Columns

By Anne Bosarge, Director of Leadership Strategies and Local Church Resources Do you have decision fatigue? If you’re exhausted after making decisions, procrastinating, impulsive, or indecisive, it may be because you’re experiencing decision fatigue. Psychologists have discovered a correlation between the quality of decisions and the number of decisions that must be made in a short period of time. The more decisions you are required to make, the lower the quality of your decisions. Leaders ...

By Rev. Garth Duke-Barton, Conference Secretary for Global Ministries As part of my role as the Conference Secretary for Global Ministries I have the privilege of researching and highlighting missionaries who might otherwise go unnoticed. Gaston Nkulu Ntambo is based in Luena, Angola, where he serves as a pilot and mechanic with the Wings of the Morning Aviation ministry in the North Katanga Conference. The ministry provides transportation in hard-to-reach areas of Africa, especially in ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley wrote “Notes on the New Testament” which, along with his “Forty Standard Sermons” and the Church of England’s “Articles of Religion,” form the theological foundation of the Methodist Church. Many urged him to also write “Notes on the Old Testament,” but he never did so. Why? Wesley gave three reasons for not writing this document:  Others have written on this topic in an adequate way.  If I undertook this major project it would take away massive ...

By Dr. Hal Brady So much has been and continues to be written about leadership. Author Harris W. Lee examined leadership over the past 50 years and learned there are at least 350 definitions of it. From his study of leadership, Lee concluded that “leadership is one of the most observed but least understood phenomena on earth.” To be sure, leadership is difficult to define. There is a certain elusive mysterious quality about it. There is no set formula. But while there is that mysterious quality...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD It’s 1975 and a young boy in third grade shows up to school in his favorite “Jaws” t-shirt. He was in a hurry and didn’t really have time to brush his hair or wash his face, even though he told his mother he had. He may even still have a little grape jelly in the corners of his mouth. You may be wondering how these small details could be remembered 47 years later. Well, I’ll tell you, as luck would have it, it was picture day at the elementary school and ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley said, “I am a man of one book,” showing the importance he placed on the Bible. However, Wesley believed in reading many books. He encouraged his followers to read. But there were problems. Books were often too expensive and difficult to read. In an effort to makes books less expensive and simpler he published his “Christian Library” – 50 volumes! He took the writings of others and abridged them – something like “CliffsNotes” today. He made them ...

By Rev. Garth Duke-Barton, Conference Secretary for Global Ministries Many United Methodists have heard of UMCOR. The United Methodist Committee on Relief does great work in places most of us have never been and maybe have never heard of, either. They respond after natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and mudslides. They are working all over the world in places like Haiti and New Orleans, helping to feed and rebuild. What many may not know is that UMCOR also responds to ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK Occasionally, I look at the beginning process of “America’s Got Talent.” The judges watch the talent and give a pass if the performance is really good. If the person gets that pass there is a big celebration. There’s shouting, dancing, and music as each contestant comes out from the room where he or she performed and tells their waiting parents and friends the good news. And what is that good news? Why, he or she has made the first pass and that person is ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD On January 15, 1891, Vanderbilt Benjamin Simmons was born to Frank and Cornelia Simmons as one of their 22 children. He married Sarah Smith in Brunswick, Georgia in 1914 and went on to father eight children. V.B. Simmons served as a successful lay leader until he was received on trial in the Savannah Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South on November 25, 1931. After being ordained a deacon in 1934, V.B. Simmons was ordained an elder in the newly ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON Anyone who has been in ministry for much time at all has likely experienced their share of failure – or at least what felt like failure. Lately, I (Jay) have been feeling like a failure and I am finding real value in embracing those feelings. Stay with me for a moment. Feelings are not always accurately connected to facts. It is possible to have feelings that are not supported by facts at all, but that doesn’t negate the feelings. I can ...

By Rev. Garth Duke-Barton, Conference Secretary for Global Ministries Did you know there were Methodists behind the Iron Curtain? In what was once the Russian Empire under Czar Nicholas II, the church was quietly formed by Swedish immigrants. It was allowed to become a formal church in 1905 when the czar signed the Edict of Toleration that made it okay for churches other than the Russian Orthodox Church to operate in Russia. From 1905 to 1917, the Methodists built churches, clinics, schools ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON We can learn a lot about a person by seeing how they treat their critics. John Wesley received a critical letter from an anonymous person who called himself “John Smith.” Although John Wesley had no idea who “John Smith” was, it is amazing how he handled his lengthy (eight page) response. Here is his introduction in his own words: “I was determined, from the time I received yours, to answer it as soon as I should have opportunity. But it was the longer delayed,...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD Monday, January 1, 1776, entry of Rev. Francis Asbury’s journal: I am now entering on a new year, and am of late constantly happy, feeling my heart much taken up with God and hope thus to live and thus to die. Francis Asbury sailed to America in 1771 at the ripe age of 22 years, unaware that he would never return to his birth country. He served as Wesley’s assistant during that first year, preaching in 25 different settlements. When the American Revolution...

By Dr. Hal Brady Stetson Bennett, IV is the College Football National Champion Georgia Bulldogs’ quarterback and a heartwarming lesson in determination. As you know, Stetson played football at Pierce County High School and was a lightly-regarded two-star quarterback upon graduation. In reality, he had a couple of small colleges interested in him, but, as a boy, Stetson dreamed of playing quarterback at the University of Georgia. So, at this point, Stetson chose the less-glamorous route of ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN Our world is filled with anxiety. I don’t know if that’s a new thing, but it’s certainly been amplified over the years through vehicles like cable news and social media. And certainly, this anxiety has been ratcheted up during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As Methodists, we bring our own baggage because our General Conference — the one where we finally promised one another we’d solve our 50+ year division over LGBTQ inclusion in the church — has been postponed since...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON In the sermon “The Foundation of City Road Church,” John Wesley gave a brief history of Methodism’s beginnings. He says that in the year 1725 a young Oxford student (himself) was moved by reading two books (Kempis’s “Christian Pattern” and Bishop Taylor’s “Rules of Holy Living and Dying”). He sought to live in accordance of these teaching and sought others to walk along with him, but found no one. But in the year 1729 he found one other person who would join with...

By Rev. Garth Duke-Barton, Conference Secretary for Global Ministries What is new to us is not really new. Long before we thought to send missionaries into the continent of Africa to share the Gospel message they sent messages and shared the Gospel with the world. Gifted writers, theologians and preachers took what they learned in Africa to the world. One of the most well-known theologians of the early church is St. Augustine of Hippo. Augustine was born in 354 in what is today Algeria, in ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK Before my mother-in-law left for heaven, she was trapped in her limited body by a debilitating stroke. For four-and-a-half years, she lay motionless in the bed, unable to speak or communicate. Christmas came. Roy and I traveled from sunny South Georgia to the snow laden streets of Burlington, Michigan, our first time to see his mother after her stroke. Mr. Funk greeted us with a huge hug before we walked into the living room of the old farmhouse, the dark ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11) ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON “What I want for Christmas is…” Forget the two front teeth; what most ministry leaders want are more volunteers!!! We ask, we beg, we plead, we cast vision, we explain, we smile, we laugh, we cry, we cajole, and… sometimes we resort to guilt. It never seems to be enough. We always need more.  Volunteers… they make our world go ‘round or come crashing down. What if you decided to stop the crazy cycle of begging and pleading? What if your...

By Rev. Garth Duke-Barton, Conference Secretary for Global Ministries Picking up where I left off in my last column, I ask, “Where is the church serving in the world?” How about Korea and Hawaii? If you ever find yourself in Hawaii on a Sunday you can worship in a United Methodist Church. Interestingly, the origins of the Methodist movement in Hawaii started in places like Ohio and Korea. The United Methodist Church and her predecessors have been at work in the mission field for more than 136 ...

By Dr. Hal Brady Have you ever been watching television and the announcer suddenly interrupts and says, “We interrupt this program to bring you an important announcement.” Sure, you have. We’ve all experienced this kind of interruption. Occasionally, the interruption will be good news such as the collapse of the Berlin Wall. But most of the time when we hear that interruption we have to white-knuckle the arms of our chairs. We know it means trouble, storms, disaster, pandemics, and more ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD Barrett’s Chapel is the oldest surviving church building built by and for Methodists. It was built in 1780 on land donated by Philip Barrett, a successful politician and newly converted Methodist, and is located north of Frederica, in Kent County, Delaware. With the end of the American Revolution and peace at last in the newly formed country, John Wesley sent Thomas Coke to America in 1784 to find Francis Asbury and discuss the future of American Methodism. ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley said, “There is one word you will never hear me say!” I was stunned when I read that statement in John Wesley’s writings. I was even more surprised when I discovered the word was “dearest.” He meant that he would never use the word “dearest” in connection with God. He was concerned that many were becoming too familiar when speaking of Almighty God. The word “dearest” was to be used in expressing warm, intimate feelings of affection, especially to a ...

By Rev. Garth Duke Barton, Conference Secretary for Global Ministries As your new South Georgia Annual Conference Secretary for Global Ministries, one of my tasks is to highlight the great mission work we are doing in the world. It will be my pleasure to share news of some of the people and the places we are working to make a difference for the kingdom of God. In this column I mention UMCOR, The United Methodist Committee on Relief. For more information about this agency, visit umcmission.org/u...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD In 1834, a survey was made between Savannah and Macon for the purpose of establishing a rail route between the two Georgia cities. In 1836, the Central Railroad was granted a charter and the building of the railroad, starting at Savannah, began at once. It took several years to build, and in 1843, the first passenger car arrived at the temporary depot set up outside of Macon. The original road was 190 miles long and, at the time it was completed, was the ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON Many people from our Annual Conference participated in this year’s New Room Experience. Here are just a few examples of the impact in some of their lives. “The best conference I have attended in years - I fully plan to attend again!” – Rev. Roy White, St. Marys United Methodist Church “After this last season, every pastor deserves the chance to breathe and receive – to breathe in passionate worship and receive Spirit-filled teaching. New ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON We must remember that John Wesley lived a long time ago and some of his ideas seem strange to modern ears. I find John’s idea about the cause and cure of earthquakes especially disturbing. In his sermon on this topic, he states that God causes earthquakes in order to punish sinful mankind for our sins. I don’t believe that. In this sermon he describes in horrifying detail three powerful earthquakes in Sicily (1692, where 54 cities were destroyed), Jamaica (June ...

By Dr. Hal Brady Cannon Dick Sheppard was the minister at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in the heart of London right after World War l. It is reported that when he died, quite suddenly, one of the morning newspapers printed a large photograph of his pulpit. There it was, the same as ever, but empty. However, the Bible on the pulpit was still open with a ray of light across it. Beneath the picture were these words: “Here endeth the first lesson.” The implication here, and rightly so, is that there ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD Primarily, Christian love is gentleness. In other words, it is self-restraint. It is the ability and the power to check or to hold under mastery those natural tendencies of self-assertion which come boiling up out of our hearts. It is keeping pride and fretfulness and malice down. It is fairness of judgement. It is a kindly allowance for the mistakes of the other man. It is consideration for the feelings of people. That is love. Bishop Arthur J. Moore The ...

By Dr. Derek McAleer, Director of Administrative Services Sometime in the early ‘90s I began to learn about how critical it was for a church to have a vision statement. Somewhere in the intersection of business, academia, and the practical administration of the church the idea of a compelling mission or vision statement surfaced in the minds of pastors and other church leaders. Our annual conference got behind the idea, and soon we were merrily discussing the difference between a mission ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN When was the last time you splashed in a puddle? How about the last time you danced in the grocery aisle when your favorite song came on? When was the last time you laughed to the point of tears at something ridiculously silly?  If you’re scratching your head to answer these questions, you might be too “adultish.” I know what you’re thinking: “Ben, you’re just making words up now.” Yes, I am. But hang with me. Adultish is a term I’ve found that refers to our ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON In his sermon, “Visiting the Sick,” John Wesley gives some good advice on dealing with the public. He says that when preparing to go visit the sick we should first say our prayers and ask God to cleanse us from any pride and give us a spirit of meekness and gentleness, of patience and longsuffering, that we may never be angry or discouraged at whatever treatment, rough or smooth, kind or unkind, we may meet with. He reminds us not to be surprised at their ...

By Dr. Derek McAleer, Director of Administrative Services There are five little words that, when put together a certain way, are killing Methodism in South Georgia: We’re just a small church. These five words have acquired a certain power, and I am ready to see their influence taken away.  These five words can be used as a way to excuse, to defend, and to dismiss. But their real impact is felt when the words take the heart out of mission, evangelism, and worship. When given credibility, these...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD “On many accounts I should recommend to you marriage, rather than celibacy. You are of a social temper, and would find in a married state the difficulties of working out your salvation exceedingly lessened, and your helps as much increased.” These are some of the last words that General James Oglethorpe spoke to Rev. Charles Wesley prior to Wesley leaving the American colonies forever. Intentions to marry off a single minister? Whoever heard of such a ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK When I was a young girl, I stood by my mother at the kitchen sink and watched her as she separated stalks of celery, washing each piece before she gave it to us at supper. She taught me that there is a part of the celery stalk that has a sweeter taste than the rest of the stalks. When all of the stalks are pulled away, there lies within the celery a beautiful surprise. It’s called the heart of the celery, and it has a deeper, sweeter taste than the rest of the ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON I am a bridge towering high up in the sky. Proudly I stand, spanning land to land. Although many may not know Without me progress would slow For across me travelers must go. I have a cause as noble as can be My purpose is to allow people to walk over me. Trampled underfoot by people rushing past Climbed by thrill seekers hoping to make a splash Driven over by large trucks Flown past by noisy planes Run through by foreign ships Pounded...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley was initially opposed to the American Revolution for four basic reasons: He felt that the American colonists enjoyed many freedoms under British rule. Why should they “destroy ship-loads of tea when settlers of other British territories around the world did not have representation in the English Parliament?” Americans are “foaming with rage against England, the king, and their own neighbors who remain loyal to the motherland!” They stand ready to “...

By Dr. Hal Brady Get a grip! Get a life! On just about everything it is crucial to get a proper grip. This is true whether we are climbing rocks, gripping a golf club, throwing a football or baseball, or simply shaking hands. I reiterate, on just about everything, it is crucial to get a proper grip, and this especially applies to life. Get a grip on life! Be content – that’s where Paul offers us great wisdom. He states, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD “One of the seemingly indestructible human delusions is that of supposing that back somewhere in the past there was a time when there were large numbers of men and women who were good and true and pious and loyal to God in a sense in which only an exceptional few are good and true and pious and loyal today.” Sunday School Magazine, January 1910 Many of the articles I write harken back to an easier time when camp meetings were the only form of social media ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON It is June 17, 2021, as I sit down to write this John Wesley Moment – John Wesley’s 318th birthday. John was born in Epworth, England on June 17,1703 (the old, Julian calendar). You may notice that the present-day United Methodist official church calendar records Wesley’s birthday as June 28, which is the new/Gregorian calendar date. By most accounts, John was Susanna and Rev. Samuel Wesley’s 16th of 19 children. As a matter of fact, “our” John Wesley was the ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN It’s July, and I’m reminded of when I was a kid and I would complain about the summer heat. My mom would promptly tell me to “stop moving around so much and you’ll cool off.” Looking back, that seems to be as good an analogy for patience as I can think of. When life makes us anxious, we tend to move around, trying to make things better. Rather than moving around so much, sometimes the best thing we can do is slow down and be patient knowing that God will make a way ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD As the temperature rises and the days get longer, parents and children wash and label clothes and pack sleeping bags in preparation for summer camp. It will be loud. It will be hot. Mosquitos will be plentiful and s’mores will be eaten. Is it 1949 or 2021? What’s old is new again! Before buildings could be built or even renovated, Methodist youth camped in tents on the hallowed grounds of Epworth By The Sea. Within months of the property being purchased, ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK Our world is broken in so many places. Humanity runs here and there, searching for a glue that will stick us back the way we were. When you become broken, it is difficult to think straight. Everything about your life is in shambles. It happened to Humpty Dumpty, and all the king’s men couldn’t put him back together again! I guess it really doesn’t matter what Humpty Dumpty was doing on a wall in the first place. What really matters is that he fell and broke ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON Peter Bohler was a young German Moravian Christian. John Wesley met him soon after returning from his failed mission to Georgia. Bohler was in London preparing to travel to America to do missionary work among the slaves. John Wesley looked after Bohler and some of his friends while they were in London. Bohler, who was about 10 years younger than Wesley, spoke a little English. Wesley spoke a little German, but they found that they could speak easily in Latin. ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON “I’m exhausted. I can’t do another thing.” “I’m overwhelmed. I’ve got too much to do.” “I’m out of energy. I’ve got to focus on me for a while.” “The ministry never seems to end and I just don’t have enough to give.” Lately I’ve been hearing sentiments like these from many tired church leaders. There is an overwhelming amount of overwork, mental and physical exhaustion, rushed engagements, and thirsty souls. Leaders are looking for ...

By Dr. Derek W. McAleer I know many United Methodists are frustrated with the continued delays of General Conference. While I am aware and sensitive to the problems COVID-19 has caused for gatherings and travel, that does not lessen my frustration. I, along with other traditional United Methodists I know, have been holding forth for what we view as traditional Bible-based beliefs. We thought we were finally at the point of no longer being “unequally yoked,” to borrow St. Paul’s language. Just ...

By Dr. Hal Brady A thoughtful physician who takes time to deal with his patients as whole persons says that he has discovered that “99 out of 100 individuals are lonely. And the one who says he/she isn’t probably is.” Loneliness is indeed a universal problem and yet it comes to each of us on an individual basis. No question, loneliness has been enhanced by the COVID-19 pandemic. While appropriate during the pandemic, being asked to push away from each other, social distance, isolate, and ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN By all expert accounts we seem to be nearing a place where the end of this pandemic is in sight (side note: please keep wearing your masks and get your vaccine if you’re able to get one). What started as a brief delay in our routine has become a marathon of more than a year. We’ve marked special days in different ways. We’ve lived our daily lives somewhere on the spectrum of fearful to incredibly anxious. And what might be among the hardest for most of us, we’ve ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON One of the most thrilling experiences John Wesley had with his German neighbors in Georgia was being present when these Moravian Christians elected a bishop. John Wesley spent a lot of time with these German Christians learning their language, singing, and sharing Christian fellowship. He watched as the German congregation elected a new bishop. It seemed to him that he had been transported back in history to the early church where fishermen and tentmakers simply...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK There is an art to learning what you can do and trying to do it well. The tendency, however, is to put our hands in as many projects as we can, becoming a Jack of all trades, master of none. It’s taken me a while to figure this out. When I was young, I used to think I could do it all. You know, like that lady on TV who sang, “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan….” Or, Helen Reddy who brought us, “I am woman, hear me roar!” In that same song she ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD Quoting the United States Postal Service, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” The very same could be said of our itinerant Methodist ministers. It is our clergy who put the move into our movement and, as they prepare to pack up all of their worldly belongings and relocate to a new town, we’d like to highlight What’s Old Is New Again! The itinerancy is as fundamental to...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley’s diary often indicates that he enjoyed “singing with the Germans.” He would sing with them in their worship services. Church of England worship services in Wesley’s day did not include singing hymns. Some Psalms were chanted, but no hymns. Wesley loved the German music so much that he translated some into English, added a few other hymns, and published a hymn book. It was the first hymnal in English in the New World and probably the first hymn book ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON “If we want to survive, we’ve got to get online.” I’ve heard versions of this sentence spoken by clergy and laity throughout the last 12 months as we have all struggled to find our way in a changing digital landscape. While I (Anne) agree with them and think having a digital presence is essential in this season of ministry, “survival” isn’t a compelling enough vision upon which to build an impactful ministry. Just getting online isn’t the ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD A time of darkness and confusion filled with more questions than answers. Too many people in too small a space with no meaningful communication occurring. Heart-felt arguments regarding the best practices in serving God. Is it spring 2021 or Passover in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago? What’s old is new again. During this Lenten season, we are to transport ourselves, at least spiritually, to the last days of Jesus’s ministry among his disciples. After traveling ...

By Dr. Hal Brady “And the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10). Sadder words have never been spoken or written. There’s a certain finality about them. Jesus tells how 10 young women were invited to a marriage feast. Five were wise and five were foolish. The wise women showed their wisdom by planning for the possible delay of the bridegroom. They took extra oil for their lamps so they would be ready when he came. The foolish women neglected to do so, and while they waited, all fell asleep. Suddenly ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON The German colonists who traveled to Georgia with General Oglethorpe influenced John Wesley in many ways. One of those ways was to give him guidance in how to deal with women. He actually asked the German bishop for advice in this area. Actually, John Wesley needed a lot of advice in how to deal with women! The German bishop, Spandenburgh, advised John Wesley to not to talk with women “overmuch.” Billy Graham and his staff met together early in his evangelistic...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK A couple of years ago, our church completed a wonderful study using Rob Renfroe’s book, “A Way Through the Wilderness. Growing in Faith When Life is Hard.” As we watched his videos and met for discussions, the participants agreed that their wilderness periods have often been so painful they thought they would never get through them in one piece. It never felt good. It always hurt. They cried. They felt broken. Often, their lives didn’t make sense. Through our ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD Recently, the South Georgia Conference Archives was given an unexpected gift filled with faith, hope, and love. During the month where hearts and cupids abound, it reminds me again what true love looks like and sounds like and how it is the most powerful force in the world. It reminds me again how our Lord and Savior and our very own Methodist movement is filled with this true love and shares it abundantly with all. True love, as with so many other things, ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19) Did 2020 seem like an untamed wilderness to you? Did it feel like a dry wasteland? How is 2021 so far? If you’re like me (Anne), it feels like more of the same! Isaiah 43:18-19 is my life verse – the one I come back to in seasons of...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley was greatly impressed by the Moravian Germans who traveled with him to the New World on the ship Simmons in 1735- 1736. He had noticed how happy they were and how they did the menial tasks aboard the ship without complaining. He was even more impressed when he visited them during an awful storm which rocked the ship. Wesley was terrified! He struggled with a fear of death and when this storm hit, he was in a panic. When he looked in on the Moravians ...

By Dr. Hal Brady I have just finished preparing a Sunday School lesson related to Joshua’s experience of carrying out God’s plan in tearing down the walls of Jericho. The walls of Jericho were the first obstacle facing Joshua and the children of Israel as they sought to gain God’s gift of the promised land. It’s a fascinating account of faith, obedience, and leadership found in chapters five and six of the book of Joshua. The reason I’m mentioning this today is because walls can be a problem ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD On Saturday, January 17, 1736, John Wesley wrote in his journal, “Many people were very impatient at the contrary wind. At seven in the evening they were quieted by a storm. It rose higher and higher till nine. About nine the sea broke over us from stem to stern; burst through the windows of the state cabin, where three or four of us were, and covered us all over, though a bureau sheltered me from the main shock. About eleven I lay down in the great cabin ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON The small group of Germans who traveled with John Wesley and General Oglethorpe to Georgia had a powerful influence on the young pastor. Wesley wrote in his diary, “There is something special about these Germans. They are so happy and they do the menial jobs on this ship without complaining. They say it helps them with their humility.” Have you noticed how we all sit up and pay attention to someone who rolls up their sleeves and pleasantly serves? My friend, ...

By Rev. Ashley Randall, pastor of Garden City UMC In Ezekiel 4:9 the Lord gives these instructions to the prophet, “Take wheat, barley, beans, small peas, and millet seeds, and put them in one bowl, and make them into bread for yourself” (NCV). About 50 years ago, the folks at Food for Life took this list of ingredients and developed a number of products they claim “harvests benefits beyond what we normally expect from our breads, pastas, cereals, and other foods.” You may have seen one or more...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN It’s hard to believe the decade known as the year 2020 is finally coming to an end. I was listening to all of the different ways people aired grievances for this year. “The year we all want to forget,” one commentator said. “Good riddance once and for all, 2020” another remarked. We can all relate. None of us imagined 2020 would turn out this way. We all have one thing or another, in varying degrees, to grieve at the end of this unforgettable year. Add to it all the...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK When Gabriel told Mary about Elizabeth’s pregnancy, he said, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:36) Those words are also for you today. Whatever you are facing, God has an answer that seems impossible to you on earth, but in the heavenly realm God sees things another way. He sees your brokenness, your loneliness, your heartache, and your pain with great possibilities. God sees that out of the ashes of your hurt, new life will rise again. There...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD It is not known who wrote the original “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” but it is thought to have started as a children’s memory game with each verse being said on the appropriate day after Christmas and the entirety of the song to be known on the twelfth day. Players of the game who made an error were required to pay a penalty, usually in the form of a kiss or sweet confection. The best-known English version was first printed in 1780 in a book intended for ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON When John Wesley boarded the “Simmons” at Gravesend Harbor in the port of London on November 14, 1735, for his move to Georgia, he met a group of Germans who strongly influenced his life and faith. There were two groups of Germans on the small vessel. One group, numbering “two and thirty,” were Moravians. The other group, numbering around 17, were Salzburgers, Lutheran Christians. Both groups were coming to Georgia as a part of General Oglethorpe’s colony in ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON People ask us how the church where we serve is different than other churches. They are usually looking for “the thing we do” that sets us apart. Rather than give them a list of activities we try to explain that what you believe shapes how you behave. In fact, the connection between belief and behavior is so strong, you can tell what someone really believes by looking at how they behave. You might even say behavior reveals our beliefs. Here ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Historians believe that from 300-500 AD, advent was a time to prepare new Christians with fasting, prayer, and penance for baptism which would take place during the feast of Epiphany in January. Later, Roman Christians used advent as a time to prepare for Christ’s arrival, but not his original arrival in a manger in Bethlehem. ...

By Dr. Hal Brady Not long ago a man audited a doctoral seminar on leadership. One day the professor asked each of the 16 participants in his class to tell the one thing at which they excelled. The man said he dreaded questions like that because he still was not sure of what he did best. And besides, it sounded to him like bragging. But when his turn came all he could think to say was this, “I am best at not quitting.” Now, at first, that answer sounds a little strange, but when you consider ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN There’s not a lot we can agree on in such a hectic year. But surely we can agree on the fact that COVID-19 has called into question lots of ways we’ve always understood how to be the church. From an over-emphasis on buildings to how we embody the gospel in socially distanced ways, this year has been a year where the learning curve has been high for pastors and lay people alike. Among the many things called into question is the validity or effectiveness of measuring ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON  On October 6, 1774, John Wesley wrote in his journal: “I met with those who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them:  To vote without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy  To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and  To take care that their spirits were not sharpened against those who voted on the other side.” The Rev. Dave Hanson is a retired pastor and John Wesley scholar.  

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD In a letter to a Methodist preacher dated December 2, 1802, Asbury wrote, “I wish you would also hold camp meetings; they have never been tried without success. To collect such a number of God's people together to pray, and the ministers to preach, and the longer they stay, generally, the better.” It is not known when or where the first camp meeting occurred because the definition of camp meetings cannot be clearly stated, but outdoor preaching has been ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK I never thought I could live in this world without my mother. That’s why the way God loved me through her passing will always be a beautiful, thankful remembrance. I was teaching school and visiting her in another town as much as I could. At 94, she was in the nursing home, and my heart felt drained of joy because I could not take care of her myself. My plan was to take her to her home and stay with her after school got out for the summer. Roy was fine with ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON Did you know there are only 81 days until Christmas? When you think of Christmas, what comes to mind first? Does your mind wander to small groups caroling in a nursing home, sing-alongs in church, Christmas cantatas, kids’ programs, buffets of cookies and carafes of hot chocolate with melting marshmallows? What if those beloved traditions aren’t accessible to us this year? What will we do to ensure our congregations are safe, yet still ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON   Certain Germans had a powerful influence upon John Wesley’s spiritual development. He was able to communicate with Germans because he learned to speak the German language, probably while he was a student at Christ Church College at Oxford University. John Wesley could communicate in eight languages: English, French, German, Spanish (which he learned in America), Italian (Latin), Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. He wrote grammars in five languages. One Sunday in ...

By Dr. Hal Brady Whenever I do pre-martial counseling, I usually include the following: role expectation and is it realistic, a good theology of marriage, the importance of communication, the necessity of commitment, and how to deal with conflict or disagreement. Unless one of the marriage partners is a non-thinking robot, every marriage has disagreements. The only question is how we handle it. But whether it’s in marriage, business, sports, politics, church, world issues or personal ...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD “That we are in a critical and fateful hour no one can deny. The entire world is in serious trouble. There is confusion everywhere. Turn where you will, there you find the rampant forces of racial prejudice, assertive nationalism, blind economics, coupled with the age-old human passions and lusts. All these are contesting every inch of Christian progress. The Christian movement is hindered not only because some oppose its teaching, but because so many ignore...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley’s youngest sister was born in 1709. She was six years younger than John. She was the last child born of Susanna and arrived when Susanna was 40 years old. Susanna had 19 children but only 10 reached adulthood. Mrs. Wesley began homeschooling each child when they reached the age of five. She waited that long because her first son, Samuel, did not speak until he was five. Kessy, however, began her studies earlier. The older children taught the younger ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN The other day I retrieved my journal where I recorded my New Year’s goals and resolutions and a weird thing struck me. In those pages were the hopes and dreams of a year that, at the time, was a blank slate. And, looking back, it felt like I was reading something I wrote years ago. So much has happened since that feeling of excitement over a new year: a global pandemic, upheaval over racial injustice, and political divisions that have reached new heights of vitriol ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK If you are struggling with what is happening in our churches right now, it may be that you are allowing tradition to make your choices. While the security of tradition can move our days forward with a sameness that brings comfort, the trap of tradition can close our minds to the beauty of what else God might have in mind. We can be sure that He does have something in mind, and what He has in mind is good. He has not turned away. His love places a shield of love...

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD Wilkes Boulevard, Columbia Mo. – October 16, 1918: As a whole, the meeting was a great success, and the church was strengthened and edified, and had not the Spanish Influenza invaded our town we would have gone at least another week and the good would have certainly been more far-reaching than even that was. We have been prevented from having any service since the close of the meeting on Sunday night, Oct. 6, to baptize or receive the candidates into the ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley had seven sisters who grew to adulthood. Anne, who was nicknamed “Nancy,” was just two year older than John. She and a twin brother were born on May 17, 1791. Her twin brother died seven months later; she lived. She was in her teens when “Ol’ Jeffery,” the friendly Epworth ghost, began to act up in the parsonage. Her father thought that perhaps the ghost could be frightened away by noise, so he sent Anne into the attic to blow a horn. She was ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON What do you do when you don’t know what to do? How do you make decisions when you’re not sure where you want to end up? How do you lead with confidence when you’re just as uncertain as the people you’re leading? How do you stand firm when the traditions and methods you’ve used for years seem to be eroding? James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith ...

WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD “Whither am I going? To the New World. What to do? To gain honor? No, if I know my own heart. To get money? No: I am going to live to God, and to bring others so to do.” Francis Asbury wrote this while sailing to the New World in 1771. Welcome to the “New Normal.” This phrase has been used often in the last few months – at times a little too often – to describe current extraordinary events. However, it’s wrong on both counts. These days are neither new nor...

By Dr. Hal Brady There’s a story about a woman who many years ago took her first journey on a train. As soon as she reached her seat, she began fumbling with the window to be sure that she got exactly the right amount of air. Then she pulled the window shade up and down until she got exactly the right amount of light coming in. Then she worked with her baggage to get it placed just right. Then she took off her hat and was very careful to put it where it would not get mashed. Then she took her ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN The great debate in school systems all over our country is if and how to reopen schools for the fall. As we wait, however, we find ourselves in a season of learning as our society tries to process and grow through multiple crises. Learning is a lot like taking medicine – it always does us good, but it’s not always fun. Opening ourselves up to learn means doing the difficult work of admitting the uncomfortable truth that we do not, in fact, have all of the answers. ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON       John Wesley’s sister Mehetabel was better known as “Hetty.” She was six years older than John and was probably the most beautiful of the Wesley sisters. She was a happy child with a warm personality. The Wesley family played cards and enjoyed dancing. The Wesley family was a happy oasis in the midst of a not-so-happy community. Following a fire in the rectory in 1709, Hetty was sent to live with her Uncle Matthew in London. There she met students, ...

PATHWAY TO HIS PRESENCE B.J. FUNK It is 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2020, and I have been, as many of you, glued to the television over an outbreak of violence in many of our cities. The initial reason is the murder of an African American, George Floyd. However, that has now been overshadowed by the collective reason of perceived mistreatment toward black men and women by white police officers for years. And it’s even more than that. It’s anger that has been stuffed down in the souls of any ...

WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN ANNE PACKARD The Moore Methodist Museum celebrates John Wesley’s birthday each year on June 28. This in itself can lead to confusion because his real birth date is June 17, but when England’s calendar changed from the Julian calendar to the Georgian calendar, 10 days were lost and that moved his birth date to June 28. The tagline the Museum uses to celebrate John Wesley’s birthday is, “We’re going to party like it’s 1703!” Usually, at the end of June, the Museum is ...

Written and submitted by Rev. Lynn Meadows-White May 15, 2020 The tragic story of the killing of Ahmaud Arbery has hit close to home for me – literally. That’s my hometown – where I grew up. I am from St. Simons Island and Brunswick is our “mainland.” My mother, sister, niece, and nephew live in Brunswick. My nephew, Jacob, is 24 and white. Ahmaud would have been 26 last Friday, and he was black. Both graduated from Brunswick High School – Ahmaud in 2012 and Jacob in 2014. I felt sick when I ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON        John Wesley’s sister Mary (also called Molly) was seven years older than John. She was born in 1696 and died in 1734 at the age of 38. Soon after her birth she became disabled. It may have been caused by the carelessness of her nurse or some other accident. Soon Molly realized that she was “different.” Other children teased her and some of her own family laughed at her. However, they all soon learned to love and respect her because of her sweetness, ...

LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS ANNE BOSARGE REV. JAY HANSON Have people been asking you questions like these: “How bad will this get?” “How long will it last?” “When is the church going reopen?” “How many people will come back?” "Can we sing in church?” “Should we sing?” What if we changed the narrative by starting to ask a different question? When you ask a new question, you unlock different answers. Our questions direct our minds. They can keep our attention locked in the past or they can open us...

By Rev. Eric Mayle We find ourselves at a critically important moment in time as the white church. I have little doubt in my mind that the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd will be addressed in many white churches — maybe even in most. The real question isn’t will we address these killings, but how will we address them? Will we address these deaths so vaguely that only those who are listening for it will hear it? Will we speak out only enough so we can say we weren’t ...

By Dr. Hal Brady The late Dr. John Claypool, noted minister, tells about going to make pastoral calls at a large hospital. He visited two women both approaching 90 and both with physical difficulties. When John entered the first woman’s room, he felt this incredible cloud of despair. The woman was quick to list all her complaints. Dr. Claypool said he tried to cheer her up but to no avail. Two floors down, he saw the other woman who was facing some serious physical ailments, but the ...

JOHN WESLEY MOMENTS DAVE HANSON John Wesley’s sister Susanna was eight years older than John. She was a good-natured young woman, happy and vivacious, with a delightful sense of humor. When a “ghost” seemed to haunt the Wesley parsonage, Sukey emphasized the humorous aspects of his “visitations.” Susanna lived for a while in London with her Uncle Annesley, her mother’s brother. He liked Sukie and promised her a generous gift. However, her hopes were dashed when he went off to India and ...

GROWING IN GRACE BEN GOSDEN Just 90 days ago we began a new year. 2020 seemed rich with possibility. This was going to be the year my congregation, Trinity United Methodist Church in downtown Savannah, launched a financial campaign to finally address the ongoing interior needs of the 172-year-old building. As a church, we had grown from the brink of financial despair to more health. And this was going to be the year we parlayed that growth and enthusiasm into leaving a mark on this historic ...