"He (Felder) believed the Bible was not a weapon to be used to practice racism, nor sexism or heterosexism.” — The Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell, retired United Methodist pastor and a founder of Black Methodists for Church Renewal, on the late Rev. Cain Hope Felder.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Scholar who focused on Bible’s diversity dead at 76
MOBILE, Ala. (UM News) — The Rev. Cain Hope Felder, who challenged Eurocentric interpretations of the Bible, died on Oct. 1. His research showed that Scriptures contain ethnic diversity that has been downplayed. Felder also was a voice for equality in The United Methodist Church and served as the first executive director of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. Jim Patterson reports.
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Empowering women through entrepreneurship
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UM News) — United Methodist Women is aiming to empower women in Sierra Leone through an unusual microfinance program and entrepreneurship training. Poverty and illiteracy weigh heavily on the rural poor, and women bear the brunt of that, said Ethel Sandy, women’s coordinator for the Sierra Leone Conference. Phileas Jusu has the story.
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PRESS RELEASES
World Council of Churches
Churches asked to pray, act for food justice
GENEVA — Churches around the world are invited to join in the “Churches’ Week of Action on Food,” observed Oct. 13-20. The World Council of Churches and the World Methodist Council collaborated to produce reflections and liturgy about food justice. “There are many ways to celebrate life, to give thanks for God’s abundant gifts and to expand the table to all God’s children,” writes Bishop Rosemarie Wenner in the introduction to the resources. Wenner, a retired United Methodist bishop, serves as Geneva secretary for the World Methodist Council.
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Arkansas Conference
Grant extends Hendrix program
CONWAY, Ark. — United Methodist-affiliated Hendrix College has received a $231,250 grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc., to continue the Hendrix Youth Institute for five years. The summer program, also supported by the Arkansas Conference and United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas, is for high school students discerning a call to ministry.
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RESOURCES
North Carolina Conference
Litanies offered for Advent season
GARNER, N.C. — Advent will be here before you know it. To help churches prepare, the North Carolina Conference offers a litany for each Sunday of Advent that emphasizes children and takes inspiration from the hymn “What Child Is This?” Each Sunday includes Scripture readings, action items and the hymn.
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Download litanies
COMMENTARIES
UM News includes in the Daily Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not the UM News staff.
United Methodist Communications
Why Christians care about the environment
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Rev. Ryan Dunn invokes the Bible and John Wesley in explaining that Christians should own up to their own role in environmental degradation — and do better.
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