Giving Thanks (Even Now) By Shannon Vowell This is the first Thanksgiving in my adult life when the scripture verse that most accurately describes our collective mood seems to be Matthew 10:34-36. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not
The Marks of a Methodist 4: Mission By Thomas Lambrecht We have been examining what it means to be a Methodist in honor of John Wesley’s tract, The Character of a Methodist, but following a modern version of those ideas in Bishop Gerald Kennedy’s 1960 book, The Marks of a
Methodist Heritage: World Methodist Council 1961 Address by Bishop Gerald Kennedy Tenth World Methodist Conference Oslo, Norway August 19, 1961 In the nineteenth century, the English theologian Frederick Dennison Maurice wrote: “I cannot but think that the reformation in our day, which I expect to be more deep and searching than
The Marks of a Methodist 3: Discipline By Thomas Lambrecht This series of articles has been looking at the marks of a Methodist, as expounded by Bishop Gerald Kennedy in 1960. How has the expression of Methodism changed or remained the same in the last 60 years? We have seen
Marks of a Methodist 2: Making a Difference Thomas Lambrecht Two-hundred-eighty years ago, John Wesley (Methodism’s founder) wrote The Character of a Methodist to describe what he considered the essential qualities of a Methodist. I bloggedabout it in June. Just 63 years ago, Methodist Bishop Gerald Kennedy did a
United Methodist Clergy Trends: Fewer, Older By Thomas Lambrecht Lovett Weems of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership has released his annual report on the state of UM clergy, particularly focusing on the number of young clergy (under age 35). This has been a particular area of concern for the
Contrasting Views of Scripture By Thomas Lambrecht The essence of the conflict currently roiling The United Methodist Church is a disagreement over the teaching and authority of Scripture. This disagreement is manifested in the church’s attitude toward same-sex romantic relationships. But the reason that traditionalists are unwilling to compromise on
Divisions in Africa By Thomas Lambrecht Recent meetings have clarified a developing divide in Africa between some bishops and other leaders who want to remain in The United Methodist Church and other leaders who are seeing the need to disaffiliate. The question will be: which group is more in sync