A letter to United Methodists

  Dear Colleagues in God's Work, On behalf of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church, I send you greetings in the name of the Risen Jesus Christ!   I want to share with you some of the dynamic and creative ways God is leading your Council of Bishops as we enter this new and challenging quadrennium seeking to serve Christ and you.  Recently, more than 100 bishops, including 14 new bishops, gathered from around the world for a week at the United Methodist...

Trinidad named to GBCS Board of Directors for 2013-16

The 2013-2016 Board of Directors for the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) has been announced. The Rev. Saul Trinidad, a clergy member of the Detroit Conference serving as a consultant for the National Plan for HIspanic Ministry, is one of the nine representatives from the North Central Jurisdiction.   GBCS is one of four international general program boards of The United Methodist Church. Prime responsibility of the board is to seek implementation of the...

Anderson, Emmert named to UMC General Agencies

  (Editor's note: A previous edition of this story indicated that Ruby Anderson had been named to the Connectional Table. That was reported in error.)   Two members of the Detroit Conference were named to general agencies of The United Methodist Church for 2012-16, it was announced on Thursday, July 19, at the 2012 North Central Jurisdictional Conference.   The conference approved the report of the jurisdictional committee on nominations, which is tasked with selecting...

2012 North Central Jurisdictional Conference Opens Wednesday

  The 2012 North Central Jurisdictional Conference, a quadrennial gathering of United Methodist delegates from 12 annual conferences in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, will open Wednesday, July 18, at the John S. Knight Center in Akron, Ohio.    During the three-day gathering, over 220 delegates will worship, hear reports from various jurisdictional committees, and vote on a video conferencing funding request for...

Change the World weekend set for May 19-20

  Change the World, a global movement of United Methodists to build community locally and fight malaria globally, will take place on Saturday-Sunday, May 19-20, 2012. Local churches are being asked to begin planning for the denominational event, as the church seeks to have 4,000 events take place worldwide.    Change the World, an event that began in 2010, is an opportunity to connect mission-minded disciples with the mission of The United Methodist Church, which is to make...

United Methodists Garner Highest Favorability Score

  About 62% of adult Americans have a favorable impression of United Methodists. That’s according to a new survey from LifeWay Research that looks at perceptions of faith groups among adults in the U.S.   United Methodists had the highest percentage of favorable impressions among the faith groups included in the survey – Roman Catholics, Southern Baptists, United Methodists, Mormons and Muslims – with 15% of respondents reporting very favorable impressions and 47%...

Bishop's Advent Offering to support water ministry in Sierra Leone

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:   Grace and Peace to you in the name of our lord and Savior Jesus Christ! For the Advent Offering I am asking you to support the Water and Development Ministry of Sierra Leone, Africa of the West Africa Central Conference.   The Water and Development Ministry improves the quality of life for the people of Sierra Leone. This program provides sanitation and education and medical clinics that meet the needs of a struggling community.Supporting...

GBHEM awards $60,000 in scholarships to Detroit Conference students

Thirty-two individuals from 24 churches in the Detroit Conference were recipients of loans and scholarships from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in 2011, the GBHEM reported recently.    Of the $5.3 million awarded in 2011, over $60,000 was given to members of the Detroit Conference. The average scholarship or loan amount was $1,900, and the scholarships and loans ranged from $600 to $5,500.    Of the 32 individuals that received money, 10 are attending...

America's Sunday Supper promotes service

United Methodist Communications and the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society are urging communities to Rethink Church in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with America’s Sunday Supper on January 15, 2012. America’s Sunday Supper will be a nationwide night of simultaneous dinners and discussions shared in churches, homes, community centers and kitchens to promote positive change in the world. As an activation partner with Points of Light, United Methodist...

Peace with Justice grants deadline to apply Jan. 6

$50,000 awarded in 2011 to 18 ministries, including a Central Conference project and 17 in 4 U.S. jurisdictions. Jan. 6 is the deadline to apply for a Peace with Justice grant from the United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS).   Funding for this program is generated through the Peace with Justice Special Sunday offering of The United Methodist Church. One of six Special Sundays in the denomination, Peace with Justice “witnesses to God’s demands for a...

Bishop Linda Lee Announces Intent to Retire

  The North Central Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy announced today (Wed., Oct. 5) that Bishop Linda Lee has indicated her intent to retire effective September 1, 2012. Lee is currently serving the Wisconsin Area, where she has presided as bishop since 2004. Lee, a former clergy member of the Detroit Conference, served the Michigan Area from 2001-04.   According to Dr. Maggie Jackson, chairperson of the committee, Lee informed the Wisconsin Annual Conference staff on Monday,...

10-Fold Launches October 10

  The General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church (GBGM), along with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) will be offering a 10-day online event called "10-Fold" that allows individuals to be counted, get involved, and raise funds for United Methodist projects around the world. 10-Fold will take place from October 10-19 at www.10-fold.org.  By visiting and spreading the word, you can raise up to $10,000 for each project During each day of...

Conference UMM Raising Funds to Fight Hunger

The Detroit Conference United Methodist Men are encouraging all men in the conference to join them in fighting hunger relief in March and April through the Meals for Millions program that is sponsored by the Society of St. Andrew.    From March 1-April 30, the Feinstein Foundation is granting $1 million in matching funds to selected groups that fight hunger, and the Society of St. Andrew is one of the groups that have been selected.  With the opportunity to have donations to...

The East Africa Annual Conference - A Pearl in Africa

  I have spent a good of my life in East Africa as a missionary, consultant and mission interpreter. At the request of Bishop Daniel Wandabula, I recently returned in February 2011 for a two week training tour of three countries to train district superintendents.  Few people know much about the East Africa Annaul Conference or the work of the UMC in east Africa. It is an exciting and dynamic place for ministry and it is growing everyday.   For the most part, the United...

JFON-SEMI To Hold Fundraising Dinner and Concert

Justice For Our Neighbors of Southeastern Michigan invites you to a special evening of celebration. Marking its first year in operation, JFON-SEMI is holding a dinner on Saturday, Jan. 29, at Ypsilanti: First United Methodist Church at 6:00 p.m. A traditional catered Salvadoran meal will be served, followed by a concert at 7:30 p.m.    The concert features Singers Of United Lands (S.O.U.L.), a touring group of four professional singers from four continents, performing folk...

Former Michigan Area Bishop Edsel A. Ammons Passes Away

  Retired United Methodist Bishop Edsel A. Ammons, who helped lead the church during the transitional time of integration, died Dec. 24 in Evanston, Ill., after a lengthy illness. He was 86.   Ammons was a professor at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary when he became one of the first African-American bishops elected to the episcopacy by the denomination’s North Central Jurisdiction in 1976. He served the Michigan Area until 1984. He then served as bishop of the West...

Virgin HealthMiles Program to Continue in 2011

  The conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits announced recently that it will continue the Virgin HealthMiles and its incentives for 2011, according to the Rev. Donald Emmert, conference benefits officer.   The Virgin HealthMiles program is designed to eliminate many obstacles to regular exercise - lack of time, lack of motivation, cost, and boredom - by bringing a fun, interactive program that brings rewards, group encouragement, and friendly competition (if desired). The...

Religion and Race Commission Urges United Methodists to "Drop the I-Word"

  The General Commission on Religion and Race is urging United Methodists to join a national campaign to eliminate the use of the word "illegal" as part of the conversation on immigration reform.   GCORR has signed on to endorse the "Drop the I-Word" public education campaign launched by launched by ColorLines.com and the Applied Research Center (ARC)," a racial justice think tank urging media outlets and other organizations across the country to stop using...

Vietnam Mission Sets Goal of Self-Sufficiency

  Imagine a place where the United Methodist Church is growing at a record pace, where 100 new congregations have already been planted in 2010 and the goal is to match that pace in 2011.   Then consider where these congregations are taking root - places with names like Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon), Bien Hoa, Phuoc Long, Hue and Hanoi. The Mekong Delta, which for many Americans evokes images of swift boats and the movie Apocalypse Now, is the birthplace of United Methodism...

Michigan Cokesbury Store Closing

  The United Methodist Publishing House (www.umph.org) has announced that Michigan's only Cokesbury retail store, located in Plymouth, will close on January 8, 2011. Cokesbury customers within a 40-mile radius of the store's location have been receiving notification of the store's closure.    "I was prepared for it, but not expecting it," said Joan Mueller, who has been the store manager since 1999. "We continue to be focused on the customers that have been...