This may be the most controversial suggestion I’ll make. I understand that the implications are enormous and complicated. I also acknowledge the “real estate” ownership questions this raises (which is another important issue). I think the United Methodist Church either needs to become united again or intentionally part ways. Today, there is a huge divide [...]

The United Methodist Church (and other mainline denominations) have many (mostly) empty buildings. To survive and thrive, these churches must learn to work together. I’d suggest that many UM churches consider merging and become multi-site churches. If you have a strong UM church with limited space and a struggling UM church with an empty building, [...]

(Note: I’m very grateful for the spirit of the discussion this week. I hope these posts don’t come across as arrogant but as humble suggestions from someone who cares. I acknowledge that my ideas may not be possible — or may not work, but hopefully, they will spur on helpful conversations.) When I was an [...]

As I continue to think about the future of the United Methodist Church, I’m hopeful that the UMC (and other mainline denominational churches) will attract and retain more young leaders. To do so effectively would take many fundamental changes. One might include re-evaluating the ordination process. When I was a UMC pastor, I was an [...]

One of the biggest challenges (in my opinion) for the UMC church involves the itinerant system. Here is a brief statement about the itinerant system from the UMC: “The itinerant system is the accepted method of The United Methodist Church by which ordained elders are appointed by the bishop to fields of labor. All ordained [...]

A leader from the United Methodist Church asked me if I’d write a few suggestions for the denomination. I was very honored by his request and thought I’d share a few thoughts. My family attended various Methodist Churches in Texas and Oklahoma. I did my undergraduate work at Oklahoma City University (a UMC school). After [...]

Many of us were taught that to reach people today, we have to make our sermons simple, practical and relevant. While I agree that all three qualities are important, we must never forget they all must be spiritual to change lives! In our efforts to reach people far from God, some pastors with good intentions [...]

Jesus was perhaps the most creative communicator who has ever lived. It’s rare that He didn’t use a story or an object to illustrate truth. While most sermons could stand to be more creative, a few are teetering on the edge of becoming too creative. In our consumer-driven society, it’s tempting for pastors to believe [...]

For years, I honestly believed I was a good listener. When people tried to tell me that I didn’t always pay attention to them, I’d dismiss them as being overly sensitive. (Can you imagine a better example of not being a good listener? I didn’t even listen to what they were trying to tell me!) [...]

Yesterday we talked about the shortcomings of shallow sermons. The other extreme can also be dangerous. We have to equally guard against our sermons being too deep. Some pastors are hyper critical of those who aren’t deep. But sometimes deep can equal boring or irrelevant. I love studying the meaning of Greek and Hebrew words [...]