One of my evangelical Facebook friends some time ago posted a long open letter to fellow United Methodists. The gist of it was this: The United Methodist Church, as you have known it, is gone. You may not perceive it yet, but you’d better get used to the idea, because that’s the plain and honest…

Years ago I was a research assistant for Dr. Scott Jones at SMU. He was serving in the evangelism chair at Perkins, and he kept me plenty busy tracking down references and scouring books on the Wesleys. Our work together gave us some time to chat and get acquainted. One of the things the future…

When we recite the Apostles’ Creed, we say the words, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” It’s a fine idea to believe in the Holy Spirit, and, of course, it is essential to proper Christian doctrine. But what are the practical implications of this affirmation? What does the Holy Spirit do in the life of the believer? John…

I ask that you join me in praying for the people of Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Pray for all family and friends of those who were killed. Pray that the killer will be brought to justice. Pray that God will heal our nation of the ongoing pattern of racial violence.…

For some time I have lamented the fact that our conversations in United Methodism have been so myopic. We argue about human sexuality, and this topic dominates social media, discussions related to the Connectional Table, annual conferences, and the General Conference. Of course, human sexuality is an important topic, one worth talking about, but there are…

The UM Centrist Movement is an unusual animal. It is a caucus group that claims not to be a caucus group, and it has warned us vociferously against the menace of a schism all the while setting the stage for a division of the denomination. As for the schism against which it has warned us, the…

There is an unfortunate myth floating about that evangelicals want to divide the UMC. The fact of the matter is, I know a lot of evangelicals, and while a few of them really want division, the vast majority want us to work out our differences and move forward without any kind of major separation of the denomination.…

What we consider hate speech, what is simply considered rude, and what is entirely allowable represent a set of moving targets. At times I hear people–even in professional settings–use the word “retarded” without blinking an eye. These same people would consider a slur based on race, gender, or sexual orientation to be completely inappropriate. CBS Pittsburgh reports…

Some legislation from the UM Centrist Movement is coming before the West Ohio Annual Conference session this year. The legislation calls for the following: [T]he 2016 General Conference [shall] create a theologically balanced and globally inclusive task force of no more than 25 members to be chaired by a retired bishop, who would lead this…

How do we get more millennials into church? In the ecclesial world I live in, this seems to be the question of the day, and there is no shortage of answers. I’m not a millennial. Many have been my students. I count several as friends. There are even a couple of professors on my faculty who…