Notes from Africa
Notes from Africa By Thomas Lambrecht As I write this, I am in the middle of a three-day meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, with about 40 leaders of African Methodism. Most are United Methodist, while a few have already joined the Global Methodist Church because they were...
Africa Initiative Speaks: Why Disaffiliation is an option for the United Methodist Church in Africa
Africa Initiative Speaks: Why Disaffiliation is an option for the United Methodist Church in Africa September 2, 2023 Introduction Over the past months, much has been written by proponents of the “regionalization plan,” claiming that they have received...
Stirring up Mission Vision
By Jenifer Jones- Nearly 20 years ago, Jorge Acevedo had an epiphany. He’s the lead pastor at Grace Church, a multi-site United Methodist congregation in Southwest Florida. At the time, his church was one of the fastest growing United Methodist congregations in the...
Divinity Mixed with the Human Mess
By Courtney Lott - I spent a rainy January morning weeping into the pages of a children’s book. It’s called The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse. Though simple on the surface, the drawings and uplifting sayings from the pen of Charlie Mackesy struck me...
Legacy and Friendship
By Steve Beard - Over the last several months, Good News lost two warm-hearted Christian friends who played important roles in the legacy of this ministry. Both writer Marilyn N. Anderes and the Rev. William Mason recently passed away and will be dearly missed by...
Shaken but not Stirred
By Sarah Parham - Everything from air travel to celebrating holidays to childhood education to church life has undergone dramatic shifts. As we watch the evening news, it seems as if our worlds are being completely shaken. But are they? I have a framed quote on my...
The Challenge of Change
By B.J. Funk - “Plan your work and work your plan.” Sometimes, however, those plans have to be laid aside. That’s where churches found ourselves this past year. Covid-19 took the lead role in the play called, “Think Again … You Actually Thought You Were in Charge?”...
The Real St. Patrick
By Steve Beard - While sifting through obscure Spanish colonial records, it was discovered a few years ago that the very first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not conducted in Boston, Chicago, nor New York City. Instead, the Irish feast day was celebrated in modern day...
