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Mission and Ministry

Volunteers pack relief supply kits at the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La. UMCOR announced that it will no longer operate the depot, starting January 2027, as it looks to modernize the way the relief agency manages materials and reduce costs. Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Conference.

Sager Brown Depot to close as UMCOR shifts relief kit work

The United Methodist Committee on Relief said the changes will reduce costs while strengthening its disaster response ministry.

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Mission and Ministry

Kephus Mtambo, farm project coordinator for Mikundi Dairy Farm in Blantyre, Malawi, walks in a barn that is under construction. The farm is being transformed from a previously neglected irrigation facility into a modern livestock center with support from the Yambasu Agriculture Initiative, a United Methodist Board of Global Ministries program. Photo by Francis Nkhoma, UM News.

Malawi farm aims to improve lives, draw people to Christ

Supported by a grant from The United Methodist Church’s Yambasu Agriculture Initiative, Mikundi Dairy Farm provides a model for community empowerment and evangelism.

Disaster Relief

Children wade through floodwaters in a neighborhood in Maputo, Mozambique, on Jan. 16. Since the start of the rainy season in southern Africa, more than 100 people have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced because of widespread flooding. United Methodists in the region are helping with relief efforts. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

Church responds to catastrophic flooding in Mozambique

Bishop João Filimone Sambo urges United Methodists to take safety precautions and calls for prayer support.

Human Rights

Immigration Law and Justice Network has released an update on the impact of President Trump’s immigration policies, including an overview of what rights people have in interacting with immigration enforcement. However, the United Methodist ministry acknowledges asserting those rights, including the Fourth Amendment’s protections, now carries a greater risk. Parchment image by Safwan Thottoli, courtesy of Unsplash; map image by OpenClipart-Vectors, courtesy of Pixabay; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Know your rights when they’re under threat

United Methodist legal experts have released updated guidance for interacting with federal immigration enforcement, but they also note that asserting constitutional rights now carries more risks.

Latest News

The United Methodist Mission in Honduras ordained its first three elders since its founding in 1997. In the photo, the bishops present lay hands on María Magdalena Zelaya Cruz. From left: Bishop Lizzette Gabriel Montalvo, Bishop Juan de Dios Peña, Bishop Emeritus José Roberto Peña Nazario, Bishop Juan Miguel Simpson Bennett, and Bishop Rubén Sáenz Jr. Photo by the Rev. Gustavo Vásquez, UM News.

United Methodists ordain first elders in Honduras

Social Concerns

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers chase Carlos Chavez (not pictured), a Mexican-born member of North Hills United Methodist Church Hispanic Mission in Los Angeles, on Jan. 29 on church property. Chavez was deported shortly thereafter. The ICE raid disrupted a food ministry and mothers and children working in the church garden. Photo courtesy of North Hills Hispanic Mission United Methodist Church.

Decision on ‘sensitive location’ policy coming

Athletes with Alaska Pacific University’s Nordic Ski Center practice cross-country skiing ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The United Methodist-related university in Anchorage, Alaska, has a tradition of sending cross-country skiers to the Olympics going back to 1972. Photo courtesy of APU Nordic Ski Center.

United Methodist school brings Olympic glory

The Rev. Ingrid McIntyre (left) admires a birthday card for Terry Corral, a resident of the Village at Glencliff medical respite program housed at Glencliff United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. The Village consists of 12 tiny homes where people experiencing homelessness can recover after a hospital stay. McIntyre is the church’s lead pastor. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Small churches can do large ministries

Social Concerns

The Rev. Teresa Angle-Young found God in creation on long walks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angle-Young and the Rev. Jessie Colwell have written a Lenten devotional focused on creation care. Image from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Connect with God in nature during Lent

Bishop Gift K. Machinga (right) prepares to cut the ribbon at Mikundi Dairy Farm in Mikundi, Malawi, during his first visit to the country. Machinga says the church-run farm is a beacon of the income-generating projects he envisions for his episcopal area, which includes Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Botswana. He is joined by the Rev. Daniel Mhone (center), superintendent of the Malawi Provisional Conference, Kephus Mtambo (left), the farm’s project coordinator, and community members. Photo by Francis Nkhoma, UM News.

Bishop’s visit signals new hope in Malawi

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United Methodist Birchenough Local Church in Birchenough, Zimbabwe, was planted in the early 1970s and the congregation worshipped under this muucha tree until a permanent sanctuary was completed in 2025. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Brick by brick, persistent pastor builds own church

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Excerpt from a sermon given by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1956 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. Original photo by Maile Bradford, UM News.

Social media graphics from UM News

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Social Concerns

Clergy members lead a demonstration against U.S. immigration-enforcement tactics at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Jan. 23 in St. Paul, Minn. About 100 clergy, including four United Methodists, were arrested. Photo by Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service.

US pastors stand against federal crackdown

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Mission and Ministry

Women in Mozambique’s Morrumbene District learn about cooking and nutrition during a demonstration hosted by the United Methodist Mobile Clinic on a recent visit to the region. The clinic travels to remote areas to offer essential health services such as basic exams, maternal and child care, vaccinations and dentistry. Photo by the Rev. Maria Matsinhe.

Mobile clinic heals physically and spiritually

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The Rev. Peter Mageto of Africa University speaks during a Jan. 24 webinar exploring the Wesleyan theology that undergirds the denomination’s vision to “love boldly.” He’s joined by Ashley Boggan (pictured clockwise), top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History, who moderated the panel discussion; the Rev. Marian Royston of the North Alabama Conference; and the Rev. Erika Stalcup of Switzerland. It was the first in a series of three webinars ahead of the Council of Bishops Leadership Gathering in October. Screen shot courtesy of United Methodist Communications.

What does it mean for the church to love boldly?

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Commentaries

The Rev. Christopher P. Momany. Photo by Kristen Schell.

In troubling times, look to ‘higher law’

The Rev. Dr. Jefferson M. Furtado. Photo courtesy of the author.

Martin Luther King Jr. and the work we haven’t finished

A plea for ‘costly solidarity’ in Middle East

Compass provides sustainable retirement plan for clergy

The Rev. Dr. Don Messer. Photo by David Stucke, Dakotas Conference.

On World AIDS Day, church called to bold action

After regionalization, church must prioritize unity

The Rev. Dr. Tércio B. Junker Photo courtesy of the Northern Illinois Conference.

Reclaiming faith beyond fear and ideology

Remembering who we are amid US budget fight

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Multimedia

Excerpt from a sermon given by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1956 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. Original photo by Maile Bradford, UM News.

Social media graphics from UM News

Graphic for Martin King Luther Jr. Day available to download and share on social media.

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Mission and Ministry

Filipino United Methodists living in the United Arab Emirates gather in Dubai for an annual meeting and celebration that included special choir performances and worship. Screenshot from video by the UAE Media Team.

Filipino United Methodists celebrate mission in Middle East

Mission and Ministry

Sister Confianza, a member of the Amigas del Señor (Women Friends of the Lord) Monastery in Limón, Honduras, rides her bike through the village alongside a neighbor. Originally from the United States, Sister Confianza founded the monastery with another woman in 2006. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

2025: The year in photos

Video/photo caption: A display behind Grandville United Methodist Church in Michigan tells the Christmas story in a 15-minute light show set to music with an original soundtrack. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

The Nativity story comes to life in lights

Volunteer Kalvin Davis helps a family select a tree from the artificial “tree farm” at Faith Community Church of Coopersville, Michigan, a United Methodist congregation. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Artificial tree farm brings joy to families with special needs