As the United Methodist Church recently made decisions at its general conference regarding the ordination of homosexual pastors, among other issues, it has stirred repercussions in Korea, where there are divergent reactions among among Korean-American Methodist pastors.
This development is not surprising. While some"traditionalists" as they have been characterized chose to disaffiliate from the UMC before the General Conference, others chose to wait and see what happened at the General Conference. The exodus of more than quarter of US Methodist congregations, mostly in conservative, rural areas, made it easier for UMC's progressive wing to push through its agenda since there were fewer "traditionalist" delegates to oppose the proposed changes. Based upon what occurred when other mainline Protestant denominations adopted similar measures, the UMC can expect more fallout from the actions of the General Conference.Alabama Supreme Court rules against 44 churches trying to leave the UMC
The Alabama Supreme Court has upheld an earlier ruling against 44 congregations attempting to leave the United Methodist Church over the denomination’s debate on LGBT issues. In a per curiam ruling released last Friday, Alabama’s highest court rejected a lawsuit by Aldersgate United Methodist Church of Montgomery and 43 other churches against the UMC Alabama-West Florida Conference.
6 Characteristics of a Great Team Member
In our culture, there’s so much emphasis on being a good leader that we rarely hear about what it means to be a good follower. In any church or organization, the strength of the team is often the defining factor in its success. So why does most of the responsibility and conversation land on the leader? For staff members, lay leaders, and followers, being an exemplary team member is crucial to the health of any organization. Here are some key traits that contribute to being an effective and supportive member of the team.
Silenced: What I Learned About Leadership When I Lost My Voice
My conversation with the throat specialist challenged me to pay close attention to my leadership voice—my vocation—and perhaps expand the conversation I had with other leaders by thinking, Your voice, your vocation and calling is not lost. It’s damaged. It’s the result of trauma, your environment, stress, bad habits, your own choices. You need to look at how you got here, and you have to change your life.
h How Can You Mumble?
Colossians 3:16 commands us to sing for the benefit of one another even as we sing ultimately to the Lord. Whenever we sing, we direct our hearts vertically toward our God, but we also direct our words horizontally toward our brothers and sisters. We sing from the gospel, for one another, to the Lord.
This article reminded me of the importance of exercising care and thought in what we ask a congregation to sing. Despite their popularity and widespread use a number of songs in the contemporary Christian and praise and worship music genre are theologically unsound and unscriptural. Worship teams may be using them because they produce an oxytocin rush in the singer, as well as showcase the singer's vocal skills. However, showing the vocal abilities of the worship team in a favorable way and obtaining an oxytocin rush from singing a particular song is not one of the reasons Christians sing in their Sunday gatherings. Even a cursory survey of videos of songs in this genre on YouTube shows that there is a Maua Kea of alternative songs which are theologically sound and scriptural.3 Ways to Treat VBS Volunteers Like VIPs
As summer approaches, is VBS on your mind? Perhaps you’re asking yourself a question nearly as old as ministry itself: “How do I hang onto good volunteers?” You certainly aren’t alone in asking that question. Answers are as nuanced as individual churches. But a solid basis is to nourish your VBS volunteers in body, heart and soul, and mind.
Steered Into Error by Those Closest to You
Because we love our families, and because we may naturally feel compassion toward those closest to us, we are vulnerable to the temptation of setting aside what is right in order to appease those who want to take a disobedient path. Our compassion might blind us to what is wise and good. Our sense of closeness to people might obstruct any recognition that they are deceiving and manipulating us.
Seeing People for the Sake of the Gospel
Seeing people for the sake of a gospel conversation often takes time. Think months and years, not minutes and days.
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