Rich Peck
It's Our Own Fault
We so often "cherry-pick" the scriptures by which we'll abide, except when it comes to the issues around human sexuality, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Photo Courtesy of United Methodist Men
Men's Ministry Is Hard and Messy
Rev. Rick Vance, director of men’s ministry for the General Commission on United Methodist Men, says men's reluctance to get involved in church can be overcome with persistence and personal attention. Read more
Crossing the Finish Line
A runner for some 65 years -- yes, really, 65 years -- the Rev. Rich Peck has never had a "high" in sport or in faith, but he sees no reason to quit. Read more
Sunlight789 | Dreamstime.com
A View from an Oyster Bed
Whether we're oysters or rocks or ballerinas or Lebron James, we'll do well to remember that each of us has only a small and imperfect vision of God-things, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Photo by Rich Peck
Gentrification Is Not Gentle
Gentrification is having a negative effect on 61st Avenue United Methodist Church, a beacon of hope and care in the West Nashville neighborhood known as the Nations, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Treating Our Amnesia
The Religious Landscape Study results for American United Methodists show that we've forgotten our identity as Wesleyan Christians, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
It's Time for a Courageous Word from the Pulpit
Clergy know that the Holy Bible, while inspired by God, actually was written over hundreds of years by different people with different understandings, and that reality affects interpreting scripture, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Stay Tuned
Veteran church observer, the Rev. Rich Peck, cautions United Methodists to wait until the Judicial Council rules on the Traditional Plan. Read more
Landslide Blocks Way Forward
The Rev. Rich Peck doesn't know how to find a way around the landslide that the 2019 General Conference has dumped on his life in Methodism. Read more
A Good Reason to Split
There are doctrinal differences that are far more significant to Christian faith than whether a person marries someone of the same gender, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Are We Really Better Together?
Our differences of opinion over biblical interpretation are a strength, and a good reason for The United Methodist Church to stay together, says the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Guilty on Two Counts
As it struggles on through its inner turmoil over human sexuality, the Rev. Rich Peck finds The United Methodist Church is guilty of sins of omission and commission in regard to the rest of its call to ministry as followers of Jesus Christ. Read more
A Chat with My 24-year-old Self About the UMC's Future
The Rev. Rich Peck pays an instructive time-travel visit to his 24-year-old newly ordained self to find some perspective on the special called 2019 General Conference. Read more
“Bible with Cross Shadow,” David Campbell, Flickr C.C.
Deeper Issues Trouble United Methodists
While the acceptance of LGBTQ people may be the "presenting issue," what's really at the heart of United Methodist troubles is the deeper issue of how to value and interpret Scripture, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS
How the Rules May Affect the 2019 General Conference
Veteran journalist Rich Peck describes what he envisions for the special called 2019 General Conference on unity if the procedural rules stay the same. Read more
Trying to Figure Out the Plot
His life is a miracle, but there's still something mysterious about it all, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Photo Courtesy of United Methodist Men
Men's Ministry Is Hard and Messy
Rev. Rick Vance, director of men’s ministry for the General Commission on United Methodist Men, says men's reluctance to get involved in church can be overcome with persistence and personal attention. Read more
Crossing the Finish Line
A runner for some 65 years -- yes, really, 65 years -- the Rev. Rich Peck has never had a "high" in sport or in faith, but he sees no reason to quit. Read more
Sunlight789 | Dreamstime.com
A View from an Oyster Bed
Whether we're oysters or rocks or ballerinas or Lebron James, we'll do well to remember that each of us has only a small and imperfect vision of God-things, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Photo by Rich Peck
Gentrification Is Not Gentle
Gentrification is having a negative effect on 61st Avenue United Methodist Church, a beacon of hope and care in the West Nashville neighborhood known as the Nations, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
Treating Our Amnesia
The Religious Landscape Study results for American United Methodists show that we've forgotten our identity as Wesleyan Christians, writes the Rev. Rich Peck. Read more
UM Insight Art
A New "Q"
What if that gospel source known as "Q" actually comes from United Methodists' favorite church jargon? The Rev. Rich Peck has a humorous take on the prospect. Read more
Principles Approved to Guide 2016 GC Budget Work
Two churchwide agencies tasked with preparation the worldwide denomination's budget have agreed on the guidelines by which they'll prepare financial plans. Read more
United Methodist News Service Photo by Mike DuBose
Church Continues Reassessing Global Relationships
The United Methodist Church is likely to continue its decades-long struggle to define the relationship between churches in the United States and congregations in Africa, Asia and Europe, with the Connectional Table assigned to the task. Read more
NASA Illustration
Our Place in the Universe
The Kepler telescope's discovery of thousands of potentially habitable planets far beyond Earth underscores the UMC's Social Principles that science expands our understanding of the mysteries of God’s creation, writes Rich Peck. Read more
UMNS Photo by Rich Peck
Bishop: Men Need a New Christian Identity
Christian men need help to find a new identity in serving God and people, urged Bishop James A. Swanson, president of the General Commission on United Methodist Men, during the agency's recent directors' meeting. Read more