Posts by Category: Editor’s Views

By Jessica Connor. Like a breath of fresh air blowing swiftly across the world, change is coming to the United Methodist Church.

By Jessica Connor. This month, the Advocate is wholeheartedly applauding the bishops of four major denominations in this state for their bold move in the name of love.

By Jessica Connor. It’s been a busy year, one filled with wave upon wave of uplifting, inspirational tales of Christians being God’s hands in the world. We’ve seen our share of sad times, too—friends and loved ones lost, a longtime ministry closing its doors, daily challenges in our families, communities, our nation and our world.

By Jessica Connor. As a newspaper, the core mission of the Advocate is one of proclamation.

By Jessica Connor. In today’s highly politicized, highly polarized dialogue about immigration, it’s critical that we as Christians think about the issue from a Biblical perspective.

By Jessica Connor. Domestic violence has become a crisis in the Palmetto State, says the S.C. Attorney General’s Office. South Carolina ranks ninth in the nation when it comes to women being killed by men, and more than 36,000 victims annually report a domestic violence incident to law enforcement agencies around the state.

By Jessica Connor. I remember well where I was 10 years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, the day terrorists launched a terrible, tragic attack on American soil. Living in South Florida at the time, I remember frantic calls to loved ones and huddling around a television set as we watched what we thought could be the end of the world.

By Jessica Connor. I sat there on the wet summer grass, cradling the 10-year-old girl on my lap as she roared in pain. “My arm! It hurts! Oh, it hurts!” she hollered, panting and shaking, before shivering her way into the fetal position as I tried my hardest to hold her right arm straight. All around me, concerned neighbors crouched, our eyes locking.

By Jessica Connor. Over and over again, sitting at the press table at Annual Conference, I heard pastor after pastor stand up and remind the body about the importance of faith in our walk as Christians.

By Jessica Connor. We’ve been seeing campaign literature lately from people who want to be elected as a General Conference delegate, and we applaud their willingness to go and serve this great United Methodist Church. It’s a huge responsibility, and one we know they don’t take lightly.

By Jessica Connor. On page 5 of this month’s Advocate, you’ll find point-counterpoint columns on one of the most divisive issues our United Methodist Church is facing today. Whether we’re talking about allowing a pastor to bar a gay parishioner from worship or allowing a gay clergy member to pastor a church, the millions of people comprising the UMC have strong and often polarized opinion about homosexuality.

By Jessica Connor. As we go to press on the April edition, Christians across the globe are preparing for the biggest celebration of the Church: the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

By Jessica Connor. Scan the pages of the Advocate this month, and see if you can feel it: Excitement! Passion! Renewed vigor! It’s like a huge gust of wind is sweeping the state, fanning the flames of Christian vitality.

By Jessica Connor. We don’t know what spurred Jared Loughner to go on an alleged shooting spree Jan. 8, leaving six innocent people dead, including a 9-year-old girl. We don’t know whether it was, as some have suggested, a festering response to the intense political vitriol that has slowly been building to a crescendo in our nation, or some other reason entirely.

By Jessica Connor. Peace. Unity. Christian love. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached all of that and more in a lifetime spent advocating racial equality and an end to discrimination.

By Jessica Connor. Try as I might, I’m never sure if I’m communicating the right message about Christianity to my children.

By Jessica Connor. I’ve never quite considered myself an extreme-sports junkie. Adventurous? Sure – I’ll hop on a roller coaster any day. The kind of person who’ll bungee jump or parachute out of a perfectly good airplane? Not likely.

By Jessica Connor. On page 9 of this month’s edition, I draw your attention to guest columns written by two Salkehatchie alumni – one a teenager, one an adult. What touches me especially about these columns is the do-gooder Christ-inspired sincerity these volunteers have about the annual summer service project. It’s a spirit I’ve heard echoed by a host of people since I started as Advocate editor in June.

By Jessica Connor. At Laity Convocation last month, Columbia District Superintendent the Rev. Tim McClendon talked about something I just can’t get off my mind. He called it the “T-shirt test” and wondered how, on such a small piece of cloth, we could possibly fit the message of United Methodism. After all, T-shirts are supposed to be quick-reads. And while meaningful, let’s face it – the vision and purpose of the S.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church is pretty long.