UM News Digest - Aug. 19, 2026

UM News Digest - Aug. 19, 2026

Native Mocs Rock | Highland Park lawsuit | Peace pilgrimage

“If you’re not Indian when you get here, you won’t be when you leave, but you understand what it means to be Indian.” — Mary T Newman, on attending Native Moccasins Rock.

Sisters Daniele (left) and Danica Bell take part in the potato dance, where pairs of dancers with hands held behind their backs hold a potato between their foreheads and try to dance to the beat of a drum without letting the potato fall. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Cubert Bell Sr. leads a workshop on Indigenous languages. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Celebrating 25 years of Native dance, art and friendship
BON AQUA, Tenn. (UM News) — Participants at the 25th annual Native Moccasins Rock event honored missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, learned about sacred sites and celebrated Native American culture and traditions. Sponsored by the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, the event attracted Native and non-Native participants seeking to better understand and recover Indigenous skills and stories. Jane DuBose has the story, and Mike DuBose has photos.

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The Rev. Matt Tuggle, senior minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church, speaks to the congregation Aug. 16 about a civil lawsuit filed by the Horizon Texas Conference against the church. Screen shot courtesy of Highland Park United Methodist Church.

Highland Park pastors, conference address suit
DALLAS (UM News) — Highland Park United Methodist Church’s senior minister and his predecessor both are speaking out about the lawsuit filed by the Horizon Texas Conference. Meanwhile, the conference added more information to its suit about the issues under dispute. Heather Hahn reports.
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Ask The UMC
Valuing Life series updated
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In a seven-part series, Ask The UMC explores the ways United Methodists value life and help others experience the abundance of life Jesus promises. The series has been updated to include changes to the church’s Social Principles and Book of Resolutions following the 2024 General Conference.
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Bethesda Today
Church plays key role in redevelopment plan
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The historic Emory Grove community in Gaithersburg is moving closer to a major redevelopment designed to restore the connection and vitality of a community founded by freed African Americans in 1864. At the heart of the Heritage Emory Grove project is Emory Grove United Methodist Church, a longtime spiritual and historic center of the community and a key partner in the plans. Elia Griffin has the story.
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Duke Divinity School
Duke Divinity celebrates centennial
DURHAM, N.C. — In 1926, the first graduate professional school of Duke University opened with 23 students and seven faculty. A century later, Duke Divinity School has over 10,000 alumni who have served as preachers, scholars, teachers and leaders in denominations and vocations across the country and around the world. Duke Divinity is one of 13 United Methodist seminaries in the U.S. The school has a Centennial Preaching Series to mark the occasion, starting with its opening convocation on Aug. 28.
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UM News includes in the Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not UM News staff.

Oklahoma Conference
What peace pilgrimage taught a pastor
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Rev. Katie Paul, pastor of community life at New Hope United Methodist Church, joined young adult Methodists from 11 countries in a peace pilgrimage to Colombia. During travels organized by the World Methodist Council, Paul and the other young adults witnessed he lasting effects of decades of armed conflict and the fragile progress of a peace agreement signed nearly a decade ago. Paul writes of the experience.
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Council of Bishops
Deep look at full communion relationships
WASHINGTON — The term “full communion” relationships has become a dominant way to describe relationships between churches and is understood as the goal toward which the ecumenical movement is working. The Council of Bishops ecumenical staff offers an overview of the history of full communion agreements and how such agreements move forward.
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Religion and Race
Leadership development for Latine clergy
ATLANTA — Latine clergy are invited to apply to join a leadership development cohort in public theology. The program is designed for clergy from The United Methodist Church and other Christian traditions who are bilingual, bicultural and engaged in justice, advocacy and community witnessing. The deadline for application is Oct. 15.
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