Pension Liability Declines Dramatically
By Thomas Lambrecht One of the important financial costs for local churches to disaffiliate from the UM Church is a payment of that local church’s proportional share of the annual conference’s unfunded pension liability. That liability is calculated monthly by...
Keys to doing separation right
By Thomas Lambrecht In the midst of the sometimes heated rhetoric around separation and the conflicts engendered by bishops and annual conferences who are imposing draconian requirements on churches desiring to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church, it...
John Grenfell, Jr., Pastor, Advocate, and Friend
By Walter Fenton- Lifetime Good News Board member the Rev. John Grenfell, Jr. died this past Sunday, June 25, 2017. He was 86 years old. John was one of those United Methodist pastors who never really retired; he was not the retiring type. He played ice hockey into...
Leaning Centrists
By Walter Fenton- A resolution recently presented to the clergy session of the West Ohio Annual Conference speaks volumes about the self-declared "United Methodist Centrist Movement." The resolution made four requests of conference pastors and the two at the top of...
Brief Notes from Around the Connection
Financial Challenges in Yellowstone In a recent note to the churches of the Yellowstone Annual Conference, Bishop Karen Oliveto and her cabinet wrote: "As we prepare for Annual Conference, we want to let you know of a critical situation facing the Yellowstone Annual...
Delay, Delay, Delay…and More Delay
By Walter Fenton- The Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops of The United Methodist Church cannot take "no" for an answer. Less than seven weeks ago the denomination's Judicial Council (it's "Supreme Court") ruled, "A same-sex marriage license issued by competent...
Commentary: Moving from Moderator to Advocate
By Walter Fenton- Florida Bishop Ken Carter recently released a video citing seven reasons why he believes The United Methodist Church will remain united. This is a notable move since Carter is one of three moderators for the denomination-wide Commission on a Way...
New York Clergy Member Resigns from Board of Ordained Ministry
The Rev. Chuck Ferrara, until recently a member of the New York Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, sent the following letter to Bishop Thomas Bickerton: Dear Bishop Bickerton, I know you are somewhat familiar with my background. But just in case you...
