UM News Digest - Aug. 28, 2026

UM News Digest - Aug. 28, 2026

Nepal-Tibet floods | Prayerful witness | Highland Park update

“In the midst of such overwhelming pain, we pray that the people of Nepal and Tibet may know that they are not alone. We are together in this hour of anguish.” — The Rev. Jung Eun Grace Moon, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia.

A disaster site hit by a massive debris flow along a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River is seen in Bidur, Nepal, on Aug. 28. Nepalese police said the death toll had reached 469 as of the morning of Aug. 28 after catastrophic flooding struck the Nepal-Tibet border region. Photo by Yomiuri Shimbun, via AP.

Churches mobilize after deadly Nepal-Tibet floods
KATHMANDU, Nepal (UM News) — Hundreds are dead and nearly 2,000 people remain unaccounted for after catastrophic flooding and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border region. The disaster has prompted churches and mission partners to mobilize relief while Christian leaders across Asia call for prayer and sustained solidarity with affected communities. The United Methodist Committee on Relief said it stands ready to support response efforts. The Rev. Thomas E. Kim reports.

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Donate to UMCOR International Disaster Response

The Rev. Ronell Howard addresses attendees at the Greater New Jersey Conference’s “Prayerful Witness” outside Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, N.J., on Aug. 15. Photo by John W. Coleman, UM News.

‘Prayerful witness’ offered for immigrants
NEWARK, N.J. (UM News) — United Methodists in New Jersey gathered outside a large federal immigration detention center to pray, preach, peacefully protest and provide support to detainees and their families. The “Prayerful Witness” featured speeches and outreach expressing themes of Christian love, concern and solidarity. John W. Coleman has the story.
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Horizon Texas Conference, Highland Park United Methodist
Bishop addresses Highland Park members
DALLAS — Horizon Texas Conference Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr. released a video explaining the conference’s lawsuit to Highland Park United Methodist Church members on Aug. 26, the same day the church leadership held an at-capacity town hall about the lawsuit. “You should not have to choose between loving Highland Park UMC and being United Methodist,” the bishop said. “Those are not opposing loyalties.” At the center of the dispute are changes the church council made to the congregation’s governing documents in 2022. The Rev. Matt Tuggle, the church’s senior minister since February, announced at the town hall that he is facing a complaint under church law, but did not go into any details. Congregation members also received a statement by former senior minister, the Rev. Mark Craig, who backed the church council and Tuggle.
Watch Bishop Saenz’s video
Read Rev. Craig’s statement
UM News: Conference sues its largest congregation

Georgia conferences
Georgia unifying conference set for Sept. 26
DULUTH, Ga. — The unifying conference for the Georgia Annual Conference is set for 10 a.m. U.S. Eastern time Sept. 26. Clergy and lay members who vote at the annual conference have the option to attend in person at The United Methodist Center in Duluth or online. The event also will be livestreamed. The purpose is to prepare for the formation of the new Georgia Annual Conference, which officially launches Jan. 1.
Register
UM News: Georgia unification gains final approval

Religion and Race
Grants awarded to expand mental health support
WASHINGTON — The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race has announced the recipients of the 2026 CORR Action Fund Grant program, an initiative dedicated to expanding mental health support for historically underserved communities. “I am inspired by the breadth and depth of mental health projects that we were able to award funds through this grant cycle,” said the Rev. Alka Lyall, chair of the CORR Action Fund. “We are proud to resource our United Methodist ministries demonstrating Wesleyan holiness through critical care in these times of need.”
Read press release

Archives and History
Cheeyeon Park named scholarship recipient
MADISON, N.J. — Cheeyeon Park is the 2026 recipient of the Josephine Forman Scholarship, an award sponsored by the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History in cooperation with the Society of American Archivists. The $10,000 scholarship provides financial support to students of color pursuing graduate education in archival science.
Read press release

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.

An upswell of joy
SAN DIEGO (UM News) — Decades after enduring painful treatment as a closeted teen, writer Tammy Evans recounts feeling buoyed during a Pride event by the Rev. Lori Leopold, lead pastor of Pacific Beach United Methodist Church. How she responded to protesters on the parade route became a full-circle moment for Evans. “Her exuberance — in spite of it all — swept me from the weeds into an upswell of joy, and I felt steadied, buoyed, even hoisted above,” Evans writes. “It felt like an ‘Amen!’ moment.”
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Holston Conference
Bishop remembers Dolly Parton
ALCOA, Tenn. — Like so many others, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett has mourned the passing of country music star and philanthropist Dolly Parton. Wallace-Padgett leads United Methodists in the Holston and West Virginia conferences. Her area includes eastern Tennessee, a part of the U.S. transformed by Parton’s generosity and business-savvy. “I have been most impressed by her generous spirit, genuine love for others, authentic Christian faith and ability to connect with people from all walks of life,” Wallace-Padgett writes.
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