tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post6435756013666639725..comments2023-11-05T00:58:55.352-07:00Comments on A Peculiar Prophet: Beyond the BoundariesWilliam H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-49990684993175223532009-03-02T19:41:00.000-08:002009-03-02T19:41:00.000-08:00Thanks, Joe. Wonderful insights. I gather, from ...Thanks, Joe. Wonderful insights. I gather, from what Bishop Carder has told me, that you seem to have a real gift for small, rural churches and their people. These are some of our best congregations IF they will work not to be some sort of club for old folks and reach out! Your story is moving. And quite encouraging.<BR/><BR/>Lovette Weems has noted in our first 100 years Methodists built<BR/>institutions for other people's children, colleges, schools, orphanages. In our second 100 years we built up institutions mostly for ourselves. Sad commentary.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your thoughtful, encouraging response.<BR/><BR/>WillWilliam H. Willimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-48249920275710725952009-03-02T10:11:00.000-08:002009-03-02T10:11:00.000-08:00Bishop,I thank you for this post. I, too, like Ca...Bishop,<BR/><BR/>I thank you for this post. I, too, like Casey my friend and colleague, am a pastor of a small, rural church in Fuquay-Varina, NC. It is at this church that I daily see the spirit at work in the form of an intergenerational, interracial, and inter-socioeconomic ministry to the youth and children of an area mobile home neighborhood. <BR/><BR/>Our children are the invisible people of this community, but instead of allowing that injustice to continue, the LAITY of this rural congregation began to reach out, transport, feed (both physically and spiritually), and eventual come to love as their own, each of these beautiful children. Very simply, the church explains the reversal of their long and steady decline to 20 at worship as their finally listening to the Holy Spirit say, 'Go!' <BR/><BR/>I see each of the characteristics you have mentioned in your post within this congregation. But I wish to emphasize something else I have seen. The people of this congregation truly love one another. They truly love those whom they invite. No, these children cannot tithe, as they have no income, but they give in all so many more ways. It has caused the congregation to love again, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the love of Christ has returned, and the church membership is growing, even with this inexperienced student pastor behind the pulpit. What a joy there is to see resurrection at work! Again, thank you for this post. I truly believe the small membership congregation is the heart of the UMC.<BR/><BR/>In Him,<BR/><BR/>Joseph B. DeWitteJoe DeWittehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231904535366464676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-49419950710547673382009-02-28T10:04:00.000-08:002009-02-28T10:04:00.000-08:00Bishop, I hope that you will write more about the ...Bishop, I hope that you will write more about the qualities, characteristics, and faithful practive of a 'giving spirit.'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-11987632067645920002009-02-28T06:47:00.000-08:002009-02-28T06:47:00.000-08:00Always, you speak of physical things, doing, what ...Always, you speak of physical things, doing, what is being done. Always you leave out the holy spirit and His work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-82642851658231712432009-02-27T07:00:00.000-08:002009-02-27T07:00:00.000-08:00I met Rev. Salter when I was employed by Cokesbury...I met Rev. Salter when I was employed by Cokesbury Birmingham while going to school at Beeson. It does not surprise me that he has been a blessing to this congregation.Tim Marshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07271339577288564174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-49855145970725803852009-02-26T19:04:00.000-08:002009-02-26T19:04:00.000-08:00Bishop,As pastor of a small church, thanks for thi...Bishop,<BR/><BR/>As pastor of a small church, thanks for this. This is just the kind of story I need to remind our people of the great cloud of witnesses blazing the trail forward in mission!<BR/><BR/>A question about the order of priorities. Pastor's compensation was last. For most churches, it's first. If this was a retired pastor, I assume his main source of income was pension, not church paycheck. How does that change in situation affect other small churches that don't have a retired pastor?Casey Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16288271861136590414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-40874006023556763202009-02-26T08:01:00.000-08:002009-02-26T08:01:00.000-08:00Thanks for this post. It is truly helpful. I will ...Thanks for this post. It is truly helpful. I will pass it on to the leadership of the small churches in my circuit (yes, we have circuits in the Wisconsin Conference).<BR/><BR/>I wish, however, that you would join the discussion going on online about the larger plight of mainline denominations. You might look at the links I provide to reflections by Mark Roberts and Drew Tatusko in a post of mine, and the ensuing comment thread thereto:<BR/><BR/>http://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com/ancient_hebrew_poetry/2009/02/yes-we-have-no-essentials.html<BR/><BR/>Warm regards,<BR/><BR/>John HobbinsJohn Hobbinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17011346264727684917noreply@blogger.com