news stories
How churches should handle a donation from a member’s retirement account
January 17, 2020 / By The Rev. Susan Ranous, Conference Council of Finance & Administration
As many of you may know, the Internal Revenue Code allows a person who is at least 70½ years old to donate to a charitable organization (including churches) directly from their retirement account. It is known as a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). If a member of your church authorizes their IRA or retirement custodian to make a direct contribution to the church from their retirement account, how do you handle …more
Complimentary tickets available to the Leading Today’s Church event
January 14, 2020 / By Rev. Dr. Aaron Bouwens, UNY Director of Vital Congregations
Dear UNY leaders As we continue to confront challenges in our efforts to reach our neighbors in a post-Christian culture, it is more important than ever to be equipped with the information that will help us understand the people in our communities. That’s why I have decided to partner with Northeastern Seminary to offer you a complimentary ticket to the Leading Today’s Church event on Friday, …more
Cady Grant applications available
January 14, 2020 / By Blenda Smith
Applications for the Ercil Cady Grant are available now through January 31, 2020. Grant(s) of up to $5,000 may be awarded to individual United Methodists, local UM churches, or UNY district and conference ministry teams. As directed by the originator of the Ercil Cady Grant, priority shall be given to educational proposals that benefit minority groups or individuals. Last year, the following exciting grants were awarded: “Cultural Preservation through Indigenous …more
UNY Director of Camp & Retreat Ministries pursues new role at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center
January 14, 2020 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Mike Huber, the UNY Director of Camp & Retreat ministries has submitted his letter of resignation to the Upper New York Conference. Mike has been offered an opportunity to become the Vice President of Group Sales and Programming at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. Mike said, “After a great deal of prayer and discernment, I will be leaving my position in Upper New York at the end …more
Help restore hope for survivors of natural disasters
January 9, 2020 / By Mike Block, UNY Director of Missional Engagement
We have all heard of various natural disasters which have occurred across the country such as floods, tornados, and other severe storms. What we often don’t hear about is how survivors struggle to recover during the following days, weeks and often months after the disaster. We don’t think of people who have no power, no heat, no water, even though it is during winter …more
New federal W-4 tax form for 2020
January 9, 2020 / By Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Effective Jan, 1, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) redesigned the Federal W-4 Tax Form which instructs employers how much tax to withhold. The redesign is a result of the changes to the federal tax code from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which took effect in 2018. The new federal W-4 tax form is meant to be a more accurate paycheck withholding for employees. The new form uses …more
Bishop Webb responds to Bishops’ Protocol Statement
January 8, 2020 / By Bishop Mark J. Webb
On Jan. 6, 2020, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb sent a letter to the Upper New York Conference explaining how the media took an independent team of United Methodist Bishops’ Protocol Statement out of context, leading many people to ask the question, “has the United Methodist Church split? Has the decision been made?" Bishop Webb explained that the simple answer to those questions is no and …more
Exploring the intersections of my identity
January 6, 2020 / By Alonzo D. Turner
Editor's Note: The United Methodist Ecumenical Campus Ministry at Hendricks Chapel, Syracuse University applied for and received the Ercil Cady Grant in 2019 and they put on a spirituality writing contest that was geared towards students of Black/African American and Native American descent. Alonzo D. Turner won the contest with the following essay. One of the most rewarding opportunities that I have been afforded as a …more
Celebrating Carol Barnes for over 20 years of work with Safe Sanctuaries
December 16, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When Carol Barnes retired from teaching in 2006, she turned to God, pondering and praying about what she was to do next. The answer was Safe Sanctuaries®, primarily trainings. At the time, Carol was in the former Wyoming Conference. When the Wyoming Conference was transitioning to become part of the Upper New York (UNY) Conference in 2010-2011, Carol was selected as the Training Coordinator and Manager of Safe Sanctuaries for …more
Sessions Team continues work on Annual Conference 2020
December 11, 2019 / By Stephen J. Hustedt / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
On Tuesday, Dec. 10 the Sessions Team gathered at the United Methodist Center in Liverpool to continue their work of planning for the 2020 session of the Upper New York Annual Conference. They shared both their ongoing work and new tasks that need to be completed to make Annual Conference happen. There were several important decisions made, including: The special offerings at Annual Conference will include offerings for Mission of Peace, the …more