- The Newly-Revised GMC Episcopal Election Process is Really Quite Good
The Holy Spirit visited us in so many ways during the first regular General Conference of the Global Methodist Church in South Africa. It was a holy and focusing time for our movement. I regret that time did not allow… Read more: The Newly-Revised GMC Episcopal Election Process is Really Quite Good - The Cattywampus Episcopacy: A Friendly Question About GMC Bishops
There is a word we used back in Jackson Parish when something wasn’t exactly crooked, wasn’t exactly backwards, but somehow didn’t seem put together quite right: cattywampus. I’m not sure that’s how one spells it, but I know it’s how… Read more: The Cattywampus Episcopacy: A Friendly Question About GMC Bishops - Texas Annual Conference Faces Lawsuit Over United Methodist Property
The Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church filed a lawsuit in state district court, seeking to protect regional church property and assets amid ongoing disaffiliation disputes. According to court filings obtained from the Dallas County District Clerk’s office,… Read more: Texas Annual Conference Faces Lawsuit Over United Methodist Property - Reflections on General Conference 202
For the last 11 days, I’ve been in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the General Conference of The Global Methodist Church (GMC). It has been a whirlwind of 18-hour days, little sleep, and hard work. I was privileged to serve as… Read more: Reflections on General Conference 202 - Global Methodist Church adopts Articles of Faith, elects first full-time bishops at Johannesburg conference
The Global Methodist Church adopted a set of Articles of Faith and elected eight bishops to its first regular Assembly of Bishops during a General Conference that closed Saturday (Sept. 5) at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, the denomination… Read more: Global Methodist Church adopts Articles of Faith, elects first full-time bishops at Johannesburg conference - Global Methodist Church celebrates growth in first four years
The Global Methodist Church elected eight bishops at its General Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking the new denomination’s first full-time Assembly of Bishops. The denomination consecrated the bishops at the Saturday conclusion of the conference, it said in a… Read more: Global Methodist Church celebrates growth in first four years - Auta Emerges Coordinating Bishop of GMC in Nigeria
The Global Methodist Church (GMC) has unanimously appointed Bishop John Pena Auta as its Coordinating Bishop in Nigeria, placing him at the centre of the denomination’s spiritual and administrative coordination at a critical stage of its growth in the country. - If you died and were forgotten, would your life still matter?
We want our lives to matter. We want to know that our years have added up to something, that our work has made a difference, and that the people we love are better off because we were here. There is… Read more: If you died and were forgotten, would your life still matter? - Which Version of Methodism? with Pete Bellini
What kind of Methodism will emerge over the next generation? In this episode of More to the Story, I talk with Pete Bellini of United Theological Seminary about his thought-provoking article, “Which Methodism?” Bellini explores key theological and ecclesial questions… Read more: Which Version of Methodism? with Pete Bellini - Living Well Makes an Impact
John Wesley wrote these words in 1760 in a letter to Dorothy Furly. She received many letters from Wesley with pastoral and health advice. Wesley corresponded with a number of people, particularly women, that sought his counsel and at the… Read more: Living Well Makes an Impact - Awake & Arise Podcast ~ Episode 11: Prevenient Grace
God is seeking us long before we ever have the first thought of seeking Him. In Episode 11 of Awake & Arise, Conference Superintendent Greg West is joined by Rev. Joshua Hong and Nancy Hong of The Church of the… Read more: Awake & Arise Podcast ~ Episode 11: Prevenient Grace - The Global Methodist General Conference in South Africa: A Recap and Testimony
As I prepare for a 16-hour flight back to the United States, I find myself reflecting on the beauty I just witnessed at the Global Methodist General Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. I do not take for granted the gift… Read more: The Global Methodist General Conference in South Africa: A Recap and Testimony - General Conference Midway Roundup
I haven’t offered daily updates from the General Conference in Johannesburg. To those who have: I salute you. At the end of these days, I’m cooked. In the effort not to be a total slacker, however, I’ll offer a brief… Read more: General Conference Midway Roundup - Highland Park United Methodist Church legal dispute prompts questions of authority and power
That seemingly simple line in a corporate document is at the center of a lawsuit brought by the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination against one of its largest and wealthiest congregations. - Global Methodist Church Elects Its First Full-Time Assembly of Bishops
For the first time, the Church has elected a regular, full-time Assembly of Bishops to serve six-year terms. Under the theme “the Beauty of Holiness,” the Global Methodist Church reconvened for the Wednesday afternoon plenary of the 2026 General Conference in Johannesburg,… Read more: Global Methodist Church Elects Its First Full-Time Assembly of Bishops - Godless and Providential?
The Godless Constitution and the Providential Nation by Steven D. Smith is timely reading for America’s 250th birthday, especially amid increasing debates over Christian Nationalism. Even as American religious practice has declined over several decades, more religious voices are paradoxically clamoring… Read more: Godless and Providential? - IRD in ‘The New Yorker’
An article last week in The New Yorker mentioned our Institute on Religion & Democracy. Bill McKibben, a longtime climate activist and a United Methodist, highlights Mainline Protestants running for public office as a sign of Mainline Protestant revival, of sorts. He mentions… Read more: IRD in ‘The New Yorker’ - ‘Christian nationalism’ already failed America once
It is easy to look around America today and feel like something vital is slipping away. Families feel fragmented, institutions look hollowed out, and an aggressive anti-Christian “secularism” seems determined to scrub every trace of faith from public life. For… Read more: ‘Christian nationalism’ already failed America once - Bedford County church files federal suit against United Methodist Conference over disaffiliation
BEDFORD COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — Queen Memorial Church has filed a federal lawsuit against the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. They say the conference violated the congregation’s constitutional rights by refusing to allow it to disaffiliate from the… Read more: Bedford County church files federal suit against United Methodist Conference over disaffiliation - Resurrecting Wesleyan Evangelism: The Necessity of Field Preaching Today
Statistics and anecdotal evidence suggest we are moving into a post-Christian era in North America. If this is the case, it is imperative that the church recapture a sense of missionary calling and method. There is no magic bullet to… Read more: Resurrecting Wesleyan Evangelism: The Necessity of Field Preaching Today - Still Methodist?: Connectionalism and Potential Deficits of Independent Methodism
I have lived most of my life in West Texas, where the air is usually so hot and arid that if I need a shower in the morning and evening, my towel will have completely dried during the day. I… Read more: Still Methodist?: Connectionalism and Potential Deficits of Independent Methodism - Days 2 & 3 – General Conference of the GMC
The best part of the day was a time spent with Diane Ury, a saint of the Salvation Army, with the distinguished title of “National Ambassador for Holiness.” A year or so ago, I went on a search for a… Read more: Days 2 & 3 – General Conference of the GMC - Sanctification and the Sacraments: Encountering the Transforming Presence of God
One of the great challenges facing the modern Church is that many Christians have come to think about holiness or sanctification primarily in moral terms. Sanctification becomes reduced to “being a good person,” avoiding certain sins, or trying harder to… Read more: Sanctification and the Sacraments: Encountering the Transforming Presence of God - Doctrine, Spirit, and Discipline
I spent part of my Wednesday morning watching the livestream of the Global Methodist Church’s General Conference meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. What a joy it was to see a room filled with people from all over the world gathered… Read more: Doctrine, Spirit, and Discipline - Pastors report rising worship attendance, but fewer new commitments to Christ: study
While most pastors report increased church attendance, a recent study finds that the share of attendees who are new converts or previously unchurched has declined sharply over the last decade. Lifeway Research posted a report on Tuesday finding that 54% of more… Read more: Pastors report rising worship attendance, but fewer new commitments to Christ: study
