PlainSpoken

Rev. Dr. Gabriella Kopas is the Conference Superintendent of the Central Europe Annual Conference of the Global Methodist Church. She met the Lord Jesus in college and has been walking in obedience since then. GMC leadership saw her great potential in the hostile climate of post-Soviet regions, and he accepted the invitation to serve.In this conversation, we hear the story of how she came to Christ and found a home in the Methodist tradition. She characterizes the current state of Methodism in Eastern Europe, she gives some history and demographics of the area, explains contemporary missional challenges, and invites the prayers of those who care about Christ reaching those nations. It was a very pleasant conversation that I benefited from. You will, too!Links:Central Europe Conference Website in English - https://www.metodisti.sk/english/My conversation with Daniel Topalski of Bulgaria -My conversation with Vatroslav Župancic of Croatia -Rod Dreher's 'Live Not By Lies' - https://a.co/d/dk9UcvYIf you would like to join my Locals community to help support this ministry, go to plainspoken.locals.com and become a supporter!If you would like to subscribe to my pastoral Substack, where I publish articles on topics pertaining to pastoral ministry and Methodism, you can go to jeffreyrickman.substack.com.If you would like to subscribe to the PlainSpoken Podcast Substack, where I publish articles, video, and audio pertaining to Methodism and the culture war, you can go to plainspokenpod.substack.com.If you're not interested in any of that stuff, but you want to give directly to my church, you can go to https://tithe.ly/give?c=2198808 and make a donation there. Thanks! Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Every Christian tradition is tasked with articulating how it is, biblically, that God saves us. My tradition, the Methodist tradition, is known to stress a concept called "prevenient grace," which is broadly the notion that God makes the first move. Brian Shelton, a professor at Asbury University, has researched and written on the topic of prevenient grace to the degree that I knew I needed to learn from him on this topic.Specifically, as this generation works to reclaim foundational biblical doctrines, how do we need to understand salvation in light of sin, depravity, and the fall? How is it that our youngest generations are inclined to embrace the notions of grace presented in Methodism? What facets of our doctrine are more challenging to receive or to boldly articulate?Shelton was really gracious with me as I got a little scatterbrained in how I processed this information. I hope you will be, too. It wasn't my best performance as an interlocutor. Please forgive me. Shelton was great, though. I hope you benefit greatly from his time spent with me.Links:Shelton's Book, "Prevenient Grace" - https://a.co/d/20NyCm6My conversation with Mark Olson on the topic of Justifying Grace -If you would like to join my Locals community to help support this ministry, go to plainspoken.locals.com and become a supporter!If you would like to subscribe to my pastoral Substack, where I publish articles on topics pertaining to pastoral ministry and Methodism, you can go to jeffreyrickman.substack.com.If you would like to subscribe to the PlainSpoken Podcast Substack, where I publish articles, video, and audio pertaining to Methodism and the culture war, you can go to plainspokenpod.substack.com.If you're not interested in any of that stuff, but you want to give directly to my church, you can go to https://tithe.ly/give?c=2198808 and make a donation there. Thanks! Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

A few weeks ago, Mark Tooley of the Institute for Religion and Democracy published a piece highlighting a seeming disinterest on the part of Wesleyan Christians in America to attempt new church communities in the midst of urban areas. In particular, there is a dearth of Methodist/Wesleyan new church plants in Washington DC, where he has been professionally engaged for decades. Contrasting Wesleyanism with other theological traditions in our nation, Mr. Tooley notes how difficult it is to find any pioneering young leaders to try to save the cosmopolitan masses. In this segment, we talk through the various factors involved, both practical and theological. Mr. Tooley speaks with clarity, concisely about an intimidating challenge, issuing the summons to a new generation of gospel-proclaiming Methodists to again engage in God's saving work in our nation. Consider his voice: If you want to answer his summons for consideration to plant a church with the resources he has offered, you can reach him at mtooley@theird.org If you would like to make yourself available to the Northeast Conference of the Global Methodist Church as a potential church planter, please email them at churchplanting@northeastgmc.org.Source Article - "Doug Wilson Plants in DC; Methodism Shuns DC" by Mark Tooley - https://juicyecumenism.com/2025/07/17/doug-wilson-plants-in-dc-methodism-shuns-it/ The John Wesley Institute - https://nextmethodism.org/ If you would like to join my Locals community to help support this ministry, go to plainspoken.locals.com and become a supporter! If you would like to subscribe to my pastoral Substack, where I publish articles on topics pertaining to pastoral ministry and Methodism, you can go to jeffreyrickman.substack.com. If you would like to subscribe to the PlainSpoken Podcast Substack, where I publish articles, video, and audio pertaining to Methodism and the culture war, you can go to plainspokenpod.substack.com. If you're not interested in any of that stuff, but you want to give directly to my church, you can go to https://tithe.ly/give?c=2198808 and make a donation there. Thanks! Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

This year stands at the 1700-year anniversary of the convening of the First Council of Nicaea, which had huge implications for the definition of the church. We also stand at the centennial for the Scopes Monkey Trial, which was so massively influential in drawing the cultural battle lines in our society. The world in which we are living was powerfully impacted by both of these events. In this segment, my United Methodist friends discuss these events in light of our present standing. What was good and right about these events? What was regrettable? Are there any lessons for us to learn from them today? Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Robert Gagnon is going to be teaching a course at Wesley Biblical Seminary soon, so I thought I might try to get him on. He's perhaps the most expert thinker on the topic of human sexuality. As you'll see in this conversation, he has a great passion for the plain meaning of scripture. He has the resolve to meet bad arguments with better ones and has been of benefit to the larger discourse through writing books and scholarly articles, writing thoughtful think pieces on social media, and recently by starting a YouTube channel (see links below). This conversation details not only the topic of the course he will be teaching, but it also serves as a decent primer for the topic of biblical sexual ethics. May this conversation be of benefit to you in your attempts to grow closer to the Lord. Links: "The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics" Dr. Gagnon's book - https://a.co/d/5gTTzlJ "The 15 Most Important Texts in Scripture" Course at WBS - https://wbs.edu/15-texts/ Dr. Gagnon's Website - http://robgagnon.net/ Dr. Gagnon's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@robertgagnon7647⁩ Dr. Gagnon on X - https://x.com/RobertAJGagnon1 Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

The extremes of the left and right often form a short of horse shoe, in which they have more in common with one another than those in the middle. It could be said that, with respect to Jews, we are seeing the same thing: Both left and right and experiencing a resurgent anti-Jewish impulse. It is not hard to find people who have a desire to argue that modern Judaism and modern Israel have little to no correspondence with the biblical people/nation of Israel. One doesn’t have to look hard for those eager to make the case that modern Jews are deluded to believe that God still cares for them in any special or particular way. Rev. Dr. Gerald McDermott has written several books on the topic of “New Christian Zionism” or post-supersessionism. The basic idea is that God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable. Despite our unfaithfulness, God remains faithful. God’s salvation story throughout history is unified, rather than bifurcated. Gerald McDermott teaches at Jerusalem Seminary and the Reformed Episcopal Seminary (ACNA) in Philadelphia. He retired from the Anglican Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham AL in 2020. Before that he was the Jordan-Trexler Professor of Religion at Roanoke College, where he taught courses for 26 years in the history of Christianity and Christian theology of world religions. He has written, co-written or edited 25 books and hundreds of articles.Spend the time with him. I think he is right, and that understanding his insights could lead to a future in which the church is not committing the same sins against God’s covenant people, the Jews, that we pretty consistently have over the centuries…Links:Israel Matters: Why Christians Must Think Differently about the People and the Land - https://a.co/d/4f7BZ1vThe New Christian Zionism: Fresh Perspectives on Israel & the Land - https://a.co/d/3VJNWOZA New History of Redemption: The Work of Jesus the Messiah through the Millennia - https://a.co/d/hcj1ltQ“New antisemitism rising among Christians is heresy” in The Christian Post - https://www.christianpost.com/voices/new-antisemitism-rising-among-christians-is-heresy.html"No, You Don’t Have To Be A Dispensationalist To Believe In Zionism" in The Federalist - https://thefederalist.com/2025/07/15/no-you-dont-have-to-be-a-dispensationalist-to-believe-in-zionism/ Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Bishop Jeff Greenway is a significant figure in the Global Methodist Church. As we talk about in this conversation, he has been one of the voices in pretty much every room that has determined the quality of this new covenant body. Raised by Methodist clergy, he has given his entire adult life to the glorification of God by edifying his church. He has served on all levels of church leadership, and he is now spending his final years in service through humble leadership at the top as a bishop (episcopos) (overseer). Bishop Greenway published a piece in Firebrand last month that thoughtfully worked through considerations regarding faithful episcopal leadership. I found many of the specifics to be worthy reflections and was able to get him to speak with me about many of them here. Listeners would do well to consider Bishop Greenway's insights about the nature of Christian leadership in light of his efforts alongside many others to build something new that reflects the timeless truths of Christ. Link to Firebrand article, "Escaping Gravity: Bishops as Servants of Christ and His Church" - https://firebrandmag.com/articles/escaping-gravity-bishops-as-servants-of-christ-and-his-church Link to Bishop Greenway's mailing list - If you would like to join my Locals community to help support this ministry, go to plainspoken.locals.com and become a supporter! If you would like to subscribe to my pastoral Substack, where I publish articles on topics pertaining to pastoral ministry and Methodism, you can go to jeffreyrickman.substack.com. If you would like to subscribe to the PlainSpoken Podcast Substack, where I publish articles, video, and audio pertaining to Methodism and the culture war, you can go to plainspokenpod.substack.com. If you're not interested in any of that stuff, but you want to give directly to my church, you can go to https://tithe.ly/give?c=2198808 and make a donation there. Thanks! Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Dr. Felicia Chinyere Priest joined me from Lagos, Nigeria to talk about her new book, Rooted In Christ : Discipleship Strategies for Believers from Muslim Backgrounds. She has been teaching and thinking on these topics pertaining to effective discipleship for 20 years. Nigeria is the most hostile context in the world between Muslims and Christians, where just recently many dozens of Christians were killed in the northern region of the country by Muslims.In the West, numbers of Muslims continue to increase. These Muslims have the same Koran and same traditions as those who are active in Nigeria. We in the West would do well to learn from those on the frontlines how to proactively and productively engage Muslims. Dr. Chinyere and I leaned into these topics, and she was quite helpful in rendering answers. What principles are important to keep in mind when considering how to witness to Muslims? What are the primary issues and challenges involved in converting Muslims? Why do Christians sometimes choose to convert to Islam (her own tribe has experienced this in some measure). Which Christian traditions do better than others at creating discipleship pathways and maintaining a rigorous way of life? We address these and many other important considerations.I think the biggest revelation to me in this time was that the church needs to engage, not just in the marketplace of ideas, but on the level of economics. If we are expecting for folks to leave their old way of life behind, then we need to be better able to facilitate that. Do we have places to put them? Do we have protocols for protection? Do we have networks established for support and comfort? It is actually quite reasonable for the church to anticipate these needs. Why have churches generally failed in this way?This is unfortunately not my highest-quality recording. The internet connection wasn’t stable at all. I didn’t realize it until I started the editing process that Dr. Chinyere’s feed actually clipped out twice. Moreover, her accent is quite challenging for Americans to understand. Both of these factors will make it difficult for an American audience to appreciate. But for those of you who are interested in the subject, I know you’ll enjoy the effort.Consider Dr. Chinyere’s book here - https://a.co/d/6mSLgZYIf you would like to join my Locals community to help support this ministry, go to plainspoken.locals.com and become a supporter!If you would like to subscribe to my pastoral Substack, where I publish articles on topics pertaining to pastoral ministry and Methodism, you can go to jeffreyrickman.substack.com.If you would like to subscribe to the PlainSpoken Podcast Substack, where I publish articles, video, and audio pertaining to Methodism and the culture war, you can go to plainspokenpod.substack.com.If you're not interested in any of that stuff, but you want to give directly to my church, you can go to https://tithe.ly/give?c=2198808 and make a donation there. Thanks! Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Andy Postell is the Conference Superintendent of the North Georgia Conference of the Global Methodist Church. He is the conference's seconded head, following in the footsteps of Rev. Kenny Ott. Andy has a background in church planting, in which he had to learn to lean on the Lord while simultaneously taking responsibility for as much as rightly possible. Having come out of the business world, he and his wife together managed a balance between activity and humility that I think many might benefit to learn from. In this conversation, Rev. Postell and I talk about his story and how it will undoubtedly impact the work of his conference. In particular, we talk about the current challenges of reconstructing a shared identity as Methodists, and what the challenges/opportunities of the present moment are. He has no bluster to offer, but rather an earnest reapproaching of the tradition we have inherited, with an openness to unfamiliarity. It was a refreshing conversation. May it be a blessing to you!Link to Conference Giving Page - https://ngagmc.org/give/, where you can give to any number of causes, including that of the Nigerian partnership.If you would like to join my Locals community to help support this ministry, go to plainspoken.locals.com and become a supporter!If you would like to subscribe to my pastoral Substack, where I publish articles on topics pertaining to pastoral ministry and Methodism, you can go to jeffreyrickman.substack.com.If you would like to subscribe to the PlainSpoken Podcast Substack, where I publish articles, video, and audio pertaining to Methodism and the culture war, you can go to plainspokenpod.substack.com.If you're not interested in any of that stuff, but you want to give directly to my church, you can go to https://tithe.ly/give?c=2198808 and make a donation there. Thanks! Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Lonnie, Odell, and Joe got together again to talk about recent developments in The United Methodist Church. All three men have been delegates to General Conference and have knowledge of the inner workings of the denomination, as well as the incentive structures in place. All three have done what they can to stay abreast of current dynamics. In this session, they talk about recent Judicial Council decisions that reverse previous decisions and go against promises made. They also talk about the new mission/vision statement put together by the bishops and how much it resembles the Global Methodist Church’s vision statement. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe