e-Review archives
Bishop's Commentaries 2007
 

Goals for 2006

Jan. 11, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0602} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker In the fall of 2005 Florida Conference Lay Leader Bill Walker and I visited every district to present goals for the congregations of the Florida Conference. ... At the 2007 Florida Annual Conference the members will receive a report on the performance of the conference in meeting its goals, and there will be a conversation about how congregations can become healthy. full story

Wesleyan spirituality

Jan. 26, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0611} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker One of the finest explications of the Wesleyan vision of the Christian life is Frank Whaling’s introduction in “John and Charles Wesley: Selected Writings and Hymns” (New York: Paulist Press, 1981) in the remarkable series “The Classics of Western Spirituality.” ... Whaling’s essay is a good introduction to a growing body of scholarship that causes us to understand the Wesleyan heritage in a new light. To put it rather simplistically, the Wesleyan heritage infuses into the Western Christian tradition a vision of the Gospel and the Christian life that is strikingly similar to that of the Eastern Christian tradition and the primitive church. full story

Taking the long view

Feb. 16, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0626} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker   It is very difficult for the church of Jesus Christ to be faithful to its mission in any cultural context at any particular time. Our biggest challenge is to learn how to live in the world without becoming so much a part of the world that we lose our identity as the church and fail to make our witness to Christ and fulfill our mission for Christ. full story

A visit to Haiti

March 2, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0632} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker In January, I and team from the Florida Conference were guests at the 2007 annual conference of The Methodist Church of Haiti. We participated in the sessions, visited mission sites and met with the clergy to discuss our conference's covenant with The Methodist Church of Haiti. My visit left some definite impressions on me. full story

Watch the Jews!

April 2, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0648} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker In every one of Walker Percy’s novels a character points to the Jews as a sign in history. A Catholic, the late Walter Percy wrote novels that are not only highly entertaining, but also profoundly critical of modern culture from a Christian perspective. The Christian perspective through which Percy viewed this world is one that is anchored in its Jewish roots. Indeed, he is not only critical of the world, but also of a Christianity that is forgetful of its dependence upon God’s revelation to the Jews. full story

Inclusivity or catholicity?

April 20, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0660} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker “Inclusivity” is probably the one word that is employed more than any other in the discussions about the identity and mission of the church today. For some, it is simply the expression of the church’s evangelical hospitality to all peoples. For others, it has become an ideology, a reduction of the thickness of the Gospel to the thinness of a slogan. What is required is a better understanding of the identity and mission of the church in light of the Gospel. full story

Our response to the violence

April 25, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0662} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker Along with you and millions of people around the world, I mourn and grieve over the acts of violence committed April 16 on the campus of Virginia Tech. As your bishop, I encourage you and your congregation to respond in the wake of these senseless shootings. full story

Spiritual sense in a secular era

May 18, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0674} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker It is remarkable, yet not surprising, how quickly many in modern Western societies are embracing secularity, consumerism. Beneath the surface of this comfortable existence in a consumerist society, however, is a restlessness of the human spirit. As the late Peggy Lee sang, “Is that all there is?” full story

The future of The United Methodist Church

June 17, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0688} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker During a recent interview I was asked, “What is the future of The United Methodist Church?” The question reflects a widespread anxiety about the future of The United Methodist Church. This anxiety is not groundless. full story

Together!

Sept. 18, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0741} An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker There are a number of unmet needs in the conference, and meeting them will take everyone, laity and clergy, working together. Strengthening that common ministry can be accomplished — through the Bishop’s Capital Campaign. full story

The church’s ecumenical imperative

Oct. 14, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0752} An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker It is common to acknowledge that ecumenism is not a high priority for churches today. Yet, working in unity with other churches and denominations is not an option for Christians or their church bodies. full story

God with us

Dec. 4, 2007    News media contact:  Tita Parham*     800-282-8011    tparham@flumc.org     Orlando {0769} NOTE: A headshot of Whitaker is available at http://www.flumc.info/photo_gallery2.shtml. An e-Review Commentary By Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker Christmas is the festival celebrated by the church to commemorate the birth of Jesus — the birth that changed the world. The primary reason Jesus’ birth is unforgettable, however, is because Jesus’ life discloses a mystery — a mystery that is sensed without ever being fully comprehended. full story