Hollering for Change: Self-care and the “ministry of rest”

Sept. 20, 2023 | SEVERNA PARK, Md. (UM News)

The Rev. Dr. Tori Butler (right) speaks with the Rev. Martha Orphe who contracted sarcoidosis from breathing contaminated air while cleaning out dozens of churches after Hurricane Katrina. Zoom video courtesy of the Rev. Butler via YouTube.

Hollering for Change is the name of a series of commentaries by The Rev. Dr. Tori Butler for United Methodist News. Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

In this episode of “Hollering for Change,” the Rev. Martha Orphe, a United Methodist clergywoman on incapacity leave from the Louisiana Conference, shares with Rev. Dr. Tori Butler how prioritizing her ministry over her wellbeing led to a serious health condition. Orphe contracted sarcoidosis from breathing contaminated air while cleaning out dozens of churches after Hurricane Katrina.

Read related report on the Black Clergywomen of The United Methodist Church caucus gathering in Washington July 31-Aug. 2, Attendees of Black clergywomen’s event encouraged to ‘Be You’

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now

Social Concerns

Mei Vader and her grandmother participate in “Faithful Resistance: A Public Witness for Immigrant Justice” in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 25, 2026. Vader is the daughter of the Rev. Stephanie Vader, pastor of Capitol Hill United Methodist Church. The church served as a host for the event. Image from video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

United Methodists take immigration concerns to DC

United Methodists traveled great distances to Washington, DC to stand in witness for the rights of immigrants.

Church Leadership

Bishop Antoine Kalema Tambwe (center) and his wife, Ngole Kitete Charlotte, greet guests in front of Bethel Cascade United Methodist Church in Bangui, Central African Republic. At left is newly ordained pastor the Rev. Christ Noël Yakizi, who serves the remote village of Cantonnier on the Cameroonian border. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Central African United Methodists celebrate 33 new pastors

The United Methodist Church’s ordinations in the country mark a spiritual renaissance for communities long deprived of clergy.

Church Growth

The Rev. Ken Suhr, director of leadership and congregational vitality for the California-Pacific Conference, delivers the keynote address on the “DNA of Growing Churches” during the 2026 Growing Church Conference at First United Methodist Church of San Diego. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Growing Church Conference calls leaders back to discipleship

The gathering has evolved from a jurisdictional initiative into a nationwide event, now welcoming pastors serving cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments.

Related Tags

Sign up for our newsletter!