The details are still being finalized, but I can now announce that I will be part of the team from United Methodist News Service reporting from the General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Tampa this April and May. They are bringing me along as a sort of blogger in residence, including a social … Continue reading A MethoBlogger at General Conference
Category: Methodism
Disciplemaking – Art or Science?
This weekend our neighbors at the Baptist church down the street are putting on a neighborhood fair, and as a part of that event they asked if I had any knowledge on someone who could lead a “square-dance” for them. what they didn’t know is that 100 pounds and 2 kids ago, I used to … Continue reading Disciplemaking – Art or Science?
Disciplemaking – Art or Science?
This weekend our neighbors at the Baptist church down the street are putting on a neighborhood fair, and as a part of that event they asked if I had any knowledge on someone who could lead a “square-dance” for them. what they didn’t know is that 100 pounds and 2 kids ago, I used to … Continue reading Disciplemaking – Art or Science?
Rebuilding Trust — The Bishop’s and DS’s Dilemma
As I stated a couple of days ago, one of the struggles we face in the United Methodist Church is a lack of trust. While this is true at all levels, the place where it seems to be most before us today is in the relationship between the local church pastor and the D.S. and … Continue reading Rebuilding Trust — The Bishop’s and DS’s Dilemma
Oh, I’m probably going to tick all sorts of people off….
Earlier today, a buddy of mine sent me a link to an interview on the Believe OutLoud website with Amy DeLong, who was recently tried for being an open lesbian and for performing same-sex marriage/covenant ceremonies. In the end, she was acquitted on the first charge for she refused to talk about her sexual practices … Continue reading Oh, I’m probably going to tick all sorts of people off….
8 Reasons That I Am Attending SoulFeast
Yeah, I sound like a broken record, but like any convert I want to encourage anyone who reads this blog, follows me on Facebook or Twitter, or who simply lands here by accident, to think about attending the Upper Room’s Soulfeast Conference at Lake Junaluska. No, it’s not as hip as the Wild Goose Festival, … Continue reading 8 Reasons That I Am Attending SoulFeast
#UMLEAD: The View From Table 9–Part 2
Earlier this morning I posted an overview of my participation in the UM Leadership Summit event, focusing on the first of the three “Summit Questions” and providing a sense of where the conversation was focused at Table 9 of the TN Conference Event, where I served as the scribe. This is the second of the … Continue reading #UMLEAD: The View From Table 9–Part 2
#UMLEAD: The View From Table 9–Part 2
Earlier this morning I posted an overview of my participation in the UM Leadership Summit event, focusing on the first of the three “Summit Questions” and providing a sense of where the conversation was focused at Table 9 of the TN Conference Event, where I served as the scribe. This is the second of the … Continue reading #UMLEAD: The View From Table 9–Part 2
Do United Methodists Believe in Hope?
During the past couple of weeks, in the midst of the conversation surrounding Rob Bell’s book and the dismissal of Chad Holtz from his position in North Carolina, I have found myself engaged in some though on hope. Some of this is due to teaching a class on N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope, in which … Continue reading Do United Methodists Believe in Hope?
An Open Letter to Tony Jones
Dear Tony, We’ve been friends for a while, and I have learned over time to pretty much ignore your rants on denominationalism, recognizing a disconnect with those expressions of faith. But given the latest ramping up of attack with your new Ecclesialeak feature, especially given that you’ve attacked my tribe first, I feel I have … Continue reading An Open Letter to Tony Jones
Understanding Who We Are as Methodists
Arminius’ affirmation that regeneration precedes even the first movement of the will toward God may surprise even many Arminians. It is usually thought that only Calvinists believe that regeneration precedes conversion. However, as later Arminians explain perhaps better than Arminius himself did, the regeneration of which the Dutch theologian here spoke is not complete regeneration … Continue reading Understanding Who We Are as Methodists
Vital Churches = Engaged
Every morning one of my daughters and I head out to the car to get to school. We open the doors, adjust our seats, put on our seatbelts, and I turn the key to start the car. By many of the indications used by most churches, we are doing pretty good – we’ve shown up, … Continue reading Vital Churches = Engaged
Vitality = Forward Leaning
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is … Continue reading Vitality = Forward Leaning
Church Vitality = Dynamic
As I’ve been reflecting on the Call to Action report, especially in light of John Meunier’s very good questions about the disconnect between the methodology from the recommendations, and Neil Alexander’s suggestions that nothing in the report is to be seen as a “one size fits all” means of engendering vitality in the church, I … Continue reading Church Vitality = Dynamic
More Call To Action Information
Our good friend John Meunier offered some great questions on how the data in the Call to Action report led to the conclusions of the Steering Committee in the comments of a recent post on this blog. I forwarded the questions to Neil Alexander of UMPH who was one of the leaders of the Call … Continue reading More Call To Action Information
A “Vital” Reponse
Neil Alexander is the President and Publisher of the United Methodist Publishing House, and a member of the Steering Committee which produced the Council of Bishop’s Call to Action report, which I recently wrote about. Neil e-mailed me his thoughts on that post earlier today and has agreed to allow me to share them in … Continue reading A “Vital” Reponse
A “Vital” Reponse
Neil Alexander is the President and Publisher of the United Methodist Publishing House, and a member of the Steering Committee which produced the Council of Bishop’s Call to Action report, which I recently wrote about. Neil e-mailed me his thoughts on that post earlier today and has agreed to allow me to share them in … Continue reading A “Vital” Reponse
Pastoral Accountability
A couple of commenters on my post on congregational vitality have suggested that critique of the Council of Bishop’s Call to Action report is based in a discomfort with pastoral accountability. To quote one commenter: “Spiritualize it away all you want, but the old tired notion referencing unmeasurables is a transparent attempt to avoid accountability. … Continue reading Pastoral Accountability
What is Congregational Vitality?
For many years, going back to the Council of Bishop’s “Vital Congregations” initiative (a project I worked on back in pre-1996 UMCom days), the United Methodist Church has talked quite a bit about developing and promoting “vital” congregations. The language of congregational vitality has been on the tips of our tongues as we wring our … Continue reading What is Congregational Vitality?
United Methodist Parsonages
I'm trying to get a sense of the norm regarding parsonage standards throughout the United Methodist connection and need your help. Here in the Tennessee Annual Conference there are published standards for clergy parsonages in our Standing Rules which lay out certain requirements for the house, and specifies what furniture must be provided. In a … Continue reading United Methodist Parsonages
Only Wonder Understands 