About the time I was 10 or 11 — old enough for a child to begin to reason out some things — I began to fear the end of the world. Being raised in a Southern evangelical Christian environment, I’d…
Webinars to prepare United Methodists for new direction
United Methodist bishops are seeking to educate and elevate new leadership for the worldwide denomination as it enters 2026 with a new structure and goals after half a decade of turmoil and disaffection. Toward those ends, three webinars are planned…
Methodists caught the car; now what?
As 2026 dawns, The United Methodist Church enters a new era much like a chasing dog that caught a passing car: Now that they’ve got it, what do they do with it? The UMC changed radically on Nov. 5, 2025,…
Advent messages urge United Methodists to defend immigrants
As President Donald Trump’s administration has pursued immigration enforcement aggressively this year, The United Methodist Church has intensified multiple avenues of immigrant support. Now United Methodist leaders are using their Advent messages to urge pastors and church members to protect…
United Methodists ratify new global structure
After a five-year effort that began outside the United States, United Methodists have overwhelmingly approved four constitutional amendments that make the worldwide denomination into a global network of co-equal regions devoted to including all people in the church no matter…
Methodists jump to action with food ministries
Even as the Trump administration announced it would restore federal food benefits at half their usual levels, United Methodists across the United States rallied to feed hungry people while the U.S. government shutdown continues. Two federal judges ordered the restoration…
Sorry, Secretary Hegseth, ‘Jesus don’t like killing’
In my younger days, I listened to a lot of music. Being of the rock ‘n roll generation, music was a defining part of our society. A personal favorite of mine was and is country rocker John Prine, whose observations…
Book brings pet ministry into church’s mainstream
About 20 years ago, United Methodist laywoman Gayle McKuin Fiser and her pastor, Betsy Singleton Snyder, discovered they had a mutual love of dogs. What’s more, they realized lots of folks at their church had a similar affinity for their…
Bring back religion? It never left
Dear President Trump, I have a hot flash for you: Religion never left America. What’s more, those of us who’ve practiced our respective religions faithfully for generations aren’t about to let you force your white “Christian” nationalism down the throats…
Environmentalist says the sun can save earth from disaster
Environmentalist Bill McKibben considers himself a big fan of “Brother Sun,” as his ecological spiritual ancestor, Saint Francis, termed earth’s star in his famous canticle. Often considered the godfather of the contemporary environmental movement, McKibben’s new book, Here Comes the…
United Methodists’ commitment to overcoming racism still rising
Five years ago, on the historic holiday known as Juneteenth, the United Methodist Council of Bishops unveiled a churchwide initiative called “Dismantling Racism.” The bishops were responding to the series of high-profile killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George…
Retired pastor invites community to advocate for immigrants
Retired United Methodist pastor Jerry Eckert knows a lot about advocating for folks who may not have someone to stand up for their rights. Eckert was a co-founder of a volunteer group, Associates in Advocacy, that provides advocates — usually…