Navigation Back Search

"Your official source of comprehensive information and news about The United Methodist Church."

Top Story

Local Church
Josephine Kwamboka, 12, fetches water from a tap installed by First United Methodist Church of Moheto, Kenya. Prior to the installation of the well, children traveled great distances each day to find water in streams and ponds. Waterborne illnesses have decreased significantly since the well was drilled. Photo by Gad Maiga, UM News.
Josephine Kwamboka, 12, fetches water from a tap installed by First United Methodist Church of Moheto, Kenya. Prior to the installation of the well, children traveled great distances each day to find water in streams and ponds. Waterborne illnesses have decreased significantly since the well was drilled. Photo by Gad Maiga, UM News.

Kenyan church provides clean, safe water
Today, some 2,000 community members, including 500 pupils at Moheto Primary School, benefit from a borehole project in rural Kenya.

Editor's Picks

Local Church
The Rev. Kelvin Mwandira (right) delivers mushrooms he has cultivated to customers Esther Razo and Solomon Chiripasi outside the Zimbabwe West Conference offices in Harare. Mwandira is among retired clergy in Zimbabwe who have turned to agriculture and other small business ventures to help fund their retirements. Photo by Chenayi Kumuterera, UM News.

Retired pastors reap benefits of farming
Whether raising livestock or produce, new small-business entrepreneurs enjoy learning and earning.
Global Health
The Rev. Marvin Sulayao De Leon of Manena United Methodist Church in Bulacan, Philippines, receives a COVID-19 vaccine at San Miguel Bulacan Vaccination Center. United Methodists in the Philippines have worked with the government to fast-track vaccinations for church leaders, who are not categorized as front line workers, so that their ministry with the community can continue safely. Photo courtesy of Glessie Yambot De Leon.

Filipino churchgoers minister amid COVID-19
United Methodist churches have responded with prayer vigils, outreach to those affected, fast-tracked vaccinations for church workers and ongoing information sharing.
Annual Conferences
United Methodist News posts reports from annual conferences around the connection. World graphic by Josy Dom Alexis; image for Annual Conference Reports, United Methodist News, 2021.

2021 United Methodist annual conference reports
UM News posts the official summaries filed by annual conferences from around the connection. Find the latest reports on our archive page.

Latest

Social Concerns
The Rev. Joel Hortiales (left) prays with Carlos Ivan Baran Hidalgo; his wife, Danelly Mazariegos Morales; and their 3-year-old daughter, Scarlett Juliette, at the Camino de Salvación shelter in Tijuana, Mexico. The family fled violence in Guatemala and is hoping to pursue a claim for asylum in the U.S. Hortiales is a United Methodist missionary and serves as director of Hispanic/Latino ministries and border concerns for the California-Pacific Conference. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Photo essay: ‘I was a stranger…’
Mission and Ministry
The Rev. Kenneth Rowe, shown here in the United Methodist archives at Drew University in Madison, N.J., was an author, professor, librarian, archivist and bibliographer. Rowe died Oct. 8, at age 84. File photo courtesy of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History.

Kenneth Rowe, Methodist historian, dies at 84
Theology and Education
The Rev. William J. “Billy” Abraham, a longtime professor at Perkins School of Theology, is shown here at Perkins Chapel in Dallas in 2014. Abraham died Oct. 7 at 73. File photo by Hillsman Stuart Jackson, © Southern Methodist University.

Billy Abraham, traditionalist scholar, dies
Local Church
Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church has filed a counterclaim in response to a lawsuit by North Georgia Conference trustees. The legal dispute deals with property. Photo by Wendy Parker, East Cobb News.

Mt. Bethel countersues conference leaders
Social Concerns
Centennial United Methodist Church, which has made strides with the LGBTQ community and people with developmental disabilities, is in the process of better addressing racism as well. Artwork by Eve Newman, member of the Flames, a group of developmentally disabled people at Centennial United Methodist Church.

Inviting all: Prioritizing inclusivity
Human Rights
We Are One Family: Personal Encournters with Racism is a series of commentaries of personal experience with racism and the intersection of faith and justice. Hands image by truthseeker08 courtesy of Pixabay; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

We Are God's Family: Personal Encounters with Racism
View More

Sign up for our newsletter!

UMNEWS-SUBSCRIPTION
Help us celebrate the Power of Communication!
This essential work requires financial support. If you believe in our mission, consider a tax-deductible donation of $10-$50-$100 to the work of UMNews through the UMCom Foundation.

Multimedia

General Church
The Rev. Adam Hamilton, senior pastor United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, speaks about the pandemic and the proposed denominational split during an interview at United Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tenn. The church will host 2021 Leadership Institute on Sept. 29-Oct. 1 with a focus on helping pastors and laity address divisions in their communities. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
The Rev. Adam Hamilton, senior pastor United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, speaks about the pandemic and the proposed denominational split during an interview at United Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tenn. The church will host 2021 Leadership Institute on Sept. 29-Oct. 1 with a focus on helping pastors and laity address divisions in their communities. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Adam Hamilton: Leading in polarized times
Ahead of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection’s 2021 Leadership Institute, UM News spoke to the Rev. Adam Hamilton about the pandemic and proposed denominational split.

More

From top left: Storm clouds swirl behind Pine Grove United Methodist Church in Bastian, Va.; Hillary Cooper, 11, gives the sermon at Tubman Memorial United Methodist Church in Monrovia, Liberia; Andy, a recovering addict, gets a smooch from guard dog at Brookside Farm rehabilitation program in Aurora, W.Va.; the Rev. Armando Rodriguez Jr. (left) prays with Dr. Dimas Hidalgo (center) and Nelcilone Broga onboard the John Wesley medical boat while docked in Murutinga, Brazil. All photos by Mike DuBose, UM News.

UM News World Photography Day
Mission and Ministry
The Rev. Wayne Dickert guides a raft down the Nantahala River near Bryson City, N.C. A 1996 U.S. Olympic kayaker and pastor of Bryson City United Methodist Church, Dickert has conducted riverside services beside the Nantahala for the past 15 years. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Ministry on the river celebrates 15 years
Mission and Ministry
The Old Rectory in Epworth, England was built in 1709 following the "Great Fire" and was the home of John and Charles Wesley along with their parents and siblings. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

Ask the UMC: Where is John Wesley's birthplace?
Mission and Ministry
(Clockwise, from top left) Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the Rev. Stephen Handy leads a prayer vigil in Nashville, Tenn., for those lost to acts of racism; Jackson Chapel United Methodist Church in San Juan, Texas; volunteers from the United Methodist Committee on Relief distribute food to survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, Philippines. Photos by Mike DuBose, UM News.

United Methodist photos
View More

Commentaries

The Rev. Lovett H. Weems Jr. Photo courtesy of Wesley Theological Seminary.

Young elder numbers hit record low
The Rev. Taurai Emmanuel Maforo. Photo by Mutsa Roy Maforo.

Virtual church is the new ministry paradigm
Lynn Parsons. Photo courtesy of the author.

Abortion law should prompt action, not just outrage
The Rev. Paul T. Stallsworth. Photo by Krystal Baker.

Texas abortion law will save lives
Rick Reinhard. Photo by Valerie Smallwood.

A call to examine United Methodist real estate
The Rev. Dr. William B. Lawrence. Photo by Todd W. Lawrence.

Texas abortion law threatens ministry
The Rev. Thomas Kim. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UM News

A lamentation with hope for Afghanistan
The Rev. Janet L. Wolf. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Remembering a civil rights giant
VIEW MORE

Ask The UMC

Theology and Education
Eucharist is shared during the morning prayer held in the chapel of Sarum College during the 2016 Wesley Pilgrimage in England. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.
Eucharist is shared during the morning prayer held in the chapel of Sarum College during the 2016 Wesley Pilgrimage in England. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

Ask The UMC: Is communion simply a ritual of remembrance?
Holy Communion recalls the last supper Jesus had with his disciples. But it is more than just a ritual of remembering.

More

Theology and Education
Before receiving communion, we are invited to confess and turn from a state of sin as part of the liturgy. It is only through acknowledging our sin that a process of restoration can begin. Communion elements photo by hudsoncrafted, courtesy of Pixabay; graphic by Laurens Glass, United Methodist Communications.

Ask The UMC: Why do we confess our SIN, not SINS, in communion?
Theology and Education
An artist's rendering of Newbury Seminary in Newbury, Vermont, in 1839. The seminary would evolve into Boston University School of Theology. Betsey Dow Twombly became a teacher and head of "women's work" at the school in 1837 at the age of 19. Original image courtesy of Boston University School of Theology; graphic by Laurens Glass, United Methodist Communications.

Ask The UMC: Pioneer in Methodism, Betsey Down Twombly
Mission and Ministry
Connectional giving of The United Methodist Church funds ministries of the global denomination like disaster relief and education. Illustration by Mike DuBose, United Methodist Communications.

Ask The UMC: Does The UMC fund...?
Theology and Education
In times of illness, death and grief, pastors offer the hope and peace found in Jesus Christ. Image by truthseeker08, courtesy of Pixabay.

Ask The UMC: Do United Methodists offer last rites?
view more

Categories

Local Church
With The United Methodist Church facing a proposed split, multiple groups have events lined up to inform church members about their options. The groups include the Connectional Table, the Wesleyan Covenant Association and the Alabama-West Florida Reconciling Ministries Network. Road photo by Larisa Koshkina, courtesy of Pixbay; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Conversations address going separate ways
The Rev. Dariusz Zuber (right) conducts a service of baptism at God’s Love United Methodist Church in Ełk, Poland. The congregation has earned a reputation as an open and cooperative church. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Dariusz Zuber.

Partners help pastor revitalize struggling church
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia “Connie” Clark, board chair of the United Methodist Publishing House, died Sept. 24. She was 71. Photo by Ron Benedict, UMPH.

State high-court judge found time to serve church
View More
Evangelism
A solar-powered radio allows Tunui Metuni to listen to Trinity FM while tending his family’s livestock in Samburu County, Kenya. After the closure of schools in 2020 because of COVID-19, the church radio station began broadcasting school programs to children in a local language. Trinity United Methodist Church raised money in the community to donate 200 radio sets to vulnerable families. Photo by Faith Wanjiru, UM News.

Church hits airwaves to reach vulnerable communities
As part of the Boy Scouts of America's bankruptcy, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says it will pay $250 million into a fund for those who claim to have been sexually abused in Scouting. The LDS church and The United Methodist Church have both been major sponsoring or chartering groups for the BSA. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

LDS church to pay into Boy Scouts’ victims fund
The United Methodist Church recently reopened its FM radio station in Kinshasa, Congo. Lokole Methodist Radio covers almost 4,000 square miles in a region inhabited by about 17 million potential listeners in Congo and the surrounding areas. Photo courtesy of François Wetshi Emongo.

Congo church relaunches FM radio station
View More
Social Concerns
Domestic violence rates increased more than 8% as lockdowns were ordered during the COVID-19 pandemic. United Methodist Men and the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee collaborated to develop the AMENDing Through Faith program designed to help change harmful attitudes about women. Photo by Ronny Perry, United Methodist Communications.

Program preaches that real men respect women
A few mourners gather outside the home of Lillian Chikomo in Harare, Zimbabwe, for her funeral. They sang softly while Simon Mafunda (center) helped make sure COVID-19 precautions were followed. Most people who would have attended the service in person paid their respects by driving by slowly in front of her home. Mafunda is lay leader of the Zimbabwe East Conference of The United Methodist Church. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

COVID-19 challenges congregations, families
Imam Ossama Bahloul of the Islamic Center of Nashville expresses appreciation to Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville for hosting his congregation during Friday prayers in the month of Ramadan while their mosque was being renovated. At left is Kamel Daouk, board chairman of the Islamic center. At right is the Rev. Paul Purdue, senior pastor at Belmont. As the U.S. marks the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, one expert in Islamic-Christian relations said perceptions of Islam by Americans have improved over the past two decades. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Church work continues in Afghanistan
View More
Mission and Ministry
This is the change of the caption

Church builds shelter for orphans in Congo
Visitors browse a gallery of artifacts at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. The museum held its grand opening on Sept. 18-19. It took decades to get funding and build the museum. Photo courtesy of First Americans Museum.

Native American museum makes belated debut
Ana Salazar (left) receives a COVID-19 vaccination from registered nurse Tabitha England during a clinic at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C., in April. The Rev. Dana Horrell, pastor at Cooperstown (N.Y.) United Methodist Church, has written a handbook to help congregations reach out to the unvaccinated. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Handbook aims to reach unvaccinated with compassion
View More
General Church
Ongoing financial challenges, made worse by the pandemic, have prompted big changes for the United Methodist Publishing House. The self-supporting agency has sold its Nashville, Tennessee, campus (pictured here) to a Chicago real estate firm, and has transferred the assets and management of a pension fund to Wespath Benefits and Investments. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Publishing House moves pension plan, sells campus
Barbara Boigegrain, top executive of Wespath Benefits and Investments, addresses the 2020 Pre-General Conference Briefing in Nashville, Tenn. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Boigegrain ready for life after Wespath
United Methodist Bishop Warner Brown (to the left of sign, middle row) poses with staff of the Albert Academy boys’ high school in Freetown, Sierra Leone, during a familiarization tour of United Methodist institutions in the country. Brown was appointed as interim bishop of the Sierra Leone Episcopal Area following the death of Bishop John K. Yambasu in 2020. Photo by Phileas Jusu, UM News.

Leading Sierra Leone after tragedy
View More