Mission and Ministry

A medieval painting of the "Doom" or Last Judgment in St. Thomas Church, Salisbury, England. Photo by Nessino, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Ask The UMC: What is the history of Advent?

Advent, which means “coming” or “arrival,” was widely practiced across Christian churches worldwide by the sixth century.

Bishop Rodolfo A. Juan (in red stole) and a team of United Methodists pray over generators for the Bicol Philippines Conference. The generators from United Methodist Communications are being loaned to churches to provide free charging to communities affected by a series of powerful typhoons in the Philippines. Photo by Jerome Mercado.

United Methodists rally to help typhoon survivors

From sheltering evacuees to raising money, gathering supplies and sharing generators, Filipino United Methodists and church partners are embracing those affected by recent storms.

Mission and Ministry

Wampanoag leader Ousamequin (left) and Plymouth Colony Gov. John Carver are depicted smoking a peace pipe as they worked out a treaty of peace and mutual protection on March 22, 1621. The U.S. Thanksgiving Day tradition has mythologized the relationship between the Wampanoag and the English settlers, but the harsher realities provide vital lessons for United Methodists today. Image from the California State Library’s Sutro Library, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The making of Thanksgiving in the US

With this year marking the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival in North America, it’s worth revisiting the good — and the bad — of how the U.S. holiday developed.

Mission and Ministry

A nurse at Lokolé United Methodist Hospital in Kindu, Congo, returns a child to his mother after a routine immunization session. The United Methodist Church’s hospitals and clinics are helping vaccinate thousands of children each year in the country. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Church celebrates end of measles, Ebola outbreaks in Congo

United Methodist health centers in remote areas were key in helping to immunize children and end a measles epidemic that killed more than 7,000.

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