News

United Women in Faith, formerly United Methodist Women, of the Oregon-Idaho Conference will host its annual celebration and all-member leadership training Oct. 21 – Oct. 22 at Boise First UMC and will feature United Women in Faith’s global president,  ‘Ainise ‘Isama’u, as a special guest speaker. Individuals can attend in person or over Zoom, if needed. The registration form covers both options. There will be times of worship, celebration, learning, meals and more.  “If you are participating ...

For years, Kuna United Methodist Church in Kuna, Idaho, has worked with local stylists to offer free back-to-school haircuts for kids. These usually happened on a weekday. This year, the haircut event was combined with a church BBQ and game night on the Sunday evening just before the first day of school.  Despite temperatures approaching 100 degrees, three stylists from Dapper Dan’s, a local salon/barbershop in Kuna, set up outdoors under shade canopies with fans. Whole families enjoyed dinner ...

Etha Carruthers might be new in her position as the Oregon-Idaho Conference Sage District Administrative Assistant, but her name will likely not be new to those living in, and serving, churches in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon as she has been heavily involved in the local United Methodist Church scene for years. A lifelong United Methodist with origins in the legacy Yellowstone Conference (Montana) of the UMC, Carruthers has called Twin Falls, Idaho, home for 30 years and for the last ...

Judy Halverson and Debbie Mallis participated in the Boise Crop Walk during the pandemic/Photo provided by Debbie Mallis   Judy Halverson, a member of Hillview United Methodist Church in Boise has coordinated Hunger Crop Walks since 1987. In October of 2020, faced with the COVID-19 pandemic concerns, and realizing the growing strain on food pantries, she needed to reimagine the annual event to be safe for all participants.   What is a Hunger Crop Walk? Church World Service, an ...

Videographers for the Turning Pages project in Boise record Fowzia Adan reading "The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family." Inspired by a Netflix series “Bookmarks” with famous celebrities of color reading books about people of color for children, Rev. Jenny Hirst – with the support of the ministry team at Collister United Methodist Church – set out to do something similar in Boise, Idaho. “It started with just me and my iPhone,” said Hirst, who is also a ...

  When Peggy Gentle and her family arrived in Wallowa, Oregon, in 1960 from California, it was a pretty easy decision to start attending Wallowa United Methodist Church. “I was Episcopalian, but the church was 20 miles away and I have five children,” said Gentle, who is now 97. “We lived two blocks from the (UMC) church. I marched all five of them down there.” Through thick – and thin – Gentle raised her children and helped raise other children as a Sunday school teacher for more than 30 years ...

Nyssa UMC in Nyssa, Oregon by Sally Blanchard The last in-person worship service at Nyssa United Methodist Church in Nyssa, Oregon, was held in early March. The pastor and lay member say the hardest part of closing the church has been no chance to have a concluding celebration while under the COVID-19 in-person worship closure. Lay member Sheila Turner has part of the congregation for 20 years. “It’s been really tough because it got to the point where there were five people going to the church...

  Appointments for the OREGON-IDAHO ANNUAL CONFERENCE effective July 1, 2020 Elaine Stanovsky, Presiding Bishop The Greater Northwest Area, The United Methodist Church   CONFERENCE RELATIONSHIP CODES:   AM--Associate Member DC--Deaconess DM--Diaconal Minister DR--Retired Diaconal Minister FD--Deacon in Full Connection FE--Elder in Full Connection FL--Full-time Local Pastor LM--Certified Lay Minister OA--Associate Member, Other Conference OE--Elder Member of Other Annual Conference or Other ...

BOISE – Building on their commitment to fight racism, leaders of First United Methodist Church of Boise (Cathedral of the Rockies) deconsecrated a stained-glass window depicting Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Friday before workers will remove it permanently soon.   The service of deconsecration and removal of the window is the latest step taken by members of the United Methodist congregation as they move forward in repenting of racism.   The stained-glass window was installed in the church...

By Sally Blanchard In La Grande 100 percent of the school district children receive free or reduced lunch. That meant when school closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school district became the food lifeline for these families. As word went out that partners were needed to provide funds, La Grande United Methodist Church requested $1,000 through the Grocery Gifts Cards for Families program. That $1,000 was quickly matched through church funds. The local UMC challenged other ...