news stories
Retired Bishop F. Herbert Skeete dies at 90
February 12, 2021 / By Rev. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga Director of Communications - Council of Bishops
Bishop F. Herbert Skeete, a retired bishop of The United Methodist Church, passed away at noon February 11, 2021. Bishop Skeete was elected to the episcopacy at the 1980 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to the Philadelphia Area for eight years. In 1988, he was assigned to the Boston Area for eight years. He retired in 1996. In 2002, Herb was reactivated by the Council to serve as Interim Bishop in Zimbabwe for a year. …more
What is “White Privilege?”
February 10, 2021 / By Georgia Whitney, Conference Commission on Religion & Race
Have you ever gone to a shopping mall and been followed or harassed by a security guard? Have you ever been refused a loan even when you had a strong credit rating? How about being assumed guilty when accused of a crime? Me neither. That's because, as a white person, I have an unquestioned and unearned set of advantages, entitlements, benefits, and choices bestowed on me just because I' …more
How the Bible supports dismantling racism
February 10, 2021 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 4 of the 2020 Advocate, which focused on the theme of dismantling racism. Click here to read the Advocate. We are made in God’s image: “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them.” Genesis 1:27 In Psalm 139, David expresses how he is “fearfully and wonderfully made” just …more
How the United Methodist Church supports dismantling racism
February 10, 2021 / By UNY Conference Council on Religion & Race
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 4 of the 2020 Advocate, which focused on the theme of dismantling racism. Click here to read the Advocate. Dismantling racism has been a critical part of the United Methodist Church’s social principles. While the Book of Discipline and the Book of Resolutions have dozens of paragraphs that mandate the importance of dismantling racism, we chose some that may most …more
From the Desk of Bishop Webb: Ministry Shares thank you
February 9, 2021 / By Bishop Mark J. Webb
Editor's Note: On Feb. 9, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb, sent the following letter to the Upper New York Conference. Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ! We continue to navigate one of the most challenging and unique seasons within our lives. COVID-19 continues to impact every area of daily life. We continue to pray for those who have been devastated by …more
January UNY Conference Operational Team meeting recap
February 8, 2021 / By UNY Operational Team
On January 18, the Conference Operational Team met via Zoom. The day began with spending time focused on loving God and each other through worship and spiritual formation. From there the Team engaged in learning by discussing Tod Bolsinger’s latest book Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in The Crucible of Change. The remainder of the day was spent discussing how to lead the way in increasing Conference Alignment …more
Practices to consider during Lent
February 3, 2021 / By UNY Communications
What is Lent? Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, meaning “lengthen” and refers to the lengthening days of spring. The 40 days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan,and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is a …more
Lincoln UMC’s bold health equity ministry
February 2, 2021 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 4 of the 2020 Advocate. Click here to access the issue. Buffalo, NY is the sixth most racially segregated metropolitan area in the nation. Most of the city’s Black residents live on the East side of the city. Racial segregation imposes a wide range of costs for People of Color, impairing their health, job access, education, and standard of living. …more
Certificates of Insurance in the UNY Conference
February 1, 2021 / By Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist
If your church is seeking certificates of insurance for disability insurance coverage (DB 120.1) and/or workers’ compensation insurance coverage (C105.2), the following information will be helpful to you. Requests for DB 120.1 Certificates of insurance for disability insurance coverage (DB 102.1) are issued by the disability insurance carrier, Guardian. The following information will be needed from you to request the certificate of insurance. You can email either Tracy Rickett, …more
AC2021 to be held June 17-19, remotely
January 29, 2021 / By UNY Communications
After consultation with the Upper New York (UNY) Committee on Sessions, Conference Leadership Team, Board of Ordained Ministry Executive Committee, and the Upper New York Board of Trustees, Resident Bishop, Mark J. Webb and the Upper New York Cabinet are announcing that the UNY 2021 Annual Conference (AC2021) session will be held remotely. The Rev. Bill Gottschalk-Fielding, Executive Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Connectional Ministries, who also serves as …more