I have never met Sondra Wheeler, but Jason Byassee, the editor of Call and Response suggested that she would be a good person for what will probably be my last open letter in this series. She is professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Seminary in Washington D.C. and has written about churches and money.
It has been very enlightening and helpful to write various denominational leaders asking for their advice and insight on various topics that have come up in my first year or so of being a pastor. The idea was initially sparked by Michael Jinkin’s book, Letters to New Pastors, and so my first letter was to Jinkins. This last letter, the ninth in the series, is a letter about whether tithing should be tied in any way to membership. Should members be required to tithe? It’s a question my church has wrestled with for several years now and currently requires certain kinds of members to be tithing and other kinds of members just to be giving regularly. Wheeler’s response will be posted next week.
- Letter to Michael Jinkins about different churches and his reply.
- Letter to Lillian Daniel about preaching the lectionary and her reply.
- Letter to Ed Phillips about communion and his reply.
- Letter to Bishop Willimon about being a United Methodist church plant and his reply.
- Letter to Kelly Johnson about being friends with staff and her repy.
- Letter to Brad Kalajainen about church buildings and his reply.
- Letter to Father James Martin about money and his reply.
- Letter to John Ed Mathison about leadership and vision and his reply.
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