United Methodist News RSS Feed

Church expands access to clean water in Liberia

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:41:00 -0500

Through its Water for Life initiative, the Liberia Conference is installing wells and sanitation facilities throughout the country to help reduce waterborne diseases and improve safety and equity for women and girls.

Small group resource crosses language, cultural boundaries

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:15:12 -0500

An English edition of a Korean United Methodist small-group curriculum on Jesus’ parables is expanding its reach to English-speaking churches, bilingual families and congregations beyond the Korean community.

Hispanic-Latino caucus reviews mission, structure

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:38:32 -0500

MARCHA sets priorities at annual meeting, including reviewing bylaws, strengthening ties with Latin America, advocating for immigrant communities and developing the Elías Galván Endowment Fund.

James Laney had big impact on Africa University

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:50:46 -0500

The late pastor and missionary was at the helm of choosing where the pan-African university would be built, and his network proved invaluable.

UM News Podcast Season One

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:52:40 -0500

Coming September 28: Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News.

Church finds joy in bread, coffee and communion

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:17:58 -0500

Members of Mora United Methodist and their pastor reach beyond the church’s walls to connect with neighbors.

Remembering 9/11 at John Street church

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 05:11:56 -0500

A longtime member and church trustee looks back on visiting the United Methodist church in Lower Manhattan on the day of the Sept. 11 attacks and how United Methodists responded.

Meeting puts focus on Salvadoran Methodism

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:39:39 -0500

World Methodist Council gathering strengthens ties between the Evangelical Methodist Church of El Salvador and the worldwide Methodist community while increasing the church’s visibility.

African bishops celebrate growth, ecumenism

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:15:09 -0500

United Methodist episcopal leaders in Africa gathered in Liberia to discuss regionalization, stewardship, sustainability and other issues affecting the continent.

Methodist family spotlights justice, peace, joy

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:10:19 -0500

United Methodists joined with other members of World Methodist Council at a meeting in El Salvador where they explored how to work for justice around the globe. They also took lessons from the martyred Archbishop Óscar Romero.

Summit probes the danger and benefits of AI

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:09:00 -0500

More than 500 church leaders learned about and debated the merits of artificial intelligence at the AI and Church Summit Aug. 24-27 in Nashville.

2026 North Katanga Annual Conference

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:25:11 -0500

July 5-8, Kamina, Congo

Getting beyond the traditionalism of liberalism

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:58:57 -0500

Pastor urges United Methodist leaders to take tradition seriously when they meet for the Leadership Gathering in October.

Church keeps UK Zimbabweans connected to home

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:03:00 -0500

The United Methodist Church’s growing United Kingdom District demonstrates that when faith crosses borders, it does not lose its roots.

Bishop Mutti, leader in AIDS fight, dies

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:58:03 -0500

Retired Bishop Albert Frederick “Fritz” Mutti, alongside his late wife, advocated for LGBTQ inclusion and helped establish the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund. The couple’s tireless advocacy came out of great personal loss.

Grants available to help churches switch to solar

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:20:00 -0500

Up to 20 churches will be selected for the UMC Solar and Battery Pilot Program. Select participating churches will be invited to apply for an UMCOR grant up to $100,000 to support their projects.

2026 East Congo Annual Conference

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:15:47 -0500

July 21-26, Kindu, Congo

Churches go solar, putting creation care into action

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:10:00 -0500

United Methodist churches in Georgia are jumping on the solar power train, helped by a tax break from the Biden administration and a nonprofit that’s showing they can care for the environment while also reducing their electric bill.

Creation celebration added to church year

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:29:06 -0500

United Methodists are joining with Christians across traditions in adding a shared feast day and season that focuses on God, the Creator. The season coincides with an ecumenical focus on addressing climate change.

‘Prayerful witness’ offered for immigrants

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:10:52 -0500

United Methodists in New Jersey gathered outside Delaney Hall detention center to show Christian love, concern and solidarity to detainees and visiting loved ones.

Churches mobilize after deadly Nepal-Tibet floods

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:51:07 -0500

Churches and mission partners are responding after catastrophic floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, as Asian Christian leaders call for prayer, humanitarian support and sustained solidarity with affected communities.

An upswell of joy

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:21:00 -0500

Decades after enduring painful events as a closeted teen, writer Tammy Evans recounts feeling buoyed by her United Methodist pastor celebrating Pride.

United Methodists respond to South African migration crisis

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:06:00 -0500

The United Methodist Church supports thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing anti-foreigner protests in South Africa.

Conference confronts cyber theft with faith, resolve

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:11:45 -0500

The New England Conference is working with federal and local investigators after the cybercrime earlier this month. Conference leaders also are taking steps to help fellow United Methodists prevent wire fraud.

On human dignity: People are ends in themselves

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:28:00 -0500

The teaching in Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical has strong similarities with the ideas that drove the abolitionist movement in America.

Equipping Hispanic-Latino youth for leadership

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:44:32 -0500

For more than two decades, the Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy has answered a call to help young people explore leadership, vocation and Christian service.

Church sets the table to connect beyond its walls

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:24:31 -0500

A Korean pastor and chef has turned his passion for his native cuisine into a successful outreach ministry for a church start-up.

Church giving shows signs of stability

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:43:34 -0500

The board of the United Methodist Church’s finance agency heard a midyear review on the denomination’s finances.

Highland Park leaders escalate response to lawsuit

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:09:58 -0500

Following the conference’s lawsuit over church governance, the Highland Park United Methodist church council declared it no longer recognizes the authority of its bishop and conference.

Zimbabwe circuit offers model for evangelism, growth

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:05:20 -0500

Magamba Circuit is steadily attracting new members through preaching, crusades and door-to-door evangelism combined with practical outreach such as providing food and clothing to people in need.

United Methodists denied entry to Israel

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:43:46 -0500

Four United Methodists were among an interfaith delegation of U.S. citizens who were turned back when they tried to cross the border into Israel for a visit with Holy Land Christians.

Highland Park pastors, conference address suit

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:45:56 -0500

Highland Park United Methodist Church’s current senior minister and his predecessor are speaking out about the lawsuit filed by the Horizon Texas Conference. Meanwhile, the conference added more information to its suit about the issues under dispute.

Celebrating 25 years of Native dance, art and friendship

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:48:46 -0500

Annual Native Moccasins Rock event attracts Native American and non-Native participants seeking to better understand and recover Indigenous skills and stories.

Bishop purchases motorcycles for pastors in Congo

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:21:17 -0500

Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema presented 11 motorcycles to United Methodist district superintendents in Maniema to reduce travel time and make caring for their communities easier.

Remembering James T. Laney, a lifelong friend to Korea

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:50:58 -0500

From a young soldier in postwar Korea to U.S. ambassador during a nuclear crisis, the Rev. James T. Laney devoted much of his life to the Korean people and the pursuit of peace. Laney died Aug. 13 at age 98.

When screens become a theological question

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:03:51 -0500

The question isn’t whether a screen belongs in a sanctuary, but whether the sanctuary is helping the people belong to one another in prayer.

Hamilton honored for connectional leadership

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:18:20 -0500

The Rev. Adam Hamilton, United Methodist pastor and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, was honored for leadership on Aug. 4 during the 2026 installment of Discipleship Ministries’ School of Congregational Development.

Church called to ‘rise up’ amid loneliness, AI

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:30:31 -0500

Pastors and lay leaders gathered Aug. 2-5 for the RISE UP conference, a biennial event to help equip clergy and lay leaders to plant, revitalize and innovate local churches.

Georgia unification gains final approval

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:53:55 -0500

The United Methodist Church’s Southeastern Jurisdiction has approved the union of the North Georgia and South Georgia conferences.

Church relaunches technical training in Nigeria

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:09:00 -0500

After a two-decade pause, The United Methodist Church in Nigeria restarted a program that provides vocational training to young people and offers graduates startup money to help launch their own businesses.

Conference sues its largest congregation

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:59:28 -0500

The Horizon Texas Conference has filed a lawsuit against Highland Park United Methodist Church, arguing changes the church made to its articles of incorporation violate the denomination’s rules for church governance.

Relief reaches hard-hit areas after earthquake

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:11:21 -0500

The United Methodist Church in the Philippines and church partners have provided food, supplies and spiritual care to more than 700 families following deadly quake.

Camp brings healthcare to vulnerable community

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:43:39 -0500

More than 600 people living near a Kenyan dumpsite received free medical care through a United Methodist mission center’s outreach.

Deacons take God’s work beyond the church

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:30:33 -0500

Deacons are ordained United Methodist clergy called to carry God’s words and works outside church walls. This year marks 30 years since The United Methodist Church declared deacons to be a distinct, permanent order of ministry.

A ministry of healing

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:30:48 -0500

Faith, resilience and self-care come together in United Methodist pastor’s unique ministry, which includes a vegan skincare line.

Embracing role-playing games at church

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Once a scourge to conservative Christians, Dungeons & Dragons and other role-playing games are now sometimes hosted at United Methodist churches, where players say the games can reinforce things they learn in church.

Inclusivity brings church back from the brink

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:59:00 -0500

In 2017, Glendale United Methodist Church didn’t look like it was going to survive long. But committed lay people, a dedicated pastor and radical inclusiveness turned things around.

A United Methodist call to healthy aging

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:02:24 -0500

The United Methodist Church should serve as a model for healthy aging and caregiving. “It is not simply a healthcare issue. It is a discipleship issue,” writes retired pastor.

Puerto Rico Methodists reaffirm mission

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:48:31 -0500

During its 11th Connectional Conference, members of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico committed to strengthening ministries amid U.S. challenges.