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UM News Digest - Oct. 17, 2025
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“We’re serving communion, and they walk out with gas masks.” — The Rev. Abby Holcombe, on what happened when she shared the sacrament outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Chicago.
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Illinois State Police Lt. Col. Jason Bradley (left) speaks with the Rev. Hannah Kardon, a United Methodist pastor who was among a group of clergy on Oct. 10 asking to bring Holy Communion to detainees in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, near Chicago. Photo by the Rev. Britt Cox, First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Ill.
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With warm faith, pastors seek to counter ICE
CHICAGO (UM News) — United Methodists in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, are striving to lead courageously as their cities face threats of militarization and an onslaught of masked federal agents. In both the Northern Illinois and Oregon-Idaho conferences, pastors are seeking to protect neighbors, share Christian witness and set the record straight on what’s happening in their cities. Heather Hahn reports. |
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Young people march through the streets of Antananarivo, Madagascar, on Oct. 10 holding signs reading, “Even lemurs want water and electricity,” referring to the popular primates that are native to the country. Photo by Diary Andrian.
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Church responds to crisis in Madagascar
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (UM News) — Protests led by Madagascar’s Generation Z have erupted nationwide over water shortages, power cuts and worsening poverty. The president has fled the country. United Methodist Bishop João Sambo, whose episcopal area includes Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Eswatini, calls on congregations to pray for peace and national reconciliation. Esdras Rakotoarivony has the story. |
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Judicial Council
Church court: Question improper
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court, said it could not take jurisdiction on the one item on its fall docket. The request for a declaratory decision from the New England Annual Conference’s clergy session about the ordination process did not refer to any specific paragraph in the denomination’s Book of Discipline. “Since the question asked does not refer to a disciplinary paragraph, it is improper,” Memorandum 1520 said, “and we cannot take jurisdiction.”
Read Memorandum 1520
Native American International Caucus
Group calls for prayer for Alaskan community
SELBYVILLE, Del. — The Native American International Caucus is calling for prayer after powerful storms and flooding have struck western Alaska, including the Yup’ik village of Kwigillingok along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Homes were lifted and carried by the water, displacing families.
Read statement (PDF)
PBS: Rescue crews airlift hundreds out of rural Alaska |
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Indiana Conference
Church’s pickleball players support theater
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A theater group in Indiana found a place to rehearse at Christ United Methodist Church, and some unlikely supporters. When the actors’ rehearsal overlapped with the church’s pickleball practice, the pickleball players offered to help get the word out about the group’s work. Indiana Conference staff have the story.
Read story
Upper New York Conference
Youth ride bikes for faith, friendship and mobility
FAIRPORT, N.Y. — Each summer, youth from Fairport United Methodist Church take part in a four-day bike trip to Hamlin Beach State Park. Along the way, they raise thousands of dollars to support Mobility Worldwide in Columbia, Missouri. Mobility Worldwide was founded by United Methodists 30 years ago to provide handcarts to individuals in developing countries who can’t walk. The Upper New York Conference has the story.
Watch video
Great Plains Conference
Resurrection’s Hamilton to retire
LEAWOOD, Kan. — The Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, announced that he will retire from that post in five years, after four decades with Resurrection. Hamilton made the announcement during the church’s Leadership Institute, held Oct. 1-3. During the conference, Hamilton also lamented the rise of Christian nationalism and polarizing churches. More than 1,600 people attended the event in person and online. David Burke has the story.
Read story |
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United Women in Faith
Theologian in residence named for assembly
INDIANAPOLIS — United Women in Faith has named the Rev. Stephanie York Arnold as theologian in residence for Assembly 2026, scheduled for May 15-17 in Indianapolis. The assembly, the organization’s signature gathering, will meet under the theme “Dream it! Believe it! Do it!” York Arnold is the top executive of the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women.
Read press release |
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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. |
Discipleship Ministries
We all need spiritual heroes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In a world that sometimes seems flush with enemies, it’s important that United Methodists have spiritual heroes, writes the Rev. Michael Reed, executive director of Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light. “Spiritual heroes don’t live perfectly, but they live fully alive,” Reed writes. “Spiritual heroes are those who shine a little farther, hold the light a little higher, so others might see the path more clearly or even discover it for the first time.”
Read commentary |
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Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News
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Eyesight fading, bishop envisions new role as evangelist
GOSHEN, Ind. (UM News) — After glaucoma forced him to step down from overseeing the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, United Methodist Bishop Frank Beard is launching a new ministry of evangelism. He and his wife, Melissa, are using their love of fishing to teach fellow United Methodists how to hook new disciples. Heather Hahn has the story.
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Photo courtesy of Wespath Benefits and Investments
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Investment debates underway for 2028
CHICAGO (UM News) — Wespath leaders hosted a summit in hopes of moving toward a consensus on any proposed changes to the denomination’s investment policies ahead of the 2028 General Conference. Investment in fossil fuels companies was a focus, with sentiment running high in some church circles that those investments should be avoided. Jim Patterson reports.
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Photo courtesy of the Tanzania Annual Conference
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Abisay Juwakali remembered as holistic leader
MWANZA, Tanzania (UM News) — The Rev. Abisay Lameck Juwakali, an advocate for evangelism, education and health, died Oct. 5 in a traffic accident in Tanzania. Bishop Mande Muyombo described him as a pioneer of holistic mission. Asaph Sungura Ally and Chadrack Tambwe Londe have an obituary.
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Photo by Krivit Photography, courtesy of Meet Minneapolis
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How General Conference delegates are allotted
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Determining the total number of delegates each annual conference may elect to General Conference takes time. The Rev. Taylor W Burton Edwards of Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, explains the steps that go into calculating the delegate counts.
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