Today

Methodist numbers fall again as Anglican disputes move through synods and courts

By The FaithDaily Desk

Good morning. Charisma News reports that the United Methodist Church lost approximately 174,000 members in the United States in 2025, another year of decline for a denomination it describes as marked by theological division, with thousands of churches departing. On the same denomination, United Methodist News reports that participants at the Council of Bishops Leadership Gathering spent their second full day moving from naming the realities the church faces to reflecting on ways to help it thrive. Read together, the two accounts set a shrinking body alongside its leaders' search for a way forward. For a reader in any tradition, it is a plain picture of what decline asks of those who lead through it.

Anglican Ink carries several developments. The Perth Anglican Synod passed a motion over the weekend in support of a conversion ban bill for Western Australia; the motion affirms that all people are created in the image of God and that LGBTQIA+ people belong in the Body of Christ as equal friends and fellow disciples. The Episcopal Church's Executive Council, which met on 19 October in New York City, issued a letter to the church following that meeting.

Two further Anglican Ink items concern legal and ecclesiastical process. The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) called on its clergy, laity and the general public to remain calm and to respect ongoing ecclesiastical and judicial proceedings concerning the Diocese of Awka. In Zambia, Anglican Ink reports, citing the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, that the government has told the court it will oppose bail for Bishop Trewvor Mwanda and the other defendants arrested with him, meaning he will remain in custody unless the court rules otherwise.

The Gospel Coalition published two pieces. One reviews the film Fjord, calling it the best movie of 2026 so far and arguing that it challenges self-described tolerant progressives over their intolerance of conservative evangelical Christians. The other, on artificial intelligence, argues that its power rests on the perception of objectivity and infallibility.

Charisma News also reports that the Israel Defense Forces has selected the first commander of a new Space Division, framing the move against biblical accounts of heavenly warfare. The common thread across these reports is institutions under pressure, choosing how to respond.

What we're following

Anglican Ink: Perth Anglicans vote in favour of a conversion therapy ban Read it
United Methodist News: Gathering explores new practices for church Read it
Charisma News: Israel Declares Space a Battlefield, Echoing Biblical Accounts of Heavenly Warfare Read it
The Gospel Coalition: ‘Fjord’ Is the Best Movie of 2026 So Far Read it

Sources

Perth Anglicans vote in favour of a conversion therapy ban Anglican Ink
Gathering explores new practices for church United Methodist News
Israel Declares Space a Battlefield, Echoing Biblical Accounts of Heavenly Warfare Charisma News
‘Fjord’ Is the Best Movie of 2026 So Far The Gospel Coalition
United Methodist Church Membership Plummets by 174,000 in Just One Year Charisma News
A message to The Episcopal Church from Executive Council: October 2026 Anglican Ink
Why Humans Pretend to Be Computers The Gospel Coalition
Church of Nigeria Calls for Calm, Respect for Due Process in Awka Diocese Matter Anglican Ink
Zambia to oppose bail for Bishop Mwanda Anglican Ink

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