Temptations of Power: Bishops and Accountability
By Joseph F. DiPaolo A famous phrase was born in 1887, when the British historian known as Lord Acton (1834-1902), wrote a series of letters to Anglican Bishop Mandell Creighton about the problem of writing the history of the medieval church and its abuses,...
Not All Who Wander Are Lost
By Angela Pleasants I am an avid hiker. My passion for hiking began in high school when my advanced biology class explored the Great Smoky Mountains to examine various species of lichen, mushrooms, and insects. The greatest joy on a hike is looking at the wonders of...
We Don’t Actually Believe All That
By Walter Fenton- “How effectively can a church retain the lukewarm or uncertain if it keeps its most controversial teachings while constantly winking to say, ‘Don’t worry, we don’t actually believe all that?’” Although New York Times columnists Ross Douthat wrote the...
Lesbian Pastor Takes Involuntary Leave
By Heather Hahn- A complaint against the Rev. Cynthia Meyer, a lesbian pastor in Kansas, has ended with her taking an involuntary leave of absence at least until the conclusion of the next General Conference. The resolution, announced August 3, averts a church trial....
Conflict Shifts to Judicial Council
By Thomas Lambrecht- In the aftermath of General Conference, Annual Conferences, and Jurisdictional Conferences that exhibited the conflict between progressive and traditionalist perspectives, the focus of attention now shifts to the upcoming meeting of the Judicial...
Is It Time for the Itinerancy to Go?
By Donald W. Haynes- In today’s ecumenical religious environment, the current model of United Methodist itinerancy has become more a liability than an asset. Here are a few reasons. • With over 60 percent of current United Methodists having come from other communions,...
Joining Hands After the Rain
By Kathy Gilbert- After the deluge come the blessings. And four United Methodist pastors in Lafayette, Louisiana, are standing ready to pour those blessings back into their recovering communities. South Louisiana was hit by 6 trillion gallons of rainwater during...
Accepting the Inexplicable
By Frank Decker- I enjoy engaging in candid, truth-seeking conversations, especially with persons from other religious backgrounds. Recently I gave a ride to a congenial young Muslim man whom I learned was preparing to become an imam. On the way we had an interesting...
