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.

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.

United Methodist Women is a national, New York City-based faith-organization with approximately 800,000 members. Its objectives include promoting the empowerment of women, children, and youth; promoting anti-racism, multiculturalism, and inclusion; promoting fair labor practices; and promoting economic and environmental stewardship and sustainability. Media contact is Yvette Moore.

The Rev. Warner H. Brown Jr. is a United Methodist Church bishop and head of its California-Nevada Council. He has also served as president of the UMC’s council of bishops. He is based in Sacramento, Calif.

Cynthia Eller is a professor of religion at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif., where she specializes in women and religion and New Religious Movements. She has written several books on women and religion in prehistory and contemporary feminism.

Ruqayya Khan is an associate professor of religion at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif. She is an expert on women in Islam and Islam in the digital age. She teaches courses on feminism in the Quran and Islam and environmentalism.