Un-tied Methodism – UMC.org Podcasts

From a printing press to a nation: The story of the Christian Advocate

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On Sept. 9, 1826, the first issue of the Christian Advocate rolled off the press in New York City, launching a Methodist newspaper that would become the most widely read periodical on the continent. The Rev. Stefanie Bennett, senior pastor at John Street UMC, and the Rev. Brian Milford, president and publisher of the United Methodist Publishing House, join Dr. Ashley Boggan to explore the remarkable history of the Christian Advocate and its influence on the church, American society and the legacy of Methodist publishing.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

In a new video series titled “From Crown to Conferencing: Methodism and the New Republic,” we reflect on the roles Methodists have played leading up to and after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Learn more at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory/Crown-to-Conferencing.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

From the archives: The intertwining of Methodism with Revolutionary War-era America

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Today’s episode is from our archives, first released in February 2025, where we discuss the historical intertwining of religion and politics in America, particularly from a Methodist standpoint, as well as how Methodism impacted Revolutionary War-era Manhattan and Boston. It’s definitely on topic this month as the United States of America celebrates its 250^th anniversary! The Rev. Stefanie Bennett, senior pastor at John Street United Methodist Church in Manhattan, and the Rev. Dr. Emily Nelms Chastain, a professor at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology, join Dr. Ashley Boggan for this episode of “Un-Tied Methodism.”

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

Breaking the stained-glass ceiling: How women earned their place in the United Methodist episcopacy

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Join us as “Un-Tied Methodism” continues its yearlong series celebrating 70 years of women’s ordination in Methodism.

Following the landmark 1956 decision granting women full clergy rights, the movement that led to the election of the first women bishops gained momentum. In this episode of “Un-Tied Methodism,” Dr. Ashley Boggan and the Rev. Dr. Emily Nelms Chastain discuss the leadership of Jean Audrey Powers and others, including the networks of women who persisted and strategized to help reshape The United Methodist Church and the wider landscape of women’s leadership in American Christianity.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Check out our new video series titled “From Crown to Conferencing: Methodism and the New Republic,” developed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the United States. In this free resource, we reflect on the roles Methodists have played leading up to and after the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

Special LIVE episode: In the room where it happened

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Join us as “Un-Tied Methodism” continues its yearlong series celebrating 70 years of women’s ordination in Methodism.

On the 70th anniversary of day when General Conference voted to give women full ordination rights and full membership in annual conferences, Dr. Ashley Boggan and the Rev. Dr. Emily Nelms Chastain recount the details from the General Conference floor based on transcripts from that day’s Daily Christian Advocate. Recorded live on May 4, 2026, from Perkins School of Theology on the campus of SMU in Dallas, Texas.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

Assembly, Advocacy, and a Trailblazer for Women’s Ordination

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Dr. Ashley Boggan welcomes Sally Vonner and Tara Barnes, leaders from United Women in Faith, who preview the upcoming Assembly 2026 and reflect on the vital lay ministries of deaconesses and home missioners. Plus, the Rev. Dr. Emily Nelms Chastain tells the story of M. Madeline Southard, whose fearless leadership helped change the future for women in ministry.

To register for United Women in Faith’s Assembly 2026, go to UWFaith.org/Assembly.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Interested in a deep dive into the earliest stories of Methodism? Sign up for a free, online, four-module history course titled “Radicle Methodism: Back to our Roots” at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory/Radicle-Methodism. “Radicle Methodism’s” follow up course, “Rooted Methodism” is now available. Check it out at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory/Rooted-Methodism.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

Before they were recognized, they were leading

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As our yearlong “Women in Methodism” series continues on “Un-Tied Methodism,” Dr. Ashley Boggan talks with historian Dr. Ellen Blue about the Methodist women, deaconesses, and mission leaders who fed the hungry, served immigrants, built institutions, shaped social work, and pushed the church toward change. Their work was often dismissed, their records were often lost, and their leadership was often resisted, but their witness helped turn the world upside down.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

“Rooted Methodism,” the follow up to the popular “Radicle Methodism: Back to our Roots,” is now available. Check out this deep dive into the our denomination at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory/Rooted-Methodism.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

Crossing oceans and confronting power: The audacious faith of Dorothy Ripley

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Join us as “Un-Tied Methodism” continues its yearlong series celebrating 70 years of women’s ordination in Methodism.

Long before women’s ordination was formally recognized, Dorothy Ripley was already preaching in bold and radical ways. She crossed the Atlantic Ocean 19 times, chastised President Thomas Jefferson for being an enslaver and was the first woman to speak before Congress.

Dr. Ashley Boggan welcomes Duke University’s Dr. Laceye Warner to explore the remarkable life of this 18th-century evangelist, a woman who navigated institutional resistance and cultural expectations to become known at the time of her death as “perhaps the most extraordinary woman in the world.”

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

From Susanna Wesley to Dorothy Ripley: Women, calling and courage

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Join us as “Un-Tied Methodism” begins a yearlong series celebrating 70 years of women’s ordination in Methodism. Dr. Ashley Boggan welcomes historians Rev. Dr. Paul Chilcote and Rev. Dr. Donna Fowler-Marchant to look at the women who laid the groundwork long before ordination was possible.

From Susanna Wesley’s overlooked theological brilliance to the bold preaching of Sarah Crosby, Mary Bosanquet Fletcher, and dozens of other women, this episode explores how women in early Methodism claimed their call—often in defiance of church structures, social respectability, and outright opposition.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

From colonization to calling: How Methodism took root in the Philippines

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From Navy chaplains and student gatherings to youth movements and global mission, the latest episode in our “Methodisms Around the World” series traces the surprising and resilient story of the Methodist movement in the Philippines. Guests Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut and Karen Prudente join host Dr. Ashley Boggan to explore how colonial history, acts of resistance, women’s leadership, and a deeply relational faith shaped a vibrant witness—one that continues to plant churches and form leaders around the world.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.

From revival fires to social justice: Tracing Methodism’s Canadian story

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What happens when revival fires, social gospel movements, colonial history and Wesleyan spirituality collide on Canadian soil? Dr. Ashley Boggan is joined by Rev. Rob Shearer to explore the unique story of Methodism in Canada, its ecumenical evolution, and the surprising resurgence of Wesleyan passion among new generations.

Explore the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History at ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.

Listen to other episodes of “Un-Tied Methodism” at UnTiedMethodism.org.