Author Archives: Richard Heyduck

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About Richard Heyduck

Pastor of Hardy Memorial Methodist Church, a Global Methodist Congregation. PhD Fuller Seminary MDiv Asbury Seminary BA Southwestern University

Church and Seminary

There’s a discussion about the  “Future of Seminary Education” going on at Patheos. One of the responses to a post by Fred Schmidt led me to make a comment. It ran a bit long, so I thought I’d post it … Continue reading

Posted in Discipleship, Ecclesiology, Education, United Methodism | 2 Comments

Discipleship Teeth

From Gil Rendle’s newest book, Journey in the Wilderness: Part of the current challenge for leaders in our mainline churches is the dual task of not only knowing what to do but also knowing what not to do, what to … Continue reading

Posted in Discipleship, Ecclesiology, United Methodism | Leave a comment

Will Willimon on the 9/11 Decennial

Christianity Today’s latest issue features responses to the tenth anniversary of 9/11 from several Christian leaders. Will Willimon’s is the sharpest.  Just consider this one line: The criminals who perpetrated 9/11 and the flag-waving boosters of our almost exclusively martial … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Gil Rendle – Journey in the Wilderness

We will be reading Gil Rendle’s book Journey in the Wilderness: New Life for Mainline Churches here in the North District next month. It is well worth reading for all of us in the United Methodist Church who desire to … Continue reading

Posted in Books, church growth, Culture, United Methodism | Leave a comment

Join the Conspiracy

In his book The Divine Conspiracy Dallas Willard says that when people are connected with Jesus through faith, “their union with Jesus allows them now to be a part of his conspiracy to undermine the structures of evil, which continue … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Spirituality | Leave a comment

Christian Perfection

Christian Perfection is something John Wesley taught. It has been retained in the current United Methodist Church in the question asked of those being ordained Elder: “Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?” The expected … Continue reading

Posted in Discipleship, Perfectionism, Sin, Spirituality | 1 Comment

Eternal Truth

I read in the preface of a book I just picked up: “We know that truth is eternal and unchanging.” My problem is that I don’t know that. Sure, if I were convinced that Plato got it right, I’d think … Continue reading

Posted in Epistemology | Leave a comment

“Here there be sinners”

One of the signs of a health church is the presence of sinners. Well, sure, people will say. Everyone is a sinner, so if there is anyone there, sinners will be there. No way around it. What’s the big deal? … Continue reading

Posted in Ecclesiology, Sin | Leave a comment

Questions about alcohol

A local newspaper recently asked me some questions about shifting attitudes and practices regarding the sale of alcohol in E Texas. Here’s what I had to say (you may notice I’m not good at generating sound bites). Once upon a … Continue reading

Posted in Current events, Ethics | 3 Comments

Real estate & the economy

Feel free to take the comments below with a grain of salt. I am not in the real estate business. I have never owned real estate. I have never studied real estate, and have had only one course in economics. … Continue reading

Posted in Consumerism, Economics | Leave a comment