UM News Digest - Jan. 23, 2026

UM News Digest - Jan. 23, 2026

Clinic cares for migrants on difficult journey
MLK event has strong United Methodist ties
Commentary: In troubling times, look to ‘higher law’

“It’s a difficult path, but knowing there are places that support migrants gives us strength. I want my children to have a safer life and opportunities to study and grow without fear.” — Marie Joseph, on the care she received at a migrant assistance center in Honduras.

A mural depicting an immigrant woman opening her arms as a symbol of freedom and hope is displayed on the façade of one of the buildings that houses migrants at the government-run Irregular Migrant Assistance Center in Danlí, Honduras. Photo by the Rev. Gustavo Vásquez, UM News.

Clinic cares for migrants on difficult journey
DANLÍ, Honduras (UM News) — For Marie Joseph and her family, a migrant assistance center and United Methodist clinic in Danlí provided a respite on a long and arduous journey. The church-supported clinic, housed at the government-run Irregular Migrant Assistance Center, provides free health care to migrants exhausted after crossing Nicaragua or eastern Honduras. Joseph, a Haitian mother of three, said the experience has given her family “peace and hope.” The Rev. Gustavo Vásquez reports.

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New England Conference
MLK event has strong United Methodist ties
BOSTON — United Methodists joined Massachusetts civic leaders in the 56th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast, the longest-running King commemoration in the U.S. Bishop Thomas Bickerton was among the guests. In 1970, women from Union United Methodist Church and St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church started the gathering. Benjamin Musasizi has the story.
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Judicial Council
Church court releases spring docket
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Judicial Council has released a three-item docket for its spring session. Briefs are due Feb. 10 and reply briefs are due Feb. 20.
See docket

Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
Conferences send Christmas cards to prisoners
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Members in the Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey conferences sent nearly 7,000 Christmas cards to people incarcerated in area prisons. The conferences sent an additional 3,725 unsigned cards so that inmates could use them to send Christmas greetings to their families and friends. Marilyn Schneider reports.
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Great Plains Conference
Bishop offers support amid plant closing
LEXINGTON, Neb. — Bishop David Wilson traveled to Lexington to show his support for the town in light of its largest employer shutting down. Tyson Foods announced in November it would close the beef plant, which employs about 3,200 of Lexington’s 10,000-plus residents. Lexington First United Methodist Church is trying to assist those who opt to stay in town, said the Rev. Elmer Armijo, the church’s pastor. David Burke has the story.
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Baguio Episcopal Area
Convocation focuses on fellowship, renewal
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Baguio Episcopal Area Convocation 2026, held under the theme “Bagnos Iti Panagdaliasat” (Guide to the Journey), featured three days of worship, learning, fellowship and celebration. The convocation gathered 815 participants and served as a sacred space for renewal, reflection and recommitment to Christ’s calling for faithful service. Baguio Episcopal Area staff share photos, resources and more on the BEA Facebook page.
Learn more

Liberian Daily Observer
Church leaders trained for effective ministry
MONROVIA, Liberia — The Board of Ordained Ministry of The United Methodist Church in Liberia recently hosted a training retreat aimed at equipping clergy and church leaders to serve their congregations more effectively. Supported by the Western North Carolina Conference, the retreat focused on fostering unity, understanding and spiritual maturity among church leaders, grounded in the teachings of Ephesians 4:11-12. Claudius T. Greene Jr. reports.
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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.

In troubling times, look to ‘higher law’
DOWAGIAC, Michigan (UM News) — The Rev. Gilbert Haven, a Methodist pastor, believed that when Christians open themselves to God and see things from a divine point of view, they can act from cleaner motives. Haven’s “higher law” calls people into a deeper understanding of God, themselves and others, and it offers a way of responding to the brokenness that we see today, writes the Rev. Dr. Christopher P. Momany.
Read commentary

Northern Illinois Conference
Why I’m going to Minneapolis
CHICAGO — Because “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” the Rev. Dr. Larry D. Pickens declared that he is headed to Minneapolis to join the protest movement there. “I am protesting in Minneapolis because our inaction only gives oxygen to a forming totalitarian regime,” Pickens writes. “I will do all in my power to assure that racism-based ICE arrests never become an accepted reality.”
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RNS: Hundreds of clergy descend on Minneapolis

Wespath
Gathering connects part-time, dual-career pastors
GLENVIEW, Ill. — The Tapestry Gathering brought 50 part-time, bi-vocational and lay pastoral leaders to Wespath Benefits and Investments to compare notes and dialogue with denomination leaders. The event was designed to reflect the rich diversity of ministry roles, with attendees representing a broad spectrum of geographical locations and church sizes, racial and ethnic backgrounds, ages and ministry appointments.
Read press release

Western North Carolina Foundation
Grants available for engagement with new believers
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Applications are open for grants from the Reynolds Ministry Fund, supporting outreach to people unfamiliar with church life. In 2025, the United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina awarded 38 grants totaling $410,000 for projects. No geographic boundaries restrict eligibility. The deadline to apply is noon on Feb. 1. Award decisions are announced in March.
Learn more and apply