Louisiana Now
We sit down with Rev. Amy Castro of Westlake United Methodist Church to talk about her incredible journey this week. She was driving home after graduating from seminary at Perkins School of Theology on the campus of SMU and drove straight to tornado damage at her church in southwest Louisiana. She shares a heartwarming tale of resilience and community support that followed in the moments after the storm. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about faith, hope, and the incredible strength of community bonds in times of crisis. To hear the episode Todd and Amy discuss in this episode, Praise...
info_outline A Historic General Conference, Our Final Episode from CharlotteLouisiana Now
We wrap our coverage from Charlotte, North Carolina. In this final episode, we wanted to share some interviews on the major event that came out of General Conference - Delegates voted to remove restrictive and harmful language from the United Methodist Book of Discipline after more than fifty years of intense, prayerful debate. For more on our coverage from General Conference, please click .
info_outline From the Chair, with Bishop Delores WilliamstonLouisiana Now
Our updates from General Conference continue. In this episode, we look back at the start of Week 2 from Charlotte, North Carolina. Bishop Delores J. Williamston presided over the morning plenary session and we had a chance to catch up with her afterward. She talks more about what it felt to sit in the chair and what this week looks like.
info_outline Cajun Todd Chats with Plain Todd at General ConferenceLouisiana Now
Todd Rossnagel and Todd Seifert have served together on UMAC (United Methodist Association of Communicators) leadership teams. As you might expect, identifying two Todd's became a challenge on ZOOM, so Todd Rossnagel received the nickname "Cajun Todd" (Louisiana), while Todd Seifert earned the nickname "Plain Todd" (Great Plains). In this episode of Louisiana NOW, Rossnagel and Seifert unpack General Conference, discuss what it's like to cover General Conference from a media perspective, and share more about Bishop Delores J. Williamston, who served in the Great Plains Conference...
info_outline An Update from General Conference, General Conference Gives Regionalization Green LightLouisiana Now
UNITED METHODIST NEWS: General Conference has now passed much of the legislation that aims to give The United Methodist Church’s different geographic regions equal standing in decision-making. In what outgoing Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton called “a historic day for our church,” delegates voted 586 to 164 for an amendment to the denomination’s constitution that will now go before annual conference voters for potential ratification. A constitutional amendment requires at least a two-thirds vote at General Conference; the regionalization amendment received 78% of the...
info_outline General Conference Begins in CharlotteLouisiana Now
In this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast, we delve into the start of General Conference held in Charlotte, North Carolina. We catch up with Bishop Delores J. Williamston, Jennifer Swann, and other delegates.
info_outline Previewing General ConferenceLouisiana Now
The General Conference of The United Methodist Church is meeting April 23 through May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, NC. In this episode, Todd Rossnagel shares a preview of the gathering, including comments from Bishop Delores J. Williamston, Rev. Bardy Whitton, and Jennifer Swann, members of the Louisiana delegation. For more on General Conference, and to stay up to date with the latest news, decisions and celebrations from this global gathering, please . To watch the Louisiana Conference preview show, mentioned in this episode, please .
info_outline Celebrating Women's History MonthLouisiana Now
In this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast, we visit with Dr. Ashley Boggan D., the General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History. Ahsley helps to ensure that the UMC understands its past in order to envision a more equitable future for all Methodists. Boggan earned her PhD from Drew Theological School’s Graduate Division of Religion, specializing in both Methodist/Wesleyan Studies and Women’s/Gender Studies. For more on Boggan's series of talks at the 2023 Annual Conference, go . For more on the Radicle Methodism course, click . For more on...
info_outline A Conversation with Rev. Katrena Porter King, DEI Strategist for LouisianaLouisiana Now
In this episode, we catch up with has been appointed to the Louisiana Conference as the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist. This strategic addition to the extended cabinet underscores the Conference's commitment to fostering an environment that champions inclusivity and justice, as well as actively promoting diversity in the staff and leadership structure. Bishop Delores J. Williamston welcomes Rev. King, stating, "I look forward to the ministry that Rev. Katrena King will bring to the Louisiana Conference as we continue to make strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her...
info_outline Turning Ideas into RealityLouisiana Now
We are thrilled to feature a conversation with Britney Winn Lee. She is leading the innovative A New Thing workshop, an initiative presented by the United Methodist Foundation. This workshop is dedicated to turning visionary ideas into tangible realities, offering a platform for creative thinking and strategic execution. Utilizing Kenda Creasy Dean’s Innovating for Love: Joining God’s Expedition Through Christian Social Innovation, the programs will offer several half-day workshops to explore the theology behind and current necessity for ministry innovation. In this episode, we...
info_outlineIn this episode, we catch up with John Wimberly and Rev. Dr. Van Stinson.
Like all mainline denominations today, United Methodist conferences and jurisdictions are facing the need to make dramatic adaptations from past ways of operating. A convergence of factors—declining congregational membership, the evolution of communication channels, remote work environments, virtual gatherings, and ever-evolving mission opportunities—has ushered in a new era where the conventional ways of doing things no longer suffice in carrying out God's divine work.
Amid so much ecclesial, cultural, and economic change, the Bishop and Extended Cabinet have identified the need for a planning and implementation process to create a flexible, agile operational system that can adapt quickly to the known and unknown ministry opportunities that lie ahead.
The Louisiana Conference has enlisted the expertise of John Wimberly, an experienced church consultant, to help us think about the future organizationally (conference structure, staff design, governance system, etc.). He has done similar work with Great Plains and Mountain Sky Conferences. He recently finished a similar job with Central, North, and Northwest Texas Conferences.
His approach centers on the art of listening, engaging in interviews and focus groups to glean insights into people's perceptions of our current systems and their aspirations for the future. The ultimate goal is to articulate a clear and concise mission statement that will guide our pivotal decisions and strategies, aligning our organizational structure and operations with our mission.
To learn more, head here.