Inclusivity Brings Church Back from the Brink

Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee has been revised. Nine years ago, only 12-25 people attended weekly services. Now the number is 125. 

Steven Adair, a church leader who has attended the church all his life, knew that changes had to be made or Glendale would eventually close.

“I watched my church die a slow death in front of my eyes for the first 30 years of my life,” said Adair, leads the communications outreach at Glendale among other duties.

A welcome message is read out loud every Sunday:

“We at Glendale United Methodist Church want you to know that no matter where you’ve come from or where you are going; what you believe or what you may doubt; what you are feeling or just not feeling; what you have or don’t have; and no matter the color of your skin, who you love or how you identify — all of you are welcomed into this community of faith by a God who loves you and knows you by name.”

Glendale made itself visible as a friend of LGBTQ people by participating in the annual Nashville Pride parade and festival.

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/inclusivity-brings-church-back-from-the-brink?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv4_a1demo0ecs1j8o&fbclid=IwY2xjawTgcO1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFPNmVTZmxuMzJzcjU5U2w1c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgy8PY_lk7eAtAIk82yZK5WV5dyIesnS0h1q9Wfq-HnC6ylehfPQcGnZuvGq_aem_AzqCkQaK3DSQ479YvHG31g

Mormon Retention Among Young People is Decreasing

From another source: “While Mormon retention looked solid in the early 2000s, in the years since, as Millennial Mormons moved through emerging adulthood, they began exiting the LDS church in dramatic, unprecedented numbers,” according to sociologist Christian Smith. 

In his recent book, Smith stated that “Why Religion Went Obsolete,” the LDS church was once “legendary for its impressive retention rates among young people.” 

As our population is coming to grips with how hierarchies keep people engaged, perhaps this is an example of how more younger people are rejecting hierarchical religions along side other hierarchical institutions. 

https://religionnews.com/2025/12/10/us-gen-zers-and-millennials-are-leaving-the-lds-church-data-confirms/

UN Human Rights Chair Opposed by Countries of Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu.

Men considered by some to be the three most dangerous in the world - Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu - lead countries that oppose the appointment of UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk for a second term. 

Men who are so intent on building hierarchies with themselves on top, such as Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu, are predictably opposed to efforts to call out countries and people who refuse to treat people with dignity and respect. 

The 27-nation European Union stated that is wholeheartedly supports the reappointment.

https://apnews.com/article/turk-human-rights-chief-united-nations-61dc91622d141da0aba689e6436ea47c

Advice: Don't Engage with White Supremists

Advice about the Patriot Front:

"Their message to America, especially on the Fourth of July, is to reinforce the idea that America was founded as a whites-only nation. That is their goal, that’s what they hope to achieve in the end, that is their end state.

"If you are a random passerby and happen to be in their vicinity, I would recommend that you don’t engage unless you are within earshot of law enforcement or authorities or have somebody else with you and have a plan to leave the premise if you need to. But otherwise, the best course of action is to not engage with these folks."

For many of us who could encounter any hierarchy-building Trump supporter, we have decided staying away is the best recourse, including family members and former friends.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/who-are-the-masked-men-who-marched-in-dc-with-confederate-flags/4126668/

Rapinoe: Women National Soccer Players Have More Experience in Dealing with Outside Issues Than Men

Megan Rapinoe, a star of the Women's National Soccer Team, compared the experiences of the women's and men's teams when dealiing with interference and negativity from Trump.  She said:

“So, not only does this [men’s] team not have like a core of older players who are used to that, but none of these players talk about anything, ever, like, for the most part. I think in men’s football, just like in general, there’s not a lot of players who are choosing to use their platform or to, you know, broaden their scope of pressure and responsibility.”

Rapinoe also suggested U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino’s teams often thrive as underdogs and argued it might actually have “been better for us to play without” Balogun.

“But I think in general they didn’t handle the pressure of the quarterfinal well,” Rapinoe added. “I don’t think they handled just all of the circus that was around their team very well.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/megan-rapinoe-world-cup-donald-trump-us_n_6a508de5e4b08b2da6898a24/amp

Bill to Build the Smithsonian American Women's HIstory Museum Fails after Republican Prejudices Prevail

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum has been years in the making — and now, transphobia is threatening to derail the whole thing. 

By a 204-216 vote, House Democrats pulled support after Republicans ammended the legislation to require that transgender women be excluded. 

Democrats cautioned that the amended version of the bill also gives Trump too much sway over the museum’s design and location. 

Despite the roadblocks to its physical construction, digital exhibitions from the women’s history museum are available online now, as are classroom resources for teachers and a state-by-state guide of women’s history in America. 

https://19thnews.org/2026/05/smithsonian-american-womens-history-museum-bill/

"Women on Waves" Brings Reproductive Services in International Waters

Just like states that circumvent casino laws by floating ships in international waters, “Women on Waves,” a Dutch non-profit, provides safe medical abortions and reproductive health services to women in countries where abortion is heavily restricted or illegal.

"Women on Waves" sails a ship into international waters (usually 12 nautical miles off the coast of a country with strict abortion laws). Because national abortion bans only extend to territorial waters, The ship operates under the jurisdiction of its flag state because national abortion bans only extend to territorial waters. Women brought onto the ship undergo medical evaluations, and receive abortion pills.

In Malta, the group has placed several abortion key safes across the country. The safes contain abortion pills. Women who are less than 9 weeks pregnant and in need of an abortion can email the organization to get the location and the code of the safes.

https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/