The Best and Worst of Disaffiliation — By Thomas Lambrecht As we reach the end of the regular annual conference season, the prospect of over 20 percent of United Methodist congregations disaffiliating from the denomination has aroused varying responses, from highly positive and gracious to extremely negative and punitive. Most
Surf City Disaffiliation or Eviction? — The Los Angeles Times recently published a comprehensive 2,000 word piece about the excessively costly disaffiliation process for traditionalist United Methodist congregations in Southern California. It is worth reading to gauge the level of turmoil and pain within the denomination-wide schism. Every annual conference
Engaging an African Bishop By Thomas Lambrecht A recent commentary by Bishop Mande Muyombo (North Katanga Area in the Congo Central Conference) sets forth his understanding of where things are and where things are headed for The United Methodist Church in Africa. Given Muyombo’s position of power within the church’s hierarchy,
Methodist Heritage: Brother Stanley By Edmund Robb III Good News Archive, July-August 1976 TIME magazine, Oct. 20, 1948: “A grand old man among U.S. missionaries is a rugged Methodist preacher named Eli Stanley Jones. Baltimore-born Missionary Jones went to India in 1907, and his 35 busy years there made him
John Wesley Birthday Reader John Wesley’s birthday is a bit unusual. While the great evangelist and founder of Methodism was born on June 17, 1703, according to the Julian Calendar in use at the time. Midway through his life (in 1752), however, Britain shifted to the Gregorian Calendar, adding 11
World Vision for the Church in Crisis Good News Archive: What follows is condensed from a historic address by Dr. E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973) to the 1970 Good News Convocation in Dallas. As Christians we have an Eternal Person and an unshakeable Kingdom – the essence of reality and our
Facing Your Jericho By Stephen A. Seamands Jericho is staring Joshua in the face, with its imposing, impenetrable walls towering over him. This was a fortified city if there ever was one, armed with all the sophisticated weaponry of that day. It was in lockdown because they knew the Israelites
Prison Ministry Transformation By Joey Butler (UM News) – “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” — Matthew 25:36 When he was 18, Dusty Merrill decided that he wanted to go to prison. Of course, that decision was made a little easier because he could leave whenever