Comments for John Wesley Club http://johnwesleyclub.org Preserving the Wesleyan traditions of the United Methodist Church. Thu, 09 Jun 2011 02:39:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Comment on Breaking the Silence with Mayor Annise Parker by Texas Governor Uses Christian Prayer to Divide « John Wesley Club http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=659&cpage=1#comment-558 Texas Governor Uses Christian Prayer to Divide « John Wesley Club Thu, 09 Jun 2011 02:39:31 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=659#comment-558 [...] at the Breaking the Silence meeting at the Texas Annual Conference, Mayor Park spoke about finding common ground. Working together. Tolerance. Acceptance. She talked about what it’s like to hear the [...] [...] at the Breaking the Silence meeting at the Texas Annual Conference, Mayor Park spoke about finding common ground. Working together. Tolerance. Acceptance. She talked about what it’s like to hear the [...]

]]> Comment on Retired UMC Bishops Want to End Gay Clergy Ban: You are Called to Support Them by Anne Hayes http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=649&cpage=1#comment-516 Anne Hayes Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:32:43 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=649#comment-516 Always, I have thought that my church, St. Paul's United Methodist Church of Beaumont Texas, should be a leader in our community. And welcoming ALL who come there to worship and enjoy the fellowship of our brothers and sisters. In my church life there, I have found this to be a reality. All people. Of ALL races, backgrounds and even those who were of a different sexual orientation than mine. We are and made in the image of God. All of us. I daresay there have been gay and lesbian members in our church, and yet the sky DID NOT FALL nor did the OCEANS FLOW OVER US. The United Methodist Church is well known for opening their arms to all who come to love Christ. Fail not in that mission now in these times of hatred and lack of love, I beg you. Anne Hayes Oskaloosa Iowa Always, I have thought that my church, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Beaumont Texas, should be a leader in our community. And welcoming ALL who come there to worship and enjoy the fellowship of our brothers and sisters. In my church life there, I have found this to be a reality. All people. Of ALL races, backgrounds and even those who were of a different sexual orientation than mine. We are and made in the image of God. All of us. I daresay there have been gay and lesbian members in our church, and yet the sky DID NOT FALL nor did the OCEANS FLOW OVER US.
The United Methodist Church is well known for opening their arms to all who come to love Christ. Fail not in that mission now in these times of hatred and lack of love, I beg you.
Anne Hayes
Oskaloosa Iowa

]]> Comment on Retired UMC Bishops Want to End Gay Clergy Ban: You are Called to Support Them by Rev.David Weekley http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=649&cpage=1#comment-515 Rev.David Weekley Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:42:15 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=649#comment-515 I am a United Methodist Transgender clergy...here is the information about my newly published book, at the end I will post a umnews link...blessings and thank you for supporting the retired bishops statements. Bishop Calvin D. McConnell has endorsed my book. He is one of these courageous bishops. In From The Wilderness (She-R-Man), by, David E. Weekley/United Methodist Clergy The stories of transgender people reach back to the beginnings of recorded history. At this particular point in time the psychiatric, medical, and secular worlds are beginning to appreciate the authenticity of Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual, and Queer people. Sadly many Christian churches and denominations continue to oppress and vilify the LGTBQ community.. This is the story of a transgender man who has been an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church since 1984 and has quietly served his congregations for twenty-eight years before sharing his story and spiritual journey with his congregation, denomination, and the world. This is the story of a Transgender man, a Christian, an ordained minister, a loving husband and father~a human being. It is his challenge to his denomination and to all Christians and spiritual seekers to consider the truth of gender identity and sexual orientation as God given gifts.to be celebrated and embraced among all other gifts. ISBN#978-1-60899-544-8 WIPF and STOCK Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401 Phone: (541)344-1528 FAX: (541)344-1506 Orders@wipfandstock.com “Questions about whether a transgender pastor can have a successful ministry have been resoundingly answered in the affirmative in this story of three decades of effective and inspiring pastoral ministry, while keeping secret from the church and society his gender reassignment surgery. Remarkable~courageous~encouraging!” BISHOP CALVIN D. McCONNELL, Retired, Portland,OR “From the time David was appointed my pastor in the 1980’s, to the compelling revelation of his challenging circumstances, he has sustained his integrity, his courageous, creative, inclusive ministry and hope-filled spirit. His personal story offers liberation to others trapped, either in their bodies or in gender roles defined by society.” VELMA DUELL McCONNELL, Lay Pastoral Care, Portland, Oregon “David Weekley shares his wilderness journey in this warm and honest autobiography. In the wilderness(both past and present), David has encountered deep loneliness, powerful mentoring and friendship, unbearable pain, and profound joy. Through it all, he has journeyed with a courage that will inspire courage in his readers. As a teenager, David could not speak of himself as “I” but only as “i.” He gradually learned to honor himself and to form deep and honest relationships, which have shaped his powerful and compassionate ministry with others. Thank you, David!” MARY ELIZABETH MOORE, Boston University David E. Weekley is an ordained United Methodist clergy. He received his BA in Psychology from Cleveland State University in 1976 and entered seminary at Boston University School of Theology, whe he earned and MDiv in 1982. He has served churches in the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference for twenty-eight years. His email is: shermantoday@comcast.net www.wipfandstock.com United Methodist News Service…. http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=8884785 I am a United Methodist Transgender clergy…here is the information about my newly published book, at the end I will post a umnews link…blessings and thank you for supporting the retired bishops statements. Bishop Calvin D. McConnell has endorsed my book. He is one of these courageous bishops.

In From The Wilderness (She-R-Man), by, David E. Weekley/United Methodist Clergy

The stories of transgender people reach back to the beginnings of recorded history. At this particular point in time the psychiatric, medical, and secular worlds are beginning to appreciate the authenticity of Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual, and Queer people. Sadly many Christian churches and denominations continue to oppress and vilify the LGTBQ community.. This is the story of a transgender man who has been an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church since 1984 and has quietly served his congregations for twenty-eight years before sharing his story and spiritual journey with his congregation, denomination, and the world. This is the story of a Transgender man, a Christian, an ordained minister, a loving husband and father~a human being. It is his challenge to his denomination and to all Christians and spiritual seekers to consider the truth of gender identity and sexual orientation as God given gifts.to be celebrated and embraced among all other gifts.

ISBN#978-1-60899-544-8
WIPF and STOCK Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: (541)344-1528
FAX: (541)344-1506
Orders@wipfandstock.com
“Questions about whether a transgender pastor can have a successful ministry have been resoundingly answered in the affirmative in this story of three decades of effective and inspiring pastoral ministry, while keeping secret from the church and society his gender reassignment surgery.
Remarkable~courageous~encouraging!”
BISHOP CALVIN D. McCONNELL, Retired, Portland,OR

“From the time David was appointed my pastor in the 1980’s, to the compelling revelation of his challenging circumstances, he has sustained his integrity, his courageous, creative, inclusive ministry and hope-filled spirit. His personal story offers liberation to others trapped, either in their bodies or in gender roles defined by society.”
VELMA DUELL McCONNELL, Lay Pastoral Care, Portland, Oregon

“David Weekley shares his wilderness journey in this warm and honest autobiography. In the wilderness(both past and present), David has encountered deep loneliness, powerful mentoring and friendship, unbearable pain, and profound joy. Through it all, he has journeyed with a courage that will inspire courage in his readers. As a teenager, David could not speak of himself as “I” but only as “i.” He gradually learned to honor himself and to form deep and honest relationships, which have shaped his powerful and compassionate ministry with others. Thank you, David!”
MARY ELIZABETH MOORE, Boston University

David E. Weekley is an ordained United Methodist clergy. He received his BA in Psychology from Cleveland State University in 1976 and entered seminary at Boston University School of Theology, whe he earned and MDiv in 1982. He has served churches in the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference for twenty-eight years.
His email is: shermantoday@comcast.net
http://www.wipfandstock.com

United Methodist News Service….
http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=8884785

]]> Comment on Retired UMC Bishops Want to End Gay Clergy Ban: You are Called to Support Them by Rev. Anita Dinwiddie http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=649&cpage=1#comment-514 Rev. Anita Dinwiddie Tue, 08 Mar 2011 03:33:03 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=649#comment-514 Let's truly be a church with open hearts, open minds, open doors! Let’s truly be a church with open hearts, open minds, open doors!

]]> Comment on Aren’t You Glad MLK Didn’t Have a Twitter Feed? by So Maybe the Revolution was Tweeted After All! « John Wesley Club http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=585&cpage=1#comment-423 So Maybe the Revolution was Tweeted After All! « John Wesley Club Wed, 02 Feb 2011 04:40:26 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=585#comment-423 [...] posted somewhat of a back and forth discussion last week over Malcolm Gladwell’s piece in the The New Yorker about the real or perceived impact that [...] [...] posted somewhat of a back and forth discussion last week over Malcolm Gladwell’s piece in the The New Yorker about the real or perceived impact that [...]

]]> Comment on Doing the “Gospel” Thing vs. Doing the “Success” Thing by Mike Young http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=626&cpage=1#comment-390 Mike Young Sat, 29 Jan 2011 02:41:04 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=626#comment-390 Doug Bowling's words reminded me of Jeffrey MacDonald's book "Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul." MacDonald understands that most people are looking for a church that "meets their needs." He argues that since most people don't know what they need, they choose what they want. In her review of MacDonald's book in "The Christian Century," Lillian Daniel says, "People shop for a church that will meet their desires when they ought to be looking for a church that will shape their desires." Those who come to church seeking to meet their needs are often blind to the needs of others. How many pastors and how many churches are working so hard to "meet the needs" of their people, that they are blind to a fundamental question? Do those needs have anything to do with the Gospel? What happens when meeting their needs conflicts with the needs of those on the margins? We know enough about the teaching of Jesus to understand the answers to those questions. Thanks to Doug for forcing me to think anew about this stuff. Doug Bowling’s words reminded me of Jeffrey MacDonald’s book “Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul.” MacDonald understands that most people are looking for a church that “meets their needs.” He argues that since most people don’t know what they need, they choose what they want. In her review of MacDonald’s book in “The Christian Century,” Lillian Daniel says, “People shop for a church that will meet their desires when they ought to be looking for a church that will shape their desires.” Those who come to church seeking to meet their needs are often blind to the needs of others. How many pastors and how many churches are working so hard to “meet the needs” of their people, that they are blind to a fundamental question? Do those needs have anything to do with the Gospel? What happens when meeting their needs conflicts with the needs of those on the margins? We know enough about the teaching of Jesus to understand the answers to those questions. Thanks to Doug for forcing me to think anew about this stuff.

]]> Comment on A Good Christmas Swaddling by Brad Harmes http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=534&cpage=1#comment-305 Brad Harmes Sun, 02 Jan 2011 01:19:38 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=534#comment-305 Chris... you forgot the part about being "sore afraid." Thanks for sharing this. I love the Linus link. Something comforting about the Christmas story as we learned it way back when. Chris… you forgot the part about being “sore afraid.” Thanks for sharing this. I love the Linus link. Something comforting about the Christmas story as we learned it way back when.

]]> Comment on A Good Christmas Swaddling by Sandy Bankston http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=534&cpage=1#comment-304 Sandy Bankston Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:37:40 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=534#comment-304 Nicely done. Nicely done.

]]> Comment on A Good Christmas Swaddling by Roxanne Taylor http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=534&cpage=1#comment-303 Roxanne Taylor Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:35:28 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=534#comment-303 Nice, very nice, Chris. Happy New Year, my friend. Nice, very nice, Chris. Happy New Year, my friend.

]]> Comment on A Good Christmas Swaddling by Sam at Gary's Church http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=534&cpage=1#comment-290 Sam at Gary's Church Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:03:52 +0000 http://johnwesleyclub.org/?p=534#comment-290 Well done, sir. Well done, sir.

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