Listening for the Future; Black Church Vitality
Louisiana Now
"They don't want to die; they want to grow!" It's a powerful realization for Rev. Robert Johnson who just completed four listening sessions all across The Louisiana Conference; listening sessions focused on the future of the Black Church. Johnson serves as the Black Church Vitality strategist in The Louisiana Conference and is our guest on this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast. We discuss what he heard during the listening sessions, the strength of the Black Church in this moment, the value in listening and what's next as we prepare for huge event in 2025.
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Recognizing and Responding to Christian Nationalism
Louisiana Now
In this episode of Louisiana NOW, Karrie Gaspard joins the show. Gaspard is a doctoral student at Tulane University, and is an expert in dissecting the complexities of Christian Nationalism and its encroachment into the fabric of Christianity. As a former educator and licensed social worker with a profound understanding of the intersections between religious and political spheres, Karrie offers invaluable insights into the origins and manifestations of Christian Nationalism. The conversation explores practical methods for identifying and challenging these narratives, assessing when patriotic...
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"Look! I am Doing a New Thing!"
Louisiana Now
Hurricane Francine brought a positive development to two United Methodist Churches in Louisiana. Both and Cornerstone United Methodist Church partnered with Together New Orleans to be a part of the Community Lighthouse project, a bold initiative to create a network of solar-powered churches and community centers across the city. The result? The largest off-grid energy project in the world. And it worked during Hurricane Francine. In this episode, Bishop Delores J. Williamston chats with Rev. Shawn Anglim of First Grace United Methodist Church about the project and the hope that it...
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Lay Leadership in The Louisiana Conference
Louisiana Now
In this episode of Louisiana NOW, we sit down with John Smith, the new Conference Lay Leader, and Susie Cox, the new Associate Lay Leader. Together, we explore the crucial role of lay leadership in the United Methodist Church. We reflect on their personal journeys of faith and what inspired them to step into leadership roles within their local congregations. They share insights on the difference between clergy and lay leaders, offering unique perspectives from the laity that help shape the future of the Church. If you'd like to reach the show, please send us an email: Thanks for...
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Grieving Well; Upcoming Clergy Retreat
Louisiana Now
In this episode, we are joined by Rev. Dr. Vicki Loflin Johnson and Rev. Ali Young, Director of Clergy Excellence in The Louisiana Conference, to talk about the upcoming clergy retreat called . Clergy are expected to share the burden of others’ grief as well as the collective grief of the institutions we serve. In the midst of caring for others, how can we make space for tending our own souls? In this one-day retreat we will consider ways that we as leaders might faithfully tend our own grief while teaching and encouraging our congregations to do the same. We will share ideas and...
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"The Heart Felt Good" Bishop Delores J. Williamston Reflects on The 2024 Annual Conference
Louisiana Now
Welcome to another episode of the Louisiana Now podcast. In this episode, we sit down with bishop Delores J. Williamston, bishop of The Louisiana Conference of The United Methodist Church. The 2024 Annual Conference just wrapped up last week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We had a chance to sit down with Bishop Williamston before she left this week for the Arkansas annual conference. She reflects on so many high moments from the annual conference, from the rollout of her vision to the incredible ordination service at First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge. You won't want to miss this...
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"Welcome to Ministry!" The Story of Rev. Amy Castro and Storms in South Louisiana
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...
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A Historic General Conference, Our Final Episode from Charlotte
Louisiana 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 .
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From the Chair, with Bishop Delores Williamston
Louisiana 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.
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Cajun Todd Chats with Plain Todd at General Conference
Louisiana 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_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.