United Methodist novelist Jessica Brodie always starts her stories with the characters. Her strategy has proved successful, since her third novel recently topped Amazon’s bestseller list for new releases in Christian fiction books. “I write redemption stories about people who…
Praying for my Southern Baptist siblings about women in ministry
Baptists are a big part of my life story. If you are scratching your head about why this third generation, Methodist-all-her-life pastor would say such a thing, keep reading. Baptists are a big part of my story because I live…
Theologian says UMC needs new scholarship for new era
Living into its new identity, The United Methodist Church has a prime opportunity to liberate Wesleyan theology from past conflicts to become a vital framework for today’s world, says one of Methodism’s most noted theologians. Joerg Rieger hopes two of…
United Methodist leaders speak out on voting rights decision
United Methodist bishops, social justice leaders and a racial-ethnic caucus have spoken out against the April 29 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In a release titled “UMC Bishops Express Deep Concern Over Supreme Court…
United Methodism two years after 25% of churches disaffiliated
The United Methodist Church’s experience with the disaffiliations of a number of its congregations has received widespread coverage in church media and in some secular media outlets. Because the polity of the UMC differs from that of many other denominations,…
Remaking the UMC brings ‘aura of hope’
When The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968, eminent theologian Albert C. Outler preached an opening sermon in which he extolled “an aura of hope” for the new denomination despite its challenges. Facing new challenges today, United Methodist leaders…
Alabama judge isn’t buying UMC’s ‘trust clause’ claims
An Alabama judge has dealt an unusual blow to one of the strongest arguments The United Methodist Church has made to keep churches from defecting. Houston County Circuit Judge Christopher K. Richardson ruled March 25 that the UMC does not…
The United Church of Christ Is Running Out of People—and Pastors
I swear before I get done writing this newsletter, I will have written up a big report on nearly every American Protestant denomination. Just looking through the archive, I think I’ve tackled at least seven of them so far (TEC, ELCA, PCUSA, SBC, AG, PCA, UMC)….
United Methodist Church to close cherished mission site
The United Methodist Committee on Relief announced it will close a regional depot where thousands of disaster relief kits have been assembled and shipped for nearly 30 years. Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La., will be closed in January 2027…
What to make of Adam Hamilton’s possible Senate run?
Adam Hamilton, founder and senior pastor of the largest congregation in The United Methodist Church, announced in an email and video Feb. 27 he is exploring a possible candidacy for the U.S. Senate as an independent. He said he is…
Faith leaders call for end to ICE aggression in communities
The tactics of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents hunting down people of color evokes memories of the oppression Black Americans have faced throughout U.S. history, said Boise Kimber, president of the National Baptist Convention USA. “ICE reminds us of…
Webinars to prepare United Methodists for new direction
United Methodist bishops are seeking to educate and elevate new leadership for the worldwide denomination as it enters 2026 with a new structure and goals after half a decade of turmoil and disaffection. Toward those ends, three webinars are planned…