By Loretta Fulton The annual Holy Week Luncheon Series, a tradition in Abilene for over 40 years, will begin Monday, April 14. A brown bag luncheon will be held each day through Thursday, April 17, at one of four host churches–Highland, St. Paul, First Baptist, and First Central Presbyterian. Each day a minister will preach the sermon at another minister’s
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By Loretta Fulton If all goes as planned, United Methodists in the Northwest Texas Annual Conference, which includes Abilene, will become part of a new unified conference that will reflect changes in membership following the departure of many conservative congregations for the new Global Methodist Church. The majority of former United Methodist Churches in Northwest Texas have left for the
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View Post By LORETTA FULTON An ancient devotion that probably will be new to many is coming to downtown Abilene on Good Friday, April 7. “The Way of the Cross” is a collaboration of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, St. Paul United Methodist Church and First Central Presbyterian Church. Officiating clergy will lead participants on “The Way of
Read moreBill Libby, former Army chaplain and longtime religion professor at McMurry University, died Jan. 7, at his home in Abilene. Funeral was scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at St. Paul United Methodist Church, where Libby was a longtime member, former associate pastor, and founder of the Pathfinders Sunday School class, comprised mostly of Vietnam-era veterans. Libby will be
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By LORETTA FULTON Each December, members of Religion News Association, including Spirit of Abilene creator and editor Loretta Fulton, choose the top religion stories of the year. Those include the top national stories, international stories, and newsmaker of the year.Many of the Top 10 stories, as voted on by members, had local implications, including the No. 1 story, the Supreme
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By LORETTA FULTON St. Paul United Methodist Church is remaining united. The congregation voted Sunday, Oct. 16, by a margin of 80 percent to 20 percent to remain affiliated with the United Methodist Church, rather than disaffiliate and either align with a conservative denomination or go independent. The new pastor of St. Paul, Benji Van Fleet, saw the vote as
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By LORETTA FULTON The United Methodist Church is united no more. A number of local congregations have voted to disaffiliate with the UMC and join the new Global Methodist Church. That trend is expected to continue in Abilene and across the Northwest Texas Annual Conference, a regional jurisdiction. For those who have voted to disaffiliate, the change takes effect Jan.
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By LORETTA FULTON The new pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church won’t have to spend much time learning his way around Abilene. Benji Van Fleet assumed the role of senior pastor at the historic downtown church on July 1. The Van Fleet family–Benji, his wife Anna and their 7-year-old son Abe–moved to Abilene from First UMC in Stanton, near
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By LORETTA FULTON For the second time in a little over a month, a new senior pastor has been named at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Effective July 1, Benji Van Fleet will become the senior pastor. On Sunday, March 13, Bobby Wilson was announced as the new pastor, also effective July 1. But Wilson, current pastor of St. Paul’s
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