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Timothy "GA" Underwood hugs the Rev. Dustin Mailman in the recently opened coffee shop of the Deep Time ministry in Asheville, N.C. Underwood serves as minister of social enterprise for Deep Time and Mailman is its founding pastor. The program, which seeks to create a spiritual community with people impacted by incarceration, is housed at Trinity United Methodist Church in Asheville. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Coffee fuels a future for former inmates

A new coffee shop located within a United Methodist church doubles as a place where struggling community members can find a job and support as they try to rejoin society.

Editor's Picks

Mission and Ministry

Powell Richardson and his family sit in a special row in the sanctuary of Church Street United Methodist in Knoxville, Tenn. Church Street recently added designated spaces to better accommodate persons in wheelchairs. Photo from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Why disability inclusion matters

What does the United Methodist Book of Discipline say about persons with disabilities?

Faith Stories

“Rebuilding the Fallen Fence: A Korean American Family,” a memoir by the Rev. Suk-Chong Yu, is a moving testament to the enduring power of faith, family and the human spirit amidst unimaginable adversity. Cover art courtesy of Covenant Books.

Korean pastor chronicles family saga of war, faith, resilience

“Rebuilding the Fallen Fence: A Korean American Family” is a poignant and deeply personal memoir by the Rev. Suk-Chong Yu, a retired United Methodist pastor and firsthand victim of the Korean War.

Annual Conferences

2025 United Methodist annual conference reports

UM News posts the official summaries filed by annual conferences from around the connection. Find the latest reports on our archive page.

Latest News

Disaster Relief

A crew from Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, builds a wheelchair ramp for a homeowner in Slidell, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina. Video image courtesy of Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church by UM News.

Katrina work crew remembers 100 trips

General Agencies

Liberia Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr. (right) shares communion with Africa University Vice Chancellor Peter M. Mageto (left) during worship at GCFA’s Quad Training in Mutare, Zimbabwe. The church's finance agency gathered church leaders in Africa to discuss stewardship of property, finances and data. Photo courtesy of the Africa University Public Affairs Office.

African leaders focus on stewardship

Disaster Relief

Volunteers of Kamuning First UMC prepare meals for evacuees at Bernardo Park evacuation center in Quezon City, Philippines. Photos from Kamuning First UMC Facebook Page.

Churches respond to storms in Philippines

Human Sexuality

Mountain Sky Conference Bishop Kristin Stoneking gives the benediction at the closing worship of Reconciling Ministries Network’s convocation held at First United Methodist Church in downtown Madison, Wis. The July 24-27 convocation, with the theme “Uncharted,” celebrated the removal of denomination-wide restrictions targeting LGBTQ people and also acknowledged the challenges ahead in a new denominational landscape. Photo by Joscie Cutchens, UM News.

LGBTQ advocates head for ‘uncharted’ territory

Violence

United Methodist Bishop Christian Alsted and the Rev. Yulia Starodubets pray in May of 2022 with Oksana, who fled her home in northeastern Ukraine after the Russian military destroyed her apartment building. United Methodists, including Alsted and Starodubets, continue to be in ministry with the people of Ukraine. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Bishops: Ukrainians need church’s presence

Central Conferences

Dr. Ursula Norah Nyamandi, a government medical officer at the Nyadire Mission Hospital in Zimbabwe, monitors the condition of John Gwata, 87, who is anemic. Critical upgrades sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, mean the Old Mutare and Nyadire mission hospitals are better equipped to provide high-quality health care in rural settings. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Mission agency’s support revitalizes hospitals

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Local Church

Marylin Mestayer explains that while she lost her home in Hurricane Katrina, her 150-year-old church remained standing. Main Street United Methodist in Bay St. Louis, Miss., became a vital part of the recovery of the community after the 2005 disaster, housing several families. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Mississippi church sheltered families during Katrina

Evangelism

John 1:1. Trinity Sunday. Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Social media graphics from UM News

Social Concerns

In response to the recent U. S. Supreme Court decision related to birthright citizenship, the United Methodist Council of Bishops, general agencies and partner organizations hosted a webinar July 17. While birthright citizenship is safe for now, church leaders noted the dangers posed by current immigration policies. As of June, 71% of people arrested by ICE have no criminal record. Parchment image by Safwan Thottoli, courtesy of Unsplash; map image by OpenClipart-Vectors, courtesy of Pixabay; graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

What churches need to know about immigration

Mission and Ministry

The Rev. Terry Lynn Hilliard talks about the challenges people in her Mississippi community faced after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hilliard stepped into the role of United Methodist disaster response coordinator for the Mississippi Gulf Coast area and also directed the construction of the volunteer center at Gulfside Assembly. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Disaster coordinator recalls Katrina

General Church

Elie Etako Wembo, coordinator of the Yambasu Agriculture Initiative in the East Congo Episcopal Area, and Omanga Sebastien, a zoo technician, inspect a pig with an injured ear at a United Methodist farm funded by the initiative near Kindu, Congo. The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries program has financed the construction of two buildings for pig farming, which can accommodate up to 300 animals. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Yambasu farm fosters hope in Congo

Commentaries

Silence is complicity: Responding to racist mascots

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

Troubled times call for revival of personalism

Trust clause stands as connectional cornerstone

Hannah Buchanan. Photo courtesy of the author.

United Methodist pastor: I believe Jesus weeps with us

Affirmation at last: Remembering the Rev. Dr. Rick Huskey

We need a new table where all are welcome

‘Not-so-obvious introvert’ on church’s new vision

The Rev. Gabriel Banga Mususwa. Photo courtesy of the author.

An appeal to hold General Conference outside US

Multimedia

Mission and Ministry

Why disability inclusion matters

What does the United Methodist Book of Discipline say about persons with disabilities?

Mission and Ministry

Video screenshot by Lilla Marigza, UM News

Filipino pastors serve in the Middle East

Mission and Ministry

Mary Ellis and Steve Richardson conduct a free church disability audit. Steve is chair of the Holston Conference’s Disability Concerns Committee. Photo from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Accessibility audits ensure church’s doors are open to all

Faith Sharing

Social media graphics from UM News

Mission and Ministry

Sister Alegría (right) and Sister Confianza, members of the Amigas del Señor (Women Friends of the Lord) Monastery in Limón, Honduras, pray during evening compline. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

United Methodist nuns blend spiritual traditions

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