From Pastor Eric (Page 2)
Have You Heard About the MAC “Straw Poll”?
If I had to make a guess, I’d say that most of the good folks in our church are not aware of the non-binding straw poll that was take at annual conference last week. Following the 2019 General Conference, the leadership team of the Michigan Annual Conference (MAC) wanted to get a better sense about where the people in our conference stand in regard to the matter of whether or not to allow clergy to perform same-sex weddings and ordain…
Pastoral Response to General Conference
Dear Friends at Adrian First United Methodist Church, Last week, The United Methodist Church prayerfully and intentionally entered into a process of holy conferencing with the hope of discovering an amicable way forward in regard our denominational stance on human sexuality, specifically pertaining to marriage and ordination. On Tuesday, the special called session of General Conference came to an end, and with it, a decision. Bishop David Bard states it well in his letter to the members of the Michigan…
A Pastoral Letter on General Conference 2019
Humility, Hope, Heart, and Wisdom Sisters and Brothers in Christ in the Michigan United Methodist Church, in this new year I bring greetings in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the peace and power of the Holy Spirit. As 2018 came to a close, many of us watched portions of the funeral services for former president George H. W. Bush and some of the news specials about his life and career. Along the way,…
A Next Possible Step
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…
My Thoughts On *A Way Forward* (Part 3 of 3)
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…
My Thoughts On *A Way Forward* (Part 2 of 3)
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…
My Thoughts On *A Way Forward* (Part 1 of 3)
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: A Way Forward
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…
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