Category Archives: United Methodism

On Not Knowing What We’re Doing…

Posted on March 31, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

If you’ve been following my posts over the past year, you’ll know that the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is undergoing a major change initiative. The major impetus for this change – in personal terms – is … Continue reading →

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Assessing Changes in the Texas Annual Conference

Posted on March 7, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Bishop Huie, Rick Goodrich, and District Superintendent Jerry Neff led the 2 hour meeting in Longview yesterday. This meeting was mandated last year as a way of assessing the changed in the Conference. You can find a power point version … Continue reading →

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Church Transformation

Posted on February 7, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

We’ve spent the last three days listening to Dave Herman, a pastor from Florida and a representative of DNA Coaching, as he taught on church transformation. The Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is in the beginning stages … Continue reading →

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Ethical Student Leadership at Wiley College

Posted on January 29, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Wiley College, a United Methodist school in Marshall, Texas, hosted its first annual Ethical Student Leadership Conference this past Thursday through Saturday. While the speakers were good (I was a speaker), the high point for me was getting to know … Continue reading →

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Denominational Identity

Posted on January 17, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Knowing who you are and what you stand for as a denomination is a good thing. Aligning your identity with the bible is a good thing for Christians to do. But some groups seem to take this to extremes. Dr. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Current events, Politics, Theology, United Methodism | 5 Comments

Chafing at Accountability

Posted on January 13, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Accountability is one of the Big Words here in the Texas Annual Conference (of the UMC) these days. Sure, we’ve always had accountability. “Pay your apportionments or else!” “Don’t run off with a woman other than your wife, or else!” … Continue reading →

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Good News from Indiana – a Challenge to Us

Posted on January 5, 2007 by Richard Heyduck

Tim Stevens reports that their congregation saw 942 people make professions of faith last year. He’s on staff at Granger Community Church, a United Methodist congregation in northern Indiana. In an earlier post he said their average attendance for the … Continue reading →

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Revelation

Posted on November 4, 2006 by Richard Heyduck

I’m working my way through William J. “Billy” Abraham’s Crossing the Threshold of Divine Revelation. The most recent of his books promoting what he calls “Canonical Theism,” Abraham continues the work of Canon and Criterion in Christian Theology: From the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Spirituality, Theology, United Methodism | 1 Comment

Planning and “Working the Plan”

Posted on November 4, 2006 by Richard Heyduck

The Texas Conference going through a revolution. Inasmuch as the revolution is based on a widespread failure to accomplish our basic mission (to make disciples), I offer my hearty support. “What do you mean, ‘Failure to accomplish our basic mission?’ … Continue reading →

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United Methodism: Liberal? Conservative? What?

Posted on October 6, 2006 by Richard Heyduck

Donald W. Haynes is doing a series in the United Methodist Reporter responding to questions described as responding to concerns of “conservative readers.” The first piece is “Is Methodism ‘Too Liberal’ for Conservatives?” the second, “Is Bible Literally the Word … Continue reading →

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