She was a longtime resident of Bloomington-Normal and a lifelong member of Grace United Methodist Church. She taught Sunday School for many years and was a member of the United Methodist Church Women.

A branch of the United Methodist Church sued the university after it amended its articles of incorporation without the group’s approval in 2019.

A mission team from Columbus’ First United Methodist Church recently spent a week in Panajechel, Guatemala building a kitchen and cafeteria extension for a school there.

At the recent North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church meeting in Birmingham, Yarnell received the 2025 Denman Evangelism Award for clergy.

The firing prompted serious concern from church leaders and homeless advocates, who wonder whether the city is stacking the deck against them.