news stories
UNY United Methodist Historical Society Meeting slotted for June 15
May 13, 2019 / By Nancy Rutenber
The Upper New York United Methodist Historical Society will meet on Saturday, June 15 at the UNY Conference Center (7481 Henry Clay Blvd.) in Liverpool, NY. Early birds can do volunteer work in the conference archives starting at 9:30 a.m. Bring your own lunch if eating at the Center. The Society meeting will start about 12:40 p.m. with a business meeting, followed by a PowerPoint presentation by Nancy Rutenber …more
How Phoenix UMC offers loads of love
May 7, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Imagine living in dire straits to the point where you are unable to pay to wash your laundry? Churches in the UNY Conference, such as Whitney Point UMC, have laundry ministries that pay for and do the laundry for people in need within their communities. Phoenix UMC started a laundry ministry, Loads of Love, this past January. They have seven church members and their pastor Justin Hood serving in this …more
UNY Annual Conference 2019 mobile phone app now available
May 7, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Are you attending the Upper New York (UNY) Annual Conference at the Oncenter in Syracuse from June 5-8? If so, you will want to download The UNY Annual Conference 2019 event app, which is available now! This app, is available for all who have registered and paid their Annual Conference registration in full. Currently, there are documents related to Annual Conference, such as the event schedule, speaker bios, menus, etc. available …more
Imagine No Racism workshops to take place at Annual Conference 2019
May 7, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Upper New York Conference’s Imagine No Racism (INR) is an initiative that was sparked by an unanimously approved resolution in July of 2016, at the Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church, for every Annual Conference to confront the sin of racism in our own hearts, our churches, and our communities. This initiative was created by the Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb’s …more
Upper New York makes “New Places for New People” a priority
April 30, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
New Faith Communities (NFCs), are one of the best ways to introduce people to God in fresh new ways—sometimes in public settings like cafes, outdoor settings, and even laundromats; other times in peoples’ homes. New Faith Communities welcome people who may not initially be comfortable in the “church” setting. Additionally, NFCs help ethnic-minorities connect to God through building groups of people from a similar cultural …more
The Judicial Council Rulings on the Traditional Plan
April 29, 2019 / By UNY Communications
In its April 23-26 meeting, the United Methodist Church’s Judicial Council reviewed the Traditional Plan, which was approved the Special Session of General Conference in February. This plan retains the current stance of the Book of Discipline regarding same-sex marriage and the ordination of practicing homosexuals. The Judicial Council ruled that seven of petitions of the newly adopted Traditional Plan remain unconstitutional, and the rest …more
UNY Conference welcomes MaryBeth Ingalls
April 24, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Upper New York Conference welcomes MaryBeth Ingalls as the new Mission Volunteer Coordinator. She will be working alongside with Mike Block, the Upper New York Director of Missional Engagement. MaryBeth’s primary responsibility will be to help broaden the awareness of volunteer opportunities at the Mission Central HUB and throughout the Conference. MaryBeth became a Christian 12 years ago while attending Liverpool First UMC. While at Liverpool, she fell …more
Register now for your Blueprint for Wellness screening
April 23, 2019 / By UNY Communications
Wespath Benefits and Investments and The Center for Health have again teamed up with Quest Diagnostics to offer "Blueprint for Wellness," a free health screening program for eligible participants* in the Upper New York Conference. Quest Diagnostics will be at the Upper New York Annual Conference event at the Oncenter on Wednesday, June 5, 2019, and Thursday, June 6, 2019, from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. This is an opportunity to obtain a free …more
Facing a church closure—First Palmyra UMC members reminisce
April 23, 2019 / By Shannon Hodson / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor’s Note: Every year, 8-15 churches across the Upper New York Conference close their doors for good. Here is the story of one church that will be closing effective July 1, 2019. Have you experienced a recent church closure? We’d love to help you preserve the memory of your church. Send your story to news@unyumc.org. Palmyra, New York has a rich history of Methodism. This area …more
New York State Employers required to provide sexual harassment prevention training
April 23, 2019 / By Tracy Rickett, UNY Human Resources Generalist / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
New York State employers must provide employees with sexual harassment prevention training upon hire and on an annual basis. For this year, the training must be completed by all current employees and new hires by October 9, 2019. Once the initial training is complete, the employer can decide the timing of the annual training (calendar year, anniversary date, or any other date). Employers are encouraged to track completion of training through …more