By James V. Heidinger II,
President and Publisher
GOOD NEWS PERSPECTIVE – No. 1, August 21, 2007
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Should persistent, unrepentant immoral conduct disqualify one from membership?
Articles by Dr. Robert Gagnon
In just eight months, United Methodists will descend upon Ft. Worth, Texas, for the 2008 General Conference. Some 1,000 delegates who have been elected will come and attempt to deal responsibly with hundreds of legislative proposals. One of the important issues facing delegates will be the matter of whether any persistent, unrepentant immoral conduct should disqualify one from membership in the United Methodist Church.
Linked to the GOOD NEWS web site right now (www.goodnewsmag.org) are three recent articles by Dr. Robert Gagnon, a Presbyterian theologian who teaches New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Interestingly, a debate has been going on in the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) about the matter of homosexual practice and church membership. These articles by Dr. Gagnon will be helpful for us United Methodists as we wrestle with the membership question. (Click here to read full article)
National Renewal and Reform Conference set for Memphis
An exciting national conference is planned for Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, October 26 & 27. The conference is for General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates plus any other United Methodists who are committed to the renewal of the church.
For those able to attend, this may be the most jam-packed 24 hours you have ever experienced. Speakers will include:
In addition to inspirational worship and Bible Study, speakers will address six of the most critical coming before the 2008 General Conference. (Click here for full information.)
Slavery Both Then and Now
One of the finest films this year in my opinion was Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce, the remarkable Christian reformer who upon being elected as a Member of Parliament in England at age 23, began a lifetime career of fighting the horrors and evils of the British slave trade.
The film, one of the few I have felt I wanted to see a second time and will, is now out on DVD. If you haven’t seen it, you must. My colleague, Steve Beard, executive editor of GOOD NEWS magazine, has written a piece for the current issue of the magazine that you won’t want to miss. Yes, the slave trade was outlawed 200 years ago, and the Wilberforce story is a powerful one. However, Steve notes the distressing report by Professor David Batstone, author of Not For Sale, that “Twenty-seven million slaves exist in our world today.” Yes, folks, today! In 2007. (Click here to read Steve Beard’s article.)
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