Rev. James Parks

On Easter, I shared with the congregation I serve that I have what I jokingly call “pre-parcel anxiety.” It’s not a real diagnosis, but it does mean I find myself checking the front porch often. I listen for delivery trucks and want to be there the moment a package arrives I’ve noticed I do something similar when guests are coming over. I don’t want to miss them. I want to be at the door, ready to welcome them when they arrive. It has made me wonder: how often do we miss what God is...

Our hope is that Annual Conference will be more than a meeting. We envision it as a time of retreat where we—both as individuals and as a conference—Our hope is that Annual Conference will be more than a meeting. We envision it as a time of retreat where we—both as individuals and as a conference—can realign our lives and ministries with the Holy Spirit. Watch Invitation Video Here When I think about “keeping in step,” I picture different running partners I have had over the years. In my...

Early in my ministry, when I was recruiting people to serve on church committees and leadership teams, I often used a line like, “It’s not that much work.” My thinking was that if I didn’t make the task sound too big, people would be more willing to say yes. I assumed hesitation was the primary obstacle to service. What I learned over time is that I was underappreciating both the role of leadership in the church and the desire of lay people to serve passionately and wholeheartedly. Faithful...