May 2022 On May first, the Global Methodist Church became an official church. Methodist churches are making plans to move to the GMC from the United Methodist Church. The announcement of the GMC launch was made just hours after the Commission on General Conference announced that the 2020 General Conference was postponed for the third time to 2024. Lost in the wake of these announcements was the news that United Methodist Women were rebranding to become United Women in Faith. Why did this not become a major news item? Perhaps this news was lost in the excitement over the launch […]
Note: The rebranding of “United Methodist Women” to “United Women in Faith” was revealed on March 3, 2022, but was overshadowed by the announcement that General Conference would be delayed until 2024. A subsequent interview via Zoom took place on March 17 by Jim Paterson, UM News, with Harriett Jane Olson, chief executive officer for United Methodist Women, and Sally Vonner, transformation officer of United Women in Faith. A recent press release by UM News announced, “Women’s agency hits refresh, expands welcome.” The article referenced the rebranding of “United Methodist Women” to “United Women in Faith.” UMW’s chief executive officer, […]
Photo Courtesy of Unsplash. September 2021 Dear Renew Network, At the beginning of his novel, A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens writes, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …” He is less known for going on to add, “it was the spring of hope and the winter of despair…” How hopeful most Methodists were when an African bishop called a diverse and inclusive group together; they met and developed the Protocol for Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.The church finally recognized that there was no way to reconcile two diametrically opposed views of sexuality and morality. […]
In the last Renew newsletter, I stated that conservative, orthodox churches should carefully consider their relationship with United Methodist Women who have changed their bylaws hoping not to lose any UMW units when the church separates in 2022. UMW’s National Office is known for taking controversial positions on any number of social issues. Their position on abortion is just one example. In September 2021, the New York headquarters of United Methodist Women National (UMWN), issued a press release that came out against the Heartbeat Act, sometimes called the Texas Abortion Law. UMWN touted the position of the United Methodist Church […]
Many of you in our network have been waiting patiently and praying faithfully anticipating the passage of the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation. As we wait, the signs of our times are evident. These signs remind us why we are separating and confirm the reality that the United Methodist Church will not go forward without separation. There is much we can do to prepare. We begin by fully understanding what should be left behind and what should go forward. This is particularly true for women’s ministry in the new Global Methodist Church. We must leave behind institutional […]
