The Michigan Conference urges congregations to act quickly on two serious security problems in PHP, the software that powers many websites. Ask the person or company that runs your church website to ensure PHP is up to date.
What happened?
Last week, experts found two security weak spots in PHP. These weak spots could let hackers take control of your website from anywhere in the world without needing a password.
What is PHP?
PHP is a tool that works quietly in the background to help many website platforms run. You never see it, but it is there. Websites built with WordPress use PHP, along with websites built with Drupal, Joomla, and other similar content management systems.
Why does this matter?
If hackers take over your church website, they could change information, steal data, or cause other trouble, like asking church members to send money to another country. That is why we urge you to treat this as a high priority.
What should your church do?
If your church website uses WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or something similar, please contact your website hosting company or the person who built your website. Ask them to update PHP to the newest, safest version.
Updating PHP is not the same as updating WordPress itself. You have to do it on the computer that stores your website, called a server. This usually takes special tools, such as cPanel or WHM, so your hosting company or website administrator will most likely need to do it for you.
What if your church uses Wix?
Some website builders, like Wix, do not use PHP at all. If your website is built with one of these, you do not need to worry about this problem.
Not sure what your website uses?
That is completely okay! Just reach out to the people who help with your website, like your hosting company or website builder, and ask them. They can tell you whether your site is safe or needs an update.
For more information, read this article published by the General Council on Finance and Administration.
If your local church has specific questions, contact Rev. Michael Mayo-Moyle, the Michigan Conference’s IT Specialist, at [email protected].
The ministry of the Michigan Conference’s IT Specialist is supported thanks to generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on October 27, 2026