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2020 State of the church 

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Family and friends of Bishop John K. Yambasu, (front row, from left) Elizabeth Yambasu, Emmanuel Yambasu, widow Millicent Yambasu and Alfred Lansana, arrive at the burial site on the campus of United Methodist University in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Sept. 6. Photo by E Julu Swen, UM News.

Grieving and comforting

2020 was a year of grieving, not only for the many lives lost, but also for lost jobs, financial security and time with loved ones. COVID-19 has not only changed the ways we live and work, but also the ways we grieve, individually and communally.

Back to report
United Methodist News honors notable church members who died in 2020. Candle image by Gerd Altmann, courtesy of Pixabay.

General Church

2020: Remembering notable United Methodists

United Methodists this year marked the passing of civil rights giants, groundbreaking bishops and a founding father of Africa University.

The Rev. Kellie Sanford (right) practices social distancing while visiting with a resident of the CC Young Senior Living community in Dallas. Sanford, a licensed local pastor in The United Methodist Church, serves as chaplain for the facility. Photo by Jennifer Griffin.

Evangelism

Chaplains comfort and share grief during COVID-19

As infections and deaths from the coronavirus mount, chaplains are challenged to do their jobs in a world where physical contact is forbidden.

Family and friends of Bishop John K. Yambasu, (from left front) Elizabeth Yambasu, Emmanuel Yambasu, widow Millicent Yambasu and Alfred Lansana, arrive at the burial site on the campus of United Methodist University in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Photo by E Julu Swen, UM News.

General Church

Bishop Yambasu remembered as bridge builder

The Sierra Leone Area bishop was remembered as a natural bridge builder who brought people together in the church and in the world.

Blessed are those who mourn

Bishop Michael Coyner, president of the United Methodist General Council of Finance and Administration, responds May 19 to an inquiry from the delegates at the denomination's 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.
Bishop John K. Yambasu gives the sermon during morning worship at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. During his recent address at the Africa Extended Cabinet meeting in Accra, Ghana, the Sierra Leone Area bishop urged African United Methodists to “hold firmly to the truth of the Gospel.” File photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS
The Rev. Junius B. Dotson records a segment of the “Soul Reset” study series for the Upper Room at United Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tenn., in 2019. Dotson, the top executive of Discipleship Ministries, told his staff and board Jan. 28 that he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but intends to continue to serve as he fights the disease. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
The Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery's Ninety Years Birthday Celebration at the Atlanta Symphony Hall, October 9, 2011 included a birthday song by Stevie Wonder. Next to Rev. Lowery is his wife of 60 years, Evelyn Lowery. A UMNS photo by Kathleen Barry.
Bishop William McAlilly (right) comforts the Rev. Judi Hoffman in the park outside East End United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., while volunteers clean up debris from a tornado that heavily damaged the church's sanctuary and offices. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Mary Alice Wisdom (right) hugs her pastor, the Rev. Laraine Waughtal during a visit to Wisdom’s home in DeRidder, La., following Hurricane Laura. The hurricane damaged her roof and knocked out electricity. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Volunteer Hannah LaBrecque (center) hugs a fellow volunteer as they don protective equipment before the opening of a drive-thru testing site for COVID-19 at St. Luke Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Nashville. LaBrecque regularly joins a volunteer team from Meharry Medical College in Nashville to provide pop-up testing sites on Saturdays at area churches. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
The Rev. Gil Caldwell answers questions during an April 27 panel discussion hosted by Soulforce, a national interfaith gay rights network. The event was held at General Worth Square, across the street from the Fort Worth (Texas) Convention Center, site of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. He died of cancer Sept. 4, 2020 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. File photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNews.
The Rev. William Bobby McClain speaks during the 2019 meeting of Black Methodists for Church Renewal in Atlanta. McClain, an original board member of the church's African-American caucus and professor emeritus at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, died Nov. 18. He was 82. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Yed Esaie Angoran, a key leader in The United Methodist Church in Côte d’Ivoire and the global denomination, died June 13. He was 73. 2008 file photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Munashe Furusa, vice chancellor of Africa University. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.
NASA "human computer" Katherine Johnson watches the premiere of "Hidden Figures" after a reception where she was honored along with other members of the segregated West Area Computers division of Langley Research Center, on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, at the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, VA. Photo courtesy of NASA.
The Rev. John Wesley Z. Kurewa helps lead Sunday worship during the 25th anniversary celebration for Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, in March 2017. Kurewa, the United Methodist institution's founding vice chancellor, died Feb. 15 in Harare, Zimbabwe. He was 87. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
The Rev. Frances Helen Foley Guest speaks at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., after receiving a distinguished alumni award in June 2002. The three and a half years she spent in a Japanese prison camp with her missionary parents helped shape her ministry. File photo by Kenneth J. Guest.
The Rev. Lisa M. Scott-Joiner Photo courtesy of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
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