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Asbury United Methodist Church’s Wheelchair Ramp Ministry assists community members in need in Bossier City, La. Asbury is one of the churches benefiting from the Louisiana Conference’s new Jubilee Initiative, which will invest $15 million into local churches to help erase debt and support mission and ministry. Photo courtesy of Bryleigh Smith Photography.

Louisiana Conference invests $15M in churches

As part of its new Jubilee Initiative, the Louisiana Conference is helping local churches to pay off debt, fund ministries, expand staffing and more.

Editor's Picks

Immigration

Members of MARCHA discuss priorities during their online annual meeting, held July 31-Aug. 1. The caucus replaced its in-person meeting with a virtual gathering due to concerns that members of the Hispanic-Latino community could be detained while traveling under the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Advocacy for immigrant communities will remain a priority for the group, members said. Photo composition by the Rev. Gustavo Vasquez, UM News.

Hispanic-Latino caucus reviews mission, structure

MARCHA sets priorities at annual meeting, including reviewing bylaws, strengthening ties with Latin America, advocating for immigrant communities and developing the Elías Galván Endowment Fund.

Discipleship

Pastor Dean Roush (right) and volunteers from Mora United Methodist Church in Minnesota sing with residents of a nursing home as part of the church’s community outreach. A free bread giveaway and weekly coffee chat also provide opportunities for church members to be in fellowship with their community. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Church finds joy in bread, coffee and communion

Members of Mora United Methodist and their pastor reach beyond the church’s walls to connect with neighbors.

Annual Conferences

Annual Conference Reports

2026 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 News

After a season of church disaffiliations, United Methodists are still bringing disputes to civil courts. In the past week, the Baltimore-Washington Conference filed a federal lawsuit to defend the denomination’s trust clause. Meanwhile, Highland Park United Methodist has filed its response to the Horizon Texas Conference lawsuit. Photo illustration by Ray Shrewsberry, Pixabay.

Court cases test United Methodist governance

Judith Yanga Osongo (left), director of communications for the East Congo Episcopal Area, raises awareness about Ebola prevention measures at a United Methodist church in Beni, Congo, in the Kivu Annual Conference. This grassroots communications campaign, jointly supported by United Methodist Communications and Global Ministries, includes distribution of posters and essential prevention messages in the areas affected by the Bundibugyo virus outbreak. Photo courtesy of the East Congo Episcopal Area.

Church builds on Ebola response in Congo

The Rev. Anjie Peek Rivers officiates at a baptism Aug. 9 for the Nichols family at Atlanta’s Eastside Church, one of nine small, thriving United Methodist congregations featured in a new report by Wesleyan Impact Partners. In “Flourishing Small Congregations,” the Texas-based nonprofit challenges The United Methodist Church to see small churches as assets. Eastside also celebrated its 15th anniversary Aug. 9. Photo by Karina Aragon-Buchanan, Eastside Church.

How small congregations can flourish

Theology and Education

An English edition of a Korean United Methodist small-group curriculum on Jesus’ parables is expanding the resource’s reach. The Rev. Timothy Myunghoon Ahn’s “He Spoke to Them Using Parables: The Parables of Jesus” is designed for small groups in United Methodist congregations. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Small-group resource crosses language, cultural boundaries

Members of Bartee Pannoh United Methodist Church and community members celebrate during the dedication of a water well in the Karquekpo community in Sinoe County, Liberia. As part of its most recent outreach, the Liberia Conference provided 25 water wells, 15 gender-sensitive toilets and poly tanks to harvest rain water in rural communities where the church is present. Photo courtesy of the United Methodist Human Rights Monitor.

Church expands access to clean water in Liberia

Mission and Ministry

Living the vision

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Worshippers sing traditional Shona hymns during a revival organized by the Women’s Fellowship of The United Methodist Church’s United Kingdom District, July 2-5 in Blackpool, England. The annual Chiringanyanza Revival brings together Zimbabwean United Methodists from across the U.K. for worship, fellowship and spiritual renewal. Photo by Priscilla Muzerengwa, UM News.

Church keeps UK Zimbabweans connected to home

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Bishop Juan de Dios Peña, episcopal leader of the Evangelical Methodist Church of El Salvador, serves Holy Communion during a worship service at the World Methodist Council meeting held Aug. 12-16 in San Salvador, El Salvador. Photo courtesy of the Evangelical Methodist Church of El Salvador.

Meeting puts focus on Salvadoran Methodism

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Social Concerns

Peter Levenstrong, associate rector at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, speaks during the AI and Church Summit Aug. 24-27 at the Harry Denman Building in Nashville, Tenn. The ecumenical gathering, themed “Human Agency,” featured participants from The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA) and The United Methodist Church. Photo by Chris Law, Discipleship Ministries.

Summit probes the danger and benefits of AI

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Mission and Ministry

Bishops Gaspar J. Domingos, Ande I. Emmanuel and Nelson Kalombo Ngoy follow proceedings during the Africa College of Bishops opening worship service held at First United Methodist Church in Monrovia, Liberia. The church, which was built in 1822, is the oldest Protestant church in Africa. Photo courtesy of Liberia Annual Conference Communications.

African bishops celebrate growth, ecumenism

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The flag corps and band of the Methodist high school in El Salvador perform on Aug. 14 for members of the World Methodist Council meeting in San Salvador. The Evangelical Methodist Church of El Salvador operates the school and has plans to build an elementary school. Photo by Heather Hahn, UM News.

Methodist family spotlights justice, peace, joy

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Commentaries

The Rev. Lindsey B. Freeman. Photo by Adam Bowers.

Walking the journey of calling

This blog appears in the Blogs and Commentaries section of UM News. UM News is a ministry of United Methodist Communications.

Suicide is a public health crisis. How can faith communities respond?

James H. Salley. Photo courtesy of the author.

James Laney had big impact on Africa University

Remembering 9/11 at John Street church

The Rev. Paul T. Stallsworth. Photo by Krystal Baker.

Getting beyond the traditionalism of liberalism

An upswell of joy

The Rev. Christopher P. Momany. Photo by Kristen Schell.

On human dignity: People are ends in themselves

When screens become a theological question

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Multimedia

Graphic by Ben Ward, photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

UM News Podcast Season One

Coming September 28: Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News.

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Pastor Dean Roush (right) and volunteers from Mora United Methodist Church in Minnesota sing with residents of a nursing home as part of the church’s community outreach. A free bread giveaway and weekly coffee chat also provide opportunities for church members to be in fellowship with their community. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Church finds joy in bread, coffee and communion

The Rev. Andrea Byer Thomas makes therapeutic soaps and creams to soothe skin allergies. Photos courtesy of Handmade Luxuries.

A ministry of healing

Disaster Relief

Lahaina United Methodist Church on Maui lost its sanctuary in the deadly Maui wildfires, but its congregation never lost its faith. Photo by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

3 years after wildfire, hope spreads in Lahaina

Mission and Ministry

The Rev. Betsy Singleton Snyder offers a blessing to Julia Sugarbaker, a mini goldendoodle, at Pinnacle View United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Ark. Snyder and co-author Gayle Fiser have written a book on how churches can start successful pet ministries. Photo from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

How churches can adopt their own pet ministries