After troubled decade, Kenya Methodists elect new Presiding Bishop
Nairobi, KenyaRNS After forcing out their leader three months ago, the Methodist Church in Kenya elected a new Presiding Bishop on Thursday, raising hopes for a denomination that has faced the threat of schism due to bitter disagreements within its leadership. Rev Isaiah Deye, 61, was elected as the seventh Presiding Bishop at the 58th […]
Postcards: Faith-based volunteers show up to help after Mississippi tornadoes
BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, reports how Christian groups have responded after the devastating tornadoes in Mississippi…
Global Methodist Church releases list of recommended schools for hopeful clergy
United StatesRNS How does one become a pastor in the new Global Methodist Church? The fledgling Methodist denomination, a home for congregations and clergy that have broken away from the United Methodist Church amid ongoing debate over the role of LGBTQ Christians, has announced a list of recommended educational institutions for candidates seeking ordination as a deacon […]
Meet the organisation preserving and promoting the stories of Black Methodists in the US
RNS When most people think of the United Methodist Church, Carol Travis said, they don’t picture Black people. “People still think that the United Methodist Church is white,” said Travis. “You don’t see enough Black faces even though we have been there from the beginning. We never left.” The congregation of East Calvary Methodist Episcopal […]
Church schism: After years of loud debate, conservatives quietly split from United Methodist Church
EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER, of Religion News Service, reports that after decades of rancorous debate over the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ United Methodists, a schism finally came “without fanfare, but full of hope, faith, and perseverance”…
Church schools: First Pope, now US churches face boarding school reckoning
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, reports on how US churches are preparing for the handing down of a report looking at the loss of life and the enduring traumas of the US boarding school system…
Essay: United Methodist leaders on both sides need to rally the troops for schism
JACOB LUPFER, in an article published on Religion News Service, says that most laity and many clergy are not nearly so invested in moving the Methodist divorce along as those at the extremes…
Child sex abuse found across major UK religions – report
London, UKAP An inquiry investigating child sexual abuse in a wide range of religious organisations and settings in England on Thursday found “shocking failures” in how many religions handled abuse allegations, with victim-blaming and abuse of power by religious leaders often contributing to under-reporting. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse looked into child protection […]
United Methodist conservatives detail plans for a breakaway
AP Conservative leaders within the United Methodist Church unveiled plans Monday to form a new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, with a doctrine that does not recognise same-sex marriage. The move could hasten the long-expected breakup of the UMC, America’s largest mainline Protestant denomination, over differing approaches to LGBTQ inclusion. In this 19th April, 2019 […]
Why schism? United Methodist leaders explain proposal to split the denomination
RNS The 16 United Methodist bishops and advocacy group leaders who negotiated a recent proposal to split the denomination explained their reasoning at an event held on Monday that was streamed live by United Methodist News Service. They also forecast dire consequences if the proposal, officially called “A Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation”, isn’t approved […]