Your guide to GA227 — free and ready

Start here for GA227

Hi friends,

The 227th General Assembly is almost here — and if you’re wondering how to follow it all, what matters most, or where to begin, we’ve built something for you.

Introducing the Outlook’s Guide to GA227.

This free, digital guide brings clarity to a complex process. Inside, you’ll find:

A clear overview of how General Assembly works
Key issues and decisions to watch
Thoughtful questions for you and your congregation

It’s designed to help you engage GA with confidence — whether you’re attending, leading, or simply paying attention.

Download the free guide

Helping the church follow GA

Our Guide to GA227 is just one part of how we’re covering the assembly. Presbyterian Outlook is offering a full set of resources to help you stay informed and engaged:

Free SMS updates
Breaking news alerts delivered straight to your phone

Co-moderator webinar (June 17)
Hear directly from the candidates about their vision for the church

Bulletin inserts
Clear, congregation-ready summaries for before and after GA

Ongoing coverage
Trusted reporting and analysis throughout the assembly

Explore all GA227 resources

However you plan to follow General Assembly — as a commissioner, pastor, church leader or engaged reader — we’re here to help you make sense of it.

Grace and peace,
The Presbyterian Outlook

RNS Morning Report - The Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Black churches know exactly what to do.

An old fight

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a long-awaited — and, for many, long-feared — decision Wednesday: declaring a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, making it nearly impossible to challenge racially discriminatory voting maps without proving intentional discrimination.

It was the latest, and perhaps most serious, blow to the landmark law, widely considered a signature achievement of the civil rights movement. Black churches have long played a pivotal role in mobilizing voters — how would they respond, with midterm elections looming?

In an op-ed for RNS, the Rev. Traci Blackmon, a preacher and social justice advocate, said Black churches are prepared for this moment. "We have, quite literally, been here before, and each time the Black church did not simply encourage participation. We enabled it," wrote Blackmon, the former Associate General Minister of Justice and Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ and founder of Faith Out Loud!, a group working to translate faith into public action. "The question is not whether Black voters will respond. The question is whether the church will fully remember who it has always been."

The Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Black churches know exactly what to do.

(RNS) — We have been here before, and each time the Black church did not simply encourage participation. We enabled it.

Muslim women are suing jails and police over hijab removal at booking. And winning.

(RNS) — ‘It’s not like taking off someone’s hat. It’s like taking off their pants or removing their shirt,’ one expert witness told RNS.

In new memoir, former Buddhist nun talks the pursuit of enlightenment

(RNS) — Now in the contemplative Christian tradition, Paldrom Collins speaks about the spiritual journey that brought her to this point.

Despite obstructions, Israeli women sit for rabbinate exams in a historic first

(RNS) — Passing the rabbinic competency tests will not grant the women the title of rabbi. But it is a major win with benefits beyond just symbolism.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin on her Jewish faith and her slain son’s spiritual quest

(RNS) — In her new book, ‘When We See You Again,’ Rachel Goldberg-Polin explores the Jewish traditions her modern Orthodox family has leaned on in mourning their son, and she paints an endearing portrait of Hersh, a mystic of sorts who was forming his own spiritual journey.

Opinion

When Trump plays favorites with faith, we all pay the price

(RNS) — What if a food insecure senior felt coerced into joining in prayer or saying grace before receiving food from a church program supported by tax dollars?

The Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Black churches know exactly what to do.

(RNS) — We have been here before, and each time the Black church did not simply encourage participation. We enabled it.

ICYMI

Support Our Work

As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

UM News Digest - May 1, 2026

UM News Digest - May 1, 2026

Methodist prodigy became a maestro
Survey gives shape to Leadership Gathering
Hamilton to run for Senate as a Democrat

“I am praying for people’s safety, of course. But mainly I am praying for this war to stop.” — Manila Area Bishop Ruby-Nell Estrella, who also leads United Methodists in the Middle East.

The Rev. Joseph M. De Castro, pastor at First United Methodist Church in Dubai, delivers a benediction at the Hamarin Center, a venue in Daira, Dubai, that the congregation rented while places of worship in the country were temporarily closed as a safety precaution during the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Photo courtesy of the TFUMC Dubai Media Team.

Middle East United Methodists feel brunt of war
DUBAI (UM News) — Filipino United Methodists who work and worship along the Arabian Peninsula have been caught in the crossfire of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. The conflict has taken both an economic and emotional toll on church members. Heather Hahn reports.

Read story

Charles H. Webb was much honored in Indiana for his leadership of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He found time to play organ for his local United Methodist church and to serve on The United Methodist Church’s Hymnal Revision Committee. Webb died April 13 at age 93. Photo courtesy of Malcolm Webb.

Charles H. Webb was much honored in Indiana for his leadership of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Photo courtesy of Malcolm Webb.

Methodist prodigy became a maestro
DALLAS (UM News) — Charles H. Webb was a keyboard prodigy, playing organ and piano at his Dallas Methodist church as a small boy. He would go on to become longtime dean of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Webb also served on The United Methodist Church’s Hymnal Revision Committee and for decades played the organ at First United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Indiana. He died April 13 at age 93. Sam Hodges has an obituary.
Read obituary

Survey gives shape to Leadership Gathering
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodists participating in the Leadership Gathering got a preview of what they will be working on when they meet in October. Driving the agenda are the top priorities church members identified in a denomination-wide survey offered earlier this year. Bishops stress that the gathering isn’t a decision-making body but can serve in a consultative role as the denomination rebuilds.
Read story
Learn more

Great Plains Conference
Hamilton to run for Senate as a Democrat
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of the largest United Methodist congregation in the U.S., announced April 30 that he will run for U.S. Senate, and he will do so as a Democrat. “In all 18 places, the very first question they asked was why was I not running as a Democrat,” said the pastor of Resurrection, a United Methodist church. Todd Seifert reports.
Read story

Alabama-West Florida Conference
Wesley Foundation back at Alabama State
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Wesley Foundation will return to Alabama State University, with an official launch planned for the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year. The foundation will serve as a hub for spiritual growth, mentorship and community for students seeking a supportive faith environment during their college years. “College campuses are vital mission fields, and this ministry will help nurture faith, leadership and a sense of purpose among students who will shape our communities and our church for years to come,” said Bishop L. Jonathan Holston. Alabama-West Florida Conference staff have the story.
Read story

Mississippi Conference
Volunteers pitch in for camp cleanup
OXFORD, Miss. — Volunteers from Northern Hills District United Methodist churches took time out on a Saturday to help clear debris and make repairs at Camp Lake Stephen in Oxford. The United Methodist campground suffered damage during January’s brutal winter storm. Through their efforts, the campground is now ready to host United Methodist camps this summer. Matthew Johnson has the story.
Read story

United Methodist Communications
Keeping Find-A-Church profile up to date
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Unless your church has a website that gets regular traffic, the first search result for your church may very well be its Find-A-Church profile page. The Rev. Taylor W Burton Edwards of Ask The UMC, the information service of United Methodist Communications, offers some best practices.
Read story

Higher Education and Ministry
Fund helps Bethune-Cookman weather storms
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Rev. Albert Mosley, president of Bethune-Cookman University, said the Black College Fund is an incredible lifeline for historically Black colleges and universities. In addition to providing scholarships, the school has used the funds to replace the roof on the school’s Performing Arts Center after repeated storm damage. The United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry is spotlighting each of the 11 United Methodist-related HBCUs in the U.S. supported by the fund. Wendy R. Cromwell has the story.
Read story
Read more in series

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
‘Do not grow weary in doing what is right’
WASHINGTON — The choice of warfare over childcare and healthcare is contrary to the goal of making America great, writes Bishop Julius C. Trimble. “The world is made up of people who want to care for their families and making choices to contribute to the well-being of planet and people,” Trimble said. “To all of the millions of people who are praying for peace and not war, food for the hungry and not more missiles for the military, I say to you: Do not grow weary in doing what is right.”
Read commentary

Faith and Leadership
Why Duke organization changed its name
DURHAM, N.C. — Leadership Education at Duke Divinity is now the Forum for Congregational Life. David L. Odom, the organization’s executive director, explains that there are important reasons for the name change, including a revised focus.
Read commentary