By Rob Renfroe Will the post-separation United Methodist Church be “the big tent” denomination that centrist pastors and bishops claim it will be? Leading centrists tell us that there will always be a place for traditionalists. The beliefs of conservatives will be respected and valued, we’re told. Some centrists will
Know Thy Church When we see the word “data” it’s easy to think of charts, graphs and numbers on a screen, but put simply, data helps us know. Mark Clifton Brings Vitality to Rural America Church Landscape“Outside of the deep South, rural America is as unchurched as many of our
After an Old Testament Gospel Doctrine class, a friend emailed me to say he was concerned when I referred to Saul, David, and Solomon as having held Melchizedek Priesthood. He pointed out that the Prophet Joseph Smith clearly taught that the Melchizedek Priesthood was removed from the earth upon the
By Jack Jackson June 21, 2022 | UM News Since June 9, much has been made of the vote by Florida Conference clergy to reject a slate of 16 candidates recommended for provisional membership, an important step toward becoming an ordained elder or deacon. Blame, both within the conference and
By Thom Rainer It’s painful enough to lose any church members, but it is particularly painful when the church member was highly committed. We call these dropouts “Goners,” because they were once one of your best church members. Now they are gone. It has been both painful and amazing
Last Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States did something rare and extraordinary. It actually relinquished and returned power that it had held illegitimately for nearly fifty years and returned it to the people and the political process. More specifically, the Court declared that its abortion jurisprudence, beginning with
Cover image: “Angels Among Us” by Annie Henrie Nader, https://altusfineart.com/. Used with permission. Angels experience feelings of wonder, joy, urgency and even desperation. From time to time, and in very touching circumstances, they may share their poignant longings and feelings with us… One of the most significant ways to feel the deep
By Walter B. Fenton When The United Methodist Church’s Commission on General Conference postponed the 2020 General Conference for the third time, theologically conservative local churches wanting to exit the denomination were forced to set their sights on their annual conference gatherings to gain some sense of how they might leave