PlainSpoken

Upendo Likondi is the President Pro Tempore of the GMC in Tanzania. In this conversation, he details his journey into and out of The United Methodist Church, and how God has created a way for him to lead in this time. He details the activity of God in their movement, and the ways in which we can come alongside them to be a part of their work. Take some time to learn about a Christian brother and the work of God in his midst. If you would like to follow up with him about his work and the ways in which you can pray for them and help the GMC in Tanzania, you can reach him at ulikondi@yahoo.com. If you want to support me and the work I'm doing, you can do so at plainspoken.locals.com. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Helena M. Titus is a Presiding Elder in the Western States Provisional Conference of the GMC, serving under President Pro Tempore Mark Maddox. She is planting and leading a Global Methodist church in Los Angeles, of all places! I was curious what would draw a coastal black woman to become a visible and proud leader in the GMC, given the bad press that has been given to us. I was glad to learn her story and to see that, once again, the identity I have in Christ is enough to create true family out of anyone. We had a great chat. I hope you enjoy it! Helena's Website - www.singleandsavedtv.com Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Rev. Dr. Anthony McPhail is one of a few minds in the South Georgia Provisional Conference of the Global Methodist Church working to equip the laity to serve faithfully and capably in their local churches. He has designed a course that effectively edifies the people who enroll, which he describes in this conversation. We talk about the historic role of laity within Methodism, as well as the ways in which we need laity to step up right now. If you want to check out his ministry and consider being equipped as a layperson in the GMC, you can find a helpful place here: https://www.sgagmc.org/certified-lay-ministry If you want to support my work, then consider becoming a supporter at plainspoken.locals.com. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Angola is a country in the southwestern part of Africa. In this conversation, Rev. Dr. Bartolomeu Sapalo, who also serves on the Transitional Leadership Council of the Global Methodist Church, tells the history of Methodism in his country, and how he came to be a primary leader in bringing the GMC to his homeland. Lots of good history here, folks. Enjoy! Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

REV. CANON DAVID ROSEBERRY has been an ordained Anglican priest for over 40 years. He was the founding Rector of Christ Church, in Plano, Texas for over 30 years. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the non-profit ministry of LeaderWorks which serves leaders and congregations in the Anglican Church in North America. He is also leads The LeaderWorks Trust, a kickstarter program granting funds for Anglican congregations and ministries helping them clarify their vision and mobilize supporters to give generously to it. He is a preacher, teacher, speaker and coach with a growing ministry through numerous books (available on Amazon). He and his wife Fran live in Plano, Texas. They have four children and five grandchildren.I wanted to speak with him to better understand similarities and differences between what happened in The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church with respect to liberal ideology and the division it caused in both denominations. Both the Anglican Church in North America and the Global Methodist Church are essentially refugee denominations from these hostile takeovers. To what degree did both groups deal with the same phenomenon, and what important differences were there? It is a large, broad topic. I have already spoken with Dean Wheeler about this with respect to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). This picks up with the same theme. Enjoy!If you want to examine Canon Roseberry's organization, or if you are an ACNA congregation that might like to consider his services, go to https://www.leaderworks.org/And if you would like to support me and the work that I am doing, you can go to plainspoken.locals.com to become a member or, even better, a supporter! Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Mike Todd of Transformation Church has made quite a name for himself over the last few years, often from shocking and over the top sermon illustrations. In this episode we look at a few examples of his preaching and see what is potentially problematic. Link to YouTube Version:If you enjoy what we are doing you can support us by subscribing on Locals. By doing so you help support this ministry while also getting special perks. Subscribe to Us On Locals: https://plainspoken.locals.com/Subscribe To Us On Substack: https://plainspokenpod.substack.com/ Follow Us On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlainSpokenPod/ Follow Us On Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/PlainSpoken Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

At the end of the UMC General Conference Dr John Robbins, the senior pastor of Pulaski Heights UMC, presented a statement concerning the events to his church. This video has garnered widespread support and praise from those who agree with the outcome of the decisions made at General Conference and has made its rounds around the internet. In this episode we look at the arguments made and see if they are biblically sound or if they fall short and why they do so. Link To The Full Sermon:If you enjoy what we are doing you can support us by subscribing on Locals. By doing so you help support this ministry while also getting special perks. Subscribe to Us On Locals: https://plainspoken.locals.com/ Subscribe To Us On Substack: https://plainspokenpod.substack.com/ Follow Us On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlainSpokenPod/ Follow Us On Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/PlainSpoken Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Talbot Davis was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Princeton University and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. In 30+ years of full-time ministry in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference, he has served two appointments: Mt. Carmel-Midway (1990-1999) and Good Shepherd (1999-present).In this conversation, we talk a bit about sacramental theology, church growth practices, and the ways in which doctrinal fidelity impacts, not only church growth, but how ethnically and culturally diverse a church will be. While we do not carry love for the UMC leadership, we speak to conservatives still within the UMC, asking how it is that folks can righteously continue to participate in such a body. We also talk a bit about why he and his church have chosen not to join the GMC despite having initially signaled a desire to join up. Interesting stuff!Links:Talbot's Website - https://talbotdavis.com/Come Alive Website - https://www.inviteresources.com/lp/come-alive-series Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

This is from my Weekday Morning Briefing on Locals at plainspoken.locals.com. If you enjoy this content and would like to be part of a morning community of prayer and scripture, consider joining us!This topic is in response to a post on the UMC Clergy Facebook page which reminded readers that conservative Christians are not, in fact, good people, but actually want gay people to kill themselves. I spent some time answering that critique theologically and explaining why it is that this sentiment indicates a persistent intolerance among the left of people like me. They will not make room for anyone who espouses a theology that corrects our sexual desires or behaviors. Conservatives need to wake up and understand that they will increasingly be targeted for assimilation or expulsion, not just from the UMC, but from all denominations once called "mainline."Sorry for the video quality on this one. I forgot to hit record before talking this morning, so I had to download the final product, which isn't great. Hopefully the content is enough to make up for it. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Was Jesus rich? Should we expect to be financially prosperous as Christians? You've probably seen videos floating around on the internet claiming many of those things. We take a look at a few of those videos and discuss what the Bible actually says about these things and what our response should be when presented with such ideas. If you enjoy what we are doing you can support us by subscribing on Locals. By doing so you help support this ministry while also getting special perks. Subscribe to Us On Locals: https://plainspoken.locals.com/ Subscribe To Us On Substack: https://plainspokenpod.substack.com/ Follow Us On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlainSpokenPod/ Follow Us On Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/PlainSpoken Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe