The protracted investigation of church complaints against The United Methodist Church’s first Latina bishop appears headed to trial. The trial “appears” to proceed because an alternative remains available, a negotiated settlement known as “just resolution” still can be pursued by…
Two Mississippi UMC clergy face expulsion for officiating nonbinary wedding
Two United Methodist clergywomen face expulsion from ordained ministry for officating the wedding of a nonbinary couple. Elder Paige Swaim-Pressley and deacon Elizabeth Davidson performed the legal ceremony for Matty and Myles Cafiero because they ministered with them while chaplains…
Lighthouse Congregations guide individuals who want to ‘stay UMC’
Piercing the gloom of multiple churches leaving the United Methodist Church, a light emanating from North Carolina brightens the present and shines on a new future for church members who want to stay in the denomination when their congregations vote…
187 United Methodist churches sue North Georgia Conference to re-start exit process
A group of 186 churches and one individual church have filed separate lawsuits to get the North Georgia regional conference to re-start the process for leaving The United Methodist Church. The lawsuits stem from a December 2022 decision by North…
United Methodists protest anti-trans bills in state legislatures out of faith convictions
Amid this spring’s wave of anti-transgender bills in state legislatures, United Methodists across the United States are actively advocating on behalf of transgender children and youth. For some of them like Debbie Mallis of Boise, Idaho, and Heather Gee-Thomas of…
Judge’s dismissal of 36 churches’ lawsuit holds implications for other UMC departures
A North Carolina judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by 36 United Methodist churches seeking to leave the denomination without following its required exit process. The dismissal holds broader implications for the slow-moving splintering of the worldwide denomination, which currently…
Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope
Sociologists Nancy Malcom and A.J. Ramirez, both United Methodists, hoped they might get at least 50 responses when they first started to research why LGBTQ church members and their allies stayed in a denomination that officially condemns “homosexual practice” as…
UMC agency asks to monitor bishop’s case as suspicion rises
A churchwide agency charged with monitoring the participation of women in the United Methodist Church has asked to observe the judicial process investigating complaints against Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, who has been suspended from active ministry for a year without…
What has happened to suspended UMC Latina bishop?
March 8 marked a year since Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, leader of the Sacramento, Calif., Area of the United Methodist Church, was suspended after complaints were brought against her. Her yearlong suspension is unprecedented in United Methodist history. Observers have…