General Agencies

The sanctuary of Lynn Haven United Methodist Church in Panama City, Fla., stands open to the sky following Hurricane Michael in October 2018. A grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief to the Alabama-West Florida Conference for hurricane recovery is among $27.6 million approved by the relief agency for disaster response, sustainable development, global migration and Global Health support. File photo courtesy of Lynn Haven United Methodist Church.

UMCOR assists with 2018 hurricane recovery

Grants for two big U.S. programs are part of $27.6 million approved by relief agency for disaster response, sustainable development, global migration and Global Health support.

General Church

Washington Street United Methodist Church in Petersburg, Va., is back open after closing for two weeks in January as it searched for new insurance coverage. Washington Street was among the United Methodist churches that got higher premium notices just before Christmas from United Methodist Insurance, a subsidiary of the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration. Photo courtesy of Washington Street United Methodist Church.

Premium hikes have churches scrambling

Churches and conferences are unhappy about higher premium notices from United Methodist Insurance that arrived just before Christmas.

General Church

The Rev. Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai attends a Connectional Table meeting in 2015. Bigham-Tsai, who was a Connectional Table member before becoming its top executive, helped develop the recommended allocations of the 2021-24 general church budget. File photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS.

Group proposes how to divide slashed budget

A Connectional Table team recommends substantial cuts for some church organizations and programs while holding the line for others in the 2021-24 church budget.

Mission and Ministry

A Sunday collection is taken up at the Tongan United Methodist Church in West Valley City, Utah. Twenty-six U.S. conferences in 2018 paid full apportionments, including the Tongan congregation’s home conference. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS.

After record giving, mixed news in 2018

A lower number of conferences paid 100 percent of requested giving, but the general church received a slightly higher amount of total dollars.

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