Bishop William W. Morris died Jan. 14 at his home. A native of Baltimore, he was elected a bishop in 1992 at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference and was assigned to the Alabama-West Florida Area. In 2000 he was assigned to the Nashville Area. He served as president of the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits from 2000 to 2004, and then as a trustee at Emory University. He retied in 2008.
We pray and ask God's blessing on the Rev. Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, superintendent of the Baltimore Metropolitan District, who was endorsed as a candidate for bishop by the BWC delegation to General and Jurisdictional Conference on Jan. 16. Learn more.
Please continue to keep Rev. Sarah Dorrance's sister, Marian, in your prayers, following recent surgery. You may send your prayers to Sarah at revsarahmumc@gmail.com .
Congratulations to the Rev. Dana and Randy Werts on the birth of their newest grandchild, Eden Hope Werts, on January 10. Eden's parents, Corrie and Kyle Werts, and her big brother, Judah, are doing well. You may contact Dana, pastor at Brook Hill UMC, at dwerts@bhumc.org .
Let Us Pray: The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is this week through Jan. 25. This year, devotional material is available through the Bible app. The Bible app offers more than 1,200 Bible versions in more than 800 languages. The theme of this year's Week of Christian Unity is "Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord," from 1 Peter 2:9. Learn more .
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Latest News and Information
Check out #highlights for a complete list of news and updates
Important deadline: Local church leaders are also reminded that their statistical reports are due by noon Friday, Jan. 22. Learn more about submitting your statistics.
All My Relations: In honor of Martin Luther King Day, the General Commission on Religion and Race launched a new blog series, "All My Relations." The series invites the church to reflect on how, in turbulent times, when division is prevalent, cultivating unity in the midst of diversity is a worthy aim. "Dr. King spoke often about the inescapable network of mutuality," said Erin Hawkins, the General Secretary of GCORR. Read the blog .
Stop Human Trafficking: Seven Washington D.C. churches have joined forces to raise awareness about human trafficking in their city. "Breaking Chains: A Faith Conference on Combating Sex Trafficking in Our Nation's Capital," will take place Saturday, Jan. 30, at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Rev. Donna Claycomb Sokol, pastor of Mount Vernon Place UMC in the District, one of the sponsoring churches, said, "We can be angry and turn our heads, or we can do something." The conference will focus on four key areas: information, prevention, intervention and advocacy. Asbury and Dumbarton UMC's also are part of the Faith Coalition Against Sex Trafficking. Registration is free and online at http://breakingchainsconference.eventbrite.com .
NAMI Advocacy Day: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will hold an Advocacy Day with the Maryland legislature Feb. 25. Get the details .
Let Justice Roll Down: Maryland Legislative Advocacy Days, sponsored by the BWC's Board of Church and Society and the United Methodist Women, will be held Wednesday, Feb. 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Asbury UMC, 87 West Street in Annapolis. For more information, contact the Conference legislative advocate, the Rev. Kevin Slayton .
Scholarships Available: The Council of Bishops' Office of Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships (OCUIR) is offering scholarships to seminary students to attend the National Workshop on Christian Unity (NWCU) and the United Methodist Ecumenical and Interreligious Training (UMEIT USA) for their first time. These two training events will be held simultaneously, April 18-21, in Louisville, Ky. All interested United Methodists are welcome to attend. The scholarships will be for United Methodist seminarians who have never attended NWCU or UMEIT previously. The application form can be obtained by e-mailing the Rev. Jean Hawxhurst at jhawxhurst@ocuir.org. The deadline is Feb. 26.
Optimizing Annual Financial Campaigns: The Lewis Center at Wesley Seminary is offering a Conference and Live Stream to assist pastors and congregations in annual financial campaigns. The event will be held Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Oxnam Chapel at Wesley Seminary in Washington, D.C. Early bird registration through Feb. 9 is $35 per person and $50 per person after Feb. 9. Register online .
UMM seeking the best: The Commission on United Methodist Men is inviting submissions to the second annual U.S. contest for the most outstanding local church, district and conference ministries to men.The deadline is Feb. 1. There is no cost to enter and there is no form to fill out. Simply describe the ministries, the number of people involved, the amount of money raised and to whom it was contributed, along with ways in which the ministries have made a difference in the church and community. E-mail information and photos to RPeck@gcumm.org or mail entries to Rich Peck, 1000 17th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212. Learn more .
Help Wanted: The Baltimore-Washington Conference has a full-time opening for an administrative professional to provide administrative support for its Human Resources and Benefits Office. Resumes and inquires can be sent to Francess Tagoe, director of Human Relations and Benefits, by close of business Friday, Jan. 29. Learn more .
Help Wanted, part 2: Shenandoah University, a United Methodist-related school in Winchester, Va., is seeking a Director of the Univeristy Youth Theology Institute. Send your application packet toemployment@su.edu with "Youth Theology" in the subject line. A full job description is at http://www.su.edu/job/director-of-the-youth-theology-institute/ .
VIM/UMCOR meeting: The Northeastern Jurisdiction's Volunteers in Mission and United Methodist Committee on Relief training will be held Sunday, April 10, through Wednesday, April 13, at Asbury Camp and Retreat Center, 16 Lakeside Drive in Silver Lake, NY. Learn more .
New Fiction Book: The Rev. Dorothea Belt Stroman, pastor at Clinton UMC, has published a book, "The Last Man." Purchase the book.
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Register by Feb. 6 for Southern Region Leadership Days
 The Southern Region is sponsoring a two-partLeadership Day event with administrative and mission-centered workshops Feb. 20, and a session with missional discipleship expert Reggie McNeal on March 5. The workshops will be held at NIchols-Bethel UMC in Odenton and Trinity UMC in Prince Frederick. The session with McNeal will be at Westphalia UMC in Upper Marlboro. The registration deadline is Feb. 6. Learn more.
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