Rev. Dr. Warren Lathem is a Methodist conservative thinker and writer who lives in Georgia. He recently published a piece on the Institute for Religion & Democracy’s website, engaging the critiques of institutionalist United Methodists. While I agree with many of his conclusions, the way he gets there sets up a lot of problems down the line. 

During my live stream last Friday, while taking a break from the Heartland Convening Conference for the GMC, my brother and I engaged the substance of Lathem’s analysis and held it up against, not just our personal theologies, but our personal experiences leading churches. Our hope isn’t to shut down conversation, but to make it more robust. In the comments, let me know what you think needs to be considered in these issues of how we understand church membership and what Methodist leadership should expect and promote within local church settings with respect to growth.

To read Lathem’s article for yourself without my wordy commentary, you can go to: https://juicyecumenism.com/2023/11/01/rev-dr-warren-lathem-on-methodist-changes/

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