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General Church
In an effort to combat climate change, participants at the California-Nevada Summit on Fossil Fuel Divestment approved a resolution recommending halting fossil-fuel related investments. “We agree that fossil fuels continue to drive climate change and that their production and usage harms the planet, especially poor and minority communities and countries,” the statement reads. The resolution now goes before annual conference voters. Image by Ralf Vetterlem, courtesy of Pixabay.
In an effort to combat climate change, participants at the California-Nevada Summit on Fossil Fuel Divestment approved a resolution recommending halting fossil-fuel related investments. “We agree that fossil fuels continue to drive climate change and that their production and usage harms the planet, especially poor and minority communities and countries,” the statement reads. The resolution now goes before annual conference voters. Image by Ralf Vetterlem, courtesy of Pixabay.

Conference moves toward fossil-fuel divestment
In an effort to combat climate change, participants at the California-Nevada Summit on Fossil Fuel Divestment approved a resolution that will now go before annual conference voters.

Editor's Picks

Mission and Ministry
The Rev. Jonathan Baker and Donna Baker are overwhelmed as water gushes forth from a well in Wembo Nyama, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2016. The local people had been praying for water for decades. New Covenant United Methodist Church in The Villages, Fla., and its Lake Deaton United Methodist Church campus in Wildwood, Fla., raised the money for this first well in the Sankuru Province of Central Congo. Photo by the Rev. Jim Divine.

Calling led couple to ministry in Congo
The Rev. Jonathan Baker, former conference council on ministries director, and registered nurse Donna Baker shared their skills with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
General Church
A procession of United Methodist bishops leads opening worship at the 2024 United Methodist General Conference on April 23, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. The board of The United Methodist Church’s finance agency voted to give bishops a 3% retroactive salary increase. The move comes after bishops in December asked to forgo a raise in 2025 amid tight budgets denomination-wide. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Bishops given 3% retroactive pay hike
The board of The United Methodist Church’s finance agency voted to give bishops a salary increase that starts at the beginning of this year.
Faith Stories
Susie and Ed Keefer pose with Miriam, age 4, in Kinshasa, Congo, in 2013. Shortly afterward, Miriam went home with the Keefers to the United States. The matching outfits were a gift from Dr. Rebecca Yohadi. Photo courtesy of Susie Keefer.

From mission volunteer to adoptive mom
When Susie Keefer traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010, little did she know it would be the first of many mission journeys.

Latest News

General Church
The Council of Bishops and Connectional Table have collaborated in developing a new vision statement for the denomination: The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections. Earth image by NASA Space Observatory; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Bishops unveil vision for United Methodist Church
Mission and Ministry
Patricia and Ray Kaukonde join hands with Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa to celebrate the dedication of Donzwe United Methodist Church near Mudzi, Zimbabwe, in December 2024. Ray Kaukonde fulfilled his dying mother’s wish by completing construction of the church that was started in 1977 by his grandfather. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Man blesses many by fulfilling mother’s dying wish
Judicial Council
A congregation’s trustees cannot prevent their pastor from using church facilities to perform a same-sex wedding, The United Methodist Church’s top court ruled in Decision 1516. The ruling was one of two decisions released by the Judicial Council on April 29. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UM News.

Ruling: Same-sex weddings solely up to pastors
Judicial Council
Members of the 2024-2028 Judicial Council are (front row, from left) the Rev. Jonathan Ulanday; the Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe, president; the Rev. Angela Brown, secretary; and Molly Hlekani Mwayera; (back row, from left) Bill Waddell; Andrew Vorbrich; the Rev. Øyvind Helliesen; the Rev. Luan-Vu Tran; and Harriett Olson. The Judicial Council released decisions from its spring docket on April 29. Photo by Linda Bloom, UM News.

Megachurch’s closure improper, ruling says
General Church
In her presidential address, Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone outlines the challenges facing United Methodists — including the need to rebuild after church disaffiliations and take on the rise of cruelty and erosion of human rights. Malone, who also leads the Indiana Conference, was speaking to bishops meeting in Chicago this week. Photo by Paul Gómez, United Methodist Communications.

Bishops urged to confront rising cruelty
Church Growth
The Rev. Alexander von Wascinski receives a blessing from his congregation at Peace Church United Methodist in Munich, Germany. Photo courtesy of Peace Church United Methodist, via Facebook. Facebook.

Peace Church offers ‘home for everyone’
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Local Church
The Rev. Dale Cohen (right) leads a discussion about the differences between solitude and loneliness with singer-songwriter Bay Simpson during Crafted Conversations at the Singin’ River Brewing Co. in Florence, Ala. Cohen is senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Florence.

Songs spark spiritual conversations at brew pub
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Evangelism
People gather around a laptop during a “Tell Your Church’s Story” training event for churches in the Rizal Philippines Annual Conference East (RPACE) on March 22. The event was sponsored by the Taytay Philippines Communications team and United Methodist Communications. Image courtesy of the Taytay Philippines Communications team.

Philippines church communicators develop new skills
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Social Concerns
The Rev. Rushing Kimball stands next to a sign for Broadway United Methodist Church in Orlando, Fla. The congregation and Kimball personally have experienced protests and threats from people who oppose the church’s LGBTQ-affirming stance. Photo courtesy of Kimball, Broadway United Methodist Church.

Orlando churches face anti-LGBTQ protests
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Mission and Ministry
Bishop Rubén Saenz (center) prays for delegates to the annual meeting of the United Methodist Mission in Honduras during the closing session on March 18 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Saenz is the mission’s newly appointed episcopal leader. Photo by the Rev. Gustavo Vasquez, UM News.

Honduras mission welcomes new leader, sets goals
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General Church
Bishop Richard Byrd Wilke, who with his wife, Julia Wilke, developed the popular Disciple Bible Study, died on Easter, April 20, 2025. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Bishop Wilke, beloved Bible study creator, dies
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Commentaries

Bishop Julius C. Trimble. Photo by Tessa Tillett for the Indiana Conference.

Love demands compassionate response, prophetic witness
Cliff White. Photo courtesy of the author.

Why our church is in trouble
Anna Riddle. Photo by Heather Gaydeski Photography.

Carrie Parrish's legacy holds lessons for today
The Rev. Dr. Tércio B. Junker Photo courtesy of the Northern Illinois Conference.

In the Wesleys’ footsteps: Reflecting on justice, faith
The Rev. Paul W. Chilcote. Photo courtesy of the author.

A refreshed Wesleyan vision is emerging
The Rev. April Casperson. Courtesy of Otterbein University.

Amendment would make church more open
The Rev. Dr. Jean Claude Masuka Maleka. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Mission can revitalize United Methodism
The Rev. Neelley Hicks. Photo courtesy of the author.

Churches build bridges to counter hate
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Multimedia

Evangelism
People gather around a laptop during a “Tell Your Church’s Story” training event for churches in the Rizal Philippines Annual Conference East (RPACE) on March 22. The event was sponsored by the Taytay Philippines Communications team and United Methodist Communications. Image courtesy of the Taytay Philippines Communications team.
People gather around a laptop during a “Tell Your Church’s Story” training event for churches in the Rizal Philippines Annual Conference East (RPACE) on March 22. The event was sponsored by the Taytay Philippines Communications team and United Methodist Communications. Image courtesy of the Taytay Philippines Communications team.

Philippines church communicators develop new skills
Filipino communicators are learning new ways to reach people through social media.

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Faith Sharing
Psalm 23. Photo by Pat-Photographies / Pixabay; graphic by Laurens Glass.

Social media graphics from UM News
Mission and Ministry
The Rev. John Collett and his wife, Rita Collett, rent a bedroom in their home in Nashville, Tenn., to a college student through a program called Nesterly, Through this intergenerational home sharing, senior citizens can receive rent money and help with home services in exchange for housing young people. Photo by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Couple says intergenerational home sharing works
Mission and Ministry
“Hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits.” Books requested by an inmate have been carefully packaged for shipping by Books to Prisons volunteers in Birmingham, Ala. Photo by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Ministry sends Books to Prisons
Church History
The history of Pickett Chapel United Methodist Church in Lebanon, Tenn., goes back almost 200 years. Pickett Chapel is believed to be the oldest African American church building in the state of Tennessee. Photo from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Historic church tells story of slavery, triumph
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