Clergy Age Trends In The United Methodist Church: 1985-2019
Download the 2019 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2019 Report Dramatic Decline in the Number of Young Elders Not only did the number…
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Articles
How Much Should It Cost to Plant a New Church?
Church planter and consultant Paul Nixon responds to the frequently asked question about the cost of new church starts drawing from his own experience and…
Two Church Developers’ Experience with Funding New Church Starts
Two knowledgeable new church developers, Phil Schroeder and Dan Jackson, reflect on Paul Nixon’s six observations about “How Much Should It Cost to Plant a…
Recommended Resource: Pastors Moving to New Churches Need the Right Start
Know a pastor preparing to begin ministry in a new setting? With The Right Start Video Tool Kit, they’ll learn how to end their current…
General Conference is Broken; Annual Conferences Are Not
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., says the current governance structure does not fit the realities of a global United Methodist Church. He suggests that General Conference…
Should a Church Close?
Sustainability is increasingly difficult for the ever increasing number of churches worshipping small numbers each week. Lovett Weems captures the dilemma for church leaders and…
Hope Rages
Actions by the recent Special General Conference have left many confused and despairing of the possibility of any way forward. At the same time, there…
Reducing the Number of Pastor-Congregation Mismatches
Perhaps the most impactful task for bishops and superintendents is matching pastors and congregations through the appointive process. Despite their best efforts, some matches do…
The Process of Appointment-Making
Bishops and their Cabinets are entering the season of appointment-making. Many bishops and superintendents have developed careful processes and then seek to improve them each…
Clergy Age Trends In The United Methodist Church: 1985-2018
Download the complete 2018 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2018 Report Number of Young Elders Holds Steady at Somewhat Lower Level After three…
Matters of Life and Death
Ann Michel of the Lewis Center staff reports on William B. Lawrence’s book A Methodist Requiem that examines the legacy and impact of the church…
United Methodism’s Unfinished Business
Recalling the sermon Albert C. Outler preached 50 years ago at the birth of the United Methodist Church, Lovett H. Weems, Jr., says that Outler’s…
A Delta Moment in the Church
David McAllister-Wilson, president of Wesley Theological Seminary, posits the metaphor of a delta region to describe the dangerous yet fertile waters the church must navigate…
Methodism as an Experiment in Grace
David McAllister-Wilson sees the distinctive spiritual heritage of Methodism as something uniquely suited to our times — a legacy that cannot be sacrificed as the…
The High Price of Division Historically
Donald W. Haynes, a retired pastor and district superintendent, suggests that key questions raised by the Way Forward Commission should be considered in light of…
The $6.5 Billion Enigma
On the first day of a new year, all United Methodist churches begin working toward their common mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for…
What’s at Stake when Schism is an Option?
Originally published Dec. 12, 2017. United Methodists are facing major decisions about our legacy and future in the coming months and years. Myriad actions taken…
The Annual Conference as the Basic Unit of the Church
The Constitution of the United Methodist Church identifies the annual conference as “the basic body in the Church.” The annual conference admits persons into ordained…
Next Church Leadership Excellence D.Min. Cohort Begins May 2018
One of my great joys is teaching in Wesley’s Doctor of Ministry program in church leadership. It began with the establishment of the Lewis Center…
Reaching More People, Younger People, More Diverse People
The United Methodist Church faces a looming adaptive challenge that can only be addressed by major learning, innovation, and prayerful discernment. United Methodists in the…
Watch “Reaching More People: Toward a Mixed Economy of Church”
Dr. Kenneth H. Carter, bishop of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, addresses the challenge of reaching more people. He explains the need…
Watch “Reaching Younger People: Overinvesting in the Young”
Dr. Janice Riggle Huie, a retired bishop of the United Methodist Church now serving with the Texas Methodist Foundation, addresses the challenge of reaching younger…
Watch “Reaching More Diverse People: Embracing the Neighbors Around Us”
Rev. Dr. Joseph W. Daniels, Jr., lead pastor of Emory United Methodist Church in Washington, DC, addresses the challenge of reaching more diverse people. He…
2017 Clergy Age Report
Download the 2017 Clergy Age Trends Report. For over ten years, the Lewis Center in partnership with Wespath Benefits has reported annually on the changing…
Clergy Age Trends In The United Methodist Church: 1985-2017
Download the complete 2017 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2017 Report Number of Young Elders Shows Downturn in 2017 After three consecutive years…
Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church: 1985-2016
Highlights of the 2016 Report Decade-Long Modest but Steady Increase in Young Elders Continues In 2005, the United Methodist Church reported the smallest percentage of…
Clergy Evaluation
Most denominations and congregations provide for a committee that is responsible for clergy support and evaluation. Both pastors and these committees often have misgivings about…
