Denomination vs. Independent
By Thomas Lambrecht As of this week, over 3,000 U.S. churches have now disaffiliated from The United Methodist Church since 2019. This means the denomination has lost ten percent of its congregations. More annual conference votes are scheduled for the weeks ahead, and...
Are All Divisions of the Devil?
Are All Divisions of the Devil? By Rob Renfroe I don’t mind people thinking differently than I do. I often learn from such people, and I regularly benefit from considering opinions different than my own. But I admit I am upset when influential leaders express views...
A Snake in the Manger
By Steve Beard - There is a grand Christmas tradition at our house on the evening of December 25: separating the crumpled wrapping paper from the bows that can be reused next year. For many families, Christmas Day signals the winding down of the holiday. Soon the...
Generous love: The Salvation Army
By Steve Beard - For more than 150 years, The Salvation Army has been the most consistent, creative, and trustworthy symbol for a warm hearted faith and a generous helping hand for those in need. With a legacy of rushing into where the need is greatest, it has earned...
Words to Celebrate Christmas
By Tom Lambrecht - One of the popular activities during the Christmas season is to sing Christmas carols. As a musician myself, I find that music moves me in a deeper way than many other forms of expression. When it comes to Christmas carols, however, sometimes the...
Waiting for the Church’s Future
By Tom Lambrecht - It is fitting that we take the month before Christmas (the church season of Advent) as a time of waiting. Historically, the church calendar teaches us to eagerly await the celebration of Christmas and all the joys and excitement we experience during...
A Crisis of Identity
By Tom Lambrecht - The current crisis in The United Methodist Church is often portrayed as a crisis of unity. The unity of our denomination is threatened by deep theological disagreement and the refusal of some parts of the church to abide by the decisions of General...
Gratitude and the Rock of Ages
By Steve Beard - I can still faintly visualize it. Many years ago, I was watching the first game of the NBA Championship series when it was announced that the rock band U2 would be performing for the half-time show. U2’s concert was in Boston while the basketball game...
