Migration

Families visit booths set up outside Chicago First Korean United Methodist Church in Wheeling, Ill., during the church’s Sept. 13 “Great Feast for Refugees and Neighbors.” The event marked the congregation’s 102nd anniversary and its commitment to supporting vulnerable members of the community. Families from refugee centers across Chicago participated in a day filled with worship, music, food, fellowship and practical support. Photo courtesy of Chicago First Korean United Methodist Church.

Chicago First Korean marks 102 years by hosting refugees

The United Methodist congregation celebrated its anniversary by inviting some of its most vulnerable neighbors for worship, fellowship and support.

Violence

United Methodist Bishop Christian Alsted and the Rev. Yulia Starodubets pray in May of 2022 with Oksana, who fled her home in northeastern Ukraine after the Russian military destroyed her apartment building. United Methodists, including Alsted and Starodubets, continue to be in ministry with the people of Ukraine. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Bishops: Ukrainians need church’s presence

As the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on, United Methodists are continuing to do what they can to boost morale and provide necessities to those who need it.

Social Concerns

United Methodists in North Carolina and beyond say it’s important for Christians with opposing political views to seek common ground. That’s the idea behind the Western North Carolina Conference’s Purple Church Initiative, which aims to foster dialogue between conservative and progressive church members. Church image by Steven Kyle Adair; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Looking for middle ground in a divisive era

As President Trump returns to office, some United Methodists are preparing to respond to new policies on immigration, while others are hoping common ground is still possible among politically diverse members.

Immigration

Victor Lugo, a migrant from Venezuela, talks with two of his granddaughters at CAFEMIN, a migrant shelter in Mexico City. Founded by the Josephine Sisters, a Catholic religious order, the shelter has been overwhelmed in recent months by requests for shelter and other forms of assistance. Lugo, who volunteers in the shelter's kitchen, is traveling with seven family members, including the two girls. They are awaiting an appointment with Mexican immigration officials, hoping for a transit visa that will allow them to proceed further north. Photo by the Rev. Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

As migrant numbers surge, Mexican Methodists offer hospitality

Early last year, church leaders projected a shelter in Apaxco, Mexico, would assist between 100 and 150 migrants per month. By December, the shelter was housing 150 people a night and feeding 600 a day.

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