A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Ramonalynn Bethley; New District Superintendent
Louisiana Now
In this episode, we catch up with Rev. Dr. Ramonalynn Bethley, the newly appointed District Superintendent in the North District of The Louisiana Conference. Bishop Delores J. Williamston has appointed Bethley as superintendent of the North District of The Louisiana Conference, effective July 1. This appointment marks a return to the role for Bethley, who previously served as a district superintendent from 2005 to 2012 in the Alexandria (2005-2008) and New Orleans (2008-2012) districts. Bishop Williamston expressed deep appreciation for Bethley’s experience and leadership. “I am...
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Still We Sing: Hope in Kerrville, Texas
Louisiana Now
This is a special edition of the Louisiana NOW podcast - we travel west to Kerrville, Texas. After devastating flooding along the Guadalupe River, the community of Kerrville, Texas, turns to faith, prayer, and each other. In this episode, we hear from Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey and leaders at First United Methodist Church of Kerrville, located near Camp Mystic, where many lives were lost. Through grief, the congregation sings The Goodness of God, a powerful act of hope. This is a story of resilience, compassion, and the strength found in showing up. To give and to help, please head . ...
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A School, A Church, A Call: When Connection Becomes Action
Louisiana Now
In this episode of The Louisiana NOW podcast, we are joined by Dr. Carla Cardoza, President of Lydia Patterson Institute and Bishop Delores J. Williamston. In a powerful response to an unfolding immigration crisis affecting the , the Council on Finance and Administration of The Louisiana Conference, in partnership with the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana, announced a $240,000 gift to support the El Paso-based United Methodist school. The decision was made in an immediate series of meetings following emotional scenes at the 2025 Annual Conference, where LPI President Dr. Carla...
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The Strategic Implementation Team of The Louisiana Conference
Louisiana Now
We continue to preview the 2025 Annual Conference. In this episode, we talk more about the Strategic Implementation Team. We are joined by Associate Lay Leader, Susie Cox and Rev. Dr. Van Stinson, Assistant to the Bishop. We learn more about the SIT Team, what it is and what they've been up to this year. Formed in 2024 under the guidance of Bishop Delores J. Williamston, the Strategic Implementation Team is a key component of the conference's mission to adapt and thrive in changing times. The team's formation followed a comprehensive Organizational Review, which identified key areas...
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Previewing the 2025 Annual Conference with Bishop Delores J. Williamston
Louisiana Now
In this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast, we’re joined by Bishop Delores J. Williamston as she reflects on the theme of JOY, a guiding focus for the 2025 Annaul Conference. Bishop Williamston shares how joy is not only a personal source of strength but also a collective call for the Church in a time of healing, rebuilding, and hope. We also catch up with the Bishop fresh off her journey to Jerusalem and the Holy Land. She gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the pilgrimage—what it was like to walk where Jesus walked, the moments that moved her most, and how the experience will shape...
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A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Douglas Powe
Louisiana Now
Our guest speaker for the 2025 Annual Conference is Rev. F. Douglas Powe, Jr., PhD. In this episode, we learn more about him, and what he will share with us during his time at Annual Conference. Learn more about how it's time to re-examine John Wesley's model of evangelism as a full, natural circle, where it's a communal beginning point rather than a solitary end. Dr. Powe is the President of Phillips Theological Seminary. Powe comes to Phillips from Wesley Theological Seminary, where he served as director of The Lewis Center for Church Leadership and the James C. Logan Chair in...
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50 Years: 'Faith of a Mustard Seed'
Louisiana Now
Since 1975, the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana has offered an array of financial services for churches and individuals while promoting a culture of generosity to United Methodist donors and churches. For more on the Foundation, please head to their . For more on the 2025 Annual Conference, please head .
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People Like Me: The Ministry of Inclusion and Invitation
Louisiana Now
We are gearing up for a special event - People Like Me - a two-day immersive retreat focused on building intercultural competency, strengthening inclusive leadership, and helping churches reflect the rich diversity of their communities. Led by our very own, Rev. Katrena King, our Conference’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist, the retreat offers tools like the Intercultural Development Inventory, also known as the IDI - it will also include space for authentic storytelling, which will be done in a very unique way – and workshops on everything from tough conversations to vision...
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Encore Episode: The Easter Story
Louisiana Now
This is a special edition of the Louisiana Now podcast, a reading of the Easter Story by host Todd Rossnagel. This reading comes from all four gospels and various translations. To find a United Methodist church in the Louisiana Conference, please visit our directory: https://www.la-umc.org/churches To find a listing of online church services in the Louisiana Conference, please visit . To find a United Methodist church near you, please visit: https://www.umc.org/en/find-a-church
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The Final Days, A Lenten Journey with Rev. Matt Rawle
Louisiana Now
This Lent, ponder the themes of justice, poverty, freedom, and love. The four New Testament Gospels aren’t the same story, but they offer the same Resurrection hope. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John devote most of their story detailing Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem, all highlighting Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city, the suffering and humiliation of the cross, and the empty tomb come Sunday morning, but the stories they tell aren’t quite the same. Each Gospel offers a different lens through which we understand Jesus’ Passion. One portrait reveals Jesus to be in control, while...
info_outlineIn 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 Grieving Well.
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 resources to help create personal and congregational rituals for mourning. We will reflect together about the potential benefits and positive outcomes when we practice grieving well.
Our day apart will be led by Dr. Johnson who believes that tending our grief is an essential wellbeing practice for ministry leaders in every season, and especially in response to the last several years of leadership in the church.
Join Vicki for this intentional conversation about healing and wholeness. She served for 30 years in the Mississippi Conference in a variety of settings—small church pastor, clergy couple co-appointment, executive pastor, district superintendent, and nine years as senior pastor of a community-focused downtown church. Coaching professionally since 2015, she holds a Level 2/PCC credential with the International Coaching Federation, is a Lead Trainer with Coach Approach Skills Training (CAST) and created a Level 2 Leadership Coach Specialization through Radiant Coaches Academy. Vicki is also certified as an Intentional Interim Ministry Specialist, Spiritual Director, and 200-hour E-RYT yoga instructor. In 2020, she founded The Art of WellBeing (www.coachingtheartofwellbeing.com) —offering individual and group coaching in support of clergy leadership and wellbeing. Vicki and her husband Roger live in East Texas.