Hollering for Change: An interview with Bishop Dee Williamston

Hollering for Change is the name of a series of commentaries by The Rev. Dr. Tori Butler for United Methodist News. Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News. 

“Hollering for Change” is beginning a new series highlighting Black women “firsts” across the denomination. The first interview is with newly elected Bishop Dee Williamston of the Louisiana Conference, the first Black woman elected to the episcopacy in the South Central Jurisdiction. The Rev. Dr. Tori Butler speaks with Bishop Williamston about her calling, the surreal experience of her election, and the “opportunity and honor” of being the first in her position.

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Social Concerns
Mei Vader and her grandmother participate in “Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice” in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 25, 2026. Vader is the daughter of the Rev. Stephanie Vader, pastor of Capitol Hill United Methodist Church. The church served as a host for the event. Image from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

United Methodists take immigration concerns to DC

United Methodists traveled great distances to Washington, DC to stand in witness for the rights of immigrants.
Church Leadership
Bishop Antoine Kalema Tambwe (center) and his wife, Ngole Kitete Charlotte, greet guests in front of Bethel Cascade United Methodist Church in Bangui, Central African Republic. At left is newly ordained pastor the Rev. Christ Noël Yakizi, who serves the remote village of Cantonnier on the Cameroonian border. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Central African United Methodists celebrate 33 new pastors

The United Methodist Church’s ordinations in the country mark a spiritual renaissance for communities long deprived of clergy.
Church Growth
The Rev. Ken Suhr, director of leadership and congregational vitality for the California-Pacific Conference, delivers the keynote address on the “DNA of Growing Churches” during the 2026 Growing Church Conference at First United Methodist Church of San Diego. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Growing Church Conference calls leaders back to discipleship

The gathering has evolved from a jurisdictional initiative into a nationwide event, now welcoming pastors serving cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments.

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