40-year ban on gay clergy struck down
Without debate, General Conference removed the UMC’s ban on the ordination of clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” —a prohibition that dates to 1984.
Amid coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic concerns, Earth Day Network, the global organizer of Earth Day, will mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day much differently this year.
Organizers are encouraging participation in the first Digital Earth Day, a global digital mobilization on April 22 to address the most urgent threats to people and the planet.
“At Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events are our top concern. Amid the recent outbreak, we encourage people to rise up but to do so safely and responsibly—in many cases, that means using our voices to drive action online rather than in person,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network.
The pandemic will affect regions and countries differently, and some individuals and communities may decide to still hold in-person events. Earth Day Network urges everyone to assess their situation individually, take precautions and follow the recommendations and advice from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Whether it be coronavirus or our global climate crisis, we cannot shut down,” said Rogers.“ Instead, we must shift our energies and efforts to new ways to mobilize the world to action.”
The global conversation will be unified and tracked by the shared hashtags #EarthDay2020 and #EARTHRISE. Earth Day Network will provide live coverage of the global digital mobilizations from its social media accounts (@earthdaynetwork). Other digital events will include virtual protests, social media campaigns, online teach-ins and more. A full scope of digital actions will be available at earthday.org.
The NIC Sustainability Task Force shares these ideas to celebrate Earth Day:
Without debate, General Conference removed the UMC’s ban on the ordination of clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” —a prohibition that dates to 1984.
The UMC General Conference (postponed from 2020) came to order on the morning of April 23. Follow daily reports focusing on topics of interest to Northern Illinois Conference readers.
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