Agreeing to Disagree
A UMNS photo by Kathleen Barry I am a United Methodist. Thanks to nineteenth century circuit riders, the Methodists remain the most widespread church in America. Along any given Main Street, you are more than likely to find a United Methodist Church. Methodists have the highest favorability of any major religious group, and are known for our many soup kitchens, preschools, and other community programs. As the home of George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Beyonce, we are also known for our "open minds, open hearts, and open doors." We are a big tent church. We know how to agree to disagree and focus on the important things that we hold in common. Over the past couple weeks, the UMC held its General Conference in Tampa, Florida. For all you non-Methodists, General Conference meets every four years and is the only body that can speak for the whole denomination. Close to 1,000 delegates are elected from around the world to represent ...