"The Work of Christmas Begins"

A Christmas and New Year's Greeting from Bishop Peggy A. Johnson, Philadelphia Area.

Preach Social Justice on Sunday, Jan. 15

Advent is a special time of waiting, anticipating and preparing for the sacred, birth of Jesus Christ. So in this appropriate time I want to call on all of you to look ahead to 2017 and particularly to our growing concern for social justice. 

The prophets who proclaimed the birth of Christ—including Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah and Malachi—looked forward to this coming Messiah who would deliver salvation. But just as importantly, he would bring justice, freedom and righteousness for all God’s people.

Isaiah 11:4 declares that “…with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.”  Isaiah 61:1 proclaims him as one who will bring “good news to the oppressed, to bind the broken-hearted, and proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners.”  

The coming of Christ is forever connected to fostering right relationships between people, and it is a key part of the gospel that we need to preach in our pulpits and model in our ministries.  John Wesley, our Methodist founder, said, “There is no holiness but social holiness.”  (Works of John Wesley, Vol. XIV, p321)

I ask that everyone preach a social justice sermon on Sunday, January 15, 2017. This is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. His legacy in the forefront of America’s Civil Rights Movement can be a powerful backdrop for any sermon. It is a legacy of striving against great odds to follow Christ in the pursuit of love, freedom, mercy and justice for all.

There are many directions that sermons preached on this day could go. But I urge all preachers to use this time to speak prophetic words about the social injustices that hinder peace and progress in the communities where you serve, or in our state or country. 

Call on everyone who listens to do something about social justice as a response to God’s Word. Ask and help people to become better informed, to participate in the political system, to speak out when people are being left out or oppressed, and to do something to make the world a more just and welcoming place for everyone to live.

In this way we can faithfully fulfill the ministry of Christ that we so happily herald during the Advent season. Sadly, too many of us soon forget the reason for this season and pack away our sacrificial sentiments along with the Christmas decorations when the new year comes.

Recently I viewed a documentary on Netflix titled “13,” which refers to the U.S. Constitution’s 13^th amendment that abolished slavery.  It explains in compelling ways the history of slavery, “Jim Crow” laws and practices ensuring racial discrimination and oppression, civil rights advocacy and the mass incarceration epidemic in this country. 

Perhaps a timely social justice sermon could focus on the prison system. According to this documentary and other sources our country imprisons far more people than any other nation on earth.  We have gone from 357,000 prisoners in 1970 to 2,306,200 in 2014. 

One in three African Americans can expect to be in the criminal justice system at some time in their life. And although they are less than 13 percent of the U.S. population, African Americans make up 40.2 percent of the prison population. 

How have our laws and money-making enterprises created this “prison-machine”?  What are some better ways to live and thrive together on this planet with justice and respect for all? These questions can offer interesting topics for preaching, teaching, dialogue and active response.

Know for sure that if and when you preach this social justice sermon there will be some who will not be happy with you. “Good news to the poor” can mean not-so-good news to the rich and powerful. Truth and justice is never a simple, easy goal to achieve in this world. Many of those with money and power have the upper hand in controlling the process and would prefer to keep things the way they are. 

Preach social justice anyway. Salvation comes from Jesus Christ, and along with our salvation comes a new way of living in which we are all equally sisters and brothers. Together, our goal is to be all that we anticipate and celebrate on Christmas Day: the loving presence and liberating power of Christ in this world.  Amen.

World AIDS Day 2016

An inconvenient Christmas

Soon we will be singing Advent hymns in our churches and wondering where this passing year has gone.  

December 25th falls on a Sunday this year, and I am already hearing questions about having worship services on Christmas Day.  I’ve fielded such comments as: 

“It is so inconvenient when Christmas is on a Sunday.” 

“No one comes, and people are tired from the Christmas Eve services the night before.”  

I have been asked if it would be alright to cancel church services on Christmas Day and perhaps even on New Year’s Day a week later, since the same kind of holiday issues exist.  Few churches observe a Watch Night service, however; so the New Year’s Day concern is more about late-night celebrations than holy exhaustion.  

It is true that attendance is typically low on a Christmas Sunday.  Some churches have opted to have one short service with coffee and cinnamon rolls. And I’ve heard of at least one church inviting people to attend services in their pajamas. 

All of this says that Christmas, when it falls on a Sunday, is inconvenient to many, and we are trying to find ways to make it work for us.  Family gatherings and a million other holiday festivities compete with worship on that day. 

But I call on all of our churches to persevere and continue to hold services in some fashion on Sunday, December 25. It is, after all, the celebration of Christ’s birth.

The truth is, Christmas, the real Christmas, has never been convenient.  The birth of Christ came amid a time of political unrest. The Jews were an oppressed people under the cruel domination of Rome.  The religious leaders were for the most part self-seeking, wealthy intellectuals who were more interested in maintaining the status quo than taking any prophetic stands on justice.  

Jesus’ birth was inconvenient

The circumstances of Jesus’ birth were certainly less than convenient. This Galilean couple made a hundred-mile trek across rough, unpaved roads, as the new mother-to-be rode perched on a donkey in her third trimester of pregnancy. 

The birth event itself ends up happening in a rustic stable for animals, not exactly the cleanest or most comfortable environment.  A murderous, unbalanced king seeks the child’s life and kills a swath of innocent babies in his foiled attempt at eliminating the competition.  

There was nothing about the realities of this Jesus’ birth that was glamourous or even convenient.  A fancy Hallmark card depicting the nativity with golden insert envelopes simply doesn’t tell the real story.  

Christmas is still inconvenient, and it always will be. The coming of Christ ushered in a whole new paradigm whose purpose was to turn the world upside down, and not just a little.  

Mother Mary, in the “Magnificat” describes the plan: “He (God) has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty.”  (Luke 1:51-53)  

Simeon, the aged prophet in the temple, said similar things about Jesus at the time of his dedication: “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also) so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:34-35).

Show up for Christ on Christmas

The best way to celebrate this newborn king is not just to show up for church services on Christmas Sunday. We should feel compelled—indeed, honored—to do the inconvenient and difficult work of justice ministries: sharing our wealth with those who are hungry for bread and for equality; speaking out when we see inequities and sharing power with people who usually don’t have a place around the table. 

This is year-round ministry-in-action that celebrates the birth and life of Christ every day!

I challenge you to call your churches to a time of prayer and study during Advent.  At my Days on the Districts meetings with clergy this fall I gave to everyone copies of a 40-Day Prayer Challenge book, titled Draw the Circle, by the Rev. Mark Batterson. You and your congregation could read this book, or one like it, as you prepare together for the celebration of Christ’s birth.  

Through prayer and searching the scriptures the Lord will surely lay on your hearts what you need to be doing to “let justice roll down like water and righteousness as a mighty stream.” (Amos 5:24) And what the Lord asks you to do won’t likely be convenient or easy; but the real work of Christmas means walking the difficult, dusty roads that Jesus walked, while bearing a cross on your shoulder.

So, before you sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” on that first Sunday of Advent, consider how you will observe an “inconvenient Christmas.” May your goal be to turn the world—your world—upside down with the love of Jesus all year long. 

I Voted, I Vote

On Election Day I stood in line for an hour and a half to vote. I don’t think the good people of Upper Providence Township expected such a large crowd. There were only four voting machines and two people at the desk checking us all in. 

The American system of democracy was in full force like I had never seen before. There was a sense of urgency and determination in the people in line with me. It felt like the day after a snowstorm when everyone is outside shoveling and talking to each other like they don’t do any other time. 

As I left the polling place I received a little sticker that read, “I voted.”  I wore it for several days because yes, I voted, but that is not the end of the story.

For many, the results of this election have been a source of celebration; for others, a cause for profound grief and fear. Many of the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church will be up for discussion in the near future, as issues around health care, immigration, gun control and climate justice come before us as a nation in the halls of Congress and in the U.S. Supreme Court. 

That is why I say, “I voted” but also “I vote.” Election Day is over but we still get to vote every day of our lives by the stands we take, the letters we write, the money we donate, the evils we decry, the good we promote. 

St. Therese of Lisieux, a 19^th century French Carmelite nun, wrote in her journal, “When we yield to discouragement it is usually because we give too much thought to the past and to the future.”

There is nothing that can be done about the results of the election. It is in the past. There is also no telling what will happen in the future, no matter what was promised on the campaign trail.  We only have today to live. And we can “vote” with our hands, feet and voices through daily acts of justice, mercy and peacemaking where we live right now.

We can decry the violence of mobs attacking people in the streets, the rise of racially motivated hate crimes and incidences of cyber-threats. We can teach peace and tolerance to our children and grandchildren. We can speak out for our Muslim neighbors and immigrant neighbors. 

We can vote in these important ways every day of our lives. And thus, we can change the future through one act of justice or word of kindness at a time. Never underestimate the power of the one voice you have.

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, a modern-day Charles Wesley, who writes prolific and prophetic hymns for the church, wrote the following hymn (which can be sung to the tune of “For the Beauty of the Earth”).  Rev. Gillette has given permission for this to be widely distributed:

By the streams of Babylon we sit weeping bitter tears.Here so many hopes are gone; now we’re filled with countless fears.Yet, O God, you tell us “Rise! See the world through faith-filled eyes!” 

We will rise and seek your way, knowing love will one day winWe won’t let fear rule the day; we will welcome strangers inEvery day, we’ll seek and find countless ways to be more kind. 

By your grace, we’ll rise above even in this troubled hour.Where there’s hate we’ll chose to love; we will speak your truth to power.With the poor and refugee we will build community. 

We will pray for those who lead, even as we take a stand.We will rise with those in need, seeking justice in the land.We will learn and listen well from the truth that others tell. 

We will rise and work for peace; we will treasure your good earth.We will march that wars may cease; we’ll see every person’s worth.God, now give us faith-filled eyes as we heed your call and rise.

Psalm 146:7-8 reminds us that God “executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets the prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind and lifts up those who are bowed down.”

So, “Rise! See the world through faith-filled eyes!” And vote for peace and justice every day with your life, never forgetting that God is the ruler yet!

For healing and justice, much work is needed!

As we begin Native American Heritage Month it is clear that there is much work needed in this nation of ours with regards to justice and healing with our Native American citizens.

Against the backdrop of the Standing Rock stand-off with federal officials over an oil pipeline, we ponder once again the sad discrimination that is happening there. Native American people deserve to have the assurance that they have access to clean water and respect for their tribal burial grounds.

These issues and many more broken treaties and injustices have created a lingering historical trauma in the lives of our First Nation people.

This is part of the reason that the teen suicide rate among Native Americans between the ages of 15 and 24 is more than double the national average. The Christian Science Monitor in April 2015 reported a prevailing hopelessness among Native young people because of alcohol and drug abuse, bullying, violence, high unemployment and poverty. The deep-seated issues that cause this include this history of trauma and genocide of Native peoples, chronic government underfunding and the lack of equal access to opportunities for advancement.

Part of our Act of Repentance that we engaged in during our annual conference sessions included the acknowledgement of the inequities and the discrimination. But its main purpose was to call us to more work as the People Called Methodists. We are called to help especially the 1.2 million American Indian and Alaska Native young people in our country.

There is hope! Native American youth are resilient in many ways. They especially find support through the study and celebration of their traditions and cultural identities. Many such programs are springing up around the country and some include the learning of almost extinct tribal languages. We can be supportive of these efforts.

I encourage you all to study these complex issues locally in your churches, donate to the UMC’s Native American Ministries Sunday special offering, visit a reservation, find out where Native Americans live in your area, and hear their heart through their stories.

Each one of us can do at least one thing. It is my hope and prayer that someday the UMC will have its first Native American bishop. Until then there is much work that is needed!

Saints

We arrived at my cousin’s grand-daughter’s wedding about an hour early last Saturday.  We drove from our house in Phoenixville to Pittsburgh early in the morning and did not know exactly how long it would take to get there. When we finally found the enormous St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church in downtown Pittsburgh we had plenty of time to explore the grand cathedral. It was ornate in many ways: a high arched ceiling, marble pillars and numerous statues. 

The real glory of the building, however, was in the stained-glass windows. Each displayed a picture of the Holy Family, an apostle or some Catholic saint. It has been said that saints have the light of Christ shining through them. Indeed, capturing the afternoon sun, these windows, with their gleaming bold colors, were a luminous feast for the eye. 

But as I looked at them closely, I felt all that glory was a bit “unreal.”  The lives of these saints depicted in the windows, at least the ones I knew, were not so glamourous and victorious in real life. Their ministries were plagued by struggles, persecution, sacrificial deprivation and martyrdom. 

But there they all were in this church sanctuary looking very perfect, bright and cleaned up. Even the statue of Jesus on the cross did not look too terribly gruesome. I’m not being critical really, because for all of this, I am grateful. In this stylized beauty of “life on the other side,” after all the suffering and death, we find the redemptive lesson of the Christian walk.

I Peter 4:12 states “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”  The Christian life is one of struggle. God’s people are in direct opposition to the powers and principalities of this world; and there will be personal suffering and persecution. It is one of the “givens” in our faith journey.

Joan D. Chittiste is a Roman Catholic nun and writer. In her book Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope, she describes a huge disappointment in her young life, when she was denied by her order the opportunity to study for a Master’s Degree in writing.  Instead she was sent to work at a camp. 

She writes, “Struggle is a fact of life. What we struggle against, what we struggle for, what we with struggle with, all test and hone us. It is the resistance itself that seasons us.” She goes on to even describe suffering as an “unsparing lesson but a necessary gift.” (page 34)

The saints of old knew mighty struggles, and so will we.  The light in the stained-glass windows remind us of the enduring presence of Christ in our lives, even in the midst of struggle. He offers us the radiant light that darkness cannot overcome (John 1:5). And that light reminds us of the final victory we will surely achieve in the next life. 

As we prepare for and celebrate All Saints Day, let us keep in mind the worthy saints, that great “cloud of witnesses,” who cheer us on from the resplendent windows of heaven’s balcony, as we struggle down here in the dim shadows below.

View images of the windows and other sacred items of St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church in downtown Pittsburgh on their Flickr page.

Praying for our Presidential Election

It seems that I can’t remember a time when we as a nation were not talking about the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.  Almost the minute the 2012 election ended, the speculation about the next President began.  One by one, people came forward announcing their candidacy.

Then there were the endless debates, rallies, primaries, conventions, and now more debates. The relentless stream of repetitive news, survey polls and opinions about our major nominees crowd the full media spectrum. And there’s more than enough scandal, mud-slinging and speculation, much of it fueled by leaked, once-secret e-mail messages and videos. 

Campaign fatigue set in for me a long time ago. But I have not given up my concern for our nation, nor my hopes for the best and my prayers for God’s grace as we choose our next POTUS and Commander in Chief.

Called to be the salt and light of the world

As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to be the salt and light of the world, not just the church. The next President of our country can cast a vision and offer an agenda for the future of this nation like few people on earth.

We are called to work for good in this world, along with our governmental leaders, and to call our nation to seek righteousness and pursue justice for all. I ask you to pray every day for this election.  

I Timothy 2:1-2 says “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers and intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”  Please pray for the next president every Sunday at worship and also in your personal times of prayer. 

Also I remind you that United Methodist pastors and leaders should not advocate for any particular candidate, publically or privately.  Everyone should vote as they feel led to vote. Our constitution’s principle of “separation of church and state” forbids us from promoting one party or candidate over another. 

That said, responsible Christians are called to study carefully the platforms and policies of the candidates, so they can prayerfully make careful decisions on Election Day.  

Finally, be sure that you do cast a vote. Voting is an incredible right that our form of government affords us. Many people on this globe have no such option. Find no excuse to stay home on November 8; and if you cannot physically be present, cast an absent-tee ballot now. 

A new museum brings a needed message for our world

Members of the  General Board of Church and Society joined other visitors to the new African American Museum of History and Culture a day before its grand opening.

Last week I attended our new quadrennium’s first meeting of the General Board of Church and Society.  I am proud to serve for another four years on this agency that speaks for the concerns of faith, justice and peace in and on behalf of our denomination.

At the end of our three days of conversation, presentations, worship and organizing, a group of us walked down to the Washington DC National Mall, to the site of the new African American Museum of History and Culture, which was to open on Saturday, Sept. 24.

People had already gathered, even a day before. Excitement and joy was in the air.  We paused to pray outside the huge bronze-colored building. Several other African American visitors joined us, saying “We are with you.”

I invite everyone to make the journey to the nation’s capital to see this museum.  At the dedication on Saturday President Barack Obama stated, “The African American story perhaps needs to be told now more than ever.” This is unquestionably true in the wake of more police shootings of African Americans in Tulsa and Charlotte.  We need to hear the real stories of the lives of real people.

In a recent podcast from Ministry Matters, titled “Terence Crutcher, Police Violence and Racism in America (Sept.  23, 2016) Shane Raynor, the editor of “News and Religion,” interviewed several church leaders about what the church needs to be doing. Listen to the podcast here.

The Rev. Hannah Bonner, an Eastern PA Conference elder on extension ministry, works at a faith community in Houston, Texas, known as “The Shout.” She shared her experience of working with the community after the death of Sandra Bland, who reportedly committed suicide in prison after being rudely arrested for a traffic violation.

Focus on lives, not just deaths of African Americans

Bonner said that one very important thing we can do is to focus on the lives of the African American victims of police violence people, and not just on their deaths.  Despite the endless media attention on their deaths, we should take time to learn about and honor their lives and legacies, not just focus on how they died.

An important, life-affirming response to the horrors of this continual plague of death and violence is for white people to look, listen, learn and understand with open minds and hearts. This new museum celebrates an essential part of American history and culture. And it gives people an important opportunity to learn and understand more fully that part of our nation's richly diverse, complex story.

Visitors will experience the journey from slavery to civil rights to Black Lives Matter and hear both famous and obscure stories of triumph and tragedy.  It appears there is a war being waged in our society by those who wish to maintain oppressive systems of inequality.

But may this welcome museum experience prepare our church to offer what it uniquely brings to the world: the message that all people are divinely and equally created as children of God, and that everyone is blessed and deserving of life, liberty, respect and justice.  This the church’s prophetic word for the world today.

'Open wide your hearts'

Some years ago The United Methodist Church had a welcoming slogan that was all about opening wide our hearts, to quote the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:13. The denomination paid for a number of TV spots with interesting, heart-warming vignettes of people being welcomed into the church. At the end, each TV ad would say: “The United Methodist Church: Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”

During this advertising campaign someone called me from UM Communications asking for information on closed-captioning for the ads. They knew I worked with a deaf- membership church (Christ UM Church of the Deaf in Baltimore, Md.), and they were looking for information about how to caption these TV ads so that people who could not hear could still see what was being said from English text appearing on screen.

I am a fan of captioning because it is so helpful for everyone, not just people with hearing loss. But in this case I told the shocked UMCom caller that this would be “false advertising.”

I explained that if they captioned the advertisement, then people who could not hear would likely think that United Methodist churches widely offer worship that is accessible to them when they come to visit. But the vast majority of our churches are not accessible to people with hearing loss. Less than 100 of our 33,000 churches in the USA have sign-language interpreters.

Some have listening devices, but they are not always effective when a person’s hearing loss is profound. Captioning is the absolute best answer for people who are deaf and don’t use sign language. But I can count on my hand the number of churches that provide that on a Sunday morning. This is unfortunate because there are approximately 35 million people with hearing loss in this country.

I advised UMCom to not caption the ads. Why welcome deaf people to visit our churches, only for most of them to find out there is no accessibility for them?

Do we welcome everyone in our churches?

The United Methodist Book of Discipline declares in many ways, in many paragraphs, that all people are to be welcomed into our churches.  Is that false advertising, too?  Do we welcome everyone in our churches in the Eastern PA Conference?

Everyone includes all races, ethnicities, genders or gender identities, sexual orientations, marital statuses, abilities, ages, theological perspectives and socio-economic classes.  That is a tall order, of course.

Among our many diverse churches, we have some that specialize in certain areas. For example, one of our churches has a ministry with deaf people who have intellectual challenges, which requires some specialized kinds of interpreting and worship adjustments. I know of another church that has a welcoming ministry with refugees.

With each step of widening the circle, the love of God gets out there to more and more people. Everyone should be welcomed in every church, and we should strive to be as inclusive and loving as possible. That is what people are hungering for, and it is what we should be planning and reaching for.

According to an article in the August 23, 2016, edition of Religion and Public Life (pewforum.org), 79 percent of people looking for a new church or house of worship seek a place where they will feel welcome.

At our annual conference’s last session, in June, we passed amended Resolution 2016-17, which states: “Therefore be it resolved that the Eastern PA Annual Conference encourages all churches to practice radical welcome to LGBTQ persons in specific and tangible ways.” Furthermore, the conference invites our churches to participate as a welcoming presence at the Philadelphia OutFest 2016 events, part of National Coming Out Day, which will be held on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016.  (For more information on OutFest contact Ariel Gonzalez of St. Luke UMC at 973-985-7694 or arcanum32@gmail.com)

In its “whereas” section this resolution lifts up the fact that 43 percent of homeless teens identify as LGBTQ. Because that identification and its consequences can often be painful, between 30 and 40 percent of all LGBTQ youth have attempted suicide.

Welcome LGBTQ persons intentionally, fearlessly

What would it be like if your church’s youth group would intentionally, lovingly and fearlessly—because “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:19)—welcome young persons in its community who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or gender non-conforming?

Sharing supportive community, friendship, opportunities to participate in activities and to serve as leaders could be some possibilities.  Other ideas include: speaking words of welcome to LGBTQ persons during your service, extending an invitation to your local LGBTQ community to worship with you and to attend a special welcoming breakfast or luncheon, or offering intentional words of prayer for LGBTQ persons—especially youth—during worship. Let us know if you have other ideas to share.

Our churches represent a wide spectrum of theological perspectives about sexual orientation and gender identity. But there is no law or Disciplinary paragraph that forbids us from showing love and hospitality. That is something we should all be doing, and especially among those who too often face rejection and hostility.

We are called to witness to our faith and to model ourselves after the example of Jesus. He sought out persons on the margins of life and offered them unconditional, fearless, healing love.

How could your church be more intentionally welcoming?  Many do not have a single attendee who identifies as LGBTQ currently in their midst. Sadly, the conservative and liberal “divide” in our conference and elsewhere creates an atmosphere of anxiety that sometimes keeps us preoccupied and causes timidity. Meanwhile, the hospitality and extravagant love we are called to offer is lacking in all that it can be.

I ask you, do the people of your church really have open hearts, open minds and open doors to welcome everyone? Or is this denominational slogan of which we are so fond actually “false advertising”?

Here is a recommended reading list from Dave Krueger of Arch Street UMC. It may offer valuable insights on the cross-section between our religious beliefs and human sexuality, as it relates to our amended and approved Annual Conference Resolution #2016-17: Resolution on Radical Welcome.

• Brownson, James. Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2013.
• Corvino, John. What’s Wrong with Homosexuality?Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
• Lee, Justin. Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christian Debate. Jericho Books, 2013.
• Vines, Matthew. God and the Gay Christian. New York: Convergent Books, 2014.
• Williams, Craig. Roman Homosexuality. Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
• Marin, Andrew. Love is an Orientation. IVP Books 2009.
• Recommended website with information about the high rate of suicides among LGBTQ youth: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ or http://www.thetrevorproject.org/pages/facts-about-suicide

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Editor’s Note:  There will be a Webinar on “Becoming a Barrier-Free Congregation” offered online Tuesday. Oct. 25, from 7 to 8 p.m. EDT. Many people with disabilities do not come to church. Can people with mobility differences get into your church? Are people with cognitive disabilities comfortable in Bible study and Sunday school? Sharon McCart, chair of the UMC’s DisAbility Ministries Committee, will offer advice for welcoming people with disabilities into the life of the church. Details

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