UM News Digest - Feb. 23, 2026

UM News Digest - Feb. 23, 2026

Commitment to serve joyfully defines church
Conference calls leaders back to discipleship
After 2023 wildfires, Maui sanctuary reopens

“To be a church in mission is to live within communities and let the light of God shine through our engagement and encounters with people.” — Darlene Marquez-Caramanzana, a deaconess and panelist in a webinar on the denomination’s call to “serve joyfully."

Graphic courtesy of United Methodist Communications

Commitment to serve joyfully defines church
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist leaders joined to explore how Wesleyan theology shapes the denomination’s approach to mission around the globe, from hosting food pantries to caring for migrants to addressing injustice. They were participants in a webinar that focused on the United Methodist vision statement’s call to “serve joyfully.” That call has roots not only in Scripture but also in the history of the Wesleyan movement. Heather Hahn reports.

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The Rev. Ken Suhr, director of leadership and congregational vitality for the California-Pacific Conference, delivers the keynote address on the “DNA of Growing Churches” during the 2026 Growing Church Conference at First United Methodist Church of San Diego. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Conference calls leaders back to discipleship
SAN DIEGO (UM News) — How does the church grow? That question framed the 2026 Growing Church Conference, held Feb. 9-12 at First United Methodist Church of San Diego. Launched in 2001 as a grassroots movement, the gathering has evolved from a jurisdictional initiative into a nationwide event welcoming pastors serving cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments. The Rev. Thomas E. Kim has the story.
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Western Jurisdiction
After 2023 wildfires, Maui sanctuary reopens
LAHAINA, Maui — Hymns echoed from the property at Lahaina United Methodist Church for the first time in two and a half years. The church building burned down in the Lahaina fire on Aug. 9, 2023, and since then, the congregation has been worshipping at Lahuiokalani Ka’anapali Congregational Church. Last month, the newly built Garden Sanctuary was consecrated on the property, and regular worship is expected to begin in the space in March. Alyssa Fisher has the story and photos.
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Greater Northwest Area
Staying nimble in sharing disaster-relief kits
DES MOINES, Wash. — As the United Methodist Committee on Relief prepares to close the Sager Brown Depot in 2027 and shift to a distributed relief-kit model, the Pacific Northwest Conference recognizes the moment. After a key Western depot closed in 2020, conference leaders built a network of church-based supply hubs — keeping kits local, mobilizing volunteers and staying nimble when disasters strike. Patrick Scriven reports.
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UM News: Sager Brown Depot to close

South Georgia Conference
Wesley Glen: Loving the least of these
MACON, Ga. — Wesley Glen, a United Methodist ministry, serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — from Down syndrome to autism to a wide range of genetic and developmental differences. People are not clients or residents. Everyone at Wesley Glen is called a neighbor, says Cameron Bishop, president and CEO. The Rev. Stephanie Smith has the story.
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Church and Society
United Methodists remember the Rev. Jesse Jackson
WASHINGTON — United Methodists are among those remembering the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who died Feb. 17 at age 84. The United Methodist Board of Church and Society, Commission on Religion and Race and United Women in Faith released a joint statement honoring his life and legacy as a towering leader in the advancement for civil rights, social justice and human dignity. “We trust that his legacy will continue to guide and strengthen our social justice work ahead,” the statement said.
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West Ohio Conference
9-year-old helps transform chapel into library
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A children’s library envisioned by a 9-year-old boy at Emery Chapel United Methodist Church is helping kids with their reading. Connor Kennedy suggested that a small outdoor chapel be converted into a library. It has become a visible sign of community engagement and creative outreach. The Rev. Ben Webster reports.
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North Alabama Conference
Nina Reeves, beloved youth leader, dies at 100
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Nina Reeves, who served as the North Alabama Conference’s youth director for 49 years, died on Feb. 17. She would have turned 101 on March 23. The conference shares that in her nearly half century as youth director, her ministry enriched the lives of thousands of youth.
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Council of Bishops
Episcopalians, United Methodists honor Wesley brothers
WASHINGTON — The Episcopal Church observes the Feast Day of John and Charles Wesley each March 3 by honoring the brothers as influential priests in the Church of England and as founders of the Methodist Movement within the Anglican tradition. This year, all United Methodists and Episcopalians are invited to join in marking this special day with prayer for each other and for our shared relationship. The Rev. Jean Hawxhurst of the Council of Bishops office offers a prayer as both denominations work toward full communion.
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UM News: Full communion with Episcopalians gets closer

Archives and History
Grants available for history researchers
MADISON, N.J. — Researchers interested in United Methodist history are urged to apply for several grants and awards. The deadline is Feb. 28 for grants including the $10,000 Josephine Forman Scholarship for minority graduate students pursuing archival science. The scholarships will be awarded for use during the 2026-2027 school year.
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