Posts from 2018

What would motivate you to actively take the next in your walk of faith? What would it take for you to choose to go one step further along your own ‘path of discipleship’? Except for those who feel they have, as the song in Oklahoma puts it, “gone about as fur as they c’n go,” most of us are on a life-long spiritual journey. I’m simply asking the question, what’s the next step of your own journey, and what would…

If you have not already read my brief Tiding’s article, “The United Methodist Church: A Way Forward,” please do so before continuing. In February, our denomination will hold a special-called general conference to decide how to move forward in regard to the ordination and marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals within The United Methodist Church. As a denomination, we are guided by our constitution as well as our doctrinal statements, general rules, and social principles. But even though our denomination has…

If you have not already read my brief Tiding’s article, “The United Methodist Church: A Way Forward,” please do so before continuing. In February, our denomination will hold a special-called general conference to decide how to move forward in regard to the ordination and marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals within The United Methodist Church. The official group responsible for guiding us forward has proposed three possible plans (see the previous Tidings for a brief description of each plan). The Council…

If you have not already read my article entitled “United Methodist Church: A Way Forward,” please do so before continuing with this post. The Book of Discipline addresses the issues around homosexual practices and lifestyles in various places. Here’s a basic breakdown: ¶161G: Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only with the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage….We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image…

  The United Methodist Church is organized around and governed according our Book of Discipline (BOD). In essence, it is our denomination’s constitution. The only body within the denomination which can amend the BOD is General Conference, which is comprised of elected delegates of every United Methodist annual conference globally. General Conference meets every four years to vote on changes to the BOD, which have to be ratified by all annual conferences the following year. The United Methodist Church is…