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Dallas megachurch breakaway tests Methodist law as peace leaders gather in Assisi

By The FaithDaily Desk

Good morning. The sharpest story of the day was in Dallas. According to Charisma News, more than 90% of voting members at Highland Park United Methodist Church chose to break away from the United Methodist Church, and just days later a bishop had still appointed a new pastor there. United Methodist News reported the same appointment from the other side: Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr. said he was making plans to care for Highland Park members who wish to stay United Methodist, and in letters to lay leaders and congregants he maintained that the congregational vote to cut ties is not valid under church law. The two accounts agree on the facts of the vote and the appointment; they differ in where they place the weight. What is at stake is who decides when a congregation may leave, and whether a local vote or denominational law governs that decision.

In Italy, several items converged on one event. Anglican Ink published a video message from Pope Leo XIV to participants in the International Meeting "Unarmed and Disarming Peace" in Assisi, marking forty years since the World Day of Prayer for Peace held on 27 October 1986, which Saint John Paul II had initiated. Anglican Ink also reported that the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Dame Sarah Mullally, joined Christian and other faith leaders at the closing day of the 40th International Meeting for Peace in Assisi, taking part in an ecumenical prayer service with the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Elsewhere in church governance, Anglican Ink carried a message from the presiding bishop and the president of the House of Deputies of The Episcopal Church, outlining a vision for the 82nd General Convention under the theme "Rising in Hope."

On the research front, Charisma News summarised a Pew Research Center report, released 28 October, finding that America's youngest adults report attending religious services more often than several older age groups, alongside sharp differences within Gen Z itself.

Two further items touched public life. Charisma News reported, citing The Israel Guys host Ben Hilton, that two heavily armed attackers heading toward an Israeli highway at rush hour encountered an IDF checkpoint. And Charisma News noted, citing ESPN, that broadcaster Ernie Johnson, longtime host of "Inside the NBA," announced on Wednesday that he would leave the programme after the current season.

Christianity Today ran reflective pieces, including an essay on hymns and one on holding on and letting go, and The Gospel Coalition released a podcast on seeking advice online.

Zoom out: The day's reporting ranged from a single contested congregation in Dallas to a global gathering for peace in Assisi.

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