This past Sunday we celebrated Trinity Sunday, which sparked these reflections (which were shared in our weekly church newsletter).  In my mind, these thoughts seem so relevant in a time when the spirits of division and fear are so active among us. As United Methodists we believe in the Trinity.  It is the first doctrinal statement in our Articles of Religion. All of our official creeds are written in trinitarian form, and we use one of these creeds in all of our worship services almost every Sunday. In the sanctuary, we also sing the doxology regularly, giving praise to our triune G ..read more

Let me count the ways for why I am proud to be a United Methodist in this moment and give thanks to God: * Because the word “incompatibility,” as it has been used to create a judgement and a barrier only for some, is gone! * Because barriers have been removed that have kept us from considering candidates for ministry based first on calling and character and commitments to Christ. * Because we have new Social Principles that focus more on how we are to treat one another rather than offering hardline stances that divide and are intended to be general enough to find meaningful application in diff ..read more

General Conference is in the books!  It was historic, messy, and beautiful. Worship with siblings from around the world was profoundly centered in Christ, deeply rooted in scripture, and sooo inspiring.  The spirit of the Conference was like nothing I have experienced before in this setting. Throughout the Conference, there was an attentive gracefulness to hearing the gospel shared through a wide diversity of perspectives.  There was an intentional effort to make room for all voices. And the “wideness of God’s mercy” was lifted high. From my perspective, it was inspiring to see ..read more

This post was inspired by a comment on my personal Facebook page yesterday. It was deleted by the author so I have generalized my response.  At the end is a quote from Wesley that is worth much pondering, in my opinion: To all who call us to bless one another and move on as we divorce, I want you to know that you never lost my desire to bless you. This hope is still there. I did not want this divorce. I do not believe it is a good witness. I wish we were still “arguing” at Annual Conference together and I lament if there is anything I said or did that made you come to the conclusion that ..read more

In recent rulings the Judicial Council has affirmed connectionalism in the strongest terms, calling it “a distinctive attribute of Methodism,” and “a bedrock principle of United Methodist constitutional polity.” It is “the opposite of congregationalism.”  Connectionalism is “the universal thread out of which the temporal and spiritual fabric of the Church is providentially woven, creating the relational ligaments that wonderfully link and sustain the diverse parts of the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ.”  In hearing this assessment at a recent Conference ..read more

It is an older but still relevant word, found in an article entitled “Change or Die,” written by Alan Deutschman, and published in Fast Company in 2005.  We used this article in clergy retreats years ago, and it may have been ahead of its time, at least for us in the church.  The question is posed:  Could you change when change really mattered? This article shares some sobering realities. Change is hard.  As an example, one major study shows that 90% of people with heart disease will not change their behavior, even at the risk of dying, and even after major surgery.  A ..read more

I gave a presentation – similar to the one in the previous post “Can You Imagine?” A Stay UMC Presentation– and someone still asked, “why does the UMC no longer stand on the truth of scripture?” I have written about the scripture passages in question. Here I want to take a deeper dive into the concept of truth. The Greek word for Truth is the word “Alethia.” It means to “un-cover” or “reveal” what is real, good, and life-giving. In the scriptures, the term gospel is used to define truth (Gal 2:5, 2:14, Eph 1:13, Col 1:5).  We also hear that Christ, as the Word made flesh, is truth (J ..read more

I’ve been the speaker at several meetings within the discernment process on disaffiliation. Here is a written version of a new presentation, inviting people into a vision of what the UMC is and can be. It is centered around questions that start with “Can you imagine…?   “Can you imagine being a part of a church that is built around core doctrines that connect us to the holy catholic or universal church, while at the same time, invites us all to “think and let think” around concerns that do not strike at the foundations of our faith?” There are 30,000+ United Methodist pastors in the US. W ..read more

As a representative leader of the UMC, I sat on the front row of a Church Conference where I heard of how the UMC is led by people who are “incompetent and immoral,” who “trade God’s Word for the secular ideology of the world,” who “abandon doctrine” in order to not offend anyone, and who want to bend our will to “pagan cultural Marxism.” It was all part of a continuing effort to build a “damning case against the UMC.”  Damn! Condemn! Declare as evil! As I listened, I could not think of any leader who deserved such hurtful and judgmental attacks, even considering isolated examples. The ma ..read more

Here is my personal FAQ, with answers to real questions that I continue to hear from those leaning towards disaffiliation.  I am thankful for all who are willing to engage in the conversation. How can we stay in a denomination with such doctrinal drift? How can we stay in a denomination where people are praying to a “Queer God?” How can we accept something that goes against the Bible? (This is at the heart for many). If we disaffiliate, won’t we be able to put this debate behind us, stop talking about sexuality, and get on with the business of being the church? But we would still be meth ..read more