Above: Adriano António Paulino (standing) joins in prayer before lunch at the United Methodist Quéssua Mission in Angola. A feeding program there serves as many as 700 children from nearby villages. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
In a world filled with uncertainty, United Methodists found creative ways to live out their faith and serve their communities in 2023. Photographers from UM News, the denomination's official news service, documented a year in the life of United Methodism worldwide.
Light spills from the doorway and stained glass windows of Central United Methodist Church of Quéssua, part of the Quéssua Mission in east Angola. Established in the 1800s by Methodist missionaries and destroyed by almost three decades of civil war that ended in 2002, the mission is being rebuilt, bringing education, healthcare and food security to people in the rural valley near the provincial capital of Malanje. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Children watch a Christian video during Bible study at the Quéssua Mission in Angola. The outreach and feeding program are part of the children’s ministry at the station. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
A woman reads the Bible during worship at Hebron United Methodist Church in Lalitpur, Nepal. Although official restrictions on religious work create challenges for church leaders in the South Asian country, migrant workers are returning from abroad with a robust faith that invigorates the small Christian community there. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.
Colin Harward (left) learns to belay a rock climber under the watchful eye of Will Brown during a class at the Boxwell Scout Reservation in Lebanon, Tenn. Harward is a member of Boy Scout Troop 398 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Brown, an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 2223 in La Vergne, Tenn., volunteered to help teach climbing skills during summer camp. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Scoutmaster Mike Warren (right) visits with scouts from Troop 398 while they wait for the evening flag ceremony to begin at the Boxwell Scout Reservation in Lebanon, Tenn. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Rutiana Figuera has her eye examined to determine if she is a candidate for cataract surgery at the United Methodist Quéssua Mission hospital in Angola. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Russ Montgomery dilates the eyes of cataract patient João Famorosa so that Dr. Jeehee Kim can examine him at the United Methodist Quéssua Hospital in Angola. Montgomery and Kim were part of a Volunteers in Mission team from the Florida Conference. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Sicilia Chambonga counts fingers to help determine if she has regained her eyesight following cataract surgery at the United Methodist Quéssua Hospital. A mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, English and Kimbundu, the local tribal language, used between the patient, medical professionals and volunteers, added a layer of confusion to the counting exercise. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Walking in a gentle rain, Katarina Antonio Luis (right) helps guide Domingo Miango Monte home from the United Methodist Quéssua Hospital in Angola after he and Joana Pascual had their eyes checked following cataract surgery. Pascual, 80, was able to walk to her home in Mufongo village, a little over a mile away, unaided. Luis and Pascual are sisters. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Katarina Antonio Luis (near, left) walks with her sister, Joana Pascual, on their way home from the hospital in Quéssua, Angola, after Pascual and Domingo Miango Monte (far, right) had checkups following eye surgery. Monte’s wife, Fatima Fondolo, met the group partway to help her husband, which allowed Luis to take her sister’s hand. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Dr. Jeehee Kim removes a patch from Joana Pascual’s eye two days after the former chief of Mufongo village, part of the Quéssua Mission, had a cataract removed. Kim, an eye surgeon from California and nurse Ruthie Schaad, a long-term missionary at Quéssua went to visit Pascual at her home. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
A woman sings and prays during a worship service in the Gante Methodist Church in Mexico City, part of a larger celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Methodist Church of Mexico. The denomination observed the anniversary with a conference in Mexico City looking at lessons from its history to chart a new course into its future. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.
United Methodist Bishop Hector A. Burgos-Nuñez (left) exchanges souvenir lapel pins with Methodist Bishop Rodolfo Edgar Rivera de la Rosa, head of the North-Central Annual Conference, during a conference in Mexico City observing the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Methodist Church of Mexico. Observing the exchange is the Rev. Cynthia Carillo, the spouse of Bishop Rivera de la Rosa. The denomination observed the anniversary with a conference looking at lessons from its history to chart a new course into its future. Bishop Burgos-Nuñez was an invited guest. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.
Félix Simião (right, front) joins other children in prayer at the Carolyn Belshe Orphanage Center, part of the United Methodist Cambine Mission near Macarringue, Mozambique. Simião, 7, is the youngest child at the center. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Children wash their clothes at the Carolyn Belshe Orphanage Center, part of the United Methodist Cambine Mission near Macarringue, Mozambique. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Students attend a class at the Combine Theological Seminary, part of the United Methodist Cambine Mission near Macarringue, Mozambique. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
The United Methodist Cambine Mission was established in 1890 near Macarringue, Mozambique. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Nina Gorman (right) hugs the Rev. Murray Crookes in the kitchen at Every Nation United Methodist Church in Anchorage, Alaska, where Crookes and his family host a weekly fellowship meal and Bible study. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Mary Harris describes her vision for Pickett Chapel, a nearly 200-year-old structure built by slaves as a Methodist church in Lebanon, Tenn. Harris, president of the Wilson County Black History Committee, says about $200,000 so far has been spent to stabilize the building. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Participants sing during the opening worship service of the first day of the 2023 special session of the National Association of the Korean American United Methodists at Korean First United Methodist Church of Wheeling, Ill., on Oct. 2. Pictured, from left, are Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank of the California-Pacific Annual Conference, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung of the Wisconsin Annual Conference, Dr. Dana Lyles, the Rev. MiRhang Baek, the Rev. Prumeh Lee and the Rev. Ju-Yeon Julie Jeon. Photo by the Rev. Thomas E. Kim, UM News.
The Rev. Ingrid McIntyre encourages clergy members to speak out about gun reform legislation during a press conference at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. McIntyre is a United Methodist pastor serving in Nashville. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
The Rev. Artyom Golov is pastor of Livespring United Methodist Church in Kara Balta, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Bishop Joaquina Nhanala leads the sacraments during a historic service. "For me to be here is a special blessing,” she said, “because not every bishop has the privilege of ministering the sacraments for the first time, in the first church of a new country.” Photo by the Rev. Gustavo Vasquez, UM News.
More than 40 children were baptized in the founding service of The United Methodist Church of Madagascar. Photo by the Rev. Gustavo Vasquez, UM News.
Girls watch and listen carefully to Bishop Joaquina Nhanala as she explains the meaning and importance of baptism. Photo by the Rev. Gustavo Vasquez, UM News.
Bishop Eduard Khegay (left) and the Rev. Nellya Shakirova (wearing black dress) offer Holy Communion at Bishkek United Methodist Church in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
The Rev. Nellya Shakirova (left) samples the dinner being cooked outdoors by students from Pakistan who attend Bishkek United Methodist Church in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Students from Pakistan pour tea for a fellowship meal in the sanctuary at Bishkek United Methodist Church in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. From left are Muslam Hanif, Thomson Gill, Prince Javaid and Sanwal Shabir. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Snow covers the beach at Issyk Kul Lake in Chong-Sary-Oy, Kyrgyzstan. The lake was a stop along the Silk Road and served as a test site for the former Soviet Navy. United Methodist communicators from the Eurasia area met at Issyk Kul for a series of training workshops. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Jen Martin demonstrates how to disable a male attacker, played by her husband, Vic, with a knee to the groin during a self-defense class for women living in rural villages on the Quéssua Mission in Angola. Many women have been molested while they walk to fetch water and firewood or work in the fields. The Rev. Diogo Baltazar (right, front) translated their instructions into the local language, Kimbundu. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Jenny Martin (center) demonstrates how to disable an attacker coming from behind during a during a self-defense class for women at Nazareth United Methodist Church in Manga Village, part of the Quéssua Mission near Malanje, Angola. Her husband, Vic, plays the part of the attacker and the Rev. Diogo Baltazar provides translation into the local language, Kimbundu. The Martins were part of a Volunteers in Mission Team from the Florida Conference. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
A woman reads from the 6th chapter of Ephesians in her well-worn Bible during a self-defense class for women living in rural villages on the Quéssua Mission in Angola. The passage reads, in part, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." The biblically based training was provided by the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Terese Canda Vungi (front) and Icel Rodriguez watch intently during a self-defense class for women given by volunteers from the Florida Conference at Joshua United Methodist Church on the Quéssua Mission in Angola. Vungi is class leader for the church and Rodriguez is director of global missions for the Florida Conference, which regularly sends volunteer teams to the mission. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Women in a self-defense class at the Quéssua Mission in Angola erupt in laughter after hearing a more precise translation of how to disable a male attacker by targeting his private parts. A local United Methodist pastor who was helping provide translation into the local language had been reluctant to describe the maneuver in detail. Icel Rodriguez (center, front) helped explain further. Rodriguez is director of global missions for the Florida Conference, which regularly sends volunteer teams to the mission. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Supporters of gun reform join in prayer outside the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville as lawmakers begin a special legislative session focused on public safety following a mass shooting at the Covenant School here in March. Joining the prayer is the Rev. Eric Mayle (second from right) of Calvary United Methodist Church in Nashville. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Members of the Kainda United Methodist Church’s women’s group sing during a meeting at the church in Kainda, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Marina Tkacheva, holding her son, Stepan, shares a laugh with Elena Lysina, who leads the women’s group at Kainda United Methodist Church in Kainda, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Marina Vinokurova prepares to ride her bicycle home from a meeting of the women’s group at Kainda United Methodist Church in Kainda, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
United Methodist Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño prays at the beginning of the second day of her church trial in Glenview, Illinois. The suspended bishop of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, Carcaño is accused of disobeying the order and discipline of The United Methodist Church, undermining the ministry of another pastor, committing harassment (including but not limited to racial and/or sexual harassment) and committing fiscal malfeasance. Carcaño pleaded not guilty to all four charges, which stem from complaints filed by members of the California-Nevada Conference. Beside her are her two counsel, the Rev. Scott Campbell and Judge Jon Gray. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.
Baby Lula Lavata'i prays during the chartering service for Ola Toe Fuataina United Methodist Church in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.