Louisiana Now

We continue to preview the 2025 Annual Conference. In this episode, we talk more about the Strategic Implementation Team. We are joined by Associate Lay Leader, Susie Cox and Rev. Dr. Van Stinson, Assistant to the Bishop.  We learn more about the SIT Team, what it is and what they've been up to this year. Formed in 2024 under the guidance of Bishop Delores J. Williamston, the Strategic Implementat...

In this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast, we're joined by Bishop Delores J. Williamston as she reflects on the theme of JOY, a guiding focus for the 2025 Annaul Conference. Bishop Williamston shares how joy is not only a personal source of strength but also a collective call for the Church in a time of healing, rebuilding, and hope. We also catch up with the Bishop fresh off her journey to Jer...

Our guest speaker for the 2025 Annual Conference is Rev. F. Douglas Powe, Jr., PhD. In this episode, we learn more about him, and what he will share with us during his time at Annual Conference. Learn more about how it's time to re-examine John Wesley's model of evangelism as a full, natural circle, where it's a communal beginning point rather than a solitary end.   Dr. Powe is the President of Ph...

Since 1975, the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana has offered an array of financial services for churches and individuals while promoting a culture of generosity to United Methodist donors and churches. For more on the Foundation, please head to their web site .  For more on the 2025 Annual Conference, please head here . 

We are gearing up for a special event - People Like Me - a two-day immersive retreat focused on building intercultural competency, strengthening inclusive leadership, and helping churches reflect the rich diversity of their communities. Led by our very own, Rev. Katrena King, our Conference's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist, the retreat offers tools like the Intercultural Development I...

This is a special edition of the Louisiana Now podcast, a reading of the Easter Story by host Todd Rossnagel. This reading comes from all four gospels and various translations. To find a United Methodist church in the Louisiana Conference, please visit our directory: https://www.la-umc.org/churches To find a listing of online church services in the Louisiana Conference, please visit  here .  To fi...

This Lent, ponder the themes of justice, poverty, freedom, and love. The four New Testament Gospels aren't the same story, but they offer the same Resurrection hope. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John devote most of their story detailing Jesus' last week in Jerusalem, all highlighting Jesus' triumphant entry into the city, the suffering and humiliation of the cross, and the empty tomb come Sunday morni...

The Common Ground Youth Retreat is set for February 21-23, 2025, at Camp Istrouma, offering a weekend of connection, faith-building, and fun for United Methodist youth in grades 6-12 across Louisiana. Organized by youth directors from the Louisiana United Methodist Conference, the retreat invites young people to deepen their relationship with Christ and each other in a supportive environment. Regi...

Join us for People Like Me – a two-day immersive retreat led by Rev. Katrena King, our Conference's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist. This event, January 10-11 in Woodworth, is designed for anyone ready to take bold steps toward deeper intercultural competency and create stronger, more inclusive faith communities. At this retreat, you'll participate in hands-on workshops, engage in cour...

"They don't want to die; they want to grow!" It's a powerful realization for Rev. Robert Johnson who just completed four listening sessions all across The Louisiana Conference; listening sessions focused on the future of the Black Church.  Johnson serves as the Black Church Vitality strategist in The Louisiana Conference and is our guest on this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast. We discuss wha...

In this episode of Louisiana NOW, Karrie Gaspard joins the show. Gaspard is a doctoral student at Tulane University, and is an expert in dissecting the complexities of Christian Nationalism and its encroachment into the fabric of Christianity. As a former educator and licensed social worker with a profound understanding of the intersections between religious and political spheres, Karrie offers in...

Hurricane Francine brought a positive development to two United Methodist Churches in Louisiana. Both First Grace United Methodist Church and Cornerstone United Methodist Church  partnered with Together New Orleans to be a part of the Community Lighthouse project, a bold initiative to create a network of solar-powered churches and community centers across the city. The result? The largest off-grid...

In this episode of Louisiana NOW, we sit down with John Smith, the new Conference Lay Leader, and Susie Cox, the new Associate Lay Leader. Together, we explore the crucial role of lay leadership in the United Methodist Church. We reflect on their personal journeys of faith and what inspired them to step into leadership roles within their local congregations. They share insights on the difference b...

In this episode, we are joined by Rev. Dr. Vicki Loflin Johnson and Rev. Ali Young, Director of Clergy Excellence in The Louisiana Conference, to talk about the upcoming clergy retreat called Grieving Well . Clergy are expected to share the burden of others' grief as well as the collective grief of the institutions we serve.  In the midst of caring for others, how can we make space for tending our...

Welcome to another episode of the Louisiana Now podcast. In this episode, we sit down with bishop Delores J. Williamston, bishop of The Louisiana Conference of The United Methodist Church. The 2024 Annual Conference just wrapped up last week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We had a chance to sit down with Bishop Williamston before she left this week for the Arkansas annual conference. She reflects on s...

We sit down with Rev. Amy Castro of Westlake United Methodist Church to talk about her incredible journey this week. She was driving home after graduating from seminary at Perkins School of Theology on the campus of SMU and drove straight to tornado damage at her church in southwest Louisiana. She shares a heartwarming tale of resilience and community support that followed in the moments after the...

We wrap our coverage from Charlotte, North Carolina. In this final episode, we wanted to share some interviews on the major event that came out of General Conference - Delegates voted to remove restrictive and harmful language from the  United Methodist Book of Discipline after more than fifty years of intense, prayerful debate.  For more on our coverage from General Conference, please click here...

Our updates from General Conference continue. In this episode, we look back at the start of Week 2 from Charlotte, North Carolina.  Bishop Delores J. Williamston presided over the morning plenary session and we had a chance to catch up with her afterward. She talks more about what it felt to sit in the chair and what this week looks like.   

Todd Rossnagel and Todd Seifert have served together on UMAC (United Methodist Association of Communicators) leadership teams. As you might expect, identifying two Todd's became a challenge on ZOOM, so Todd Rossnagel received the nickname "Cajun Todd" (Louisiana), while Todd Seifert earned the nickname "Plain Todd" (Great Plains).   In this episode of Louisiana NOW, Rossnagel and Seifert unpack Ge...

UNITED METHODIST NEWS: General Conference has now passed much of the legislation that aims to give The United Methodist Church's different geographic regions equal standing in decision-making. In what outgoing Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton called "a historic day for our church," delegates voted 586 to 164 for an amendment to the denomination's constitution that will now go befor...

In this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast, we delve into the start of General Conference held in Charlotte, North Carolina. We catch up with Bishop Delores J. Williamston, Jennifer Swann, and other delegates.   

The General Conference of The United Methodist Church is meeting April 23 through May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, NC. In this episode, Todd Rossnagel shares a preview of the gathering, including comments from Bishop Delores J. Williamston, Rev. Bardy Whitton, and Jennifer Swann, members of the Louisiana delegation.  For more on General Conference, and to stay up to date with the latest news, decisions...

In this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast, we visit with Dr. Ashley Boggan D., the General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History.  Ahsley helps to ensure that the UMC understands its past in order to envision a more equitable future for all Methodists. Boggan earned her PhD from Drew Theological School's Graduate Division of Religion, specializing in both Methodist/Wesleya...

In this episode, we catch up with Rev. Katrena Porter King has been appointed to the Louisiana Conference as the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist. This strategic addition to the extended cabinet underscores the Conference's commitment to fostering an environment that champions inclusivity and justice, as well as actively promoting diversity in the staff and leadership structure. Bis...

We are thrilled to feature a conversation with Britney Winn Lee. She is leading the innovative A New Thing workshop, an initiative presented by the United Methodist Foundation. This workshop is dedicated to turning visionary ideas into tangible realities, offering a platform for creative thinking and strategic execution. Utilizing Kenda Creasy Dean's  Innovating for Love: Joining God's Expedition...