Fair for Some, Fair for All
Fair for Some, Fair for All By Simon Mafunda The recent commentary written by Christine Schneider for UM News of March 28 needs to be addressed. It directly responds to a commentary by Rob Renfroe, the president of Good News, who...
Fondly Remembering Carolyn Elias (1931-2024)
Fondly Remembering Carolyn Elias (1931-2024) The Good News staff and board of directors were saddened to hear of the passing of our longtime friend and treasured colleague, Carolyn Parrish Elias (1931-2024). The Good News Board of directors presented its eighth annual...
African Regionalization Support Not Unanimous
African Regionalization Support Not Unanimous By Forbes Matonga (This week, UM News ran two commentaries from United Methodists from Africa dealing with pivotal issues that will be before the upcoming General Conference in Charlotte. We encourage United Methodists to...
Why We Will Be in Charlotte
Why We Will Be in Charlotte By Thomas Lambrecht Two recent stories from United Methodist News deserve a response. The first was a news article about the announced intention of Good News and the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) to participate in the upcoming General...
Unpacking Disaffiliation
Unpacking Disaffiliation By Thomas Lambrecht By my count, as of December 31, 2023, 7,651 churches have disaffiliated from The United Methodist Church in the U.S. since 2019. This represents 25.8 percent of the number of churches that were listed by the denomination in...
The UM Church Adjusts to Fewer Bishops
The UM Church Adjusts to Fewer Bishops By Thomas Lambrecht In the aftermath of losing one-fourth of its congregations and members in the U.S., The United Methodist Church anticipates a number of adjustments to its ministry and structure. For example, UM News...
Love and Lent
Love and Lent By Shannon Vowell A strange day today. Much of the Christian world will begin a season of fasting and prayer by receiving ashes and the somber injunction to “remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Simultaneously, much of the secular world...
Extending Disaffiliation Options
Extending Disaffiliation Options By Thomas Lambrecht The main agenda items for the Renewal and Reform Coalition at the 2024 General Conference meeting in Charlotte, NC, April 23-May 3 relate to providing new disaffiliation pathways for churches and annual conferences...
“Mainstream UMC” Condemns Nigerian Bishop
“Mainstream UMC” Condemns Nigerian Bishop By Thomas Lambrecht In a recent fundraising piece, the self-identified centrist caucus group “Mainstream UMC” condemned the United Methodist bishop of Nigeria, Bishop John Wesley Yohanna. Its principal accusation...
Downsides of Regionalization
Downsides of Regionalization By Thomas Lambrecht The last Perspective spoke about the unfairness of “regionalization” in its treatment of Africa and other parts of the church outside the U.S. As I wrote, “The top agenda item for the 2024 General Conference in April...
Regionalization: the New Colonialism?
Regionalization: the New Colonialism? By Thomas Lambrecht The top agenda item for the 2024 General Conference in April for most progressives is to adopt “regionalization” as the new mode of United Methodist governance. This proposal would be a dramatic shift in how...
Things Haven’t Changed
Things Haven't Changed By BJ Funk I love to watch reruns of the “Andy Griffith Show,” which ran from 1960-1968. During the 30-minute show, I fall back into a slower time in America. I laugh at Barney and enjoy the absolutely hilarious facial antics he brings to the...
