Hello

     So, I finally done it and started a blog. I think it takes a lot of ego to believe that anyone would want to read what I have to say. I have had some experience writing professionally, however, so hopefully if you follow along you won’t become too bored.
      I am a licensed local pastor in the Westen North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. I have a Masters of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte. I know you are probably thinking to yourself, “A methodical United Methodist from a frozen chosen Presbyterian seminary?” It gets worse, for you see I spent the first 22 years of my life as a red-door Lutheran. To top of off, my father and his mother were Catholic until my mother decided to raise my brother , sister and me as Lutherans. Because of this crazy path that I have followed to ministry I call myself a Luthopresbytist.
     As you might imagine, I have definitely different ideas about ministry. I believe Jesus taught us to love one another regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual preference, social upbringing, political stance, or whatever silo-creating label you can come up with to further divide us. I embrace my Luthopresbytist lifestyle because I also believe that denominations are inherently divisive in their very nature.
     Now, don’t misunderstand me, I am proud to be a United Methodist pastor (or at least I was before General Conference 2019, but I digress). In my short time in the pulpit (six years) I have proudly served in ways I hope reflect John Wesley’s beliefs. I have cared for the least, the lost and the forgotten. I never measured myself by the numbers of people sitting in the pews on Sunday mornings.
      Instead, I am like that man on the beach throwing starfish back in the ocean. The difference I can make with my ministry as God’s help reaches beyond the walls of the sanctuary and into the mobile homes down the street where the drug dealers and substance abusers live. It reaches into the homes of the Hispanic community, afraid that the current administration may separate them from their loved ones because of someone else’s political agenda. It reaches across denominational lines to invite all to come together in our community to work on our problems — together.
      And it reaches, I hope, into the homes of children and adults affected by hate-mongering aimed at them because they are members of the LGBTQIA communities. Despite the set back of General Conference 2019, I will continue to work to bridge the divides that separate us not only from each other, but from receiving the full grace of God because we don’t know how to be graceful ourselves.
     I just want all to know where I stand. In the future, I hope to be able to lighten the mood with my blogs, as I share my personal walk, triumphs and failures as a struggling Luthopresbytist humbly serving his Lord. I hope you’ll join me on the journey.