By Walter Fenton Photo by Leslie Cross on Unsplash Local United Methodist churches have plenty of challenges to contend with right now. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic many are finding ways to reopen sanctuaries so members can worship God together while still allowing for social distancing. Where possible, pastors and lay ministers are … Continue Reading
By Keith Boyette The United Methodist Church is now less than one year away from a defining General Conference that was postponed earlier this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Given the long delay, some United Methodists are wondering if the Protocol for Reconciliation and Grace through Separation has been derailed. And concerns about it … Continue Reading
By Keith Boyette In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon reminds us that there is a time for every activity under the heavens. The times we live in seem strange indeed. Any sense of normalcy has been replaced by the knowledge we have never walked this road before. Many routines have been disrupted. The journey we are on … Continue Reading
By Keith Boyette On May 5, the day The United Methodist Church’s General Conference was set to convene, UM advocacy groups, representative of each of the theological streams in the church, released comments on the significance of its postponement. Each of the groups (Mainstream UMC, Reconciling Ministries Network, UMForward, and the Wesleyan Covenant Association) remain … Continue Reading
By Keith Boyette Today, we were to be meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the convening of The United Methodist Church’s 2020 General Conference. But as we are all aware, the COVID-19 virus radically disrupted those plans as it has disrupted nearly every other aspect of our lives. The world has changed. I hear people longing … Continue Reading
Traditionalist United Methodist leaders from around the world have agreed on an expansive vision for a new, global Methodist church. Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, March 2 – 4, episcopal leaders from Africa, Eurasia, the Philippines, and the United States, were joined by traditionalist clergy, and renewal and reform group leaders from the Confessing Movement, Good … Continue Reading
By Keith Boyette This year, The United Methodist Church is 52 years old. Of course, the Methodist movement, currently composed of approximately 80 distinct Methodist denominations worldwide, is much older than that. The UM Church was formed from the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968. Methodism, as with … Continue Reading
By Walter Fenton A prominent group of 16 United Methodists released a detailed proposal today calling for an amicable separation of The United Methodist Church. The group included individuals representing all the major advocacy organizations affiliated with the church and eight bishops from around the world, including Bishop Kenneth Carter, current president of the Council … Continue Reading
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