April 16, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field All eyes in the Methodist world are turning toward Charlotte, NC for the UMC General Conference that begins next week. But first, let me tell you about last week. A Three-Day Retreat in Africa I spent last week in Africa meeting with 149 others, mostly UM General …
Heading to Charlotte: UMC General Conference Begins Next Week. Read More »
April 9, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field “Having heard all of this you may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say you did not know.” – William Wilberforce, Speech to the House of Commons, 1791. William Wilberforce, member of British Parliament, champion contending for the abolition of the British …
The Wilberforce Moment for UMC General Conference Delegates Has Arrived Read More »
April 2, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field The United Methodist General Conference is just three weeks away. If you are a delegate, you are “crazy busy” right now. Too much to read. Too much to hear. Too many connections to make. Too many details. In. Just. Three. Weeks. No long read here. We are …
Give us two-and-a-half minutes. That’s all. 2 mins, 30 seconds. Read More »
March 26, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field Last Sunday afternoon, Palm Sunday, I participated in the launch celebration for a new Korean ministry in suburban Chicago. Members of three formerly United Methodist Korean congregations gathered for the launch. Two of the churches brought choirs. There were twelve of us preachers (!) to bring a …
Worshiping with Korean Sisters and Brothers in the Shadow of Holy Week Read More »
March 19, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field I thought you’d appreciate a letter, written by a regional leader of the Iowa Wesleyan Covenant Association, who was also one of the participants in the initial gathering of the WCA. Though he is now part of the Global Methodist Church, he has a parting appeal for …
March 12, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field I am sure you and I have the same experience: sometimes things we hear go in one ear and right out the other. Estimates vary widely, but most of us hear somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 words every day. No wonder a lot of those words just …
March 5, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field It’s easy to forget that the upcoming United Methodist General Conference (April 23 – May 3) is the 2020 General Conference, even though it is now actually 2024. And this will be the Minneapolis General Conference, even though it is to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina. …
February 27, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field Our current disaffiliation drama might be included in the category of an epiphenomenon: that is, a particular example of a larger reality. With our squabbling over the this-and-that of the UMC General Conference coming up, an analogy might be a competitive game of shuffleboard on the deck …
February 20, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field There’s probably no avoiding an asterisk* with any reference to the upcoming UM General Conference. In colloquial usage, an asterisk* attached to a sporting record indicates that it is somehow tainted. It’s an abbreviated way of indicating that the outcome of the sporting event is open to question or …
February 13, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. A mainline church near our home has a large but, thankfully in my opinion, temporary banner on the front lawn: “Ashes to Go”. It;s an example of the recent trend for some clergy to show up at subway stations and bus …
“Ashes to Go”: A caution for UMC General Conference Delegates, Activists, and Observers? Read More »
