That title is mine, but when you read this, you can see it is accurate. From her article at UM-Insight: "The Rev. Dr. Rebekah Miles is an ordained elder and five-time General Conference delegate from the Arkansas Conference and Professor Ethics and Practical Theology at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University."

This is another important article following up on her earlier article detailing how the "Traditionalist Plan" "eviscerates: the authority of the basic unit of United Methodism, the Annual Conference.

Down the Rabbit Hole with the United Methodists

The So-Called-but-Not-Very-Traditional Plan (Unconstitutional Parts)

by Rebekah Miles
May 20, 2019

Special to United Methodist Insight

Read more: Witch-hunts in the UMC

There is much inspirational reading on these pages. The beginning of this collection came from the disastrous Special Called General Conference of 2019 which passed legalistic and punitive legislation on the "practice" of "homosexuality," based on a literalistic reading of Scripture, a myopic view of tradition, and ignorance of the Christian experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex Christians, as well as what science is discovering about the biology and genetics of sexual differentiation, sexual orientation, and gender identity. As a friend has said, it's Methodism without Reason and Experience.

But the outcome of the General Conference and the subsequent ruling by the Judicial Council on the constitutionality of much of what was passed, has led to a major revolt across the church, particularly in the U.S. and in Europe. It is the statements accompanying the commitments to ignore, resist, disavow, and not comply with these new laws which are inspiring, because of the vision of a church that is truly Wesleyan, in the sense of "grace, grace, and more grace" and the honoring of all four of the "sources" for Wesleyan theology and ethics: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience.

Read more: Inspirational Reading

Or, how we just eviscerated the constitutional authority of the annual conference and barred celibate gay people and even a few “non-practicing, non-homosexuals” from ordination

by Rebekah Miles
April 29, 2019
Special to United Methodist Insight

[This is a very important exposé of what the General Conference of 2019 just did, and the Judicial Council just approved. Full article from UM-Insight.]

With its April 26 ruling, the United Methodist Judicial Council has affirmed key components of the So-Called Traditional Plan, more accurately titled the Oh-So-Very-Radical Plan. Whatever you want to say about the Traditional Plan legislation that will become church law in January 2020, it is anything but traditional in the history of United Methodism and our understanding of the authority of the annual conference. Our new church law, now confirmed by the Judicial Council, eviscerates the fundamental authority of the annual conference that has been in place for over two centuries and that is at the heart of our constitution. On that score, this is a radical change with far-reaching implications for issues having nothing to do with sexuality.

Read more: The United Methodist Oh-So-Very-Radical Plan

Bishop Karen shares weekly prayers for those in her Area and Conference. Here's this week's reflection from a Facebook post, following the Judicial Council ruling:

I am praying for the laity and clergy of the Mountain Sky Conference as we prepare to gather for worship tomorrow.

The Gospel message tells the story of Thomas, who wasn’t with the rest of the disciples and so questioned their story of the risen Christ. He said, “Unless I see the mark of nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” The risen Christ comes to him, stretches out his hand and invites Thomas to touch. It is then that Thomas recognizes Christ and realizes the truth of the resurrection.

Read more: Bishop Karen Applies Disciple Thomas's Experience to GC 2019