Mission and Ministry

A 1961 map shows the location of churches and the borders of episcopal areas within the Central Jurisdiction, which the Methodist Church established to segregate Black members from the wider church. The union that formed The United Methodist Church in 1968 dissolved the Central Jurisdiction. During the Council of Bishops spring meeting in Jacksonville, Fla., bishops explored the legacy of the Central Jurisdiction as denominational leaders consider changes to the geographic jurisdictional system. Image courtesy of Archives and History.

Lessons from past shape jurisdictions’ future

United Methodist bishops learned more about the legacy of the segregated Central Jurisdiction and history of the jurisdictional system, as leaders contemplate possible changes to that system.

Social Concerns

The Rev. Christopher P. Momany. Photo by Kristen Schell.

For every righteous ‘no,’ there must be a holy ‘yes’

Methodism’s Wesleyan-Holiness heritage holds principles that can be applied to today’s struggles around human dignity.

Worship

The Rev. Cynthia Wilson (center, front) sings with choir members during a performance of “Gospel Mass” at the Shifting the Atmosphere conference May 2 at Hamilton Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. The Junius B. Dotson Institute for Worship and Music in the Black Church and Beyond, which is led by Wilson, partnered with The United Methodist Church’s Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century for this year’s event. Photo by John W. Coleman, UM News.

Black church leaders learn worship wisdom at institute

Junius B. Dotson Institute for Worship and Music in the Black Church and Beyond and SBC21 team up for “Shifting the Atmosphere” conference.

Mission and Ministry

The Rev. Laurie Bayen (left) reads the Sermon on the Mount from an Indigenous version of the New Testament while standing alongside the Laguna de Santa Rosa, a 22-mile-long wetland in Sebastopol, Calif., that was once inhabited by the Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok people, during a field trip for the Sacred Ground program. Sacred Ground is a mobile outdoor walking/spirituality app developed by Bayen, a United Methodist pastor. It combines creation care and Indigenous history with calls to action. Pictured with Bayen, from left, are Cheryl LaSalle, Charlotte Fisher, Carol Wegner and Pat Schoch.

Connecting with creation on Sacred Ground

United Methodist pastor launches mobile walking/spirituality app to spotlight creation care and Indigenous history and to encourage action.

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