UMC Approves Global Regionalization, Allowing Contextual Rules Worldwide

UMC Approves Global Regionalization, Allowing Contextual Rules Worldwide

The United Methodist Church has approved a path that lets its global regions uphold biblical standards on sexual ethics, even after last year’s vote scrapped those rules denomination-wide. Amendment I, which allows for a denominational structure known as regionalization, cleared ratification by a margin of 34,148 yes to 3,124 no — easily surpassing the two-thirds threshold.
  • SBC Membership Falls Across Regions as Smallest Churches Grow in Share
    A new review of the 2024 Annual Church Profile indicates that existing Southern Baptist churches saw membership declines across every U.S. region, while the convention increasingly consists of its smallest congregations. Overall, the distribution shows 21% of Southern Baptist churches growing, 39% plateaued, and 40% declining,
  • First Baptist Dallas Named Top Church in DFW, 18 Months After Sanctuary Fire
    The First Baptist Dallas has been named the best church in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Pastored by Robert Jeffress, First Baptist Dallas announced this week that it has received the Gold Award from readers of The Dallas Morning News, who voted to recognize the church located in downtown Dallas for 157 years.

Four in Five Rural Pastors Say They’re Becoming Trusted Figures in Civic Life

Despite external perceptions of small-town ministry, pastors serving in rural contexts say they are witnessing tangible wins now and remain hopeful about what lies ahead. According to the findings, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of pastors say their calling is to their specific church that happens to be located in a small town or rural area, while about a quarter (24 percent) say they sense a call specifically to rural places.
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  • Half of U.S. Protestant Pastors Say Economy Is Hurting Their Churches, Research Finds

    Nearly half of all Protestant pastors in the United States say the current economy is negatively affecting their churches, according to new data from Lifeway Research. Overall, 49 percent of pastors reported that the economy is having a negative impact on their churches, while 41 percent said they are not feeling any economic effect.

  • Global Methodist Church Reaches 6,000 Congregations Worldwide

    The Global Methodist Church (GMC), a denomination established as a theologically conservative alternative to the United Methodist Church (UMC), has now grown to encompass 6,000 member congregations around the world. Launched on May 1, 2022, the GMC announced last Friday on its official Facebook page that it had achieved the 6,000-church milestone. “That's 6,000 pulpits preaching the Gospel,” the post declared. “6,000 altars where hearts are renewed. … 6,000 congregations worshiping in a variety

  • Trump Administration Urges China to Immediate Release of Detained Zion Church Pastor

    The Trump administration has urgently called for the release of a Chinese underground church pastor who has been detained. Pastor Jin Mingri, also known as Ezra Jin, was taken into custody last Friday at his residence in Beihai, Guangxi Province, according to his daughter, who is a U.S. citizen. Reports indicated that around 30 other individuals associated with Zion Church had either been detained or went missing.

  • Lee Strobel and Dr. Robert Jeffress Confirm that Heaven Is a ‘Tangible, Renewed Earth’

    Lee Strobel shared his message both in a sermon and during a Q&A panel with Robert Jeffress, the senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, drawing from his book, The Case for Heaven. Strobel, a former atheist turned Christian apologist, cited more than 900 scholarly articles published over the past 50 years to support that near-death experiences (NDEs) indicate the soul’s continued existence beyond physical death.

  • Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Founder Tony Evans Restored to Ministry Following Discipline

    Elders at the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas, revealed on Sunday that Pastor Tony Evans has been reinstated to ministry after stepping down over a year ago for a sin that was not disclosed publicly. They clarified that he will not resume any staff position or hold a leadership role within the church.

  • Gafcon Criticizes New Appointment of Sarah Mullally, Questions Anglican Communion’s Direction

    Gafcon, a worldwide Anglican movement, has voiced strong criticism following the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the first female archbishop of Canterbury. Gafcon leaders criticized Mullally’s support for introducing prayers of blessing for same-sex marriages and her 2023 comment suggesting that some same-sex relationships could be blessed.

  • Michigan LDS Church Shooting: Death toll rises to 4

    A gunman drove his vehicle into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in suburban Grand Blanc, Michigan on Sunday, before a shooting and an arson attack on worshipers during a service, killing four people and wounding nine others. Authorities have identified the suspect as Thomas Jacob Sanford from nearby Burton, Michigan, a 40-year-old man, but have not yet released a motive. 

  • Church Attendance Surges Among Youth Following Charlie Kirk's Death, Evangelism Leader Reports

    JP De Gance, the founder and president of Communio, a ministry dedicated to helping churches improve evangelism and outreach, believes that Charlie Kirk’s message has inspired many young people to engage with the Christian faith through church communities
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