With Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the news — tragically — at the start of Black History Month, The United Methodist Church is highlighting the 11 HBCUs that are supported by its Black College Fund. The UMC supports the…
United Methodists renewing their vows through annual Wesley Covenant Service may struggle this year
Whatever future 2022 may hold, one thing is certain: Come the first Sunday in January, millions of United Methodists will renew their vows in a beloved tradition known as the Wesley Covenant Service. This year, however, the covenant service takes…
United Methodist leaders urge congregations to reject proposed settlement with Boy Scouts
United Methodist churches across the United States are being instructed to reject the proposed sexual abuse settlement plan that is part of the Boy Scouts of America’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. In a series of hurried meetings, the governing boards…
Will the Coronavirus Omicron variant delay United Methodists’ split for a third time?
Prospects for The United Methodist Church’s twice-delayed General Conference — the only body that can make binding decisions for the entire 12-million-member worldwide denomination — dimmed considerably with the announcement of a new, more infectious variant of coronavirus now labeled…
United Methodists approach Advent living in ‘now’ while longing for ‘not yet’
The season of Advent always comes as a time of “now-and-not-yet.” Scripture readings for this period of the Christian year hark back to God’s promise to Israel of a deliverer and forward to the time when God’s promise of salvation…
United Methodists’ ‘reluctant pro-choice’ stance puts clergy and laity at odds with new Texas abortion law
The current struggle over Texas’ strict anti-abortion law perplexes many United Methodists who thought the issue of reproductive choice had been decided. Now they’re finding themselves back where clergy coalitions were in the 1960s and ’70s, seeking to support women…
Why churches that ever have chartered a Boy Scout troop need to pay attention right now
Chartered organizations of Boy Scouts of America — which includes thousands of U.S. churches — are being handed a “get-of-jail-free card” by the latest proposed bankruptcy settlement, according to a law firm appointed to represent the 82,500 men who claim…
United Methodists chafe at their wilderness wandering
Some have likened the current time in the United Methodist Church to the biblical exodus of Hebrew slaves from Egypt. Others have found a parallel in the Israelites’ exile in Babylon. Still others see the UMC living through the same…
Analysts hope to help congregations understand the options with potential United Methodist split
Grassroots advocates are urging The United Methodist Church’s officials to make sure that those in pew and pulpit have sufficient data about a proposed new denomination to make an informed choice concerning affiliation should an anticipated split come about. In…
Disputes between bishops and dissidents roil United Methodists
Some 13 months before the United Methodist Church’s top legislative body, the General Conference, decides whether to break up the worldwide denomination, pitched battles are taking place between church authorities and dissident congregations and groups at both ends of the…
New ‘non-binary’ category almost a non-event for United Methodists
What if United Methodists faced a potential conflict and nobody cared? That seems to be the case with a new “non-binary” category for local church membership reports. Something that would have caused massive fireworks in the past has been announced…
United Methodists will welcome President Biden for Communion
Roman Catholic bishops may bar President Joe Biden from receiving Holy Communion because of his political beliefs, but United Methodists are ready to welcome him to the Lord‘s Supper without question. Anyone who has attended Communion in a United Methodist…