Blog – Omnia Methodist

Can Christians Be Perfect?

omniamethodist — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:42:19 +0000

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?

Joburg Journal: GC Recap with Will Gregory

omniamethodist — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:38:16 +0000

Social Holiness: A Conversation with Allan Bevere and Bruce Epperly

omniamethodist — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:13:41 +0000

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, compassionate faith? We dive into:

Private piety vs. communal obligation (Why “Me and Jesus” isn’t the New Testament)
The historic reality of Jesus as a marginalized subject under empire
Why “God is Jesus” is the ultimate theological paradigm shift we need today
Reclaiming empathy in an era of authoritarianism and division

Considering Johannesburg – “So…Are We Charismatics Now?” – Panel 10

omniamethodist — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:04:49 +0000

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 of a benign pet rather than a powerful transformational personal agent, equal to the Father and the Son. For that reason, the Pentecostal movement eventually came out of us and quickly grew away from us. Today, they are growing around the world while Methodism largely shrinks in the West.

Which Version of Methodism? with Pete Bellini

omniamethodist — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:09:26 +0000

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 the next 25 years. Our conversation examines identity, doctrine, discipleship, leadership, and the challenges of building a faithful Wesleyan future. Whether you are a pastor, theologian, or engaged layperson, this discussion offers important insights into the future of global Methodism.

Awake & Arise Podcast ~ Episode 11: Prevenient Grace

omniamethodist — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:03:10 +0000

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, as ambassadors of Christ, cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He is already at work drawing people toward Jesus?

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”

John 1:9

Listen to Episode 11 today, and make sure to follow and subscribe to Awake & Arise so you don’t miss what’s coming next!

Andrew Sullivan, “Harmony of the Arminian Faith: A Proposal to the Global Methodist Church” (Full Thesis)

omniamethodist — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 23:09:08 +0000

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 an enforceable creed used to expel heretics, the latter containing our Wesleyan-Arminian distinctives.

However, a problem with this Anglican way of “doing theology” (something Wesley simply inherited being a minister in the Church of England) is that it is deeply flawed. Our Articles only lay out a simple and basic Protestant theology (and yet even that, we former United Methodists, now Global Methodists, couldn’t even get right! Shame on us!). A Book of Homilies, or Standard Sermons, have also been proven difficult to enforce (and how much more so Wesley’s New Testament Notes!). Yet the solution is not to abandon our traditional doctrinal standards. Indeed, to do so is to open the floodgates for every theological opinion under the sun. By proposing to abolish our trio of doctrinal standards, the Global Methodist Church has been swept away by a theological version of a Bolshevik and Jacobin revolution. Now everything goes, everything is up for grabs. There have been many suggestions as to what the future theology of the Global Methodist Church should be.

Teaching the Faith as an Act of Love | Dr. Tesia Mallory | It’s Elementary Podcast Ep.

omniamethodist — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 23:36:21 +0000

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 experiences teaching Methodist doctrine, they discuss why traditions matter, why the Church must intentionally form believers, and why doctrine is not merely about drawing boundaries but about helping people know God and experience salvation.

The conversation highlights the uniquely Wesleyan emphasis on doctrine, spirit, and discipline, and explores how practices such as worship, catechesis, liturgy, mentorship, and seminary education help preserve and transmit the faith across generations.

Considering Johannesburg – “The Role of Laity in the GMC” – Panel 9

omniamethodist — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 21:53:19 +0000

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 and growing. Growing in numbers and in depth, for a couple of generations.

It was only the professionalization of clergy, requiring a graduate degree, and the rapid deceleration of itinerancy, that allowed for ordained leadership to take the reigns to the degree that they did. What followed? Liberalism and decline. In our last denomination, it was the laity who held the liberal rot at bay for several general conference sessions.

On today’s panel, we are talking about the current role and status of laity in the GMC, as well as the legislation before the General Conference that might impact the standing of laity around the world. Join me as I learn from these two:

Considering Johannesburg – “Church Discipline” – Panel 5

omniamethodist — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:05:56 +0000

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 time in which local churches had universally benevolent believers. Wolves have always tried to work their way into the sheep.

Today three panelists are going to help me to discern the legislation of the General Conference that will potentially impact how it is that local churches are empowered (or not) to practice church discipline. While this isn’t the most public-facing stuff, it is extremely important in what kind of culture we have as we go forward with this new covenant body. Join us to discuss.