Baptizing our youngest daughter (Ginny) as my wife (Jessica), older kids (Luna and Noah) and mother-in-law (Connie Crosby) look on
First things first: I still love to write. Lately, I’ve just been channeling that passion into other areas—family life, ministry, and the usual whirlwind of “other stuff.” If you’ve found your way here, chances are you Googled me because I’m your new pastor. If that’s the case: Hello! I’m glad you’re here, and I hope this space gives you a glimpse into my life, my heart, and the journey that’s brought me to Johnston Chapel.
My name is Jonathan Tullos (pronounced Tull-is), and I’m incredibly honored and excited to begin my appointment as pastor of Johnston Chapel United Methodist Church. My whole family is thrilled to join you and see what God has in store for us together. We’re trusting that God will use each of us—clergy and laity alike—to reach Pike County with the love of Christ.
A little about my crew: I’ve been married to Jessica since 2008. She’s a middle school English and science teacher at Loyd Star Attendance Center. We’re blessed with three amazing kids we adopted through the foster care system: Luna(9), Noah (5), and Ginny (1). Our daughter Hannah went to be with the Lord shortly after birth, and her life continues to shape our family’s story in meaningful ways. Luna will be starting 4th grade at Loyd Star in August, and Noah will be joining her as a kindergartener. As for Ginny—she’s got a few years left to rule the daycare roost.
I was ordained an Elder in the Mississippi Annual Conference in 2022 by Bishop James Swanson. My ministry journey has taken me to churches in Meridian, Stanton, Kentucky, and Lucedale before my current appointment at Adams UMC. I grew up in Philadelphia—Mississippi, not Pennsylvania—and graduated from Philadelphia High School in 1999. I hold degrees from:
Meridian Community College (A.A.S., Broadcast Communications, 2001)
East Central Community College (A.A.S., Paramedic Science, 2011)
Liberty University (B.S., Religion, 2015)
Asbury Theological Seminary (M.Div., 2019)
One day, when the chaos of toddlerhood gives way to more quiet evenings, I’d love to pursue a Doctor of Ministry degree.
Before I answered the call to pastoral ministry, I worked in radio as a personality and music programmer, dabbled in video and audio production, spent time in retail, and served as a paramedic. It was during my EMS days that I could no longer deny God’s call to ministry. I kept working on the ambulance while serving my first two appointments and completing seminary. Those years taught me more than I can ever put into words.
I’m often asked how all of this comes together in ministry. I’m glad you asked!
I’ve used my media background to strengthen the digital and audiovisual ministries of the churches I’ve served. That experience was especially crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic when we had to pivot entirely online. Out of this, I launched a digital ministry consultancy called Strangely Warmed Media. Through it, I offer free consultations to congregations looking to begin or improve their online ministries. I believe digital ministry is a vital part of evangelism—very much in line with John Wesley’s commitment to preach wherever the people were. Today’s “town squares” are often online, and the church must show up there, too.
I also run BSPN – The Bears Sports Network, which livestreams sports for West Lincoln Attendance Center. It’s a joy to support our local schools and build community through these broadcasts.
My time as a paramedic gave me a deep appreciation for people from all walks of life. I saw the struggles of those with complex medical needs, mental health challenges, and limited access to care. Those experiences taught me empathy, and many stories from “the truck” will likely find their way into sermons.
As we begin this new chapter, I hope to get to know each of you better. I’m always up for a cup of coffee and conversation (yes, there will be a Keurig in my office). Once we’re settled in, I’ll be setting up visits and offering regular office hours—both at the church and out in the community.
In the meantime, please know I’m praying for you and your current pastor as this season of transition unfolds. John Wesley’s final words were, “The best of all, God is with us.” I believe that with my whole heart. God is already present in what’s happening and what’s to come—and I can’t wait to see where the Spirit leads us.
“So then, putting away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with your neighbor, for we are members of one another.” Ephesians 4:25 (NRSV)
Recently, I was reviewing the gifts of the Spirit that Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians. He included such gifts as healing, prophecy, discernment, and several others. However, there were two that I did not see: Gullibility and dishonesty. I say this because I have noticed an uptick in Christians sharing things online that they seemingly agree with and believe, but that are proven untrue with a minimal amount of fact checking. When I see these posts, I just shake my head and whisper a prayer for all of us to do better.
And we must do better.
Bearing false witness (better known as lying) has become an epidemic within the church. I wish I could explain it, but I can’t beyond our human frailty. We see someone express outrage about something that’s supposedly an act of persecution or we see something outlandish about someone we either don’t like or don’t understand and we simply run with it. The outrage of the opening ceremony of the Parish Olympics and the bruhaha over Algerian boxer Imane Khelif are prime examples of people seeing something online that confirms their biases and spreading it like it’s gospel even though the facts don’t back up the assertions made.
I intentionally seek relationships with people who have different views than I do, even differing views of faith. What Christians need to understand is that the perception of those outside of the Body of Christ is that Christians are gullible and/or just plain stupid. Unfortunately, there is a lot to back up those views that we inflict upon ourselves.
I remind us that lying is a sin, as is stirring up discord among people. The fact is, we need to take a breath, pray, get into our bibles, and stop looking for reasons to be mad all the time. God doesn’t need us to defend Him, especially from threats that don’t exist in the first place. Our job is to love, not to fight. We can’t make disciples of Jesus Christ if we’re always mad and ranting about something. We can’t make people want to love God as much as God loves them when we’re claiming persecution from someone disagreeing with us or from a portion of an opening ceremony that isn’t portraying what someone claims it is.
Have you noticed that much of this outrage stems from just one person seeing something (that often isn’t even there in the first place) and lashing out online? They go viral because people started sharing the material without giving it an ounce of critical thought. We’re so quick to be mad just because someone says we should be mad. If this is you, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate how you spend your time online.
Does this seem ironic given my advocacy for digital ministry? I don’t believe it is. I often tell people that social media can be compared to a hammer. A hammer is a tool that can be used to build houses or smash windows. Likewise, social media can be used to build positivity and make disciples, or it can be used to lash out and rip people to shreds. I’ve had to reevaluate how I use social media, and I’ve changed a lot of my habits because I realized that they were harming my witness. If I can do it, anyone can.
When you share misinformation, when you lie, when you ridicule people, you’re harming your witness. You’re harming the cause of Christ.
Misinformation can get people hurt or killed. We saw that during the COVID-19 pandemic and we’re seeing it today with the riots in the United Kingdom that stem from misinformation about asylum seekers being shared online.
What if something you shared led to someone being harmed?
Christians, we need to do better. We must do everything we can to further the cause of Christ and to stem the tide of our anger. We must tell the truth, even if the truth isn’t what we want. We simply cannot be complicit in this strife any longer.
Experience tells me that anything that sounds outlandish typically is. Fact checking isn’t “woke,” it’s ensuring that we are telling the truth. Let’s resolve to do better, to be better witnesses for Christ, and to have the integrity to apologize when we’re wrong.
More or less, here’s the sermon I preached this morning. In hindsight, I probably should have changed the title because the sermon took a slightly different turn than what I envisioned earlier in the week. I ended up approaching the text as a prayer for the disciples Jesus would eventually leave behind. By extension, I believe Jesus was also praying for us, specifically that we would be united in our mission of spreading scriptural holiness throughout the world and that we would be sanctified by truth of God’s love. In other words, this is a call to unity, not uniformity in all things.
I hope you receive a blessing from my attempt to articulate the message of Jesus.
Think to when you can first remember hearing about Jesus. Who was sharing the good news with you? If you’re like me, it was probably your mother or someone in your life who’s like a mother to you. For me, it was my mother who I remember as the first one to teach me anything about faith. I was very sick when I was a child, something I’ll talk about someday, but this gave us a lot of time to talk about God and things about the faith. Momma was the first one who taught me to pray at bedtime and to pray when I was scared when I’d have to go to the doctor or to the hospital. She shared many a story out of her Bible. She was far from perfect, but my mother was the one who introduced me to Jesus.
No matter who first shred Jesus with you, they still had to take the time and make the decision to do so. Every single one of us is set apart for a ministry of some sort, something that’s perhaps unique to how we’re gifted and equipped. There’s one ministry we are called to called to: Sharing the gospel. We get off in the weeds about having the correct words and all of that, but Jesus has already prayed for us to be prepared. He’s already prayed for us as we carry out the mission he started. Do we claim that? Are we united in this mission? This is precisely what Jesus prayed for and his desire for us today.
Jesus knows that his time is growing short. If you’ve read ahead or know already, then you know that this just before he is betrayed and arrested. Jesus is obviously concerned for the apostles that he’s leaving behind. He knows that they’re still a rag-tag bunch who still don’t understand everything he has been trying to teach them. That kind of sounds like us, doesn’t it? He knows they have their disagreements and their arguments. Still, Jesus knows that he can’t stay much longer and so he does what our moms taught us to do in times of trouble: Pray.
Notice something about Jesus’ prayer: He wasn’t praying for his own worries or to otherwise be comforted. He prayed for each one of his students. And, honestly, I can’t help but believe he was praying for us too. He prayed that they might be protected from the whims of the world and those of the enemy. He prayed that the apostles be set apart as being in the world but not of the world, that the world might know that they are here but that their loyalty lies with God and God only. He prayed that they might be protected by God’s guidance and sanctified by the truth. He prayed that they might be emboldened to proclaim the gospel and that they might united in that truth.
Jesus also prayed that they might remain in the world to be His presence after he eventually ascended. Again, Jesus knew that his time was short, but he did not want the mission to end once he died, rose, and eventually returned to the Father. Jesus wanted the mission of reconciling humanity to God to continue and even to expand. Jesus knew that this would begin with his apostles being emboldened and strengthened to be the ones to keep it going.
I want us to receive this as a prayer for us as well. We are the continuation of the work of these apostles. We are not only the recipients of the gospel through others who answered the call of Jesus to proclaim, we are entrusted with the task of spreading the gospel t others. The best news that the world has ever received should not be kept solely hidden in our hearts, it should be shared and lived as loudly as possible.
Do I believe that Jesus expected all believers to be united in everything? No, I don’t. Jesus understood the reality of his people. As I already mentioned, the very apostles had disagreements amongst themselves and even disagreed with the meanings of Jesus’ teachings. The history of the Christian church is full of disagreements, splits, reunifications, even wars. Disagreement is part of the human condition. Jesus certainly knew that believers would not always agree. What I sense in this prayer is that Jesus does want us to be one in the mission to share the gospel, live the gospel, and make disciples who go out as sanctified believers to proclaim the gospel to new people.
This is a good opportunity to weigh where our loyalties lie. If we are supremely loyal to anything or anyone besides Jesus, then we need to repent. People, institutions, you name it… they all disappoint, disappear, reappear, and go through all the parts of a lifecycle. None of that is true about God, because God never changes. Jesus is always our messiah. We are his hands and feet. None of those things ever change.
We are not called to be of one mind on everything but we are called to be unified in Christ. The fact is, people aren’t always going to agree on everything. Jesus didn’t pray for uniformity, where the believers would agree on literally everything, He prayed for unity, something that’s stronger than any differences that we, as the church, share. If we’re striving for uniformity, we are not going to be satisfied because there is simply no way that people are going to always agree on anything. This is simply not possible. Unity means we willingly set those differences aside for the sake of something much bigger than ourselves or our disagreements. In this case, we find unity in Jesus.
A quote that I’m about to share is often attributed to St. Augustine but he didn’t say it. It was Marco Antonio de Dominis who gave us a great quote for today. What’s important for us to know about Dominis is that he was twice declared a heretic by the Roman Catholic Church during the days of the inquisition because he did not agree with some of the tenants of the Catholic faith, specifically the papacy. At some point during all of that, he wrote this: “in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity.”
As we prayed last week when we came to Christ’s table: By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
May it be so, Lord. If we truly want to honor the person who first told us about Christ – maybe even our mothers – the best way to honor them is to remember that we are not of this world, but we are in it to be Christ’s presence and his hands and feet. Surely, we can all agree on that.
After a four year delay, the 2020 session of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church is only weeks away. Soon, delegates will gather in Charlotte to debate legislation that will shape the future of our church and, perhaps, decide the future for several of our annual conferences. Mississippi has been hit particularly hard by disaffiliation and there is legislation that would allow disaffiliation to continue in one form or another. I’ve been through this with a congregation and I do not care to go through it again for a myrid of reasons. To that end, I have emailed the delegates (well, the ones I could find email addresses for) and expressed my views on the legislation. Find the contents of that email below. If you would like to contact your delegates to express the same views, feel free to take what I have written and adapt it for your context.
Above all: Pray for our delegates and the proceedings of General Conference. This one is going to be tense and it’s vital that there is focus on God’s kingdom above all.
Dear Delegates:
I greet you in the name of our risen savior Jesus. I pray you all had a great Easter and that you received anew the blessing of resurrection!
I want to take a moment to say a couple of things. First, know that I’m praying for all of you as General Conference draws near. The time it takes to prepare and the sacrifice of time away has to take a toll and I hope you all don’t think it goes unnoticed. Especially in the difficult season we find ourselves in, I know your jobs are not easy and I appreciate your willingness to serve and to represent Mississippi United Methodists at General Conference.
With that in mind, we’re all aware of the impact that disaffiliation has had on the Mississippi Annual Conference. I’m not sure how many of you have had to deal with disaffiliation at the church level but I can tell you that it’s painful. When Pleasant Hill in Lucedale disaffiliated, I was serving there. While things were not as ugly as I have heard from other pastors in other appointments, I received my share of vitriol and abuse directed at me from certain individuals because I did not support disaffiliation and would not encourage the congregation to leave. I was accused of not being a real Christian and of being unfaithful to God. In short: It was the most difficult season of ministry I have ever endured (that word was used intentionally). The toll it took on my family was also immense. I’m healing but there was harm done. I can only imagine how much more harm has been done in other places as well as the cumulative harm done to the conference.
I urge you all to prayfully consider voting against any disaffiliation proposals that come before your committees and the plenary. Our first general rule has been broken numerous times because of Paragraph 2553 and the harm is being continued through the closure policy adopted by the conference trustees. The intent may have been good, but the only thing accomplished is increasing the already tremendous pain being felt throughout our annual conference. Because of how this policy has been implemented, the appointment making process must be a difficult, if not impossible, task right now, due to the uncertainty and the number of congregations that exercised Option C. I predict we will have clergy finding out at annual conference that they will be moving, needless to say a less than ideal situation for all parties involved.
As a colleague stated in a meeting last year: “Human sexuality is the excuse, but power and property are the reasons.” We should not be enablers of harm any longer.
I truly believe the future viability of the Mississippi Annual Conference is in your hands and the rest of General Conference. I appreciate your time and consideration of my comments. Please reach out if you have any questions.
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 advantages far outweigh the supposed drawbacks.
Embracing the Digital Landscape
Digital ministry is not a replacement for traditional worship but rather an expansion of it. One of its most significant advantages lies in its ability to break down physical barriers. Geographic distances and mobility limitations no longer stand in the way of individuals seeking spiritual guidance and community. This accessibility is especially crucial for those who cannot attend in-person services due to health concerns or other circumstances.
A Welcoming Community
Critics sometimes argue that digital ministry fosters consumerism, creating an environment where people consume religious content without actively participating. However, this perspective overlooks the vibrant communities that form online. Digital ministry platforms often provide spaces for people to connect, share experiences, and offer support. Online communities can be just as warm and welcoming as in-person ones, promoting a sense of belonging and shared faith.
Empowering Outreach
Another advantage of digital ministry is its capacity to reach a broader audience. Through social media, streaming services, and websites, churches can share their messages with a global audience, transcending borders and cultural differences. This outreach enables congregations to engage with individuals who may have never set foot in a physical church. In this way, digital ministry can be a powerful tool for spreading the message of love, hope, and faith. In other words: Digital ministry enables the church to be the church wherever people are, just as it always has. People were once found in the pastures and market crosses. Today’s market crosses are social media platforms and other digital spaces.
Flexibility and Convenience
Digital ministry provides flexibility and convenience for both congregations and pastors. It allows individuals to engage with spiritual content on their own schedules, removing the constraints of specific service times. For those with busy lives, this flexibility ensures that faith remains a vital part of their daily routine. Pastors, too, can use digital platforms to deliver sermons and messages to a broader audience, ensuring that their guidance reaches those who seek it.
Spiritual Nourishment
Now, let’s address the criticism mentioned at the beginning of this article: the idea that digital ministry is a “cheap substitute” for in-person worship. This perspective is, at its core, a misunderstanding of the nature of digital ministry. While it’s true that digital ministry cannot entirely replicate the tactile and sensory experience of physical worship, it offers something equally valuable: spiritual nourishment.
Digital ministry provides a platform for worship, teaching, and connection, allowing individuals to explore and deepen their faith. Just as a printed Bible can be a valuable tool for spiritual growth, digital ministry offers accessible, condensed, and convenient avenues for encountering God’s word and the teachings of Jesus. It doesn’t cheapen the experience; rather, it enhances it.
Digital ministry presents a wealth of advantages, from expanding access to welcoming communities, empowering outreach efforts, and offering flexibility and convenience. While it cannot replace the beauty of physical worship, it complements it, providing spiritual nourishment to those who seek it in a digital age. The statement that online church is a “cheap substitute” fails to recognize the genuine opportunities for faith, community, and growth that digital ministry offers to individuals around the world. Embracing digital ministry is not about diluting faith but rather about extending the invitation to experience the transformative power of God’s love to all, wherever they may be.
To Wrap Up
To be clear, digital ministry or “online church” does not replace the physically gathered community. I don’t believe that digital ministry is intended to do that. On the contrary, I believe digital ministry strengthens the ability of the established physical church to reach more people than it ever could before.
Would Jesus have live-streamed the Sermon On the Mount? Yes. Yes, he would have.
A photo taken of us just after I was ordained. Credit: Greg Campbell.
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), and I’m excited to join you all soon. I’m originally from Philadelphia, Mississippi, and I’ve been a pastor since 2012. I have degrees from Meridian Community College (2001 – Broadcast Communications), East Central Community College (2012 – Paramedic Science), Liberty University (2015 – Religion) and Asbury Theological Seminary (2019 – Master of Divinity). I was ordained an Elder by Bishop James Swanson in 2022. I’ve enjoyed serving parishes in Meridian, Mississippi; Stanton, Kentucky; George County/Jackson County, Mississippi; and soon, Lincoln County!
I’m married to Jessica (Crosby) Tullos, a Franklin County High School graduate. For her higher education, Jessica attended and earned degrees from Co-Lin, Southern Miss, and Mississippi State. Jessica is excited to be back in an area that she knows as home, reconnect with old friends, and make new ones. Jessica has already been offered a job and intends to teach within the Lincoln County School District when the new school year begins. Some of you may know Jessica’s father, Rev. Johnny Crosby, a former superintendent of the Brookhaven District and former pastor of Jackson Street UMC and Meadville UMC.
We’re licensed foster parents through Mississippi Child Protection Services (CPS) and we currently have two foster children we intend to adopt as soon as they’re legally cleared. We have a seven year old girl who will be entering the second grade and a three year old boy. Please forgive me for not providing their names here. CPS does not allow foster parents to provide identifying information about children in foster care online. They’re both excited about moving to their “new rooms,” and are excited to meet you all. We hope they will be a source of much joy for y’all!
I know you have many questions about me, and I will answer some of them here for you. Please remember, however, that this is a mere snapshot of who I am. You will learn much more about me and my family as we get to know one another and serve God together. The first question I always seem to be asked first is about my theology. If I had to label myself, I’d call myself an orthodox Christian Wesleyan Methodist. Putting our faith into action is vital in reaching people for Christ, especially in a world that trusts the church less and less each year. I believe that all people bear God’s image and need to know how much God and God’s people love them. At Christ’s table, the invitation and welcome are wide. As such, I believe the church should use all means (including digital platforms) for ministry. For a time, I worked for Hard Rock Café, and I like to add a bit to one of their slogans: “(Love God), Love all, serve all.”
The next question I always seem to be asked is my feelings on the Book of Discipline. When I was ordained, I made a vow before God and our annual conference that I would submit to the order and discipline of the United Methodist Church. I took that vow seriously and continue to do so. In short: I will uphold and obey the Book of Discipline.
A final frequently asked question is what I like to be called. Well, you can call me whatever you want, just don’t call me late for supper! Seriously, Brother Jonathan, Pastor Jonathan, or whatever you typically call your pastor is perfectly fine. I rarely use the title “Reverend” in anything but formal settings or in letters.
I hope this gives you a positive first glimpse into me and my family. We’re eager to meet you all and can’t wait to become part of your community and your lives. Once again, know that I’m praying for all of you and your pastors who are also transitioning. Your prayers for us and my current congregations are appreciated. Until moving day, God bless you all! We’ll see you soon.
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 going to a new appointment that our bishop and cabinet discern best suited for my gifts and graces. Before I go further, let me be clear about a couple of things: 1: I’m not here to criticize my congregation’s decision, although I disagree with it for many reasons (I have shared these views with the leadership on multiple occasions). 2: I am not looking for sympathy or throwing a pity party. This post is me telling you how disaffiliation affects pastoral families because I have not seen a lot of discussion on this front. I believe people need to understand that disaffiliation has impacts beyond the congregation, the annual conference, and the general church.
The most obvious impact for me is that I will have to move to a new appointment, thus (most likely – the cabinet is still discerning where to send other pastors and me) ending my ministry at both churches I serve. My other church cannot afford my salary on its own, and as I’m an Elder in Full Connection, I must serve full-time. I have loved serving my parish, and we have been through a lot together. When I first moved here, COVID-19 was beginning, so we navigated the tangled mess of two in-person shutdowns mandated by our bishop, social distancing, masking, and all the other things that came along during the pandemic. It was here that I grew in my skills related to social media and live streaming, was reminded of the importance of phone calls and text messages, and how to try and hold two new-to-me churches together while we had to be separate. Here is where I learned about being creative in bringing internet access and streaming capabilities to two churches in the middle of nowhere and where I could use those skills to help a nearly 200-year-old camp meeting revival join the digital age. We have mourned the loss of loved ones together, celebrated new people coming into the churches, and met many needs in the community. I don’t believe that God is finished with either of these congregations, and I hope they keep growing in Christ and making disciples.
Not only have we weathered the ups and downs of the church, my family and I have had many events during our nearly three years here. When we moved here, we had a foster child that we hoped we would get to adopt. These churches walked along with us and cried with us when she left our home to return to her biological family (we’re thankful that this ended up being a positive thing for her, though we still miss her very much). They celebrated with us when the local CPS office was able to place two other children with us, who it looks like we will get to adopt by the time it’s all said and done (their cases are different, and both are on track to be legally available for adoption soon).
The act of moving is not something I’m looking forward to. On top of the obvious tasks of packing up my office and boxing up our things in the parsonage, I have to say goodbye to these people I’ve grown to love. I have to depart a community that I have been able to be involved in through participating in events and being part of the volunteer fire department. My wife will have to (likely) find a new school to teach at, and my kids will have to adjust to a new house, school, and daycare.
Many people take for granted the nature of itineracy. It’s naturally assumed that those of us who agreed to go and serve where we are sent would move silently and without emotion. For many of us, that does happen, at least it seems to. We – the clergy – don’t voice our lament very often. Yet, when a move is unexpected or due to sad circumstances, people should know that we go, but we don’t go without sorrow, grief, and sadness. Grief is especially the case for my family and me due to this move coming about because of disaffiliation. My father-in-law served this appointment when he returned from seminary, so Jessica remembers spending some of her growing up in the same parsonage that we now call home. She remembers people still here and those who have departed to the church triumphant as being like other grandparents, aunts, and uncles to her and her sister. For her, the grief is also raw and honest.
I believe naming and expressing our grief is healthy. But, again, please don’t see this as me asking for pity or ranting against Pleasant Hill’s decision (even if I disagree, I will never fault a congregation for going in a direction they genuinely believe God is leading them). I hope that people understand that disaffiliation has far-reaching consequences beyond church doors. As I prepare for whatever is next, I thank God for our time here and mourn what feels like a profound personal loss.
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 for the lack of accountability within the United Methodist Church.
It’s because of the jurisdictional system.
Recall that a split into northern and southern Methodist factions happened just prior to the civil war over the issue of slavery. When the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), the Methodist Episcopal Church-South (MECS) and Methodist Protestant churches came together in 1938, there was a lot of wrangling by the southern church over the issue of receiving bishops from the north. Simply, the southern church did not want someone from outside of the south coming to one of their annual conferences to impose desegregation on them. One has to remember that this is still the era of Jim Crow where blacks and whites were separated in nearly every facet of society. Worship services were not exempt from this. Even if African Americans were allowed to attend services in white churches, they had to sit in separate places such as a balcony. The southern church had no desire to change this and didn’t want some “yankee” telling them they had to.
Other attempts at reunification of the Methodists had failed in the 1920s over polity issues (again, the southern church did not want northern bishops imposing on their system of segregation). In the 1930s, talks resumed and a compromise plan came together.
This third plan for a unified church came before the MEC and MPC general conferences in 1936. Because it was a “bundle of compromises,” it had several features that made one or another of the parties uncomfortable. One was the jurisdiction system, which seemed to some Northerners more likely to divide than to unite. Another was the continued use of bishops, which made some MPs remember that their denomination had left the main church in large part because of powerful bishops. Another was the Judicial Council, which drained power from the MEC general conference and from the MECS bishops. Even then, some in the Southern church still feared the MEC predominance in the proposed general conference. But solid majorities in each denomination decided they could live with all that.
The jurisdictional system ensured that bishops would not be appointed by the General Conference and that the jurisdictions themselves would elect and deploy bishops. Quite simply, the MECS did not want a northern bishop coming in and trying to undo Jim Crow. Sadly, the MEC was already practicing segregation and there had been little interest in changing the status quo. The formation of the jurisdictional system is what allowed “separate but equal” to fully take hold with the formation of the Central Jurisdiction.
The proposed Central Jurisdiction was a racially-based alignment of annual conferences, counterpart to five geographically-based white jurisdictions. The concept was a compromise, since the MECS favored the creation of a separate but allied Negro Methodist church encompassing the AME, AME Zion, CME and MEC black memberships. The white and black Methodist churches would then relate to each other in a fashion similar to the MECS-CME connection. The MECS delegates did not get their way on his point. The compromise plan called for the creation of a race-based Central Jurisdiction which would be within the fellowship of the new church, but with personal interaction only at the general level.
These bishops would not be accountable to the general church, rather to their jurisdiction and the jurisdiction’s College of Bishops. Since bishops would not be deployed at the general church level, they could not be held accountable to the general church. The Council of Bishops, while a denominational body, has very limited power to hold each other accountable. It’s ultimately up to the jurisdictional College of Bishops to handle complaints made against bishops. What’s more, a clergy or layperson in one jurisdiction cannot make a complaint against a bishop in another jurisdiction because they have no standing to do so. In other words, I could not send a complaint in on a bishop serving in the South-Central Jurisdiction because I am a member of the Mississippi Annual Conference in the Southeastern Jurisdiction.
I contend that many of the current problems within the United Methodist Church could have been avoided if we had done the right and just thing by abolishing the jurisdictional system in 1968. Simply put, the jurisdictional system is a relic of racism that should never have existed in the first place. In the year of our Lord 2023, such a system has no place within the UMC, let alone in any denomination. The Judicial Council has ruled that, since bishops are accountable to their jurisdictions (see Decision 1341), the general church has virtually no means by which to hold bishops who go against the Book of Discipline accountable. Accountability has been a major complaint of those wishing to leave the UMC.
Why, then, have many of these same people been in favor of retaining the jurisdictional system? I won’t even begin to speculate on that, other than to say that they see the current system as benefitting them. As I was told once, “At least it keeps us from getting a gay bishop.”
I agree that there needs to be more transparency and more accountability within the United Methodist Church. There needs to be consequences for those who break their vows in any way to uphold the church discipline and to obey the order. So long as we are five churches (jurisdictions) within a church (the UMC), I believe that we will continue to have these issues. Among my many hopes for GC 2024 is that we begin the work of abolishing the scar that is the jurisdictional system.
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 about a portion of the Sermon on the Mount with the revival at Asbury University as a backdrop. May you be blessed by my attempt to flesh out what the Savior has to say about how His people are to live.
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’[a] 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone,[b] you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot,[c] you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone,[d] you are in danger of the fires of hell.[e] 23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice[f] at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.[g] 27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’[h] 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye[i]—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand[j]—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’[k] 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery. 33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’[l] 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
Matthew 5:21-27 (NLT)
A big buzzworthy event that’s been hopping around in Christian circles over the last few days is of a revival that broke out on Thursday at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. A chapel service began that morning and has not stopped, with reports of various events being shared. This seems to be nothing short of the beginnings of a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit, one I hope continues to spread and take hold. The spread has already started with students from Asbury Seminary across the street going to AU to participate, students at the University of Kentucky reporting sparks of revival on their campus, Ohio Christian University, and others. It seems God is up to something, and this truly excites me.
Perhaps you have labeled me a skeptic of the movement if you’ve seen my Facebook posts and a blog article about it. Yesterday alone, I was accused of hoping this revival is fake, even having multiple people question my faith and qualification to be a pastor. To try and make my position clear: I do not hope this is fake. I’m very confident this is a movement of the Holy Spirit. My misgivings are that I have seen countless times where God has moved, and the movement has caught on and taken on a life of its own, and people have traveled to the event to witness it and say they were there. I have witnessed “revivals” where the emotional aspect was shown, people got lost in it, and once the emotions were gone, they did nothing with what God was moving them to do.
I want revival. We need revival. But we need more than a moment in time. Holy Spirit brought revival is fully realized in the fruit it bears for the kingdom, not by a moment in time at one place or even a few places. That’s why my approach is “wait and see.” Nothing more.
We pray for revival all the time. I hear from many of you about the need for revival in our world. When we have the camp meeting or attend a revival at another church, I often hear of how wonderful it feels to be in God’s presence. I agree that it’s incredible! But what do we do with that once we’ve left the tabernacle or the service? If we feel our souls awakened for the first time or reawaked for the first time in a while, we can’t sit on it and call it good. Remember, Jesus taught us last week that we are to be salt and light and that unless our flavor is active and our light fully visible, we are useless in the kingdom. Genuine revival leads us to show God’s love, not simply feel good for a few minutes and move on with our lives as if nothing happened.
We’re still in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is teaching his audience of Jewish disciples in ways that they would be able to understand. He is expanding on the teachings of the Torah and of the prophets and giving them new ideas of what it’s like to live as God’s people. A lot of what he’s going over here are the rules by which Jewish people lived. In looking over this set of rules, it seems that it keeps boiling down to that way we can sum up most of the other teachings of God: Love God above all else and treat others the way you want to be treated. Here, Jesus is expanding on what all of that even means. As Jesus is the Messiah, he’s laying out the case for what living under God’s new covenant kingdom will be like, and what the expectations of discipleship and living in the way are. Jesus is letting us know that our relationships with other people matter. Jesus is introducing what the Christian community – the church – should look and act like.
As some of you probably want to say to me from time to time, Jesus has gone from preaching to meddling. No one enjoys their toes being stepped on, but Jesus was stepping and showing no mercy. And immediately, Jesus gives a teaching on a hot-button issue: Anger. We love to hold grudges and want to hurt people back even worse than they hurt us. Jesus says not only is this mindset sinful but goes to the extent that a sacrifice is not acceptable in the eyes of God unless and until the person making the sacrifice reconciles themselves to a person with whom they have had issues and makes amends. The idea that a sacrifice wouldn’t be accepted likely struck a major nerve with the audience and probably made them nervous. This lets them know that Jesus is serious about how we treat one another is vital to our discipleship.
Of course, Jesus doesn’t stop there. He talks about lust, adultery, and even divorce, topics that would rile the dander of people today, perhaps even make some people blush. The way we view other people goes hand-in-hand with not holding grudges. When we lust, we’re making an object out of the other person, a means to some gratification for ourselves. You’re breaking a covenant between you, your spouse, and God when you commit adultery. I believe that’s why Jesus followed up his teaching on adultery with his teaching on vows or oaths. What he’s probably talking about is oaths made to the Roman emperor, but letting our yes be yes and our no be no has much power in other areas of our lives. It attests to our integrity and ethics, which we are called to hold in the highest standards.
All of this translates to this: How you treat one another is vital, so vital that it’s the leading indicator of your spiritual condition. If you treat other people like garbage, the condition of your soul is no better than the pile at the George County Transfer Station on Beaver Dam Road.
I believe that we are on the cusp of something extraordinary happening. I’ve felt this way for quite a while now, but we’re starting to see some of the first indications that God is actively pouring out a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit into the world. I believe people are being moved to confess, pray, sing, to testify in powerful ways. BUT. The thing about revival is that it’s only effective if we take the fire God has given us and take it out into the world. Jesus is teaching us here that how we treat other people is vital. I can tell you that actions speak much louder than words ever will. We can say we’re revived all day long, but if we don’t act like it, no, we’re not. If we don’t act as if God has moved in our lives, then all we did was go to a building somewhere, sing some songs, maybe say some prayers, or even testify, walk out and go about our business. That’s not revival. That’s self-gratification and self-justification. If God is truly moving in our midst, and we feel it, we must do something with it! Let us not hide our flavor or put our light under a sheet. Let us not continue to treat the people who are suffering as if they don’t matter. Let us not continue to claim to be Christians of any stripe and keep grudges, treat the people who ought to mean the most to us like trash, or show a lack of integrity, ethics, and morals. But, too often, we (the royal “we”) do exactly these things and dare to claim to be the people of God. Jesus says, “You can’t do that anymore if you’re one of my people.”
Pray for revival. Long for revival. But when it comes, do something with it. Don’t let revival only be a moment in time that made you feel good; that was it. True revival only happens when we, the people of God, allow the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit to take hold, refine us, and use us to testify to the wonder of God’s grace, mercy, and love. Use words if you must, but actions speak much louder.
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 personcan be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God’s creational intentions.
John wesley
I must confess: I’m a bit of a cynic. I realize this is not necessarily a positive trait for a pastor, but it’s how I’m wired, at least when it comes to specific events. In other words, I tend to take things with a large grain of salt. I wouldn’t say I like to reject outright things attributed to God, but I cannot help but be suspicious and curious. I’m very curious about the happenings in Wilmore.
Like many others, I’ve heard of the revival being reported from Asbury University, which has spread to Asbury Seminary. I’ve even seen posts on social media that indicate others are traveling to Wilmore to witness and take part in this event. In my excitement and hope of revival, I even shared one of the many posts online about the event, but I decided to take it down because of some observations made by some people on the ground and elsewhere. Then, I began to ponder what genuine revival looks like. I like how one of my Facebook friends said: “True revival begins with repentance and change, not warm feelings.”
You see, revival is only valid if it leads to change and isn’t built upon simply feeling better about one’s spiritual condition. I remind us that Jesus never told the apostles and his other disciples to take their faith in him and hide it from the world, continuing to do what they have always done and to be the people they had always been. No, Jesus called them to work for the kingdom and called them – and us – to a new way of living. The gospel readings from the Revised Common Lectionary have us exploring the Sermon on the Mount, which shows how the Christian community – the church – ought to look. We are only revived when we repent and go the way Jesus calls us. If we continue going about our daily lives as if nothing has happened, then the “revival” has simply been an event that made some people feel good and nothing more.
I hope the revival at Asbury is genuine. I pray the revival at Asbury is real. I pray for revival to spread throughout the world. I pray that God’s people rise to be salt and light as we are called. I pray that we put aside our desires to keep people away from the church because they don’t fit our molds. I pray that people know how loved and precious they are in God’s sight. I pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done, not for the kingdoms and wills of this world to grow.
I pray that my cynicism is unwarranted and that what’s happening at Asbury is genuinely something of God. This is one of the times I hope I’m wrong about something being “not quite right.” Why would I feel as if something is off? Revival services tend to evoke emotional responses and, unfortunately, once the emotions. are gone, so. is the so-called revival. Only time will tell if this is really happening.
Christians are known for their fruit. The revival at Asbury will also be known by its fruit.
