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[Episcopal News Service] The Rt. Rev. Bob Gordon Jones, the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Wyoming has died. He was 93. Jones led the Diocese of Wyoming from his consecration in 1977 until he left the diocese in 1996 to become dean of St. George’s College in the Diocese of Jerusalem. He later became assisting bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf and also had served dioceses and churches in Arkansas, Alaska, Florida and Hawaii. “His life and ministry was marked by both faithful service and an adventurous spirit,” the Rt. Rev. Todd Ousley, bishop provisional of Wyoming, told the Living Church in a story about Jones’ death. Jones was born in 1932 in Paragould, Arkansas. A graduate of the University of Mississippi, he served in the Navy during the Korean War. After attending the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, he was ordained a deacon in 1959 and a priest in 1960, serving as assistant to the dean of Trinity Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas. From 1962 to 1967, Jones was priest-in-charge of St. George’s-in-the-Arctic in Kotzebue, Alaska, and also served congregations in Nome and the small Iñupiat village of Noatak. In 1967, he started the new congregation of St. Christopher’s Church in Anchorage, where he served as rector until he was elected bishop of Wyoming. As bishop, he also served on the executive committee of the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief and General Convention’s Program, Budget and Finance Committee. Jones is survived by his wife, Mary Page Jones, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Judith Edwards, and a brother.

Over a year after the 35th General Synod passed a resolution declaring the United Church of Christ to be in full communion with its longtime Caribbean partner, Iglesia Evangélica Unida de Puerto Rico (IEUPR), the Rev. Rafael Garcia, the newly…

The post IEUPR’s General Pastor visits Cleveland, living into shared communion with the UCC appeared first on United Church of Christ.

The Horizon Texas Conference has filed a lawsuit against Highland Park United Methodist Church, arguing changes the church made to its articles of incorporation violate the denomination’s rules for church governance.

When 12-year-old Leah Kercsmar arrived in Washington, D.C., to visit her representatives, she was joined by her family and a poster-sized print of her art, which won the 2026 Climate Hope Art Contest. As the all-around winner of the annual…

The post Youth Climate Hope artist asks representatives to ‘protect our future,’ consider environmental justice around data centers appeared first on United Church of Christ.

[Episcopal News Service] Episcopal leaders are calling for prayers and offering support after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Aug. 10. More than 250 people are dead and more than 2,597 people are injured. “We lift up our prayers for the communities and families affected by this earthquake,” the Bogotá-based Diocese of Colombia said in an Aug. 10 Facebook post. “May God grant them strength, protection and comfort, and help us remain united in solidarity and hope.” Occuring at 7:34 a.m. Central, the earthquake‘s epicenter was in the Chocó Department on the Pacific coast, which is Colombia’s poorest region and home to its largest Afro-Colombian population. At least 4,130 people have been reported missing, and an estimated 5,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, according to Colombia President Abelardo De La Espriella, who was sworn in three days earlier. Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, and other cities have also reported fatalities and structural damage. The earthquake struck near what is Colombia’s “Eje Cafetero,” also known as the “Coffee Axis” or “Coffee Triangle,” a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. Coffee is both a significant part of Colombia’s cultural identity and one of the South American country’s largest exports. The Houston-based Diocese of Texas said in an Aug. 10 Facebook post, “We stand with Colombia in prayer. “We keep the people of Colombia in our prayers after the recent earthquake,” it said. “We pray for those who lost loved ones, those who are hurt and all the families and communities affected. May God give strength to those helping, comfort to those in pain and hope to everyone during this difficult time.” The Diocese of Colombia, which is part of The Episcopal Church’s Province IX, has 12 churches and 11 missions in 15 cities throughout the country. Episcopal News Service attempted to reach out to Colombia Bishop Pastor Elias Garcia Cardenas via WhatsApp, and coverage will be updated upon receiving a response. Puerto Rico Bishop Rafael Morales Maldonado said in an Aug. 10 Facebook post that he has been communicating with Cardenas: “I expressed our solidarity and our readiness to help in any way needed,” Maldonado said. “We are praying for Colombia, for the victims and for the affected families. We stand with you!” The earthquake happened less than two months after back-to-back major earthquakes struck Colombia’s neighbor to the northeast, Venezuela, near Caracas on June 25, killing more than 6,300 people. Some leaders from the Diocese of Colombia collected money, medicine and other goods and crossed the border to deliver the aid in person to diocesan leaders in Venezuela. Dozens of countries, including the United States, have offered Colombia financial and recovery assistance. The U.S. State Department announced on Aug. 10 that it will commit $15.5 million in funding for emergency shelter, food, earthquake assessments and more. In a prayer posted Aug. 10 on Facebook, the National Episcopal Church Women called for comfort, healing and guidance. “Gracious God … bring comfort to those who are frightened, healing to those who are injured and strength to those who have lost homes or loved ones. Guide the hands of rescuers and surround every family with your peace and presence,” the organization’s post said. “May hope rise from the devastation and may the people of Colombia know that they are not alone.” -Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at [email protected].

From 3-8 August, the South African Council of Churches, in partnership with the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa, welcomed church leaders from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania, and Eswatini for a regional solidarity visit to South Africa.

A special video message from United Church of Christ General Minister and President Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson was released to commemorate the atomic bombings for Hiroshima and Nagasaki 81 years ago. The message encouraged people from around the world to…

The post UCC General Minister and President shares message about Nuclear Prayer Week appeared first on United Church of Christ.

Cheerful conversations filled the rooms of Zion Reformed United Church of Christ in Hagerstown, Maryland. As did laughter, lots of it, billowing from the sanctuary where a game of ring toss was underway for the young — at heart, that…

The post ‘There will never be enough services for seniors’: Church finds vitality among the aged appeared first on United Church of Christ.

Rev. Dr Murombedzi Chikanga Kuchera, former general secretary of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), former president of the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe and former chair of the National AIDS Council, passed away on 8 August in Harare. He was 81.

In a letter to the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed a deep and shared sorrow for communities affected by the recent earthquake in Colombia.