Blog

Can Christians be perfect? John Wesley believed they could. But he didn’t mean sinless perfection. In this episode of Theology Project, Dr. Chris Lohrstorfer joins me to discuss John Wesley’s Sermon 40, “Christian Perfection,” and one of the most distinctive—and often misunderstood—doctrines of the Wesleyan tradition. What did Wesley actually mean by Christian perfection?

In this deep, 70-minute conversation, publisher Henry Neufeld sits down with authors and theologians Allan Bevere and Bruce Epperly to explore the vital, often misunderstood concept of “social holiness.” At a time when public discourse is increasingly polarized and human beings are routinely reduced to political abstractions, how does the church live out a concrete, […]

Methodism has always had a primary concern with the person and work of the Holy Spirit. John Wesley’s sermons revolved around a robust pneumatology (theology of the Holy Spirit) with great regularity. Yet over the course of a couple of centuries, the Holy Ghost became somewhat alien to average churchgoers, taking the place of something […]

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 facing the Global Methodist Church and outlines five possible trajectories the movement could follow in […]

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 Lord Jesus Christ GMC in Chesapeake for a conversation about Prevenient Grace. How do we, […]

John Wesley left the people called Methodist a trio of doctrinal standards: The Twenty-Five Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church, the Fifty-Two Standard Sermons and his Notes on the New Testament. This trio of doctrinal standards have always been our official doctrinal standards. The Articles being the law of our doctrine and the other two being the spirit of our doctrine. The former being […]

Why is it so important to teach the Christian faith to the next generation? And what happens when the Church stops doing it? In this episode of It’s Elementary, Dr. David Watson and Dr. Tesia Mallory explore the importance of passing on the faith through Scripture, doctrine, worship, discipleship, and theological education. Reflecting on recent […]

To some degree, Methodism has always been a lay-led movement. Without the proactive engagement of laity, clergy never would have gotten very far. In an early colonial setting in America, with circuit riders giving intermittent care to congregations, it was lay leadership that kept churches afloat. More than that, discerning lay leadership kept Methodism spreading […]

Some legislation before the coming General Conference is more theological or theoretical than other legislation. One category of legislation is more immediately practical than perhaps any other: How are we to govern our churches? Specifically, how will we protect one another from ‘disorderly walkers’ or bad actors in the church? There hasn’t ever been a […]

Holiness is a primary concern, not just of the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition, but of the Bible. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Our Lord is holy, and He has called us to be holy as He is holy. Even so, as Global Methodists talk about the call to holiness, I sometimes get the sense […]

Yesterday’s panel on Church Discipline figured a good deal into the conversation around judicial administration. The rules we already have in place may or may not be sufficient for protecting good order in our covenant body. The reality of our culture seems to be a mitigating concern when considering the execution of our disciplinary practices. […]

Talk is talk; action is action. These things don’t always match up. My previous denomination, The United Methodist Church, talked a big game about international respect and the global nature of the church, but then they resegregated themselves from nonAmericans by the creation of regional conferences. The Global Methodist Church, having left the UMC, has […]

John Wesley once asked a simple but powerful question: “What may we reasonably believe to be God’s design in raising up the people called Methodists?” The answer shaped a movement that continues to impact lives around the world today. Join us for “Methodist Roots,” a seven-week teaching series from the Assembly of Bishops that explores […]

Sacramental theology is a deep concern for many in the Global Methodist fold. John Wesley had a good deal to say about both. But we also care a great deal about making disciples and carrying forward effective evangelism. How is it that our sacramental theology helps or hinders us in the task of making true […]

Is it global?Does it strengthen the local church?Does it advance the mission?Does it build a movement?Can it actually work? General Conference 2026 is almost here. These are the key questions that are the filter by which the MidTexas delegation is using to determine whether or not existing BDD verbiage and/or new petitions are needed. Please […]