News
Friday, Jun 21, 2019
On June 8, 526 students graduated from Africa University, including two youth from the Kamina Children's Home, Chantal and Claudia. Most of the students are first-generation college graduates, and 54.6 percent are women. The university has a current full-time enrollment of 1,800 students, a 97 percent graduation rate and more than 9,000 alumni as of June 2019. More than 90 percent of Africa University's graduates have remained on the continent of Africa. Read M... (read more)
Friday, Jun 21, 2019
Etna United Methodist Church will host the African Children's Choir on Tuesday, July 16, at 7:00 pm on their 'Just As I Am' Hymns Tour.
The African Children's Choir was created in 1984 in the midst of Uganda's civil war as a way to support orphaned children. Donations raised by the tour have gone to support orphanages, schools, literacy programs, water wells, and other relief and development programs.
Etna UMC is located at 500 Pike Street, Etna, OH.
Friday, Jun 21, 2019
It's "moving season" for United Methodist clergy across the United States. If your congregation is welcoming a new pastor this year, take a moment to discover 50 ideas for saying a "healthy" goodbye and providing genuine welcome, thanks to this article from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. In addition, let's keep in our prayers all clergy, clergy spouses, and clergy children who will be transitioning to new homes, churches, and communities in the coming... (read more)
Friday, Jun 21, 2019
Since the Memorial Day tornadoes that rocked several Ohio communities, 2,167 West Ohio volunteers have reported giving 13,893 hours to help with disaster response efforts across the Conference. This includes Early Response Teams, congregations, youth, and community residents who came to churches and disaster sites to help out. And more help is needed! Efforts are currently underway in Trotwood and Logan County, OH, and the needs in the Dayton area are still bei... (read more)
Tuesday, Jun 18, 2019
Greetings in Christ Jesus:
We are about to start a new Conference year, so to speak. Some of our clergy are retiring from active itinerant ministry. They have served wonderfully in local churches and in settings that extend the ministry of the local church in institutions and communities. Other clergy still under appointment are moving to new appointments. Still others are starting their first appointment. Please hold all these folks, their families and their n... (read more)
Monday, Jun 10, 2019
After passing resolutions on immigration at the past two Annual Conference sessions, this year’s West Ohio Annual Conference heard a report on what is being done to meet the challenges posed by those resolutions. Soraya de Arco, a Church & Community Worker, and Rev. David Meredith, part of West Ohio’s Immigration Task Force, gave the report, first in Spanish, and then in English.
“In this nation today, and in the State of Ohio, there are individuals and fam... (read more)
Monday, Jun 10, 2019
Dear Ones in Christ Jesus:
The 50th Session of the West Ohio Annual Conference is behind us. Thank you for five days of good, worshipful work. If you include the Clergy Session, it’s six days. Well done. We covered lots of territory as we immersed ourselves in Hope. Along the way, there were lots of “shout outs” of gratitude for all of the people who worked in front of and behind the scenes to make the session work. They are a remarkable mix of volunteers and... (read more)
Friday, Jun 7, 2019
Hope was in the air as the 50th session of The West Ohio Conference gathered on the shores of Lake Erie at Lakeside Chautauqua. Bishop Gregory V. Palmer presided over the conference, which was held June 2-6. The conference theme of “Be Not Afraid – HOPE,” was based on Romans 15:13, “May the hope of God fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Palmer addressed the conference, speaking into the... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
Thursday morning worship opened with The Rev. Vera Welker sharing the Call to Worship, reminding the congregation that we ground our hope in the grace of Jesus Christ. The WOC praise team led the congregation in singing several praise songs followed by prayer. Bishop Palmer invited the newly elected delegation to General and Jurisdictional conferences onto the stage to consecrate their work on behalf of The West Ohio Annual Conference. The Bishop asked the dele... (read more)
Thursday, Jun 6, 2019
Be Not Afraid…Hope!
Hope…it seems simple enough. It’s a common word we learn early in life. And yet when the heaviness of life shatters dreams, imprisons our spirits, strips us of our value and belovedness, hope can seem elusive. In this space, fear begins to creep in, and its power, strengthened by despair and a sense of aloneness, can extinguish the power of hope, throwing us into the valley of dry bones. How, in this valley, can the power of fear be overcome... (read more)