Dr. Robert Gagnon is going to be teaching a course at Wesley Biblical Seminary soon, so I thought I might try to get him on. He's perhaps the most expert thinker on the topic of human sexuality. As you'll see in this conversation, he has a great passion for the plain meaning of scripture. He has the resolve to meet bad arguments with better ones and has been of benefit to the larger discourse through writing books and scholarly articles, writing thoughtful think pieces on social media, and recently by starting a YouTube channel (see links below).

This conversation details not only the topic of the course he will be teaching, but it also serves as a decent primer for the topic of biblical sexual ethics. May this conversation be of benefit to you in your attempts to grow closer to the Lord.

Links: "The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics" Dr. Gagnon's book - https://a.co/d/5gTTzlJ "The 15 Most Important Texts in Scripture" Course at WBS - https://wbs.edu/15-texts/ Dr. Gagnon's Website - http://robgagnon.net/ Dr. Gagnon's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@robertgagnon7647⁩ Dr. Gagnon on X - https://x.com/RobertAJGagnon1

The extremes of the left and right often form a short of horse shoe, in which they have more in common with one another than those in the middle. It could be said that, with respect to Jews, we are seeing the same thing: Both left and right and experiencing a resurgent anti-Jewish impulse. It is not hard to find people who have a desire to argue that modern Judaism and modern Israel have little to no correspondence with the biblical people/nation of Israel. One doesn’t have to look hard for those eager to make the case that modern Jews are deluded to believe that God still cares for them in any special or particular way.

Rev. Dr. Gerald McDermott has written several books on the topic of “New Christian Zionism” or post-supersessionism. The basic idea is that God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable. Despite our unfaithfulness, God remains faithful. God’s salvation story throughout history is unified, rather than bifurcated.

Gerald McDermott teaches at Jerusalem Seminary and the Reformed Episcopal Seminary (ACNA) in Philadelphia. He retired from the Anglican Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham AL in 2020. Before that he was the Jordan-Trexler Professor of Religion at Roanoke College, where he taught courses for 26 years in the history of Christianity and Christian theology of world religions. He has written, co-written or edited 25 books and hundreds of articles.

Spend the time with him. I think he is right, and that understanding his insights could lead to a future in which the church is not committing the same sins against God’s covenant people, the Jews, that we pretty consistently have over the centuries…

Links:

Israel Matters: Why Christians Must Think Differently about the People and the Land - https://a.co/d/4f7BZ1v

The New Christian Zionism: Fresh Perspectives on Israel & the Land - https://a.co/d/3VJNWOZ

A New History of Redemption: The Work of Jesus the Messiah through the Millennia - https://a.co/d/hcj1ltQ

“New antisemitism rising among Christians is heresy” in The Christian Post - https://www.christianpost.com/voices/new-antisemitism-rising-among-christians-is-heresy.html

"No, You Don’t Have To Be A Dispensationalist To Believe In Zionism" in The Federalist - https://thefederalist.com/2025/07/15/no-you-dont-have-to-be-a-dispensationalist-to-believe-in-zionism/

Bishop Jeff Greenway is a significant figure in the Global Methodist Church. As we talk about in this conversation, he has been one of the voices in pretty much every room that has determined the quality of this new covenant body. Raised by Methodist clergy, he has given his entire adult life to the glorification of God by edifying his church. He has served on all levels of church leadership, and he is now spending his final years in service through humble leadership at the top as a bishop (episcopos) (overseer).

Bishop Greenway published a piece in Firebrand last month that thoughtfully worked through considerations regarding faithful episcopal leadership. I found many of the specifics to be worthy reflections and was able to get him to speak with me about many of them here. Listeners would do well to consider Bishop Greenway's insights about the nature of Christian leadership in light of his efforts alongside many others to build something new that reflects the timeless truths of Christ.

Link to Firebrand article, "Escaping Gravity: Bishops as Servants of Christ and His Church" - https://firebrandmag.com/articles/escaping-gravity-bishops-as-servants-of-christ-and-his-church

Link to Bishop Greenway's mailing list -

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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.

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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!

Dr. Felicia Chinyere Priest joined me from Lagos, Nigeria to talk about her new book, Rooted In Christ : Discipleship Strategies for Believers from Muslim Backgrounds. She has been teaching and thinking on these topics pertaining to effective discipleship for 20 years. Nigeria is the most hostile context in the world between Muslims and Christians, where just recently many dozens of Christians were killed in the northern region of the country by Muslims.

In the West, numbers of Muslims continue to increase. These Muslims have the same Koran and same traditions as those who are active in Nigeria. We in the West would do well to learn from those on the frontlines how to proactively and productively engage Muslims. Dr. Chinyere and I leaned into these topics, and she was quite helpful in rendering answers.

What principles are important to keep in mind when considering how to witness to Muslims? What are the primary issues and challenges involved in converting Muslims? Why do Christians sometimes choose to convert to Islam (her own tribe has experienced this in some measure). Which Christian traditions do better than others at creating discipleship pathways and maintaining a rigorous way of life? We address these and many other important considerations.

I think the biggest revelation to me in this time was that the church needs to engage, not just in the marketplace of ideas, but on the level of economics. If we are expecting for folks to leave their old way of life behind, then we need to be better able to facilitate that. Do we have places to put them? Do we have protocols for protection? Do we have networks established for support and comfort? It is actually quite reasonable for the church to anticipate these needs. Why have churches generally failed in this way?

This is unfortunately not my highest-quality recording. The internet connection wasn’t stable at all. I didn’t realize it until I started the editing process that Dr. Chinyere’s feed actually clipped out twice. Moreover, her accent is quite challenging for Americans to understand. Both of these factors will make it difficult for an American audience to appreciate. But for those of you who are interested in the subject, I know you’ll enjoy the effort.

Consider Dr. Chinyere’s book here - https://a.co/d/6mSLgZY

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.

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Andy Postell is the Conference Superintendent of the North Georgia Conference of the Global Methodist Church. He is the conference's seconded head, following in the footsteps of Rev. Kenny Ott. Andy has a background in church planting, in which he had to learn to lean on the Lord while simultaneously taking responsibility for as much as rightly possible. Having come out of the business world, he and his wife together managed a balance between activity and humility that I think many might benefit to learn from.

In this conversation, Rev. Postell and I talk about his story and how it will undoubtedly impact the work of his conference. In particular, we talk about the current challenges of reconstructing a shared identity as Methodists, and what the challenges/opportunities of the present moment are. He has no bluster to offer, but rather an earnest reapproaching of the tradition we have inherited, with an openness to unfamiliarity. It was a refreshing conversation. May it be a blessing to you!

Link to Conference Giving Page - https://ngagmc.org/give/, where you can give to any number of causes, including that of the Nigerian partnership.

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!

Lonnie, Odell, and Joe got together again to talk about recent developments in The United Methodist Church. All three men have been delegates to General Conference and have knowledge of the inner workings of the denomination, as well as the incentive structures in place. All three have done what they can to stay abreast of current dynamics.

In this session, they talk about recent Judicial Council decisions that reverse previous decisions and go against promises made. They also talk about the new mission/vision statement put together by the bishops and how much it resembles the Global Methodist Church’s vision statement.

In 2007, Philip and Samantha Meadows began the Inspire Movement, a modern day international ecumenical attempt at replicating many of the gifts of the Methodist tradition. This is one of the many options available to believers who know that they need a more intimate and biblical faith. At this inflection point of Methodism, we would do well to learn from those who have already been doing the work of helping believers walk together in the Spirit.

Dr. Meadows is a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, he has published many books on evangelism, mission, and small group discipleship. He is appreciated and respected by many in contemporary Methodism, and for good reason. I enjoyed this conversation. You will, too.

Links The Inspire Movement - https://inspiremovement.org/ YouTube Page - https://www.youtube.com/@UC9fB_bmxdGR4V9U0Aq9YG2g "Missional Discipleship: A Field Guide" - https://a.co/d/3FP9x6G

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!

James Mahoney published two articles on baptismal regeneration in Firebrand Magazine over the last month. They are linked below. They got me thinking on how it is that we commonly understand regeneration, justification, and baptism. I asked James to speak with me and he said yes!

James got his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. He is an ordained elder in the Western States Annual Conference. Enjoy learning from him.

Articles: "Baptismal Regeneration and the Wesleyan Way" - https://firebrandmag.com/articles/baptismal-regeneration-and-the-wesleyan-way "The Changing Wesley & The Unchanging God: Regeneration and Repentance in the Wesleyan Way" - https://firebrandmag.com/articles/the-changing-wesley-amp-the-unchanging-god-regeneration-and-repentance-in-the-wesleyan-way

January Littlejohn is a Christian mother living in Florida. She is currently working to educate the American public and the church about gender ideology and the implications such beliefs have for our children. She herself was impacted by this ideology when her own daughter began to believe that she was actually male. The school system, rather than helping Mrs. Littlejohn, worked against her.

In this conversation, January tells her family's story, and together we try to wrap our minds around the reality of our present situation as a society. What is the role for the church in all this? How should pastors and other Christian leaders be talking about it? How can local churches and denominations work against this deluge of ungodly propaganda?

Resources Referenced:

1. "Church Transgender Response Guide" - https://www.childparentrights.org/church-transgender-response-guide

2. Abigail Shrier's "Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters" - https://a.co/d/ecCQWHX

3. Timothy Tennant's "For the Body: Recovering a Theology of Gender, Sexuality, and the Human Body" - https://a.co/d/gS0DhrK

4. Leonard Sax's "The Collapse of Parenting" - https://a.co/d/cV54VzP

5. Gordon Neufeld's "Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers" - https://a.co/d/fmDXo7a

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!

Dr. Justus Hunter is a tenured professor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He teaches vital courses for the training of Methodist clergy. His students like him quite a bit, and for good reason. His view of the local church is tempered by his deep knowledge and love of doctrine and Christian history. It was this same love that eventually drew him to the Roman Catholic faith.

Dr. Hunter, alongside Dr. Phil Tallon, has authored one of the most widely-used books for and introduction to the Methodist faith, “The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way.”

In this segment, we talk about the worthiness of the Methodist/Wesleyan heritage, theological and practical considerations as people continue to try to reclaim the treasures of our past. I’m particularly interested in reflections on the last ten minutes or so of our conversation, as it integrates a lot of the shared passions for family discipleship and the resurgence of rigor and integrity of faith.

Link to Dr. Hunter’s book on Wesleyanism - https://a.co/d/fWHscph

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!