Methodist
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Dakotas Conference Q&A Manipulation
I was messaged several times yesterday and now today about this event. The Dakotas Conference had Q&A sessions with delegates and their responses were consolidated and share via a Google Doc. However, there were still editing abilities available to those who viewed it. Someone viewed it, edited it with false information that seems to have Continue reading
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New YouTube Video: Key General Conference Legislation
In this video we dive into four areas of legislation that are coming up at General Conference 2020/24 this year. These include Regionalizing our Denomination, Revising the Social Principles, Removing Restrictive Language, and Clergy Formation. Get the look: https://www.bonfire.com/store/um-hist… Thanks to Kim Ingram for the use of her profile picture. Taylor Burton-Edwards for these articles: Continue reading
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YouTube Video: How does the General Conference Work
We’re getting closer to General Conference, and it’s time for a new video! Join me as I attempt to explain the beauty and chaos of what happens at the General Conference. Click Here Continue reading
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“The Annual Conference is the basic body of the church…”
I do a regular Monday post about United Methodist Polity on my FB Page, but will be posting it here as well (and on the YouTube Channel) from now on. ¶33 is quite possibly my favorite section of the Constitution of The United Methodist Church. The paragraph solidifies our polity of connectionalism as one that Continue reading
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Let them Lobby
This topic is about a month old, but I wanted to mull it over a bit before responding. According to UMNews.org the Wesley Covenant Association and Good News Movement, among others, will be lobbying at General Conference in April. They will mostly be working to convince folks to join the Global Methodist Church (which formed Continue reading
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Judicial Council Item 1023-01
As we turn to the upcoming Judicial Council Docket for October, the first one asks questions of parliamentary authority. This request comes from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference related to a parliamentary matter..You can read the full document (linked here, scroll down to the list), but essentially, a panel panel presentation related to a potential strategic Continue reading
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Updates on Trial for Bishop Carcaño
(An earlier version of this appeared on my Facebook page on July 13, 2023) In United Methodist News in the past week, a Trial Date has been set for Bishop Carcaño, who has been under suspension for over a year..This trial is a church trial, not a US court trial. It has similarities, but is Continue reading
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Disaffiliation Rumors, Myths, and Opportunities – #10: The Western North Carolina Lawsuit
This originally appeared on my Facebook page on March 21, 2023 The lawsuit filed by several churches in the Western North Carolina Conference to sue the conference and Bishop has been dismissed. It has been dismissed, from my understanding, on grounds that the UMC has it’s own mechanism for handling the issues at play and Continue reading
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Disaffiliation Rumors, Myths, and Opportunities – #9: Eurasia
A version of this post originally appeared on my Facebook Page on March 21, 2023. UM News reported that the Eurasia and Estonia United Methodists Churches have begun the process of leaving the denomination. However, if you recall, there was a Judicial Council ruling that stated that Annual Conferences could not leave as a whole, Continue reading
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Disaffiliation Rumors, Myths, and Opportunities #4 – Jesus and Our Theological Task
(This post originally appeared on my Facebook – facebook.com/j.lemastersmith on February 1, 2023, all reference are from the UM Book of Discipline 2016). The rumors circulating around getting rid of Jesus or scripture or some other aspects of life are still false, but there is a section of the Discipline these rumors use to root Continue reading
Jonathan LeMaster-Smith 