Leadership

Churches build bridges to counter hate

United Methodist clergywomen share how they are promoting understanding across differences in their communities.

Participants and facilitators of 2024 ASCEND, a global leadership development training for Methodist young adults in Asia, jump for a photo at Hope Vocational School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Nov. 4. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Training helps Asian young adults to ‘soar high’

Methodist young adults from Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Vietnam gathered Nov. 4-8 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for 2024 ASCEND, a global leadership development training event.

Church Leadership

Dr. Katelin Hansen. Photo by Maxine Moore, courtesy of the author.

Deaconesses are still here – let’s invest in them too!

A distinctly separate order from deacons, deaconesses and home missioners serve in a wide variety of full-time lay ministries for the church.

The Rev. Kathy Heustess, director of the Center for Wellbeing, meets with clients in her Knoxville office as well as in Johnson City and Chattanooga and remotely. Photo by Ben Smith, Holston Conference.

Help for clergy with disaffiliation stress

Some clergy are still struggling with decisions about their future, including whether to “stay or go” in The United Methodist Church. The Holston Conference’s Center for Wellbeing aims to help pastors and lay staff members deal with disaffiliation and other stresses. Annette Spence reports.

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