Church works with Lehigh Valley depot to aid Afghani refugees

As they watched the frantic evacuations of people from Afghanistan on their televisions in August, several members of Wesley UMC in Bethlehem approached the Rev. Candy LaBar, pastor, asking, “How can we help?” Communities across the U.S. were asked in …

Church exits, COVID lead to steep budget cuts

What does a predicted denominational split and an unpredictable pandemic mean for The United Methodist Church’s bottom line? The General Council on Finance and Administration board grappled with that question as members revisited the denomination-wide budget that will go before …

Professor urges justice for Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women

Ongoing efforts toward “Seeking Justice for Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women” were the focus of a recent talk by Elizabeth Rule, assistant professor of critical race, gender, and cultural studies at American University in Washington, DC, and a citizen of …

CORR promotes support for BIPOC-owned businesses

The EPAUMC Commission on Religion and Race (CORR) is recommending that all conference ministry committees, agencies and administrative bodies join it in supporting businesses owned by Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC)…

Inspiration, expertise for Black churches

When the leaders of Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century declare that ministry going forward needs to be done from the “right side,” they’re not referring to politics. The full, mildly irreverent title of SBC21’s Dec. 1-2 conference in Houston is “Shift Happens: …

Methodists remember first Methodist missionary to Korea

Bishop John Schol recently joined bishops of the Korean Methodist Church (KMC) in a special tribute to the first Methodist missionary to Korea, who arrived there on Easter morning in 1885, 136 years ago. There are 1.5 million Korean Methodists in …