General Church

Members of the Interim Committee on Organization for the U.S. Regional Conference, called I-ROC for short, stand together in front of the Upper Room Chapel at the conclusion of their first meeting together July 16-18 in Nashville, Tenn. The group is responsible for organizing the inaugural session of the U.S. Regional Conference, now planned for spring 2029. Photo by JP Penrod, General Council on Finance and Administration.

Planners set time for US Regional Conference

Organizers are beginning to plan The United Methodist Church’s inaugural U.S. Regional Conference. While excited about the work, the group faces some big challenges.

General Church

The Leadership Gathering, organized by the Council of Bishops, is scheduled to be held Oct. 20-24 at Knox United Church Calgary in downtown Calgary, Canada. Both war in the Middle East and the Ebola outbreak in Congo have brought complications, but the gathering’s organizers are pushing forward with an event aimed at helping The United Methodist Church begin a new chapter. Photo courtesy of Knox United Church Calgary.

Leadership Gathering moves ahead amid challenges

Despite rising costs and visa troubles, organizers are pressing ahead with the gathering intended to help set a new course for The United Methodist Church.

Bishops

Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez, who leads the Upper New York and Susquehanna conferences, distributes communion to participants during opening worship service on April 23, 2024, at General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. Next to him, also distributing communion, is Horizon Texas Conference Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr., who is now the Council of Bishops president. A United Methodist leadership body recommends that the U.S. have 34 bishops starting in 2028. File photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

Group advises adding 2 more US bishops

While recognizing The United Methodist Church’s financial constraints, church leaders have approved a recommendation to increase the number of U.S. bishops in 2028.

Theology and Education

A statue of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, stands in the center of campus at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. The United Methodist Church’s University Senate has decided to no longer list Asbury and Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, N.Y., as approved theological schools for preparing United Methodist pastors. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Leaders drop Asbury from approved seminaries

The United Methodist Church’s University Senate has removed Asbury Theological Seminary and Northeastern Seminary from its list of schools that can prepare students for ordination.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now