News Stories from September 2021

UNY New Faith Communities offer Zoom workshop series

September 30, 2021 / By UNY NFC Team

Tired. Frustrated. Wondering…What Now? If you have found yourself in any of these categories over the past 18 months or so then the New Faith Communities Team of Upper New York has an opportunity for you! We are offering a series of FREE Zoom webinars to help us all dream of ways to reconnect in a church changed by pandemic. The series is an opportunity to breath fresh air …more

PWJ funded handbook and webinar for congregations to reach out to the unvaccinated

September 28, 2021 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Dr. Dana Horrell, pastor of Cooperstown United Methodist Church, is passionate about community outreach. Like many pastors across Upper New York (UNY), Dr. Horrell wanted to know how he could serve his community during the COVID pandemic. The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021 helped to lessen the spread of the virus. However, despite the opportunity to get vaccinated, there were still people who were very hesitant to get the …more

Red Bird Mission needs your support

September 27, 2021 / By Dave Alexander

The Mission team at Endwell United Methodist Church is again coordinating the collection and delivery of shoeboxes for the Red Bird Mission, located in Beverly, Kentucky. The Red Bird Missionary Conference is one of three United Methodist missionary conferences in the United States. It is the most comprehensive mission effort of the United Methodist Church, providing outreach and services that minister to the whole person (spiritual, physical, social, and economic). …more

Mike Block to retire as Mission Central HUB director

September 20, 2021 / By Steve Hustedt / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

After nearly four years, Mike Block will retire as the Director of the Upper New York (UNY) Mission Central HUB at the end of this month. As the first Director of the Mission Central HUB, Mike put in place much of the groundwork that future ministry in the Mission Central HUB will build on. Some highlights of this ministry include: Leading the Conference in the response to the Halloween storms …more

UNY Extended Cabinet work to clean up Casowasco as long road to flood recovery continues

September 16, 2021 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

On July 12, 2021, Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center was hit hard by heavy rain and flooding. Within four hours, the site had six inches of rain and the resulting damage was severe: the waterfront was washed away, water and mud crept into the Lakeview Chapel, Galilee Lodge, Bethany Lodge, The Emmaus Commons, and the office building. Twenty-two culverts were broken, missing, or completely compromised. Roadways were washed away. Tree limbs fell …more

Golf with Bishop Yeakel

September 16, 2021 / By Gordon W. Knapp

   When Joe Yeakel was about to leave our Conference for another assignment, Irv Hill, Vern Lee, and I gave him a plaque that I made up which read, “May your score glide down with eagles. May you drive and not be weary… sink a putt and not faint.” It commemorated golf with the Bishop.    I guess that you don’t get to …more

Why observe Oct. 6 as day of truth and repentance for Native American children

September 13, 2021 / By Shannon Hodson and CONAM / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

On Oct. 6, 1879, Capt. Richard Pratt opened the first Indian boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. For almost 100 years until the 1960s, thousands of Native American children were forcibly taken from their homes and trained to reject their heritage and do manual labor. The United Methodist Church supported at least 12 Indian Boarding Schools. The Native American International Caucus (NAIC) of The United Methodist Church is calling on United Methodists to observe Oct. 6 …more

NY HERO Act now in effect

September 10, 2021 / By UNY Communications

Editor's Note: On Jan. 15, 2022, the NYS Hero Act enacted classifying COVID-19 as a “highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health.” It has been extended through March 17, 2022. Click here to read more. On May 5, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act) into law. The law mandates extensive new workplace health …more

Remembering the Act of Repentance

September 8, 2021 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Earlier this year the Upper New York (UNY) Conference Committee on Native American Ministries wrote a letter to the Council of Bishops endorsing the Native American International Caucus’ (NAIC) call for the United Methodist Church to observe Oct. 6, 2021, as a day of Truth and Repentance for Our Children to begin a process of healing, justice, and reconciliation for families and communities. On that day in 1879, General Richard …more

Our Family in Palestine-Beit Ummar

September 8, 2021 / By Dianne Roe

Editor’s Note: For more than 30 years United Methodists from Upper New York (and the WNY and NCNY Annual Conferences that preceded it) have been “Getting off the Bus” to meet Palestinian families when we have been on Holy Land tours. This is the work of the Upper New York (UNY) Conference Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel. Sharing meals and hearing stories built …more