In presenting the history of the episcopacy in Methodism, a United Methodist historian challenged bishops to take a page from John Wesley’s playbook and submit to be “more vile.”
Church archivists worry that congregations disaffiliating from The United Methodist Church will fail to make arrangements to preserve the papers that tell their story.
Abingdon Press has published a revised edition of “American Methodism,” its history of The United Methodist Church and its predecessors. The new version adds a chapter covering 20 years of contentious debate over sexuality.
Rowe was an important writer on Methodist history, seeking to include marginalized groups, and gave crucial help to other scholars as a professor, librarian, archivist and bibliographer.