NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 goodnewsmag.org

Leading United Methodists to a Faithful Future

THE TIGHTROPE OF FAITH

What is the Transitional Leadership Council?, page 20

ND20.indd 1 6/16/21 9:53 AM Call: 844.GO.TO.ATS Click: asbury.to/degrees Visit: asbury.to/visit Learn More: asburyseminary.edu

“Jesus commands us to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves, so I want to see us personally-Rev. Donna Covington start to speakVice out. President Let’s of Formation, speak Asbury out Seminary for Visit asbury.to/thrive to hear our podcast interview with Rev. Covington. justice and what’s right.”

KENTUCKY • ORLANDO • MEMPHIS • TULSA • COLORADO SPRINGS • ONLINE Download your free ebook, Called at asbury.to/GN

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Essentials Features

2 Editorial 10 God is in Control, Even When Choose Kindness You’re Not Tightrope daredevil Nik Wallenda 4 Tightrope over a volcano describes talking his sister into a death- defying act. 6 News from United Methodism Doing Something New is Hard in the 14 The Long Wait in Hope Best of Times Shannon Vowell writes about the Katy Kiser on the message unique timing of Advent. of forgiveness in Emanuel, 8 Mortals & the Divine page 39. Brokenness, Burgers, and Redemption 24 The Goal of the Christian Life Phil Tallon and Justus Hunter explain 42 Navigating Troubled Times the steps of Wesleyan discipleship. Jim Ramsay on lessons we can learn from missionary training. 27 Being a Remnant Marilyn N. Anderes distinguishes 44 Hear the Corn Grow between the church being a luxury Yep, BJ Funk refl ects on the strange and liner or a troop carrier. mysterious crackle of growing corn. 30 Amazing Grace for Storm Survivors Kathy L. Gilbert and Mike DuBose News & Analysis chronicle the United Methodist clean Phil Tallon and Justus up efforts after Hurricane Laura. Hunter on the point of Wesleyanism, page 24.

18 Groundbreaking First Steps for Methodist 34 A New Eye on Jesus Radio in Nigeria Courtney Lott reports on The Chosen, a The Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel and Micah new video depiction of Jesus Christ. Terah report on important ministry news from Nigeria. 39 The Power of Forgiveness “Jesus commands us to love God and Katy Kiser explains the spirituality of the 20 What is the Transitional Leadership documentary, Emanuel. to love our neighbors as ourselves, Council? The Wesleyan Covenant Association so I want to see us personally-Rev. Donna Covington start explains the function of the group that to speakVice out. President Let’s of Formation, speak Asbury out Seminary for will help develop a new Methodist “After this I looked, and there before Visit asbury.to/thrive to hear our podcast interview with Rev. Covington. denomination. me was a great multitude that no one The story behind the tight- justice and what’s right.” could count, from every nation, tribe, rope, page 10. 36 Full Communion with Episcopalians on people, and language, standing before Hold the throne and before the Lamb. They Heather Hahn reports on the delay were wearing white robes and were between United Methodism and the holding palm branches in their hands.” KENTUCKY • ORLANDO • MEMPHIS • TULSA • COLORADO SPRINGS • ONLINE Episcopal Church. – Revelation 7:9 Download your free ebook, Called at asbury.to/GN

November/December 2020 | 1

ND20.indd 1 6/16/21 9:53 AM Rob Renfroe [email protected] Editorial CHOOSE KINDNESS

It’s not news that our country was divided before the election. This isn’t only true when it comes to national elections. It’s valid It’s not news that our country will continue to be divided after when it comes to church politics and to differences regarding the election. And, hopefully, it is not news to you that this na- how we address issues like racial justice or same-sex behavior. tion desperately needs the people of God to model a different, Nothing is gained by demonizing the person who disagrees with better way forward. The world needs to see in us that it’s possible us. We do not create a better future by becoming cynical of the for people to be passionate about their beliefs and at the same other person’s motives. We do not honor Christ by demeaning time compassionate towards those who hold different views and the worth of another human being made in the image of God. values. And we will never win people over to our side by showing con- tempt for their intelligence or beliefs. In his journal, dated October 6, 1774, John Wesley wrote, “I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and I took some time this summer to do some reading I should have advised them, done long ago. One book I enjoyed immensely was Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book on Abraham Lincoln titled Team of Rivals. In 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged the midst of our country’s most divided hour, he found himself most worthy: not only trying to hold a nation together, but also the factions within his own political party, some of whom demanded the 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against: And, immediate and complete abolition of slavery and others who wanted to go slower for strategic and pragmatic reasons. Lincoln 3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that encouraged people, regardless of their views, not to attack others voted on the other side.” with “thundering tones of anathema and denunciation.”

Wesley knew that politics could bring out the worst in people. Why not attack your opponents and their beliefs? According And he knew that when we allow our differences to become per- to Goodwin, Lincoln believed denunciation would inevitably sonal and we let our spirits become embittered, we are no longer be met with denunciation, “crimination with crimination, and able to be salt and light in the world – or he might say, we are no anathema with anathema.” He believed that it is the nature of longer able to spread scriptural holiness across the land. Angry man, when told that he should be “shunned and despised,” and people – even if they are right, even if they are Christians – can- condemned as the author “of all the vice and misery and crime not heal an angry nation. Believers who make their differences in the land,” to “retreat within himself, close all the avenues to with others personal and who attack the integrity of those with his head and his heart.” whom they disagree cannot elevate the conversation or build a bridge that takes society to a better day. Lincoln believed it was better to employ the approach of “erring

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ND20.indd 2 6/16/21 9:53 AM Attack, condemn, and recriminate and we may enjoy the feeling of being morally superior to those we despise. But we will never change someone who sees things differently for the better.

man to an erring brother” – following the old adage that a “drop If I love you, I will respect your dignity and care about your of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.” opinions. I will listen to you and value what you have to say. I will be kind to you even when you are cruel to me. I will not impugn Attack, condemn, and recriminate and we may enjoy the feeling your motives or attack your intelligence or try to embarrass you of being morally superior to those we despise. But we will never in front of others. I will take care that my spirit is not sharpened change someone who sees things differently for the better. Con- against you because you voted differently than I did or because vey contempt for the other person with our words, our actions, you are more liberal in your understanding of the Scriptures or our tone of voice – and we won’t build bridges, we’ll burn than I am. If I love what I believe to be true more than I love you, them; we won’t create relationships, we’ll destroy them; we won’t I have failed you, myself, and my God. help a person change, we’ll move him or her to become defensive and we will lose any influence we might have in his or her life. Our nation is deeply divided and dangerously close to coming apart, perhaps more so than at any time since Lincoln served Paul told Timothy: “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome as President. And there are times when we must battle for our but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Oppo- beliefs. But Paul’s words remind us that we are not fighting nents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant against people; we are fighting for people. “For our struggle is them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” (2 not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the Timothy 2:24-25). authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians When we engage with others who hold different views or who 6:12). We fight against ignorance, deception, and darkness be- attack us for our beliefs, we have a decision to make. Do we re- cause we are for people, even those – especially those – who we spond in such a way that we prove ourselves right and in the believe to be in error. process make them look foolish and show their arguments to be shallow? Or do we respond gently and kindly in the hope that This is a difficult moment, but it’s a moment of opportunity. It God will use our words to bring them to a knowledge of the is a moment when we can show the world that the people of Je- truth? In other words, which is more important – winning the sus are different. When others shout, we listen and talk softly. argument or winning the person? When people are angry and try to make others angrier still, we act with gentleness and kindness. When others delight in divid- Jesus went even further than Paul. He told us to love our en- ing people, we find joy in bringing people together. When others emies. People who agree with us and those who don’t. People say that differing politics and values must separate us, we say who vote the way we do and those who don’t. People who are fair and show that the love of Jesus can bring us together. to us and people who aren’t. People who like us on Facebook and those who attack us. Jesus said we must love not only our friends Choose kindness. Choose gentleness. Choose listening. Choose but our enemies. understanding. Choose to be different. Choose love.

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ND20.indd 3 6/16/21 9:53 AM “I had always believed that many people were gripped by fear because they focused on fear; they focused on their issues or on their negative thinking, and it blotted out everything else,” writes Nik Wallenda in his new book Facing Fear. “As a Christian, I knew that God went before me in all things, so I was always able to go confidently out of the house.” Photo: In March of 2020, Wallenda crossed an 1,800-foot one-inch-thick wire stretching across Nicaragua’s active Masaya Volcano. Photo by Tim Boyles.

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ND20.indd 4 6/16/21 9:53 AM Leading Follow us on: NAVIGATE United Methodists to a Faithful Future FORWARD November/December 2020 • Volume 54, Number 3 President & Publisher Art Director Rob Renfroe Jaime DiNoia [email protected] [email protected] Editor in Chief Offi ce Administrator Steve Beard Ginny Brooks [email protected] [email protected] Vice President Director of Strategic Resources Thomas A. Lambrecht Ralph Pauls [email protected] [email protected] Editorial Assistant Database Administrator Courtney Lott Valerie Zelada [email protected] [email protected] Founding Editor Renew Network Team Leader Charles W. Keysor Katy Kiser President & Publisher Emeritus [email protected] James V. Heidinger II Transforming Congregations Director Garry Ingraham [email protected]

The GOOD NEWS Board of Directors Ryan Barnett, Lorena, TX Leah Hidde-Gregory, Woodway, TX For more than 50 years, Good News Tom Bentum, Gales Ferry, CT Bob Kaylor, Monument, CO has endeavored to be a reliable John Beyers, LaGrange, GA Willa Kynard, Washington, DC Chris Bounds, Wilmore, KY William Mason, Tulsa, OK source of news, opinion, and Dixie Brewster, Milton, KS , Muscatine, IA Norma Morrison encouragement from a decidedly Riley Case, Kokomo, IN Norman Neel, San Augustine, TX Beth Ann Cook, Logansport, IN Chuck Savage, Roswell, GA evangelical and traditionalist Carolyn Elias, Rogers, AR Branson Sheets, Winterville, NC viewpoint. We are grateful for your Bequi Flores, Wallace, NE Helen Rhea Stumbo, Nicholasville, KY Sandra Gray, Nicholasville, KY Tom Thomas, Forest, VA support and partnership. Craig Green, Livingston, TN Richard Thompson, Bakersfi eld, CA John Grenfell III, St. Clair, MI Mike Walker, Dallas, TX Joy Griffi n, Carrollton, GA Mary White, Bryn Mawr, PA Jeff Harper, Greenville, OH Marianne Wright, Maryville, TN

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ND20.indd 5 6/16/21 9:53 AM NEWS FROM UNITED METHODISM

DOING SOMETHING NEW IS HARD IN THE BEST OF TIMES

Members of a diverse group of bishops and other United Methodist leaders after reaching agreement on a proposal that would maintain The United Methodist Church but allow traditionalist congregations to separate into a new denomination. Photo courtesy of the Mediation Team.

By Walter Fenton menting legislation will be adopted at the now 2021 General Conference, but given its broad and diverse support, it appears Most United Methodists are now familiar with the “Protocol of many have acknowledged separation is the right way forward. Reconciliation and Grace through Separation,” a detailed plan calling for an amicable division of the church. It garnered the Much hard work remains to be done, and what remains to be support of bishops in Africa, Eurasia, the Philippines, and the done will be even more difficult than what has come before. U.S., including that of Bishop Cynthia Harvey, President of the Millions of Traditionalist laity and clergy, thousands of local Council of Bishops. It has also drawn endorsements from Af- churches, and dozens of annual and central conferences will rica Initiative, the Confessing Movement, Good News, Main- have to make tough decisions about numerous issues. And as stream UMC, Reconciling Ministries Network, Uniting Meth- important as those decisions will be, the way Traditionalists go odists, UM Next, and the Wesleyan Covenant Association. Of about making them will be just as important. Here are at least course, no one can say with certainty whether the plan’s imple-

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ND20.indd 6 6/16/21 9:53 AM seven attitudes Traditionalists will want to practice as they pre- try new ways of doing things. We should assume some new pare for the next Methodism. plans will work and some will not. And then we should remem- ber that a church’s governing structure is not written in stone; Spend more time looking forward than backward. We all there will be opportunities to make adjustments or completely learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others, so reflect- overhaul plans if we discover they are unworkable. ing on the past is essential. However, sooner than later we need to stop focusing on old battles and spend far more time prepar- Engage in the process with hope. It is easy to allow the frus- ing for the challenges ahead. It is time for Traditionalists (and trations of the past to undermine our hopes for the future. We Centrists and Progressives) to concentrate on what they need should disabuse ourselves of the pessimistic and cynical con- to do to be a healthy and vibrant branch of the church catholic, viction that all institutions and the people who are a part of rather than contending with other Christians. them are inherently dysfunctional or corrupt. As Christians we have good reasons to believe we can repent of our mistakes, Recognize what lies ahead will be hard. It is exciting and and trust that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can hopeful to consider new possibilities for a new church, but build fruitful institutions for the sake of the Gospel. wherever we live, we Traditionalists must constantly remind ourselves we will be doing this with brothers and sisters Great institutions are seldom launched in perfect conditions; around the world. We will all have our own ideas, but we will in fact, turbulent and troubled times often require their cre- eventually have to make hard decisions together about what is ation. For example, John Wesley did not originally intend to new and exciting, and about what is mundane and necessary. start a Methodist church in the American colonies, but he and Inevitably, there will be difficult debates and important votes others believed circumstances resulting from the American about what is possible, what is necessary, and what must wait Revolutionary War necessitated the creation of the Method- for another day. ist Episcopal Church. That relatively small body of Methodists experienced dramatic growth, numerous divisions, and some Assume others are acting in good faith. We all have cherished reunions. In some ways those Methodist denominations mar- ideas and proposals about the structure of a new church that velously fulfilled the Gospel mission, and in other ways they we are convinced everyone should affirm – that’s fine. What is tragically failed and forsook it. not fine is assuming people who disagree with us are acting in bad faith. We must resist turning people into enemies simply As we Traditionalists prepare for the creation of a new Meth- because they disagree with us. odist church in turbulent and tumultuous times, may we learn the lessons of both the good and the bad in our history, and We should not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. keep in mind the words of Reinhold Niebuhr: When it comes to structuring a new church we will all have ideas about how it should be structured; we might even think “Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; we have a nearly perfect plan for structuring this or that part of therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or it. By all means we should contend for what we think will ben- beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate con- efit a new church, but we must also remember that compromise text of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing is necessary to sustain the delicate spirit of harmony among us. we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone, therefore Refrain from rushing to judgment. Since we will all be mak- we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from ing major decisions and doing new things, it is essential we not the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. rush to final judgments about the structures we create and the Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is work we do. We need to demonstrate patience as we navigate forgiveness.” our way forward. Walter Fenton is Vice President for Strategic Engagement for Assume we will not get everything right, right out of the box. the Wesleyan Covenant Association and is an elder in the The benefit of creating something new is the opportunity to Greater New Jersey Annual Conference.

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ND20.indd 7 6/16/21 9:53 AM MORTALS & THE McDonald’s vs. Burger King, Shake Shack vs. Five Guys, Wendy’s vs. Jack In the Box. I leave the debate to others. I’m a lover, not a fighter. When I fly home to the West Coast to see my family, the first stop from the airport is In-N-Out. Go ahead, ask my mom and dad. DIVINE In-N-Out reminds me I’m home. Founded in 1948 by the innovative Harry and Esther Snyder, In- N-Out has had the same minimalist menu for the last 72 years. It is a privately-held, debt-free family company committed to strategic growth, high quality ingredients, and paying its employees better than any other fast food chain. There are 358 bright red-and-white retro-style restaurants in six Western states with a gigantic yellow arrow pointing the way to a premium burger.

Two years ago, Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, the Snyder’s granddaughter, was on the cover of Forbes as In-N-Out’s President and CEO. Ana- lysts speculate that the company is worth about $3 billion dollars – a In-N-Out’s Double-Double Animal Style. Photo: Steve Beard. far cry from the spartan 10x10 foot hamburger stand of its humble origin. “I felt a deep call to make sure that I preserve those things that [my family] would want. That we didn’t ever look to the left and BROKENNESS, the right to see what everyone else is doing, cut corners, or change things drastically or compromise,” Snyder-Ellingson told Forbes. “I really wanted to make sure that we stayed true to what we started BURGERS, AND with. That required me to become a protector. A guardian.” REDEMPTION The 38-year-old leader has consistently been recognized in the top tier of Glassdoor’s list of best CEOs ranked by employees. In 2019, By Steve Beard she was listed as #3 with a remarkable 99 percent approval rating. At the height of the government mandated lockdown earlier this year, Kraft Heinz factories were operating around the clock in or- Carrying on a family obsession, Snyder-Ellingson is also a drag der to meet the demand for macaroni and cheese. According to racer, competing in amateur categories with the National Hot Rod the New York Times, retailers at the same time saw a 50 percent in- Association. Her grandfather was part owner of the Irwindale crease in demand for Slim Jim beef jerky and Chef Boyardee pastas. Raceway in the 1960s and sold hamburgers out of the track’s con- cession stands. In-N-Outs became a hangout for hot rodders. She Apparently, even some of those who had been eating organic kale actually races in an orange 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. “I’m a lot like and quinoa salads were turning to foods they had banished from my dad, a little bit of a daredevil,” she told Orange Coast Magazine their cupboards. “Consumers are reaching for foods that trigger a a few years ago. “I like an adrenaline rush. My dad took me to the comforting childhood memory or simply their go-to snack when racetrack for the first time when I was 2 or 3. … Anything with a they need to relieve stress,” the Times reported. In an era of insta- motor, that was in my blood.” bility, we all look to the safe haven of comfort food – savoring the tastes, smells, and good memories. Her unanticipated path to leadership in the business has been strewn with heart-wrenching tragedies. After her grandfather died My comfort food is a Double-Double Animal Style, a signature in 1976, her uncle took over the family business until he was killed menu item at In-N-Out Burgers, a Southern California-based phe- in a plane crash in 1993. At that point, Lynsi’s father took over until nomenon. “No Microwaves, No Freezers, No Heat Lamps” is one of he died from a prescription drug overdose in 1999. Lynsi’s grand- the company’s time-tested commitments. The simplicity, freshness, mother died in 2006. At age 28, Lynsi inherited the entire company and mystique has garnered a passionate fanbase from Hollywood in 2010. During all this turmoil, she experienced a string of broken hot shots to celebrity chefs who crave an In-N-Out fix. marriages and escaped two failed abductions.

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ND20.indd 8 6/16/21 9:53 AM She testifi es that her faith eventually broke the grip of her shame. “God brought me to a place where I truly got to know a Jesus who walks on water, Jesus who heals the sick, and the God who saw beauty from my ashes,” she said.

“Today, God has transformed my life, freed me from being ‘the woman at the well,’ and allowed me to serve his kingdom through multiple foundations that I am passionate about.” She directs the In- N-Out Foundation, an organization which fi ghts child abuse and runs an organization called Slave 2 Nothing, which helps victims of human traffi cking and people suff ering from addictions.

Snyder-Ellingson and her husband also founded a discipleship min- istry called Army of Love that was inspired by Isaiah 61: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Top: In-N-Out Burgers in Westwood, California. Photo: Steve Beard. Below: Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson. Photo: I Am Second. Moving from the black sheep of the family to the visionary CEO of an iconic company was a painful journey. Snyder-Ellingson has “I didn’t always serve and pursue God with my whole heart,” Snyder- chosen candid vulnerability and grace to move forward with the Ellingson confessed at the commencement for Biola University last passion of a former captive who has been set free. year. “My past is fi lled with pain. I chased aft er things of this world only to fi nd myself feeling even more empty. In my brokenness, I was “I want to encourage you that God can use the broken parts and the reckless.” beautiful parts of your story for his glory,” she told the graduates. “So I will leave you with these two words: Live radically. Jesus’ disci- She spoke openly to the graduating class of the Christian school in La ples were called to live diff erently, to do things that hadn’t been done Mirada, California, about her failed marriages, family tragedies, and before, to have authority unlike ever before in the name of the Holy abuse of marijuana and alcohol. “I know God has given me a story Spirit. Do not deny the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life as he to show others the power of his relentless pursuit of our hearts as his reveals radical truth to you in your journey. children to show how he can use even the most broken people if they surrender a willing heart to him,” she said. “Go out into the world and live a life worthy of the calling of Christ – a life that is mak- In the middle of her high-profi le public failures, Snyder-Ellingson ing an impact for the Lord Jesus Christ in wrestled with intense guilt. “I started to believe that I deserved to be our world,” she concluded. “Die to self and treated like someone with a scarlet ‘A’ on their chest.” For a time she throw out trying to please man. Fear God believed that she was being punished for her mistakes and that she and please him to the end.” somehow deserved to be mistreated and abused in her relationships. Steve Beard is the editor of Good News.

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ND20.indd 9 6/16/21 9:53 AM FEATURE

Nik Wallenda and his sister Lijana walk across the expanse of Times Square in June of 2019. Photo by Tim Boyles.

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ND20.indd 10 6/16/21 9:53 AM GOD IS IN CONTROL, EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT

By Nik Wallenda had walked before – from the roof of 1 Times Square to the roof of 2 Times Square. When I was growing up, my family had a small wire strung across our backyard. It’s the one I first walked when I was two. We would be twenty-five stories in the air (250 feet) and the cable It’s the one that my mother and father patiently instructed me would have a twelve-degree incline from one end to the other. I on, teaching me the mechanics and movements of the Wallenda would start on the higher end and walk down-hill toward Lijana, family. I remember falling off that wire and landing in the grass. who would start on the lower end. We would meet in the middle, I remember my first turn on that wire. I remember the first time she would sit down, I would step over her, she would get back I sat down on that wire. But more than anything else, what I up, and then we would walk to our respective rooftop endpoints. remember about that wire is that almost any time I was on it, so was my sister Lijana. We would pretend we were our mom All live, on television, and with an audience below cheering and dad or pretend that we were in their act. Being on the wire in Times Square. Meanwhile, as we walked, the television an- together was as natural for us as being together anywhere else. nouncers would share Lijana’s incredible story of recovery and tell the world about our walk to redemption. There would be I was thinking about that backyard wire a lot in the days before press, media appearances, and lots of opportunities for us to talk I finally called to pitch her an idea. I was hoping that what we about what God did in our lives after the accident. I was excited shared was more than a last name, more than just good memo- thinking about it because I knew it would be incredible. ries. I was hoping we shared that same drive to be on the wire again. I also knew the production was going to be a challenge because I was going to have to pull double duty: I would not only serve Finally, I called her. When she answered, I didn’t waste a second. as executive producer for the walk but also have to help coach I simply said, “Lijana, would you consider doing a walk across Lijana for the stunt. I didn’t want to underserve either of those Times Square with me?” roles, especially with Lijana. She was putting her faith in me again, and after Sarasota, I was not going to let her down. There was a pause, and it was scary for me, nerve-wracking even, because I was talking to somebody who had fallen from a wire Ironically, one of the first things we would have to address was that was twenty-eight feet in the air. (It was more like thirty- the safety harness that New York state law requires performers eight feet up from where she actually fell as part of that second to wear. It was going to be an issue. Our family preference is not level.) I just didn’t know what she would say. to use safety lines, but the good people of the state of New York and my TV network partner felt differently, maybe because of so “Absolutely,” was her response. “I want to do it.” She began tell- many daredevils that careened over the edge of Niagara Falls in ing me how she’d been slowly getting back on the wire. She start- barrels. When I performed my walk across the falls in 2012, I not ed out low, like maybe twenty-four inches off the ground, but she only had to have safety equipment to make the crossing but had was gradually increasing the height as much and as often as she to have the governor sign legislation that gave me permission. could because, in her words, “I was born for this.” The legal hoops were easy enough to navigate, but helping Li- That was all I needed to hear. After we talked, I called my man- jana get accustomed to the safety harness would take some work. ager and told him that Lijana was in – Times Square was a go. It And we would have to figure out how to complete our walk in didn’t take long for our broadcast partners to sign on to the idea, light of the fact that the harnesses would make it almost impos- and we quickly arrived at a date: June 23, 2019. We would string a sible for Lijana and me to cross over at the center of the wire. My 1,250-foot- long cable – three times longer than anything Lijana brain was turning nonstop for a solution. Safety harness aside,

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ND20.indd 11 6/16/21 9:53 AM “My relationship with Christ means everything to me – is everything to me. I lean on him for guidance in all things, at all times, and I live my life to bring him glory. He made me to walk on a wire, so I am obsessed with being the best aerialist in the world. I take seriously 1 Corinthians 10:31: ‘So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.’” – Nik Wallenda, Facing Fear.

Nik Wallenda walking a wire in 2013 across the Grand Canyon at world-record height. Photo by Tim Boyles.

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ND20.indd 12 6/16/21 9:53 AM Nik Wallenda and his sister Lijana practice the crossover for Times Square wire walk. Photo by Norm Schimmel.

there was also the issue of the event being bigger than anything Instead, it’s all about facing and con- Lijana had ever done before. quering challenges both mental and physical that could hurt or even kill My sister is an accomplished performer and has done some you. Candidly, it’s one thing to say that amazing things with her troupe performing at Absinthe in Las when you’ve never really been hurt Vegas. But the size of the stunt I was proposing was going to by the wire. But coming off of Sara- be a significant challenge. It was farther and higher than she’d sota, seeing how hard and how long ever walked before, and we were going to completely stop our Lijana had to work just to get back to momentum in the middle of the wire in order execute the cross. normal, the sensation changed. I un- Oh, and we had to contend with the wire being on an incline. It derstood that our walk across Times was enough to scare a seasoned solo performer who’d never had Square, as cool as it would be, was anything go wrong – throw in the two of us, the accident, and truly a testimony to something deeper, more significant, more the watching eyes of a world that can’t wait to see if you fail, and powerful than the average person dreams about. It was a shout it was a big hill to climb. to the world that God, the one we worship and who made each person on this planet with care and love, was firmly in control. And that’s really the only reason why I agreed to do the walk. With 11 Guinness World Records of death defying feats, Nik The challenge of wanting to be great and to pursue greatness Wallenda has performed live in every state in the USA and all rests in answering this question: How do you continue to grow? over the world. Tens of millions of live viewers have seen him per- How do you find your next win? How do you step outside of form his high wire act, including crossing the Grand Canyon and your comfort zone? In traditional sports, you move from game Niagra Falls, as well as walking blindfolded between two towers to game, from opponent to opponent; in business, you tackle the in Chicago. This article is taken from Facing Fear by Nik Wal- next problem your customer faces. But when you do what we do lenda. Copyright ©2020 by Nik Wallenda. Used by permission of for a living, growth isn’t marked by making more money. It’s not Nelson Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. being an MVP or winning the championships.

November/December 2020 | 13

ND20.indd 13 6/16/21 9:53 AM FEATURE THE LONG WAIT IN HOPE

Art by Gerd Altmann, Pixabay.

By Shannon Vowell Every year, the same story. But every year, too, somehow not quite the same. New morning mercies, new life, new hope – suf- The darkest part of the year sets the stage for our annual cel- ficient to the day – He is always a new thing even in the same ebration of the Light of the world, dawning. thing every year, our Jesus. “O come, let us adore him!”

“Earth stands hard as iron,” the beloved carol keens, “water like Our own stories can skew the sameness. Some years the pro- a stone.” But the baby is born, nonetheless. And the heavens cession to the manger has to be made on our hands and knees. split open with ecstatic jubilation. And the humble ones gather, Personal cycles of grief, of illness, of unchosen changes snatch silent in awe, gazing at a miracle brought forth in a dim corner our feet from under us and render what should feel cozily famil- of this dirty world, somehow ... the newborn King of kings, the iar suddenly, powerfully poignant. “Blue Christmas” isn’t just a incarnate Lord of lords, somehow. country western ballad.

14 | Good News

ND20.indd 14 6/16/21 9:53 AM Advent 2020 begs two questions: how do we muster up momentum for a season of waiting and preparing when we are already spent with our long-standing struggles to endure?

And some years the story of the world shakes us so thoroughly spiritual healing for that human condition (sin) for which we that rejoicing in anticipation of Christmas requires not just already have the cure (Jesus) but from which we cannot seem faith but audacity. Only a scrappy, defiant belief can stand in to recover. Waiting for the chaos and confusion our condition the midst of catastrophic wreckage and declare, “This is still the has caused to subside. Waiting for a lull, in which to go out and Truth, this Christ child, come for us!” sweep up the rubble; waiting for safety in which to rebuild. Waiting for separation. Waiting for unity. Waiting. What about this year? What about 2020, when so many find themselves struggling through personal crucibles and global The circumstances of 2020 are unprecedented, at least in mod- cataclysms, simultaneously? Such a collision of horror stories ern history. So the weight of our waiting can tempt us to believe stretches spirits too thin; the one-two sucker punch has us that our burden, too, is unprecedented ... something never be- winded, reeling, drained dry. fore suffered ... something God has never asked of anyone else, any other time. But that temptation is a trick, a ruse to cheat “This year’s felt like four seasons of winter / And you’d give us of connections to our heritage. Because this suffering – this anything to feel the sun...” The musical group Unspoken didn’t waiting – this longing – is more fundamentally a repetition of know they were penning lyrics to a new holiday classic when ancient patterns than a novel curse. And our response to this they wrote “Reason” mere months ago: “Always reaching / al- suffering, when powered by connections to those ancient pat- ways climbing / always second guessing the timing...” It’s an up- terns, can refresh us with the comfort of God (old as time and dated version of the ages-old lamentation, “O Come, O Come new every morning). Emmanuel – and ransom captive Israel – that mourns in lonely exile here...” Our suffering as we wait is, definitively, the same song, differ- ent verse, and Israel’s hymnal voices the timelessness of our di- Advent 2020 begs two questions: how do we muster up momen- lemma: tum for a season of waiting and preparing when we are already spent with our long-standing struggles to endure? Beyond that, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, / and in his word I hope; when we get to Christmas morning and encounter the Christ / my soul waits for the Lord / more than those who watch for child again in all his perfect holiness, will we have room for the morning, / more than those who watch for the morning” him in our hearts, already so crowded with weariness and pain? (Psalm 130:5–6).

In a sense, Advent 2020 is a continuation of a strange new status “For God alone my soul waits in silence; / from him comes my quo rather than a shift in the liturgical calendar. We have been salvation... / For God alone my soul waits in silence, / for my waiting all year. Waiting for answers, waiting for understand- hope is from him” (Psalm 62:1, 5). ing. Waiting for a physical cure for a physical virus. Waiting for

November/December 2020 | 15

ND20.indd 15 6/16/21 9:53 AM Entering Advent and looking to Christmas in the midst of unprecedented circumstances, we are bent with the same burden of waiting and longing that David and Peter experienced and described millennia ago. We are not exceptions to the rule or aberrations in the pattern of salvation history – we are integral parts, links in an unbroken chain, the people of God living God’s story today!

To be God’s people has always meant waiting ... for God. conduits of Holy Spirit power, birthing that Church. But Pe- ter persisted in waiting, for a lifetime. Indeed, Peter identified Granted, David wrote psalms in which waiting pointed to the waiting as an integral component of Christian (i.e., Christ-like) arrival of a Messiah as the fulfillment of waiting. But Jesus wasn’t character. Peter – the illiterate, uneducated fisherman – mas- the endpoint. Jesus himself had to wait. Born, like all humans, terfully re-articulated the waiting process of faith as a now / into an infancy that limited him, Jesus had to wait to grow up. not yet paradigm rooted in the person of Christ and continuing Once grown, and baptized, Jesus had to wait to begin minis- until the return of Christ: try – had to endure fasting and temptation in the wilderness, first. Preaching and healing for three years, persecuted and mis- “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord understood and maligned, homeless and ultimately friendless, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like Jesus had to wait even to be nailed to the Cross. And (oh, what one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think a comfort!) Jesus himself chafed at waiting, multiple times. He of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, lamented over Jerusalem, “How often have I longed to gather but all to come to repentance... Since all these things are to be your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks...?” (Matthew dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in 23:37). He angrily asked clueless followers, “How long must I leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hasten- put up with you?” (Mark 9:19). Finally, Jesus’s last instructions ing the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens to his disciples (Acts 1:4) were to “wait for the promise of the will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with Father” in Jerusalem. We want so much to see Jesus as the end of fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heav- our long wait – and he is! But there is more waiting to do. ens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home... There- fore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to The apostle Peter walked beside Christ, witnessed Christ in his be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard resurrected form, and carried the flame of faith into Christ’s the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3:8–15, emphases church, at Christ’s command. Peter obeyed Jesus’s last instruc- added). tions, “wait,” with the result that Peter and Pentecost became

16 | Good News

ND20.indd 16 6/16/21 9:53 AM Peter, so intimately acquainted with messianic power incarnate esty and trust; both surrender and hope; both lamentation and in Jesus and so full of Pentecostal Holy Spirit power himself, anticipation. To be authentically part of the continuous song of points to waiting as a salvation activity. our faith, Advent 2020 must both name the big hurts and de- ferred hopes that this calendar year holds, and also celebrate the Peter, like David, acknowledges the longing that is both process all-sufficient comfort of the Christ who came for us and contin- and purpose for God-followers. Unlike David, Peter confidently ues to abide with us, even now. designates waiting – in itself – as an intrinsic, ongoing charac- teristic of Christian salvation. When we hear Peter’s words, we In another both/and of our present day, there is a unique op- understand that the waiting continues... and will continue to portunity, this year, to experience Christmas in a context that continue. resembles that of Jesus’s historical nativity. Political turmoil, economic instability, ethnic strife, no place of comfort to rest Peter clarifies the truth we already experience: the waiting is weary, aching selves... this was the reality for Mary, Joseph, and made more bearable by the presence of God-with-us, but the the shepherd witnesses. This was the reality on the night when waiting is heavy and hard just the same. As it always has been. angels briefly flooded the darkness with light and declared that Dare we name it? As it is meant to be...? the wait was over! Because this is our reality, too, we have the chance for a unique depth of intimacy on Christmas morn- Entering Advent and looking to Christmas in the midst of un- ing. We can know, down deep in our bones: Jesus came, into precedented circumstances, we are bent with the same burden this mess, into this broken-ness, on purpose, for us. Amazing! of waiting and longing that David and Peter experienced and Amazing. Grace. described millennia ago. We are not exceptions to the rule or aberrations in the pattern of salvation history – we are integral So, come, all ye faithful, even if the joyful and triumphant en- parts, links in an unbroken chain, the people of God living ergy of the season is less ascendant this time around. Come, God’s story today! adore the One in whom we can hope – in whom we must hope! – even now. Especially now. Come, and claim the precious ties Matt Redman’s remix of “Joy to the World” begins, “Hearts that these difficult days provide for us, ties to the truths of our waiting / waiting on a Savior / Come, O come, Emmanuel / faith and our forebearers in it. Claim the songs of David, and Hear the Prophets / speaking of the promise...” The verse re- the truth of the Savior to whom they point, and the end of the solves in the assurance of the chorus “Joy to the world! / The waiting that is our long-expected Jesus, born to set his people Lord has come to us!” The tension is there, embedded in the free! music. We are waiting. And the Lord has come. “To you I lift up my eyes, / O you who are enthroned in the Eventually, this year – unprecedented and exceptional and ex- heavens! / As the eyes of servants / look to the hand of their treme as it has surely been – will be absorbed into collective master, / as the eyes of a maid / to the hand of her mistress, / so memory and relegated to that same distant place, “the past,” as our eyes look to the LORD our God, / until he has mercy upon the years in which David penned his psalms and Peter dictated us” (Psalm 123:1–2). his epistles. In the meantime, living out the remainder in hope is a holy obligation. “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, / all you who wait for the LORD” (Psalm 31:24). This year demands more than rote repetition of rituals if we are going to honor the One who is the same yesterday, today, and Shannon Vowell writes and teaches on loving Christ and mak- forever even as He is doing new things and offering new mercies ing disciples. daily! This year demands a both/and model for us: both hon-

November/December 2020 | 17

ND20.indd 17 6/16/21 9:53 AM NEWSNEWS ANALYSIS ANALYSIS NEWS & ANALYSIS GROUNDBREAKING STEPS FOR METHODIST RADIO IN NIGERIA

Nigeria Area Bishop John Wesley Yohanna (center front) addresses the press during the groundbreaking ceremony for a new United Method- ist radio station in Jalingo, Nigeria. Photo by the Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel, UM News.

By the Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel and Micah Terah earth,” Yohanna said.

Nigeria Area Bishop John Wesley Yohanna helped lay the foun- The AM radio station will be the first faith-based station in the dation for Grace Radio, a new United Methodist radio station Northeast region, the bishop said. “(It) will bring peace and unity in Taraba State. The bishop, clergy, church members, and oth- among United Methodists, Christians, and Muslims and other ers attended a groundbreaking ceremony at the denomination’s people as well. Our mission is to reach thousands for Christ and headquarters in Jalingo on September 18. touch an untold number of lives,” he said.

“The mission of this radio station is to provide a platform that During the groundbreaking ceremony for the building that will will provide information, education, and entertainment for house the radio station, the bishop inaugurated a team of spe- communities in Taraba State and beyond. We are very glad for cialists who will offer guidance on the different phases of the this turn of events and we ask that God will give us the abil- program, which include construction, equipment procurement, ity, power, and the capacity to accomplish his mandate here on staffing and programming, licensing, and the commissioning of

18 | Good News

ND20.indd 18 6/16/21 9:53 AM the station. The goal is for Grace Radio to be on the air by August 1, 2021.

The project is an initiative of The United Methodist Church in Nigeria in partnership with United Methodist Communications and the United Methodist Radio Network.

“UMCom is excited to support the launch of radio ministry in Nigeria, growing on the existing United Methodist radio pres- ence in Africa,” said Dan Krause, top executive for the commu- nications agency. The church operates four other radio stations in Africa: Voice of Hope (Côte d’Ivoire), Radio Kairos (Angola), ELUM 98.7 (Liberia), and Radio Lokole (Congo). Choir members from the Jalingo Districts Choir sang during “Through radio outreach, The United Methodist Church in -Ni groundbreaking ceremonies for a new United Methodist radio sta- geria can now reach more people to evangelize the Good News tion in Jalingo, Nigeria. The plan is for Grace Radio to be on the air and bring more people into relationship with Jesus Christ,” said in August of 2021. Photo by the Rev. Ande I. Emmanuel, UM News. Krause.

The United Methodist Radio Network, launched in 2015 to sup- those in rural areas, said the Rev. Bazel Yoila Yayuba. port and resource existing and aspiring radio ministries, will provide guidance and expertise to the Nigeria station. The net- Haji Dubagari Andamin, a lay leader at McBride United Meth- work has active members in almost every annual conference in odist Church in Magami, agreed. “It is a thing of joy that this Africa and the Philippines. development is timely and necessary in this era where people depend on information to move on. This radio station will go a Establishing the station in Nigeria requires a capital budget of long way in creating awareness through propagating the Gospel 78,000,000 Nigerian Naira ($195,000 U.S.). Through its annu- of our Lord Jesus Christ to all nations,” Andamin said. al giving, the church in Nigeria has raised about N20,000,000 ($50,000 U.S.) and United Methodist Communications has Ayuka Kubam Kwanshi, a friend of the church and witness to agreed to match that amount and provide an additional grant to the groundbreaking ceremony, congratulated the entire United support the initial building and equipment. Methodist family on the milestone achievement. “We are forever thankful to our partners for their commitments toward educat- Yohanna called on all members of The United Methodist Church ing and informing the people in the Nigeria Area through this to pray and support the project in whatever way possible. The medium of preaching the Gospel,” Kwanshi said. United Methodist Church in Nigeria has long dreamed of estab- lishing a radio station that will reach its growing membership. Baitalami United Methodist Church member Mary Thompson There are more than 740,000 baptized and affirming members said United Methodists have been looking forward to this mo- in the country and about 950,000 people attend United Method- ment for a long time. ist churches every Sunday in Nigeria, according to the episcopal area’s 2019 Conference Journals. More than 65% of members live “We are in dire need of more educative contents and with this in rural areas where access to internet, cell phones, and other achievement, we are confident that we will be well informed as means of communication is lacking. we build the body of Christ.”

Radio communication channels remain the easiest and most Emmanuel and Terah are communicators in Nigeria. Distrib- effective means of reaching members of the church, especially uted by United Methodist News.

November/December 2020 | 19

ND20.indd 19 6/16/21 9:53 AM NEWSNEWS ANALYSIS ANALYSIS NEWS & ANALYSIS WHAT IS THE TRANSITIONAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL?

A stained glass window depicts Methodism’s founding father, John Wesley. Photo by Ronny Perry, United Methodist Communications.

– The Wesleyan Covenant Association perhaps one for liberationists.

Earlier this year, when a group of United Methodist lead- According to the terms of the Protocol, local churches would ers shared a proposal for an amicable separation of the UM have the freedom to separate from the UM Church in just a Church, it seems fair to say most United Methodists greeted matter of weeks after the close of the 2021 General Confer- the news with a mix of sadness and relief. Led by the late Bish- ence. And even annual conferences and central conferences op John Yambasu, the 16 member mediation team produced could convene special sessions and vote to join a new church, the now widely known Protocol for Reconciliation and Grace although it is likely many will wait until their regularly sched- through Separation. If the 2021 General Conference adopts the uled sessions to make a decision. plan’s implementing legislations, and many people believe it will, then the plan will create space for three new denomina- All of this raises some vexing questions for traditionalists who tions: one for traditionalists, one for centrist/progressives, and will want to separate from the UM Church in the weeks and

20 | Good News

ND20.indd 20 6/16/21 9:53 AM The Transitional Leadership Council was created to provide a modicum of leadership and guidance as local churches, pastors, and annual and central conferences decide to join the new denomination during the period between the close of the UM Church’s General Conference and the new global Methodist church’s convening conference.

months following the close of the 2021 General Conference: they could reach consensus regarding the general tenets and Will there be a new church for them to join? Will there be peo- structure of a new global Methodist church. ple ready to provide leadership in the new church? And will there be some sort of governing document that guides every- The invitees included bishops from the U.S., Africa, Eurasia, one in this transition until the new church holds its convening and the Philippines as well as leaders from the Confessing conference? Movement, Good News, UM Action, and the WCA. Most importantly, it also included traditionalists who had never The simple answer to all three questions is, “Yes.” Thanks to the aligned with any of the historical advocacy groups, and who creation of a Transitional Leadership Council local churches, were also concerned or even skeptical about some of the WCA’s annual conferences, and even central conferences will have proposals for a new church. the opportunity to join a new global Methodist church shortly following the adjournment of the UM Church’s General Con- After meeting for three days the group reached consensus ference. But of course this answer justifiably raises a host of and released the document titled “Reimagining the Passion of questions about the Transitional Leadership Council. To help a Global Wesleyan Movement” (the document can be found its members and friends become familiar with the creation, on the WCA website or Googled). (Nearly all of those who at- purpose, and mission of the Transitional Leadership Council, tended signed the document. One attendee wanted more time the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) provided the fol- to consider the group’s proposed direction, and another person lowing Frequently Asked Questions document. stated support for it, but cited potential vocational repercus- sions for withholding a signature. The names of all those who Who created the Transitional Leadership Council? did sign can be found at the bottom of the document.)

A diverse group of traditionalists from across the church cre- One of the important points of the agreement was the cre- ated the council. While the WCA has been out front in plan- ation of a Transitional Leadership Council that could provide ning for a new church, other traditionalists have been formu- a modicum of leadership and guidance as local churches, pas- lating ideas as well. In March of this year, Bishop Scott Jones of tors, and annual and central conferences decide to join the new the Texas Annual Conference; Ms. Pat Miller, executive direc- denomination during the period between the close of the UM tor of The Confessing Movement; and the Rev. Keith Boyette, Church’s General Conference and the new global Methodist president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, invited other church’s convening conference. While no definitive date for a traditionalist leaders to join them in Atlanta, Georgia, to see if convening conference has been set, leaders forming the new

November/December 2020 | 21

ND20.indd 21 6/16/21 9:53 AM denomination believe it will meet sometime in the fall of 2022. ating as a church at this time.

Why is there a need for a Transitional Leadership Council? Who are the members of the Transitional Leadership Coun- cil? Under the terms of Protocol it is not feasible for a new global Methodist church to hold a convening conference immedi- The leaders who selected the council members agreed it was ately after the adjournment of the UM Church’s 2021 General wise to allow the council members a period of anonymity as Conference. The new church’s convening conference will be a they embarked on their work. They wanted them to have the critical gathering where it will establish its core beliefs, clarify freedom to share opinions and try out ideas without having those essential ethical standards that are rooted in its core be- their names permanently attached to those opinions and ideas. liefs, and set forth a governing structure to empower it to fulfill Furthermore, some of the clergy invited to serve on the council its mission in the world. Local churches, annual conferences, requested a season of anonymity to ensure their present church and central conferences around the world will need time to appointment was not disrupted for serving on the council. All meet and vote on whether they want to join the new church of the members are serving voluntarily and without compen- or remain with the post-separation UM Church. Furthermore, sation, and they will freely share their names when they are these bodies must openly and fairly elect representatives to prepared to share their work product with those traditionalists the new church’s convening conference. Therefore, the need longing to join a new global Methodist church. for transitional leadership will be imperative for those local churches and conferences during a season of transition prior to The council has met nearly once a week since April. It has spent the new church’s convening conference. the majority of its time preparing a transitional governance structure that will guide the church until its convening confer- Local churches that join the new denomination will of course ence. Its work on that structure is nearing completion and all no longer be guided by the UM Church’s Book of Discipline, of its members are eager to share it with others. In the coming so they will need some definitive source to point to regarding months the council will increasingly turn its attention to work their core beliefs, ethical standards, and their governing struc- associated with the mission and ministry of the new church ture during a transitional period. Local churches will also con- once it is launched, funding for it during the transitional pe- tinue to receive new members so they will need membership riod, and preparing for the convening conference. It looks for- vows appropriate to the new church and some guidelines as to ward to raising its visibility as it prepares to widely share its what it means to be a member of that church. Furthermore, work with like-minded traditionalists. a few pastors will surely retire during the transitional period, some others will leave the ministry for other work, unfortu- Will Traditionalist local churches exiting the UM Church nately some will pass away, and some churches will align with be required to associate with the Transitional Leadership the new churches, but their pastors will make a different deci- Council? sion. Therefore, local churches will need leaders who can assist them in finding a permanent or interim pastor during the tran- No. The traditionalist leaders meeting in Atlanta believe that sitional period. And as the new church prepares for its conven- when traditionalist local UM churches are given the freedom ing conference, some designated leaders will need to prepare to part ways with the UM Church many, but not all, will want for that critical gathering. to be knit together as a global church that shares core beliefs and a common mission. The council will only provide leader- These matters, and a host of others, necessitate that some tran- ship and guidance to those local churches and annual and cen- sitional leadership and guidance be put in place as the new tral conferences that freely choose to join a new global Meth- church moves toward its convening conference. Therefore, the odist church. And the council members will only serve in their traditionalists who met in Atlanta selected 16 individuals to roles during the transitional period prior to the new church’s serve on the Transitional Leadership Council and appointed convening conference. Keith Boyette to serve as its chairman. The council will provide the new church with leadership and guidance during the tran- This Frequently Asked Questions document was produced by sitional period. But to be clear, the new church has not been the Wesleyan Covenant Association. It is reprinted by permis- officially launched or legally formed, and therefore is not oper- sion.

22 | Good News

ND20.indd 22 6/16/21 9:53 AM REMAINING FAITHFUL

www.goodnewsmag.org/makeagift In every issue of Good News, we celebrate God’s gifts of grace and the way of truth. We delight in sharing stories where his grace has changed lives and his truth has shaped people for holy living. November/December 2020 | 23 Make a gift through the Good News website or use the insert adjacent to this ad.

ND20.indd 23 6/16/21 9:53 AM FEATURE THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

Illustration of John Wesley by Andrew Chandler for Seedbed.

The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan Way is a 12-session study Rich in both history and faith-building, this study walks readers of packed with dynamic illustrations and compelling analogies that all ages through a fundamental understanding of the value of scrip- explore the key elements of the Wesleyan movement. The lessons ture, prayer, communion, spiritual relationships, and the power of work through three primary sections: John Wesley’s life, his core salvation, as evidenced in the life and teachings of John Wesley. theological message, and the legacy of Wesley’s leadership on the As readers grow in their personal knowledge and understanding Methodist church. Like its predecessor, The Absolute Basics of of God’s truths, this book gives them the perfect tools to carry their the Christian Faith, this book can be studied individually, but is faith into the future. designed for group use. The accompanying videos are perfect for new member or confirmation classes, and for small-group or youth What follows is an excerpt from the book. group settings.

24 | Good News

ND20.indd 24 6/16/21 9:53 AM When Wesley thought about salvation, he thought about the whole of that work – the critical moment when Christ enters the heart, and also the work he continues to do once he gets there.

By Phil Tallon and Justus Hunter Want to play piano? You need a teacher who knows the differ- “Finish, then, thy new creation; ence between the melody line and a free-throw line. Want to pure and spotless let us be: climb Mount Everest? You need a sherpa. Want to be like Jesus? let us see thy great salvation You need wise, mature Christians. perfectly restored in thee; changed from glory into glory, What makes a reliable guide? First of all, they need to know the ’til in heav’n we take our place, destination. Second, they need to know how to get there. ’til we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.” John Wesley’s preaching worked because he knew the goal. John Wesley’s movement grew because he knew how to get there. —Charles Wesley, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” What was the goal?

John Wesley’s preaching and movement drew in thousands and Christians often talk about getting saved. “Saved,” as you may thousands of people almost immediately. But what was Wes- recognize, is in the past tense. “Saved” names a thing that hap- ley preaching that attracted so many? We can sum it up in two pened in the past. Before, you were not saved. Then something words: go further. God wants you to go further. God has been happened and you were saved. We often associate being saved working since the beginning of time so that you can go further. with a moment of prayer, like when you asked Jesus to come into your heart. This is true enough, as far as it goes. But it isn’t the But if you want to go somewhere you’ve never been before you whole story. need a reliable guide. You want someone who has made the jour- ney and knows the way. Let’s say you want to get to Alaska. You In Acts 9, a sinner named Saul was traveling down the road, just go to the bus station and you ask the driver, “Is this bus headed after holding coats while his friends stoned a Christian to death. to Alaska?” The driver answers, “Maybe so. Who knows?” Would He was as far from being Christian as you could imagine. Then you get on the bus or would you look for another bus with a bet- he encountered Christ and the goal of his life was totally changed. ter driver? If you are wise, you would grab your bags and look He stopped persecuting Christians. He became a Christian. He for another bus. even started calling himself by a different name, Paul, and telling other people about Jesus. He was saved from his old life. But God Big goals require guides. This is as true for traveling as it is for wasn’t done with Paul. God kept working in Paul to make him learning to play the piano. If you showed up for piano lessons, more and more like Jesus. God wanted him to go further. and your teacher handed you a basketball to dribble, you would probably ask what that has to do with learning the piano. If the That same Paul prays in the letter to the Ephesians “that Christ teacher responded, “Well, how should I know? Perhaps it will!” may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted you would be wise to put the ball down and find another piano and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17). You see, when you ask teacher. Jesus to come into your heart, he does. He changes the goal of your life. But then he really gets to work – he starts rooting and Every important goal needs good guidance. Want to go to Alas- grounding you in love. ka? You need a driver who doesn’t need to ask for directions.

November/December 2020 | 25

ND20.indd 25 6/16/21 9:53 AM Freedom from sin for holiness – this is the whole work of God. That’s how far God wants to take us. This is our final goal.

In another letter, Paul writes, “I am confident of this, that the touch or get close to. But holiness, most basically, is the character one who began a good work among you will bring it to comple- of God. We talk about the Holy Spirit. When we say some things tion by the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Through faith are holy, this is not because they need to be kept away from us, we are saved (Ephesians 2:8–9). God begins a good work in us. but because they have come close to God. God likes to come He gives us a new goal, but Christ continues to work in us until close to things. Jesus shows us this. When God comes close to we reach that goal. He’s not content until our sin is completely things, the holiness of God rubs off on them. They become like defeated. God. Being holy, then, is becoming like God.

Salvation is that whole work of Christ, from start to finish. Christ Freedom from sin for holiness – this is the whole work of God. wants to set you free from sin. He wants you to go further. That’s how far God wants to take us. This is our final goal.

Most of the time, when Wesley thought about salvation, he Wesley kept that goal at the center of all his work. He studied, thought about the whole of that work – the critical moment carefully, how God moves the Christian toward the goal of free- when Christ enters the heart, and also the work he continues to dom from sin for holiness. Wesley loved to have spiritual conver- do once he gets there. sations with holy people, those whose lives looked like Christ’s. He interviewed them. He studied their faith and habits. He For Wesley, salvation names the beginning, whether in a mo- thought hard about the ways Christ works in the hearts where ment of prayer or in our baptism as infants. It names the con- he has made his home. And, over time, Wesley became a reliable tinued work of setting us free from sin; and, it turns out, being guide. set free from sin takes a lot of work. But being set free from sin isn’t the end of the story. God still wants us to go further. Christ As a guide, he developed a clear sequence of steps for those of wants to set us free from sin, but he also wants to set us free for us on the path to freedom from sin for holiness. That sequence something. of steps is the heart of Methodism. Methodists are the ones who follow that Wesleyan way. They follow the method handed down Anyone who has been in time-out, or in detention, or in jail, to us from John Wesley. knows how hard it is, even for a few minutes, to be stuck where you don’t want to be. When you’re a kid in time-out, you can’t Methodists sometimes talk about the Wesleyan way of salvation. wait to be free. When you’re a student in detention, the minutes We sometimes make it sound fancy with Latin, calling it the via drag; the clock seems to move slower than usual. Prisoners count salutis, “way of salvation.” This is just the sequence of steps we the days until their release. All of us long to be free. But when you take in our journey to freedom from sin for holiness. get out of detention you’ll wind up there again if you don’t know what the purpose of school really is. Unless you understand that This article is excerpted from The Absolute Basics of the Wesleyan school is for learning, you won’t do your homework, you won’t Way by Phil Tallon and Justus Hunter (Seedbed 2020). Phil Tal- pay attention in class, and you won’t listen to the teachers – these lon (PhD) is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Houston Baptist are precisely the sorts of things that get you into trouble. Unless University. He’s the author of The Poetics of Evil (Oxford, 2012) you learn what freedom is for, you’ll just abuse your freedom and The Absolute Basics of the Christian Faith (Seedbed, 2016). again. You might try harder not to get caught, but you’ll probably end up back in detention before long. Justus Hunter (PhD) is an Assistant Professor of Church History at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He is the author of What does Christ want to set us free for? Wesley summed it up If Adam Had Not Sinned: The Reason for the Incarnation from in a word: holiness. What is holiness? When we say a thing is Anselm to Scotus. You can find him on Twitter: @JustusHunter. holy, we sometimes think of it like it’s something too special to

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ND20.indd 26 6/16/21 9:53 AM FEATURE BEING A REMNANT

Photo courtesy of Charles and Betty Lewis in Hanover, Maryland.

By Marilyn N. Anderes that fly, sea creatures, and people – male and female people.

The first words of the Bible declare that where there is darkness, The darkness was overcome with just a word. “Let there be light!” emptiness, and formlessness, God intervenes. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was form- As human history marched forward, men and women chose less and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep, formlessness, emptiness, and darkness over the order, the full- and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis ness, and the light God offered. God judged. And, always a rem- 1:1-2). The formlessness was touched and order came. Chaos was nant remained and grew by his masterful touch. When the flood dispelled. The evening was separated from the morning, the dry came on the land, Noah and his family stood tall and strong. land from water, the heavens from the earth. The emptiness was When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire, Lot and his caressed and the earth was filled with vegetation, animals, birds family were the called-out ones. With Joseph in the lead, Jacob’s

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ND20.indd 27 6/16/21 9:53 AM One of the best pictures of God’s idea of his remnant is painted by the prophet Isaiah. As he chronicles his call from God to go to a people with calloused hearts, closed eyes, and stopped-up ears in Isaiah 6, he ends with the following words. “Though the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land” (Isaiah 6:13).

family went into Egypt and came out a mighty nation. When purpose, and form. But, once again, the Most High God is rais- thousands bowed the knee to Baal, Elijah led those who did not. ing up a remnant; a small, remaining quantity of people who Always a remnant. know him and his ways and want to make him known. To many they look dead. To some they are ugly. They are in stark contrast The definition of “remnant” is a “small, remaining quantity of to the glitzy crookedness and perversion of the culture. These something” or a “small, surviving group.” In the scriptures, the are the survivors and the hand of the Creator is on them. A thing term “remnant” is used in the context of both judgment and sal- of beauty is in the making. vation. One of the best pictures of God’s idea of his remnant is painted by the prophet Isaiah. As he chronicles his call from God The best illustration I can think of is what has been created at to go to a people with calloused hearts, closed eyes, and stopped- the home of Charles and Betty Lewis in Hanover, Maryland. A up ears in Isaiah 6, he ends with the following words. “Though large tree was felled on their country acreage. It left a large 9’ ugly the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so stump. It looked dead. There was nothing attractive about it. But the holy seed will be the stump in the land” (Isaiah 6:13). Isaiah then the hand of a commissioned chainsaw artist intentionally expands the picture when he declares further that those who es- transformed the remaining stump of the once stately tree into a cape cultural compromise shall “take root downward and bear thing of beauty. There He was! Jesus holding his sheep. fruit upward” (Isaiah 37:31). You and I have a choice. As Peter said to the scattered church, we A stump! Stark. Ugly to some. Plain. It looks dead. And, yet ... can either “be carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21) or new growth springs up. The Spirit of God hovers and life ap- we can “be carried away by the error of the lawless” (2 Peter 3: pears. As the prophet Ezekiel proclaims: “I will put My Spirit 17). It’s time to step into the gap – this huge chasm between God in you and you shall live!” (Ezekiel 37:14). A mighty right arm and the culture. It’s time to be salt and light. It’s time to surren- touches and beauty arises. It is the intentional move of God der to the touch of the Master Craftsman’s Hand. The holy seed when there is formlessness, emptiness, and darkness. will become the stump in the land.

We are living in such a time. Darkness swirls around us. The The culture will not change until the church changes, and the choices of the people in our land march daily farther from the church will not change until individual hearts change. My heart light. There is emptiness and hollowness of soul and little order, and your heart. We must be sheep intentionally following the

28 | Good News

ND20.indd 28 6/16/21 9:53 AM As Peter said to the scattered church, we can either “be carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21) or we can “be carried away by the error of the lawless” (2 Peter 3: 17). It’s time to step into the gap – this huge chasm between God and the culture. It’s time to be salt and light. It’s time to surrender to the touch of the Master Craftsman’s Hand. The holy seed will become the stump in the land.

Good Shepherd – humbling ourselves, praying, seeking his face, on the other hand, is free to casually enjoy the trip. turning from our wicked ways, and watching with great antici- pation for God to hear, forgive, and heal our land. “When I think about the history of the SS United States, I wonder if she has something to teach us about the history of the church. In his book, Radical, David Platt recounts the story of the SS The church, like the SSUnited States, has been designed for bat- United States. In the late 1940s the U.S. Navy commissioned tle,” Platt continues. “The purpose of the church is to mobilize a William Francis Gibbs to build the largest, fastest troop carrier people to accomplish a mission. Yet we seem to have turned the ever made. It was to be able to sail anywhere in the world within church as a troop carrier into the church as a luxury liner. We ten days and to carry 15,000 troops. The only thing is, it never seem to have organized ourselves, not to engage in battle for the served in that capacity. It sat on stand-by during the Cuban mis- souls of peoples around the world, but to indulge ourselves in the sile crisis in 1962, but otherwise it never sailed under its original peaceful comforts of the world.” intent. Throughout the ages, God did two things. He judged because he Instead, it became a luxury liner for presidents, heads of state, is a righteous God. And, he raised up a remnant, because he is a and celebrities, fully fitted with air-conditioned staterooms, merciful, reconciling, restorative God. heated, luxurious pools, elevators, and several restaurants and bars. Each of us and our families can be the Noahs, Lots, and Elijahs of the day. The choice is ours. Will we be troop carrier Chris- “Things look radically different on a luxury liner than they do tians or luxury liner Christians? God is always using a remnant on a troop carrier. The faces of soldiers preparing for battle and to work his wonders of salvation. Will you say, “Here am I. Send those of patrons enjoying their bonbons are radically different,” me?” writes Platt. “The conservation of resources on a troop carrier contrasts sharply with the opulence that characterizes the lux- Marilyn N. Anderes has taught Bible studies and led seminars and ury liner. And the pace at which the troop carrier moves is by retreats for the last 40 years. For many years, she was the “From necessity much faster than that of a luxury liner. After all, the the Heart” columnist for Good News. This article is adapted from troop carrier has an urgent task to accomplish; the luxury liner, her new book The Intentional Remnant (LivingGodsLongings. com).

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ND20.indd 29 6/16/21 9:53 AM FEATURE AMAZING GRACE FOR STORM SURVIVORS

Volunteer McKinna Bunch helps clean up storm debris left by Hurricane Laura in DeRidder, Louisiana. Bunch is from Mid City Church, a campus of First United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

By Kathy L. Gilbert they have an electric water pump – without water.

Seventeen-year-old Caton Darling nailed down blue tarp on the “I was here for Hurricane Rita, this storm made that look like a roof of his house while his dad, Eric, leaned on the bed of his baby,” said Eric Darling, a retired police officer. His son, a high pickup truck, keeping a watchful eye from the battered front school senior this year, was adopted from Guatemala and he yard of their Lake Charles home. said it had just been the two of them since the boy was 3. “It’s me and him all the way,” his father said. Hurricane Laura roared onto the southwest coastline of Louisi- ana as a Category 4 with winds of 150 miles per hour on August Caton Darling’s school started last week online, but he’s not too 27, downing trees and power lines and killing 26 people. The concerned about school today. “I can’t leave my buddy alone Darlings, like many, went weeks without electricity, and – since with this mess,” he said.

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ND20.indd 30 6/16/21 9:53 AM After evacuating, they returned to find a huge tree across their driveway and others crashed into the roof of their living room.

“As of today, it looks 10,000 times better,” Caton Darling said. “You take your good days. Before, your worst day is a C-minus on a test, today a bad day is not being able to get inside your house. It changes a lot of stuff.”

The Rev. Angela Bulhof, their pastor at University United Meth- odist Church, came by the house to check on them and give them a Kroger gift card. “It weighs so heavy, not only on the community, but every person. If you were already vulnerable, it hits you where it hurts,” said Bulhof, who had started her day burying a church member.

The church suffered extensive damage, too, with one brick wall collapsed and roofs partly torn off all the buildings. Bulhof, who started at University on July 1, said a recent visit from Louisiana Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey really made a difference to her. “She told me to pace myself. It helps to hear those words – in her voice – in my head.”

Harvey said she tells her pastors to remember they are in it for the long haul. “We have had quite a year – COVID, economic challenges, racial injustice, and now natural disasters. Any one of those would be enough. All at once is more than some of us can handle,” Harvey said. “We have also learned that while our spaces are sacred and holy that the true sacredness and holiness is in God’s people.”

Todd Furman sat alone under his house, which is raised up on pilings. He was on hold with an insurance agent as the blue tarp on the side of his house flapped and shredded in the wind and rain. Bulhof brought him some plastic sheeting and a staple gun.

Furman’s wife and three children are in a hotel in Baytown, Texas. The family is moving into the home of Bulhof’s son and Top: Caton Darling, 17, secures a tarp over the roof of his fam- daughter-in-law, who will move back in with their parents. All ily’s home in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after Hurricane Laura three of the Furman children are scheduled to start back to toppled trees that damaged the roof. Center: A waterlogged school soon. Their daughters, 17 and 15, will start back virtu- hymnal lies in the mud outside Wakefield United Method- ally, but his son’s school will open for in-person classes. ist Church in Cameron, Louisiana, after Hurricane Laura destroyed the sanctuary. United Methodist volunteers work to Furman’s wife is head pharmacist for Memorial Women’s Hos- remove a fallen tree from a home in DeRidder, Lousiana, fol- pital in Lake Charles. She stayed behind because she is on the lowing Hurricane Laura. From left: Kevin Smith, Paul Nelson, neonatal intensive care unit staff and 19 vulnerable newborns Bob Grieco, and John Meier. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

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ND20.indd 31 6/16/21 9:53 AM The United Methodist Cross and Flame logo lies in pieces after Hurricane Laura tore through Wakefield United Methodist Church in Cameron, Louisiana. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

had to be moved to safer ground. Furman said she told him, emblazoned with the Cross and Flame. “I’m not leaving my babies.” Many hands make short work. The Louisiana Conference “The most terrifying part was being without my wife while she held a workday on September 19 in Deridder, a town about two was in the grips of the storm,” he said. hours inland from where the hurricane made landfall. A group of students from the Louisiana State University Wesley Founda- The Lord is My Shepherd. On September 20, Moss Bluff United tion drove three hours to make the 8 a.m. start. Methodist Church members gathered for their first live wor- ship service since July. People greeted each other with questions “It breaks my heart to see people in so much devastation and about home damage and electricity. if I am able to do so, I feel called to go and help them,” said Zac Henderson. He and friends were lugging a huge log from The Rev. Mark Bray greeted one older couple dressed in their the back of an elderly woman’s house to a large pile of debris in Sunday best. “Somehow you found a suit in the dark? And you front. found matching socks,” he joked. Bray was preaching from the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is My Shepherd,” when cell phones start- The Rev. Fernie Rivera, pastor of Mid City Church, part of First ed blasting emergency signals regarding Tropical Storm Beta. United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, said he received help Startled, everyone looked around, chuckling, and the service in 2016 when Baton Rouge was flooded. “I remember there were continued. Bray said the church stopped meeting in person be- times when I was just so tired from having to do cleanup and cause of COVID-19. This service was held in the church gym recovery work and I would look up and see people from all over with plastic chairs socially distanced on the shiny wood floor the country still showing up. That gave me hope to keep push-

32 | Good News

ND20.indd 32 6/16/21 9:53 AM ing forward. Just like people were a beacon of hope for us, it is smell. The narrow road is clogged with electric power trucks important to be beacons of hope for other people.” and sometimes airboats, while twisted power lines and dam- aged houses line the road. The Rev. Larraine Waughtal, pastor of Deridder First United Methodist Church, coordinated the work teams. “We have a For years, the Rev. Mel Yorks drove this road several times a cool wind, the sun rises, and the son Jesus Christ give us hope,” week to his three churches – Grand Chenier, Sweetlake and she said as the teams headed to work sites. Waughtal took time Cameron, Wakefield United Methodist. Hurricane Laura badly to visit a church member, too. damaged all three.

Mary Alice Wisdom, a widow who evacuated to Jackson, Mis- Grand Chenier is a slab and debris, with a copy of the Lord’s sissippi, along with her daughter and golden retriever, said a Prayer in the rubble. Brightly painted pieces that look like they neighbor called to tell her a tree had fallen on her house. She had once cheered up a Sunday school room lie in the mud and mire. trouble finding a generator and getting contractors to inspect Several miles down the road, the roof of Cameron, Wakefield her home, but talked about the ways the church and her sons- United Methodist still stands, but the inside of the church is in-law came to her rescue. Waughtal took Wisdom’s hand and blown out. A cemetery behind the church looks damaged, with prayed, while the golden retriever nuzzled the women. tombs no longer laid out in perfect lines. Yorks said Sweetlake suffered roof damage and will have to be gutted. “Loving God, I thank you for Mary Alice. I thank you that she and her dog are safe. Lord just be with her as she goes through “Amazingly, we have an antique piano and the pianist had this recovery process. May she know your presence. May you closed it up so no water got to that,” he said. Yorks, also a full- fill this house with the presence of your Holy Spirit. May she time school music teacher, said some of the high school students know your comfort and peace, be with her, guide her to the right he taught 30 years ago sent supplies for the people along the people to help in this recovery. All these things we ask in Jesus coast. “When I took my vow to be a minister, my mentor took name, Amen.” me under his wing. He always told me it is more than just a job, it is your life.” In another neighborhood, John Meier, a member of the Early Response Team of the Louisiana Conference, was sawing large “Ministry is my heart.” trees that had fallen on Kelvin Blake’s house. “I was down here two weeks ago and we went 25 miles east and 25 miles west and Meeting the needs. Asbury United Methodist Church in La- you can’t drive a hundred yards without seeing a tree down,” fayette is serving as the supply depot and distribution site for he said. hurricane relief efforts for the Louisiana Conference. Early on September 22, men from the North Carolina Conference were Blake is grateful for the help. “We weren’t in the house and packing up supplies for hard-hit areas. Lou Groth and his wife, nobody was hurt, thank God for that,” Blake said. “My hat is Carol, were busy with supplies, too, while in the kitchen Libby off to them, I mean the electric workers, power line workers, Ricky and Joy Fincke were separating big bags of rice into two- The United Methodist Church. I have never seen people reach quart bags. out like this. I offered to pay but you (The United Methodist Church) said it was free. Ain’t nothing better than free,” he said. Smiles everywhere. “Isn’t grace amazing,” one of the volunteers said. It’s a long, strange drive south on Louisiana Highway 27 from Lake Charles to Grand Chenier. Lake Calcasieu and Grand Kathy L. Gilbert is a writer for United Methodist News and Mike Lake flooded from the Hurricane Laura storm surge and al- DuBose is staff photographer for United Methodist News. ligator carcasses became a familiar sight, along with an awful

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ND20.indd 33 6/16/21 9:53 AM FEATURE A NEW EYE ON JESUS

Actor Jonathan Roumie portrays Jesus (center-left) in The Chosen, a new crowd-funded, multiseason portrayal of the life of Christ. Photo provided by Vidangel Studios.

By Courtney Lott Finally, in the middle of our work from home order and in need of something uplifting, I broke down and watched the first epi- I put it off for months; I had been burned too many times. sode. The stages of this viewing were as follows: relief – wow, nothing is cringy; shock – the acting, script, and costuming Call it cynicism. Call it negativity. Call it Christian entertain- aren’t just not bad, they’re good; to being so astoundingly moved ment PTSD. Whatever label you use, the result was always the by the end of the episode that I wept into my computer key- same. In spite of the public accolades from a good chunk of my board. Facebook friends, as well as a podcaster I respect, I found it dif- ficult to believe them when they praised The Chosen. For once, a form of Christian entertainment not only im- pressed, but grabbed me. I watched the rest of the season quick-

34 | Good News

ND20.indd 34 6/16/21 9:53 AM ly after that. The quality never wavered. More tears came, and even laughter. Not pity laughter for someone who’s trying to be funny either. Genuine laughter.

Created by Dallas Jenkins, The Chosen follows Jesus and the people he calls to come after him. Most episodes begin with a scene from the Old Testament, connecting the gospel story to Israel’s history and culture.

The first storyline we encounter is that of Mary Magdalene. We initially see her as a child, afraid of the dark and comforted by Actor Jonathan Roumie portrays Jesus in The Chosen. Photo pro- her father with words from Isaiah 43:1: “But now, this is what vided by Vidangel Studios. the Lord says – he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned stray from the raw, the ugly, or the vulnerable. In one of the you by name; you are mine.’” most poignant scenes, Peter speaks with a kind of Psalm-like honesty when he says, out of desperation, “If I didn’t know any In the next scene, however, Mary is an adult. A mess. Covered in better, I’d say you enjoy yanking us around like goats, and can’t straw and blood. This is Mary possessed, a woman so enslaved by decide whether we’re chosen or not.” demons that even a Pharisee – Nicodemus – is unable to heal her, a woman who has so lost her identity that she isn’t called “Mary,” Soon after, Jesus tells Peter to cast his net over the other side of but instead “Lilith,” the name of the demon inhabiting her. the boat, miraculously providing an abundant catch and choos- ing this poor fisherman to be one of his disciples. Mary is not the only character who is lost. We meet Nicodemus, shaken by his inability to cast out her demons; Matthew the tax While Jenkins is very clear in a video interview that The Chosen collector, a traitor to his people and social pariah; and finally, is a “narrative show, not a documentary [and] not a replacement our favorite loudmouth Peter, struggling with his brother An- for Scripture,” he also strives to be historically and scripturally drew to make ends meet and not lose their livelihood. accurate in this representation of the gospel stories.

As Jesus enters the lives of these men and women, his statement, “We have an obligation to take this seriously,” Jenkins said. “Get used to different,” serves as a very different kind of battle “We’re talking about the Son of God here, a show inspired by cry than what they expected from Messiah. As any consistent holy Scripture.” student of the Bible knows, rather than freeing Israel with mili- tary force, Jesus heals disease, forgives sin, welcomes children. Jenkins, an evangelical Christian, has a list of principles meant to guide the show. Though they do not demand that everyone Perhaps one of the most refreshing things about The Chosen is involved is a practicing Christian, they do demand that the that it portrays Jesus and his disciples as full of joy. They are content is uncompromised. They consult the gospels and ex- often presented as solemn, serious, maybe even a little stoic in perts – including a Messianic Jewish rabbi, Catholic priest, and our artwork. With the cross in his future, it’s easy to under- an evangelical scholar – and seek to ensure that even creative stand why this would be the case. “Man of sorrows,” what a choices are plausible and fit with the character of the people in- title. Yet we also know that Jesus came to make the most joyful volved. event imaginable possible: the wedding of the Godhead and the Church. As the first multi-season show about Jesus, The Chosen is fully crowd-funded. The number-one highest grossing project of its In spite of the suffering Jesus faced, in spite of the cross on kind of all-time at $10 million. It has been translated into 50 which he would die, he was not devoid of joy. Nor did he expect languages with more to come and is completely free to watch on his followers to be. Youtube or via The Chosen app. There is no fee or subscription.

Another reason The Chosen works so well is that it does not Courtney Lott is the editorial assistant at Good News.

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ND20.indd 35 6/16/21 9:53 AM NEWSNEWS ANALYSIS ANALYSIS NEWS & ANALYSIS FULL COMMUNION WITH EPISCOPALIANS ON HOLD

National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. Creative Commons.

By Heather Hahn nations initially had expected to take up a proposed full-com- munion agreement when their top decision-making bodies each Citing the pandemic’s ongoing threat, United Methodists and met this year and next. Episcopalians have put plans for full communion between their two denominations on hold for now. Leaders of both denomi- “The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with its sweeping dis-

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ND20.indd 36 6/16/21 9:53 AM “United Methodists on the dialogue committee acknowledge that we need to have more clarity about the future shape of The United Methodist Church before we ask the Episcopalians to make a decision about this full communion relationship,” said Bishop Gregory V. Palmer and the Rev. Kyle Tau, Council of Bishops ecumenical staff officer.

ruptions has regrettably, but understandably, necessitated a re- That uncertainty combined with the new meeting schedule thinking of this timeline,” the Episcopal-United Methodist Dia- played a role in the committee’s recommendation, said two Unit- logue Committee said in a September 17 statement. ed Methodist committee members.

The disease’s menace already has resulted in the postponement “United Methodists on the dialogue committee acknowledge of The United Methodist Church’s General Conference from that we need to have more clarity about the future shape of The May this year to August 29-September 7, 2021, in Minneapolis. United Methodist Church before we ask the Episcopalians to Now, The Episcopal Church is rethinking the format and timing make a decision about this full communion relationship,” said of its General Convention, currently scheduled for July 2021. Bishop Gregory V. Palmer and the Rev. Kyle Tau, Council of Bishops ecumenical staff officer, by email. With all these changes in mind, the dialogue committee now recommends that both denominations wait to take up full com- Palmer, who leads the West Ohio Conference, is co-chair of the munion until the next General Convention/General Confer- dialogue committee. “Our mutual commitment to this dialogue ence after 2021. The committee includes five leaders from each remains unwavering and we look forward in hope to passing denomination as well as a United Methodist and two Episcopal this full-communion proposal at the next available opportunity,” staff members. Palmer and Tau said.

“Our ongoing work toward unity at Christ’s table continues,” the In the meantime, they and other dialogue committee members committee said. “We do not recommend a delay in action on full urge their churches’ continued collaboration in ministry, espe- communion lightly. This work is an outward and visible sign of cially in efforts toward racial justice. The group’s proposed agree- the grace that seeks to end all divisions in the human family.” ment bears the title “A Gift to the World: Co-Laborers for the Healing of Brokenness,” and both churches agree they share a The recommended delay comes as The United Methodist Church common call to heal. faces its own questions about its future. The coming General Conference faces multiple proposals to resolve the denomina- “As we move into the future it is crucial that we find as many tion’s longtime debate around marriage and sexuality by splitting areas as possible to join together in shared mission and minis- the denomination along theological lines. try,” Palmer and Tau said. “We believe the twin pandemics of

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ND20.indd 37 6/16/21 9:53 AM COVID-19 and racial injustice are so pressing at this time that two African American church leaders were also frontline heroes they call for special intentionality among ecumenical partners to who still faced bigotry after providing care throughout a raging ensure we are speaking and acting with common purpose.” yellow-fever epidemic in 1793.

Full communion is not a merger where denominations become Bishop Allen would go on to found what would become the Af- one, such as what happened when The United Methodist formed rican Methodist Episcopal Church. Jones would become the first in 1968. Instead, full communion means each church acknowl- African-American priest ordained in The Episcopal Church. edges the other as a partner in the Christian faith, recognizes the validity of each other’s baptism and Eucharist, and commits to Some 200 years later, both The United Methodist Church and work together in ministry. Such an agreement also means Epis- The Episcopal Church have each faced their own disputes re- copalians and United Methodists can share clergy. garding marriage and sexuality.

The United Methodist Church already has full-communion Among the proposals heading to the next General Conference agreements with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is the negotiated “Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through five historically Black Pan-Methodist denominations, and the Separation” that would allow traditionalist churches and confer- Moravian Church in North America. ences to leave with their properties and form a separate denomi- nation, using $25 million in United Methodist funds. Palmer The United Methodist-Episcopal dialogue, which dates to 2002, was among the protocol’s negotiators, who included United aims at drawing together two churches with historic ties to John Methodists with very different views on LGBTQ issues. Wesley’s Church of England. The Wesleyan Covenant Association has continued plans to A full-communion agreement between the two also would com- form that new traditionalist denomination. plete a sort of ecumenical square. Like United Methodists, Epis- copalians already have full communion with the Lutherans and The Episcopal Church already has made a similar journey. The Moravians. The only line missing in this church quadrangle is denomination ordains openly gay clergy and allows its priests between the two denominations with arguably the most shared to perform same-gender weddings. However, former Episcopa- heritage. lians who disagreed with these moves, and in many cases the ordination of women, separated to form the Anglican Church The two churches owe their separation less to theological differ- in North America. ences than to the disruption of the American Revolution. John Wesley remained a Church of England priest until the end of his United Methodists and Episcopalians have continued in dia- days. But in the wake of the war, he took the unorthodox step of logue even amid their own internal divisions. appointing clergy leaders in the new nation just as many Church of England priests were heading to Britain. Wesley’s efforts led to “As our churches grapple with all the disruptions this time en- the 1784 birth of a new U.S. denomination that eventually would tails, it is our prayer that we will all continue to seek the unity become the multinational United Methodist Church. The Epis- to which Christ calls us, so that the world may believe,” Palmer copal Church, which would retain its close ties to the Church of and Tau told United Methodist News. “The challenges we cur- England, officially got started in the U.S. five years later. rently face demand that the Body of Christ demonstrate its pub- lic unity in tangible ways that contribute to healing and justice Both denominations also have struggled with the sin of racism. in our broken world.” The churches share common forebears in Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, who both left St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Heather Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Method- Church in Philadelphia because of racial discrimination. The ist News.

38 | Good News

ND20.indd 38 6/16/21 9:53 AM FEATURE THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS

Shooting survivor Polly Sheppard, center, speaks with crew member Joyce Gilliard, prior to her interview for Emanuel. Photo by Steven Siwek - © Arbella Studios. hundreds of cities and towns in all 50 states and over 60 other By Katy Kiser countries.

Produced by Stephen Curry and Viola Davis, the documenta- The film explores why Charleston did not break out in protests ry Emanuel revisits the 2015 mass shooting at Emanuel AME and riots. To understand this, it helps to revisit the aftermath of Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where nine parishioners that tragic day, June 17, 2015. attending a weekly Bible study were murdered by the white su- premacist, Dylann Roof. The twenty-one year old had joined the In 2015 it appeared that we were going backward, not forward, Bible study and was welcomed by those who would become his in the struggle to eliminate racism. The strides we had made in victims. Even five years later, the senseless killing is shocking. combatting racism seemed to be slipping away. This was evident to many as the country witnessed demonstrations turned de- As then President Obama said, “Any shooting involving mul- structive in Ferguson, Missouri; New York City; and Baltimore, tiple victims is a tragedy. There is something particularly heart- Maryland. breaking about that happening in a place where we seek solace, seek peace, a place of worship.” But that perception was turned on its head by the truly Chris- tian reaction and witness of many of the victims’ family mem- What happened in Charleston was a blatant unprovoked act of bers and the church family of Emanuel AME Church. What overt racism. Five summers have come and gone. During this happened in Charleston was an example – a visceral and dif- past summer, peaceful protests and sporadic riots spread to ficult example – to the world that when we live out the love of

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ND20.indd 39 6/16/21 9:53 AM loss. They too needed our prayers, our forgiveness, and the love of Christ showered on them. His words were grace filled. They were words for which the judge would be severely criticized.

It would be days before the appalling circumstances of that young man’s life became known. As news reports in the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune surfaced, a story of fam- ily dysfunction emerged. Dylann was the product of a broken home where domestic violence was not uncommon. His par- ents had divorced; he was born after a brief reconciliation that did not last. He was raised by a step-mother who also divorced Dylann’s father about the time he entered high school. He fell Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Photo victim to drugs, alcohol, and virulent, hate-filled websites after courtesy of Unanimous Media. dropping out of school in the tenth grade.

Christ and His teaching on forgiveness, it can bring triumph White supremacy could not save Dylann Roof. Growing up in a out of tragedy. beautiful home in a nice neighborhood could not save Dylann Roof. A racially diverse high school and a childhood friend of Shortly after his arrest, the shooter was arraigned in court. He mixed race could not save Dylann Roof. turned out to be a white male in his early twenties. Usually in such cases, the victims’ families are not allowed to speak until The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews exhorts be- the sentencing phase. But for some reason, the presiding judge lievers to draw near with a true heart of faith and hold fast the allowed the nine victims’ families to speak directly to the al- confession of our hope without wavering (chapter 10). The writ- leged shooter at the bond hearing. Some people present did not er goes on asking us to “consider how we may spur one another speak, but five relatives chose to do so. on toward love and good works….” Indeed the members of Emanuel AME Church held fast their confession as they spoke What they said to the shooter was truly Christ-like, for each to the young man who took from them their beloved family who spoke forgave the shooter and asked for mercy on his soul. members. The grandson of one victim urged him to repent and turn his life over to Jesus Christ. A granddaughter of another victim said But their demonstration of love and forgiveness was not con- that the pleas for the shooter’s soul were proof that “Hate won’t fined to the shooter. win.” She went on to say that God’s mercy is even there for him, and she prayed that at some point he would find God’s mercy. These families stirred up much love and good works in their Then she said, “I am ready to forgive him. I have to, because that community and even beyond. Large banners appeared on some (un-forgiveness) would block so many blessings. Nothing grows buildings urging racial harmony, and many churches hosted positive out of hate.” prayer vigils. When Sunday came, Emanuel AME Church held church as usual. Their faith was not shaken. Worship that And hate did not win. There was no denial of the pain and loss morning was particularly vigorous as those gathered danced, by those who spoke, but there was testimony to a higher reality. sang hymns, and shook tambourines. Legal and justice reform and peaceful protest are one part of the solution we need to move forward. Love and forgiveness is The Rev. Norvell Goff brought the sermon. He too reached out another essential factor. There are so many lessons to be taken with words of hope, love, and thankfulness. Early in the sermon from the witness of the Emanuel AME Church. The Spirit of the he said, “We still believe that prayer changes things. Can I get Lord moved in such a mighty way through all involved. a witness?” The congregation responded with a rousing, “Yes.” “But prayer not only changes things, it changes us,” he contin- The judge at the bond hearing of Dylann Roof called attention ued. to the family of the shooter. He reminded all, that they too are grieving the actions of the young man. They too would suffer He thanked law enforcement specifically, and the city for re-

40 | Good News

ND20.indd 40 6/16/21 9:53 AM sponding with love and compassion. In his sermon, Pastor Goff is embedded in the hearts of men and women. said, “A lot of people expected us to do something strange and break out into a riot… Well they just don’t know us. Th ey don’t Th e documentary capably reminds us of the truly Christ-like know us because we are a people of faith…What was meant to response of the members of the Emanuel AME Church who in- divide us has united us.” And how true those words proved to stinctively showed that real, godly, biblical justice is not possible be. without the love of Christ and the power of forgiveness.

As the Emanuel Church goers left the service, outside on the When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we ask him to forgive us as sidewalks, they were greeted by a large crowd of mostly white we have forgiven others. Do we really mean that? Have we ap- people singing Amazing Grace. Many were moved to tears as propriated forgiveness in our own lives and taken an honest the love of Christ which the families had extended to the shoot- look at our unredeemed, un-Christ-like behavior and attitudes? er was extended to them. Have we truly forgiven the same actions and attitudes in other people? Th at same Sunday, some 20,000 people of various races walked across Charleston’s Ravenel bridge, some arm in arm, to show It is time for the church to remember the witness of the Eman- the world that blacks and whites stood in solidarity. uel AME Church. If we learn anything from this evil, racist, senseless shooting of nine innocent blacks gathered to study Of course there were the detractors who seized upon this situ- God’s Word, it should be that the power of forgiveness brings ation with the hopes of pushing through their agendas. But far about real change. more powerful was the witness throughout the weekend follow- ing the shooting that demonstrated the power of Christ when he Katy Kiser is the team leader of the Renew Network.

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ND20.indd 41 6/16/21 9:53 AM ESSENTIAL NAVIGATING TROUBLED TIMES

A copy of the Lord’s Prayer rests amid the rubble of Grand Chenier (Louisiana) United Methodist Church following Hurricane Laura. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

By Jim Ramsay are helpful in navigating these times of change. I highlight some By this point in 2020, it’s cliché to say these are unprecedented of these here: times. The shifts happening globally and within the culture of the U.S. are significant. Predictions vary about what will be on The Illusion of Control. A key aspect of the dominant cul- the other side, but they are consistent in one thing: Our lives ture in the U.S. is that of predictability and control. We like to and ministries will likely not go back to the way they were – at know what to expect. We have a deep, subconscious sense that least in many aspects. So how can we weather the storms and if something goes amiss, then someone must have done some- prepare for the road ahead? thing wrong. And if we work hard enough, we can fix it. This cultural trait has served us well in many respects, but it can re- Throughout these past months, I have been observing the im- sult in disorientation when things happen beyond our control. pact of this year’s pressures on our culture as well as on myself. I Consider the response to hurricanes and how quickly blame is have been struck by how many of the methods and mindsets we assigned for the destruction – lax building codes, inadequate teach as we prepare missionaries to serve in far-away cultures government response, weak levees. Rarely is it mentioned that

42 | Good News

ND20.indd 42 6/16/21 9:53 AM A key practice we teach new missionaries is to surrender their need to be in control. Life in many (perhaps most) cultures involves much less certainty and expectation of control. Not only can this help build resiliency, it also positions one better to recognize the advancing of God’s kingdom.

a 150-mile-per-hour wind and storm surges are just going to Culture Shock. Finally, we teach missionaries about cultur- do damage. This year, the multiple challenges to the status quo al adjustment, popularly called “culture shock.” Early in the and the accompanying uncertainties are especially hard on our pandemic, I noticed something about my own and others’ re- collective psyche. sponses. They mirrored some of the telltale signs of cultural adjustment common to people who move long-term into a new A key practice we teach new missionaries is to surrender their cultural setting. Feelings of frustration, anxiety, hopelessness, need to be in control. Life in many (perhaps most) cultures and even depression are normal symptoms of culture shock. involves much less certainty and expectation of control. In- In my experience, knowing about culture shock did not make terestingly, not only can this open-handed mindset help build these feelings go away, but being aware of what I was experienc- resiliency in those settings, but it also positions one better to ing helped. I knew it was normal and that it was not permanent. recognize the advancing of God’s kingdom. We realize we do I also knew what would help me work through this disorienta- not control his kingdom, as the parable of the farmer reminds tion phase of adjustment. us. The one who plants the seed sleeps and rises and the grain produces itself, he knows not how (Mark 4:26-29). When we let Not surprisingly, two things that help people move through cul- go of that control, it positions us better to see God’s work and ture shock are (1) letting go of the need to control my environ- to join with it in whatever context we find ourselves – even in a ment and (2) maintaining a posture of learner! In addition, we pandemic! must resist the temptation to isolate ourselves (which, in these months, might mean resisting the temptation to retreat into a The Posture of a Learner. A second practice we teach mission- cocoon to binge-watch cable news or Netflix). aries is to take on the posture of a learner. This is not a call to continuing education, although that could be one way it is ex- As I consider the experience of 2020, I do not minimize the pressed. It is a mindset that sees the need to listen, observe, and hardships and genuine losses that have occurred. However, I learn about the setting we are in or about a person or culture have great hope that the upheavals will push God’s people to go we encounter. Taking on the posture of a learner means set- deeper into Him and to lean less on our own understanding and ting aside our own agendas and, as much as we are able, our our own control. We can demonstrate a resiliency that results own prejudgments and assumptions. This posture allows one from being established on the Rock when other foundations are to enter a new situation without feeling the pressure to have it crumbling. What a great witness that will be to a hurting world, all figured out. Taking on a learning posture means asking lots both in our neighborhoods and across the seas. of questions, something Jesus beautifully modeled – which is especially striking, considering he was the Son of God. Exhibit- Jim Ramsay serves as vice president for global operations at ing the posture of a learner can make a difference, whether one TMS Global. Dr. Ramsay is co-moderator of the podcast TMS is seeking to better understand racial issues in the U.S., man- Global – Thy Kingdom Pod: Living in the Unfinished – that age life during a pandemic, or engage with someone of differing goes deeper into applying mission mindsets to navigating mod- political beliefs. ern life. To learn more visit www.tms-global.org.

November/December 2020 | 43

ND20.indd 43 6/16/21 9:53 AM THE RICHARDS GROUP JOB #: SAL20_049913_National Miscellaneous CLIENT: Salvation Army TRIM: 8.5" x 10.75" LIVE: 8 x 10.25 BLEED: 8.75 x 11.125 COLORS: CMYK PUB: Good News INSERTION: March/April 2020 AD NAME: Good People Happen To Bad Things - Image Blurred Lights QUESTIONS: Call Karen Newman 214-891-5875

ESSENTIAL Every day of the year, somewhere in our community, Tough breaks happen to honest folks. Evictions happen to families with babies. HEAR THE CORN GROW Initiations happen to kids who don’t know better. Lay-offs happen to single parents. Abuse happens to the defenseless. By B.J. Funk out. Empty bank accounts happen to hungry people. Hearing corn grow? For real? Crime happens to vulnerable neighborhoods. There is no way out. To your Maker, the sounds of growth are im- Storms happen to the unprepared. I thought it was a myth or some old measurably sweet. wives’ tale. So I went to a video on the But, thankfully, every day, somewhere in our community, internet and actually heard the corn The darkness that smothers us will eventually grow us. The alone growing. Like a continuous crackle. time that isolates us is doing a deeper work inside of us, and the Fascinating! water that drenches and suffocates us will bring a cleansing and a growth that will cause us to seek the Gardner. We will grow hun- So what does it sound like? Interest- grier to know him better. We will love it when He stops to visit with ingly enough, it sounds remarkably us, when he walks beside us as he considers our growth, and when similar to the sounds made when corn breaks. It seems that plant he tenderly watches over us. In this process of transformation, we Good People growth involves millions of tiny breakage events. These breakage grow taller spiritually. events trigger the plant to rush to “repair” the broken regions. As HAPPEN TO the plant continues breaking and repairing, the plant is able to It is only as we stretch and break that we can grow. It sounds pain- grow taller and taller. ful. It is painful. But how else will our Maker get our attention? If you have felt stretched and broken, look to the corn and then thank Researchers think the crackling noises occur because of tiny frac- God. He wants you to be a beautiful plant, ripe and ready for your tures from the corn plant stretching, breaking, and growing. Fas- next assignment. And what is that? . cinating! Bad Things Well, after you stretch and grow, then you will be ready to be food Truth is, spiritually, you and I have more in common with the corn for others, feeding young Christians with encouragement and wis- Come alongside the nearly 40 million hardworking than we knew. We, too, are continually breaking and repairing. dom as new life surges through you. Americans fighting to escape poverty – and help them win. We grow in Christ through many kinds of breakings. These break- Look at Jacob’s son, Joseph. He was abandoned by his brothers, With a sustaining monthly gift of just $25, you ings trigger our spirits to rush to repair all that is broken in us. sold to a caravan of Ishmaelites, and eventually sold to Potiphar Christ reaches down to us, and we are bathed in his healing power. in Egypt. He was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and put into can help us double our ability to assist those in need. prison where, in the darkness and dampness of his soil, he learned Through life events that often are unfair and hurtful, Christ the lessons God had planned for him. He would later emerge as stretches us as we move through pain and into deeper growth in a leader in Egypt, used eventually to help his own family during him. We have tiny fractures and large fractures in our hearts and in a heavy famine that affected not only Egypt but also Canaan. He our bodies as we stretch, break, and grow. We grow taller and taller was stretched and broken in the solitude of prison, and the finished spiritually as we break and allow Christ to help us. product was a mature plant, worthy of being used for God’s plans.

I am an ear of corn. So are you. We each go through breakings that It’s the same for you, beloved. are large and small, but each one has a reason. God’s purpose is to bring us into why he created us in the first place. He has his plans Wait. What’s that sound? Oh, it’s you, breaking and crackling. It’s for us, and those plans cannot find fulfillment until we submit to you, growing taller. It’s you, being prepared for Kingdom work. To his garden. There, we will be stuck in some dirt that covers us and your Maker, those sounds are immeasurably sweet. smothers us, given alone time that isolates us and makes us feel no other seed has ever had it so bad, and drenched with water that B.J. Funk is a Good News’ devotional columnist and author of It’s leaves us soaked and suffocated. We are always looking for a way A Good Day for Grace. Join the #FightForGood at SalvationArmyUSA.org

44 | Good News

ND20.indd 44 6/16/21 9:53 AM

SAL20_049913_GoodNews_GoodPeople_8_5x10_75.indd 1 2/3/20 2:04 PM THE RICHARDS GROUP JOB #: SAL20_049913_National Miscellaneous CLIENT: Salvation Army TRIM: 8.5" x 10.75" LIVE: 8 x 10.25 BLEED: 8.75 x 11.125 COLORS: CMYK PUB: Good News INSERTION: March/April 2020 AD NAME: Good People Happen To Bad Things - Image Blurred Lights QUESTIONS: Call Karen Newman 214-891-5875

Every day of the year, somewhere in our community, Tough breaks happen to honest folks. Evictions happen to families with babies. Initiations happen to kids who don’t know better. Lay-offs happen to single parents. Abuse happens to the defenseless. Empty bank accounts happen to hungry people. Crime happens to vulnerable neighborhoods. Storms happen to the unprepared. But, thankfully, every day, somewhere in our community, Good People HAPPEN TO Bad Things.

Come alongside the nearly 40 million hardworking Americans fighting to escape poverty – and help them win. With a sustaining monthly gift of just $25, you can help us double our ability to assist those in need.

Join the #FightForGood at SalvationArmyUSA.org

November/December 2020 | 45

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SAL20_049913_GoodNews_GoodPeople_8_5x10_75.indd 1 2/3/20 2:04 PM MONEY MANAGEMENT from a Wesleyan Perspective

Money…is it good or is it bad? How do we, as people of faith, create healthy relationships with money and possessions?

Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Well-Being provides the text and tools you need to address the topics of saving, earning, giving, spending, and debt, along with helpful strategies for achieving a sustainable fi nancial life. This unique study, with sessions for both pastors and laity, explores money management from a Wesleyan perspective, helping you reach personal fi nancial goals as well as address life concerns.

Components include a Participant Workbook; a Leader Guide containing session plans, outlines, discussion questions; a Clergy Workbook addressing fi nancial issues unique to pastors; a DVD containing six sessions for the participant study, three sessions to complement the Clergy Workbook, plus interviews with fi nancial experts; and a six-week devotional.

Learn more at AbingdonPress.com/SavingGrace 46 | Good News

ND20.indd 46 6/16/21 9:53 AM MORTALS & THE the company’s time-tested commitments. The simplicity, freshness, and mystique has garnered a passionate fanbase from Hollywood hot shots to celebrity chefs who crave an In-N-Out fix. DIVINE McDonald’s vs. Burger King, Shake Shack vs. Five Guys, Wendy’s vs. Jack In the Box. I leave the debate to others. I’m a lover, not a fighter. When I fly home to the West Coast to see my family, the first stop from the airport is In-N-Out. Go ahead, ask my mom and dad. In-N-Out reminds me I’m home.

Founded in 1948 by the innovative Harry and Esther Snyder, In- N-Out has had the same minimalist menu for the last 72 years. It is a privately-held, debt-free family company committed to strategic growth, high quality ingredients, and paying its employees better than any other fast food chain. There are 358 bright red-and-white retro-style restaurants in six Western states with a gigantic yellow arrow pointing the way to a premium burger. MONEY MANAGEMENT Two years ago, Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, the Snyder’s granddaughter, was on the cover of Forbes as In-N-Out’s President and CEO. Ana- Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson. Photo: I Am Second (IAmSecond.com). lysts speculate that the company is worth about $3 billion dollars – a from a Wesleyan Perspective far cry from the spartan 10x10 foot hamburger stand of its humble origin. “I felt a deep call to make sure that I preserve those things BROKENNESS, that [my family] would want. That we didn’t ever look to the left and the right to see what everyone else is doing, cut corners, or change Money…is it good or is it bad? How do we, as BURGERS, AND things drastically or compromise,” Snyder-Ellingson told Forbes. “I really wanted to make sure that we stayed true to what we started people of faith, create healthy relationships with REDEMPTION with. That required me to become a protector. A guardian.” money and possessions? By Steve Beard The 38-year-old leader has consistently been recognized in the top tier of Glassdoor’s list of best CEOs ranked by employees. In 2019, Saving Grace: A Guide to Financial Well-Being provides the text and tools you At the height of the government mandated lockdown earlier this she was listed as #3 with a remarkable 99 percent approval rating. need to address the topics of saving, earning, giving, spending, and debt, along year, Kraft Heinz factories were operating around the clock in or- with helpful strategies for achieving a sustainable fi nancial life. This unique der to meet the demand for macaroni and cheese. According to Carrying on a family obsession, Snyder-Ellingson is also a drag the New York Times, retailers at the same time saw a 50 percent in- racer, competing in amateur categories with the National Hot Rod study, with sessions for both pastors and laity, explores money management crease in demand for Slim Jim beef jerky and Chef Boyardee pastas. Association. Her grandfather was part owner of the Irwindale from a Wesleyan perspective, helping you reach personal fi nancial goals as well Raceway in the 1960s and sold hamburgers out of the track’s con- as address life concerns. Apparently, even some of those who had been eating organic kale cession stands. In-N-Outs became a hangout for hot rodders. She and quinoa salads were turning to foods they had banished from actually races in an orange 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. “I’m a lot like Components include a Participant Workbook; a Leader Guide containing session their cupboards. “Consumers are reaching for foods that trigger a my dad, a little bit of a daredevil,” she told Orange Coast Magazine plans, outlines, discussion questions; a Clergy Workbook addressing fi nancial comforting childhood memory or simply their go-to snack when a few years ago. “I like an adrenaline rush. My dad took me to the issues unique to pastors; a DVD containing six sessions for the participant study, they need to relieve stress,” the Times reported. In an era of insta- racetrack for the first time when I was 2 or 3. … Anything with a bility, we all look to the safe haven of comfort food – savoring the motor, that was in my blood.” three sessions to complement the Clergy Workbook, plus interviews with fi nancial tastes, smells, and good memories. experts; and a six-week devotional. Her unanticipated path to leadership in the business has been My comfort food is a Double-Double Animal Style, a signature strewn with heart-wrenching tragedies. After her grandfather died menu item at In-N-Out Burgers, a Southern California-based phe- in 1976, her uncle took over the family business until he was killed nomenon. “No Microwaves, No Freezers, No Heat Lamps” is one of in a plane crash in 1993. At that point, Lynsi’s father took over un-

Learn more at AbingdonPress.com/SavingGrace November/December 2020 | 47

ND20.indd 47 6/16/21 9:53 AM She testifi es that her faith eventually broke the grip of her shame. “God brought me to a place where I truly got to know a Jesus who walks on water, Jesus who heals the sick, and the God who saw beauty from my ashes,” she said.

“Today, God has transformed my life, freed me from being ‘the woman at the well,’ and allowed me to serve his kingdom through multiple foundations that I am passionate about.” She directs the In- N-Out Foundation, an organization which fi ghts child abuse and runs an organization called Slave 2 Nothing, which helps victims of human traffi cking and people suff ering from addictions.

Top: In-N-Out, Westwood, California. Below: Double-Double Snyder-Ellingson and her husband also founded a discipleship min- Animal Style. Photos by Steve Beard. istry called Army of Love that was inspired by Isaiah 61: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the til he died from a prescription drug overdose in 1999. Lynsi’s grand- captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.” mother died in 2006. At age 28, Lynsi inherited the entire company in 2010. During all this turmoil, she experienced a string of broken Moving from the black sheep of the family to the visionary CEO marriages and escaped two failed abductions. of an iconic company was a painful journey. Snyder-Ellingson has chosen candid vulnerability and grace to move forward with the “I didn’t always serve and pursue God with my whole heart,” Snyder- passion of a former captive who has been set free. Ellingson confessed at the commencement for Biola University last year. “My past is fi lled with pain. I chased aft er things of this world “I want to encourage you that God can use the broken parts and the only to fi nd myself feeling even more empty. In my brokenness, I was beautiful parts of your story for his glory,” she told the graduates. reckless.” “So I will leave you with these two words: Live radically. Jesus’ disci- ples were called to live diff erently, to do things that hadn’t been done She spoke openly to the graduating class of the Christian school in La before, to have authority unlike ever before in the name of the Holy Mirada, California, about her failed marriages, family tragedies, and Spirit. Do not deny the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life as he abuse of marijuana and alcohol. “I know God has given me a story reveals radical truth to you in your journey. to show others the power of his relentless pursuit of our hearts as his children to show how he can use even the most broken people if they “Go out into the world and live a life worthy surrender a willing heart to him,” she said. of the calling of Christ – a life that is mak- ing an impact for the Lord Jesus Christ in In the middle of her high-profi le public failures, Snyder-Ellingson our world,” she concluded. “Die to self and wrestled with intense guilt. “I started to believe that I deserved to be throw out trying to please man. Fear God treated like someone with a scarlet ‘A’ on their chest.” For a time she and please him to the end.” believed that she was being punished for her mistakes and that she somehow deserved to be mistreated and abused in her relationships. Steve Beard is the editor of Good News.

48 | Good News

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