News

2/20/2024

The United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) is excited to announce that with your support they were able to award 2,100 students $3.9 million in financial assistance for 2023! These future leaders range from first-year freshmen to doctorate-level students across the denomination.  In our Annual Conference, 81 United Methodist students were awarded a total of $227,030.00!  They include: Ray Allen of Cliftondale UMC  Taylor Arnold of Union Grove UMC Covington  ...

9/26/2023

LaGrange First UMC has the gift of being located less than one mile from United Methodist-related LaGrange College! On September 23 the church celebrated the long relationship and connection by welcoming students, faculty, staff, and leaders to "LaGrange College Sunday" at the church.  Students planned and participated in worship. Music, liturgy, and scripture were all led by LaGrange College students. College President Susanne Baxter offered a word to the congregation, and College Chaplain ...

2/20/2023

We celebrate the 2022-2023 recipients of scholarships from the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education! These future leaders range from first-year freshmen to doctorate-level students across the denomination. Students who are members of any United Methodist church may apply for a Fall 2023 GBHEM scholarship online by March 30, 2023, at www.gbhem.org/scholarshipapplication. Recipients of GBHEM scholarships in the North Georgia Annual Conference include:  Jayla Rushin  BEN HILL ...

8/6/2020

In this photo (taken before the pandemic), a group of students recover leftovers from a Georgia Tech dining hall. The leftovers are packaged into containers to create single-serving meals, and then made available to food-insecure students through the campus food pantry. By Rebecca Wallace   We don’t always know whom we walk among. For instance, in our everyday lives, many of us feel like poverty and food insecurity happen "somewhere else." Who would think that students from all over the world ...

1/31/2019

Emory University’s Candler School of Theology has announced the establishment of The Rev. Dr. P. Alice Rogers Scholarship Endowment, which will provide financial support for students pursuing a career in pastoral ministry. This scholarship endowment was made possible through the generosity of Mr. Donald H. Defoe and Mrs. Barbara E. Defoe of Atlanta. The Rev. Dr. P. Alice Rogers serves as the Gainesville District Superintendent of The United Methodist Church and Associate Professor in the ...

10/4/2018

by REBECCA WALLACE   Rev. Blair Tolbert says she starts many sermons with, “I have a different story to tell you about young people today.” As Dean of Chapel and Campus Ministry at United Methodist-related Young Harris College, she says she has seen an overwhelming increase of students wanting to be connected, in one way or another, to religion.   Serving 1,100 students as well as faculty and staff, Blair engages young people from a variety of denominations and other religions as well. Among the...

9/20/2018

By JESSICA BRADFORD For Gray Nichols, football has taught him more than play calls and drills. He tries to live his Christian faith through school, football, and everyday interactions. This year he has grown in his faith and become more than a football player. Nichols is a member of Lewis Memorial UMC in Evans, a small town outside of Augusta. He graduated from Evans High School and now attends United Methodist-related Reinhardt University in Waleska. He says growing up in church teaches you the...

8/16/2018

Retreats are among the most expressive and affecting events a youth ministry can offer for the faith development and spiritual growth of youth, but they also take a lot of work putting together and carrying out. We've heard from youth ministers and congregations that it is helpful to have a trusted and proven retreat available for youth groups so that youth ministry leaders can participate and focus on the teenagers without having to worry about logistics, setup, supplies, or unexpected issues. ...

2/8/2018

Campus ministry, plus a Connectional Ministries grant, plus a local church partner equals 25,000 pounds of potatoes to hunger ministries in Atlanta. By Sybil Davidson Last fall the Georgia Tech Wesley Foundation hosted a “Potato Drop” at Tenth Street Underwood UMC near campus. The Wesley Foundation received 25,000 lbs pounds of gleaned potatoes from The Society of St. Andrew to distribute to hunger organizations.   Wesley Foundation staff and students connected with other student volunteers ...

1/23/2018

Are you a high school student who wants to tour colleges to find the one that is right for you?   Are you a parent who wants your high school student to tour college campuses?   Register today for the Campus Crawl - a bus tour for 9th through 12th-grade students designed to introduce them to United Methodist campus ministries featuring our Georgia United Methodist Colleges and Universities.   In one weekend, high school students will meet representatives from our United Methodist Colleges and ...

12/14/2017

When Reinhardt University embarked on the creation of a football program, leaders hoped for a successful program. Yet no one expected the grand success – both on the field and in the classroom – that Reinhardt Eagles football has enjoyed during its brief five-year history. With a double-overtime win over the Southern Oregon Raiders last weekend in Waleska, the team will compete for the first time in the NAIA Football National Championship Game in Daytona Beach, Florida on Dec. 16, 2017 vs. the...

12/7/2017

Photo:  Jerry Wilkinson of Atlanta and his family unveil a sign proclaiming the new name of LaGrange College’s Wilkinson Family Servant Scholars Program. From left are Hayley Brammer, Bev Wilkinson, Chad Brammer, Jerry Wilkinson, Heather Deguire and Hilary Bayer. Atlanta business leader Jerry Wilkinson and his family have donated $1 million to LaGrange College to support its “From Promise to Prominence Campaign,” specifically the institution’s Servant Scholars Program. Wilkinson, a member of ...

8/22/2017

By Sybil Davidson As college students begin a new school year, United Methodist churches are partnering in new ways with the Georgia UMCommission to launch and champion new campus ministries. Three notable new ministries are in the works thanks to our United Methodist connection: Georgia Gwinnett Wesley, West Georgia Wesley, and Augusta Wesley.   Georgia Gwinnett Wesley Most people don't think of Lawrenceville as a "college town," but when Lawrenceville First UMC went through a ...

8/17/2017

"Have you contacted the campus ministry of your college freshmen yet?" asks Rev. Sam Halverson, associate director of Connectional Ministries. Halverson offers the following advice: It's an easy thing to forget: you said 'goodbye' to your graduated seniors last spring and are now focused on the incoming middle schoolers, but wouldn't it be important to hand over the baton of your ministry to those who can speak into the spiritual lives of your graduated seniors? Here are four steps: Generate ...

8/3/2017

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) as part of their strategy to enable and resource leadership within the church has selected three North Georgia United Methodists as 2017 Young Clergy Initiative (YCI) grant recipients. This year, applications were received from every United Methodist jurisdictional conference, and of those applications, 34 grants were awarded. Award amounts vary based on project scope, and some grants are awarded funds over the period of several years ...

5/24/2017

YOUNG HARRIS, GA - Young Harris College Board of Trustees Chair Brantley Barrow announced that Dr. C. Brooks Seay, the College’s vice president for finance and operations and chief financial officer, has been appointed interim president and will begin serving at the conclusion of President Cathy Cox's term on July 1.   "Dr. Seay has done an outstanding job in her current role,” said Barrow. “She has provided data the Board has never had before to consider options and make decisions. She is ...

2/23/2017

 Pouncer watches as Dr. Arthur Sikora, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, prepares a special ‘ribbon cutting’ for the opening of the Ida Callaway Hudson Lab Sciences Building at LaGrange College. A chemical reaction produced flames that burned through the ceremonial ribbon.   LaGrange College hosted a ribbon cutting and open house at the new $21 million Ida Callaway Hudson Lab Sciences Building and completely renovated Callaway Science Building on Friday. A state-of-the-art, 40,000-square-foot ...

8/16/2016

Fun Fact: I love to paint. Often times I will get paint on my hands and arms. I will forget about the paint and walk around with a variety of paint colors all over my hands and arms.    As the Associate Director for Vocational Discernment, what can you offer to local churches? My role in the Conference is to talk about calling and ordination. I meet with individuals feeling a call from God to be in ministry. I can meet individually, teach a Bible Study, work with committees, or preach ...

6/23/2016

While pursuing a field of study to help prepare for a traditional career, many of today’s college students are searching for ways to combine their faith, gifts and passions to make an immediate impact in their communities. However, as students pursue this call, they may find limited resources to support them in their faith and leadership development. Created out of The United Methodist Student Movement, Imagine What’s NEXT encourages and supports students who dream of making a difference in the ...

4/28/2016

(LaGRANGE, Ga.) – LaGrange College announced today the public launch of a $45 to $50 million comprehensive fundraising campaign designed to “propel the institution and its students to new levels of distinction,” according to President Dan McAlexander. During a luncheon for a crowd of supporters at Del’Avant in downtown LaGrange, students used balloons to spell out the campaign’s goals and officials described the importance of the effort. McAlexander said now is the time for the college to take...