UM News Digest - July 30, 2025

UM News Digest - July 30, 2025

LGBTQ advocates head for ‘uncharted’ territory
Where to find church scholarships
Retired pastors join in revitalizing church

“I want to tell you that every reconciling United Methodist and every reconciling United Methodist ministry played a role in getting to this moment.” — Jan Lawrence, Reconciling Ministries Network’s executive director.

Mountain Sky Conference Bishop Kristin Stoneking gives the benediction at the closing worship of Reconciling Ministries Network’s 2025 Convocation held at First United Methodist Church in downtown Madison, Wis. Photo by Joscie Cutchens, UM News.

LGBTQ advocates head for ‘uncharted’ territory
MADISON, Wis. (UM News) — With The United Methodist Church’s elimination of its anti-gay stances, advocates for LGBTQ equality see reasons to celebrate but also challenges to address in the denomination and wider world. Reconciling Ministries Network held its 2025 Convocation with the theme “Uncharted” on July 24-27 at First United Methodist Church in Madison. Heather Hahn reports.

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UM News: Building international relationships

Ask The UMC
Where to find church scholarships
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications, responds to inquiries about the denomination and its ministries. One of the most frequent requests the team receives is for scholarship information. In a new installment of its “Whom to Call” series, Ask The UMC shares resources to help students reach their educational goals.
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Read more in series

Holston Conference
Retired pastors join in revitalizing church
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two retired pastors in eastern Tennessee are trying to lead a 216-year-old church back to growth and connection with the community. Serving as co-pastors, the Revs. Jim Bailes and Walter Cross believe in Macedonia United Methodist Church so much, they are currently working without pay. Annette Spence has the story.
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World Council of Churches
Church heads condemn assault on Christian town
JERUSALEM — The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, in a statement on July 29, expressed profound concern and unwavering condemnation following another violent assault that targeted the West Bank Christian town of Taybeh. The church leaders said the attack is part of “an alarming pattern of settler violence against West Bank communities.”
Read statement

EdNC
How church-based literacy camps fill gaps
BREVARD, N.C. — In 2012, The Duke Endowment partnered with one rural church to test a program to combat summer learning loss. Thirteen years later, the initiative has grown and now works with several partners, including the North Carolina and Western North Carolina conferences, to provide evidence-informed summer reading camps. Kristen Richardson-Frick, Mebane Rash and Hannah Vinueza McClellan report.
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National Association of United Methodist Foundations
Association sees leadership changes
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Sheri Meister, president/chief executive officer of the Dakotas and Minnesota United Methodist Foundations, is now president of the board of the National Association of United Methodist Foundations. She succeeds the Rev. Phil Jamieson, who recently stepped away from leading the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation.
Read press release (PDF)
Learn more about the association
Dakotas Conference: Behind the curtain with Sheri Meister

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.

Church and Society
Youth-led advocacy for justice in health care
MUTARE, Zimbabwe — After his United Methodist youth group participated in a hospital cleanup, Tafadzwa Chikawa writes that he and fellow youth left with the conviction that they must go beyond acts of charity and into advocacy for health care. Chikawa, recent graduate of United Methodist-related Africa University, is an intern with the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.
Read commentary

Christian Climate Training
Free environmental training Sept. 27
WASHINGTON — A free online seminar on Sept. 27 offers participants knowledge and resources so they can take action on climate change from a faith perspective in the home, neighborhood, church, community and with policymakers. The training, which is part of the Blessed Tomorrow Climate Ambassador Program, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern time.
Learn more