by cbaker | Jun 10, 2025 | Pastor's Pondering
Back in the fall of 2016, I found I had some thoughts that might be of interest to the broader congregation. It might be something I came across in my reading, a peek behind the scenes in the life of the congregation, or something that I didn’t make its way into the...
by cbaker | Jun 4, 2025 | Pastor's Pondering
Welcoming your new pastor in genuine and effective ways lays the groundwork for a healthy and vital relationship to form and for stable, long-term ministries develop. Here are 10 practical things you can do without much trouble. I’ll bet you can think of even more...
by cbaker | May 27, 2025 | Pastor's Pondering
Earlier this year, the Reconciling Ministry Team at Cavalry UMC circulated a survey and gathered responses on two matters related to our ministry with LGBTQI persons. One of the matters had to do with the possible creation of a policy regarding the use of the church...
by cbaker | May 20, 2025 | Pastor's Pondering
I am excited to share what the United Methodist Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table, which involves the various key leaders in the denomination, have just recently shared. A new Vision for The United Methodist Church has just been unveiled—a vision that...
by cbaker | May 13, 2025 | Pastor's Pondering
Today, I am at the 241st session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, along with pastors and lay persons representing 632 United Methodist congregations in Maryland, Washington, DC, and a small part of West Virginia. There will be worship, lively conversation,...
by cbaker | May 6, 2025 | Pastor's Pondering
Religion provides what sociologists call the “three B’s”: belief, belonging, and behavior. It offers beliefs that supply answers to the tough questions of life. It gives people a place they feel they belong, a community where they are known. And it tells them how to...
