Ministry

The Reverend Jeremy Smith posted a link to this article on Twitter.  Just reading the title made me want to write a response.  Be forewarned, I am not an expert on the subject, but to be frank, I am not sure Abraham is either.  A strong case could be made that inclusivism was not the best word for what he is getting at.  Here are a few thoughts to some of professor Abraham's … [Read more...] about Inclusivism

As I continue to think about the 2012 United Methodist General Conference, I have some thoughts about moving forward.  Here are my hopes for the future: Focus - One problem with our church is a lack of focus.  We have a mission statement, two kinds of holiness, three simple rules, and four areas of focus.  Additionally, we have other programs and agencies focused on ministry. … [Read more...] about Hopes for the United Methodist Church

I was reading the Reverend Mark Reisinger's response to General Conference that he posted on his Facebook account.  One line that particularly resonated with me is where Mark asks "did we really expect a great revival to begin through a majority vote in a convention center?"  Reading some of the propaganda...hype...analysis before General Conference, I got the impression some … [Read more...] about One Thing More

I wanted to share some more thoughts on Guaranteed Appointments beyond what I said in my posts on Accountability and Power. Wesley's Covenant Prayer - Several people in their tweets and blog posts referenced Wesley's Covenant Prayer when discussing the end of Guaranteed Appointments.  The line that was continually used was "let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee." … [Read more...] about Guaranteed Appointments

After reading Tom Berlin's blog post about Guaranteed Appointments, I am glad he feels great about the loss of guaranteed appointments.  Undoubtedly he is feeling better that he now knows the conference wants him and is not merely putting up with him.  It was nice of him to acknowledge, a bit, that he was not in the most vulnerable of positions.  After all as a popular clergy … [Read more...] about Power