Faith.Tech.Culture
Reflections from a soon-to-be parentOne of the big changes in our life is that we are expecting a baby the first week of October. Part of that process is finding a medical professional to assist with the birth. Which we did. But then we moved across the country. So we had to find a new medical [...]
HackingChristianity hosts exchange of responses to Judicial Council SmackdownMoments after PlanUMC passed on the floor of General Conference 2012, Rev. Wm. Scott Campbell was recognized and called for a declaratory decision by the Judicial Council on its constitutionality. The motion passed easily. A few days later, the Judicial Council issued Decision 1210 which voided the [...]
HackingChristianity hosts exchange of responses to Judicial Council SmackdownShort background: PlanUMC passed on the floor of General Conference 2012. It was immediatly referred to the Judicial Council (the court for the UMC). A few days later, the Judicial Council issued Decision 1210 which voided the PlanUMC as unconstitutional. Boom! Ever since then, there’s been some accusations that the [...]
General Conference Update! We still have an opportunity for reform. Each of the General agencies put out restructuring plans. That can be found in the ACDA section under General Agencies. Each one of the General Agencies submitted their own restructuring plan (except GBCS) that tightened their focus and cut down on their board members. These [...]
Better than the Devil We Know?A recap for those of us just tuning in: The General Conference of the United Methodist Church is in session and considering a major restructure plan. No, not that one. And no, not that one. Another one. How We Got Here On Saturday night, the Committee tasked with this Restructure [...]
One of my projects leading up to General Conference is the ALERT, a collection of United Methodist values that a group I’m affiliated with feels is threatened by the church restructure: either by its effects or by the focus on the restructure that draws energy from other initiatives. I hope you read it and discuss. [...]
Why the #UMC Alternative Plan is still about Executive PowerIn the 2009 Movie “Pelham 123,” good guy Denzel Washington asks bad guy John Travolta how he is going to get away with hijacking a subway train. Here’s their edited-for-language exchange: Denzel: You gotta understand that the circumstances they’re different now for you. You gotta rethink this, [...]
Is Institutional Survival Really Our Goal?I was all set to write about this photograph that displays the “Denominational Goal” in five words: (1) Stop the Decline (2) Encourage Growth. It’s such a perfect summation of the divide between those who are convicted by the Call To Action to grow the church through fear, metrics, and [...]
The Hegemony of the #UMC Southern JurisdictionsIn Virginia Bassford’s book (which is recommended reading for General Conference) she states: Hegemony…is the perspective of the dominant culture, race, or group, as if it were the only perspective–everyone else needs to get on board. Hegemony is blind to the notion that we–you and I, perhaps most especially [...]
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