Latest News
Plans to restructure The United Methodist Church’s 13 general agencies could imperil ministries that local congregations need and value, say agency executives. Read Full Article
TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) — Months before the 2012 General Conference, delegates to The United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking body got a hint of the debate to come regarding restructuring the denomination.
Diverse issues presented at a recent three-day briefing signaled the workload ahead for the lawmaking body of The United Methodist Church, which meets this spring. Read Full Article
That There Might Be No Schism in the Body of Christ. (Click on the title above to read article)
When General Conference meets in 2012, the denomination’s top lawmaking body will consider legislation to consolidate nine of the denomination’s 13 general agencies into a new United Methodist Center for Connectional Mission and Ministry Read Full Article
It all began with a pair of colorful, comfortable, cozy socks.
Kathy Entsminger’s seriously ill brother, Steve Watkins, loved socks. So after he died of cancer in 1999, she decided to use his affinity for socks to honor him. Four years ago, at her workplace — the denomination’s finance agency in Nashville, Tenn. — she started “Steve’s Socks.” At Christmastime, staff members collect socks for men, women and children to benefit three agencies aiding displaced families.
The Rules Committee of the Commission on the General Conference has announced their recommendations for changes to the Plan of Organization and Rules of Order which provides the governance structure for the 2012 General Conference. The changes will be presented to delegates for consideration at the opening session. Read Full Article HERE
The recently announced Connectional Table/Interim Operations Team legislation for the 2012 General Conference amounts to turning the general church over to the bishops. Just the opposite is critical! Our episcopal leaders should be devoted almost exclusively to their annual conferences. Let’s restructure our agencies to focus on assisting the annual conferences in building vital congregations, [...]
The United Methodist Church’s top legislative body next spring will take up a recommended 2013-16 budget of more than $90 million to support the denomination’s 157 active and retired bishops.
The Council of Bishops has responded to the letter from 59 pastors that was written to communicate a deep concern regarding more than 900 ministerial colleagues who have pledged to perform same-sex weddings, despite the church’s prohibition against such ceremonies. READ LETTER
United Methodist Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen were awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for their work on women’s rights. Full Article
More than 300 United Methodist clergy and 500 laity have signed letters urging the Council of Bishops to take a public stand supporting the denomination’s position on marriage and homosexuality.
A group of 59 United Methodist clergy, including from some of the denomination’s largest churches, wants the Council of Bishops to issue a statement promising to enforce church law against clergy who have pledged to conduct same-sex unions.
Bishop Mack Stokes: Holiness in human sexuality Posted by steve On August – 9 – 2011 When God created human beings in his image, God made them male and female (Gen. 1:27). And God called them to be “fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28)…. Therefore, in keeping with the biblical revelation, “we affirm that sexuality is [...]
When the Rev. Deborah Estey took “muck out” training last spring through the United Methodist Committee on Relief, she didn’t realize how important those skills would become.
A United Methodist pastor in Minnesota faces a formal complaint that he may have conducted a ceremony that celebrates the union of a same-gender couple, which church law prohibits.
In the six years that the Rev. Dale Ashby has lived in Downsville, the town in the New York Catskills region has flooded four or five times. This week, as the remnants of Hurricane Irene soaked an already sodden landscape, it’s happening again.
“He died doing what he loved to do, which is flying. Pilots aren’t happy unless they are flying and he was doing it in the most significant arena he ever had before
Members of the Connectional Table, meeting July 25-28, endorsed five proposals that would change The United Methodist Church’s structure and potentially its funding.
I learned that you can worship God in different ways, not just by praying
A United Methodist pastor in Minnesota faces a formal complaint that he may have conducted a ceremony that celebrates the union of a same-gender couple, which church law prohibits. A United Methodist pastor in Minnesota faces a formal complaint that he may have conducted a ceremony that celebrates the union of a same-gender couple, [...]
In an essay near the close of this fine book on renewal in the United Methodist Church, the Rev. Eric Van Meter provides a striking image of Gen-X church leaders. Mr. Van Meter tells about arriving at his conference’s ordination service with several other clergy friends who were also Gen-Xers. They were, by his account, [...]
There is a preponderance of Methodist Bishops and Clergy calling for a change in the moral and standards of our Book of Discipline concerning Gay marriage. The Prophet Haggai asked his people to discern between two hypothetical questions. The first was ” what if something Holy touches that which is ordinary?” The second “what if [...]
By Dr. Maxie Dunnam British intelligence agents hacked into the Islamic jihadist magazine Inspire and changed the directions for making a homemade bomb to a recipe for making cupcakes. Even symbolically a bomb and a cupcake are polar opposites. Imagine the shock of those who thought they were going to find directions for making a bomb and [...]
(UMNS) On June 23, 2011 the trial court imposed the following penalty on Rev. Amy DeLong for performing a same-sex union: Rev. DeLong was suspended from the exercise of the functions of an Ordained elder of The United Methodist Church for a period of 20 days beginning July 1, 2011. The suspension is to be [...]
By Dr. Riley B. Case As of this writing the recommendation will go to General Conference that the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (GCCUIC) cease to exist as a general agency and that its responsibilities be handled by the Council of Bishops. A commendable idea. We have too many unnecessary agencies in [...]
After two days of testimony and three hours of deliberations, the jury of ministers found DeLong guilty of performing the same-sex marriage but not guilty of being a practicing homosexual — even though DeLong and her partner have filed for domestic partnership rights. (www.wbay.com) Full Article
Please be in prayer for The United Methodist Church as her historical position on homosexuality is, once again, challenged. The trial of self-avowed and practicing homosexual, Rev. Amy DeLong, is being held at Peace United Methodist Church in Kaukauna, Wisconsin Tuesday, June 21, 2011. Please pray for God’s wisdom and guidance for those presiding over and [...]
Dr. Stephen P. Wende, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church–Houston, Texas, urges the election of delegates to the 2012 UMC General Conference “who will represent God-honoring, Kingdom-focused, Christ-first, biblically strong positions.” Full Story & Podcast
Update: 70 Minn. clergy OK same-sex unions (UMNS)
An international panel of United Methodist leaders is offering three ways to make the denomination less U.S.-centric and strengthen its worldwide connection.
May 23, 2011
Several United Methodist churches in Joplin, Mo., were scrambling to provide shelter Monday morning for church members and others whose homes were damaged by a tornado the day before.
May 16, 2011
Members of the Connectional Table, meeting May 9-11, suggested drivers of the Interim Operations Team should proceed cautiously through intersections within The United Methodist Church.
May 10, 2011
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) passed a historic measure Tuesday evening allowing openly gay men and women in same-sex relationships to be ordained as clergy.
May 2, 2011
St. Simons Island, Ga.: Six months ago, Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, challenged his fellow bishops to lean into God’s future.
April 1, 2011
By Rob Renfroe
Two years of study and $500,000 later, the verdict is in. The United Methodist Church is in trouble. That’s the conclusion of the Call to Action report that has begun to dominate discussions about the future of the people called Methodist in the United States.
March 31, 2011
Nashville: Petitions for consideration by the 2012 General Conference may be submitted to the Petitions Secretary beginning April 1 and continuing through September 27, 2011.
By Joey Butler
2:00 P.M. EST Feb. 28, 2011 | LAS VEGAS (UMNS)
When one thinks of Las Vegas, a lot of images come to mind: Bright lights. Palatial casinos. Extravagant music, comedy and magic shows. “Sin City” just doesn’t seem the ideal place to hold a church event.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2011
Nashville, Tenn.: The Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table have named a seven-member Call to Action – Interim Operations Team who will serve to guide change management and work with the Council of Bishops, the Connectional Table, the general agencies and many others to develop and implement work plans in stages leading up to and beyond the 2012 General Conference.
In early February 2011, a group of retired United Methodist bishops issued “A Statement of Counsel to the Church—2011” in which they called upon The United Methodist Church to remove statements in ¶ 304.3 of The Book of Discipline that declare “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” and instruct that “self-avowed practicing [...]
A UMNS Report
By Heather Hahn
2:00 P.M. EST February 9, 2011
A lesbian clergywoman in Wisconsin will face a church trial that could result in her removal from United Methodist ordained ministry.
A UMNS Report
By Linda Bloom
1:30 P.M. EST February 4, 2011
The United Methodist Judicial Council again is being asked to re-consider a 2005 decision allowing a pastor to bar a gay man from joining his congregation.
by Brooklyn Lowery
Dec 20, 2010
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and it’s not just Christians turning December into a festive month of themed décor, gift giving and mailboxes packed with greeting cards.
By Katherine T. Phan|Christian Post Reporter
Dec 20, 2010
Even as drug cartel-related violence and poverty in Mexico’s northern border cities continue to make headlines, members of The Potter’s House kept their tradition of bringing Christmas to the impoverished city of Reynosa.
By Susan Passi-Klaus
December 9, 2010
What if we just stop? Stop the madness. Stop the frustrating pursuit of the perfect present. Stop shopping until we drop. Stop trying to “people please” through gift giving.
