United Methodist News

UM News serves as the official news agency for the United Methodist Church, which has 13 million members. The team consists of skilled journalists who are dedicated to the mission and efforts of The United Methodist Church.

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Why our church is in trouble

1 day ago | umnews.org | Cliff White

Key points: United Methodist leaders in the U.S. promote ideological positions that are often partisan and detract from the denomination’s mission, one longtime church member writes. Many of the materials and resources provided by the Board of Church and Society and other entities reflect a “progressive” political viewpoint. He says the church’s leaders should do more to support local congregations in making disciples — and stop pursuing political goals. Cliff White. Photo courtesy of the author.
New attention for old hymn texts

3 weeks ago | umnews.org | Sam Hodges

Key points The Rev. Ted Campbell has edited and published “A Core Methodist Hymnal, which collects the texts of 126 hymns in the public domain. Campbell is a longtime professor at United Methodist seminaries and an authority on the great hymn writer Charles Wesley. The book is intended as a devotional or study book for individuals and small groups and includes commentaries by Campbell after each hymn text. The Rev.
Family donates funds to build South Congo church

1 month ago | umnews.org | Chadrack Londe

Key points : United Methodist lay leader Jean-Claude Mukaz A. Mushid and his family donated the funds to build the new modern church with room for 800 people. Bishop Owan Kasap, Southern Congo Area, credited the project’s success to faithful United Methodists who honor God through their generosity. Membership has grown from 200 to 300 with the new church and the expansion of the church’s choirs.
Congo Central Conference gets new dates

1 month ago | umnews.org | Chadrack Londe

As war intensified in eastern Congo, United Methodist leaders faced a difficult decision: How to conduct church business while keeping everyone safe. The Congo Central Conference, originally scheduled for March 30 to April 4 in Kindu, is now set for July 10 to 13 in Kitwe, Zambia. The central conference will officially be renamed the Mid-Africa Central Conference when it meets in July.
Church responds to humanitarian crisis in Congo

2 months ago | umnews.org | Chadrack Londe

Key Points: With financial support from the United Methodist Committee on Relief, more than 12,000 people displaced by conflict received food and other needed supplies. According to Jean Tshomba, coordinator of UMCOR’s disaster management office in eastern Congo, recurring clashes between armed groups in the region have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda condemned the violence and urged all parties to work toward a peaceful resolution.
Training helps Asian young adults to ‘soar high’

Dec 9, 2024 | umnews.org | Phnom Penh

Editor’s note: Due to the political and religious climate of the countries the participants came from and the risks facing church workers, initials are being used in this story to identify sources who are serving in the countries or may travel there in the future. Key points: 2024 ASCEND was facilitated by the United Methodist boards of Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry and the General Board of Missions of the Korean Methodist Church.
West Africa elects Ande Ikimun Emmanuel as bishop

Dec 9, 2024 | umnews.org | Eveline Chikwanah

Key points: Emmanuel, a longtime leader in the Southern Nigeria Conference, was the first bishop elected at the West Africa Central Conference. He will serve the Nigeria Episcopal Area, following the resignation of John Wesley Yohanna in July. In his post-election remarks, Emmanuel said that church unity is his top priority. The Rev. Ande Ikimun Emmanuel has been elected as a bishop in The United Methodist Church’s West Africa Central Conference. Delegates elected Emmanuel, 44, Dec.
Pro wrestlers need God, too

Dec 4, 2024 | umnews.org | Jim Patterson

Key Points: The life of a performer in small-time wrestling can be a world of loneliness, addiction and injuries. The Rev. Steven Barber, a United Methodist pastor in Alabama, shows up at wrestling events bearing bottled waters and a willingness to listen. He’s been accepted as an unofficial chaplain at five wrestling promotions, and he’d like to expand. It didn’t look good for Rolando Perez, a strutting rooster of a man with a small frame, big hair and a bad attitude.
Zimbabwean gets posthumous honorary ordination

Nov 26, 2024 | umnews.org | Eveline Chikwanah

Key points: Nyakudanga was a renowned preacher who spread the gospel in Zimbabwe and its mission areas. The lay preacher died at the pulpit a few minutes after starting his sermon at Chisipiti United Methodist Church in Harare. Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa said Nyakudanga was worthy of the posthumous honor, which was bestowed as an act of grace. The Rev.
Hospital provides beacon of hope in Eastern Congo

Nov 18, 2024 | umnews.org | Chadrack Londe

Key points : The United Methodist General Hospital in Tunda is the only facility of its kind within a 100-kilometer radius. The hospital has received an investment of more than half a million dollars from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The new building replaces an older facility that was deteriorating. The hospital is a “living testimony” to the church’s commitment to the health of the people in the region, says Bishop Gabriel Unda Yemba.