Discipleship Ministries

Ecumenism
Stephen Ministers from First United Methodist Church of Haddonfield, N.J., discuss how to share and use information gained during a celebration and learning event for the ecumenical ministry Sept. 26. While the church has 17 active Stephen Ministers and two supervisory Stephen Leaders, it hopes to recruit more to meet growing needs in its community.  From left are Dan Gendron, Michael Persons, Betty Jo Zeno, Bud DelCamp and Stephen Ministry Co-Leader Lou Schopfer. Gendron joined the ministry after appreciating the care his late wife received from a Stephen Minister.  Photo by John W. Coleman, UM News.

Stephen Ministries marks 50 years of training caregivers

The ecumenical ministry is hosting nationwide training events to equip church members, including United Methodists, to provide one-on-one support to people facing life’s challenges.
Young People
LaShanda Evans sings during the Fusion 2026 Worship Music Conference at Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. Evans is the worship team coordinator for United Methodist Discipleship Ministries, which sponsored the event. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Music leaders tackle ‘great divide’ in worship

Older church members often prefer the comfort of a traditional worship service. But presenters at the United Methodist-sponsored Fusion 2026 conference talked about modern options that might attract more young people.
Social Concerns
Peter Levenstrong, associate rector at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, speaks during the AI and Church Summit Aug. 24-27 at the Harry Denman Building in Nashville, Tenn. The ecumenical gathering, themed “Human Agency,” featured participants from The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA) and The United Methodist Church. Photo by Chris Law, Discipleship Ministries.

Summit probes the danger and benefits of AI

More than 500 church leaders learned about and debated the merits of artificial intelligence at the AI and Church Summit Aug. 24-27 in Nashville.
Church Leadership
The Rev. Adam Hamilton has led Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, for 36 years. Hamilton is currently running for the U.S. Senate. Photo courtesy of hamiltonforkansas.com.

Hamilton honored for connectional leadership

The Rev. Adam Hamilton, United Methodist pastor and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, was honored for leadership on Aug. 4 during the 2026 installment of Discipleship Ministries’ School of Congregational Development.

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