Methodist
-
Disaffiliation Rumors, Myths, and Opportunities #3 – Welcoming in Worship
As we keep going down the rabbit trail of disaffiliation questions, another question came to me about welcome. Can we (United Methodists) deny people access to worship? The answer is NO. Yet historically we have, based on race, color, national origin, economic status, relation/connection to community, marital status, and many other reasons. We have done Continue reading
-
Disaffiliation Rumors, Myths, and Opportunities #2 – What about the Property?
(This post originally appeared on my Facebook – facebook.com/j.lemastersmith on January 15, 2023, all reference are from the UM Book of Discipline 2016) One of the myths circulating regarding The UMC split is that churches need to leave so they can have control of their property and the conference cannot snatch it out from under Continue reading
-
Disaffiliation Rumors, Myths, and Opportunities #1 – Will we still believe in Jesus?
(This post originally appeared on my Facebook – facebook.com/j.lemastersmith on January 10, 2023, all reference are from the UM Book of Discipline 2016). We all know The United Methodist Church is dealing with some significant issues right now. Yet, there is a great deal of misinformation going around, preying on the reality that we don’t Continue reading
-
Expanding Theological Education
With the pandemic beginning to taper off, I am finally getting to offer in-person courses again (I know the proper protocols to maintain safety, am encouraging people to only sign up if vaccinated, mask up, and maintain distance). Some of my favorite in-person courses are United Methodist Studies courses offered in my district for lay Continue reading
Jonathan LeMaster-Smith 