Housing

Human Rights
 Representatives of churches in the Chicago area who are supporting Sammool House meet in the living room of the home, which provides a safe place for women escaping domestic conflict, financial hardship or other crises. The ministry was founded by the Rev. Misook Park (third from left), pastor of Sammool Korean United Methodist Church in the Northern Illinois Conference. Photo courtesy of Sammool House.

Pastor redefines what a church can be

Through a small immigrant congregation and an unmarked guest house for women in crisis, the Rev. Misook Park has quietly built a ministry that extends beyond Sunday worship.
Mission and Ministry
Jennifer Ivey (left) and Carolyn Weaver relax together at the Family Reconciliation Guest House in Nashville, Tenn. The ministry provides a comfortable, safe and free place for friends and families of inmates to stay while visiting loved ones who are incarcerated. The painting on the table was created by Gary Wayne Sutton, a death row inmate whom Weaver visits regularly. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Guest house offers hope, community for inmates’ families

Visiting those who are incarcerated, especially on death row, is a complicated and stressful endeavor. Family Reconciliation Guest House in Nashville provides a comfortable, safe and free place for friends and families to stay.
United Women In Faith
Liturgical dancers from the Seda Negra/Black Silk Dance Company perform during the United Women in Faith Assembly 2026 in Indianapolis. The dance represented the search for home. The assembly also included a workshop where participants learned how United Methodists’ work on housing might offer lessons for other grassroots efforts.  Photo by Mike DuBose, United Women in Faith.

How churchgoers can start a grassroots campaign

The experience of United Women in Faith addressing the affordable housing crisis in Indiana offers lessons for other United Methodists trying to make positive change in their communities.
Social Concerns
The Rev. Will Ed Green (right), senior pastor of Silver Spring United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Md., shows part of the church’s facility to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Moore visited the church Feb. 23 as part of efforts to promote affordable housing. Photo by Alison Burdett, Baltimore-Washington Conference.

State gives big boost to church housing plan

Maryland is providing crucial tax credits for Silver Spring United Methodist Church’s $88.2 million affordable-housing initiative. The growing church is among many U.S. congregations repurposing property for good.

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