News Archive

Two churches in Oklahoma are participating in a new initiative centered on youth ministry. Tulsa-Hope in the Oklahoma Conference and Talihina-St. Paul in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference were...

Rev. Erica Thomas was sitting in a Goodwill Industries board meeting in early 2018 when she realized there were no thrift stores in northeast Oklahoma City. The observation inspired her to start a ...

Holy Spirit Seminar (One seminar, two locations) Oct. 26 | McAlester-First | 1 p.m. Oct. 27 | Ardmore-First | 2 p.m. Featured speaker: Dr. Luther Oconer Free to attend; registration requested okumc-re...

By Amy Neathery Dozens of public school teachers in El Reno received free books, teaching tools, classroom supplies and other resources through the ALLOT Initiative at El Reno-Wesley. The ALLOT ...

The Oklahoma Conference is hosting six Benefits Symposiums across the state to help clergy, laity and spouses unpack the benefit plans that go into effect in 2020. The symposiums will be held between ...

Oklahoma United Methodist Camps has announced Chuck Stewart as the new director of Egan Camp and Retreat Center. Stewart is a certified Lay Servant and has served as the Oklahoma Conference Lay Leader...

Criminal Jusice and Mercy Ministries shared their vision for “Breaking the Generational Cycles of Incarceration” during its annual banquet on Aug. 27. The evening featured dinner and a silent auction ...

The Office of Mission is working to address the needs of Oklahomans affected by the spring weather events that caused near-record flooding across the state. Rev. Jeremy Basset, director of the ...

The United Methodist Church in Hunter is celebrating its 125 years anniversary on Sept. 15. The church was founded in the home of O. W. Benson in 1894, 13 years before Oklahoma statehood. Pastor ...

Reaching more young people is something churches talk about all the time, but which often seems just out of our grasp. Most local churches, even large ones, are happy to have ANY sort of stable young ...

By Ginny Underwood A group of Native American young people from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference raised their voices about Native-themed mascots and other issues important to their ...

By Rev. April Coates The Committee on the Status and Role of Women recognized Rev. Tish Malloy at the 2019 Annual Conference as the 18th recipient of the Francis E. Willard Award. Named after 19th ...

Oklahoma City University will host a guest presentation by an ocean conservationist and shark expert at 7 p.m. Sept. 24. The presentation, “One Ocean, One People,” is free to the public and will be ...

On behalf of The United Methodist Church, UM Global Ministries is inviting members of the Oklahoma Annual Conference to a ceremony this September during which lands held in trust for 176 years by the ...

Retired elder Harold Brown passed away on Aug. 28. Brown served several churches in the Oklahoma Conference, including Gracemont, Cogar, Ardmore-Asbury, Chickasha-Epworth, Harrah and OKC-Asbury. A ...

More than 400 students across the state maintained or improved their reading levels over the summer through the collaborative work of Project Transformation. Project Transformation engages young ...

By Ann Needham Bower A fun and relaxing time awaits retirees at the Annual Retired Clergy/Spouse Retreat, set for Oct. 7-9 at Canyon Camp. The theme for this year’s retreat is “Remembering….” ...

Lay Servant Training Northern Prairie | Sept. 13-14 Hennessey-First, 201 S. Cherokee St., Hennessey. Basic and Advanced Courses available. Cost: $50 (non-refundable). Includes all materials, Friday ...

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By Meagan Ewton What do you do when your church has extra space and your community has a need? If you’re Dewey United Methodist Church, you fill it with food and give it away. Rev. Jinx Barber arrived...

By Meagan Ewton In early June 2019, the General Commission on Religion and Race published an article titled, “VBS is Not Immune to Racism.” The article focused on Vacation Bible School curriculum from...

Circle of Care and Christian band Sanctus Real are teaming up on to raise funds for Circle of Care’s three nonprofit programs. The inaugural Help, Healing and Hope Benefit Concert will be held on ...

By Rev. Dr. Joseph Harris Occasionally you pick up a book—particularly a devotional book—and the contents not only speak to you, they often shout at you. Eugene Peterson’s “A Long Obedience in the ...

Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business will honor four business and community leaders during the 33rd annual Oklahoma Commerce & Industry Hall of Honor luncheon Oct. 31 at the Cox ...

Legislation could be voted on during 2020 General Conference Chicago, IL—The Connectional Table approved sending legislation to General Conference 2020 that will create a new structure for churches ...

Oklahoma Conference pastors are invited to attend Finance for Pastors on Sept. 9 at the Oklahoma Conference Ministry Center in Oklahoma City. The event will be held in the Woodworth Room from 9 a.m. ...

Lay and clergy members of the Oklahoma Conference were present during a rally held outside US Senator James Lankford’s office on July 3. The rally was organized by Women in Action for All, ...

Circle of Care makes it their mission to provide Christian help, healing and hope to children and families in crisis to ensure a safe, healthy and spiritual future. Three programs help them ...

New People New Places is preparing for its sixth year of awarding grants to ministries that “reach new, younger, and more diverse people to become world-changing disciples of Jesus Christ.” ...

By Courtney Blacksten Youth 2019 was the national gathering of United Methodist Youth put on by Discipleship Ministries. The quadrennial event was held in Kansas City, Missouri from July 10-13. Youth ...

Rev. William Buttram passed away on July 3. Buttram served as a pastor in Oklahoma for more than 20 years in total, leading churches such as Westville, Gore, Muskogee-Trinity, Tulsa-Aldersgate, ...

St. Yootz Day | Aug. 10 Admission $25 per person; season pass holders and children ages 2 and younger admitted free Pick up or buy tickets at table by front gate between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Parking...

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At every Oklahoma Annual Conference, newly ordained clergy receive red stoles during the ordination ceremony. This year, those stoles were made by a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM). ...

If anything at Oklahoma’s Annual Conference could symbolize the state’s United Methodist Women, it would be the cookies. Long before the second day of annual conference was scheduled to start, tables ...

Charis Character Camp drew new families in to Charis Alive. Camp was held at OKC-Church of the Servant on June 3-7. With a team of 20 members, this splash event drew more visibility in the Asian ...

Nine leaders completed the 2019 Local Pastors Licensing School, held June 14-21 on the campus of Oklahoma City University. Front row, from left: Shalon Reynolds, Jim Markley, Jess Barr, Kira Calhoun,...

Grants up to $10,000 will be available this fall from Discipleship Ministries to strengthen the leadership training, small groups, worship, stewardship and spiritual formation in ethnic local United ...

Mary Myers, the Information Technology Director for the Oklahoma Conference, was recognized for her work with an Express Employment Professionals Most Valuable Performer Award. Myers was nominated by ...

Neighborhood Services Organziation, better known as NSO, serves some of the most vulnerable populations in the Oklahoma City community. “At NSO, we provide housing and health care services to the ...

Skyline Urban Ministry Gala An Evening with Ron Hall | Aug. 9 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum VIP Meet and Greet at 5:30 p.m. Gala at 7:00 p.m. Tickets: $125. Table sponsorships ...

By Meagan Ewton With minimal discussion and a show of hands, the Oklahoma Annual Conference voted to pass two major changes to clergy and staff benefits: recalculating a retiree subsidy according to ...

The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference is one of three missionary conferences in the United States and has been established for 175 years. According to the General Commission on Archives and ...

A casual conversation with Rev. Dr. Amy Valdez Barker By Meagan Ewton Rev. Dr. Amy Valdez Barker is the executive director for the Global Mission Connections Unit at Global Ministries. She sat down ...

The first edition of “Who Is My Neighbor?: Native American Methodism in Oklahoma – a Study Guide” is now available from the OKUMC Commission on Archives and History. Free to download at ...

Oklahoma City University will expand its satellite nursing program at Duncan Regional Hospital to include the Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, starting with the fall semester in August. ...

NEWLY ORDAINED ELDERS — Front row, from left: C. Craig Clark, Jay A. Henderson, Susan E. Rice, Kristen A. Melton, Kaela E. P. Burdge. Back row, from left: Board of Ordained Ministry Vice ...

David Jones, who retired in September 2018 after 20 years of service, died on June 1. David served as a licensed local pastor at Tipton, Manitou, Lawton-New Light and Hulen. Service was held on June 6...

Worship Design Studio Worship Planning Retreat | Aug. 18-21 OKC-St. Luke’s, 222 NW 15th St., Oklahoma City Single Ticket: $350 | Team of 2-4: $550 Team of 5-8: $750 Register online at wds.events/plann...

By David Wilson The Giving of Ourselves” was the theme for the 175th session of The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, held June 6-8 at the Northeast Region Center at Preston, Oklahoma. The ...