Recent News

Rest, Resist, and Rise: A Historic Peak for the Western Jurisdiction

In April 2026, more than fifty ethnic ministry leaders from across the Western Jurisdiction gathered in Portland for a summit unlike any other — one built not around agenda items, but around rest, resistance, and rising. Part of the organizing team, Rev. Dr. Troy Lynn Carr was there, and shares what unfolded.

Don’t skip to Sunday

The oldest manuscripts of Mark's Gospel end without a resurrection appearance. No risen Christ, no tidy resolution. Patrick Scriven explores what that unfinished ending might offer us during Holy Week, and why lingering in the dark may be exactly where we need to be.

Learn about the GNW Area’s three-year Annual Conference logo

Sarah Haftorson is the artist behind the annual conference logo that the Greater Northwest Area will use over the next three years to celebrate and honor “Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully and Lead Courageously.”

Truth-telling can housebreak your elephant

In this week's column, Rev. Paul Graves uses an unlikely image — a housebroken elephant — to make a pointed argument about truth-telling. From Christian Nationalism to the Iran War, Graves contends that we cannot address the hard realities of our moment until we are willing to name them plainly. The elephant in the room won't clean up after itself.

Opportunity for GNW Area folx to attend White Privilege Conference in Seattle next month

The White Privilege Conference brings together educators, faith leaders, healthcare professionals, and advocates committed to dismantling systems of oppression. This April, it comes to Seattle — and the Greater Northwest Area is helping make attendance possible, covering 50% of registration for the first ten people who sign up through Rev. Lisa Talbott's office.
Communications

Rethinking (how we track) online worship

Church statistics can tell a reassuring story: worship attendance in the PNW Conference looks nearly as strong today as it did in 2019. But look closer, and a significant shift has occurred in how that attendance is composed and whether the online portion of it reflects genuine engagement. Patrick Scriven writes that the numbers deserve a harder look.
Devotional

Someone’s knocking at the door

When a woodpecker interrupted Sunday services at a most unexpected moment, Pastor Scott Rosekrans heard more than just knocking; he heard a sermon illustration in the making. Reflecting on Jesus's words in Matthew about asking, seeking, and knocking, he offers a warm and witty invitation to open the door to a life changed by Christ.
Devotional

God is already ahead of us

Something is shifting in the life of the United Methodist Church. Rev. David Valera, Executive Director of Connectional Ministries for the Pacific Northwest Conference, reflects on the questions he keeps hearing in conversations with clergy and laity: Where is God leading us? In the middle of change and uncertainty, he points us toward a steady, grounded hope.
GNW Communications -

Alaska Conference

Oregon-Idaho Conference

Creation Care

Caring for God’s creation: 17 EarthKeepers commissioned across the Greater Northwest

Recently commissioned Global Ministries EarthKeepers completed training in environmental stewardship and faithful action. This cohort included EarthKeepers from both the Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences, who are now developing community-based creation care projects. A recording of the commissioning service is now available for congregations and individuals to watch.
Patrick Scriven -

Pacific Northwest Conference

Devotional

God is already ahead of us

Something is shifting in the life of the United Methodist Church. Rev. David Valera, Executive Director of Connectional Ministries for the Pacific Northwest Conference, reflects on the questions he keeps hearing in conversations with clergy and laity: Where is God leading us? In the middle of change and uncertainty, he points us toward a steady, grounded hope.
GNW Communications -

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