On August 1 the Michigan Area Communications Team “turned the key and opened the door on the new website MichiganUMC.org.  Since that time this site has served both the Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conferences.

Area Director of Communications, Mark Doyal, has noted: “Moving to a new website it a lot like moving into a new home.  Over the weekend, we trucked over all of our ‘boxes’ of data and information from the old websites to the new one.  And like moving into a new home, it will take us many months before we can get all of these boxes unpacked.”

Today, three months after the unpacking of “boxes” began, we are happy to announce the addition of several features.

First, note that Appointments are now being listed on the site. Click here for the pastoral moves that have taken place since the close of the Detroit and West Michigan Annual Conference sessions. The list is in “descending order” showing the newest appointments at the top. The most recent five appointments can always be found on the lower left corner of the news homepage. Clicking “read more” on any appointment in the list will take the reader to additional detail about that individual appointment.

Second, a word about Comments on the site. Comments made to any feature on MichiganUMC.org are mediated through Facebook. The decision was made to use this method because it minimizes spam and helps to personalize comments. The team has heard from several readers who are not members of Facebook, expressing concern on their inability to interact with website features. As a service to those non-Facebook readers, we offer this alternative for now. Send your comments to News Editor Kay DeMoss at [email protected]. Kay will enter comments on behalf of those readers with two conditions: 1) comments must not exceed 200 words; 2) comments will be posted with the full name of the person commenting.

Third, our Classifieds have been “under construction” during this start-up time. We understand that this service is especially important for persons seeking employment as well as those churches and agencies that have staffing needs. It is our intention to have Classifieds ready for use within the next several days. In the meantime, Classifieds should be sent to your District Office and to MIConnect Editor, Valerie Mossman-Celestin.

Finally, some information about Events. MichiganUMC.org  and its companion MIConnect Weekly publish information of District-wide, Conference-wide, Area-wide and Denomination-wide scope. Congregation-based events may be promoted through District news channels. To request an event be included on the Events Calendar, please send a 100-word description of the event, along with any related brochures or registration materials, to Valerie Mossman-Celestin. Copy to Kay DeMoss for consideration as a possible news feature. We encourage readers to make regular visits to both News.michiganumc.org and Events.michiganumc.org to keep fully informed about what’s happening.

Thank you for your patience as we settle into MichiganUMC.org. The Michigan Area Communications Team takes seriously its ministry for and with the household of God and will continue to do its best to provide timely information and inspiration for those who dwell together in this new home.

Last Updated on November 2, 2023