The global church

HEART SONGS — In several languages, a traveling student choir from Africa University blesses Oklahoma United Methodists on May 27 in the OKC-St. Luke’s sanctuary. The Annual Conference concert was part of a 10-day choir tour in the state. In Mutare, Zimbabwe, on June 8, the UM-affiliated university celebrated 450 graduates at its 19th commencement. The Annual Conference Offering was designated for AU. Photo by Holly McCray

Full pews in China

NANJING, China -- Bibles come off the presses at the rate of one every second in the Amity Printing Press factory in this city. The company produced its 100th million copy of the Bible in late 2012. Of those, 60 million Bibles are being read in China. That country’s Protestant churches are full again. See the United Methodist News Service online series titled "The Church in China."

New outreach to oilfields

BISMARCK, N.D. --United Methodists from across North and South Dakota offered more than $250,000 to start a ministry in the Bakken region of North Dakota, where the oil rush is leaving thousands of people homeless and disconnected. Key startup activities will be sending kids to camp, summer programs for kids, and setting up an outreach center in Watford City.

Mosquitoes on the run

BATON ROUGE, La.--The Louisiana Conference helped change the world with the Louisiana Skeeter Run, consisting of 10 events held simultaneously in 10 cities on March 2. Runners, walkers, and volunteers — even UM "swat teams" — raised awareness and more than $75,000 for the denomination’s Imagine No Malaria campaign.

UMReporter continues online

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Earlier this month, CircuitWriter Media purchased The United Methodist Reporter name, website, and other digital assets from UMR Communications Inc., which ceased operations in May. Through digital distribution, CircuitWriter Media seeks to continue the Reporter’s long tradition of independent news and commentary for United Methodists.

Time for a road trip?

By action of the 2012 General Conference, the denomination now has 46 Heritage Landmarks, including one in Oklahoma: Newtown Indian United Methodist Church, Okmulgee. General Conference designated five new Heritage Landmarks; three are outside the United States. Locations at www.gcah.org.

‘Moral Mondays’ in North Carolina

United Methodist bishops in North Carolina have signed a joint statement with Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic leaders urging the state legislature not to make drastic cuts in programs, such as Medicaid, that help the most vulnerable in society. People have been rallying on Monday evenings in the state’s capital. The rallies have come to be known as "Moral Mondays."
— Compiled from UMNS reports