UM News: Your official source of comprehensive information and news about The United Methodist Church.

Top Story

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.

Editor's Picks

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

Four United Methodists were among an interfaith delegation of U.S. citizens who were turned back when they tried to cross the border into Israel for a visit with Holy Land Christians.

General Church

The Rev. Matt Tuggle, senior minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church, speaks to the congregation Aug. 16 about a civil lawsuit filed by the Horizon Texas Conference against the church. Highland Park’s church council approved a resolution Aug. 20, declaring it no longer recognizes the authority of its bishop and conference to direct the congregation or its clergy. Screen shot courtesy of Highland Park United Methodist Church.

Highland Park leaders escalate response to lawsuit

Following the conference’s lawsuit over church governance, the Highland Park United Methodist church council declared it no longer recognizes the authority of its bishop and conference.

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

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

High school students gather in Nashville, Tenn., for the Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy preparatory session, a program focused on nurturing the next generation of Hispanic-Latino leaders. Photo by the Rev. Gustavo Vásquez, UM News.

Equipping Hispanic-Latino youth for leadership

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

General Agencies

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

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

Mission and Ministry

Living the vision

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now

More Headlines

The Rev. Matt Tuggle, senior minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church, speaks to the congregation Aug. 16 about a civil lawsuit filed by the Horizon Texas Conference against the church. Tuggle said the church was blindsided by the lawsuit, which challenges changes made to Highland Park’s legal documents. Screen shot courtesy of Highland Park United Methodist Church.

Highland Park pastors, conference address suit

View More

Participants toss beach balls around in a time of fellowship during the SCD 2026 — RISE UP: Love, Serve, Lead conference, held Aug. 2-5 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. Discipleship Ministries’ biennial event help equip clergy and lay leaders to plant, revitalize and innovate local churches. Photo by Scott Hughes, Discipleship Ministries.

Church called to ‘rise up’ amid loneliness, AI

View More

Social Concerns

Sisters Daniele (left) and Danica Bell take part in the potato dance, where pairs of dancers with hands held behind their backs hold a potato between their foreheads and try to dance to the beat of a drum without letting the potato fall. The dance, part of the Native Moccasins Rock gathering in Bon Aqua, Tenn., was sponsored by Native American Ministries of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Celebrating 25 years of Native dance, art and friendship

View More

Mission and Ministry

The Rev. James T. Laney speaks during the Roundtable for Peace on the Korean Peninsula in Atlanta in 2018. Laney, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea and lifelong advocate for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula, died Aug. 13. He was 98. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Remembering James T. Laney, a lifelong friend to Korea

View More

Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference delegates have unanimously supported a plan to unify the North Georgia and South Georgia annual conferences into one. The newly united Georgia Conference will begin operations in January 2027. Maps courtesy of the South Georgia Conference, adapted by UM News.

Georgia unification gains final approval

View More

Commentaries

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

On human dignity: People are ends in themselves

When screens become a theological question

A United Methodist call to healthy aging

Why I chose to remain in The United Methodist Church

Rising up and loving boldly

When the doors were not yet open

Pastor urges halt to troops’ presence in DC

Love of neighbor drives advocacy in political spaces

VIEW MORE

Multimedia

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.

More

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

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