UM News Digest - June 30, 2025

UM News Digest - June 30, 2025

Deaf missionary welcomes, inspires community
Church programs help young farmer pursue dream
Young people explore clergy call

“We give all the glory to God for what he is doing through this mission. We are excited to see God’s work unfolding in the Deaf community and beyond.” — Collins Kwasi Prempeh, United Methodist Global Missionary.

Collins Kwasi Prempeh preaches at King Solomon United Methodist Church in Mutare, Zimbabwe, on May 18. Prempeh, the first Deaf Global Missionary, will work with communities in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia, Congo and other parts of East Africa for the next three years. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Deaf missionary welcomes, inspires community
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — Jubilation permeated the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities in Zimbabwe’s Hilltop Circuit as “Pastor Collins” Kwasi Prempeh, the first Deaf United Methodist Global Missionary, was introduced. He is focused on inclusion in worship and ministries as well as empowerment of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Kudzai Chingwe has the story.

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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.

Tafadzwa Chingosho works in his fields in Hanwa, Zimbabwe, to keep the crops free from weeds. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Church programs help young farmer pursue dream
HARARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — Despite struggling academically, 18-year-old Tafadzwa Chingosho is finding success in pepper farming after being trained by The United Methodist Church. The 18-year-old United Methodist grew his skills through Zimbabwe Volunteers in Mission and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries’ Yambasu Agriculture Initiative. Kudzai Chingwe has the story.

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Holston Conference
Young people explore clergy call
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. — A group of 12 met during Holston Annual Conference to discuss God’s call on their lives. The group was testing a new curriculum created by a conference board of ordained ministry team, funded by a Forum for Theological Exploration grant. The group included mostly young adults as well as a nurse with 30 years of experience. Annette Spence has the story.
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Upper New York, Susquehanna conferences
2 conferences dig into immigration issues
LIVERPOOL, N.Y. — United Methodists in the Upper New York and Susquehanna conferences decided to learn more about what immigrants to the U.S. face. After attending an Immigration Summit organized by the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, members of both conferences traveled to the Arizona-Mexico border. Now they are sharing what they learned. Kristina Clark and Georgia Whitney report.
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Arkansas Times
Pastor joins effort to redeem land from tragedy
ELAINE, Ark. — In 1919, white mobs killed Black farmers in this Arkansas Delta community in one of the worst acts of U.S. racial violence. The Rev. Mary Olson, a retired United Methodist pastor, has joined with local Black leaders in an effort to build something hopeful on land that once brought such pain: an organic farm. Phillip Powell has the story.
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Church and Society
Agency announces its 2025 summer interns
WASHINGTON — The United Methodist Board of Church and Society announces its five summer 2025 interns. Due to visa challenges, the social-witness agency adapted its program to offer a hybrid (in-person/virtual) internship experience, welcoming interns both in the U.S. capital and virtually from Zimbabwe.
See press release

Arkansas Conference
Foundation boosts support for Lydia Patterson
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas has presented a $30,000 grant to Lydia Patterson Institute of El Paso, Texas, and challenged United Methodists in Arkansas to match or exceed that amount of giving to the foundation’s LPI Fund, which will be transferred to the institute for student support at the United Methodist college preparatory school. The school is dealing with delays in visa applications.
Read press release
Louisiana Conference: Responding to Lydia Patterson crisis
To give

UM News includes in the Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not UM News staff.

Oklahoma Conference
Christian nationalism not the same as patriotism
OKLAHOMA CITY — Like a number of United Methodists, the Rev. Jack Terrell-Wilkes is troubled by the rise of Christian nationalism in the U.S. — which he stresses is not the same as patriotism’s love of country. Christian nationalism, he writes, “distorts the gospel message by associating Christianity with power, control and exclusion.”
Read commentary