General Church

Members of the 2024-2028 Judicial Council are (front row, from left) the Rev. Jonathan Ulanday; the Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe, president; the Rev. Angela Brown, secretary; and Molly Hlekani Mwayera; (back row, from left) Bill Waddell; Andrew Vorbrich; the Rev. Øyvind Helliesen; the Rev. Luan-Vu Tran; and Harriett Olson. The Judicial Council released decisions from its spring docket on April 29. Photo by Linda Bloom, UM News.

Megachurch’s closure improper, ruling says

The Dakotas Conference’s vote to let the multicampus Embrace congregation leave with property violated church law, said The United Methodist Church’s top court.

Judicial Council

A congregation’s trustees cannot prevent their pastor from using church facilities to perform a same-sex wedding, The United Methodist Church’s top court ruled in Decision 1516. The ruling was one of two decisions released by the Judicial Council on April 29. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UM News.

Ruling: Same-sex weddings solely up to pastors

The United Methodist Church’s top court ruled that a congregation’s trustees cannot prevent their pastor from using church facilities to perform a same-sex wedding.

General Church

In her presidential address, Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone outlines the challenges facing United Methodists — including the need to rebuild after church disaffiliations and take on the rise of cruelty and erosion of human rights. Malone, who also leads the Indiana Conference, was speaking to bishops meeting in Chicago this week. Photo by Paul Gómez, United Methodist Communications.

Bishops urged to confront rising cruelty

As The United Methodist Church rebuilds, Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone challenged her fellow bishops to address inhumanity and act with the compassion of Christ.

General Church

A procession of United Methodist bishops leads opening worship at the 2024 United Methodist General Conference on April 23, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. The board of The United Methodist Church’s finance agency voted to give bishops a 3% retroactive salary increase. The move comes after bishops in December asked to forgo a raise in 2025 amid tight budgets denomination-wide. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Bishops given 3% retroactive pay hike

The board of The United Methodist Church’s finance agency voted to give bishops a salary increase that starts at the beginning of this year.

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