bishops

Evangelism
Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema (center) poses for a photo with the 11 district superintendents from the Eastern Congo Conference who received new motorcycles as a gift from the bishop during the 2026 annual conference. Many of the church leaders had spent years traveling on foot or by bicycle to minister to their communities. Behind them is the Mgr. Gabriel Unda Yemba Multipurpose Hall at the Mama Lynn Center in Kindu, Congo. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Bishop purchases motorcycles for pastors in Congo

Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema presented 11 motorcycles to United Methodist district superintendents in Maniema to reduce travel time and make caring for their communities easier.
Social Concerns
Bishop C. Dale White speaks at the 1980 United Methodist General Conference in Indianapolis about his 11-day visit to Iran in November aimed at fostering dialogue amid the Iranian hostage crisis. White spoke about his delegation’s meeting with the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. File photo courtesy of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History.

Taking action during a previous Iran crisis

A few weeks into the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, Bishop C. Dale White of New Jersey joined a small delegation of religious leaders headed to Iran in hopes of fostering dialogue.
Young People
Jesse Aaron Felicitas of Antagan United Methodist Church in Isabela, Philippines, sings during worship at the Global Young People’s Convocation, held July 7-11 in Dublin, Ireland. About 600 youth and young adults gathered at the quadrennial forum to deepen United Methodist connectionalism among new generations. Photo by the Rev. M. Scott Hughes, Discipleship Ministries.

Young people's gathering energizes connection

The United Methodist forum gives young delegates, youth leaders space to foster fellowship, focus on discipleship and imagine the future church.
Bishops
Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez, who leads the Upper New York and Susquehanna conferences, distributes communion to participants during opening worship service on April 23, 2024, at General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. Next to him, also distributing communion, is Horizon Texas Conference Bishop Rubén Saenz Jr., who is now the Council of Bishops president. A United Methodist leadership body recommends that the U.S. have 34 bishops starting in 2028. File photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

Group advises adding 2 more US bishops

While recognizing The United Methodist Church’s financial constraints, church leaders have approved a recommendation to increase the number of U.S. bishops in 2028.

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