UM News Digest - Aug. 5, 2026

UM News Digest - Aug. 5, 2026

Celebrating deacons | Hamilton wins primary | New clergy data tool

“I think deacons who are in extension ministry, you have to form your own path and create ways to stay connected.” — The Rev. Lindsey Russell, senior manager of programs at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

The Rev. Emily Kvalheim speaks on May 30 outside the Butler County Jail in Hamilton, Ohio, during a protest to draw attention to people being detained because of their immigration status. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Emily Kvalheim.

Deacons take God’s work beyond the church
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist deacons serve as bridges connecting The United Methodist Church to the world outside the church. You might find them protesting outside of a county jail, working at a food bank or helping former inmates reintegrate into society. This year marks 30 years since the denomination declared deacons to be a distinct, permanent order of ministry. Jim Patterson has the story.

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Kansas City Star
Hamilton wins Democratic Senate primary
LEAWOOD, Kan. — The Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of the largest United Methodist church in the United States, won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Kansas on Aug. 4. For more than three decades, Hamilton has served as senior pastor at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood. He will challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall in November. “My campaign will bring Kansans together around our shared values and common purpose. Lowering costs. Restoring decency. Ending the chaos and corruption in Washington,” Hamilton said in a Facebook post after securing the nomination. “There’s a lot of work to do between now and Nov. 3.”
Read story
See Hamilton’s Facebook post
UM News: On the road with Rev. Adam Hamilton in Kansas

Dakotas Conference
Church hosts S’mores and Scriptures
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — In North Dakota, summer means weekend time on the lake — and that affects worship attendance. The Rev. Clay Lundberg of Zion United Methodist Church has adapted with S’mores and Scriptures. Once a month, on Wednesday evenings, he leads a different kind of gathering. He sets up yard games outside the church, starts a fire in a portable fire pit, and shares the ingredients for s’mores and connection. Doreen Gosmire reports.
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Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
Latino Camp 2026 a success
LEBANON, Pa. — Latino Camp 2026 brought faith, learning, friendship and fun to 73 young people at Gretna Glen Camp and Retreat Center. The spiritual focus of the week centered on John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules: Do No Harm, Do Good and Love God. Through worship, Bible study, recreation and daily interactions, the campers learned and practiced these timeless principles. Lisa DePaz has the story.
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Status and Role of Women, Finance and Administration
Agencies launch new monitoring dashboard
GLENVIEW, Ill. — The United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women and the General Council on Finance and Administration announce the launch of a new monitoring dashboard designed to track and report data on clergy status, gender and race across the U.S. connection. “This dashboard empowers our denomination with a clear, honest picture of who is serving in ministry and how that reflects, or fails to reflect, the diversity of the church we are called to be,” said the Rev. Stephanie York Arnold, top executive of the Status and Role of Women.
Read press release
See dashboard

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.

Lewis Center for Church Leadership
A deeper look at youth mission trips
WASHINGTON — Mission trips are often viewed as service projects, but effective ministry leaders understand that mission trips can become powerful opportunities for spiritual formation and theological reflection. Andrew Mochrie, an experienced youth minister, explores how youth leaders can help students move beyond simply doing good to participating in the deeper work God is already doing in the world.
Read commentary

United Methodist Communications
Chart explains US Regional Conference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Over the next three years, United Methodists in the United States will hear three similar names come up repeatedly. They sound alike, but they are three different things, each with its own job and its own season. This chart lays out how the Interim Committee on Organization, the U.S. Regional Committee that deals with General Conference legislation and the U.S. Regional Conference relate.
See chart
UM News: Planners set time for US Regional Conference