No United Methodist who knows anything about the denomination’s history can feel anything but profound sadness at what’s happening to the American democratic republic. Good and bad, The United Methodist Church and its predecessors have shaped and been shaped by…
Remaking the UMC brings ‘aura of hope’
When The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968, eminent theologian Albert C. Outler preached an opening sermon in which he extolled “an aura of hope” for the new denomination despite its challenges. Facing new challenges today, United Methodist leaders…
Confessions of a cancer caregiver
After a lifetime of trying to follow Jesus, the enormity of his teachings becomes tangibly real when cancer comes into your life. It’s one o’clock in the afternoon, and my husband, John, is asleep. He’s no slacker; he’s recovering from…
United Methodists denounce Trump’s Easter threats
United Methodists this week joined a growing chorus of faith and civic leaders denouncing President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran posted on social media. On Easter Sunday, Trump posted on his social media platform: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day,…
United Methodist Church to close cherished mission site
The United Methodist Committee on Relief announced it will close a regional depot where thousands of disaster relief kits have been assembled and shipped for nearly 30 years. Sager Brown Depot in Baldwin, La., will be closed in January 2027…
What to make of Adam Hamilton’s possible Senate run?
Adam Hamilton, founder and senior pastor of the largest congregation in The United Methodist Church, announced in an email and video Feb. 27 he is exploring a possible candidacy for the U.S. Senate as an independent. He said he is…
By Trump’s definition, Jesus ‘engaged in domestic terrorism’
There’s a lie that’s been rattling around my mind since federal agents murdered Alex Pretti Jan. 24. It’s the lie that Pretti, an intensive-care nurse at a Veterans’ Administration hospital, was “engaged in domestic terrorism.” Realistically, dozens of videos have…
The Tribulation is here for real
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…