Pastor

Church Leadership
The Rev. Neelley Hicks. Photo courtesy of the author.

Churches build bridges to counter hate

United Methodist clergywomen share how they are promoting understanding across differences in their communities.
Faith Sharing
Rolando Perez (center) grimaces during a wrestling match with Jamesen Shook during a New South Pro Wrestling event Nov. 2 at the Priceville (Ala.) Event Center. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Pro wrestlers need God, too

The Rev. Steven Barber has found a unique place to pursue his calling as a United Methodist pastor. He’s made it his business to minister to professional wrestlers who work for small wrestling promotions in Alabama.
Faith Stories
Evangelist Norest Munetsi Nyakudanga died Oct. 22 while preaching at Chisipiti United Methodist Church in Harare, Zimbabwe. He was bestowed with a posthumous honorary ordination at his burial. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News.

Zimbabwean gets posthumous honorary ordination

The Rev. Norest M. Nyakudanga became the first lay member in Zimbabwe to be honored with a posthumous ordination for decades of preaching in The United Methodist Church.
Connectional Table
Ragghi Rain Calentine (left), a member of the Connectional Table and chairperson of the Native American International Caucus of The United Methodist Church, displays a Noohkom scarf during the Connectional Table’s Oct. 24-27 meeting in Dallas. Native American women carry the scarves to remind them that their grandmothers are always walking with them, especially during troubling times. Also pictured are North Katanga Area Bishop Mande Muyombo, chair of the Connectional Table, and Judi Kenaston, the leadership body’s chief connectional officer. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Connectional Table plans for work ahead

Members of the Connectional Table — most of whom are new to the United Methodist leadership body — met for an orientation that focused on regionalization, rejecting colonial attitudes and plans for “a new future.”

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