UMC Launches Solar and Battery Pilot Program for U.S. Churches

UMC Launches Solar and Battery Pilot Program for U.S. Churches

The United Methodist Church has introduced a pilot initiative aimed at helping congregations across the United States install solar panels and strengthen their sustainability efforts through specialized training. The UMC Solar and Battery Pilot Program was launched jointly by the General Board of Global Ministries Environmental Sustainability and the United Methodist Committee on Relief U.S. Disaster Response.
  • Global Methodist Church Adopts Articles of Faith, Elects Eight Bishops at Johannesburg Conference
    The Global Methodist Church adopted a new set of Articles of Faith and elected eight bishops to its first regular Assembly of Bishops as its General Conference concluded Sept. 5 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The bishops were chosen over five ballots and consecrated on the conference’s final day. They will serve as general superintendents during the 2026-2032 term beginning Nov. 1.
  • Southern Baptist Senior Pastor Pay Slips as Inflation Rises, Study Finds
    Average compensation for Southern Baptist senior pastors has edged downward since 2024 even as inflation continued to climb, according to a new compensation study conducted by Baptist state conventions, Lifeway Research and GuideStone Financial Resources. the Consumer Price Index, a widely used measure of inflation, increased 6.3 percent since 2024. Over the same period, average compensation for full-time senior pastors declined 1.5 percent, while their average total pay package fell 0.4 percen

Church of England Faces Backlash Over St. Paul’s Cathedral Concert Deal With Nightclub

The Church of England is facing criticism after St. Paul’s Cathedral in London entered a multi-year agreement with Fabric, the nightclub whose license was revoked in 2016 following two drug-related deaths, to host concerts inside the cathedral. Under the arrangement, Fabric has exclusive rights to stage concerts at St. Paul’s through 2030, according to the BBC.
  • California Pastor Creates 24/7 Digital AI Version of Himself
    A California pastor has developed an artificial intelligence version of himself designed to provide members of his congregation with guidance when he is unavailable. Pastor Justin Lester of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo created what has been described as “an AI digital doppelganger,” allowing church members to interact with an AI-generated version of their pastor around the clock for advice and answers to questions.
  • U.S. Church Attendance Rises as Share of Previously Unchurched Newcomers Falls
    More than half of U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches are drawing larger weekend worship crowds than they did two years ago, even as the share of newcomers with no previous church involvement continues to decline. According to the findings, 54 percent of Protestant pastors said average worship attendance at their congregations had risen by at least 4 percent since 2023.
  • Grace Community Church Appoints Nathan Busenitz as John MacArthur’s Successor
    Grace Community Church in California has appointed Nathan Busenitz as its new senior pastor, filling the leadership role once held by longtime pastor and Bible teacher John MacArthur. Church elders unanimously chose Busenitz for the position last Thursday, about a year after MacArthur’s memorial service, according to an announcement.
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  • Dallas Megachurch, UMC Conference Continue Clash Over Governing Documents and Property Rights

    Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas and the Horizon Texas Conference remained at odds this week over changes to the megachurch’s governing documents. The Horizon Texas Conference filed a lawsuit in Dallas County District Court on Aug. 10, asking the court to resolve questions surrounding Highland Park UMC’s governing documents and a property deed that has been in place for decades.

  • U.S. Church Attendance Rises by 8 Million, but Gen Z Men Lag Behind

    About 8 million more Americans attended a Christian church service at least twice in 2025 than two years earlier, according to new research from the American Bible Society. The data appears in the fifth chapter of the American Bible Society’s 16th annual State of the Bible report, released Wednesday. NORC at the University of Chicago surveyed its AmeriSpeak panel.

  • Texas UMC Conference Sues Highland Park Megachurch Over Governing Changes

    A Texas regional body of The United Methodist Church has taken legal action against a prominent megachurch over changes to the congregation’s governing documents. The UMC Horizon Texas Annual Conference filed a petition for declaratory judgment Monday in Dallas County District Court naming Highland Park United Methodist Church as the defendant.

  • Nearly All Protestant Pastors Say Their Churches Welcome People With Disabilities, Study Finds

    Nearly all U.S. Protestant pastors and churchgoers believe people with disabilities would feel welcomed and included in their congregations, according to a new Lifeway Research study. Among pastors, 98 percent said a person with a disability would feel welcomed and included at their church, including 73 percent who strongly agreed.

  • Nearly All Protestant Churches Sealed as Algerian Christians Worship Underground

    Following Algeria's closure of nearly all Evangelical churches in waves of repression that began in 2017, Christians have been forced underground in what they describe as an internal exile, sources said. Christians in the 99% Muslim country gather discreetly in homes, garages or under olive trees, isolating many who are deprived of regular spiritual guidance.

  • Fallen Soldier’s Faith, Service and Sacrifice Honored at Texas Megachurch Memorial

    Hundreds of relatives, fellow soldiers, community leaders and other mourners gathered Saturday at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, to honor U.S. Army Pfc. Isabella Gonzalez. The 19-year-old Carrollton native was supporting military operations against the Islamic State when she and others were killed in an Iranian strike on a base in Jordan on July 17.

  • Three-Quarters of Protestant Churchgoers Satisfied With Their Church’s Worship Style

    A new Lifeway Research survey found that 75 percent of Protestant churchgoers are satisfied with their congregation’s current level of liturgical worship. In comparison, 13 percent want more, 5 percent prefer less, and 7 percent are unsure. The online study surveyed 1,200 American Protestant churchgoers from Sept. 2–7, 2025, through a nationally pre-recruited panel.

  • 44% of Practicing Christians Use AI, but Only 12% of Pastors Feel Equipped to Guide Them

    Practicing Christians use artificial intelligence more frequently than most Americans in both their personal and professional lives, while nearly half say they would trust the technology to support their spiritual growth. Researchers found that practicing Christians use AI more often than their pastors, but still want their guidance on engaging with the technology. Only about 12% of pastors said they feel equipped to offer such direction.
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