With the U.S. presidential election and down-ballot contests looming, United Methodists are making a final push to encourage their sibling Wesleyans to vote as a sacred duty, using Christian values and character traits as their guide. Officially, the denomination, its…
May your search for truth land on these sacred words: ‘I am enough’
My life, like so many others, is a journey of seemingly unrelated worlds merging in joyous, messy, difficult, lovely ways that defy easy explanations. My experience in the arena of professional clergy intersects with the domestic sphere as a wife…
How Mainline Protestant churches are addressing Christian nationalism
In this politically fraught time, communities of faith have a unique opportunity to speak truth into the chaos. This necessarily means addressing the religious nationalism that burst from the shadows into public view on January 6, 2021. Regardless the outcome…
Southern Baptists have voted heavily Republican in last four elections
Southern Baptists have voted consistently Republican in the last four presidential elections, researcher Ryan Burge says. In his analysis of 40 U.S. denominations, “the Southern Baptists and the independent Baptists are clearly the most Republican of the bunch,” he reported…
Online gatherings are the place to be for United Methodists
If the great global coronavirus pandemic accomplished anything good, its enforced quarantine taught The United Methodist Church how to use online gatherings more effectively. Hardly any local church or regional unit meeting lacks an online component, whether interactive webinars, livestreamed…
Climate change captures United Methodists’ election interests
As the U.S. presidential election moves into its final weeks, United Methodists are focusing attention on a global issue that’s getting little in the way of candidate and media attention: Earth’s rapidly warming environment and its effect on people. Two…
I just left The United Methodist Church for an Alliance of Baptists congregation
Those of us in the Mainline Protestant traditions who still find community in church settings often feel an allegiance to whichever denomination we were raised in. In my case, I was baptized and confirmed in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and…
United Methodist pastors, churches building relationships faster with ‘onboarding’
Each year, 30% to 40% of United Methodist churches receive new pastors through the process known as “appointment.” Unlike other Protestant churches that “call” their own pastors, United Methodist clergy are “appointed” by a bishop to a church in an…
It’s time for the prophets among us to stand up and speak out
I was recently with a group of pastors and laity from The United Methodist Church (the denomination I’m a part of). There, I lamented the fact that some pastors are afraid of addressing things like Christian nationalism within their congregations….