UM Men’s plans virtual national gathering, Aug. 28

The General Commission on United Methodist Men announces its 2021 Virtual National Men’s Gathering.  The gathering will be held online August 28, from 11 AM  to 5 PM.  Keynote speakers will be the Rev. Dr. Ron Bell, pastor of Camphor Memorial UMC in St. Paul, Minn., and the Rev Tom Albin, who recently retired from The Upper Room as Director of Spiritual Formation and Congregational Life.

Albin now directs United Christian Ashrams International and is President of Albin Consulting and has authored or contributed to numerous books, articles, online courses and reference works. He will speak on Evangelism and Discipleship. Learn More

Registration for the gathering is required. Download the flyer. Click here to register.

If you have questions, call 615-620-7277 or email rvance@gcumm.org.

Hanke looks back at UM Men tenure

By Jim Patterson | UM News

This week, and every week, thousands of United Methodist men will reflect online and out loud on how well they are living out their faith.

This ongoing communication with their peers will continue long after Gilbert C. Hanke retires as chief executive of United Methodist Men.

An early adopter of Zoom, Hanke established the Wesley Class Meeting as a weekly online gathering for faithful men before the coronavirus pandemic resulted in use of the virtual meeting platform to skyrocket. The concept came from the book “The Class Meeting: Reclaiming a Forgotten (and Essential) Small Group Experience” by the Rev. Kevin M. Watson.

Thousands of United Methodist men now take part in these weekly sessions, which Hanke considers a key accomplishment. Read More