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UM News Digest - July 25, 2025
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“Accessibility goes hand in hand with hospitality.” — The Rev. Catherine Clark Nance, reflecting on recent changes to make Church Street United Methodist in Knoxville, Tenn., more welcoming to persons with disabilities. |
Powell Richardson and his family sit in a special row in the sanctuary of Church Street United Methodist in Knoxville, Tenn. Photo from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News. |
Church celebrates disability inclusion
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — July 26 marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The United Methodist Church’s Social Principles recognize the gifts of those with disabilities and call on churches to remove barriers that would prevent them from participating. In 1992, the Book of Discipline was updated to ensure that those with disabilities could become full members. A family in Knoxville, Tennessee, helped bring about that change. Lilla Marigza reports. |
“Rebuilding the Fallen Fence: A Korean American Family,” a memoir by the Rev. Suk-Chong Yu, is a moving testament to the enduring power of faith, family and the human spirit amidst unimaginable adversity. Cover art courtesy of Covenant Books. |
Korean pastor chronicles family saga of war, resilience
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — “Rebuilding the Fallen Fence: A Korean American Family” is a poignant and deeply personal memoir by the Rev. Suk-Chong Yu, a retired United Methodist pastor. Yu chronicles the shattering impact of the Korean War on his family, delves into his personal path of rebuilding and the eventual reconnection of family members scattered across several continents. The Rev. Thomas E. Kim has the story. |
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Michigan Conference
EarthKeeper creates community garden
LANSING, Mich. — Newly minted Global Ministries EarthKeeper Sandra White took the skills she learned in training to create a community garden on property owned by her church, South Rockwood United Methodist. “Since COVID, everybody stays inside,” White said. “And I really wanted to get the community back together.” She graduated from EarthKeepers training in May, along with the Rev. Ryan Wieland. James Deaton has the story.
Read story
North Alabama Conference
Conference celebrates gender parity in pay
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In 2018, the North Alabama Annual Conference adopted a resolution aimed at addressing gender discrimination in clergy appointments. This year, the conference Commission on Status and Role of Women announced that its analysis of the 2024-25 appointment year salaries showed the conference had achieved the goal of appointment parity. Danette Clifton has the story.
Read story
Council of Bishops
Church leaders advance memorial of massacre
DENVER — United Methodist leaders continue to carry out the work of repentance with respect to the Sand Creek Massacre. Bishops, ecumenical staff, conferences and agencies are collaborating on the named goals of a resolution passed by General Conference in 2016 and amended in 2024. One of the goals is to assist in the creation of public memorials remembering and honoring the people who were killed at Sand Creek. Mountain Sky Conference Bishop Kristin G. Stoneking has an update.
Read story
New 2025 annual conference reports posted
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News is posting 2025 annual conference reports. New this week are the Mountain Sky and Oregon-Idaho conferences.
Read reports |
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| | UMNews 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. |
Silence is complicity: Responding to racist mascots
TOPEKA, Kan. (UM News) — President Trump’s push to bring back the former names of the Washington football and Cleveland baseball teams is a reawakening of trauma for Native Americans, writes Bishop David Wilson. United Methodists have stood against racist mascots and logos, and the church must speak out now, he says.
Read commentary |
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| United Methodist Kairos Response, World Council of Churches
Group hails ecumenical statement on Middle East
JOHANNESBURG — United Methodist Kairos Response, an advocacy group for Palestinian rights, joins Kairos Palestine in celebrating a statement adopted by the World Council of Churches Central Committee. On June 24, the central committee — which includes United Methodists — adopted a “Statement on Palestine and Israel: A Call to End Apartheid, Occupation and Impunity in Palestine and Israel.”
Read press release
Read WCC statement
Council of Bishops: Building a global community of hope
Higher Education Foundation
Foundation sees leadership changes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Rev. Philip Jamieson has stepped down as president and chief executive officer of the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. Bob Fletcher is serving as interim head during this time of transition.
Read press release |
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| Society of St. Andrew
Hunger action resources available
BIG ISLAND, Va. — September is National Hunger Action Month in the United States. Right now, over 47 million people are hungry or food insecure. Yet the country will waste 40% of the food it grows. This September, United Methodist partner Society of St. Andrew offers a month-long journey of reflection, action and generosity in response to hunger.
Order and download resources |
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| Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News |
What churches need to know about immigration
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist leaders are seeking to keep people informed as the U.S. government ramps up immigrant detentions and deportations. At a July 17 webinar, attorneys gave an update on birthright citizenship cases, travel bans and Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics. Heather Hahn reports. |
| Photo by Jérôme Ndayisenga, UM News |
Church builds medical facility in Burundi
RUYIGI, Burundi (UM News) — Pregnant women, children and others in need now have access to lifesaving care with the opening of the Gahambwe Health Center. The project was led by The United Methodist Church of Burundi, with financial support from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Jérôme Ndayisenga has the story. |
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Photo courtesy of the Bukavu District |
Fire devastates families in eastern Congo
BUKAVU, Congo (UM News) — United Methodists are among nearly 1,500 families who lost their homes in a fire that ravaged a densely populated area of war-torn Bukavu. The Rev. Badeux Muunga, associate superintendent of the Bukavu District, described the scene as devastating. “Our hearts are broken to see so many families, including our United Methodist brothers and sisters, lose everything in an instant.” Philippe Kituka Lolonga reports. |
| Photo by Chenayi Kumuterera, UM News |
Church gift fuels student’s success
MUREWA, Zimbabwe (UM News) — When Panashe Banda walked across the stage at Africa University in June to receive his diploma, the 24-year-old realized a dream he “only dared to imagine.” He received the Bishop’s Episcopal Scholarship to attend the United Methodist university. To show his gratitude, he has been sharing his family’s harvest with Zimbabwe West Conference office staff. Chenayi Kumuterera has the story. |
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