mission project during this season of Lent. Members are wrapping plastic eating utensils at home to donate to the Trenton (N.J.) Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). …

State of the Black Church forum to address concerns

The Eastern PA and Peninsula-Delaware (Pen-Del) conferences will cosponsor The State of the Black Church Forum on Thursday, March 18, at 6:30 PM on Zoom. This important, timely panel discussion for Black clergy and laity will feature African American district superintendents of each …

NEJ Native American Ministries group calls for ‘full inclusion’

The United Methodist Church’s Northeastern Jurisdiction Native American Ministries Committee announced Feb. 20 its official position on full inclusion of LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The committee voted unanimously to affirm full inclusion of such persons (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, Intersexual, Asexual, …

Urban Commission grants help fund diverse outreach ministries

The Eastern PA Conference Urban Commission awarded $30,000 in urban ministry grants to eight churches and three church/community alliances at the end of 2020. Their diverse ministries include provision of free food, temporary shelter, outreach to youth and young adults, …

Seminary to offer webinar, What’s Next in Digital Worship?

New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey will host a free, day-long webinar March 6, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, titled What’s Next in Digital Worship? Training for Both Online and Hybrid Worship Experiences in Preaching, Liturgy, Music, and Technological Integration. Digital preaching, worship and liturgy, music, …

Wesley to offer workshops on Leading Anti-Racist Change

Wesley Theological Seminary will present a 3-part workshop series, To Serve This Present Age: Leading Anti-Racist Change, on Zoom, March 4, April 8 and April 29, 4:30 to 6:00 PM. The seminary’s African American Church Studies Program and Community Engagement …

Church teaches Lent is for caring, sharing

The Christian Education ministries at Fritz UMC Bethlehemisobserving Lent in special ways, including these activities among our children and youth: Lenten Care Packages have been sent home to families, complete with snap pea seeds, soil, newspaper, the Lord’s Prayer broken into 6 graphics, and …

A Charter for Racial Justice

A Charter for Racial Justice Policies in an Interdependent Global Community From The Book of Resolutions of the UMC— 2016. You can view and learn more about the charter on the UMW website: www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/racialjusticecharter