By Matthew Abel – What follows is a discussion on new paragraphs the Wesleyan Covenant Association is releasing for inclusion in its draft “Book of Doctrines and Discipline” regarding the proposal for the service of licensed local pastors. Average worship attendance at local United Methodist churches in the United States has declined by 30 percent […]
Bishop John Yambasu, RIP
September 14, 2020 By Leave a Comment
With the rest of the United Methodist family around the globe, we join in mourning the death of Bishop John K. Yambasu, the Resident Bishop of the Sierra Leone Area, who died in a car accident outside Freetown in Sierra Leone on Sunday, August 16. According to the press statement issued from the Council of […]
With Hearts for Mission
September 14, 2020 By Leave a Comment
By Ruth Burgner – H.T. and Alice Maclin may be names familiar to you. In January 1984, H.T. became the founding president of The Mission Society for United Methodists (now TMS Global). Its launch was well known among evangelical United Methodists and was so momentous in Church news that it was reported in outlets such […]
Yes, He is Amazing
September 14, 2020 By Leave a Comment
By B.J. Funk – The Holy Spirit is so amazing! He is always fulfilling his main purpose of pointing to Jesus. As Oswald Chambers says, “The Holy Spirit is the One who makes real in you all that Jesus did for you.” I am rejuvenated as I dive into my many resources on the Spirit, […]
Working for Good
July 8, 2020 By 4 Comments
By Rob Renfroe – One of the great counterintuitive truths of our faith is that God brings good out of bad. What human beings mean for evil, God often uses to bring about a new and better day. There is no greater example than the cross. Our Lord Jesus – pure, innocent, and compassionate – […]
United Methodist Collection Rates Plunge as COVID-19 Rises
July 8, 2020 By 2 Comments
By Heather Hahn- The United Methodist Church already is feeling financial fallout from COVID-19’s devastating spread. In a May 29 online meeting that also included prayers for an end to racism, General Council on Finance and Administration board members got a glimpse of some of the financial challenges ahead. For the first four months of […]
Barren Table Faith
July 8, 2020 By 2 Comments
By Steve Beard – Charles Albert Tindley arrived for his first pastoral appointment in Cape May, New Jersey, in the middle of a snow storm. With small children to feed, Charles and his wife had only a stale piece of bread. As parents, they dipped the bread in water to soften it for the kids. […]
Rise up in Love
July 8, 2020 By 4 Comments
By Leonard E. Fairley “What Started Out As A Peaceful Protest Turned Violent,” “Seven Shot in Louisville Demonstration Against Breonna Taylor’s Death,” “Chaotic Minneapolis Protests Spread Amid Emotional Calls For Justice, Peace,” “Protest Turns Violent!” These are the headlines we’ve been waking up to lately. Like many of you, I read these headlines with a […]
Lord, Give us Eyes to See
July 8, 2020 By Leave a Comment
“What a season we have been through and what a week we are in,” wrote Bishop Gregory V. Palmer to the United Methodists in the West Ohio Annual Conference. “The angst and pain are palpable. I need you to know I share that pain and I see me in some way, shape, or form every […]
Make Justice a Reality
July 8, 2020 By Leave a Comment
By Keith Boyette – At its founding in its Statement of Moral Principles, the Wesleyan Covenant Association declared, “We believe that all persons are of sacred worth…. The WCA specifically renounces all racial and ethnic discrimination and commits itself to work toward full racial and ethnic equality in the church and in society.” Recent events […]
