There will be less than 16 months between the special session of General Conference in 2019 and the regular session of General Conference in 2020. I believe that continuity between the two General Conferences will be essential, given that any action taken in 2019 will directly influence legislation proposed in 2020, and delegates in 2020 […]
One Preacher’s Congregational Guide Several of you have mentioned the recent articles (hereand here) in The Wichita Eagle about the United Methodist Church. You can find the most up to date denominational news here. In this article, I hope to share some background information, explanation of current events, and what might be next for our […]
A Few Reflections on Church and the Walters’ Farm Walter’s Pumpkin Patch is one of my favorite places in south-central Kansas. It is an amazing place and provides a helpful model for the church People come for the experience and prioritize the visit It’s a place where people make memories It’s a place where you mark […]
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 […]
Jesus often tells parables or stories which teach us something that is true about God, about us and how God and humanity interact. Here is one of them from Luke 15. This is the story of a man who had two sons “The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of […]
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., […]
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the BOM Mid Quad Training Event in Denver. Bishop Hagiya of The Pacific Northwest Conference who shared his dissertation research results around the question: “What traits, qualities, or characteristics, if any, do highly effective and successful United Methodist Church ministers exhibit specifically in regard to growth of their churches when compared to less effective […]
This week I was part of the BOM Mid Quad Training Event in Denver. After some reflection, I want to share some possible next steps for me and for our Board of Ordained Ministry. Here goes… Next Steps for the Board of Ordained Ministry Have God’s eyes for big possibilities Consider process changes to encourage and identify […]
Today was the final day of the BOM Mid Quad Training Event in Denver. We had the opportunity to hear from two groups presenting on Identifying Critical Issues for General Conference. For each we heard a presentation and had the opportunity to follow up with table conversations on both the Global Discipline and Study of Ministry. As the presenters were […]
Yesterday was Day 3 of the BOM Mid Quad Training Event in Denver. In the morning we heard from two different panels with Val Hastings, Founder and President of Coaching4Clergy as Moderator. Panel 1: Developing Effective Leaders Fred Allen, National Director, Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century Ted Campbell, Associate Professor of Church History, Perkins […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 