After COVID-19 shutdown, Institute of Preaching is back in session

The Institute, back after the COVID-19 shutdown, works with individual pastors with tips and training about effective preaching methods.

Setting criteria for a 2022 General Conference

Organizers are pressing forward with plans to hold what many expect to be a pivotal General Conference next year. At the same time, they acknowledge that the pandemic may once again thwart those plans.

To be United Methodist: What is Advent?

Nov. 28 is the first Sunday in Advent, the time of preparation and anticipation of the coming of Christ into the world.

Annual Conference 2022 – Get Ready to See One Another!

Get ready to see one another!   The Florida Annual Conference 2022 session will be back to an in-person event and will be held on June 9-11 (a general schedule will be released in the new year) on the...

Training available for Florida Advocacy Days

  Florida Advocacy Days Bill Information & Training Session November 30, 2021 | 7- 8:30 p.m. Hello Advocates, Florida Advocacy Days is a vital partnership between the 11th Episcopal District ...

"They know I am there for good"

Melissa Stevens, inmate number G30701 to the Florida Department of Corrections, didn't know anything about Rev. Kris Schonewolf the first time they met. Until that point, it had been just another day...

Bishops offer framework for inclusive church

2021 – 2022 Native American Ministry Grant Available

Native Americans play an important role in The Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. That role is expanding with scholarships and grants to provide training for greater leadership ...

Rediscover the Heart of Methodism in free online course

The Duke Divinity School is offering a free online course called "Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism." The course is designed as a four-week experience for small groups, classes, and leadership ...

Annual gala to benefit Casa Vida

This was 2nd Annual Gala Casa Vida 2021 an event to raise funds for the ministry of the Unity Methodist Mission in Wahneta. Thank God the goal was achieved with the great effort of an intense team of involved leaders of the Board, sponsors, friends and supporters, together with the great support of the mother church St. John's UMC, an example of generosity supporting the missions.

The time to "Turn It Up" is fast approaching

Registration is under way for Turn It Up, the 2022 United Methodist Women Assembly at the Orlando Convention Center on May 20-22.

Equipping people for service is a goal of the new Leadership Academy

A little over a year ago, seven people from the Black Methodists For Church Renewal on a Zoom call were discussing church leadership in the pandemic. As churches grappled with reduced budgets and ...

Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune will soon make history at the U.S. Capitol

Educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune will soon make history as the first Black person to have a state-commissioned statue in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall. Bethune was a pioneering Methodist who advised U.S. presidents and founded what is now Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida — one of 11 institutions supported by the United Methodist Black College Fund.

UMC leaders share important information for churches sponsoring Scout troops

While the United Methodist Ad Hoc Committee continues to engage in mediation related to the bankruptcy case, the Committee and the BSA have issued a joint statement which addresses how United Methodist congregations that sponsor Scouting programs should proceed in the meantime regarding expiring charters or facility use agreements.

"Is the community different because we're here?"

At Temple Terrace United Methodist Church, the answer is yes. The church is different, too.

Hispanic Heritage Month reminds all of their profound impact on the UMC

The impact of Hispanics on Florida is profound. As of the 2020 US Census, they make up 25.5% of the state's population. Add Latinos -- the term used to describe those who hail from Latin America - ...

31 Ways to Honor Your Pastor for Clergy Appreciation Month

Creative ideas to show your appreciation with gifts your pastor can actually use!

As the garden grows at New Life UMC, so does its community involvement

Rev. Dr. Latricia Scriven had ambitious plans when she was named the pastor of New Life UMC in Tallahassee in 2019. In many ways, it was a dream assignment for her. When she was a math professor at ...

Five ways to celebrate Hispanic heritage month

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time when all United Methodists in the United States can celebrate diversity and the positive contributions of their Hispanic/Latino brothers and sisters to their communities and congregations.

Application period for Ware Grants opens Sept. 24

The leadership team at Branches United Methodist Church knew something was missing. Rev. Tony Baurichter said their meetings had become too predictable. Devotional. Prayer. Discussion. Dismissal. Team...

General Commission on UM Men set "Give Day" for Oct. 18

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and let us run with perseverance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, ...

Finding light in the darkness of 9/11

Prayer for the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks

Heavenly Father, we commend to your mercy and grace all who died in the September eleventh attacks and all who have died in the past twenty years while laboring to end terrorism.

Twenty years later, the memories of Sept. 11 remain vivid

Anyone old enough to remember the horror of Sept. 11, 2001, certainly remembers where they were when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center fell. For me, though, watching the destruction live on ...

Disaster Recovery Updates

Hurricane Ida, Afghan Resettlement, Haiti Earthquake & COVID Vaccination Clinics

"What should have been a science class became a politics class"

A message from Bishop Carter as COVID-19 rages: There is resistance to a vaccine. No blame or shame here, just lament. I care about you.

"You absolutely could feel Jesus in the room"

Florida United Methodist churches and volunteers stepped up to provide aid and comfort at the site of the Surfside condo tragedy.

Foundation awards $100,000 grant to address college mental health crisis

Standing with Haiti amid quake and storm

Prayer & Support for Haiti after 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake

We are asking congregations to lift the Haitian people in prayer and donate to relief efforts.

Big Pine UMC uses Hearts, Hammers & Hands to help its community

The Florida Keys have been romanticized in literature and song over the years. Still, residents of that little slice of paradise at Florida's extreme southern tip know it as something much more than ...

How to facilitate hybrid worship

As the pandemic has continued to ebb and restrictions lessen, churches have been returning to in-person worship services. But at the same time, church leaders throughout the country are also encountering a new reality: hybrid worship.

Baseball icon Jackie Robinson's Methodist faith

When dealing with the difficulties of being the first Black player in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson had a little-known ally helping him stay stoic and perform well through the ordeal. He had faith.

Discussing Christian nationalism — carefully

A new resource on Christian nationalism is meant to assist United Methodists to talk about the issue. It provides a format that includes how to set up the room, structure the conversation and keep things civil.

God’s Faithfulness in a Wilderness Season

A sermon taken from John 6 and Exodus 16 and preached by Bishop Ken Carter at First United Methodist Church in Lakeland, Florida on August 1, 2021.

Updated FL Conference COVID Guidance - July 29, 2021

We wrote last week and shared our concerns about the rising COVID-19 cases in Florida. We write again this week because of the continued increase of infections and the updated CDC guidelines related to masks

Seven Ways to Pray for Cuba in This Present Moment

Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

A Message From Bishop Carter About COVID-19

  Dear Florida Conference Clergy and Laity: We continue to pray for you as you navigate this season. We had all hoped we would be through this pandemic by now, but we clearly are not. Like you,...

Rini Hernandez hears Cuban people chant "We're not afraid anymore"

Rev. Dr. Rinaldo "Rini" Hernandez initially couldn't believe the reports out of Cuba. People were marching in the streets, protesting against their authoritarian government. As a native of Cuba, he ...

Methodists United in Prayer: A Call to Action for the People of Cuba

Methodists United in Prayer condemns all violence against the people of Cuba.

The Carpenter's Shop brings toys and joy to thousands of children

A recent Community Assessment of Older Adults in Pinellas County reported that 37% of them report being bored, and 22% say they lonely and isolated. Many also experienced the loss of a spouse. To ...

FLUMC summer interns learn the pastoral experience

Meet some of the 2021 pastoral interns in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. This program is for young adults, ages 18-26, interested in exploring ordained ministry through 10-week...

A statement on the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse

The Florida Haiti Covenant stands together with those in Haiti. We will continue to seek out ways to work together to make our world a safer place.

Freedom is the Right Thing (Seed), at the Right Time

July 4, 2021 sermon by Rev. Dr. Sharon G. Austin at Lake Junaluska

United Methodists lead with their hearts in Miami disaster relief effort

So much was lost in the catastrophe at the Champlain Towers South in Surfside. Friends, family members and loved ones were gone in a moment, along with a sense of security that may well be hard to ...

Surfside Condo Collapse Disaster Relief Effort

Hundreds of people have been displaced from their homes and rescue teams continue to lead search and recovery efforts. In addition to prayer, you can provide support for the victims.

FLUMC takes a major stand for creation care

One of the major developments at the recently completed Annual Conference was that delegates overwhelmingly reaffirmed their support for the Creation Care Task Force. By 74%, they endorsed the Solar ...

Annual Conference closes with appointments, prayer, and a challenge

The second and final day of the 2021 Florida United Methodist Annual Conference began with a reminder from Bishop Ken Carter about the primary focus of the gathering. "Some of you may have heard of ...

Bishop Carter announces fixing of appointments

LAKELAND – Bishop Ken Carter and the appointive cabinet of the Florida Conference announced new appointments today, and they will become effective July 1.

Bishop Carter Announces the Projection of Two New District Superintendents

Dr. David Allen and Rev. Emily Hotho will begin appointments as district superintendents in the Florida Conference starting January 1, 2022.