UM General Conference Chief Takes Helm of Gay Caucus
By John Lomperis (@JohnLomperis) In a move that almost seems designed to erase any lingering doubts about the biases of the commission that ran the 2012 General Conference, our denomination’s...
View ArticleWinkler Bids Farewell to GBCS
by Barton Gingerich (@bjgingerich) As the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society held its annual board meeting, leaders of the social witness organization bid adieu to General Secretary...
View ArticleIs There a Revolving Door Between UMC Denominational Agencies and Destructive...
By John Lomperis (@JohnLomperis) The United Methodist Church’s offering-plate-funded anti-sexism agency, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW), chose to further damage its own...
View ArticleUMC Seeks to Fill a Rather Odd Denominational Leadership Position
By John Lomperis (@JohnLomperis) I recently learned that the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS), the controversial DC lobby office funded by United Methodist offering-plate apportionments, is...
View ArticleUnited Methodist Lobby Office Takes Three Steps Forward, Several Steps Back...
By John Lomperis (@JohnLomperis) The D.C. lobby office of the United Methodist Church, the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS), has finally broken its silence about the “health care” offered by...
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13 Years of the GBCS’s Greatest Hits, Part One: Social Stances
- Next to these participants in a 2004 abortion-defending political rally stood some pro-life counter-protesters with signs saying “LOVE THEM BOTH” and urging compassion for vulnerable children. Guess...
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13 Years of Methodist Lobby’s Greatest Hits, Part Two: Core of the Problem
We leave it up to readers to make an educated guess as to whether this depicts the work of the biblical prophet in Jeremiah 38 or the work of the self-declared "prophets" of the GBCS. (Photo credit:...
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United Methodist Church’s New Lobbyist Brings, Inherits Much Baggage
The General Board of Church and Society (GBCS), the controversial DC political lobbying office of the United Methodist Church, has chosen its new chief executive, the Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe. The...
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An Interesting Time to Be United Methodist
The following remarks were delivered by IRD’s UMAction director John Lomperis on October 8, 2013 to the semi-annual meeting of the UMAction Steering Committee, the body of faithful United Methodist...
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A Sadly Appropriate Choice to Lead the National Council of Churches
The leftist National Council of Churches (NCC) has recently announcedthe nominee for its new General Secretary / President: Jim Winkler. Winkler is wrapping up his thirteenth year working for the...
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GBCS’ Selective Outrage: Israeli Sewage Edition
The book of Isaiah tells us that there is no rest for the wicked, but there's really none for the just either. In our sick world, there is war, famine, disease, persecution, and poverty in nearly every...
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Staff-Dominated and Well-Funded, UMC’s Lobby Office Continues without Winkler
Staff-Dominated and Well-Funded, UMC’s Lobby Office Continues without Winkler The United Methodist Church’s controversial D.C. lobby office is now adjusting to life without its longtime CEO, Jim...
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New NCC Chief Winkler Kicks off Christian Unity Gathering
This is the first of two articles about the 2014 NCC Christian Unity Gathering. To read about the NCC focus on mass incarceration, please click here. Seeking to rebound from an extended period of...
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Does Gay UMC Group Want to “Burn the Damned Church Down”?
Will the national leadership of the Reconciling Ministry Network (RMN), the main unofficial United Methodist caucus seeking church acceptance of homosexual practice along with extra-marital sex more...
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What is the Foundation for United Methodist Political Lobbying?
The differences between IRD/UMAction and groups like the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) or the unofficial Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) are well...
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How Churches Should NOT Address Political Issues
What are good and bad ways for a church or denomination to officially address political issues? Few churches can honestly say that they have no witness on social issues whatsoever. Most of those...
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Conference Call Encourages Christians to Support Iran Deal
On August 27, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), a Quaker lobbying organization, hosted a conference call focused on the pending Iran Nuclear Deal, which Congress will likely vote in...
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After the Pope, What’s Next? NCC Conversation on the Papal Visit to DC
On October 7 at Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, the National Council of Churches (NCC) hosted a conversation on Pope Francis’s visit to Washington, DC. The purpose of the meeting was for a number of...
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Belief: Oprah’s Documentary Series Exploring Spirituality
Officials from several religious traditions, including the National Council of Churches, have partnered with former talk show host and author Oprah Winfrey to promote a new television series...
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Progressive Clarion Call at Claremont’s Commencement
General Secretary and President of the National Council of Churches (NCC) and former General Secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society (UMGBCS) decried white supremacy, male...
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