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Members of Sayuni United Methodist Church in Fizi, Congo, participate in Sunday worship. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, around 24,000 people would attend church services each Sunday in the Kivu Conference. Now, that number is about 10,000, according to the conference's statistician. Photo by Philippe Kituka Lolonga, UM News.

United Methodists promote COVID-19 vaccines in Congo

Downward trend continues in church attendance, finances and evangelism efforts as faithful opt to stay home rather than risk infection.

Editor's Picks

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

Racism underlies many significant issues, such as hunger, discrimination and disparities in education and income. As people around the world struggle with racism, personal stories are helping change hearts and minds.

Mission and Ministry

Neighborhood residents wait to receive food during a distribution at First United Methodist Church in Flushing, N.Y. Photo by the Rev. Thomas Kim, UM News.

Ethnic churches collaborate to feed New York neighbors

Many ethnic minority churches have initiated food ministries to help local communities struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global Health

Health workers vaccinate Francia Nolasco, 78, against COVID-19 at her home in Marikina, Metro Manila, Philippines. The United Methodist Board of Church and Society in the Philippines is calling on the government to provide coherent direction in addressing the pandemic crisis. Photo by Eloisa Lopez, Reuters.

Church leaders urge stronger pandemic response

Encouraging compassion, Philippines church and society board calls on government to enforce quarantine rules, offer mass COVID-19 testing and provide coherent direction.

Latest

Global Health

Camisha Henson holds her son Welles in her lap while receiving a COVID-19 vaccination from Tabitha England, RN, during a clinic at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charlotte, N.C.

Churches get COVID-19 vaccines to thousands

Bishops

The Holston Conference’s Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor embraces the Rev. David Graves following his election as United Methodist bishop at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 2016. On April 30, the Council of Bishops affirmed its decision to delay electing any new leaders until after the postponed General Conference. File photo by Annette Spence, Holston Conference.

Bishops’ election plans draw mixed reaction

General Church

The three European central conferences of The United Methodist Church covering 32 countries and 10 time zones are making plans for a proposed denomination-wide split. Four bishops (clockwise from top left), Edward Khegay, Christian Alsted, Harald Rückert and Patrick Streiff, have drafted next steps should a separation plan win General Conference approval. Image courtesy of the bishops.

Europeans make plans for separation

General Agencies

The parking lot of the United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville, Tenn., stands empty on Friday, May 1, 2020. The self-supporting agency recently entered a purchase agreement with an investment firm expected to lease the office space to the public. That move, combined with better sales of church resources as the pandemic lifts in the U.S., has brightened the Publishing House’s financial picture. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Publishing House rebounds

General Church

An excerpt from the full-page ad placed in the May 9 issue of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by a group of North Georgia Conference laity. The ad was an open letter to Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson seeking answers around the appointment dispute at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church, LGBTQ inclusion and the future of the church. Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Georgia group questions bishop in full-page ad

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