Politicians, Preachers, and Sacrifice
George Mitrovich confronts preachers with two unlikely pairs of brothers.
Ana’s Day
Randy Jessen introduces Ana. She has a winning smile;
she’s HIV positive.
Preaching in United Methodism Today
Will Willimon reports on the state of preaching.
When God’s People Pray - God Answers! Margaret Therkelsen celebrates the power of God’s presence.
Boyce Bowden explores the mission field of Oklahoma State University.
General Conference Reconsidered
Tom Lambrecht surveys the worldwide church and education at Ft. Worth.
The 2004 Book of Resolutions: The Voice of the United Methodist Church?
Liza B. Kittle analyzes the origins of resolutions at General Conference.
COLUMNS
Do we have a doctrinal consensus?
Call and we will answer
Next GenerationYouth ministry as wind chime III
The Great CommissionLost in the shadow of a steeple
From the HeartThe Far Side
DEPARTMENTS
Evangelical gathering addresses critical issues
Convocationfocuses on living "the United Methodist way"
Researcher analyzes State of the Church report
Righteous Laughter
I received my first issue of Good News in the summer of 1977. I had just finished my first year of college and was working at a United Methodist related campground in Maine. During my senior year in high school I felt God’s call to the ministry and my church approved me as a candidate. I was struggling that summer with the unorthodox practices and beliefs that I was seeing in the church and was considering finding a new church home. A pastor friend of mine, who was quite progressive in his theology, saw my anguish and handed me a copy of Good News. He said something to the effect that he didn’t particularly like the magazine but it might be of help to me. Indeed it was! I no longer felt alone and was convinced that there was a place for me in the church. I immediately subscribed to the magazine.
I completed my undergraduate work at West Virginia Wesleyan College, worked nine years in full-time campus ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and for the past 15 years have served as a pastor in the New England Annual Conference. Good News was a sustaining force during those years in two very different ways; as a minority evangelical in college and as a pastor, as well as a minority United Methodist in an evangelical campus ministry. For that I am deeply thankful.
Tom Bentum
Christ UM Church
Lancaster, New Hampshire
Religion and science
As one who has never believed that there is a dichotomy
between religion and science, I appreciated the fascinating article on
“Einstein’s search for God” (September/October 2007). The image he used to
express the relationship between religion and science reminds me of a physicist
by the name of Chet Raymo. In his book Skeptics and True Believers: The
Exhilarating Connection between Science and Spirituality, he said, “It seems to
me that science is part of the traditional religious quest for the God of
creation...We are at our human best as creatures of the shore, with one foot on
the hard ground of fact and one foot in the sea of mystery.”
Bob Blackburn
United Methodist Circuit
Berlin, Wisconsin
We should grow
I have always held that being a faithful member of the UM Church does not mean accepting everything that “comes down.” Responsible members will work to bring us into line with Scripture. Many complain, but few get off it and do something positive. In the areas of our denomination that are not in line, we need to work to bring it back.
No one that I know ever said you had to be a megachurch, but God made it clear that we should reproduce. Acts tells us that the early church was added to daily. We should not blame the hierarchy if our church is not growing. As a pastor, I have freedom to do whatever it takes to help my church grow as long as the district superintendent is not flooded with complaints. Faithfulness means bearing fruit and reproducing, not maintaining a persona chapel.
You cannot justify being small. A body that does not grow is not the norm nor is it healthy. Try reading some books like 5 Practices of a Fruitful Congregation, The Equipping Church, The Purpose Driven Church, and so many more. Then weigh their message against Scripture. Take responsibility for your relationship to God and to the unchurched. Barren, nonproductive trees will be removed. That should include pastors, members, and congregations. Many have a prideful sin in being small. This is counter-productive. Follow God’s plan to go and make disciples and you will see growth occur naturally.
Faithfulness to God is equivalent to success. We should not be proud of failure and lack of real purpose, then try to justify it. There is no need to compare oneself to anyone else. I find nothing in Scripture to show faithfulness leading to a lack of results. Be a builder of the kingdom. We already have enough complainers.
The problem is not hierarchy and system, it is lack of leadership by pastors and people in the pew. Even a skunk can sit in its own pew—and seem to be okay with it! Let’s get out of the pew and “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can,” as John Wesley instructed. Then there will be no time for complaining and finger pointing, but only time for finding places to put all the people who come to us.
Walt Weaver
Good Shepherd UM Church
Calcutta, Ohio
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