Wesleyan Accent Archive | World Methodist Evangelism

The Pastor’s Almanac: A News Rundown for Tired Reverends by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner January 29, 2018

It’s Monday when most clergy members attempt to hide, read, or decompress. A few with churches large enough to afford a staff prefer post-game analysis on Mondays, parceling out Sabbath follow-up’s and sketching the week ahead. Many pastors enter Monday with a need to refuel – even the extroverts. And while the calendar reads January 29th, it can feel like

When You’re Tired, Afraid, and Uncertain by Otis T. McMillan

Otis McMillan January 25, 2018

God, when we grow tired and weary, when we stumble and fall, lift our eyes to heaven and remind us to find our hope and strength in You.

The Trinity And The Mission Of God by Edgar Bazan

Edgar Bazan January 24, 2018

Let’s explore how we are called to engage in the mission Dei through a Trinitarian lens. Lesslie Newbigin uses the theology of the Trinity to offer a theological ground for the understanding and practicing of the missio Dei. He explains, “He is the Son, sent by the Father and anointed by the Spirit to be the bearer of God’s kingdom

Waiting for a New Song by Michelle Bauer

Michelle Bauer January 22, 2018

Close your eyes and imagine God turning towards you. What do you see? What might God see?

How The Questions Of Jesus Can Shape Your Year: What You Love by Cole Bodkin

Cole Bodkin January 18, 2018

What sort of questions does the Resurrected Jesus ask? We’ve already seen that before the crucifixion, Jesus liked asking a question multiple times in different scenarios. In many cases we see his dialogues often contain a rapid succession of questions. In the final chapter of John we see the resurrected Jesus posing the same question multiple times to an old

Leaders in the Bible (Who Happen to Be Women) Part II by Suzanne Nicholson

Suzanne Nicholson January 17, 2018

We need to regularly preach these stories (and others) to remind our congregations that the most important qualification for leading God’s people is not a Y-chromosome, but a faithful heart.

Testify: Many Voices, One Song

Wesleyan Accent January 15, 2018

A Note from the Editor: Wesleyan Accent is pleased to share a rich chorus of voices who have answered questions posed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day. Elizabeth Glass Turner In the United States, today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day. Many within our Wesleyan Methodist family observe this holiday in a variety of ways.

How The Questions Of Jesus Can Shape Your Year: Who You Are by Cole Bodkin

Cole Bodkin January 11, 2018

It’s that time of the year again. Usually, we pump ourselves up, decide to set goals or resolutions, and…end up failing, or not even beginning. Despite our defeats, good intentions are behind this resolution setting, with introspective, purposeful questions guiding the way. Who am I? What do I desire? What do I want to change about myself? Who do I

What The Taj Mahal Taught Me About Love by Kim Reisman

Kim Reisman January 10, 2018

It is not perfection that makes a love great, it is its willingness to persevere through the hardship, challenge, and pain.

Shalom And The Character Of The Kingdom Of God by Edgar Bazan

Edgar Bazan January 10, 2018

If there is one aspect of Jesus’ life that can help us gain insight into his mission, it is when he said: “My peace I [give] to you.” (Jn. 14:27) After his resurrection, this was a very particular way in which Jesus greeted the disciples: by saying “peace be with you.” Note John 20:21, when Jesus said, “Peace be with

Practicing Discernment: Thy Will Be Done by Justus Hunter

Justus Hunter July 27, 2018

There are two difficulties with our prayer, “Thy will be done.” We fret over the first, but the second is far more dangerous. “What is Your will? How do I know it? Where can I find it? Is this Your will?” This is the first difficulty. The second accompanies it, and often escapes our notice. There is a forgotten moment

Dear Millenials, I Was You Once by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner July 23, 2018

Dear Millenials, I was you once. People wanted to know what I thought. They wanted to know what I wanted to buy. They wanted to hear what I was looking for in a spouse, in a career – in a faith group. They talked about me in the news, they studied me to see which way I was likely to

Campfire Pilgrimage: The Value of Summer Camp by Rob Haynes

Rob Haynes July 18, 2018

It is summer camp season. For thousands of children and youth that means night hikes and camp fires, arts and crafts and lake fronts. It is commonplace for churches in the United States to offer a trip to summer camp for their children or youth. It is often a highlight of the year for these ministries. Years after their experiences,

How We Really Measure Congregational Growth by Matt Sigler

World Methodist Evangelism July 16, 2018

Methodists are good at counting. The numerous records that have been kept over the years of “conversions,” “probationary members,” and the like, are a goldmine for historians. This penchant for noting numbers remains in our DNA today. “How many members?” and “How many in active attendance?” are the two primary questions asked when one evaluates the strength of a local

Methodism On Fire by Pete Bellini

Peter Bellini July 12, 2018

It is no revelation that the United Methodist Church is facing an uncertain and problematic future.The second largest Protestant denomination in the United States is deeply divided over human sexuality and as a result it is divided over its language in the Book of Discipline (the denomination’s manual on agreed-upon life together) and is divided over decisions made by the Judicial Council, several Annual Conferences, and Boards of Ordained Ministry regarding human sexuality. In response, the Council of

The Rest Of God by Edgar Bazan

Edgar Bazan July 7, 2018

I believe that God wants us to enjoy our everyday lives. John 10:10 says that Jesus came to us so we may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, until it overflows). But it seems that far too many people who say they believe in Jesus are not enjoying their lives. Now, it is not only

Silencing The Shame Machine: Our Call To Craft Peace by Elizabeth Glass Turner

elizabeth.turner July 2, 2018

Recently, I heard a church leader describe the instinct to “drop Facebook napalm” in an online debate. What a great image. Our cultural currency right now isn’t the American dollar or the speculative Bitcoin: it is outrage. Outrage is addictive, and it’s so easily justified: we sanctify it with the word “prophetic” or the word “faithful.” God calls us to

Finding Spiritual Freedom by Michelle Bauer

Michelle Bauer June 28, 2018

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” – Isaiah 61:1 “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He

Receiving The Value Of Sabbaticals by Andy Stoddard

Andy Stoddard June 27, 2018

I’m at just about the halfway point of renewal leave (i.e. Sabbatical). I took my first church job in 1997, and ever since then, I’ve worked in the church. A couple of them were part-time, and then I took my first appointment at a pastor in 1999 to three small United Methodist Churches outside of Cleveland, MS. In other words,

One Thing God Said Was Not Good by Carolyn Moore

Carolyn Moore June 7, 2018

Over the last 75 years, researchers at Harvard have tracked the lives of 724 men.* These men were children when the study began. For 75 years, they’ve been tracking these lives to record the state of their home life, work, health, outlook. Some men in the study became rich and famous. One became President of the United States. Others fared poorly. Boiling

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