Seven sisters: A look at the lives of John Wesley’s female siblings

John Wesley had seven sisters and it’s “overdue that we explore their lives,” says Rev. Dr. Glen O’Brien, author, minister and professor of Christian history and thought at the University of Divinity in Melbourne, Australia. Join Dr. Ashley Boggan, host of “Un-Tied Methodism,” as she and O’Brien delve into the stories of the Wesley sisters, examining both their lives and contributions to Methodism, as well as the importance of understanding Christian history from a female perspective.

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.

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

The AME Church in Indian Territory: A complex kinship

In a history that is not widely known, the early African Methodist Episcopal Church and indigenous communities shared a relationship of both connection and resistance in the area now known as Oklahoma.

Dr. Ashley Boggan takes a look at the history with Dr. Christina Dickerson, professor and author of “Black Indians and Freedmen: The African Methodist Episcopal Church and Indigenous Americans, 1816-1916” on the current episode of “Un-Tied Methodism.”

Learn more and/or order Dickerson’s book at this link.

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.

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

Methodists and Sand Creek

Many United Methodists do not know the violent tragedies of our past, including the denomination’s  responsibility and agency in the Sand Creek Massacre, the 1864 attack by the U.S. Army on the Cheyenne and Arapaho people in what is now Colorado. This is that story.

Dr. Ashley Boggan welcomes guest, Dr. Gary L. Roberts, professor and author of “Massacre at Sand Creek: How Methodists Were Involved in an American Tragedy.”

Note: This episode is a repeat from October 2021.

To learn more and/or order Dr. Roberts’ book, go to this link.

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.

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

Methodism in Latin America: The journey and the legacy that remains

Join Dr. Ashley Boggan D., GCAH’s general secretary, and Dr. Philip Wingeier-Rayo, professor of Missiology, World Christianity and Methodist Studies at Wesley Theological Seminary, as they discuss the vibrant history of Methodism in Latin America. Learn about the courageous pioneers who brought their faith to a region dominated by Catholicism and how the legacy continues to thrive today.

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.

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

Lessons for 21st-century people of faith from a 19th-century abolitionist

The Rev. Dr. Christopher P. Momany joins Dr. Ashley Boggan as a return guest on “Un-Tied Methodism” to discuss the new collaborative project titled “Awakening to Justice: Faithful Voices from the Abolitionist Past.” Inspired by the discovery of a 19th century abolitionist journal and the documentation of a ship used to enslave people, the book challenges us to confront our history in an effort to inspire fresh conversations about race and faith in the church.

Learn more about “Awakening to Justice.”

Watch the “Awakening to  Justice” documentary.

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.

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

Methodist Abolitionists: Boldly following a ‘higher law’

The Rev. Dr. Christopher P. Momany, author of “Compelling Lives: Five Methodist Abolitionists and the Ideas that Inspired Them” joins Dr. Ashley Boggan D. as a guest on “Un-Tied Methodism” to discuss key Methodists whose opposition to slavery and witness for justice was grounded in the “higher law” of godly authority rather than human-made laws.

Learn more about and/or purchase Momany’s book at christopherpaulmomany.com.

Check out this video produced by the Michigan Conference of The UMC that features Momany’s study and outreach in support of “Compelling Lives.”

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.

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

From Faith to Politics: How Methodism Shaped Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton, a lifelong United Methodist, made a profession of faith at 10 years old, a faith that impacted her character and her politics, says Gary Scott Smith, biographer of the American politician, diplomat and former First Lady. Smith joins Dr. Ashley Boggan D. on “Un-Tied Methodism” to discuss “Do All the Good You Can: How Faith Shaped Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Politics.” Regardless of the role she was in, Smith shares, Clinton’s guiding passion was informed through a Methodist lens of what was right and just, primarily as she worked to improve the lives of women and children.

Learn more about and/or purchase Smith’s book at University of Illinois Press.

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.

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

RMN, at ’40 years young,’ prepares to step into a new UMC

On today’s special 50th episode of “Un-Tied Methodism,” streamed live from the postponed 2020 General Conference, Dr. Ashley Boggan D., host, welcomes Jan Lawrence, executive director of Reconciling Ministries Network. The two discuss RMN’s 40 years of witness, as well as what the LGBTQ+ caucus is doing to prepare for the next iteration of The United Methodist Church.

Learn more about Reconciling Ministries Network at RMNetwork.org.

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.

Reimagining unity: Regionalization and The UMC

In the next installment of our special General Conference series of “Un-Tied Methodism” episodes, we discuss regionalization. Few may realize that as soon as John Wesley’s Methodist movement expanded out of the U.K. to Ireland, Scotland, the Caribbean and North America, the conversation about regionalization began. More than 270 years later, a petition outlining an official regionalization plan for The UMC is headed to General Conference. Dr. Ashley Boggan D. welcomes guests the Rev. Dr. Betty Kazadi Musau, Dr. David Scott and the Rev. Dr. Israel Alvaran to discuss this important topic and why regionalization offers opportunities to rethink the church and consider possibilities for both The UMC and for the ecumenical church worldwide.

To learn more and/or purchase “Methodism and American Empire: Reflections on Decolonizing the Church,” edited by Dr. David William Scott and Filipe Fernandes R. Maia, visit Cokesbury.com.

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.

Advancing with boldness: Exploring women’s impact at The UMC’s General Conference

In the next installment of our special General Conference series, Dr. Ashley Boggan D. welcomes Dawn Wiggins Hare, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women’s general secretary, and the Rev. Jane Ellen Nickell, an ordained elder in The UMC’s West Virginia Conference, to discuss the role of women through the years at the denomination’s quadrennial legislative gathering. The trio discusses how women have and have not been affirmed, the ongoing need for expansive language in legislation and how sexism remains in The UMC.

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.