Dear Thoughtful Pastor: On Sunday we talked about whether Jesus had a running itinerary going all the time while he was busy doing all his seemingly random acts of healing and good teachings. You know, whether his ultimate agenda was always in the back of his mind. I suggested it was like he was following a winding river branching off into tributaries as they came his way, then returning always to his predestined way. My question is did he always... Read more
This morning at General Conference, we saw a heated debate about providing much, much more money for theological education in Africa. The statement kept coming up about how fast the church is growing there. The call for far more funding for advanced theological studies there suggests that many African clergy may not have anywhere near the amount of theological education that is considered normal or necessary for pastors in the US. So, I tweeted: “Could it be that the African church is growing... Read more
At about 5:10 pm on Thursday, May 19, the second to last day before GC 2016 ends, The Rev. Bill Arnold, Chair of the Faith and Order legislative committee brought the report from that committee. The first item was a petition to amend the mission statement. I’m so blurry-eyed with fatigue I can’t keep it all straight, but I believe the original motion wants the Mission Statement to read: The mission of the Church is to create a community relating... Read more
We on the UMR team are all tired. We can cry, get snarky or irritated with each other, go off and sulk, or . . .well, let us say that we chose laughter. Don’t miss it. And folks, please have a sense of humor about this and know, this is NOT an official UMR report! Proudly produced by the talented Wes Magruder, with Ben Hanna as the main player. Read more
As those who have been following this saga at the UMC General Conference probably already know, I’m here with the United Methodist Reporter team and most of my stuff is posted there. They found this lovely, old house that is rented out through AirBnB where we could all stay. It helped lower costs enormously, both for sleeping space and for eating. But we get home late in the evenings, always after 7:00 pm, and it is a challenge to get... Read more
[Note: Keep checking the United Methodist Reporter site for the latest news] This morning, after a plea from the highly respected Rev. Adam Hamilton that the Bishops of the UMC do their job and offer some leadership through our morass, the Bishops presented a statement. In that statement, they recommended that all legislation concerning human sexuality be deferred to a special commission to completely review all language relating to sexuality in the Book of Discipline with the possibility of modifying/removing... Read more
Wednesday morning, second week in. Our reporting team is sleeping poorly. Most of us wondering why we signed up for this gig. We came as volunteers. We all love the church. We’re full of opinions about what is happening. Be sure the listen to last nights “MethoNerds Roundtable” podcast. You’ll hear our hearts. And the tension is high this morning. Multiple protests are expected, and some will probably shut down the conference. We expect blocked legislation. Legislation that would soften... Read more
First: you want to know why the UMC is so stuck? Read this piece I wrote for the United Methodist Reporter. We’re a muddy administrative impossibility. As for me, it is Tuesday, late afternoon. Still one more hour of legislation. The presiding Bishop decided to speak in French as an act of hospitality to our many African delegates. so all the US delegates get to wear earphones. Have no idea what/if the observers hear. In the press room, we just... Read more
I’ve backed away from blogging a bit. Too many emotions hitting, not able to sort it out, too many articles I need to write, too much utter fatigue. But oh so many thoughts!!! So, time to leap in. Twice now, I have attended breakfast planning meetings held by Good News, a conservative action group that holds the goal of reclaiming the UMC for orthodoxy. For me, they represent my past that I needed to leave for the sake of my... Read more
My back, arms, butt all ache. Too much sitting, too much typing, too much tension. My heart aches. Too much anguish. Wonderful morning worship–read all about it here. We heard loud and clear: If we don’t declare murderers and racists incompatible with Christian teaching, it’s time to stop declaring homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching. The message and music lead us to praise God, to love each other. And then the delegates go into their legislative committees and . . .... Read more
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