Annual Conference | ijoey.org

The Difference Between “Now” and “Then”

Jun 17, 2013 | Leading the Church, Methodism

Some things never change. There are still hot dogs at baseball games. There are still fish in Kentucky Lake. And there are still Methodists meeting on a yearly basis to talk business and make decisions. In the past two weeks, I’ve been to two Annual Conferences....

So What DO You Mean By “Grow?”

Feb 14, 2013 | General, Leading the Church, Methodism, Pop Culture

Once, as a child, I played sick to avoid a particular confrontation that I knew was going to take place at school. My plan was foolproof: Moan a little bit, wait for the thermometer to show up, and then fake a fever using my desklamp to inflate the reading. I may or...

Doing What We Can

Dec 17, 2012 | Leading the Church, Methodism

I just left a Finance Committee Meeting for Grace UMC, the church I’m presently serving. And I just witnessed a very admirable act. “Heroic” is a little too strong a word, but not by too much. Let me offer some background. Grace has had some...

This is Not “Taking a Real Stand”

Jul 26, 2012 | General, Methodism, Pop Culture, US Politics

The Western Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church has passed legislation actively encouraging the infraction of our polity and covenant as United Methodists, particularly as United Methodist Clergy. From the document (linked above), which passed overwhelmingly...

Twelve Points of Connection within the United Methodist Church

Jun 5, 2012 | Methodism

For those who are not United Methodist, the following is a summary of the Twelve Points of Connection within the United Methodist Church as presented by Bishop Ben Chamness at the 2012 Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church at Jackson Tennessee. The details...