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Faith Stories
Bishop Alfred F. “Fritz” Mutti III, who led United Methodists in Kansas from 1992 to 2004, died Sept. 1 at age 88. Alongside his late wife, he advocated for LGBTQ inclusion and helped establish the United Methodist Global AIDS Committee and Fund. Photo courtesy of the Council of Bishops.
Bishop Alfred F. “Fritz” Mutti III, who led United Methodists in Kansas from 1992 to 2004, died Sept. 1 at age 88. Alongside his late wife, he advocated for LGBTQ inclusion and helped establish the United Methodist Global AIDS Committee and Fund. Photo courtesy of the Council of Bishops.

Bishop Mutti, leader in AIDS fight, dies
Retired Bishop Albert Frederick “Fritz” Mutti, alongside his late wife, advocated for LGBTQ inclusion and helped establish the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund. The couple’s tireless advocacy came out of great personal loss.

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Local Church
The Rev. Changhyun Kim, pastor of Bonfire United Methodist Church and chef at The Table Korean Cuisine in Olathe, Kan., talks with customers as he delivers a takeout meal to a table during Friday dinner service. Kim has turned his passion for his native cuisine into a successful outreach ministry for Bonfire, a new congregation supported by the Great Plains Conference’s church development ministry. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Church sets the table to connect beyond its walls
A Korean pastor and chef has turned his passion for his native cuisine into a successful outreach ministry for a church start-up.
Annual Conferences
The New England Conference is working with federal and local investigators after a cybersecurity incident resulted in the theft of $1.6 million earlier this month. Conference leaders also are taking steps to help fellow United Methodists prevent wire fraud. Photo courtesy of the New England Conference.

Conference confronts cyber theft with faith, resolve
The New England Conference is working with federal and local investigators after the cybercrime earlier this month. Conference leaders also are taking steps to help fellow United Methodists prevent wire fraud.
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

Local Church
Workers install solar panels at Chamblee United Methodist Church in Chamblee, Ga. The Rev. Blair Zant, senior pastor, said the church has already saved $40,000 since the installation was completed in April of this year. Several other United Methodist churches in Georgia are hooking up to solar power, helped by a nonprofit organization that guides them in setting it up with no upfront costs. Photo courtesy of Chamblee United Methodist Church.

Churches go solar, putting creation care into action
Ecumenism
Sunlight filters through old-growth redwoods, some as tall as 300 feet, at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve near Guerneville, Calif. United Methodists are joining with Christians across traditions in adding a shared feast day and season that focuses on God, the Creator. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Creation celebration added to church year
Disaster Relief
The Rev. Heather J. Zisengwe, superintendent for The United Methodist Church’s Bulawayo Midlands District in Zimbabwe, holds a baby at a transit camp set up by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches for migrants who have left South Africa amid anti-immigration protests. The temporary center in the sanctuary of the United Church of Christ in Southern Africa in Njube was the hub for humanitarian efforts by mainline churches in Zimbabwe. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Heather J. Zisengwe.

United Methodists respond to South African migration crisis
Disaster Relief
A disaster site hit by a massive debris flow along a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River is seen in Bidur, Nepal, on Aug. 28. Nepalese police said the death toll had reached 469 as of the morning of Aug. 28 after catastrophic flooding and debris flows struck the Nepal-Tibet border region. Photo by Yomiuri Shimbun, via AP.

Churches mobilize after deadly Nepal-Tibet floods
Immigration
The Rev. Ronell Howard addresses attendees at the Greater New Jersey Conference’s “Prayerful Witness” outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, N.J. on Aug. 15. She invoked Jesus’ second commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself,” which became a recurring theme for the day. Photo by John W. Coleman, UM News.

‘Prayerful witness’ offered for immigrants
Mission and Ministry

Living the vision
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Local Church
The United Methodist Church, solar power, solar energy, environment, climate change, creation care, creation, earth, energy, North Georgia Conference, South Georgia Conference, Georgia, church, religion, theology, finance, UM News

Grants available to help churches switch to solar
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Evangelism
The Rev. Cosmas Chafanza (third from left) greets members after church service at Magamba Circuit’s new sanctuary in Rusape, Zimbabwe. The circuit is seeing growth through its evangelism and outreach efforts. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Zimbabwe circuit offers model for evangelism, growth
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Social Concerns
In this 2024 file photo, a visiting delegation of church activists from the United States prays for Setrag Balian (center), a leader of the youth-led struggle to save the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. The delegation came to the Middle East to accompany threatened Christians and other Palestinians and call for a ceasefire in Gaza. A similar U.S. interfaith delegation traveling to Israel and Palestine to meet with Christians in the Holy Land was turned away at the Israel border on Aug. 13. The group included four United Methodists. File photo by Paul Jeffrey, Life on Earth Pictures.

United Methodists denied entry to Israel
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Mission and Ministry
Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema (center) poses for a photo with the 11 district superintendents from the Eastern Congo Conference who received new motorcycles as a gift from the bishop during the 2026 annual conference. Many of the church leaders had spent years traveling on foot or by bicycle to minister to their communities. Behind them is the Mgr. Gabriel Unda Yemba Multipurpose Hall at the Mama Lynn Center in Kindu, Congo. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Bishop purchases motorcycles for pastors in Congo
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General Church
The board of The United Methodist Church’s finance agency on Aug. 21 heard a midyear review on the state of denominational finances. The news was generally positive. Photo illustration by Kathleen Barry, UM News.

Church giving shows signs of stability
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Commentaries

Tammy Evans. Photo courtesy of the author.

An upswell of joy
The Rev. Christopher P. Momany. Photo by Kristen Schell.

On human dignity: People are ends in themselves
Dr. Brett McKinley Pardue. Photo courtesy of the author.

When screens become a theological question
The Rev. Dr. Sheron C. Patterson. Photo courtesy of the author.

A United Methodist call to healthy aging
The Rev. Eun Chul Cho preaches at First Korean United Methodist Church in Wheeling, Illinois, in 2023. File photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim.

Why I chose to remain in The United Methodist Church
The Rev. Mark Obrzut. Photo courtesy of Lucy Obrzut.

Rising up and loving boldly
The Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston. Photo courtesy of the author.

When the doors were not yet open
The Rev. Stephanie Vader. Photo courtesy of the author.

Pastor urges halt to troops’ presence in DC
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Multimedia

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

A ministry of healing
Faith, resilience and self-care come together in United Methodist pastor’s unique ministry, which includes a vegan skincare line.

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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
Faith Sharing
Happy Fourth of July! Photo by Mike DuBose; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Social media graphics from UM News
Mission and Ministry
Holly Petti and her dog Paisley chat with people entering the Sanctuary at Pinnacle View United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Ark. The church has a designated dog greeter every Sunday in addition to numerous pet outreach ministries the congregation offers. Image from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Dog church welcomes people and pets
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