We Believe in the Separation of Church and Hate

August 12, 2012.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Very proud that this is a trademarked slogan of Northaven Church. Just posting it as a reminder.

Twenty Years

June 25, 2012.Reading time 15 minutes.

This year at Annual Conference, there was a very brief recognition of those of us celebrating “five year” anniversaries in ministry. (Five, ten, fifteen, etc…) For me, the actual number is twenty. Twenty years. Back in those days, you were actually first ordained as a Deacon. To get real technical (and, why not?) my ordination […]

Post-General Conference Sermon

May 7, 2012.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For those outside our Northaven community, you might be interested in my sermon at our Reconciling United Methodist Church yesterday. Feel free to leave comments if you wish…EF (At one point, you will hear me pause. Our member, George Crawford, was celebrating his 90th Birthday, and perhaps felt a little more freedom than usual to […]

I Know Families Like Zach’s. They Bless Me.

May 3, 2012.Reading time 3 minutes.

I know this will sound like bragging, but I know kids like Zach.I know mothers like Zach’s mothers. God blesses us by bringing them to us as members of the Northaven community.(Sometimes as full members. Sometimes as “friends”) Being a family is hard work. It takes the love and support of many. That “many” ought […]

Questions for General Conference Delegates (About the Global Church)

April 29, 2012.Reading time 10 minutes.

Dear General Conference Delegates: While you are still in session in Tampa, there is still time to ask/answer questions about the nature of our global United Methodist Church. If the questions in this blog cannot be answered through the legislative process at this point, perhaps they can be discussed through informal “holy conferencing.” I have […]

Initial Thoughts on the Situation at St. Luke’s UMC

February 5, 2012.Reading time 8 minutes.

No doubt many readers of this blog will have already heard the allegations regarding sexual abuse of power by Tyrone Gordon, the former pastor of the St. Luke’s Community United Methodist Church. I’ve had several people, clergy colleagues and lay folk alike, asked my thoughts today, and I’ve been struggling with what, if anything, to […]

Clergy Cowardice?

July 1, 2009.Reading time 4 minutes.

Dear Clergy Colleagues: I am looking for your feedback and comments. I hope you will all take the time to read this great blog entry. The blog sites the results of several new surveys on the attitudes of both clergy and layfolks in various mainline denominations. It was written by Candace Chellew-Hodge and is entitled […]

Non-Violent Action at General Conference

May 3, 2008.Reading time 7 minutes.

As I alluded to briefly, earlier this week the General Conference of the United Methodist Church has been meeting in Fort Worth for the past two weeks. I’ve been there almost every day of those two weeks, primarily supporting a cause near and dear to the heart of many in our church: full inclusion of […]

The Cell Phone Debacle and What it Should Tell Us

April 28, 2008.Reading time 9 minutes.

Over the weekend, news broke of conservative elements within the United Methodist Church attempting to sway votes at the General Conference by providing cell phones to international delegates from Africa and elsewhere. On the one hand, this move might be passed off as simply the kind of politics that goes on during a conference like […]