General Church

The choir of Red Mountain United Methodist Church in Mesa, Ariz., sings "Jesus at the Center" during opening worship of the online special session of the Western Jurisdiction on July 17. Both the Western Jurisdiction and Southeastern Jurisdiction have held special sessions in recent days and taken up questions that affect the church’s future. Screengrab courtesy of the Western Jurisdiction via Zoom by UM News.

2 jurisdictions plan for church future

The United Methodist Southeastern Jurisdiction approved the union of two annual conferences, and the Western Jurisdiction looked at the role of bishops.

General Church

Nigeria Area Bishop John Wesley Yohanna (center) speaks to people at a camp for internally displaced persons in Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria, in 2019. Conflict has intensified in the Nigeria Episcopal Area in recent months. Two aides to Yohanna reported several United Methodists to the police for allegedly disrupting the Nigerian United Methodist Church and training others to become “rude and aggressive” toward Yohanna, while opponents have accused the bishop of treating them unfairly and mismanaging projects — charges the bishop denies. File photo by Tim Tanton, UM News.

Divide deepens among Nigerian church leaders

Aides to bishop report fellow United Methodists to police for allegedly disturbing the peace, with four of them ultimately landing in jail on spying charges. West Africa College of Bishops plans to send delegation to Nigeria to meet with opposing parties.

General Agencies

The Kern Building, owned by Discipleship Ministries and the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministries since 1950, stands like a beacon in Nashville, Tenn. The two agencies sold the building to Vanderbilt University on July 15. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Agencies sell jointly owned building

Discipleship Ministries and the United Methodist Board of Higher Education are among the most recent agencies to consolidate space following the upheavals of COVID-19.

Local Church

Rustin Parsons, co-lay leader for the congregation of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in Marietta, Ga., announces that the church is beginning the process of disaffiliating from denomination during an April 26 press conference. Amid a continued fight over who should be the church’s pastor, the North Georgia Conference announced late July 12 that it was assuming management of the congregation’s assets. Screenshot of livestream by UM News, courtesy of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church.

Conference assumes management of megachurch

Amid continued strife over a new pastoral appointment, North Georgia Conference leaders voted to transfer Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church assets to conference trustees’ oversight.

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