Day 8 of the UMC General Conference 2020(4) was an ecumenical day, with guests from various ecumenical connections worldwide. During morning worship, we recognized full communion with the Moravian church, which is significant in Western North Carolina. Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, delivered a powerful message during […]
Day 7 of the UMC General Conference 2020(4) began with worship led by Bishop Karen Oliveto, who delivered a powerful message. She reminded us that religious leaders sometimes focus on law instead of love and regulations instead of relationships. Bishop Oliveto challenged us to see the image of God in every person, not just those […]
Day 6 of the UMC General Conference 2020(4) was a Sabbath day, offering a much-needed break from the busy schedule of the conference. While taking a true Sabbath can be challenging for me, as I often find comfort in checking tasks off a list during my time off from professional church work, I felt the […]
Day 5 of the UMC General Conference began with a powerful worship service led by Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, whose message resonated deeply with those gathered. His words served as a poignant reminder that there is no room for competition in the kingdom of God. Instead, we should focus on reaching out to those who still […]
Day 4 of the UMC General Conference began with an inspiring worship service led by Bishop Sharma D. Lewis. She emphasized the crucial role of God’s guidance in our conference agenda and reminded us that while we may not always trust each other, we can trust the Lord as we navigate the next seven days […]
Day 3 of the UMC General Conference began with a soul-soothing worship experience for me, which included “The Goodness of God” in Spanish. I arrived early to help save seats for other reserves in our delegation, which allowed me to catch the end of the soundcheck and preview what we would sing together later. Bishop […]
The space between these buildings fills with morning light. From this view, you have no idea what is on the other side of either wall—a building on one side and one on another. There’s not much space to explore, but there is light. This season of the global pandemic feels a bit like this space. […]
I enjoy listening to podcasts when I run, when I drive and when I’m working. I love the ability to discover stories, learn new things, stay up-to-date with the news, and more. Lately, several podcasts that are part of my regular listening rotation featured episodes about church and faith. Here is a rundown… StartUp from […]
I took this photo over I-70 from my hotel room in Salina, Kansas. Several days later, I was adding keywords and titles and couldn’t immediately remember whether it was a sunrise or a sunset. I had to open the thumbnail to see the full image and pause to remember which direction I was facing. This […]
A Conversation about the Meaning, Symbolism and Responsibility of Baptism One of the great privileges that I have as a United Methodist preacher is offering the sacrament of Christian baptism to individuals and families connected with the local church. I like to meet with the individual or family in advance of the service to hear their […]
Over the past few days, I have continued in prayer for Charleston. I want to share a portion of my response to the Charleston Church Shootings which I preached this morning at First United Methodist Church. I believe it is important and inadequate. You can find the entire sermon and manuscript online here. Let me […]
The only response I can manage right now to to a story like this in the New York Times, is deep sadness, anger and prayer. “A gunman … opened fire at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the nation’s oldest black churches, on Wednesday evening, killing nine. Police arrested the suspect in Shelby, N.C., […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 