Africans Disenfranchised at General Conference
Africans Disenfranchised at General Conference By Thomas Lambrecht April 26, 2024 Good News is attending the 2024 General Conference of The United Methodist Church meeting in Charlotte, NC, from April 23 to May 3. Our efforts are focused on providing a disaffiliation...
Africa Initiative’s Pre-General Conference Prayer Retreat
Africa Initiative's Pre-General Conference Prayer Retreat The Africa Initiative, a biblically-committed and Christ-centered advocacy movement within the three Central Conferences of Africa, convened a prayer retreat for African delegates to the upcoming...
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...
A Place of Rest
A Place of Rest By Jenifer Jones About 300 miles west of Paris, in the center of the Brittany region of France, stands a three-story stone manor house. Over the past 410 years it’s been home to lords, ladies, their servants, and in the 1960s and 70s, a famous Breton...
After the Holidays
After the Holidays By Scott N. Field By all accounts from the signals in our broader culture, I’m a voice crying in the wilderness on this issue: the “holiday mashup” was in full swing these past few months. Disorientation was a high probability for many of us....
Will Regionalization Be An Option for Africa?
Will Regionalization Be An Option for Africa? By Jerry Kulah It has become abundantly clear in recent times that the issue of “regionalization” has taken center stage within The United Methodist Church body politic. This is evidenced by the fact that some influential...
Are All Sins the Same in God’s Eyes?
Are All Sins the Same in God's Eyes? By Matt Ayars, Christopher T. Bounds, Caleb Friedeman The idea of all sin being the same in God eyes is commonly accepted in the church. It pervades contemporary Christianity. Through sermons, Sunday school classes, Bible studies...
Fighting for Fairness
Fighting for Fairness By Thomas Lambrecht Some have wondered why Good News is still around. Now that disaffiliation is “over,” shouldn’t Good News just go away? The Council of Bishops and other UM leaders are anxious to put disaffiliation in the rear view mirror....
