"I thought about the people in my life who influenced me or were people I looked up to, and they were all people of faith." — The Rev. Matthew Wilke on his decision to seek ordination.
NEWS AND FEATURES
Great Plains Conference
Another Wilke becomes United Methodist pastor
TONGANOXIE, Kan. — The Rev. Matthew Wilke is a United Methodist preacher's kid, and the grandson of Bishop Richard Wilke and Julia Wilke, who created the popular DISCIPLE Bible study series. The younger Wilke has had a circuitous faith journey but now is providing innovative leadership at a local church. David Burke reports.
Read story
New 2020 annual conference reports posted
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UM News) — United Methodist News is posting 2020 annual conference reports. New this week are Austria, Kivu and Western Pennsylvania.
Read reports
PRESS RELEASES
Church and Society
Online seminar examines educational equity
WASHINGTON — The United Methodist Board of Church and Society will be holding its fifth annual Called Seminar. The four-day series, "Towards Educational Equity: Investing in the Beloved Community," will be held via Zoom on Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Participants also have an option to hold virtual meetings with their congressional offices on Dec. 3. The registration deadline is Nov. 11 for those meetings and a team-building session on Dec. 2.
Read press release
Religions for Peace USA
Lifting up faith concerns on immigration policy
NEW YORK — United Methodists, including Bishop Minerva Carcaño, California-Nevada Conference, are among the U.S. faith leaders participating in the National Gathering of Religious Leaders 2020. The event is convening virtually from 2 to 3 p.m. U.S. Eastern time daily through Oct. 23. A statement issued Oct. 19 highlights shared concerns regarding current U.S. immigration policies and practices, and a congregational study guide offers information and guidelines for discussion.
Read statement
See congregational study guide
RESOURCES
Council of Bishops, Churches Uniting in Christ
Holiday resources for local churches
WASHINGTON — Resources to help local churches experience All Saints' Day, Thanksgiving and Watchnight (New Year's Eve) through the lens of racial equity are available through Churches Uniting in Christ, an ecumenical multilateral dialogue among 10 U.S. Protestant faith communions, including The United Methodist Church.
Read press release
See resource page
Florida Conference
Webinars look at how to detect disinformation
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Al Tompkins, award-winning investigative journalist, will lead four free webinars for United Methodists on "Detecting Disinformation in the Media." The series will teach how to separate online fact from fiction, how to detect fake images from the real thing and how to know when that "perfect sermon illustration" is nonsense. The webinars will be at 3 p.m. U.S. Eastern time Oct. 22, Oct. 29, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12.
To register
Learn more about Tompkins
RECENT HEADLINES
Conference sessions go virtual, with mixed results
Conferences persevere under financial strain
EVENTS
Thursday, Oct. 22
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