Articles of Faith - Panel 3 (Republished w/ Missing Half)

Pregnancy Resource Centers - A Conversation with Joel Webb

The conversation centers on the theological and moral stakes of abortion, framed primarily through the lens of Joel Webb’s experience as a Free Methodist clergy member working four days a week at Spero Pregnancy Center in Port Huron, Michigan. Webb, a dual Canadian-American citizen who grew up as a theological minority in a politically liberal country, traces his commitment to the pro-life cause back to a foundational conviction: that human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and that every other moral and social question presupposes that someone is alive to ask it. He draws a direct line from Canada’s increasingly permissive approach to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) — now accounting for 5.1% of annual deaths in Canada — back to the same secular materialism that underlies abortion, arguing that a culture which does not value life at its beginning will not value it at its end either. A substantial portion of the conversation addresses the practical and pastoral dimensions of the issue. Webb pushes back on the idea that abortion is a “women’s issue” from which men should recuse themselves, arguing that a father’s presence and commitment is actually the single greatest factor in whether a woman chooses life — a point illustrated by a client case in which a couple nearly chose abortion simply because each assumed the other wanted it. He also challenges the tendency of churches to avoid the topic out of a desire not to offend, characterizing this as an abdication of pastoral responsibility. At the same time, he insists that preaching against abortion and extending grace to those who have had one must go hand in hand — that abortion is not an unforgivable sin, and that post-abortive men and women carry real grief that the church has a responsibility to address. The conversation closes with practical direction for listeners: connect with and financially support your local pregnancy resource center, volunteer, and pray. Webb emphasizes that most pregnancy resource centers are entirely donor-funded precisely so they can retain the freedom to share the gospel with clients. He frames these centers not merely as social services but as front-line missionary outposts in communities, meeting people at one of the most consequential decision points of their lives. Resources * Spero Pregnancy Center (Port Huron, Michigan) — Joel Webb’s workplace; speroprc.com * joelvweb.com — Joel Webb’s personal website where he writes and publishes * Free Methodist Church in Canada (FMCIC) — produced a five-part video study series called Dying Well, addressing end-of-life care and Medical Assistance in Dying * Live Action — produces educational videos including the Baby Olivia and Baby Oliver animated fetal development videos, as well as abortion procedure videos narrated by former abortion providers; liveaction.org * Choice42 — Canadian YouTube channel producing pro-life content, including videos on the dangers of mail-order abortion pills and the link between abortion and vaccine/medical research * Love Life — ministry operating sidewalk missionaries outside abortion clinics and organizing “houses of refuge” churches to receive and disciple women who choose life; lovelife.org * Heartbeat International — national/international pregnancy center affiliation providing training, resources, and connection; heartbeatinternational.org * CareNet — second major national/international pregnancy center affiliation with resources for individuals and churches; care-net.org Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe [https://plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Articles of Faith - Panel 3 (Republished w/ Missing Half)

On Friday, April 24, I hosted Chris Lohrstorfer, Richie Clark, Tim Prather, and Daniel Rickman for another panel on the recent Articles of Faith document.Unfortunately a storm happened to be rolling through at the same time. Lightning struck early into the panel, and the Internet connection cut out afterwards, ending the live stream. However, the panel continued without me, and I was able to join them again a couple of minutes later through my phone's tethering function. I recorded the rest of the session, which a lot of you are going to find very interesting. The two primary topics unique to this conversation, which the other panels haven't covered, dealt with sacramental theology around baptism, and the unpardonable sin. Richie Clark led the way mostly, with good thoughts from the other three. Chris made good points dealing with replicating Wesley's emphasis when dealing with the problem of sin. Tim brought us, multiple times, to the primary concern of how we are inculcating the next generation of believers. Daniel did a great job helping us to focus on the function of this document.I hope you enjoy this. It was a worthy time that I hope adds to the richness of the conversation going on right now in the Wesleyan expression of the Christian faith.——————————— 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. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe [https://plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Recent Legal Victories & Christian Therapy - A Conversation with Debra Baty

In the Chiles v. Salazar US Supreme Court case, the First Amendment was put on trial. Can therapists be constrained to only allow one ideology in their sessions? Can they be restricted from articulating the Christian worldview? A recent decision has reasserted the prerogative of therapists to determine how to help their own clients. But is therapy as helpful as we often think? I'm not so sure. Debra and I spend a while talking about these things for your benefit. Consider her voice as you continue to try to navigate our culture's very strange and often harmful ideologies around sexual orientation and gender identity. She is a mature and capable voice who will continue to help us to grow up. For the list of questions for higher education, consider her resource: https://resources4redemption.substack.com/p/alignment-questions-for-christian?utm_source=publication-search For the Stop It skit with Bob Newhart (my recommendation), check out: ——————————— 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. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe [https://plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

God's Provision for the GMC in Wilmington - A Conversation with Timothy Reaves

Timothy Reaves is the head pastor at Pine Valley Methodist Church in Wilmington, North Carolina. He is the Presiding Elder of his district and a delegate to the upcoming General Conference of the Global Methodist Church. He is engaged on the ground floor and in the higher levels of Global Methodist ministry.Tim has had the joy of overseeing an area in which there is a good deal of dynamism and growth. His vantage point gives him an informed perspective on what God is doing with the people called Methodist.In our conversation, we talk about his background in the church, his means of assessing fruitfulness, those practices and beliefs that have borne fruit in his midst, and what he is praying about as General Conference approaches. To check out Tim's church, go to https://www.pvmc.life/ ——————————— 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. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe [https://plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

The Crisis of Authority - A Conversation with Kendall Meek

When I published my interview with James Lambert of the Asbury Connection, several others found themselves in this question of authority. What gave Asbury Church in Tulsa the authority to go its own way, do its own ordinations, have its own sacraments? Why is it wrong for them to do this, while the GMC pats itself on the back for having created our own church out of the UMC? Kendell Meek is an ordained elder in the Global Methodist Church, which is a covenant body of churches sharing authority, finance, and doctrine (otherwise known as a denomination). It is a global body of more than 7,000 local churches, many of which were never part of the the United Methodist expression of the Wesleyan tradition. We are proud to serve in this body, even as we aren’t sure if this body knows from whence it draws its authority. In this conversation, we talk about some of the issues underpinning a loss of authority in modern churches, the ability to bind consciences, the overt nature of hierarchy. Kendall is an interesting guy with a lot going on. You should consider his work and join in my prayers with him for a reclamation of the primitive church. Here is where you can follow him:Substack - www.thefoundrypress.orgOther Substack - www.truelightmedia.substack.com Consider just going here to see his latest and greatest work - https://kendallmeek.substack.com/p/heavenly-order-and-wesleyan-ecclesiology 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. Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe [https://plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]