The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church is calling churches around the globe to participate in the “Miracle Sunday” campaign scheduled for May 17, 2026. This will be a one-time worldwide offering to raise funds for an Endowment for Theological Education. The endowment hopes to support 500 scholarships for United Methodists preparing to serve as pastors in Africa, Europe and the Philippines.
Students at the Cambine Theological Seminary, Mozambique. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
The campaign focuses on United Methodist seminaries and theological schools to educate clergy around the globe and the purpose is to address the challenges of financing theological education in Africa, the Philippines and parts of Europe. In North America (i.e., the United States), 71% of United Methodist clergy have a Master’s degree or higher in theology, but only 5% of clergy in Africa, Europe and the Philippines have equivalent training. Therefore, this one-time offering on “Miracle Sunday” will celebrate the end of Easter season and invite more than 30,000 congregations of the United Methodist Church to collaborate with this cause on May 17, 2026. For more details on this campaign, please visit United Methodist News Service (UMNS): https://www.umnews.org/ or contact newsdesk@umnews.org.