News Archive

By Holly McCray A teaching moment. A photo contest. An evening session solely dedicated to the election of the 2012 General/Jurisdictional Conference delegates from Oklahoma. The 2011 Annual ...

  Photo by Jennie Kiner At center court, Bishop Robert Hayes Jr. offers the invocation for "Nothing But Nets Night," April 8, at the OKC Thunder basketball game. Players and a military color guard ...

In memoriam John Morgan Rev. John Baber Morgan, 98, died April 18, 2011, in Rolla, Mo. Service was April 22 at Rolla-First UMC. Born on March 16, 1913, in Winfield, Kan., he received his Doctor of ...

Let’s fill the truck! Oklahoma VIM is collecting emergency supply kits during the Annual Conference, to be distributed where people are in great need of humanitarian aid due to disasters. ...

OCU held its first-ever Easter Vigil on April 23, in the evening before Easter Sunday. The service included lighting the Paschal Candle, remembrance of baptism, and Holy Communion. OCU dance and ...

Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation insights Make plans to attend our free EQUIP training events: May 5 in Oklahoma City at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church May 19 in Broken Arrow at ...

Circle of Care honored two individuals with the Burrel & JoAnn McNaught Heart of Ministry Award, presented at the organization’s recent Friends of Children banquets in Tulsa and Oklahoma ...

In the controlled environment of the Archives' new Storage Room, Christina Wolf examines a box of historical church records. By Holly McCray You feel goosebumps rise. Yes, the room ...

Eugene Lowry is this year’s guest preacher. He is also a jazz musician. The Annual Conference’s guest preacher, Eugene Lowry, is truly a Great Preacher — and a jazz musician. Rev. Dr. ...

In Broken Arrow on May 14, Bishop Scott Jones of Kansas will headline a Conference-wide evangelism training opportunity, at Abiding Harvest UMC. Bishop Jones is a former professor of evangelism at...

Intricate paper artistry by Tatyana Molodyk is one source of support for Saratov UMC in Russia. For a greeting-card product line, the pastor cuts up magazine pages to form scenes, such as ...

An Annual Conference Ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, will honor 20 retiring clergy members. Five of them have each served 40 or more years in ministry. Not shown above is Gary Graham.

Beginning in September, classes for Course of Study will be offered at Saint Paul School of Theology at Oklahoma City University. Course of Study is a path of education for Local Pastors. The 2010...

In St. Luke’s Narthex, granite and marble flooring replaced the vinyl. The original bronze crosses were restored and set into the new floor. Annual Conference delegates will notice ...

By Holly McCray On April 14, a tornado ravaged Tushka, including the home of Leo and Sammie Dement, members of New Zion United Methodist Church there. Killed were Sammie, 80, and her sister, Ava ...

Watch Annual Conference LIVE May 29-June 1 Be a virtual guest and view the soaring worship and dedicated work of this Oklahoma gathering as it unfolds in Oklahoma City at St. Luke's and Oklahoma ...

National meeting here in July Planning to celebrate your church’s anniversary? Researching Methodism in Oklahoma? A Web presence recently was activated by the Oklahoma Conference’s Commission on ...

Scraps, a raccoon puppet, and Jane Roul of Cokesbury cook up ideas for the "Shake It Up Café," a Vacation Bible School curriculum for 2011. They were both in Oklahoma City for the recent ...

Among headliners at the Church & Society event: Chrislyn Sperry, at right, who advocates against domestic violence; and author Tony Campolo, far right. www.okumc.org/Church_Society   Photos by...

Bill Chissoe of Norman is the new Conference president of United Methodist Men (UMMen). He began his term in January. "I see men’s ministry in our United Methodist churches as very vital and ...

Jonathan Powell of Oklahoma City was named the 2010 Heart Hero, announced Feb. 11 by Oklahoma Heart Hospital South during national Heart Month. Powell provided CPR that saved a man’s life on ...

As a youth, Josh Pulver often stayed at Camp Egan, especially during the week of Tulsa District Camp in summertime. Now he is making his home there. On April 4, Pulver began his new job as Camp ...

Thousands connect to grow the Body Final attendance tally from the Local Church Leader’s Workshops: 2,633 participants at 10 events across Oklahoma. The March 26 event in Stillwater District, with ...

Two directors represent all camping ministries in the denomination’s South Central Jurisdiction. One of them is Andre Stravlo of Edmond, Camps’ administrative assistant for the Oklahoma ...

Two Conference groups—the Commission on Religion & Race (CORR) and Addiction Ministries—combined efforts to present an educational workshop about chemical dependency, held March 5 at ...

OCU inaugurates President Robert Henry Above, former president Tom McDaniel embraces President Robert Henry on April 6 at the inauguration. Below, David Wilson offers the opening ...

'God always smiles when we venture out of our comfort zones' ‘What we live on the platform validates I am accepted for the folks in the pew.’ —Rudy Rasmus Photo by Michele Pitt   ...

Failure to plan may result in accidental disinheritance. Accidental disinheritance occurs when you die without a will or your will does not function properly. You risk harming those you love and ...

Oklahoma City University invites everyone to a special Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 23. This service dates back to the earliest days of the Christian church and is held the night before Easter,...

The Foundation welcomes its newest staff member, Dale Levy, as a planned giving officer. Dale will work with churches in the eastern part of the state to implement a wills program or campaign. ...

Exercise opens the day for college students in a jurisdictional gathering at Cross Point Camp. Photo by Rebecca Lupton By Holly McCray Although he earned a B.A. in 1977, Bishop Scott ...

Participants enjoy a game in the Freede Center. The little ones were ready to play basketball, too. Approximately 250 people from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference convened on ...

Johnson to lead Women’s retreat Frankye Johnson will lead a spiritual growth retreat for all women on April 29-May 1 at Canyon Camp, sponsored by Oklahoma Conference United Methodist Women (UMW). ...

In memoriam David Reynolds Rev. David Walter Reynolds, 60, of Tulsa died Feb. 22, 2011. At the time of his death, he was the pastor at Rose Hill UMC in Tulsa. Memorial service was Feb. 26 at the ...

At the OKC Cokesbury store dedication are, from left, Regional Pastor Thomas Jewell of The Christian Church-Disciples of Christ, Bishop Robert Hayes Jr., and Jeff Barnes of The United ...

(PART 2) By Joseph Harris, Conference Secretary A new online opportunity is offered to learn about the women and men nominated for election as Oklahoma’s lay delegates to the denomination’s 2012 Ge...

On March 26 at Stillwater-First, this series of classes for laity concludes its annual run in the state. Attendance total for all workshops thus far: 2,458 people. Bishop Hayes personally ...

In Lawton, Centenary UMC volunteers unload beds for their guests who will arrive Sunday evening. (Photos provided by Howard Kuchta) Following the Plan How do we relate to our community?—a...

At the LEAD II seminar in mid-February at Oklahoma City University are, from left, President Myron McCoy of Saint Paul School of Theology, OKC-North District Superintendent Dan Pulver, ...

Because of your donations to help poor UM clergy in other nations, the Oklahoma Annual Conference ranks first in the jurisdiction—and sixth among the 67 U.S. annual conferences—in supporting the ...

Photography enthusiasts have an opportunity to express their visions of the 2011 Annual Conference theme, "The Plan—A Bridge to the Future," through a photo contest. Winners will receive gift ...

Older Adult retreat On April 12-14, Camp Egan will host a Senior Adult Retreat. The Conference’s Older Adult Ministry Council plans three retreats in 2011. Canyon will host in September, and ...

Robert Henry By Holly McCray Bible study is a cup of cool water to thirsty Robert Henry. He will drink deeply and request refills. The man whom Oklahoma City University, a United ...

Pastor Daniel Starikov, with his family, brings new energy to the church in Lytkarina, Russia. The Russia Initiative seeks salary support for him. Oklahoma mission leaders are happily ...

The Oklahoma Conference Strategic Plan provides the framework to envision, implement, and assess all ministries and missions for every church. The Plan targets 3 key areas. This story ...

In foreground, the bulldozer operator watches volunteer firefighters launch a search-and-rescue simulation at the Randlett UMC parsonage on Jan. 29. On Jan. 29, ministry by Randlett United...

Frederick to host OSU Wesley rally At Frederick UMC on March 26, the Wesley Foundation at OSU will host the first in a series of campus ministry pep rallies. "First Regional Pep Rally" will be 6-8 ...

In memoriam Harwood Rowe Rev. Harwood Slate "Dick" Rowe, 83, of Sulphur died Feb. 2, 2011. Service was Feb. 10 at Sulphur UMC. He was born Aug. 26, 1927, in Elk City. He married Stella Mae LaFever ...

Worshippers pull together to break ground Jan. 23 for a building project. Chuck Nordean, left, and Dan Peil stand beside an antique plow. Worshippers at Elk City UMC lined up to ...

Overcoming your fears can be hardest part of creating a will Many people are intimidated by the prospect of creating a will. Yet preparing a will is as simple as writing a letter. A well-written ...