African Delegates’ Urgent Requests Unanswered
African Delegates' Urgent Requests Unanswered By Thomas Lambrecht We are less than six weeks from the opening session of the 2024 United Methodist General Conference. That is why it is troubling that African delegates continue to be beset with delayed responses from...
He Wants You Back
He Wants You Back By BJ Funk My oldest son texted words that hit like a large brick thrown at my stomach. He wrote, “My birth mother passed.” I wasn’t prepared for this. I remember that joyous moment when the lady with the adoption agency placed this baby in my arms....
Name That Bishop
By Rob Renfroe -- This editorial will be a bit different. It’s an invitation to play a game titled “Name that Bishop.” Bishops in The United Methodist Church play a critical role. They not only provide administrative oversight and vision for their episcopal areas,...
Fit for a Queen
By Steve Beard -- Richard Griffin, a former member of the royal security detail to Queen Elizabeth II, tells a delightful story about walking with the monarch near her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland and meeting two American tourists. “It was clear from the moment...
Africa Again the Stepchild?
By Thomas Lambrecht -- This week, 14 new bishops are being elected in the five jurisdictions of the United States. In a few weeks, three bishops will be elected in the Philippines and one bishop in Central and Southern Europe. All these newly elected bishops will be...
Colorful Faith in a World of Chaos
By Jessica LaGrone -- My friend Ryanne is a colorful Christian. Her home is colorful. She often paints a wall or ceiling or the whole front porch on a whim, based on some color that has drawn her fancy. Her family is colorful. Her children’s skin colors are a glorious...
The Scandal of the Incarnation
By David F. Watson -- In Nazareth, there is a large church built over the traditional site of Mary’s house. It is called the Church of the Annunciation. Tradition holds that the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary here: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with...
New Hymnal for a New Day
By Andrew Miller -- For generations, hymnals were the primary tool of worship for churches across denominations. Every few decades, denominational leaders would undertake the task of updating their tradition’s hymnal, containing in it not just hymns to be sung during...
