Kindled by sparks of grace, The United Methodist Church was started by a man whose heart was strangely warmed and that has now grown into a denomination aflame with social holiness. At opening worship on May 29, the 1,100 members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference claimed the “fire shut-up...
By Charlie Moore Prior to General Conference, I was asked to go to Charlotte to observe all of the deliberations around the proposed 2025-2028 General Conference budget and provide some informal interpretation on the impact on our United Methodist “Connection” over the next...
By Eleanor Meeks You Can’t Feed Someone’s Soul If Their Body is Hungry: A profile on Rev. Dr. Irance Reddix-McCray and Her Journey of Faith On a Tuesday afternoon at approximately 1 p.m., the Adullum Community Healthcare Center sits in calm stillness. Located in the Waverly UMC...
By Bill Brown Evangelism is a word that often elicits mixed emotions, especially for those of us who are United Methodists. For many, it conjures memories of encounters with judgmental zealots, overly aggressive preachers, and individuals who seem more focused on converting others than on...
In the wake of disaffiliation and the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Methodist Church saw 862 delegates descend on Charlotte, North Carolina for the postponed 2020 General Conference. The Baltimore-Washington Conference sent 12 individuals — six clergy and six lay members — to...
By Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli Because of the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. -- Luke 1:78-79 (Song of Zechariah) For many months leading up to this...
By Rev. Dr. Leo Yates, Jr. The outcome from General Conference has been very positive for all sorts of groups, including Deacons. The Rev. Julie Wilson and Rev. Dr. Leo Yates, both Deacons in full connection, had submitted petition #20879, titled Granting Sacramental Authority to Deacons in...
By Rev. Chet Jechura Throughout this General Conference, the Gospel of John’s account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead has come to the forefront of my mind again and again. Jesus was deeply disturbed when he arrives at his beloved friend’s tomb. When Jesus asks that the stone...
As the 2024 General Conference officially approved and adopted a new set of Social Principles, several key leaders in the effort were quietly celebrating.
By Erik Alsgaard Today, May 1, 2024, is the Rev. Leo Yates' wedding anniversary. He and his husband received an anniversary gift today: the removal of some language in the church’s Book of Discipline, from paragraph 304.3, which states in part that “the practice of homosexuality is...
