UM News Digest - Jan. 7, 2026

UM News Digest - Jan. 7, 2026

Bishop Gamboa remembered as humble shepherd
Group zeroes in on number, work of US bishops
Jimmy Fallon helps at church food pantry

“(Bishop José Gamboa Jr.) did not merely administer from afar; he came, he lived among the people, and he established the church where none had existed. His leadership was presence, not position — service, not power.” — Retired Bishop Leo A. Soriano.

Placeholder imageRetired Bishop José Gamboa Jr. served as the first resident bishop of the Davao Episcopal Area in the southern Philippines. He died Dec. 22 at age 97. Photo courtesy of Union Theological Seminary.

Retired Bishop José Gamboa Jr. served as the first resident bishop of the Davao Episcopal Area in the southern Philippines. He died Dec. 22 at age 97. Photo courtesy of Union Theological Seminary.

Bishop Gamboa remembered as humble shepherd
CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines (UM News) — Friends and colleagues say retired Bishop José Gamboa Jr. was a servant leader who passionately blazed trails for The United Methodist Church in the Philippines. The first resident bishop of the Davao Episcopal Area in the southern Philippines and longtime faculty member of Union Theological Seminary in Manila died Dec. 22 at age 97. Gladys P. Mangiduyos has an obituary.

Read obituary

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton gives the sermon during opening worship for the 2024 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. Bickerton, who was Council of Bishops president from 2022 to 2024, is among four bishops working with a task force that is examining the workload and number of U.S. bishops with plans to make recommendations that ultimately go before the 2028 General Conference. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton gives the sermon during opening worship for the 2024 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Group zeroes in on number, work of US bishops
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — A United Methodist task force is dealing with the biggest change to determining the number of U.S. bishops since 1939. The focus on missional needs comes as the denomination faces the aftermath of church disaffiliations, including financial challenges. The changes approved by the 2024 General Conference also have prompted questions that are now going before the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story
Read press release

South Georgia Conference
Jewish congregation hosts church in time of need
SAVANNAH, Ga. — When Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church was unexpectedly displaced after the ceiling collapsed this past summer in its historic sanctuary, worship did not stop. In a demonstration of interfaith hospitality, nearby Congregation Mickve Israel offered the church a temporary home including for its annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols celebration and its Christmas Eve services. The South Georgia Conference and Evan Lasseter of the Savannah Morning News have the story.
Read story

Council of Bishops
Bishops stand with Latin American Methodists
WASHINGTON — The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church stands in full solidarity with the Evangelical Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL) and wholeheartedly affirms the group’s Pastoral Letter in the Face of the Military Action of the United States of America Against Venezuela. “As followers of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we reject every ideology and action that diminishes the sacred worth of human life or deepens cycles of fear, instability, and injustice,” writes Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone on behalf of the bishops.
Read statement
Read CIEMAL statement

New York Conference
Jimmy Fallon helps at church food pantry
NEW YORK — Comedian Jimmy Fallon showed up at Hamptons United Methodist Church on Christmas Day to work the food pantry line. “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” host and his family, who have a home in the Hamptons, spent the morning handing out groceries before popping inside to greet and take photos with volunteers. The New York Conference Facebook page has the story and photos.
See Facebook post

The Regional Conference of Central and Southern Europe
Boxing program strengthens youth
CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania — A United Methodist-connected program is helping youth strengthen their self-esteem and build trust and confidence. About 150 young people take part each year in the “More Than Boxing” ministry. Participants include youth who have overcome substance abuse, members of the marginalized Roma population and people living with physical disabilities. The ministry recently won first place at the Gala of the Youth for its inclusion and diversity. Anca Beu and Urs Schweizer have the story.
Read story

World Council of Churches
United Methodists join in forum on refugees
GENEVA — The Rev. Jack Amick represented the United Methodist Committee on Relief during the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review 2025. The gathering brought together faith leaders, academics and refugees in a discussion that highlighted community initiatives led by forcibly displaced people. The World Council of Churches has the story.
Read story

Reconciling Ministries Network
LGBTQ advocacy group’s head plans to retire
CHICAGO — Jan Lawrence, executive director of Reconciling Ministries Network since 2017, announced that she plans to retire on April 30. Even as the advocacy group celebrates The United Methodist Church’s elimination of denomination-wide bans related to LGBTQ people, the group still sees more work ahead. Lawrence said that she is committed to a smooth and thoughtful transition to new leadership.
Read press release

Higher Education Foundation
Applications now open for scholarships
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation has opened applications for scholarships to help fund the 2026-2027 school year for United Methodist students hoping to attend a United Methodist-related college or seminary. Every year, the foundation awards up to $2 million in scholarships.
Learn more and apply

Foundation for Evangelism
Thriving congregations program open
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — Applications are open for the Foundation for Evangelism’s Thriving Congregations Local Church spring cohort program that provides training to apply for the foundation’s local-church grant cycle. The foundation guides participants through the process of outlining a relevant evangelism experiment. The deadline for churches to apply is Jan. 15.
Learn more and apply