UM News: Your official source of comprehensive information and news about The United Methodist Church.

Top Story

Participants at the Facing the Future 2025 conference take a dance break Oct. 7 at Sonesta Los Angeles Airport hotel in Los Angeles. The national conference examined the challenges of cross-cultural and cross-racial clergy. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Cross-cultural, cross-racial pastors seek revival

The Facing the Future conference offered space for United Methodist clergy to share challenges, recenter and envision ministry ahead.

Editor's Picks

Faith Stories

The Rev. Abisay Lameck Juwakali, described as an inspiration for resilient leadership and service as well as a pioneer of holistic mission, died Oct. 5 in a traffic accident. Photo courtesy of the Tanzania Annual Conference.

Abisay Juwakali remembered as holistic leader

The Rev. Abisay Lameck Juwakali, an advocate for ministry combining evangelism, education and health, died Oct. 5 in a traffic accident in Tanzania.

Social Concerns

The Rev. Will Ed Green (right), senior pastor of Silver Spring United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Md., shows part of the church’s facility to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Moore visited the church Feb. 23 as part of efforts to promote affordable housing. Photo by Alison Burdett, Baltimore-Washington Conference.

State gives big boost to church housing plan

Maryland is providing crucial tax credits for Silver Spring United Methodist Church’s $88.2 million affordable-housing initiative. The growing church is among many U.S. congregations repurposing property for good.

Mission and Ministry

Participants sing praises during the opening worship of the Korean Association of The United Methodist Church, held Sept. 29 at Calvary Korean United Methodist Church in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Pictured (from left): Bishops Cynthia Moore-Koikoi of the Greater New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania conferences; Hee-Soo Jung of the Ohio Episcopal Area; Dottie Escobedo-Frank of the California-Pacific Conference; and the Rev. Kyu Hyun Kim, pastor of Berkeley Korean United Methodist Church in Orinda, Calif. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Korean church leaders commit to mission, healing

The Korean Association of The United Methodist Church’s 2025 convocation brought together registered pastors, laity and ministry leaders from across the United States. Mission was a central focus.

Latest News

Mission and Ministry

Volunteers with the Canaveral Port Ministry welcome cruise ship workers on leave while their ships are docked in Port Canaveral, Fla. The ministry provides respite for homesick seafarers far from their home countries. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Port ministry offers seafarers home away from home

Mission and Ministry

Leaders of the Korean Ministry Plan stand together on the first day of their meeting, held Oct. 2-4 in Teaneck, New Jersey. (Front row, from left) the Rev. Paul H. Chang, Susan Kim, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, the Revs. Ju-Yeon Jeon and Jae Lee; (back row, from left) the Revs. Hongyun Won, Hyok In Kwon, James Jaemyung Lee, Miso Park, Prumeh Lee and Ji Min Bang. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Korean Ministry Plan sharpens mission strategies and focus

Immigration

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. The following day another group of clergy also made the same request. Both times Bradley reached out to ICE officials, who denied the clergy entry. Photo by the Rev. Britt Cox, First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Ill.

With warm faith, pastors seek to counter ICE

Social Concerns

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. The message highlights growing frustration among youth over the country’s persistent water and power shortages. Photo by Diary Andrian.

Church responds to crisis in Madagascar

Faith Stories

Bishop Frank Beard uses fishing metaphors to launch his new evangelism program, Catching Like Jesus Ministries, during a sermon at Elkhart Faith United Methodist Church in Goshen, Ind. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Eyesight fading, bishop envisions new role as evangelist

Social Concerns

Sarah Metroff (left), marketing manager of investment for Wespath Benefits and Investments, speaks with M. Theresa Basile (middle), co-founder of United Methodists for Kairos Response, and Andy Hendren (right), top executive of Wespath, during September meetings at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Wespath organized the summit to foster dialogue about its investments. Photo courtesy of Wespath Benefits and Investments.

Investment debates underway for 2028

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now

More Headlines

Local Church

Members of the Comics X Theology book club discuss the graphic novel “Persepolis” on Aug. 31 at Fantom Comics in Washington, D.C. Organized by a United Methodist pastor, the book club meets once a month to discuss a comic and how its story relates to religious issues. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Comics and theology — a match made in heaven?

Evangelism

World Communion Sunday. 1 Corinthian 11:24. "The Last Supper" (h. 1562) by Juan de Juanes, mid-late 16th century, Museo del Prado. Graphic by Laurens Glass.

Social media graphics from UM News

Social Concerns

The Rev. Paul Kong, United Methodist Board of Global Ministries Asia-Pacific regional representative, explains how rainwater-harvesting tanks are converted into drinking water during a WASH Academy, held Oct. 13-17 at Hope Vocational School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The training was hosted by Global Ministries and its Korean partner nongovernmental organization Bridge of Hope. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Faith, science converge to bring clean water to Southeast Asia

Mission and Ministry

Volunteers prepare trees for planting as part of a reforestation project on the island of Palawan in the Philippines. The flood relief project is sponsored by UMCOR and the Manila Episcopal Area. Jhoanna Ragasa reports.

UMCOR supports tree-planting project in Philippines

General Church

Filipino United Methodists join thousands of protesters in the Trillion Peso March Sept. 21 as they walk to Rizal Park in Manila, Philippines. The demonstrators called for accountability and transparency by government officials amid allegations of large-scale corruption. Photo courtesy of Blessy Grace De Leon.

Filipino United Methodists rally against corruption

Commentaries

Remembering who we are amid US budget fight

Deacons serve diverse, specialized roles

Religious trauma affects clergy too

Honoring our differences while celebrating unity

Love more, fear less, in cross-cultural ministry

The Rev. Joelle Henneman. Photo courtesy of the author.

Church can be sanctuary for trans lives

Silence is complicity: Responding to racist mascots

The Rev. Christopher P. Momany. Photo by Kristen Schell.

Troubled times call for revival of personalism

Multimedia

Disaster Relief

UMCOR supports tree-planting project in Philippines

United Methodists are planting native trees in a flood-prone area on the island of Palawan. The reforestation project is a joint venture between the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the Manila Episcopal Area.

Faith Sharing

Social media graphics from UM News

Disaster Relief

Members of Floris United Methodist Church help Barbara Douglas remove debris from her home in Spruce Pine, N.C., following Hurricane Helene. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Volunteers still rebuilding 1 year after Helene

Worship

Taking worship into the wild

Disaster Relief

Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Conference.

Louisiana Conference: Hope Beyond the Storm podcast series

These efforts require financial support. If you believe in our mission, consider a tax-deductible donation to support the essential work of UM News and other ministries of United Methodist Communications.