Annual Conference focuses on opportunities in the midst of challenges

The Annual Conference is a long-standing tradition in the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church. Leaders, clergy, and laity from around the state gather in-person for three days of ...

Annual Conference 2020 Set For Streaming Saturday, Sept. 19

Fires, coronavirus complicate Western disaster relief

The wildfire crisis ravaging California for weeks took a dramatic turn and spread into the Pacific Northwest, feeding off dry conditions and strong winds.

Commissioning and Ordination Services Take On Special Meaning

Leadership in the time of COVID-19 takes on a special challenge that Florida United Methodists rose to accept.

Job search opens for new Florida Conference Treasurer

The nationwide search for the next Conference Treasurer closes October 2.

A Statement Regarding the Shooting of Another Black Man by the Police

The shooting of Jacob Blake In Kenosha, Wisconsin by a police officer requires a public response from all who affirm that black lives matter, and from all who see human life as sacred. As his ...

Showing love and support in the face of COVID-19

A repast -- from the Latin word meaning "to eat" -- is often part of any home-going service. It gives the family and mourners a bit of needed closure and fellowship. But how could that happen in the COVID-19 world? When it came time to say goodbye to beloved member Jessie Loretta McSwain Denson, Trinity UMC in Lake City showed it can be done.

New director takes helm of Conference young adult mission ministry

There are many things Heidi Aspinwall will miss about her job.  One is helping young adults see their gifts and talents, while building confidence in their skills. Another is watching them experience ...

Creation Care rises in the time of COVID-19

The FLUMC Creation Care Task Team will hold a statewide Creation Care Zoom gathering on August 25.

We have come a long way, but we are not there yet

August 18 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the constitutional right to vote. We celebrate this anniversary in the midst of the current election season and with ...

In reopening UMC preschools, one size doesn't fit all

Churches in the Florida Conference that operate daycares and preschools have grappled with how to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, or whether to reopen at all.

United Methodists to Host New “Dismantling Racism” Town Hall Discussions

NASHVILLE -- Two new interactive town hall discussions are planned as part of the “Dismantling Racism: Pressing on to Freedom” initiative’s town hall series on anti-racism to explore both old and new ...

Seeing removal of statues as ‘doing no harm’

Worship and Ideas: Encouragement for Back To School

  Dear Florida Conference Sisters and Brothers:  In this time leading up to a new school year there is heightened anxiety about a return to class. Normally this time of year is a joyful one ...

For the elderly, protection comes at a cost

Senior citizens are among the most vulnerable to the ravages of COVID-19, so they need special protection. But that often means isolation, loneliness, and missing their church and family.

Pandemic challenges music ministers and choirs

Churches throughout the United Methodist denomination show how to keep a music ministry alive despite COVID-19.

We've Come This Far By Faith

The fight for racial justice, equality, and equity continues decades later, against the backdrop of de facto segregation that still exists today.

2020 Annual Conference will be virtual-only event

  Bishop Carter, the Cabinet, and the Annual Conference Planning Team announce that the regular session of Annual Conference 2020 will be a virtual-only event on Saturday September 19. We had ...

NFL team name change victory for Native people

The decision to change the name and logo of the Washington NFL team is a “huge victory” for Indian Country, said the Rev. David Wilson, conference superintendent of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary ...

Delegates: Use GC2020 delay for new vision

The disruption of COVID-19 has led General Conference organizers to reschedule the event from May this year to Aug. 29-Sept. 7, 2021. “If we have this 17-month delay between May 2020 and the September...

COVID-19 forces churches to grapple about how to continue worship

Some Florida Conference churches have returned to in-person worship, but others either started and quickly shut down or never re-opened at all. It's up to each church to consider the best way to navigate through this time of COVID-19.

Church parking lots fill for COVID-19 testing

More United Methodist congregations are offering space for screenings, hoping to reach groups at special risk.

How a scriptural imagination can help Christians face fear

It is natural to be afraid at a time like this. But the spiritual practice of reading Scripture within a deep tradition can be grounding for us, and can help us be resilient in the face of fear, writes Bishop Ken Carter.

The Work of Disaster Recovery Photo Essay

A look at FloridaRestores in action.

Q&A: What delay means for General Conference

The issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the United Methodist Church to navigate uncharted waters to prepare for General Conference in 2021.

Conference Launches Yearlong Initiative to Feed the Hungry

The new Fill the Table initiative seeks to provide 3 million meals in a year.

Updated Guidance as COVID-19 Cases Rise in Florida

Dear Florida Conference Churches and Clergy: Last Thursday we wrote to encourage and inform you as you make decisions in the midst of this ever-changing reality. We know there is stress and anxiety in...

Now is the time to get ready for hurricane season

Here are tips to help use before, during, and after the storm. Preparation is the key. Don't wait until it's too late!

'Service of Lament' challenges church on racism

United Methodist bishops, agencies collaborate on unflinching video as latest step in anti-racism initiative.

Conference will control historic cemetery after church closing

The closing of any church in the Florida Conference can be difficult, but members of Asbury United Methodist Church in New Port Richey have an extra concern. Asbury will close its doors as an ...

FLUMC churches move ahead with re-opening plans

Churches now have the option to reopen for in-person worship. There is a variety of ideas about how to proceed.

Warren Willis camp to remain closed for the summer

The Warren Willis Camp in Fruitland Park will remain closed for the summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the state of Florida recently allowed summer camps to open, a message the Camp’s ...

Especially now, preparation is vital in hurricane season

Floridians know all about the power of hurricanes. But with COVID-19 added to the mix, don't put off preparing your hurricane plan.

What We’ve Done (and Left Undone)

Many in America believed they had progressed from the racial turmoil of the 1960s. Then George Floyd was murdered.

Cabinet Statement in Response to Racial Injustice

From the Cabinet of the Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

A Pastoral Letter to United Methodists of the Southeastern Jurisdiction June 5, 2020

Brothers and Sisters:  As president of the Southeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops my heart rejoices over the bold, courageous, and compassionate offering of confession, lament, and call to ...

Christ Church joins protestors with prayer vigil

Cynthia Metzger Phipps The scenes of protest in South Florida were unavoidable. People of all backgrounds marched last weekend for justice after the death of George Floyd at the hands of ...

Coming together to seek social justice

Building on inter-racial relationships, United Methodist Congregations in two different communities, help to organize vigils and opportunities to work for reconciliation.

The Color of Coronavirus

How COVID-19 is impacting communities of color and the Church’s responsibility to respond

The Threat of Blackness

Four FLUMC pastors reflect on the recent deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery and call for fellow Methodists to take a stand for justice.

In-person worship optional after June 15

The Florida Conference Re-Launch Task Force along with Bishop Carter and the Cabinet met this week and decided to allow churches to consider resuming in-person worship after June 15th on a limited ...

P.I.N.K. Girls learn to make a difference through Peace with Justice

P.I.N.K. Girls is a recipient of a 2019 Florida United Methodist Conference Peace with Justice grant for $3,000. So, who are the P.I.N.K. Girls? They are Pretty, Intelligent, Nice, and Knowledgeable ...

"They were all together in one place"

As Pentecost Sunday approaches, we may be separated from our church family and others, but God reminds us that His gift of the Holy Spirit will never leave us.

Annual Conference set for Sept. 19 at First Lakeland UMC

The 2020 Annual Conference meeting of the Florida United Methodist Church will be held on Sept. 19 at First Lakeland UMC. The one-day meeting is scheduled from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. An online option ...

Bishop Ken Carter's assignment to Florida is extended

In light of the postponement of the General and Jurisdictional Conferences due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, Bishop Ken Carter will continue to serve as the Resident Bishop of the Florida Conference ...

Florida Conference churches respond to their neighborhood food shortages

United Methodist churches New Horizon and Community of Hope are among many Florida Conference churches doing what they can to provide aid during the COVID-19 crisis.

Summer in the Scriptures

Bishop Ken Carter invites you to join him for a Summer in the Scriptures as we journey through the Gospels!

Orlando's St. Luke's UMC shows the art of reaching out and filling a need

The Central Florida arts community has been devastated by the economic chaos wrought by COVID-19. But St. Luke's UMC of Orlando saw a need and mobilized to address it. In turn, an "invisible" group knew it was loved.

Sobering racial statistics on healthcare demand systemic resolution

African-American mothers are 243% more likely to die as a result of pregnancy than white women.

Zoe Empowers: A Christian response to a humanitarian crisis

Many Florida United Methodist churches are involved in the project, which was founded in 2004 to help orphans left in the wake of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa to break the cycle of hunger and poverty.