News Archive

Churches in the Oklahoma Conference celebrated Christmas in a variety of traditions. From pageants and candles to parades and dancing, here are how some congregations celebrated the holiday season. ...

Founded in 1904, OCU is a private, independent, coeducational institution with a long-standing affiliation with the UMC. The institution offers a diverse, inclusive culture committed to producing ...

Deborah Durall Kerr, a retired local pastor, passed away on Dec. 10, 2019. She was 67. Kerr pastored eight churches in the Oklahoma Conference from 1999 to 2017: Dacoma, Carmen, OKC-Hope Community ...

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection announced today registration is open for The Art of Hospitality Conference held April 23–24. The conference takes place at Church of the Resurrection’s ...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Jan. 20 Oklahoma Conference Ministry Center Closed Meeting of the Orders | Jan. 21 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Edmond-Acts 2 | 4848 W. Covell Guest preacher: Dr. Tish Malloy, ...

The General Commission on United Methodist Men recently published a numerical summary of their work in 2019. The list covers a wide variety of ministry endeavors, including discipleship studies, ...

A church that offers grants to local teachers went above and beyond to fund a high school food pantry. Choctaw United Methodist Church, along with the Margaret E. Petree Foundation, awarded grants to ...

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma—With winter around the corner, the Residents of Epworth Villa held their annual fall clothing drive. This bi-annual event allows residents to clean out their closets and give ...

The Langston University Wesley Foundation is hoping to raise $25,000 to grow the ministry and help it become sustainable. The “Seeds of Generosity” campaign started on Nov. 19 and will continue ...

Members of the Minority Local Church Concerns committee met with ministry coach Rev. William Chaney on Nov. 18 to develop a proposal for the standing rules committee. Front row, from left: Trey ...

Cookson Hills Center is a project of the United Methodist Church. It is the only rural mission program in Oklahoma and the only mission program that is a joint effort of the Oklahoma Conference, the ...

Rev. Larry Masoner, a retired elder, passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 1 at the age of 68. Masoner was serving part-time at Lenora and Vici, having previously served in Mooreland, Watonga, ...

Christmas Holiday | Dec. 24-25 Oklahoma Conference Ministry Center Closed New Year’s Day | Jan. 1, 2020 Oklahoma Conference Ministry Center Closed Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Jan. 20, 2020 ...

The past year has brought new beginnings to three districts in the Oklahoma Conference. The Crossroads, Green Country and Heartland Districts each have a new member of the district’s ministry team. ...

By Tabitha Beckman United Methodist Women from around the state gathered at the Cookson Hills Center in Cookson for the annual Tool Tyme mission event held Nov. 8-10. The weekend included a silent ...

A Story of Lay Servant Ministries Maurice Hawthorne knows a thing or two about Methodist service. The retired physics and chemistry teacher was an active leader in his district council by his junior ...

Books that deserve a fresh look in 2020 "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction"by Eugene H. Peterson. Society too often looks for quick fixes and instant gratifications. Peterson’s book examines ...

What could ministry look like if money was no object? Nineteen United Methodist pastors across Oklahoma spent nine months considering the possibilities. From early childhood development to after ...

By Meagan Ewton What started as a question from a church member has grown into an effort to forgive $4.5 million in medical debt. Rev. Jeff Hinton of First UMC in Okeene and Rev. Emily Robnett of New ...

There’s a new pecan tree on the north side of the Oklahoma United Methodist Ministry Center that honors the agricultural ministry of John Nday, a missionary with the General Board of Global ...

Leaders in the Oklahoma Conference joined together to participate in Soda Steve’s Root Beer Run, a race whose proceeds help benefit the Office of Mission. The event was held Oct. 12 at the Fin and ...

The Mission of Restore Hope Ministries is to restore families in financial crisis to economic and spiritual vitality. They do so through three major avenues: prevention of homelessness, reduction of ...

Oklahoma City University celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 14 with a ceremony at the Chickasaw Nation Garden on campus. OCU Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion Russ Tallchief led the ...

The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference hosted its fifth annual benefit gala on Oct. 17 at The Reed Center in Midwest City. The event featured a live paint by Brent Greenwood, friendship songs and ...

By Tabitha Beckman United Methodist Women from across the Oklahoma Conference came together at Ponca City-St Paul’s for a weekend of celebrating the past and planning for the future. The theme of the ...

Rev. Christy Germany Summers died in a traffic accident on Oct. 22. She was 50 years old. Summers transferred from the North Texas Conference and served Oklahoma Conference ministries for nine years, ...

Saint Paul Listening Sessions Nov. 13 | Tulsa-Boston Avenue- Register here Jan. 30 | OKC-Wesley- Register here 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Free to attend GROW: Intentional, Intergenerational Discipleship ...

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What started as a simple shipping mix-up has inspired an annual Christmas giveaway. In December 2017, two bicycles intended for grandchildren in California were sent to Blackwell, Oklahoma by mistake....

The Oklahoma Conference will host a workshop focused on discipleship systems at Edmond-New Covenant on Nov. 16.   GROW: Intentional, Intergenerational Discipleship is designed to assist church ...

The Global Mission Fellows Program, a two-year mission opportunity for young adults through United Methodist Global Ministries, is accepting applications for the 2020-2022 Class of Global Mission ...

By Rev. Pat McPherson On Sept. 8, Kingfisher-First took the next step into the future. After over 100 years in their historic location at the corner of Highway 81 and Highway 33, the congregation ...

A Holy Spirit Seminar for laity and clergy will be held at two locations in southeast Oklahoma this October. The free seminar, titled “Holy Spirit and Methodism,” will examine the role of the Holy ...

In June, 85 youth and adults from four churches in the Central Texas Conference traveled to Tishomingo for a week of mission, work and worship. The crew leaders are friends of Tishomingo pastor Marsha...

Skyline Urban Ministry is located in the shadow of the downtown Oklahoma City skyline, and its mission is to serve those who live in that shadow. Skyline lives out its mission to impact lives by ...

Oklahoma City University is partnering with Family HealthCare and Minor Emergency Clinic to operate its campus health clinic, beginning Oct. 8. It will serve the university and the broader community ...

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 ...