PlainSpoken

Irene Willis Hassan grew up in The United Church of Christ, but her story led her down many different paths until she found herself back in the fold of the UCC. The UCC has a reputation of being a pretty far-left group, but Irene and a handful of others actually identify as somewhat conservative. In this segment, Irene tells her story and explains how she and her Hawaiian church can gladly stay in the fold of the UCC despite their decidedly non-woke theology. Methodists could potentially get a glimpse at what staying in the UMC could look like and get some clarity if they need to stay or go. Those who left might better understand the forces that overtook the UMC and why it might have been necessary to leave as so many did. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Will Faircloth is the President of The Wesley Heritage Foundation. He also leads the Instituto do Estudios Wesleyanos. He and his organization are engaged in the promotion of the Wesleyan theological tradition in the Spanish-speaking world. This was a live stream conversation, where we took questions from the audience at the end. I hope to have more of these in the future.Website for the Wesley Heritage Foundation - https://www.wesleyheritage.org Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

Rev. Beth Ann Cook has served the Lord Jesus many years as a Methodist. She capably served within the highest levels of The United Methodist Church, and then she brought her gifts to the Global Methodists when we split away. She has been tasked with the leadership of the group that is responsible for planning the Convening Conference this September. In this conversation, I get some of her personal and professional history, then we talk about all the many efforts required to put this gathering together in San Jose. We hope those who spend this time with us are moved to pray for the GMC’s historic first gathering, and to consider other ways in which you might bless this effort of faithful disciples.Links:Global Methodist Church Website - www.globalmethodist.orgConvening Conference Website - www.sotheworldwillknow.orgVolunteers! - https://www.sotheworldwillknow.org/volunteerPrayer Guides - https://www.sotheworldwillknow.org/prayMission Opportunity in San Jose - https://form.jotform.com/232776415253155Giving to make the Convening Conference Possible - https://onrealm.org/globalmethodist/-/form/give/individuals Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

The band got back together again to talk through recent developments in The United Methodist Church. After a number of American jurisdictional gatherings, alongside a host of developments on the continent of Africa, there is a lot to digest. In this episode, we talk about the rhetoric of the UMC and what seems to be the state of the body at the representative level. We talk about the overrepresentation of a certain segment of the demography of the UMC at the expense of others. We hope you benefit from the analysis here. May it be a blessing to you and your church.For the clip at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference, go to: If you want to support my work, go to plainspoken.locals.com. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe

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