Blogs

A Letter to United Methodist General Conference Delegates: Hard to Write and Probably Hard to Read, too.

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 …

A Letter to United Methodist General Conference Delegates: Hard to Write and Probably Hard to Read, too. Read More »

The Pennies, Nickels, and Dimes of African American Grandmothers: something I cannot unhear.

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 …

The Pennies, Nickels, and Dimes of African American Grandmothers: something I cannot unhear. Read More »

Maybe it’s a Minnesota holdover, but we’re not quite ready to end the disaffiliation goodbyes. Here’s why.

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. …

Maybe it’s a Minnesota holdover, but we’re not quite ready to end the disaffiliation goodbyes. Here’s why. Read More »

What if we took a break from focusing on the 7,600+ congregations that are no longer United Methodist and consider the 100,000 congregations that are anticipated to close in the USA alone?

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 …

What if we took a break from focusing on the 7,600+ congregations that are no longer United Methodist and consider the 100,000 congregations that are anticipated to close in the USA alone? Read More »

“Ashes to Go”: A caution for UMC General Conference Delegates, Activists, and Observers?

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 »

The Dar es Salaam Dilemma: Progressive United Methodists have a choice to make.

January 30, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field Which will it be at the upcoming UMC General Conference:  Door # 1, Door # 2, or Door # 3? The long-running daytime TV gameshow, Let’s Make a Deal, is famous for its three-door challenge. Behind one door is a fabulous prize. Behind another is a “Zonk” …

The Dar es Salaam Dilemma: Progressive United Methodists have a choice to make. Read More »

Africa and the UMC General Conference: Prepositions Make All the Difference

January 23, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field Ah, the diminutive preposition! Such a small literary fragment, so easily overlooked, and carrying such distinctive meaning. A preposition is a word governing a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause. The power of prepositions came to mind recently concerning the …

Africa and the UMC General Conference: Prepositions Make All the Difference Read More »

Disaffiliation Disarray: Our Street-Level Response

January 17, 2024 By Rev. Dr. Scott Field, President A recent round of conversations with various regional leaders of the Wesleyan Covenant Association as well as the monthly meeting of the WCA Global Council highlighted the present disaffiliation disarray among many Methodists. While “official disaffiliation” in the US under paragraph 2553 of the Book of …

Disaffiliation Disarray: Our Street-Level Response Read More »

Scroll to Top