Church Leadership

Participants sing during opening worship at the 2023 special session of the National Association of Korean American United Methodists at Korean First United Methodist Church in Wheeling, Ill., on Oct. 2. The Southeastern Jurisdiction has scheduled its first Asian American Ministers Gathering in May to bring clergy together for fellowship, resources and ministerial support. Pictured from left are Bishops Dottie Escobedo-Frank and Hee-Soo Jung, Dana Lyles and the Revs. MiRhang Baek, Prumeh Lee and Ju-Yeon Julie Jeon. File photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.

Gathering aims to help Asian American clergy thrive

Southeastern Jurisdiction brings Asian American ministers together for fellowship, resources and ministerial support.
Faith Stories
The Rev. Elaine A. Heath, former dean at Duke Divinity School and abbess at Spring Forest in Hillsborough, N.C., stands amid some of the crops at the farm portion of the 23-acre property that also contains two homes, large outdoor tables for community meals and a stage for entertainment. The monastic community is in stark contrast to Heath’s difficult childhood. Photo by Jim Patterson, UM News.

Pastor creates the community she longed for as a child

The Rev. Elaine A. Heath overcame a difficult childhood to make a successful career as a church leader and educator. Her latest incarnation is as the abbess of a new kind of Christian community.
Church Leadership
Anna Riddle. Photo by Heather Gaydeski Photography.

Carrie Parrish's legacy holds lessons for today

A trailblazer for women clergy in The United Methodist Church, Parrish championed equality and fought to tear down barriers in her day.
Church Leadership
The Rev. Michael Adam Beck leads The United Methodist Church’s Fresh Expressions movement. In his new book, “Never Alone,” the pastor of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Ocala, Fla., says Fresh Expressions can help create community for people suffering from loneliness. Photo courtesy of the Rev. Michael Adam Beck.

From prisoner to pastor

The Rev. Michael Adam Beck knows all about being lonely, and he thinks he can help a lot of other people like him get to a better place.

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