News Stories from January 2026
Conference Office closed on January 16, 2026
January 16, 2026 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Due to inclement weather, the Conference Office in Liverpool is closed today, January 16, and staff are working remotely. The Conference Office will also be closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The building is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, January 20. …more
Announcing SUS-UNY participants to the 2026 UMC Leadership Gathering
January 14, 2026 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The United Methodist Church is embarking on a historic moment of collaboration, visioning, and renewal with the 2026 Council of Bishops Leadership Gathering, to be held October 20–24, 2026 at Knox United Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This Leadership Gathering—called for by the Council of Bishops in place of a Special Session of General Conference—will bring together bishops, church leaders, clergy, laypersons, …more
Women’s History, faith, and the courage to speak
January 12, 2026 / By Rev. Dr. Robin Blair, COSROW Chair / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
On January 31, 2026, the Commission of the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) of United Methodists of Upper New York is honored to host a FREE, powerful online learning event, Women’s History in The United Methodist Church, featuring Dr. Ashley Boggan, General Secretary of the United Methodist Church’s General Commission on Archives & History and author of …more
From Shared Challenges to Shared Hope: Inside the Northeastern Jurisdiction Cabinet Gathering
January 12, 2026 / By NEJ Communicators / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
In 2026, the Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church started out with a stirring gathering of leaders. From January 5–9, the Cabinets of the then NEJ annual conferences joined together in Haddonfield, New Jersey for worship, learning, and shared discernment. Rooted in Scripture and shaped by United Methodist and Wesleyan theology, the gathering embodied our connectional calling with leaders intentionally stirring one another up to love and …more
Statement from The Council of Bishops Stands Against U.S. Military Aggression Toward Venezuela
January 8, 2026 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor's Note: The Council of Bishops released the following statement on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, in response to acts of violence and military action of the United States against Venezuela. Click here to download a PDF of the statement. The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church stands in full solidarity with The Evangelical Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL) and wholeheartedly affirms their Pastoral …more
Serving together: Volunteer in Mission updates and tools
January 8, 2026 / By Kristina Clark / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
New 2026 Mission Guide and Team Leader Training Now Available Volunteers in Mission (VIM) is excited to share new and updated resources to support mission teams preparing to serve in 2026. Whether you already know where you will be serving or are still discerning your next mission opportunity, these resources are here to guide and support your mission planning. New 2026 Mission Guide Created by the Upper New York Missional Excellence Office, the 2026 …more
Celebrating 20 years of partnership with CCE of Warren County
January 6, 2026 / By Hannah Lasher, Skye Farm Assistant Director / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
2025 marked Skye Farm Camp & Retreat Center’s 20th year of partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Warren County, a partnership that has allowed thousands of local kids to experience summer camp with full scholarships over the years. As 2025 comes to a close, we want to celebrate all the good this partnership has done! Twenty years ago, then Skye Farm Executive Director Rev. Harold …more
Clergy Days Apart offer space for rest, renewal, and reconnection
January 6, 2026 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Clergy Days Apart are being offered across the Upper New York Conference in early 2026, inviting pastoral leaders to step away from the regular rhythms of ministry and rest in the unhurried rhythms of grace. These days are designed to provide sacred time and space for reflection, renewal, and reconnection with one’s spiritual center. Participants will draw deeply from the Wellspring of Love and return to ministry refreshed and …more
Joint Deacon retreat: A spring gathering for connection, calling, and collaboration
January 5, 2026 / By UNY Communiations
This spring, the Orders of Deacons of the Susquehanna and Upper New York Conferences invite all who share the distinctive call of the Deacon to gather for a time of renewal, fellowship, and purposeful conversation. Whether you are discerning your call, newly commissioned, in Full Connection, or retired, this retreat is designed to strengthen our shared ministry through connection, reflection, and practical learning. Save the Dates: March 13–14, 2026 Location: Liverpool …more