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“We absolutely have got to talk about politics. But before we can have a prophetic voice, and it be a healthy prophetic voice, it’s got to be rooted in a relationship that is, first and foremost, committed to the love of God and love of neighbor.” — Beth Crissman, director of peace-building ministries in the Western North Carolina Conference. |
| Church image by Stephen Kyle Adair; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News |
Looking for middle ground in a divisive eraNASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — As President Donald 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. The Western North Carolina Conference’s Purple Church Initiative is trying to find a starting place for dialogue between conservative and progressive United Methodists. Jim Patterson has the story. |
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California-Pacific Conference
United Methodists share about fire recovery
PASADENA, Calif. — The communities in Altadena and Pacific Palisades have been devastated the past several weeks as fires consumed their church buildings and homes. In videos, members from each community share their experiences and how people can help them as they start the long process of rebuilding.
Watch videos
Donate to California-Pacific Conference fire recovery fund
Donate to the United Methodist Committee on Relief
Missouri Conference
Conference office goes solar
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri Conference Center will soon run on the sun’s power. The Conference Trustees approved the installation of solar panels in the spring of 2024, and the installation began in December. “We hope the solar panels project will be a model for Methodist churches throughout Missouri to continue to be good stewards of God’s bounty,” said Jeff Atkinson, chair of the Missouri Conference Board of Trustees. Fred Koenig has the story.
Read story
United Methodist Communications
‘The Recap’ shines light on church ministries
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The latest episode of “The Recap” spotlights disaster response efforts in the Philippines, a church hospital in Congo and a United Methodist couple’s creative ministry. Produced by United Methodist Communications, the video series helps congregations gain a better understanding of what is going on in The United Methodist Church, find inspiration in stories of ministry and learn how the denomination is transforming the world.
Watch video
Chicago Tribune
Pastor honored for church cold-weather shelter
AURORA, Ill. — In recent months, whenever the temperature dropped below 15 degrees at night, Wesley United Methodist Church opened its doors to those who needed a warm place to sleep. For the church’s efforts, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin presented the church’s pastor, the Rev. Tammy Scott, with a Mayor’s Award for Excellence at a recent city council meeting. R. Christian Smith reports.
Read story |
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| | 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. |
Churches build bridges to counter hate
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — In the third in a three-part series on combating hate, the Rev. Neelley Hicks talks with United Methodist clergywomen about how they are building bridges and promoting understanding across differences in their communities. “By taking practical steps to see the humanity in one another, we shine a light far greater than ourselves, helping us stop the spread of hate and counter it with alternatives for those who are willing to heed the call,” Hicks writes.
Read commentary
Read Part 1
Read Part 2 |
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| Higher Education Foundation
Scholarships support HBCU students
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation offers scholarships up to $5,000 to support students attending the 11 United Methodist-related historically Black colleges and universities in the U.S.
Learn more
Resurrection, a United Methodist Church
Church plans 2 clergy events
LEAWOOD, Kan. — Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, is planning two new in-person events for clergy: Lead(HER): Empowering Female Clergy on April 29-30 and Leading Beyond the Walls on April 30-May 1. Lead(HER) aims to help women clergy connect. Leading Beyond Walls is an intensive bootcamp to help churches discover strategies to thrive. Early-bird pricing ends Jan. 31.
Lead(HER) registration
Leading Beyond the Walls registration |
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| | Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News |
Young Black church thrives with ‘contemporary feel’
DESOTO, Texas (UM News) — When the Dallas Cowboys play a home game, worship at The Village United Methodist Church looks much like a tailgate party. An offshoot of the more traditional St. Luke Community United Methodist in Dallas, The Village is growing in an era when many churches are losing members. One Village congregant, who is a sociologist, thinks other churches could find success using the same methods. Jim Patterson has the story. |
| | Photo by Justin Clemons, University of Texas, Arlington |
Research reveals new trends among Black Protestants
DESOTO, Texas (UM News) — Jason E. Shelton, a sociologist and United Methodist in Texas, writes in his latest book that Black churches need to keep abreast of current trends if they want to survive. He says that modernizing services and music can improve engagement. In “The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion,” Shelton reveals what his research on the Black church has uncovered. Jim Patterson reports. |
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| Photo courtesy of the Rev. Mel West |
World news becomes family news
COLUMBIA, Mo. (UM News) — News from around the world carries personal significance for a retired United Methodist pastor, prompting concern about friends in different lands. For the Rev. Mel West, family includes people in places as diverse as Ukraine, Haiti, Nicaragua, Russia and the United States. “When we turn on the news and know that it is news of our family … [w]e have ‘seen the light,’” he writes. |
| | Image courtesy of the Michigan Conference |
Conference plans support for Haiti
LANSING, Mich. — United Methodists in Michigan are committed to continuing to help people in Haiti suffering from gang violence and the aftermath of natural disasters. The Michigan Conference Haiti Task Force plans to bring legislation to its 2025 annual conference that would create a conference-wide campaign to raise $215,000 to address the challenges the Haitian people face. Kay DeMoss has the story. |
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