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People in the village of Samba, Congo, line the streets to welcome East Congo Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda, who spent 10 days in late September and early October visiting all seven districts in the remote East Congo Conference. It was the first time many United Methodists in the area had ever seen a bishop. Photo by Judith Osongo Yanga, UM News.

Bishop visits remote areas of Congo for first time

United Methodist Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda explores ‘rural realities’ in the East Congo Conference.

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Immigration

Jesús, a migrant from Michoacán state in Western Mexico, tries to shield his 1-year-old daughter, Kataleya, from a cold drizzle falling at the tent encampment where they are living at the foot of the Paso del Norte Bridge in Juárez, Mexico. Michoacán is among five states in Mexico given the highest-risk “do not travel” warning by the U.S. State Department.

Summit leads United Methodists to heart of border woes

The United Methodist Immigration Task Force traveled to El Paso, Las Cruces, and Juárez to see effects of immigration policy that is keeping migrants stuck in Mexico.

Chart summarizes and compares proposals to General Conference 2020 about the future of The United Methodist Church. Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Comparing plans headed to GC2020

This chart summarizes and compares proposals to General Conference 2020 about the future of The United Methodist Church. The chart does not include plans from individuals and may be updated after all legislation is published.

General Church

Southern Methodist University in Dallas recently changed it Articles of Incorporation and now faces a lawsuit filed by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church. The dispute involves the degree of United Methodist control of the school and comes as the denomination faces an uncertain future. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons.

Jurisdictional conference sues SMU

The Dallas school’s change in governance documents prompted the South Central Jurisdictional Conference to fight what it claims is an effort to sever longstanding legal ties.

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The choir of Anchorage’s First Samoan United Methodist Church sings during the Service of Commissioning and Reading of Appointments at the 2019 annual conference held at Christ First United Methodist Church in Wasilla, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaskan Conference.

Alaska moves to become ‘mission district’

Social Concerns

The Rev. Connie Semy Mella, Philippines Conference, works on the Revised Social Principles during a writing session at the United Methodist Building in Washington. The Revised Social Principles has been on an eight-year journey and the writing team included United Methodists from the global membership of the denomination. Photo courtesy of United Methodist Board of Church and Society.

Revised Social Principles reflect worldwide church

Mission and Ministry

The Rev. Ingrid McIntyre shares the story of the micro house community for homeless respite care under construction at Glencliff United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UM News.

Church building micro home village for homeless

The morning worship during the final day of the 2019 General Conference in St. Louis. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UM News.

As GC2020 nears, fewer keep to the sidelines

Social Concerns

Congolese youth, including United Methodists, pray for peace, during an ecumenical Church of Christ in Congo gathering in Bukavu, Congo. Photo by Philippe Kituka Lolonga, UM News.

United Methodists killed in Congo violence

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Multimedia

“Faithful Giving in a Time of Change,” a roundtable discussion of connectional giving in The United Methodist Church, is a video resource designed for local congregations to help explain the role of giving in the church. Panelists were (from left) Christine Dodson, the Rev. Reginald Clemons, John Pearce, the Rev. Lyssette Perez, the Rev. Dennis Shaw and panel moderator Vicki Brown. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UM News.

Faithful Giving in a Time of Change

This roundtable discussion of connectional giving in The United Methodist Church is a video resource designed to help local congregations explain the role of giving in the church.

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Rachael Porter and the Rev. David Johnston adopted two children who came from a home with opioid addiction. Johnston serves as pastor of Concord United Methodist Church in Athens, W.Va.

Clergy embrace becoming foster parents

Kate Rhodes (left) leads students from House of the Carpenter back from a field trip on Wheeling Island in Wheeling, W.Va. Rhodes was serving as youth coordinator for the program's Pre-Work Camp, which teaches basic employment skills to middle school students. House of the Carpenter is a mission project of The United Methodist Church's West Virginia Conference.

Ministries help children affected by addiction

Wayne Worth (right) embraces Roger outside his home in Fisher, W.Va. Worth, a member of United Methodist Temple in Clarksburg, was passing out flyers containing information about local resources for anyone struggling with addiction, when he met Roger.

Outreach ministry for addiction is simple, effective

Disaster Relief

Isabel João (right) and Maria Lidia António salvage what they can of their corn crop, which was killed before it matured when their field was flooded by Cyclone Idai in Buzi, Mozambique. “Hunger is the number one problem now,” Joao said. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.

After the cyclone, faith abides

Commentaries

Christians should defend journalists

United Methodists behind closed doors

Preventing a United Methodist Berlin Wall

Thomas Kemper, general secretary with United Methodist Global Ministries. Photo by Hector Amador for Global Ministries.

Rediscovering Native American-Methodist heritage

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Ask The UMC

Stained glass window featuring Charles Wesley from Grace United Methodist Church in Atlanta, part of the United Methodist Church Global Mission Center. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

Ask The UMC: Did Charles Wesley write Christmas hymns?

Wesley, a prolific hymn writer, wrote several hymns for Advent and Christmas, including a yuletide favorite.

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Theology and Education

A wreath with three lit candles marks the third week of Advent. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

Ask The UMC: What do the candles in our Advent wreath mean?

Theology and Education

At the time of Jesus, cremation was widely practiced by the Romans, but rarely by Jews and Christians because of their belief that the bodies of believers would one day be physically resurrected. Photo by MaryW, courtesy of Pixabay.

Ask the UMC: How does the church view cremation, organ donation?

Theology and Education

Seawall cross and moon at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church, Murrells Inlet, S.C. Photo by Austin Bond Photography.

Ask The UMC: What is The United Methodist Church's view of Halloween?

Theology and Education

Admittance to a Society Meeting required a ticket from a Class Meeting. Around the edges of this ticket from 1814 are several reminders of acts of piety. Photo courtesy of the General Commission on Archives and History.

Ask The UMC: How did John Wesley empower lay people?

Categories

Agronomist Rachid Mutoro (right), a United Methodist in the Kivu Conference, helps a member of United Methodist Men tend to a new tree nursery the men have started in Goma, Congo. The men’s group is planning to transfer the trees to United Methodist church land in the region. Photo by Philippe Kituka Lolonga, UM News.

United Methodist men fight climate change in Congo

Martha “Granny” Mudzengerere shows off her new book, “Old Time Religion,” which includes spiritual guidance and history about The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. It is the 104-year-old’s first book. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

United Methodist pens first book at 104 years old

The Rev. Nicole Reilley (left), pastor of Valencia United Methodist Church and the Rev. Melissa MacKinnon, East District superintendent of California-Pacific Conference, speak to participants at the Fresh United Methodism Summit about the Saugus School shooting on Nov. 14. Photo courtesy of the California-Pacific Conference.

United Methodist churches open doors after school shooting

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Vinicius Guimarães dos Santos, an educator with Shade and Fresh Water, an after-school ministry of the Methodist Church of Brazil, plays a game with some of the students at the Liberdade site in Brazil. The ministry is among many over the years receiving small grants through the Encounter with Christ in Latin America and the Caribbean Fund. Photo by Mark Greathouse, courtesy of Global Ministries.

Sustaining faith partnerships with Latin America

A Congolese student passes on a candle to his teacher as a symbol of successfully completing the Early Years of Education course at Dr. B.T. Cooper United Methodist School in Nairobi, Kenya. Of the 310 students enrolled at the school, 200 are Congolese children with refugee status. Photo by Gad Maiga, UM News.

Church school helps refugees heal

The Rev. Patrik Hipp and his wife, Zuzana Hipp (kneeling, second and third from left), pose with a small group of worshippers of the United Methodist mission congregation in Dolný Kubín, Slovakia. Photo courtesy of Rev. Patrik Hipp.

United Methodists building church in Dolný Kubín

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Social Concerns

Solange Cabwene (in blue shirt), a mother of two, brought her children to the United Methodist Irambo Health Center in Bukavu, Congo, for treatment for malnutrition. She joined The United Methodist Church's Vulnerable Association of Savings and Credit to help pay for her medical bills. “This helped me because the association gave me a credit (loan) and today I start selling embers, and my two children (will) not relapse," she said. Photo by Philippe Kituka Lolonga, UM News.

Making medical care more affordable in Congo

Teenager Melody Rudairo Nyamadzi, a junior Parliament representative and a member of the United Methodist Youth Fellowship, urges children to let their voices be heard during a special service led by the children’s ministry at St. Dorcas United Methodist Church in Harare, Zimbabwe. Photo by the Rev. Taurai Emmanuel Maforo, UM News.

Young United Methodist advocates for abused children

Ramiro Ramirez speaks at a Nov. 14 press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, protesting the proposed border wall. The wall would run through the property of Jackson Chapel United Methodist Church in San Juan, Texas, and two historic cemeteries. His great-grandfather donated land for the church, established in 1874. Photo by Erik Alsgaard, UM News.

Help sought to save historic church, cemeteries

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Mission and Ministry

Early on the morning of Nov. 26, a violent 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Albania, claiming over 20 lives, injuring 600 and collapsing buildings. Courtesy of Google maps.

Church mobilizes after earthquakes rock Albania

Moila Tarumbwa holds her newborn inside Old Mutare Mission Hospital in Mutare, Zimbabwe, after giving birth Dec. 1. The United Methodist hospital has seen an influx of patients since doctors at government hospitals went on strike three months ago. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Doctors’ strike taxes United Methodist hospitals

John Mark Santiago, former student governor of the College of Education local council at Wesleyan University-Philippines, signs paperwork to have his blood tested at an HIV and AIDS education and prevention forum at the university in Cabanatuan City, Philippines, on Oct. 30. Photo by Jon Balagan

Filipino United Methodists focus on HIV epidemic

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The Wesleyan Covenant Association has posted the first draft of the “Draft Book of Doctrines and Discipline for a New Methodist Church.” The document, a rule book for a proposed spinoff denomination from The United Methodist Church, was introduced Nov. 9 at Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Okla., during the association’s global gathering. Photo by Sam Hodges, UM News.

Scripture key to first draft of WCA discipline

Bishop Harald Rückert of Germany announces the support of bishops in Africa, Europe and the Philippines for the proposed U.S. regional conference. He made the announcement toward the end of the Nov. 3-6 Council of Bishops meeting in Lake Junaluska, N.C. Photo by Sam Hodges, UM News.

Bishops’ group backs US regional conference

Kevin Dunn presents an overview of U.S. United Methodist membership data to the General Council on Finance and Administration board during its Nov. 15 meeting in Nashville, Tenn. He is the agency’s director of data services. Among the bright spots he pointed to was the church’s growth in Hispanic and multiracial members. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UM News.

US dips below majority of membership

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