John Wesley Birthday Reader
John Wesley Birthday Reader -- John Wesley's birthday is a bit unusual. While the great evangelist and founder of Methodism was born on June 17, 1703, according to the Julian Calendar in use at the time. Midway through his life (in 1752), however, Britain shifted to...
Freedom Fugitives
Freedom Fugitives -- By Shannon Vowell I write on June 19th or “Juneteenth,” the newest federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates the day – June 19, 1865 – when news of Union victory and universal emancipation finally reached Galveston, Texas, by way of Maj. Gen....
Wrestling with Budget After GC2020 Postponed
By Heather Hahn - The pandemic-forced postponement of General Conference has left United Methodist financial leaders with big questions about the denomination’s budget. The General Council on Finance and Administration board spent much of a March 27 teleconference...
Military Chaplains Deployed
By Sam Hodges - The skies were gray. The faithful had to wear masks and keep their distance. But Lt. Cmdr. Genevieve Clark, a United Methodist chaplain in the U.S. Navy, was still able to lead an Easter sunrise service on the flight deck of the USNS Mercy, a hospital...
Sheltered in Place
By Laurie Drum - As of this writing, I am in my third week of shelter in place in Spain, one of the deadliest of the epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic. Life and circumstances change by the hour nowadays. Such a paradox, to be sitting still and locked in our...
A Friendship with Oswald
By B.J. Funk - I could safely say that Oswald Chambers and I are friends, having met over forty years ago. He talks to me daily, and even though I don’t understand all he is saying in his book, I always come back the next day to hear him again. These daily chats...
Human Plans and the Coronavirus
By Tom Lambrecht - I am a planner. I like to have at least a rough plan in mind for any undertaking that I am part of, whether it is a work project or a trip to the beach. I get that from my Dad, who was a high school band director and needed to plan everything from...
Observations from a “Town Hall”
By Tom Lambrecht - The coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of disruption in our lives, in how our country functions, and in how our churches function, as well. Nowhere was that in greater evidence than in a May 5th "Town Hall" meeting held online by Mainstream UMC,...
