United Methodist

Things I Learned While Having “The Talk” with My UMC Congregation

I recently put together a four-week study on human sexuality for my UM congregation here in Colorado. It’s not something I was excited to do, given the current level of rancor about the topic in our culture and denomination, but as we move toward General Conference 2020 and congregations prepare to make decisions in advance …

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A Pastoral Letter Regarding the UMC Judicial Council Decision

Dear Members and Friends of TLUMC, I am writing to update you on the status of the decision of the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church regarding the Bishop of the Rocky Mountain Conference, Karen Oliveto. The Judicial Council is our denomination’s version of the Supreme Court and rules on matters of church law. …

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My Hopes for the WCA

I will be attending the first gathering of the newly formed Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) on October 7 in Chicago, along with a “remnant” of orthodox colleagues in the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference. The recent election in the Western Jurisdiction and appointment of an openly lesbian bishop to our annual conference have raised the stakes for …

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A Pastoral Letter to the People of Tri-Lakes UMC

TLUMC Church Family, The Western Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church met July 13-16, 2016 in Scottsdale, AZ. The primary purpose of the jurisdictional conference is to elect and assign bishops to annual conferences within the jurisdiction. The jurisdictional conference meets every four years and, this year, there was one opening for a bishop. …

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“Reasons Against Separation” Calmly Considered (Pt. 4)

In this last post we look at Reasons 10-12 of John Wesley’s “Reasons Against Separation from the Church of England” as a model for the UMC. (Wesley’s words are in bold). 10. BECAUSE the Experiment has been so frequently tried already, and the success has never answer’d the Expectation. GOD has since the Reformation raised …

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“Reasons Against Separation” Calmly Considered (Pt. 3)

John Wesley’s “Reasons Against Separation from the Church of England” as a model for the UMC. In this installment, Reasons 7-9. (Wesley’s words are in bold) 7. BECAUSE, whereas Controversy is now asleep, and we in great Measure live peaceably with all Men, so that we are strangely at Leisure to spend our whole Time …

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“Reasons Against Separation” Calmly Considered (Pt. 2)

Part 2 of a series using John Wesley’s “Reasons Against Separation from the Church of England” as a model for evangelicals in the UMC. In this installment, we begin looking at Wesley’s “Reasons Against Separation from the Church of England” itself and how it might instruct us in the present crisis facing the Church. Wesley …

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“Reasons Against Separation” Calmly Considered (Pt. 1)

I returned on Sunday afternoon from the Rocky Mountain UM Annual Conference session in Pueblo and after a few days of rest and reflection (some necessitated by an intestinal virus I picked up while there), I’ve been pondering the question the Bishop posed in her Episcopal Address—namely, given the deep divisions in the church right …

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