UM News Digest - March 6, 2026

UM News Digest - March 6, 2026

Pastors walk a political tightrope
‘Signs of Life’: Finding unity in diversity
Minnesota pastor testifies to U.S. Congress

“We share a commitment to the humans who surround us and the humans who live in our neighborhood that we will prioritize the people over their political point of view.” — The Rev. Daniel Hawkins, pastor of Martin United Methodist Church in Bedford, Texas.

The Rev. Daniel Hawkins (left) leads service at Martin United Methodist Church in Bedford, Texas. Photo courtesy of Martin United Methodist Church.

Pastors walk a political tightrope
CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. (UM News) — Political and moral polarization is prominent in the United States, and United Methodist pastors are treading carefully on these issues as they lead diverse congregations. Keeping the dialogue going between people who disagree is more important than winning any political argument, said the Rev. Lisa Kruse-Safford, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Crystal Lake. Jim Patterson reports.

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Ask The UMC: Is The United Methodist Church involved in politics?

Graphic by Ben Ward, photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

‘Signs of Life’: Finding unity in diversity
BEDFORD, Texas (UM News) — The pastor of Martin United Methodist Church in the Horizon Texas Conference said he leads a “purple church,” where people are prioritized over political views. In “Signs of Life,” a new podcast from UM News, Ben Ward talks with the Rev. Daniel Hawkins about bringing diverse church members to the table and having sometimes hard conversations to be in community together. He said the congregation, which is one-third Tongan, is “unified without being uniform.”
Listen to podcast

Minnesota pastor testifies to U.S. Congress
WASHINGTON (UM News) — The Rev. Mariah Tollgaard, senior pastor of Hamline Church United Methodist in St. Paul, Minnesota, spoke to a U.S. House committee about the impact of the federal crackdown on her parishioners and state. “No nation can build a true future on the terror of its own people,” she said. Heather Hahn reports.
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Louisiana Conference
Students help translate Braille hymnal
LAFAYETTE, La. — High school students came to the rescue when First United Methodist Church of Lafayette bought a Braille United Methodist hymnal that proved difficult to use. The Braille version is seven large binders with a three-binder appendix. Brad Burkman, inclusion coordinator for the church, recruited students from Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches to help translate the hymn and page numbers from Braille to English so sighted people could find the right pages to pull for each service. Mark Lambert has the story.
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Middle Philippines Conference
Remembering Rodolfo C. Beltran
NUEVA ECIJA, Philippines — Rodolfo C. Beltran, the first person outside the United States to serve on The United Methodist Church’s highest court, died March 3 at age 93. A distinguished lawyer, educator, church leader and pillar of the community, he was elected to the Judicial Council in 2000 to an eight-year term. Gladys P. Mangiduyos has an obituary.
Read obituary

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.

Church must do messy work of restoring community
EVANSTON, Ill. (UM News) — When congregations and seminaries present themselves through the lens of political ideology, they squander a sacred gift: the church’s capacity to hold us together, writes the Rev. Dr. Javier A. Viera, president of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. The church’s calling is not to mirror a fractured society, he says, but to practice a different way of being together. The seminary has launched the Garrett Collective as a way to help the church lead the way in building community across differences.
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Society of St. Andrew
Anti-hunger ministry seeks new head
BIG ISLAND, Va. — Lynette Johnson, executive director of United Methodist partner Society of St. Andrew since 2017, plans to retire at the start of September. The board of the anti-hunger ministry has engaged North Carolina-based executive search firm Arnstrong McGuire to oversee a national search for the next executive director.
Learn more about the Society of St. Andrew

United Methodist Communications
UMCOR Sunday is March 15
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When people face disaster, the United Methodist Committee on Relief is there to help. But that kind of response requires trained staff, reliable systems and the ability to act quickly and compassionately. United Methodists can support UMCOR’s administrative costs through the UMCOR Sunday special offerings on March 15. United Methodist Communications offers resources to mark the day and encourage giving
See resources

Religion and Race
Mental health focus of grant program
WASHINGTON — United Methodists looking to improve mental health support in underserved communities can apply for CORR Action Fund grants of up to $10,000 being offered by the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. Successful proposals will include a diversity of voices, be culturally sensitive and create initiatives that will result in lasting change that can be replicated elsewhere.
Learn more

Higher Education and Ministry
What it means to be United Methodist-related
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry has released an updated version of “What It Means to Be Related to a United Methodist Church with Education in Its DNA,” reaffirming the church’s enduring commitment to church-related education. The primer gives United Methodist-related institutions in the U.S. a clear guide to understanding their United Methodist identity.
Learn more