The UMC Lost a Quarter of Its Churches — Most in the South
The same area of the country that tends to be the most politically conservative and Republican-leaning was where most United Methodist churches voted to leave the denomination.
One Fourth of United Methodist Churches in US Have Left in Schism Over LGBTQ Ban. What Happens Now?
Many departing congregations have joined the more conservative Global Methodist Church, with others joining smaller denominations, going independent, or still considering their options.
Renowned Glass Artist and the Making of a Gigantic Church Window Featured in New Film
In 2015, Tim Carey was appointed lead artist for a stained-glass window more than 90 feet long and nearly 40 feet high for the largest United Methodist congregation in the U.S.
California Bishop Acquitted in First United Methodist Court Trial of Its Kind in Nearly a Century
Bishop Minerva Carcaño, the first Latina bishop in the denomination and a prominent voice on behalf of immigrants, faced four charges of violating church law.
UMC Bishops Request 2026 General Conference as Hundreds More Churches Disaffiliate
The meeting would focus on re-establishing connection within the United Methodist Church after years of strife over the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members.
United Methodist Bishops Meet, Look to Pivot After 2,400+ Churches Disaffiliate
United Methodist bishops from across the globe are meeting this week for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic.
UMC Top Court Rules Disaffiliating Clergy Don’t Automatically Lose Credentials
A Wisconsin bishop had required clergy whose churches were disaffiliating to give up their jobs or their credentials.
UMC Clergy Reportedly Face Complaint, Church Trial After Marrying Nonbinary Couple
The Rev. Paige Swaim-Presley and the Rev. Elizabeth Davidson say they were informed in late February a formal complaint has been filed against them, allegedly for officiating a same-sex wedding.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit by 36 United Methodist Churches
A North Carolina Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed last year by 36 United Methodist churches demanding to sever their ties to the denomination.
For United Methodists’ Top Court, 2024 Is the New 2020
The United Methodist Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court, ruled again on the question of leaving the denomination in a decision released last week as the church goes through a slow-moving split over the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members.