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…
What comes next for the United Methodist Church?
Not even the sainted hymnist of Methodism, Charles Wesley, could sing better of the United Methodist Church’s future than King George III in the musical Hamilton: What comes next? Regrouping after decades-long conflicts over human sexuality, declining membership, decreased revenues…
UMC delegates remove ban on LGBTQ clergy by consensus vote
After 40 years of wrangling and rancor, delegates to the postponed 2020 United Methodist General Conference overwhelmingly removed the ban on ordaining “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals” as clergy. The vote was 692 for and 51 against to approve the consent calendar…
UMC gives first approval to restructuring plan
The United Methodist Church is one step closer to restructuring its worldwide body to give greater latitude to each region to shape its faith and traditions. Delegates to the thrice-delayed General Conference voted 586 to 164 for an amendment to…
United Methodists will decide realigning church’s structure, authority in 2024
For the first time in half a century, acceptance of sexual minorities isn’t likely to be the major issue coming before The United Methodist Church’s worldwide legislative assembly next spring. Instead, the looming political fight appears to be how to…
‘Operation Reconquista’ aims to return Mainline churches to ‘orthodoxy’
Conservatives from seven Mainline Protestant denominations marked Reformation Sunday this year by publishing their own 95 theses calling for reform in their respective denominations — except for those affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA, who published 9.5 theses to…
Retired pastor’s book finds Methodist history ‘strangely lukewarm’ on confronting racism
If United Methodists are to fulfill the church’s current mission to dismantle racism, then its white members must come to terms with the denomination’s racist history, contends author John Elford. Elford’s conviction spurred him to write Our Hearts Were Strangely…
Clearer picture emerging of UMC’s future
Even before its official year of splintering is completed, United Methodists are carving out a clearer identity for the denomination’s future and a clearer picture is emerging of who has stayed and who has left, about clergy health and the…
Beyond the headlines, United Methodists muster new energy for doing good
Recent news headlines have screamed that The United Methodist Church in the United States has lost one-fifth of its congregations in a split over acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ Christians. What the articles typically don’t tell are the ways in…