church vitality

United Methodist Birchenough Local Church in Birchenough, Zimbabwe, was planted in the early 1970s and the congregation worshipped under this muucha tree until a permanent sanctuary was completed in 2025. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Brick by brick persistent pastor builds own church

After decades worshipping under a tree in Zimbabwe, United Methodist congregation gets permanent sanctuary constructed by local pastor and his family.

General Church

Ongoing financial challenges, made worse by the pandemic, have prompted big changes for the United Methodist Publishing House. The self-supporting agency has sold its Nashville, Tennessee, campus (pictured here) to a Chicago real estate firm, and has transferred the assets and management of a pension fund to Wespath Benefits and Investments. File photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Publishing House moves pension plan, sells campus

The United Methodist Publishing House, hard hit by the pandemic, has finalized some planned changes, including the sale of its Nashville property and transfer of a pension plan to Wespath.

Local Church

Rick Reinhard. Photo by Valerie Smallwood.

A call to examine United Methodist real estate

As more houses of worship close or seek to redevelop their property, individual congregations must collect and assess data to determine their future.

Local Church

A congregation of seven sings during worship at Oakton United Methodist Church outside Clinton, Ky. Pastor Laura Vincent plays the piano behind the altar. Small, rural churches struggled through the coronavirus pandemic, but many of them are now enjoying the return to in-person services and looking to the future.

Rural churches emerging from coronavirus

Small, rural churches struggled through the coronavirus pandemic, but many of them are now enjoying the return to in-person services and looking to the future.

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