How Do Conferences Pay 100 Percent of General Church Apportionments?
It was recently announced that 26 U.S.-based Annual Conferences paid 100 percent of their general church apportionments in 2018. Lovett H. Weems, Jr., draws upon…
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Articles
Is It Time to Acknowledge Where We Got It Wrong?
A recent editorial in Christianity Today magazine acknowledges how the magazine failed in confronting racism during critical years of the civil rights movement. Lovett H.…
The Process of Appointment-Making
Bishops and their Cabinets are entering the season of appointment-making. Many bishops and superintendents have developed careful processes and then seek to improve them each…
Matters of Life and Death
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff reports on William B. Lawrence’s book A Methodist Requiem that examines the legacy and impact of the church…
United Methodism’s Unfinished Business
Recalling the sermon Albert C. Outler preached 50 years ago at the birth of the United Methodist Church, Lovett H. Weems, Jr., says that Outler’s…
A Delta Moment in the Church
David McAllister-Wilson, president of Wesley Theological Seminary, posits the metaphor of a delta region to describe the dangerous yet fertile waters the church must navigate…
Methodism as an Experiment in Grace
David McAllister-Wilson sees the distinctive spiritual heritage of Methodism as something uniquely suited to our times — a legacy that cannot be sacrificed as the…
A New Church and A New Seminary: Theological Education Is the Solution
Many churches are “mule churches” — strong for a generation but unable to reproduce themselves. As a mule comes from a horse and a donkey,…
The High Price of Division Historically
Donald W. Haynes, a retired pastor and district superintendent, suggests that key questions raised by the Way Forward Commission should be considered in light of…
The $6.5 Billion Enigma
On the first day of a new year, all United Methodist churches begin working toward their common mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for…
What’s at Stake when Schism is an Option?
Originally published Dec. 12, 2017. United Methodists are facing major decisions about our legacy and future in the coming months and years. Myriad actions taken…
The Annual Conference as the Basic Unit of the Church
The Constitution of the United Methodist Church identifies the annual conference as “the basic body in the Church.” The annual conference admits persons into ordained…
7 of John Wesley’s Practices Can Change Hearts Today
Roger Ross, author of the book Meet the Goodpeople, looks to the Wesleyan Revival for examples of effective ways of sharing faith. He says seven…
Lessons from Wesley for All Churches
Martin E. Marty once observed that between the time of Luther and Calvin and our own time, John Wesley symbolized the genius of adaptation to…
Leadership in the Wesleyan Spirit
The purpose of this book is simple — to reclaim a vision for church leadership from the great spiritual awakening known as the Wesleyan movement.…
John Wesley’s Message Today
With its plain, easy-to-understand language, this Pocket Guide will help you understand the major aspects of John Wesley’s theology. You will discover what Wesley believed…