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Mission and Ministry
A woman laughs as she shakes hands with the Rev. Edicance Marange after attending service at the United Methodist Hilltop Circuit in the Sakubva suburb of Mutare, Zimbabwe. The church has a new minibus that picks up older members from their homes and returns them after weekly worship services. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.
A woman laughs as she shakes hands with the Rev. Edicance Marange after attending service at the United Methodist Hilltop Circuit in the Sakubva suburb of Mutare, Zimbabwe. The church has a new minibus that picks up older members from their homes and returns them after weekly worship services. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Zimbabwe church provides ‘lifeline’ for seniors
The United Methodist Hilltop Circuit offers a transportation ministry, special worship service and monthly visits to get older members involved in church life.

Editor's Picks

Disaster Relief
On a muddy street in the Ngaliema district of Kinshasa, residents attempt to salvage some belongings after floods destroyed homes and businesses in their neighborhood following torrential rains on June 14. Four United Methodists were among the nearly 30 people who lost their lives in the floods. Photo by the Rev. Fiston Okito, UM News.

4 United Methodists killed in Congo floods
The floods in Kinshasa look the lives of 29 people, including four church members, and washed away the homes of about 50 United Methodist families.
Central Conferences
Episcopal Elections of the Central Conference of The United Methodist Church. Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

Mid Africa Central Conference Balloting 2025
Voting has ended for episcopal elections in the Mid Africa Central Conference. UM News tracked the balloting and has coverage of the elected bishops.
Annual Conferences
Annual Conference Reports

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

Church Leadership
Holding hands during a service of appreciation for African Americans who stayed in the church despite institutional racism at The United Methodist Church's 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh are, from left: Anne Marshall of the church's Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns; Juanita Bryant of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Jerry Ruth Williams; the Rev. Larry Pickens; and Bishops Violet L. Fisher and Charlene P. Kammerer. File photo by Mike DuBose.

Giving Methodist women their due
Church Leadership
Mary McLeod Bethune with some of her pupils in 1905. Bethune, the daughter of former slaves, was a pioneering American educator and civil rights leader. She founded what became the historically Black United Methodist college named in her honor, Bethune-Cookman College (now Bethune-Cookman University). Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress World Digital Library Collection.

9 women to know
Bishops
The Rev. Nelson Kalombo Ngoy receives congratulations from Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone after being elected a United Methodist bishop during the Mid Africa Central Conference in Kitwe, Zambia, on July 12. Ngoy, a Congo native who currently leads a multiracial congregation in New York, was unanimously elected on the sixth ballot. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Nelson Kalombo Ngoy elected as bishop
Bishops
The Rev. Antoine Kalema Tambwe receives the United Methodist episcopal pin from Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone after his election on July 12 during the Mid Africa Central Conference in Kitwe, Zambia. The longtime district superintendent is the first of three bishops to be elected at the conference, formerly the Congo Central Conference. Photo by Priscilla Muzerengwa, United Methodist Communications.

Antoine Kalema Tambwe elected as bishop
Bishops
Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone (right) congratulates the Rev. Mujinga Kashala after her election as a United Methodist bishop on July 12 during the Mid Africa Central Conference in Kitwe, Zambia. Kashala is the second woman elected a United Methodist bishop on the African continent and the first in Mid Africa. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Mujinga Kashala elected as bishop
Central Conferences
A map shows the Mid Africa Central Conference, formerly known as the Congo Central Conference. The central conference is meeting July 10-13 in Kitwe, Zambia. Delegates will elect three bishops, two to succeed retiring bishops and one added to the central conference by last year’s General Conference. Graphic by Ben Ward, UM News.

Conference gets new name, adds bishop
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Local Church
Young adults pose for a photo during a visit to the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, Korea, on June 24. The group traveled from 15 countries to participate in the 2025 Young Adults Pilgrimage of Peace in South Korea, organized in part by United Methodists. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Young adults walk paths of peace in South Korea
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Evangelism
John 1:1. Trinity Sunday. Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News.

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

Why disability inclusion matters
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Mission and Ministry
Video screenshot by Lilla Marigza, UM News

Filipino pastors serve in the Middle East
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General Church
Tafadzwa Chingosho works in his fields in Hanwa, Zimbabwe, to keep the crops free from weeds. Chingosho, who left school to pursue his dream of being a farmer, gained skills through United Methodist programs including Zimbabwe Volunteers in Mission and the Yambasu Agriculture Initiative. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Church programs help young farmer pursue dream
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Commentaries

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

Troubled times call for revival of personalism
The Rev. Dr. Luan-Vu “Lui” Tran. Photo courtesy of author.

Trust clause stands as connectional cornerstone
Hannah Buchanan. Photo courtesy of the author.

United Methodist pastor: I believe Jesus weeps with us
Ophelia Hu Kinney. Photo courtesy of the author.

Affirmation at last: Remembering the Rev. Dr. Rick Huskey
Ben Smith. Photo courtesy of the author.

We need a new table where all are welcome
The Rev. Myung Sun Han. Photo courtesy of the author.

‘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
Caralyn Ware. Photo courtesy of the author.

When the shepherd strays: Addiction and clergy wellness
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Multimedia

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

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

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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World Press Freedom Day - Learn More
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