united methodist church

  1. The Liturgist

    UMC Conference Fires Pastor of Congregation Seeking to Disaffiliate

    https://juicyecumenism.com/2023/03/31/new-town-churchs-open-letter-to-united-methodists/ The one upshot of this is that the former parish has no longer had to pay the nearly $600,000 fee the liberal bishops demanded as the price of departure, despite the fact that they are the ones in violation...
  2. The Liturgist

    Gloucester Cathedral as a Microcosm for the Tragic Decline of Mainline Protestantism

    As many of you know, I love Gloucester Cathedral: the exquisite, luminous architecture, wherein the roof of the cathedral seems to float atop curtains of stained glass, the music program, indeed, even the service of Choral Evensong composed for the cathedral by Herbert Howells is my favorite of...
  3. KagomeShuko

    ELCA vs. UMC

    I've asked in both the Lutheran and Methodist forums about the differences between the Theology of the ELCA and Methodists. I understand that the movements of the churches come from different roots. I find one major difference is that the Methodist preach of becoming perfect on earth. The...
  4. redleghunter

    United Methodist bishops want to let pastors, conferences decide on LGBT clergy

    Title: United Methodist bishops want to let pastors, conferences decide on LGBT clergy Religion News Service (RNS) By Emily McFarlan Miller Excerpt: CHICAGO (RNS) — The bishops of the United Methodist Church have endorsed a plan that would allow individual pastors and regional bodies to make...
  5. Raphael Jauregui

    Mainline Protestant and Evangelical denominations both declining, how do we change that?

    It is an oft discussed subject that mainline Protestant denominations are declining and losing members. Evangelical denominations are also declining in recent years. The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest evangelical denomination in the United States with 15 million members, is declining...
  6. Raphael Jauregui

    Iowa Annual Conference BOM declares itself at variance with BoD

    The Iowa Annual Conference's BOM has declared that it will not discriminate based on sexual orientation when considering candidates for ministry. It has declared itself to be at variance with the current BoD. Iowa AC Board of Ordained Ministry commits to non-discrimination - RMN+
  7. Raphael Jauregui

    News in theology that's debated:The UMC commissions first non-binary trans* clegy

    The United Methodist News Communications are reporting that the United Methodist Church has commissioned what they believe is the first non-binary transgender person to become clergy in the denomination. In 2008, the Judicial Council of the UMC ruled that trans* people can serve as clergy in the...
  8. Raphael Jauregui

    By 2021, the Episcopal Church will enter full communion with the United Methodist Church

    Personally, I have been supportive of full communion between the Episcopal Church and the UMC for awhile. We already have full communion with the ELCA, in which I grew up, the Old Catholic Church, the Mar Thoma Church, and the Moravian Church. What do y'all think? United Methodist Church...
  9. Raphael Jauregui

    Attorney for UMC Explains Judicial Council ruling involving Bishop Karen Oliveto

    In a long and complex ruling, the Judicial Council ruled that same-sex marriages and/or partnerships are in violation of the Book of Discipline and that people in such relationships should not be consecrated as bishops. The Judicial Council also ruled of Bishop Karen Oliveto that "she was in...
  10. Raphael Jauregui

    United Methodist Judicial Council ruling could inspire LGBTQ movement

    As a liberal Christian, I know that I feel more inspired to advocate for and donate to causes that seek to create space and inclusion for LGBTQIA members of the UMC and other denominations. I think that this article gives some of the positive examples for how Bishop Karen Oliveto is inspiring...
  11. Raphael Jauregui

    United Methodist attorney clarifies complex ruling

    An attorney for the United Methodist Church has clarified that the Judicial Council's ruling on April 28,2017 ruled that they did not have jurisdiction to review the nomination, election, and assignment. They only ruled that they had jurisdiction to rule on hypothetical future cases. The result...
  12. Fish and Bread

    Methodist Bishop Karen Oliveto: 'My presence changes the conversation' on LGBTQ people

    Link: Bishop Karen Oliveto: 'My presence changes the conversation' on LGBTQ people
  13. Fish and Bread

    United Methodist Church Elects First Openly Gay Bishop

    Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/16/united-methodist-church-first-openly-gay-bishop For those wondering, my understanding is that the United Methodist Church does not claim Apostolic Succession and a three-fold ministry in the same way that Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox...