News Archive

Rev. Dana Wood passed away on March 7. She lived in Burkburnett, Texas and served as the pastor of Randlett, Oklahoma from June 2018 until her death. Her work in the State of Oklahoma Office of ...

  Rev. Wendi Neal, Rev. Derrek Belase, and Rev. Dr. Joseph Harris discuss the changes to General Conference, and address some common questions about it. Use the times below to reference what is ...

Due to growing concerns regarding COVID-19, or coronavirus, the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church is changing how it will hold Annual Conference. Instead of a three-day gathering held...

The Methodist understanding of connection began as a way for the denomination’s founder, John Wesley, to make sure every community of believers could be connected to the church as a whole. That ...

How two women worked to keep a ministry alive By Emily Robnett If there is one universal truth about small towns, it is this: word travels fast. For the Worth of a Child, a non-profit program that ...

The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference By Ginny Underwood Before missionaries set foot on the continent, indigenous peoples in North America had a clear understanding of the principles of ...

General Conference will take place May 5-15. The Advance Daily Christian Advocate lists the petitions that will be considered by delegates during legislative committees, which will turn into calendar ...

Clergy in the Oklahoma Conference are responding to concerns about COVID-19, the official name for the coronavirus. Rev. Jeremy Basset, director of the Office of Mission, released a statement on March...

Conflict in interpersonal relationships is taking center stage during a six-week online training aimed at re-framing a person’s approach to conflict. Healing the Wounds that Divide Us is a training ...

The worship team has been a ministry of the East Central University’s Wesley Foundation since before campus minister Janey Thomas arrived in 2014. This semester, the team will spend 10 weekends on the...

Approximately 30 attendees gathered for a live stream of the inaugural Governor’s Prayer Breakfast at Epworth Villa. The prayer breakfast was held on Feb. 18 in conjunction with the state’s launch of...

The Oklahoma Conference has appointed a General Conference Operations Team to help local churches prepare for and respond to the 2020 General Conference, happening May 5-15 in Minneapolis. The ...

By Derrek Belase Lisa Greenwood, vice president for leadership at the Texas Methodist Foundation, is fond of saying, that growing organizations need management, and declining organizations need ...

2020 Friends of Children Banquet & Silent Auction April 4 | 5 p.m. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Guest speaker: Christina Meredith Tickets: $85 | Sponsorships available www.circleofcare.or...

With rising concern about the impact of the current coronavirus (COVID-19), Conference staff recently listened in to a webinar hosted by our travel insurance company, AIG Travel. This excellent ...

By Meagan Ewton Delegates from the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church met on Feb. 20-22 to interview candidates for bishop and discuss matters relating to the 2020 General ...

Scholarship applications for the fall semester are now open through the General Board of Higher Education & Ministry. The deadline to apply is March 3. GBHEM utilizes a single online application to ...

By Tabitha Beckman Mission partnerships and missional focal issues were at the heart of a recent informational event in Oklahoma City. The Together in Mission event, put on by Oklahoma United ...

The Oklahoma Conference is hosting two Vision Days through Fresh Expressions, a movement to establish new forms of churches that most benefit those who are not yet part of a faith community. Vision ...

Project Transformation Oklahoma is looking for college students to participate in its summer-long Young Adult Service Program. The AmeriCorps program includes housing, a living stipend and an ...

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Revs. Emily Robnett and Trey Witzel joined young clergy from across the denomination at the Young Clergy Leadership Forum on Jan. 26-29. The event was hosted by the General Board of Church and ...

When people think of doing ministry with Hispanic and Latino communities, they may imagine familiar worship services or outreach efforts translated into Spanish. However, there is much more to ...

Shirley Elizabeth Pike, wife of retired elder Rev. Dr. Roy Pike, passed away on Jan. 14. She was 83. The family requested donations be made to Jenks-First in lieu of flowers. Her memorial service was ...

Frances E. Willard Award Nominations Deadline | Feb. 17 Download form at www.okumc.org/WillardAward. Contact Rev. Emily Robnett at pastoremrob@gmail.com. Neustadt Lectures | Feb. 20 Featured ...

One pastor’s spiritual nudge has led a church to fund 2,000 hot lunches for students who would not otherwise be able to afford one. Meadowcreek UMC in Collinsville recently donated more than $4,300 to...

General Conference 2020 will take place from May 5-15 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. General Conference is the denomination’s highest legislative body, and what takes place at General Conference has the ...

Redemption Church, a congregation that intentionally seeks to minister to those who are currently and formerly incarcerated, recently held its 25th anniversary celebration at OKC-Penn Ave. The church ...

The upcoming General Conference made national headlines this month when the Council of Bishops shared a press release regarding a proposed plan of separation for the United Methodist Church. Although ...

Billy Sparks woke on Nov. 2, 2019 to the sound of a neighbor yelling for him to get to safety. At first he thought it was a bad joke, but when he opened his eyes and saw the black smoke, he knew it ...

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 ...