In today’s digital age, the landscape of ministry is undergoing a profound transformation. The advent of digital technology has paved the way for churches to expand their reach and engage with their congregations in unprecedented ways. While some critics argue that digital ministry fosters consumerism and promotes spiritual laziness, a closer examination reveals that the…
Tag: #UMC
Hello, Adams UMC and Sweetwater UMC!
We live in a digital age, and it’s not lost on me that one of the first things people of the UM church do is google the person announced as their new pastor. So, to the folks of Adams UMC and Sweetwater UMC who have found my website: Hello! My name is Jonathan Tullos (Tull-is),…
The Impact of Disaffiliation on This Pastoral Family
If you follow me on social media, you know that one of my churches has voted to leave the United Methodist Church. Their decision has a far-reaching effect on many fronts, including impacts on my family and me. As I am committed to remaining in the United Methodist Church, we will be uprooting ourselves and…
Abolish the Jurisdictional System
In this season of splintering in the United Methodist Church, the most common questions I see are about accountability. “Why can’t the bishops hold themselves accountable for breaking the discipline?” “Why can’t we (whoever that may be) make a complaint?” “Why can’t someone do something?” As it turns out, there is a very simple explanation…
Sermon: Revival!
More or less, here is the sermon I preached today at Salem United Methodist Church and Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church. Initially, the title was “I Say…” but I made a game-time decision (appropriate since it’s the day of that big football game that I don’t have permission to use the name of) to talk…
Real Revival
Revival (/rəˈvīv(ə)l/), Noun: An improvement in the condition or strength of something; a reawakening of religious fervor, especially by means of a series of evangelistic meetings; Google dictionary I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the…
Hot Take: Predictions for the Global Methodist Church
Since the Global Methodist Church has launched and begun holding convening conferences, I believe now is an excellent time to give predictions of what I believe may be in store for the GMC. I fully and freely admit that these are my hot takes and may or may not come true. Perhaps I should remind…
You Can’t #BeUMC While #GoingGMC
Some time back, I had a conversation with a former Wesleyan Covenant Association member (they were also a WCA leader in their annual conference) who revealed to me that they were no longer part of the organization because they were concerned with their trajectory. In addition, a parishioner of mine told me she had a…
Epiphany Sermon: “Magi, Did You Know?”
More or less, here’s my sermon from Epiphany Sunday at my two churches. As soon as I started studying for this sermon, the title popped into my head and wouldn’t leave, so I ran with it. I hope my attempt to share the story of the Magi and ponder whether they knew who they were…
A Christmas Eve Devotion: Light Has Come!
This is, more or less, the devotion I gave at the Christmas Eve service for my charge tonight. We held a combined service at Pleasant Hill UMC in Lucedale. A video of the service can be found here. Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and…