Local Church

United Methodist Men
(From left) Steven Scheid, director of the Center for Scouting Ministries for United Methodist Men, receives communion from Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, who leads the North Alabama and Alabama-West Florida conferences, and Bishop Nelson Kalombo Ngoy of the Tanganyika Episcopal Area. The communion service was part of a meeting held Dec. 9-11 by the Commission on United Methodist Men at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. About 30 men gathered to discuss how to grow men’s ministry on the continent. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News.

Equipping men in Africa to make disciples

United Methodist Men gathered African church leaders for a historic meeting to share ideas and collaborate on a vision for men’s ministry on the continent.
Faith Stories
This year, United Methodists mourned the passing of the bishop behind a popular Bible study, a cowboy turned preacher, the first Native American woman to be a United Methodist elder, and the last surviving World War II flying ace. Candle image by Gerd Altmann, courtesy of Pixabay; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

2025: Remembering United Methodists of note

This year, United Methodists mourned the passing of the bishop behind a popular Bible study, an influential advocate ordained on his deathbed and the last surviving World War II flying ace in the U.S.
Immigration
In a Nativity scene at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus are depicted being held in a detention center, as a protest of how immigrants are being treated in the United States. “We feel it’s important to depict the parallel of what’s happening in our world with what we understand to have been happening in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus,” said the Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, senior pastor of Oak Lawn. Photo courtesy of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

Nativity scenes, art spotlight immigration

Some United Methodist churches are reimagining their annual Christmas Nativity displays to protest the federal government’s raids on suspected undocumented immigrants.
Local Church
 Video/photo caption: A display behind Grandville United Methodist Church in Michigan tells the Christmas story in a 15-minute light show set to music with an original soundtrack. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

The Nativity story comes to life in lights

A United Methodist church in Michigan wows neighbors with a 15-minute light show set to music.

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