Editor’s Note: McMurry University is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, which is undergoing a significant change. The Global Methodist Church, a more conservative branch of Methodism, launched on May 1, 2022. Some congregations, including many of those in the Northwest Annual Conference, are expected to leave the United Methodist Church for the new denomination. Following is a Q&A with
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The Northwest Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church has created a section on its website with information to guide local churches as they decide whether to remain under the United Methodist umbrella or disaffiliate. https://www.nwtxconf.org/transition By LORETTA FULTON “Help us to see the way you would have us go.” Those words from the opening prayer from Steve Patterson
Read moreBy LORETTA FULTON A new pastor will be serving St. Paul United Methodist Church effective July 1. Bobby Wilson, current pastor of St. Paul’s UMC in El Paso, was announced Sunday morning, March 13, as the new minister, replacing Steve Patterson, who has been at St. Paul since July 2019. Patterson was appointed as pastor of St. John’s UMC in
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Religion News Service reports that The United Methodist Church has delayed its General Conference meeting for a third time due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. In response, some conservative United Methodists have announced they will preemptively leave the denomination rather than wait for the long-anticipated meeting. Click here to read entire RNS story.
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By LORETTA FULTON Methodists are used to change, but no one could have predicted the big change that is coming in July. And, it will be welcomed news to all who were touched by the ministry of Felicia Hopkins when she served as senior pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church from 2013 to 2019. Hopkins will be returning to
Read moreBy LORETTA FULTON If Gene McPeak ever gets stuck trying to come up with a sermon topic, all he has to do is look in the mirror. By his own admission, he made a few mistakes along the way. And if he’s in that kind of mood, one or two of those mistakes might make a good sermon. But more than
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By LORETTA FULTON The new assistant chaplain at McMurry University brings youth, diversity, energy and a message to her new job. The message that Julia Puac-Romero brings to the table is not to forget about students at United Methodist-affiliated universities in the midst of a debate on sexuality issues. Read story by Loretta Fulton in the Reporter-News.
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By LORETTA FULTON After spending parts of 14 summers at Duke Divinity School, Cisco College, McMurry University and Asbury Theological Seminary, Jeff Hatcher finally has made it. On June 7, Hatcher, who is pastor of Wylie United Methodist Church, was ordained as an elder in full connection — a United Methodist clergy classification — during the annual meeting of the
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By LORETTA FULTON United Methodists voted Feb. 26 in St. Louis to maintain the current wording in the church’s Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality issues. The denomination’s Council of Bishops, including Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe of the Northwest Texas Annual Conference, voted in May 2018 to support a plan that would have been more inclusive. That plan, and one
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Spirit Of Abilene 