Latest news with #Methodist
2 days ago
- General
Archaeologists unearth foundation of 1760s schoolhouse for Black children
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Archaeologists in Virginia have unearthed the foundation of a building from the 1700s that once supported the nation's oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children, William & Mary announced Wednesday. The university in Williamsburg said the foundation is nearly completely intact. Archaeologists also uncovered a cellar that is layered with centuries of artifacts, including slate pencil fragments and jewelry. The schoolhouse was later used as a dormitory, housing some of the first generations of women to attend college in the U.S. 'The roots of our city and university entwine here," said Katherine A. Rowe, William & Mary's president. "Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century.' The Williamsburg Bray School taught hundreds of mostly enslaved students in the 1760s. The school rationalized slavery within a religious framework. And yet becoming literate also gave them more agency, with students sharing what they learned with family members. The schoolhouse then became a private home before it was incorporated into William & Mary's growing campus. The building was expanded for various purposes, including student housing, and later moved from its original location. Historians identified the structure in 2020 through a scientific method that examines tree rings in lumber. It was then moved to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a living history museum that includes parts of the original city. The museum has restored the schoolhouse and is working to identify the students' descendants. Meanwhile, archaeologists with Colonial Williamsburg recently uncovered the foundation and cellar during a major project by William & Mary to renovate a university building, Gates Hall. The school's archaeologists are also involved. Tom Higgins of William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research said the cellar is not lined with bricks and 'was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid.' Researchers have found handmade ceramics often associated with sites of enslavement and Indigenous communities, the university said. There are also items that appear to be more recent, such as a shard of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts. From 1924 to 1930, the building housed Methodist women attending William & Mary. 'We know that the girls at Brown Hall were furnishing their dorms,' said Michele Brumfield, senior researcher at the university's archaeological center. 'So maybe they were bringing in things like this.'
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Archaeologists unearth foundation of 1760s schoolhouse for Black children
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Archaeologists in Virginia have unearthed the foundation of a building from the 1700s that once supported the nation's oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children, William & Mary announced Wednesday. The university in Williamsburg said the foundation is nearly completely intact. Archaeologists also uncovered a cellar that is layered with centuries of artifacts, including slate pencil fragments and jewelry. The schoolhouse was later used as a dormitory, housing some of the first generations of women to attend college in the U.S. 'The roots of our city and university entwine here,' said Katherine A. Rowe, William & Mary's president. 'Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century.' The Williamsburg Bray School taught hundreds of mostly enslaved students in the 1760s. The school rationalized slavery within a religious framework. And yet becoming literate also gave them more agency, with students sharing what they learned with family members. The schoolhouse then became a private home before it was incorporated into William & Mary's growing campus. The building was expanded for various purposes, including student housing, and later moved from its original location. Historians identified the structure in 2020 through a scientific method that examines tree rings in lumber. It was then moved to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a living history museum that includes parts of the original city. The museum has restored the schoolhouse and is working to identify the students' descendants. Meanwhile, archaeologists with Colonial Williamsburg recently uncovered the foundation and cellar during a major project by William & Mary to renovate a university building, Gates Hall. The school's archaeologists are also involved. Tom Higgins of William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research said the cellar is not lined with bricks and 'was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid.' Researchers have found handmade ceramics often associated with sites of enslavement and Indigenous communities, the university said. There are also items that appear to be more recent, such as a shard of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts. From 1924 to 1930, the building housed Methodist women attending William & Mary. 'We know that the girls at Brown Hall were furnishing their dorms,' said Michele Brumfield, senior researcher at the university's archaeological center. 'So maybe they were bringing in things like this.'
Int'l Business Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Ted Davis Empowers Leaders by Enhancing Their Communication and Trust Skills
Halford E. Luccock, a Methodist Minister, once said, "No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it." The same notion applies to teams. Although each member has distinctive skills and produces outstanding results individually, it doesn't guarantee the team's success. Teams must, therefore, work cohesively, in other words, they must have mutual respect. American author Patrick Lencioni presents the Five Behaviors® model, a roadmap for creating highly cohesive teams. Inspired by The Five Dysfunctions of a Team , it emphasizes five behaviors of a cohesive team—Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results—enabling the team to operate with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Team members must feel safe enough to reveal their weaknesses and express their opinions without fear of ridicule. This trust is the foundation for constructive conflict, which is an open and honest dialogue about differing perspectives. Team members can fully commit even if it wasn't their preference when there's trust and ideas are voiced through healthy conflict. Having committed to a shared action plan, they can then hold each other responsible for delivering on their commitments, allowing them to focus on results. Ted Davis, DSL, the founder of Grace Strategic Services, Inc. (GSSI), a consultancy firm that enhances leadership performance and organizational success, draws from Lencioni's insights. He champions a leadership philosophy that revolves around the idea that communicating effectively and instilling trust are one and the same skill set. Davis believes that trust forms the foundation of effective communication. In turn, effective communication is essential to building trust. "When team members trust each other, they make themselves vulnerable to the other's intentions. Such vulnerability reduces defensiveness and welcomes collaboration. The problem of not having trust is that communication becomes clouded by doubt. The messages are usually misinterpreted," he supplies. He states that effective communication is the process of encoding, exchanging, and decoding information to create shared meaning, even when opinions differ. The level of trust influences how messages are received. Leaders must, therefore, demonstrate trustworthiness. After all, their words carry weight. When they communicate effectively, they effortlessly strengthen trust. Davis argues that leaders must create an environment where trust is implicit, even in times of disagreement. Team members are more likely to understand and accept each other's perspectives if they believe others have good intentions. This would then lead to more productive dialogue and communication. "Trust and communication are two sides of the same coin," Davis states, highlighting their interconnectedness in pursuing leadership excellence. Another major influence on Davis' unique approach to leadership is Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. The book tackles how credibility is the foundation of effective leadership. The authors state that leaders earn credibility by demonstrating competence, consistency, and integrity. Davis emphasizes that those in positions of power must consistently demonstrate their values and principles through their actions. If they remain consistent in their team-focused behavior and combine it with open communication, leaders can gain the trust of their team—a crucial aspect for long-term success. "Credibility isn't just a matter of perception. Think of it as a leader's currency, which is acquired over time through intentional behavior," Davis remarks. Davis also draws inspiration from Stephen M. R. Covey's The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything . In this book, Covey highlights how trust accelerates business processes and reduces costs. This notion stems from the fact that organizations that operate with high levels of trust are more efficient. The author identifies four credibility attributes that Davis incorporates into his leadership philosophy: Integrity, Intention, Capability, and Results. Essentially, leaders must be honest, demonstrate strong moral principles, and act with clear, positive intent while showing care and concern for others. They must also have the skills and knowledge to perform tasks and deliver outcomes that meet expectations. Davis stresses that character, knowledge, and competence are three critical elements in leading the team toward success. As someone with a military background, Davis simplifies leadership as "be, know, and do." "A leader's character drives their motives. Those motives are reflected in their words and actions. This cycle of 1. Motives shape words and actions, 2. Words and actions Create trusting relationships, 3. Trusting relationships drive team success," he expounds. Ted Davis stresses that trust and communication are the foundation of effective leadership. Through GSSI, he intends to continue helping leaders create environments where teams thrive and achieve results. Davis developed programs like the Define leadership, Assess competencies, Design challenging experiences and education, Support the development process (DADS) Leadership Development Process to fulfill this goal, equipping senior and mid-level leaders with the right mindset to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities.
USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
88 children in protective custody after reports of abuse at Iowa religious camp
88 children in protective custody after reports of abuse at Iowa religious camp A total of 88 children were removed from the camp, entered into temporary foster care and reunited with their parents, officials said. Show Caption Hide Caption Calling 911: What you need to know Calling 911 is for emergencies only, but what counts as an emergency? Nearly 90 children were removed from a religious camp in Iowa last week and placed into child protective custody following reports of child abuse and endangerment, an Iowa Sheriff's Office announced on Monday. Multiple agencies were involved in the large two-day operation at the Shekinah Glory Camp, a bible camp with a stated focus on helping adults and children suffering from addiction run by the Kingdom Ministry of Rehab and Recreation in southeastern Iowa, according to the Louisa County Sheriff's Office. A total of 88 children were taken into custody and moved to a Methodist church to meet with child protection workers, enter into temporary foster care and reunite with their parents, the sheriff's office said. Officials have not provided details about why they believe the children were in danger, how old the children were, why they were at the camp or if anyone was arrested. Louisa County Sheriff Brandon Marquardt did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. "The investigation is on-going at this time," the sheriff's office said in a statement on social media. What is the Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation? A website for the Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation says its mission is 'Assisting individuals in breaking free from addiction through God's Word, offering food and shelter to those in need, and supporting individuals during fasting and prayer.' The Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation, which was founded in Iowa in 2018, was hosting a summer camp from June 8 to 29 at the property where the law enforcement operation took place. The ministry's website says it rents five mobile homes for over 60 people in Columbus Junction, a city about 60 miles south of Cedar Rapids. The ministry has a stated goal to build a church and "a house for 100 people" in 2025. Family behind ministry denies allegations The family that runs the ministry and camp denied allegations of child abuse or endangerment. "If they want to investigate, they can investigate. We're innocent. They're not going to find anything," Victor Bawi, whose parents run the ministry, told WQAD-TV. He added, "We hope that the children are well and they can come back. We talked to the children and their parents. They want to come back." Bawi told the outlet that the group takes in adults and children from across the state who are struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism. He said the camp has a focus on bible study and said that during free time, children play volleyball, soccer and other outdoor activities.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Six Wiregrass Methodist churches to close
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — Six churches in the Wiregrass will close after a vote by members in the Alabama West-Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. The announcement to close a total of 27 churches came near the end of the conference's annual meeting on Tuesday at the Pensacola First United Methodist Church. Of those 27 churches, the six in the Wiregrass include: Sardis United Methodist Church in Hartford Center Ridge United Methodist Church in Coffee Springs Williams Chapel United Methodist Church in Brundidge Epworth United Methodist Church in Barbour County Memorial United Methodist Church in Covington County Williams Chapel United Methodist Church in Pike County The closures took effect on Tuesday, and all property held by these churches was transferred to the Board of Trustees of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. A speaker cited that most of the closures were due to declining membership, but also stated that some of the churches, including those in the Wiregrass, were closed because 'circumstances existed at these churches that required immediate protection of the local church property for the benefit of the denomination.' Many in the crowd were crying as the announcements were made. The other churches that were closed during the conference are: Friendship United Methodist Church in Jackson County, Florida Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church in Choctaw County Mt. Herman United Methodist Church in Hale County Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church in Hale County Ramsey's Chapel in Hale County Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church in Hale County China Grove United Methodist Church in Hale County Morris Chapel of Opelika in Lee County Irvington United Methodist Church in Mobile County Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Montgomery County Minerva United Methodist Church in Washington County Trinity Weoka United Methodist Church in Elmore County Epworth United Methodist Church in Barbour County Greenville First United Methodist Church in Butler County Trinity United Methodist Church in Russell County Guy's Chapel United Methodist Church in Baldwin County Fitzpatrick United Methodist Church in Bullock County Loachapoka United Methodist Church in Lee County Whitfield Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery County Butler First United Methodist Church in Choctaw County Flomaton United Methodist Church in Escambia County McRae Street of Atmore First United Methodist Church in Escambia County In March, the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church voted to close 20 churches. The closures come as the UMC faces several pending lawsuits, including one from Dothan's Harvest Church, over land and disafiliation disputes. Thousands of Methodist congregations split from the denomination over disputes involving the church's LGBTQ-related policies. United Methodist rules forbid same-sex marriage rites and the ordination of 'self-avowed practicing homosexuals,' but progressive Methodist churches and regional governing bodies in the U.S. have increasingly been defying these rules. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
