Burke Rochford is a professor of religion at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt. His teaching and research focuses on contemporary religious movements and communities in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the Hare Krishna movement. He is the author of Hare Krishna in America, as well as numerous articles on the development of the Krishna […]

UM Action is part of the Institute on Religion & Democracy, a faith-based alliance of Christians working to monitor, comment on and report on issues affecting the church. It was founded in 1994 by Mark Tooley, IRD’s president, with the goal of bringing greater transparency and accountability to United Methodism through reporting and advocacy work. John Lomperis is […]

Transforming Congregations was founded in 1988 as a renewal and reform ministry within the United Methodist Church. It works to provide churches and church leaders with the resources to respond to “those struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction and behavior.” It advocates for responses to homosexuality that are neither homophobic nor accommodationist. In 2013, TC became […]

Renew Network is a women’s ministry network for the United Methodist Church based in The Woodlands, Tx. It was founded in 1989 as the Evangelical Coalition for United Methodist Women as a network for evangelical women within the church. Renew works to encourage women to become leaders within the church and assist churches in developing […]

Lifewatch is the quarterly newsletter published by the Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality (TUMAS), which was founded in 1987 with the goal of promoting pro-life thought within the United Methodist Church and providing support for abortion-prevention activities. Lifewatch is edited by the Rev. Paul T. Stallworth, who lives in Whiteville, N.C.

The United Methodist Kairos Response was founded in 2010 in response to Kairos Palestine, a Christian Palestinian movement. It is critical of the Israeli government and calls for the United Methodist Church to “divest its holdings in companies that support and profit from Israel’s occupation.” UMKR is a member organization of the U.S. Campaign to End the […]

Love Prevails is an advocacy group led by United Methodist minister Amy DeLong. It seeks full inclusion of LGBTQ people within the United Methodist Church and the repeal of “anti-gay” language and practice in the UMC and the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The group is based in Madison, Wis. Contact through the website.

Concerned Methodists was founded in 1990 in response to what its founders perceived as the increasingly liberal priorities and direction of the United Methodist Church. Its members work to promote a “restoration of Christian values” informed by a commitment to the church’s Wesleyan heritage. It is based in Fayetteville, N.C.