Extrapolating a New UM Direction
By Thomas Lambrecht -- With the recent election of 13 new bishops, the active Council of Bishops will be made up of one-third new members on January 1, 2023. As such, they will play a powerful role in setting the direction of The United Methodist Church into the...
Antidote to Hypocrisy
By B.J. Funk -- “I don’t go to church because I know too much about those who do! They’re a bunch of hypocrites!” How often have you heard that statement from someone who never goes to church? This seems to be the number one complaint of those who desire to remain...
A Different Kind of Answered Prayer
By B.J. Funk - I thought my life would turn out one way, but it turned out another. The big dreams I had never materialized. My life didn’t turn out as I thought it would. It turned out better. I prayed for a godly husband, but then this husband brought pain,...
Controversy over Results on UM Constitutional Amendments
By Thomas Lambrecht- On Monday, May 7, the Council of Bishops announced [link] that two of the five amendments to the United Methodist Constitution approved by the 2016 General Conference were defeated by the votes of the annual conferences. In order to amend the...
Good News Statement on the Council of Bishops Decision
May 4, 2018 - This afternoon, the United Methodist Council of Bishops announced that it will submit a report to the special 2019 General Conference that contains all three plans for a way forward considered by the bishops and the Commission on a Way Forward. This will...
Understanding Incompatibilists
By Thomas Lambrecht - The Council of Bishops is currently meeting to decide what proposal(s) to submit to the 2019 General Conference to resolve the conflict in our church. Will they understand and accommodate the interests and convictions of incompatibilists in their...
John Wesley: A Short, Uncertain Space
By Ralph Pauls - Jesus once told a parable about financial dealings and a shrewd manager. "Give an account of your stewardship," the manager is told in the story (Luke 16:2). In his sermon, "The Good Steward," Methodism's founder John Wesley (1703-1791) wrote about...
New Social Principles: A First Look
By Thomas Lambrecht - The 2012 General Conference commissioned the Board of Church and Society to do a total rewrite of the United Methodist Social Principles. The project is moving toward completion with the publication of the first draft of the proposed new...
