10/5/2010
The heart and passion of our Alabama-West Florida Conference was reflected recently during the Catapult Conference in Mobile, Ala. For three days, participants engaged Reggie McNeal, Brian Russell, Alan & Deb Hirsch, and Mike Slaughter around the idea of a truly missional church. As one who was present, I was delighted to see the passion surrounding a call to mission and am grateful for the leadership team from the Mobile District that made this time of learning together a reality. This ...
9/30/2010
Recently, public education has moved into the forefront of the national debate circuit as many network stations have highlighted the local conversations taking place. The national debate has focused on the criteria of what makes a teacher effective and how the number of effective teachers may increase. Obviously, parents want, and deserve, excellent, qualified, effective teachers to educate their children. Yet, not surprisingly, the debate has drawn great criticism from some teachers, who may ...
9/17/2010
On March 15, 1808, Asbury Methodist Church in Wilmington, Del. wrote to Bishop Francis Asbury in regard to their minister, John McClaskey. In anticipation of the Philadelphia conference, the congregation did not expect their minister to be reappointed and wrote, “neither do we wish it.” Bishop Asbury noted that among his correspondence, he increasingly heard from preachers who were “unhappy with their appointments and societies unhappy with their preachers.” (John Wigger, American Saint, Oxford ...
7/6/2010
It was a small gesture; a small gesture that hopefully encouraged others. My family and I recently vacationed on the Gulf Coast, and it was wonderful. We deliberately chose to vacation here to show our support for the families who live and work among these beaches. My children and grandchildren all came from North Carolina to join my wife, Janet, and I to experience some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Our grandchildren, while excited and thrilled to be enjoying the surf and sand, ...
5/5/2010
Our hearts are greatly saddened for those who lost their lives and for those who sustained injuries in the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20. We continue to pray for their families and friends.
3/24/2010
Lately, our homes have been bombarded with information, actions and tension surrounding the issue of gambling. Whether this comes to us through local television, newspapers, the Internet or even casual conversation with friends, the question is the same, “should we legalize gambling in Alabama?” United Methodists offer a prayerful conversation regarding a number of issues that impact our life with others because we understand the way in which we live in community with others is a spiritual ...
3/19/2010
As I prepare for the annual session of making pastoral appointments for our Alabama-West Florida Conference, I am reminded of how this appointment making season may allow our anxiety and fear to increase in the face of an uncertain future. Like so many others, I, too, want to hear the angelic words: “Fear not.” I want to recall God’s loving gift of the One who can deliver me from all anxiety and fear. The hymns and praise of Christmas have all too quickly faded into the background of this Lenten...
1/27/2010
I, along with our entire church, was stunned to hear the disappointing news that Dr. Sam Dixon, Director of the United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR), did not survive the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. Personally, I experienced the unexpected grief of his death as my mind immediately recalled how years ago we began our shared ministry in the North Carolina Conference. While serving in the same district, we visited in each other’s parsonages, shared more meals together than I could recall, ...
1/7/2010
Holiness of heart. Holiness of life. These are the expressions of God’s Spirit at work within us. What often escapes our attention is the simple way in which this process of molding our hearts and lives into the image of Jesus takes place. While this is clearly the work of God, it often takes place in the local church. The church is our spiritual director, reminding us through the people of God, where to place our attention, energy and resources. Spiritual growth rarely takes place in a vacuum. ...
12/17/2009
The words of St. Luke resound again in churches, homes, and communities during this season of Advent: “Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among all with whom he is pleased!’” Luke 2:13-14