United Methodists launch effort to expand scouting ministry

The General Commission on United Methodist Men, meeting Sept. 6-7 in Nashville, learned that there are 363,876 youth meeting in 10,868 BSA units sponsored by 6,700 United Methodist congregations, the second highest among all denominations. That number is likely to increase because of the presence of 234 scouting ministry specialists in 47 annual conferences and because Mississippi Area Bishop James Swanson, chair of the commission, has written a letter to other active bishops encouraging them to hold Bishop’s Dinners for Scouting.