Recurring Patterns & Unheeded Warnings
Recurring Patterns & Unheeded Warnings -- By James R. Thobaben (March/April 2025) -- Humans see patterns. It is not enough to see facts, that is, bits of information that correspond to the world around us. It is also necessary to have knowledge, that is an...
All out for souls!
All out for souls! -- By Steve Hoskins (March/April 2025) -- Last week I attended the Church of the Nazarene’s M25 (Mission 2025) conference in Kansas City, Missouri, with about 4,000 other members of my church. The conference has become a recurring gathering of...
The “Big Tent” Shrank in Charlotte
The "Big Tent" Shrank in Charlotte By Elizabeth Fink This is not an easy piece to write. The emotions are raw. The future of the United Methodist Church has been set on a path I cannot follow. While many may view the changes as progress, I see them as heartbreaking...
Viewpoints in Charlotte
Viewpoints in Charlotte July/August 2024 • “Needless to say, this is a moment in time when we will not only see some of the dust settle, but we’ll also see new dust storms arise.” –Bishop Thomas Bickerton, New York • “What we are sure of is that many of our delegates...
African United Methodists reSpond in Charlotte
African United Methodists respond in Charlotte What follows is a statement released during the second week of the United Methodist General Conference after the delagates dramatically rewrote the denomination’s definition of marriage. My dear brothers and sisters,...
Tale of a New Church
Tale of a New Church By Thomas Lambrecht The story of the 2024 General Conference meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the story of a new church being born. Two years ago this month, the Global Methodist Church was born, and it is growing and maturing quickly....
United Methodism re-envisions marriage and ordination
United Methodism re-envisions marriage and ordination By Heather Hahn July/August 2024 Without debate, General Conference removed The United Methodist Church’s ban on the ordination of clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” — a prohibition that dates to...
Bishop: “You Might Be in the Wrong Place”
Bishop: "You Might Be in the Wrong Place" July/August 2024 Just days before the opening of the COVID-delayed General Conference, Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton told his fellow bishops that he saw the possibility for big changes coming out of The United Methodist Church’s...
