Good morning! Is it peace? Are we going to have peace? We just might. Let's pause and reflect. And let's talk about this world a bit, where we are expected, required by our God to be his ambassadors:
Congregation dedicates communion to transgenderism - https://x.com/wokepreachertv/status/1976233762070593596?s=46&t=UGB_bVaMqYnX9gy5jXvGyg
Erik Prince forming military to defend Christians in Nigeria with Vatican backing - https://x.com/marionawfal/status/1976170763939184683?s=46&t=UGB_bVaMqYnX9gy5jXvGyg
One’s view of Islam is a matter of perspective - https://x.com/adi13/status/1976466335396921803?s=46&t=UGB_bVaMqYnX9gy5jXvGyg
What is wrong with these theater churches? - https://x.com/lloydlegalist/status/1976323785545437436?s=46&t=UGB_bVaMqYnX9gy5jXvGyg
Can we admit Catholic processions might be better than prayer walks? - https://x.com/trad_west_/status/1976302678486495466?s=46&t=UGB_bVaMqYnX9gy5jXvGyg
Add Biola to the list of evangelical schools that are confused around biological sex - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Bc1yGdDPB/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Ryan Burge links religion and sex bigly - https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/how-social-issues-are-driving-a-wedge?r=17brpc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Mark Tooley warns not to demonize folks on the left - https://juicyecumenism.com/2025/09/25/satan-politics/
Burge also warns of death tsunami - https://x.com/ryanburge/status/1973519679873491007
———————————
If you would like to join my Locals community to help support this ministry, go to plainspoken.locals.com and become a supporter!
If you would like to subscribe to my pastoral Substack, where I publish articles on topics pertaining to pastoral ministry and Methodism, you can go to jeffreyrickman.substack.com.
If you would like to subscribe to the PlainSpoken Podcast Substack, where I publish articles, video, and audio pertaining to Methodism and the culture war, you can go to plainspokenpod.substack.com.
If you're not interested in any of that stuff, but you want to give directly to my church, you can go to https://tithe.ly/give?c=2198808 and make a donation there. Thanks!
I'm publishing this here first to convey my thanks to those of you who have supported my work. Thank you.
Episode 1 takes up marriage, divorce and remarriage. Going into Johannesburg, our Book of Doctrines and Discipline told the world who could marry and never once used the word "divorce." On the last morning of General Conference, in about fifty minutes of floor debate, that changed. I walk Petition 1020 through its whole life: the language we inherited, Jonathan Lee's petition, the committee's 35–1 vote, and Saturday on the floor. That meant Rich Hoffman's amendment, Matt O'Reilly's rewrite, a motion to send the whole thing away for six years, and a final vote of 329–41.
Then we open Matthew 19 and 1 Corinthians 7 and ask what the church said, and what it chose not to say. I land somewhere between grateful and uneasy, and I want to hear where you land. The free discussion guide sets the old and new texts side by side, gives both sides in the delegates' own words, and has ...
I don't know why the live stream didn't work today. Here is what I did:
Update: I know I said I would start back up this week. I could easily start the morning live stream back up, but I have been feeling like I need to do some wrap-up on General Conference. It just took me some time get clear on what I would feel good about doing. And I finally got some really good thoughts together after a lot of percolation. Early next week, I should be publishing some very decent work on explaining some of the more impactful developments in Johannesburg. For right now, I'm aiming at eleven episodes dealing with:
1. Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage: how the church put words about divorce into our Book of Doctrines and Discipline on the final morning
2. Sex and Gender Identity: the rewriting of ¶302.8
3. Protecting the Unborn and the Mother: our new language on abortion
4. The Racial Theology Resolution: Resolution 1466, adopted and then defeated on a revote
5. The Articles of Faith: a new doctrinal standard for the Global Methodist Church
6. Restrictive Rules and the ...
