Latest news with #Wesleyan
Western Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Narberth's former library for sale with £120,000 guide price
The former Narberth Library in St James Street, Narberth, has been empty since the town's new library opened last year. Concern was recently raised after the building was broken into and vandalised, with police saying they would be stepping up patrols to protect it from further damage. Originally a Wesleyan church, the single-storey building, declared surplus to requirements by Pembrokeshire County Council, is now on the market with a guide price of £120,000. The sale of the former library offers an 'exciting opportunity', say the agents. (Image: John Francis) It is due to be sold by agents John Francis under the Modern Method of Auction, enabling interested buyers to bid online. The library was temporarily closed by the council for essential building work in November 20222, re-opening almost a year later. Its final chapter came in October 2024 when Narberth's new purpose-built library opened in the redeveloped Old School site at the entrance to the Townsmoor car park. It is operated by the Friends of Narberth Library, in conjunction with Pembrokeshire County Council and Narberth Town Council. The former library is 'a versatile space full of character'. (Image: John Francis) The agents state that the sale of the former library building is 'an exciting opportunity'. They add: "This unique premises offers a versatile space full of character and potential, suitable for a variety of uses (subject to the necessary planning consents). "The premises feature a spacious open-plan studio area, complemented by office space and kitchen facilities, making it ideal for creative, commercial, or community purposes." The building features a porch, reception room/open plan area, inner hallway, kitchen area, office and outbuilding.
Cision Canada
28-05-2025
- General
- Cision Canada
Looking back, looking forward: The United Church of Canada at 100 years
ST. JOHN'S, NL, May 28, 2025 /CNW/ - The United Church of Canada was formed on June 10, 1925, through an Act of Canadian Parliament. On June 8 at 7 p.m. NL, a worship service in the historic Gower Street United Church in St. John's, NL, will commemorate that moment 100 years ago. The Centennial theme is Deep, Bold, Daring. "As The United Church of Canada prepares to commemorate its centennial, it is not just looking back at 100 years of faith and justice in Canada, but using the occasion to look forward to the next 100," says Rev. Michael Blair, General Secretary. "We're answering the call to renew the church for the next 100 years by highlighting the global and local work the church is doing, and who the church is becoming." The service includes a mass choir from churches across Newfoundland and Labrador. Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, will address the special in-person service, which will also be livestreamed nationally on The United Church of Canada's YouTube channel. Other highlights of the weekend include: Friday, June 6 at 9:30 a.m. – more than 50 leaders and members of the General Council Executive volunteering at Bridges to Hope, First United Church, 221 Park Ave., Mount Pearl, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Stella's Circle, 77 Charter Ave, St. John's, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7 at 6 p.m. – Centennial celebration dinner for invited guests Sunday, June 8 at 10 a.m. – senior staff preaching at churches in and near St. John's. The United Church of Canada brought together some Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational congregations, along with the General Council of the Local Union Churches in a remarkable effort of collaboration and agreement. It inherited the Wesleyan tradition in Canada and is a member of the World Methodist Council. The service at Gower Street UC honours Newfoundland's integral role in the history of The United Church of Canada – both as the historic home of Methodism in Canada, and because Newfoundland joined the United Church more than two decades before it joined the confederation of Canada. REV. PROF. DR. JERRY PILLAY As the general secretary of the World Council of Churches. Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay is the chief executive officer with final responsibility for the work of the Council and its staff, and speaks on its behalf. He began serving as general secretary on January 1, 2023. He is the ninth general secretary in the WCC's history since the fellowship of churches was founded in 1948. He was previously dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria. A member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, he is from South Africa. [email protected] | [email protected], Based in Kitchener, Ont.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Looking back, looking forward: The United Church of Canada at 100 years
ST. JOHN'S, NL, May 28, 2025 /CNW/ - The United Church of Canada was formed on June 10, 1925, through an Act of Canadian Parliament. On June 8 at 7 p.m. NL, a worship service in the historic Gower Street United Church in St. John's, NL, will commemorate that moment 100 years ago. The Centennial theme is Deep, Bold, Daring. "As The United Church of Canada prepares to commemorate its centennial, it is not just looking back at 100 years of faith and justice in Canada, but using the occasion to look forward to the next 100," says Rev. Michael Blair, General Secretary. "We're answering the call to renew the church for the next 100 years by highlighting the global and local work the church is doing, and who the church is becoming." The service includes a mass choir from churches across Newfoundland and Labrador. Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, will address the special in-person service, which will also be livestreamed nationally on The United Church of Canada's YouTube channel. Other highlights of the weekend include: Friday, June 6 at 9:30 a.m. – more than 50 leaders and members of the General Council Executive volunteering at Bridges to Hope, First United Church, 221 Park Ave., Mount Pearl, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Stella's Circle, 77 Charter Ave, St. John's, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7 at 6 p.m. – Centennial celebration dinner for invited guests Sunday, June 8 at 10 a.m. – senior staff preaching at churches in and near St. John's. The United Church of Canada brought together some Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational congregations, along with the General Council of the Local Union Churches in a remarkable effort of collaboration and agreement. It inherited the Wesleyan tradition in Canada and is a member of the World Methodist Council. The service at Gower Street UC honours Newfoundland's integral role in the history of The United Church of Canada – both as the historic home of Methodism in Canada, and because Newfoundland joined the United Church more than two decades before it joined the confederation of Canada. REV. PROF. DR. JERRY PILLAY As the general secretary of the World Council of Churches. Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay is the chief executive officer with final responsibility for the work of the Council and its staff, and speaks on its behalf. He began serving as general secretary on January 1, 2023. He is the ninth general secretary in the WCC's history since the fellowship of churches was founded in 1948. He was previously dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria. A member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, he is from South Africa. SOURCE United Church of Canada View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WV Wesleyan professor admits she couldn't sit silently as Sen. Shelley Moore Capito gave commencement speech
BUCKHANNON — A couple of weeks ago, West Virginia Wesleyan College professor Emily Ziebarth attended what she characterized as a strange meeting. The school's administration, she said, told the gathered faculty and staff they would not be told who this year's commencement speaker was. "There was a strange sort of preemptive defense," Ziebarth said. "The president ran through how he votes and all that, and then gave us the option between coming and not coming. If you weren't comfortable with who was going to speak, you were welcome to not come. And that was the part that bothered me the most. I don't like being given false dilemmas like that." The secrecy was for naught. Two days before the graduation ceremony, it leaked online that Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, would be the commencement speaker. After a protest directed at Sen. Capito began gaining traction online, faculty received an email the night before the ceremony announcing the event had been moved inside the chapel. The school stated in the email it was due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control. The school didn't release Sen. Capito's name officially until the morning of the graduation ceremony. The second email also said security would be increased due to a security concern unrelated to the keynote speaker. Wesleyan declined to comment. Republican elected officials have faced constituent anger at town halls across the country. As President Donald Trump's administration reshapes American government, voters have demanded their elected officials push back on the actions of the Trump administration. A nationwide protest movement has developed, demanding the Trump administration stop dismantling government agencies, stop ignoring the orders of federal courts, especially where immigration is concerned and removing Elon Musk from government, to name a few. So far, Sen. Capito, Sen. Jim Justice and Rep. Riley Moore have not appeared at any town hall demanded by their voters. Ziebarth called Wesleyan's decision to keep the commencement speaker secret strange. To her knowledge as a member of academia, other politicians who have spoken at commencement are usually announced way ahead of time. Her feeling, she said, was the school's choice was made less out of an "unrelated" security concern, and more out of a desire to avoid controversy and play both sides. After the speaker's identity leaked online, Ziebarth said a lot of her colleagues and several of her students weren't comfortable at Wesleyan's choice to have Sen. Capito give the commencement speech. Ziebarth said the Trump administration was openly attacking higher education and education in general by threatening and defunding institutions of learning across the country. "She is aligned with an administration that is attacking our values right now," Ziebarth said. About a mile away off college grounds, a protest of around 45-50 people formed and did their best to make themselves heard by Sen. Capito. The protest pulled itself together with only 48 hours notice. Matt Kerner, coordinating member with the Poor People's Campaign, criticized WV Wesleyan for having Capito as a speaker. He said Capito has aligned herself with an administration that has damaged thousands of nonprofit agencies like his own by dismantling AmeriCorps. People who took a year off to do nonprofit work before continuing on with a masters or doctorate program just had their plans torn up and thrown in the garbage, he said. "A lot of Republicans are shying away from cameras, and they don't want to be tied to the legislation they're supporting," Kerner said. "They want to distance themselves and that is our job to shine the light on what they are trying to hide in the darkness. And they're trying to hide an upwards continuation of the transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top right now." Kimberly Berks, one of the protestors, reacted to a portion of Sen. Capito's speech. In her speech, Sen. Capito said things have to go right in the United States, because if they don't go right here, they're not going to go right in the rest of the world. "It sounds good, but that's not what they're doing," Berks said. "They're not helping anybody. They're only helping themselves. They're cutting into a lot of programs we can't afford to lose. We'll never get it right because they're not getting it right." Recently, Sen. Capito pounded the drum after DOGE began dismantling the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown and furloughing its employees. Eventually, the administration relented and restored some workers to their posts but they still face termination in June. Capito urged Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to bring back those workers in order to support the coal industry. Capito also advocated for the Head Start program. The Trump administration restored that program's funding in its budget proposal. However, Kerner is suspicious of Capito's motives. He said the only reason Capito has been working on behalf of those services is because people stood up and began to complain about the Trump administration cutting those services. "She did nothing," Kerner said. "People made noise, people pushed her to change, and she did." On the day of the ceremony, Ziebarth noticed a different atmosphere on campus. While a significant police presence on campus established itself, a stage originally set up for an outdoor ceremony lay unused. Ziebarth suspected the school wanted to avoid any controversy. The email sent to faculty said Capito had agreed to come to Wesleyan a year ago. What's most tragic to Ziebarth is she herself is a two time graduate of the school, first for her undergraduate and then her graduate degree. The school is where she came home to herself, so seeing the school cavort with a supporter of a president that is attacking higher education is heartbreaking for her. At the end of the day, Ziebarth had her own personal rebellion. While sitting as a faculty member across the podium where Capito would speak, Ziebarth put on some dark rainbow sunglasses and displayed a love thy neighbor flag once the senator took the stage. She also put on some headphones. While Ziebarth had her own personal feelings, she also made sure her personal statement wouldn't disrupt the ceremony. But there was also no way Capito could miss the statement Ziebarth was trying to make. "Democracy, in general, that seems to be disappearing rapidly, and so it's a really strange choice to bring a speaker like that there," she said. "They knew that would be contentious there. Why on Earth would you hold a meeting two weeks beforehand, and try to weirdly defend yourself prior to even announcing it, and then give everyone that choice, which again, to me, was basically saying be quiet at home or be quiet here. But I could not sit silently."
Wall Street Journal
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Harvard Can't Embrace the ‘Hillsdale Model'
In 'Harvard and the View From Hillsdale' (Weekend Interview, April 19), Tunku Varadarajan writes that Hillsdale President Larry Arnn 'believes the real problem—a moral crisis, even—was that 'Harvard and Columbia couldn't define a reason to stop' ' protests that disrupted their campuses. Even worse were the affirmative responses, such as that of Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan, where protesters violated multiple university rules to establish a 'Wesleyan Liberated Zone,' defaced sidewalks and buildings and issued demands. Mr. Roth announced he wouldn't clear the encampment even while acknowledging it violated the rules. A week later, he wrote that he had received many notes from alumni, parents and others criticizing his failure to enforce the rules, but that 'context matters' and 'cops don't always give people tickets for going a few miles over the speed limit.' 'I admire that they're not entirely taken up with grades or lining up their credentials,' he wrote of the protesters, before entering into an agreement with them, granting various demands.
