UM News Digest - July 29, 2026

UM News Digest - July 29, 2026

Hope after wildfire | Puerto Rico church | Healthy aging

“We’ve seen God’s miracles working through our plans.” — Kevin Oliveti, on Lahaina United Methodist Church’s rebuilding efforts following wildfire.

Lahaina United Methodist Church on Maui lost its sanctuary in the deadly Maui wildfires, but its congregation never lost its faith. Photo by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

3 years after wildfire, hope spreads in Lahaina
LAHAINA, Hawaii (UM News) — Three years after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Maui is still rebuilding. Homes are under construction and permits are in process, but recovery is measured in years — not months. Amid the challenges, one United Methodist congregation is showing how faith, resilience and volunteers can help rebuild not just their own church, but an entire community. Lilla Marigza reports from Lahaina.

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Bishop Lizzette Gabriel Montalvo recognizes the legacy of women in ministry during the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico’s 11th Connectional Conference, held June 25-28 in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico. Photo by the Rev. Gustavo Vásquez, UM News.

Puerto Rico Methodists reaffirm mission
JUANA DÍAZ, Puerto Rico (UM News) — The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico concluded its 11th Connectional Conference with a renewed commitment to discipleship, community engagement and partnership in mission, even as the island continues to face economic and other challenges. The Rev. Gustavo Vásquez has the story.
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Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
Churches help in combating measles outbreak
WEST CHESTER, Pa. — With measles on the rise in Pennsylvania and other parts of the U.S., the Chester County Health Department is reaching out to United Methodist churches to help raise awareness about the disease and the importance of vaccination. Notably, zero percent of those who have contracted measles in Pennsylvania this year were fully vaccinated. Two United Methodist churches are already answering the call. Emily Wilton reports.
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Wespath, Day Funeral Home Inc.
Remembering Jed Hornung
SHELBURNE, Vt. — Gerald Kenneth “Jed” Hornung II, a longtime leader whose faith and investment acumen helped guide multiple United Methodist ministries, died July 20 at age 96. A lifelong United Methodist, he served as a trustee of United Methodist foundations, seminaries and the New York Conference. He also was the top executive of the United Methodist pension agency, now known as Wespath, from 1978 to 1986. “We are thankful for Jed’s years of faithful leadership, and his lifelong service and commitment to The UMC,” Wespath said in a statement.
Read obituary
Read statement from Wespath

Native American Inter-Tribal Caucus
Group concerned about weakening conservation
SELBYVILLE, Del. — The United Methodist Church’s Native American Inter-Tribal Caucus, in a statement, expresses “profound concern” over the continued removal and weakening of protections for sacred Indigenous lands and waters, including Bears Ears National Monument, Chaco Canyon and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. “These are not simply public lands. They are sacred homelands,” the statement said.
Read statement (PDF)

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.

A United Methodist call to healthy aging
DALLAS (UM News) — The United States is growing older at an unprecedented rate, and The United Methodist Church has a role to play, writes a retired pastor. The Rev. Dr. Sheron C. Patterson said the church can advocate for policies that preserve human dignity while also preparing congregations to become communities where older adults flourish. “It is not simply a healthcare issue. It is a discipleship issue,” she writes.
Read commentary

Religion and Race
The weight of 2 Supreme Court cases
WASHINGTON — While the FIFA World Cup had fans on the edge of their seats for weeks, the Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo said he was on the edge of his seat awaiting Supreme Court decisions on birthright citizenship and Temporary Protected Status. “Together, (the decisions) expose the spiritual urgency before us: safety, home, and welcome cannot remain slogans. They must become practices, policies, prayers, and public commitments,” he writes. “This is where the church must speak and act with both prophetic courage and pastoral tenderness.”
Read commentary

Foundation for Evangelism
Deadline for local-church cohort approaches
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — Aug. 1 is the deadline for churches to apply to the Foundation for Evangelism to be part of its fall 2026 local-church cohort. The cohort includes eight-week comprehensive, Wesleyan-based evangelism training and resources for congregations. On completion, participating churches will have an opportunity to apply for the foundation’s grant cycle to put their evangelism plans into action.
Learn more and apply