PlainSpoken

In 2007, Philip and Samantha Meadows began the Inspire Movement, a modern day international ecumenical attempt at replicating many of the gifts of the Methodist tradition. This is one of the many options available to believers who know that they need a more intimate and biblical faith. At this inflection point of Methodism, we would do well to learn from those who have already been doing the work of helping believers walk together in the Spirit. Dr. Meadows is a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, he has published many books on evangelism, mission, and small group discipleship. He is appreciated and respected by many in contemporary Methodism, and for good reason. I enjoyed this conversation. You will, too. Links The Inspire Movement - https://inspiremovement.org/ YouTube Page - https://www.youtube.com/@UC9fB_bmxdGR4V9U0Aq9YG2g "Missional Discipleship: A Field Guide" - https://a.co/d/3FP9x6G 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

James Mahoney published two articles on baptismal regeneration in Firebrand Magazine over the last month. They are linked below. They got me thinking on how it is that we commonly understand regeneration, justification, and baptism. I asked James to speak with me and he said yes! James got his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. He is an ordained elder in the Western States Annual Conference. Enjoy learning from him. Articles: "Baptismal Regeneration and the Wesleyan Way" - https://firebrandmag.com/articles/baptismal-regeneration-and-the-wesleyan-way "The Changing Wesley & The Unchanging God: Regeneration and Repentance in the Wesleyan Way" - https://firebrandmag.com/articles/the-changing-wesley-amp-the-unchanging-god-regeneration-and-repentance-in-the-wesleyan-way Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

January Littlejohn is a Christian mother living in Florida. She is currently working to educate the American public and the church about gender ideology and the implications such beliefs have for our children. She herself was impacted by this ideology when her own daughter began to believe that she was actually male. The school system, rather than helping Mrs. Littlejohn, worked against her.In this conversation, January tells her family's story, and together we try to wrap our minds around the reality of our present situation as a society. What is the role for the church in all this? How should pastors and other Christian leaders be talking about it? How can local churches and denominations work against this deluge of ungodly propaganda?Resources Referenced:1. "Church Transgender Response Guide" - https://www.childparentrights.org/church-transgender-response-guide2. Abigail Shrier's "Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters" - https://a.co/d/ecCQWHX3. Timothy Tennant's "For the Body: Recovering a Theology of Gender, Sexuality, and the Human Body" - https://a.co/d/gS0DhrK4. Leonard Sax's "The Collapse of Parenting" - https://a.co/d/cV54VzP5. Gordon Neufeld's "Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers" - https://a.co/d/fmDXo7aIf 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. Justus Hunter is a tenured professor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He teaches vital courses for the training of Methodist clergy. His students like him quite a bit, and for good reason. His view of the local church is tempered by his deep knowledge and love of doctrine and Christian history. It was this same love that eventually drew him to the Roman Catholic faith. Dr. Hunter, alongside Dr. Phil Tallon, has authored one of the most widely-used books for and introduction to the Methodist faith, “The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way.”In this segment, we talk about the worthiness of the Methodist/Wesleyan heritage, theological and practical considerations as people continue to try to reclaim the treasures of our past. I’m particularly interested in reflections on the last ten minutes or so of our conversation, as it integrates a lot of the shared passions for family discipleship and the resurgence of rigor and integrity of faith.Link to Dr. Hunter’s book on Wesleyanism - https://a.co/d/fWHscphIf 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

Michael Carpenter is an ordained elder in the Oklahoma Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, currently serving as the lead pastor of Lost Creek United Methodist Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He earned a degree in civil engineering and worked as an engineer before entering ministry and attending Saint Paul School of Theology. Having served urban, suburban, and rural congregations ranging in weekly attendance from 80 to 1,500, Michael has a passion for equipping members of local churches for their discipleship journeys. Michael is married and is the father of five children.Michael has published a new book on the potential gifts for today’s believers that we can have from the Nicene Creed on its 1700th anniversary. In this conversation, we talk about his book, who it is for, and the gifts we can garner from an awareness of its contents and context. Michael and I, now in two different Methodist bodies, talk explicitly about the lessons we could learn from addressing heresy and drawing lines around orthodoxy. I hope to continue forward this conversation with other United Methodists of good faith now that we have facilitated what I would consider to be a healthy separation. For his part, Michael seems to be quite interested in peace and orthodoxy. I hope you find him as helpful in the conversation as I did.Michael’s book - “We Believe: How the Nicene Creed Can Deepen Your Faith” - https://www.cokesbury.com/We-Believe-2If 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

David C. Gibbs III serves as president and general counsel of the National Center for Life and Liberty (NCLL), a legal ministry that protects the rights of churches and Christian organizations nationwide, with offices in California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas.A graduate of Duke University School of Law, Mr. Gibbs speaks regularly at churches and conferences across the country, while also litigating cases as a trial attorney.In this segment, Mr. Gibbs and I talk through the latest considerations with respect to ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, neutral principles law, trust law, and other considerations for local churches that no longer want to be in The United Methodist Church, but whose assets are legally entwined with the UMC. I learned a good deal from this conversation. You will, too.David's Book, "Fighting for Dear Life" - https://a.co/d/65NyfZyDavid's Book, "Understanding the Constitution: Ten Things Every Citizen Should Know About the Supreme Law of the Land" - https://a.co/d/fCkimiT———————————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

Last year, The United Methodist Church gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina to officiate over an undeniable liberal takeover of the mainline denomination. Fully 1/3 was able to disaffiliate before that point. Those remaining within the UMC continue to understand the implications of that meeting in waves.In this segment, Lonnie presents on the recent Judicial Council Decision #1517, which presents some significant problems for UMC jurisprudence and the future possibility of any amicable separations on the part of local churches from the UMC. Odell, for his part, gives some great analysis on the implications of the regionalization plan that has been recommended to the annual conferences, which are now voting on it. He reminds us of the problems already established and warns current constituencies in consideration of these upcoming annual conference votes.I, for my part, try to weave these things together for the sake of folks in the UMC who want to understand. I hope you find this beneficial!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

Nigeria has been a particularly difficult area in the development of the Global Methodist Church. While it is seeing great growth there, it is under constant threat from the United Methodist dissidents who chose not to affiliate. A property dispute has often turned violent, and it has been difficult to ascertain the truth of what is happening on the ground.In this conversation, Rev. Sabo takes time to explain to me the particular challenges in his conference, where United Methodists are actually a bigger threat to the brethren than Muslims. Take some time to learn about ministry here, how you can support Rev. Sabo and his fellow workers in faith, and how to pray for that tense context. Thanks be to God who has been so faithful in supporting them! May we likewise be faithful in prayer.Link to give to Nigerian conferences through the North Georgia Conference of the GMC: https://buy.stripe.com/bIY3fO6jhcLAeBicMZ———————————If you would like to join my Locals community, where I give a full morning briefing, 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

JD Hall has been a public figure in Christianity for some time, at least in the world of the Southern Baptist Convention. He and another brother in Christ named David have managed Protestia for some time. It is a website and X account that does much to circulate information in excesses in the Christian faith. JD also published on Insight to Incite in Substack.JD is part of what he calls Christian Polemics, which he defines in this conversation as an in-house conversation about the limits of the Christian faith and what is rightly seen as orthodox, heterodox, and heretical within the church. Our conversation revolves around the notion of unity in the church, sanctification in the midst of conflict, and whether the response to heresy is rightly done by splitting off and forming new churches or instead by fighting to reclaim that which has already been built.For those of us who use Protestia as a regular reminder of how strange the Christian faith has gotten for some, I thought it would be good to know a bit about one of the primary minds involved. I hope you enjoy this conversation.Protestia Website - https://protestia.com/Protestia on X - https://x.com/ProtestiaJD's X Account - https://x.com/LostMyHatsInsight to Incite - https://insighttoincite.substack.com/------------------------If you would like to join my Locals community, where I give a full morning briefing (where this came from), 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

Rev. Dr. John Oswalt, a recent transfer to the Global Methodist Church and a great contributor to the field of Hebrew biblical interpretation, headed up the venture of a five-volume systematic theology for the average nonacademic clergy and laity. It is the first systematic theology to feature Global Methodist scholarship.In this conversation, Dr. Oswalt talks about the team that generated this work and the process by which they provided this resource. We also talk through the various fields of theology treated in these volumes and hopefully show how needed this was. Theology is interesting! We forget that sometimes. Hopefully this conversation is part of your wanting to learn more. If you agree that this is a promising resource, consider purchasing your copy at: https://store.francisasburysociety.com/product/holy-love-a-wesleyan-systematic-theology/You might also consider Dr. Oswalt's website at calledtobetransformed.netLet me know your thoughts on this conversation by commenting below. And make sure to share this with anyone that you think might benefit from such a conversation!———————————If you would like to join my Locals community, where I give a full morning briefing (where this came from), 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