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...
Mary’s Devoted Heart
Mary's Devoted Heart By Dick McClain Growing up, I don’t recall having heard a sermon on Mary, the mother of Jesus. She did get dusted off every December for the Christmas pageant. But apart from her annual appearance reincarnated in the form of a budding young...
Marks of a Methodist 6: Perfection
Marks of a Methodist 6: Perfection By Thomas Lambrecht This edition of Perspective concludes our survey of the marks or characteristics of a Methodist, as put forward by Bishop Gerald Kennedy in his 1960 book of that name. We have seen that the marks of a Methodist...
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...
Giving Thanks (Even Now)
Giving Thanks (Even Now) - By Shannon Vowell - This is the first Thanksgiving in my adult life when the scripture verse that most accurately describes our collective mood seems to be Matthew 10:34-36. Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the...
The Marks of a Methodist 4: Mission
The Marks of a Methodist 4: Mission - By Thomas Lambrecht - We have been examining what it means to be a Methodist in honor of John Wesley’s tract, The Character of a Methodist, but following a modern version of those ideas in Bishop Gerald Kennedy’s 1960 book, The...
Judicial Council (Partly) Faces Reality
Judicial Council (Partly) Faces Reality - By Thomas Lambrecht - In a recent decision, the Judicial Council has partly walked back their earlier resolution that the 2020 General Conference was not cancelled, only postponed. Unfortunately, this walk-back comes too late...
Methodist Heritage: New York’s John Street
Methodist Heritage: New York's John Street - By Edmund Robb III - Good News, January-February 1977 - What do a one-eyed army captain, an Irish immigrant, and a distraught woman have in common? They were all part of launching Methodism in New York City. Here’s how it...
The Marks of a Methodist 3: Discipline
The Marks of a Methodist 3: Discipline - By Thomas Lambrecht - This series of articles has been looking at the marks of a Methodist, as expounded by Bishop Gerald Kennedy in 1960. How has the expression of Methodism changed or remained the same in the last 60 years?...
For All the Saints …
For All the Saints ... By Scott N. Field - In America, Halloween is the second biggest holiday of the year, based on consumer spending. Without a doubt it almost completely overshadows the day from which it derives its name. “Halloween” is the contracted form of “All...
More “Mainstream” Misrepresentations
More "Mainstream" Misrepresentations - By Thomas Lambrecht - Last week’s Perspective addressed the arguments made by the “centrist” caucus group Mainstream UMC regarding the need for exit paths to be adopted by the 2024 General Conference. This week, I would like to...