Does the UMC Have a God Complex?
United Methodist campus minister the Rev. Rob Rynders examines the denomination's insistence on top-down leadership in an age of collaboration.
View ArticleWelcome to United Methodist Insight
A message from the project coordinator about this educational project.
View ArticleIt's the Relationships, Stupid!
The Rev. Rob Rynders offers an example from campus ministry that could apply across the entire Church of Jesus Christ.
View ArticleStressed-Out in Tampa
The Rev. Laurie Haller, a district superintendent in the West Michigan conference, raises her missional expectations for the 2012 General Conference.
View ArticleWeight-bearing Walls Revisited
The Rev. Kim Reisman asserts that its failure to learn and follow traditional Wesleyan/Methodist doctrine is the true root of The United Methodist Church's identity crisis.
View ArticleGod Bless You
Rev. Laurie Haller reflects on the reports of bullying of LGBT delegates during General Conference's "holy conversation" on human sexuality.
View ArticleA Lament for the 2012 General Conference
The Rev. Kevin Watson describes his reactions at watching the 2012 General Conference proceedings from afar.
View ArticleAbout This Publication
The editorial purpose and background of United Methodist Insight.
View ArticleNever Forget
As Americans prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July, the Rev. Laurie Haller visits the World War II memorial at the Dachau concentration camp, and ponders whether American Christians have fallen into...
View Article(Mis)Understanding Wesley's 'Catholic Spirit'
The Rev. Kevin Watson takes a deeper historical and biblical look at John Wesley's famous sermon, "Catholic Spirit," which Watson contends is often mis-used to dismiss serious theological differences...
View ArticleFirst Round of Donations Continues Forum
The first week of fundraising for United Methodist Insight produces enough in donations to cover another month's operating expenses. However, efforts continue to secure larger and more permanent funding.
View ArticleWhy the UMC Needs an Era of Innovation
When it comes to charting a future for The United Methodist Church, the Rev. Robert Rynders thinks it's time to apply some genuine innovation, not just tinker with existing polity.
View ArticleThe UMC Needs to Forget Being The UMC
The Rev. Rob Rynders, an advocate for a season of radical innovation for The United Methodist Church, outlines how to for a new identity for 21st century United Methodism.
View ArticleWhy We Should Learn from the "Nones"
The Rev. Rob Rynders finds that folks who identify themselves as "spiritual but not religious" have a lot of valuable feedback that churches should heed.
View ArticleSacred Swag
The loss of a button sends the Rev. Laurie Haller on a journey for the true garments of a Christian.
View ArticleThe Church Isn't Dying, It's Already Dead
The Rev. Robert Rynders puts some perspective on the issue of whether The United Methodist Church is a dying denomination.
View ArticleWesley Didn't Say It: "Do All the Good You Can ..."
John Wesley said, preached and published lots, but some of the famous sayings attributed to him aren't his, writes Kevin Watson.
View ArticleMay God Bless You with Discomfort
Gambling is just one of the ethically questionable practices that the Rev. Laurie Haller wishes United Methodists would scrutinize more in the context of their Christian faith.
View ArticleExperience in the So-Called 'Wesleyan Quadrilateral"
The Rev. Dr. Kevin Watson, a church historian, recounts how noted theologian Albert C. Outler described the nature and role of "experience" in John Wesley's theological method known today as the...
View ArticleChristian Perfection: The Reason for Methodism
Kevin Watson examines what the idea of sanctifcation -- the idea of striving to become more "holy" -- meant to Methodism's founder John Wesley.
View ArticleHoly Conferencing: What Is It?
Contemporary use of the term "holy conferencing" reflects a practice that apparently means being nice to each other when we disagree, writes Professor Kevin Watson.
View ArticleBook Review: The Sermons of John Wesley
Professor Kevin Watson reviews a new book, "The Sermons of John Wesley," co-edited by Kenneth J. Collins and Jason E. Vickers and organized according to Wesley's concept of the way of salvation.
View ArticleSin and the Christian Life: A Response to Rachel Held Evans
While he applauds much of what she says, Professor Kevin Watson disputes the view of popular evangelical blogger Rachel Held Evans that sin is inevitable for Christians despite salvation.
View ArticleCan Francis Asbury Help You Be a More Effective Communicator?
America's first Methodist bishop, Francis Asbury, offers plenty of beneficial traits for today's preachers to emulate, writes Professor Kevin Watson.
View ArticleCan Francis Asbury Help You Be a More Effective Communicator?
Continuing with his review of John Wigger's new biography of Francis Asbury, Kevin Watson explores Asbury's example of being able to connect with "ordinary" people.
View ArticlePart 3 – Can Asbury Help with More Effective Communication?
In the third installment of his four-part series, Professor Kevin Watson looks at how Francis Asbury engaged with the popular culture of his day from a Christian perspective.
View ArticlePart 4 – Can Asbury Help with More Effective Communication?
In the conclusion of his four-series, Professor Kevin Watson examines how Francis Asbury put his gifts for organization and administration at the service of mission in the early Methodist Church.
View ArticleGod's Inclusive Love Excludes Sin
The Rev. Kevin Watson finds a new book gives insight into the divided understandings among United Methodists about the nature of God's love and opposition to sin and evil.
View ArticleWhat It All Comes Down To
Visiting the 2015 session of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference, the Rev. Laurie Haller finds a link between the historic questions asked of ordinands and the church's call to ministry today.
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We need your immediate funding contributions to continue our operations.
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