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UM News Digest - Oct. 2, 2026
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“We called Lamar the hound of heaven because he hounded people, by God’s grace, into the church.” — The Rev. Tim Bruster, remembering his colleague the Rev. Lamar Smith.
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Photo courtesy of First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth; graphic by UM News
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Pastor’s ministry had length and depth
FORT WORTH, Texas (UM News) — The Rev. Lamar Smith began his ministry in 1955 and didn’t fully retire until 2020, well into his 90s. But admirers say that what most distinguished him was not longevity or a stellar resume. It was how profoundly he influenced others — including fellow pastors — along the way. Sam Hodges reports. |
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File photo by Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Former lieutenant governor suspended from ministry
TRENTON, N.J. (UM News) — The Rev. Dale Caldwell resigned from his position as New Jersey’s lieutenant governor and now faces a United Methodist complaint over accusations of inappropriate behavior with women and ethics violations. Caldwell denies the allegations and says he only resigned to avoid being a distraction for the state. Nevertheless, the licensed local pastor is also suspended from clergy duties while the complaint stemming from the state allegations is under review. Heather Hahn reports.
Read story |
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Status and Role of Women, Upper New York Conference
Agency, bishop respond to Cornell investigation
ITHACA, N.Y. — As the Cornell University sexual assault investigation continues, United Methodists should be asking what is a faithful response, writes the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women in a statement. “Every church needs to say something. Every church needs to do something,” the statement says. The agency offers guidance for church leaders. Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez also shares a pastoral word for those in his Upper New York community “carrying grief, concern, confusion and a deep longing for justice.”
Read agency statement
Read bishop’s letter
Mountain Sky Conference, Native American Inter-Tribal Caucus
Truthfully recalling boarding-school past
NEWCASTLE, Wyo. — For many Native communities across Canada and the United States, Sept. 30 was Orange Shirt Day. The day, named for a shirt taken from a 6-year-old girl, is a reminder of the Native American children taken from their families, culture, language and ceremonies and placed in residential boarding schools. The Rev. Calvin Hill, a United Methodist pastor and boarding-school survivor, offers a reflection. The United Methodist Church’s Native American Inter-Tribal Caucus also has a statement on the history.
Read Hill’s reflection
Read caucus statement |
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North Georgia Conference
Foundation laid for Georgia Conference
DULUTH, Ga. — United Methodists from across Georgia gathered Sept. 26 for the historic Unifying Conference, marking one of the final steps in bringing together the North Georgia Conference and South Georgia Conference into a single Georgia Annual Conference. Clergy and laity celebrated their shared future while voting on the rules, budget and leadership that will guide the new conference beginning Jan. 1, 2027. North Georgia staff have the story.
Read story
See photos |
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Finance and Administration
General Conference business manager sought
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The General Council on Finance and Administration is seeking a new General Conference business manager after Sharah Dass recently resigned from the role. The business manager is responsible for the logistics and administration of the denomination’s top legislative assembly.
Learn more and apply |
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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. |
An invitation to reflect on the denomination’s future
OXFORD, Neb. (UM News) — Two participants in the coming Leadership Gathering raise questions about The United Methodist Church’s structure, leadership and evangelism that could help frame discussions about the denomination’s future. Worth reconsidering, the Revs. Albert Otshudi Longe and Dr. Lloyd Nyarota say, are the denomination’s institutionalization, the needs of local churches and the expectations for clergy.
Read commentary
Lewis Center for Church Leadership, United Methodist Focus
What clergy-age trends tell the church
WASHINGTON — In its 2026 Clergy Age Report, the Lewis Center for Church Leadership documents that the number of United Methodist elders under 35 decreased from 364 to 317, continuing a 10-year decline. Meanwhile, the number of under-35 deacons held steady, and the total number of licensed local pastors dropped. The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Page, the Lewis Center’s director, writes about what the trends mean for the church. The Rev. Dr. Lovett Weems, who wrote the report, writes in his Substack that the trends reflect cultural changes.
Read report
Read Page’s commentary
Read Weems’ commentary |
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Higher Education and Ministry, Global Ministries
Applications open for Ministry Support Fund
ATLANTA — Applications are now open for the Ministry Support Fund, a new grant program to support clergy care, leadership development and conference ministries. Created by the United Methodist boards of Higher Education and Ministry and Global Ministries, the fund aims to help annual conferences address emerging needs related to licensed and ordained ministry. Grants will range from $25,000 to $50,000, with opportunities for renewal for up to four years. This grant cycle will support ministry in 2027.
Learn more |
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Photo by Tamsintj, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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Countdown begins to Leadership Gathering
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Photo courtesy of the Disaster Management Office of the East Congo Episcopal Area
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United Methodists lose homes in Congo fire
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United Methodist News is sent by United Methodist Communications
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