May We Never See Another Day Like It
The Rev. Rebekah Miles ponders the Discipline, accountability, race and repentance in the process that has brought the involuntary retirement of Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe.
View ArticleHave We Moved Beyond Gender and Race?
The Rev. Jim Parsons questions whether the familiar categories of inclusiveness such as race and gender are irrelevant to younger clergy and laity who've grown up in a more integrated society than...
View ArticleUSA = Un-Sacrificial America
Rev. Jim Parsons challenges Christians and all Americans to adopt a spirit of sacrifice in order to lift the country out of its crushing debt and ensure a brighter future for rising generations.
View ArticleI'm Moving to Chicago ...
The Rev. Andy Oliver outlines the reasons he will leave his family behind in Florida to accept a position as communications officer for Reconciling Ministries Network in Chicago.
View ArticleChanging the Methodist Narrative
We need to stop talking about the "dying" United Methodist Church and talk about where our loving God is at work in the world, and where we should be, writes the Rev. Wes Magruder.
View ArticleAnd Are We Yet Connected?
Surely being “connectional” means something deeper and more significant than an organizational model and an administrative style, argues the Rev. Wes Magruder.
View ArticleFirst Church Announces Move to Digital Congregation
The Rev. Jim Parsons takes a satirical look at the announcement that the United Methodist Publishing House plans to close all its brick-and-mortar Cokesbury stores.
View ArticleWhy Gays Should Be Glad Church Isn’t Safe
Any church that bears the name “United Methodist” automatically feels unsafe to homosexual persons because of the church's anti-gay stances. However, gathering is community is risky for everyone,...
View ArticleThe Artistry of Advent and Christmas
The Rev. F. Richard Garland invites us to plunge into a kind of "artistry divina," using the visual, musical and textual art of centuries to contemplate profoundly the wonder of the Incarnation.
View ArticleWhy I Doubt the UMC Can Handle Innovation
The Rev. Wes Magruder responds to the Rev. Rob Rynders' call for a season of innovation in The United Methodist Church.
View ArticleMatthew's Rules for a New Year
The Rev. F. Richard Garland gives us another example of how little children can lead us to spiritual wisdom.
View ArticleFood Pantries and Band-Aids
The food pantries that United Methodist congregations so love may fill an immediate need, but they're not addressing the root problems of hunger and poverty, contends the Rev. Wes Magruder.
View ArticleWhat to Do About General Conference 2016
What if The United Methodist Church threw a General Conference that did no legislating? That's the Rev. Wes Magruder's radical idea.
View ArticleAssess Your Leadership
In an essay first written in 2008, the Rev. Jim Parsons offers guidance for nominating committees and pastors who need to find leaders for their congregations.
View ArticleSame-sex Couple to Wed at RMN Conference
Seminarians Mary Ann Kaiser (left) and Annanda Barclay plan to wed during Reconciling Ministries Network's convocation over the Labor Day weekend, and other same-sex couples are being invited to...
View ArticleThe End of the New MethoFesto — and a New Beginning
The Wes Magruder explains why he's abandoning his quest to offer suggestions for the future of the United Methodist institution, and turning instead to God's "new thing."
View ArticleChurch and Health Care
As the Affordable Care Act goes into effect, the absence of the Church (with a big "C") from contemporary health care gives the Rev. Jim Parsons reasons to ponder and lament the development.
View ArticleGlobal Social Principles Possible?
Given the enormous cultural differences among United Methodists worldwide, is it possible to have a set of social principles that can reflect common values?
View ArticleUMC Heritage Site List: Global Fail
United Methodist advocates for a global church find troubling the lack of international places on the General Conference's list of UM Heritage sites.
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