News Stories from June 2020
From the Desk of Bishop Webb: Pastoral Letter from the NEJ College of Bishops
June 8, 2020 / By Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops
Editor’s Note: The following letter was released by the Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops on Monday June 8, 2020. We, the College of Bishops of the Northeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church, prayerfully stand with our pastors, members and churches during the aftermath of the recent deaths of unarmed African American people at the hands of law enforcement officers and citizens across our nation. We decry the murders …more
UNY Conference Commission on Religion and Race Statement on recent racial violence and subsequent demonstrations
June 8, 2020 / By The UNY Conference Commission on Religion and Race
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Amid the ongoing challenge of a pandemic that manifests several examples of racial inequities in our society, a wave of high-profile incidents of racial violence has challenged us in new ways. The killing …more
From the Desk of Bishop Webb: The injustice of racism
June 2, 2020 / By Bishop Mark J. Webb
Editor's Note: On June 2, Upper New York (UNY) Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, reflecting on the death of George Floyd, sent the following letter to the UNY Conference urging both clergy and lay to be committed to increasing their efforts against the virus of racism. “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to …more
Mission of Peace: Letters from India
June 1, 2020 / By Leah Stucke, 12th Grade, East Aurora UMC and Sam Lasher, 11th Grade, Cobleskill UMC
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of the Advocate, which focused on mission work locally, nationally, and internationally. Click here to see the issue. Radical Hospitality--Leah Stucke's reflection: Radical Hospitality. If there is one phrase that can describe India it is radical hospitality. Before I left, I was told, by someone who has been to India many times, that the people …more
An Appeal to Our Better Angels
June 1, 2020 / By Deacon Carrie Wolfe, Christ UMC/Olean, NY
The reality of free-will is both exhilarating and terrifying. Accepting that I was created with the dignity to choose requires me to accept that the potential for both good and bad exists in me. Will I choose the original goodness God declared at the creation of humanity or will I choose the original sin of Adam and Eve, who decided to do things their way instead of God&rsquo …more