Thanks for the retirement luncheon!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the wonderful retirement luncheon at Jax First UMC today (most of you know that though I’m not retiring from the Annual Conference yet, I’m stepping out of itinerant ministry into a chaplaincy position to take care of family).

Thanks to the SPRC for gently insisting on doing a luncheon when I resisted! Brooke’s, Nathan’s, and Father Robert’s words were so very kind. Thanks for the food, the flowers from your gardens, the basket of cards, and my favorite strawberry cake. Thanks for inviting some of my pastor friends, too.

I shared some numbers today:

- I’ve worked 42 years in the local church (36 as pastor)

- I’ve served 10 local churches (8 as pastor)

- Of the 8 pastorates, 6 grew numerically while I was there, and I’m happy to say that 5 are still in the UMC

- When we first went into ministry, Sandy gave me a log. Over the years I recorded 64 weddings, 184 funerals, and 345 baptisms.

- What delights me most is that I recorded 501 Professions of Faith, Confirmations, and Restorations (restoring the membership of someone who hasn’t been a church member for many years).

Thanks to our amazing staff (you are a “dream team!”), and to an awesome, healthy church with great lay leadership. With Covid, mold remediation, and the great schism, we’ve been through a lot together. And yet we’ve had so many new members join, the church is in great shape, and you shine with the light of Christ.

Sandy has loved being a grant writer, Toyland organizer, and “Little Needs” creator for JCOC. She loved being part of Warm Hearts and launching GriefShare. She has loved living here!

For me, I’ve also loved the college vibe. I’ve enjoyed JSU Civic Chorale, JSU Trombone Choir, and Exchange Club. I’ve enjoyed doing music with YOU too. Those who came to my classes and book studies were a joy. I love doing chapel with K1A and was thrilled to go on our mission trip to Uganda. And I loved starting up Wednesday Night Suppers.

If there are those reading this from previous churches, thanks to all of you for making pastoring a joy over the years!

To close with a Star Trek reference, when Captain Kirk was dying, his last words were “it was … fun.”

To all of you I’ve got to spend time with in my 42 years of ministry, I want you to know that. It was … fun!

Thank you.

Speech at Annual Conference in favor of regionalization

This is the speech I made today at Annual Conference in favor of the regionalization amendments.

I am Steve West, pastor of Jacksonville First UMC. I am passionately in favor of the constitutional amendments before us, and I urge each of you to vote for them.

For years, a number of us worked tirelessly to preserve the unity of the Church—not uniformity, but unity rooted in our shared faith in Christ. These amendments are the next step in making that dream a reality.

My personal journey began in 2017 when I became aware of coordinated plans of some not only to leave our denomination, but to block ANY proposed plan for unity on their way out. I began to speak out, because I believe Christ calls us to do better than that. I still do.

They said regionalization would never work. That African delegates would never allow it. That conflict would perpetually define us. That the church would implode.

But I was at General Conference in 2024, and I saw something different. I saw a church finding healing and daring to hope again. I saw the Spirit moving, granting vision. I saw a church choosing to love our people instead of loving our issues. And I saw African United Methodists saying yes, this IS how God is calling us to move forward.

This moment will prove naysayers wrong—not out of spite, but because we have a bigger vision. A vision that says our unity is in Christ. A vision that’s not about thinking alike but loving alike. A vision that reflects the beautiful, contextual diversity of a truly global body called the United Methodist Church.

These amendments are how we move forward. They give us the framework to live into the decisions we’ve made. They preserve unity by creating room for regional diversity.

Central conferences want to be part of this new future. They’re choosing community over control, collaboration over coercion. And they’re trusting us to do the same.

Today, every vote matters and is counted toward the aggregate total across the world. So this is your moment to be part of the new thing God is doing. 

But more than proving the  doomsayers wrong, let’s prove John Wesley right. He coined the phrase “agree to disagree.” He preached on what he called a "catholic spirit," where unity in fundamentals was crucial, while differences in less essential matters could be accepted. And he said, “If your heart is as my heart, then give me your hand.”

Friends, the vision is clear. The Spirit is moving. Let’s finish what we started. Vote yes—for all the regionalization amendments—and let’s be the kind of witness in the world Jesus prayed for in John 17.

Come Anyway

This quote from the new pope has been circulating with the preface “I like him already.” I do too.

—

" Brothers, sisters … I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray, because they think God has left.

To those who are fed up with scandals, with misused power, with the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a palace than a home.

I, too, was angry with God.

I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, grandparents cry without medicine.

And yes … there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo.

But then I discovered something: God doesn't shout. God whispers. And sometimes He whispers from the mud, from pain, from a grandmother who feeds you without having anything.

I don't come to offer you perfect faith. I come to tell you that faith is a walk with stones, puddles, and unexpected hugs.

I'm not asking you to believe in everything. I'm asking you not to close the door. Give a chance to the God who waits for you without judgment.

I'm just a priest who saw God in the smile of a woman who lost her son... and yet she cooked for others.

That changed me.

So if you're broken, if you don't believe, if you're tired of the lies ... come anyway. With your anger, your doubt, your dirty backpack. No one here will ask you for a VIP card.

Because this Church, as long as I breathe, will be a home for the homeless, and a rest for the weary.

God doesn't need soldiers. He needs brothers.

And you, yes, you ... are one of them."

Robert Prevost (Pope Leo XIV)

Walking Prayer for North Alabama Conference of the UMC

With a little help from Chat GPT, I created this "walking prayer" liturgy for gathering leadership the day before Annual Conference. We will pray on Wednesday, May 28, at 3:00 pm. Join us in the spirit of prayer, even if you are not physically present.

GATHERING

Leader: Let us begin in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All: Come, Holy Spirit. Fill this place. Prepare every room to be a space of grace.

Song: “Spirit of the living God”

Scripture: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints, for the courts of the Lord.”—Psalm 84:1–2a

Prayer: Gracious God, we dedicate this space and the time we spend here to You. As we walk and pray, let our steps be guided by your Spirit. Prepare each area to be a sanctuary of your presence. Open hearts, renew minds, and ignite faith in all who will gather here. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

WALK TO THE MAIN ENTRANCE

Scripture: “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” —Romans 15:7

Prayer: God of welcome, may all who enter this place feel received, known, and safe.

Let the hospitality shown here reflect your gracious invitation to all.

Prepare hearts from the moment they step through the door. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

WALK TO THE LABYRINTH

Scripture: "Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls." — Jeremiah 6:16

Prayer: God of the journey, In this winding path, remind us that every step with You is holy. Still our anxious thoughts, open our hearts, and lead us in the way that brings peace. Let this walk draw us nearer to Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

WALK TO THE MISSION DISPLAYS

Scripture: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."— Luke 4:18–19

Prayer: God of mercy and mission, You call us beyond our walls and beyond ourselves. As we give witness to stories of service and justice, ignite in us a holy urgency to love boldly, give freely, and serve faithfully. Let our hands become Your hands. Amen.

 

WALK TO THE PRAYER ROOM

Scripture: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” —Isaiah 30:15

Prayer: Prince of Peace, may this room be a refuge for the weary and a wellspring for the seeking. Let burdens be lifted and hearts be still. Meet each person here in sacred silence and prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

WALK TO THE DINING AREA

Scripture: “They broke bread… and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” —Acts 2:46

Prayer: Lord of abundance, bless this space where people will share meals and stories. Let every table become a table of connection, joy, and spiritual nourishment. Feed us in body and soul. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

WALK TO THE SANCTUARY

Scripture: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” —Matthew 18:20

Prayer: Holy God, let this be a place of Spirit-filled worship and conferencing.

Open every ear to hear your voice, every heart to receive your Word. Pour out your power through music, preaching, prayer, deliberation, celebration, and silence.

Song: “Surely the Presence”

 

CONCLUSION IN THE NARTHEX

 

Leader: We have walked these rooms and halls with prayerful hearts. We now entrust this space, this Annual Conference, and all who will come here to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: God of the journey, bless every step taken in this place. As people move between sessions and rooms, may they carry your peace. Let even the in-between moments be filled with your presence. Use this entire place for your glory. Let lives be changed, souls refreshed, and faith renewed. Make this house a holy ground, a meeting place between heaven and earth.

Leader: May the God who walks before us, beside us, and within us bless every gathering, every word spoken, every heart that draws near. Go now in peace. Amen.

Adult Discipleship Report for Annual Conference

 

For years, I have kept a John Wesley quote at the very top of my personal rule of life. He said, “Do justice to your own soul; give it time and means to grow. Do not starve yourself any longer.”

Wesley was writing to a young minister struggling with his preaching. His presentation was energetic, apparently, but lacked depth. Wesley critiques, “It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety; there is no compass of thought. Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian.”

The purpose of the Adult Discipleship Team is to create an atmosphere for the laity and clergy of the North Alabama Conference to become “deep preachers” and “thorough Christians,” through Wesley’s prescription of reading “with meditation and daily prayer.” In short, we foster discipleship. As a local expression of Discipleship Ministries, one of international agencies of The United Methodist Church, we are part of the shared dream of making disciples for the transformation of the world.

Our Adult Discipleship Team consists of Rev. Eric Bagwell, Teri Barnes, Rev. Josh Hickman, Rev. Delaney Holloway, Becky Walker, staff member Lyn Cosby, and myself. Our exciting goals for this present year are:

1.    Establish the annual presentation of the “One Matters Award” at Annual Conference. This award from Discipleship Ministries recognizes one special congregation in each Annual Conference in the United States. It will be awarded this year in North Alabama for the first time. It goes to a congregation that has demonstrated revitalization in discipleship, marked by an increase in professions of faith from zero in the previous year to at least one on the Weekly Benchmark Report. The award includes a commemorative plaque and a $1,000 check.

2.    Develop a resource on “How to Start a Prayer Team” for local churches. Our plan is to have a practical and easy-to-use resource available for release at (and following) Annual Conference this year. We desire every local church to saturate their ministries with prayer through developing prayer spaces, providing prayer experiences, and organizing ongoing prayer ministries. It is our hope that this resource will help many churches deepen their call to form people spiritually.

3.    “Beef up” the Annual Conference Prayer Room. The prayer room is a sacred tradition of our gathering at Annual Conference and provides quiet space for healing, grace, and depth during our family gathering. We plan promote the prayer room earlier at the Annual Conference session, hold a prayer vigil and prayer walk over the prayer room and outdoor labyrinth, and send a mass email to clergy spouses beforehand to encourage participation.

4.    Hold an annual “Spiritual Formation Day Apart” that is deeply spiritually enriching for participants but also gives us a forum to spread the word about discipleship ministries beyond our local church and the Annual Conference. Our goal is to hold this in January of 2026, in collaboration with the Annual Conference Spiritual Formation Team. 

In addition to these short-term goals, we of course continue to promote ongoing ministries in our Annual Conference that foster discipleship. These ministries include: 

1.    “Read Together” and “Pray Together.” These life-changing podcasts involve laity and clergy from our Annual Conference who submit recordings most weeks of the year. The podcasts guide us as we read the Bible together and deepen our prayer life. You can easily access both podcasts from our Conference website and social media. Or you may simply download the podcasts “Read Together UMCNA” and “Pray Together UMCNA” using your favorite device.

2.    “Sabbath Stays” at the Sumatanga Lake Cabin. It’s not easy being in ministry, and we need to support our leaders as they journey into the wilderness like Jesus did. Through the generosity of Sumatanga in coordination with the Spiritual Formation Team, we offer “Sabbath Stays” for up to two nights a year at the Sumatanga Lake Cabin for North Alabama clergy and church staff. A spiritual formation library and “retreat in a box” is provided by the Spiritual Formation Team. Retreatants provide their own food and enjoy the privacy of the beautiful three-bedroom lake cabin for only a $50 cleaning fee. Registrations are made by contacting the retreat center office and are based on availability. This offer is not available on weekends or during summer camp.

3.    Portable Labyrinth Ministry. Our Annual Conference owns a 30-foot canvas labyrinth available for check-out by churches and ministries of the North Alabama Conference. There is no cost, and the labyrinth may be reserved for indoor use only for any length of time based on availability. You may find more information on care for and use of our labyrinth, the spiritual practice of using a labyrinth, pick up and drop off requirements for use of our canvas labyrinth on loan, and a reservation form at www.umcna.org/labyrinth.

4.    Periodic Conference-Wide Studies. This past Lent, we made available a book-study curriculum from Discipleship Ministries on the new book Our Hearts Are Strangely Lukewarm: The American Methodist Church and the Struggle with White Supremacy. We organized and held numerous in-person and Zoom book studies around the Annual Conference, as well as encouraging local churches to organize their own.

5.    Other Ongoing Discipleship Ministries. We offer a weekly “Examen,” a prayer and reflection practice that helps people find God in their lives, meeting on Wednesday evening at 8:15 pm on Google Meet. We promote various spiritual formation and discipleship experiences such as the Walk to Emmaus. We offer a scholarship program for laity and clergy to attend Spiritual Formation experiences. We periodically offer curriculum reviews. All this and more may be found on our website at www.umcna.org/adultdiscipleship.

Our most adventurous long-term goal for this quadrennium is to connect the “average layperson” with ministries and resources for discipleship and spiritual formation in unprecedented ways.

One of the most unique strengths of the work of the Adult Discipleship Team is the development of a thriving Spiritual Formation Team over the last several years. This ad hoc team under the umbrella of Adult Discipleship works to pursue these and other goals and projects, such as: 

1.    Silent Retreats – Held twice a year at Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, Alabama, Silent Retreats for laity and clergy sponsored by the Spiritual Formation Team help people experience a deeper listening to God through the rhythm of Benedictine silence and prayer. Our most recent one was held March 27-29 (Thursday-Saturday) and the next one will be October 3-October 5 (Friday-Sunday). More information and registration may be found at www.umcna.org/silentretreats.

2.    Community of the Mantle – This is a covenant group that meets monthly by Zoom and annually by retreat at Sacred Heart Monastery. It is supported by, but not limited to, those who have attended Academies for Spiritual Formation. Our primary purpose is to support each other in our call to prayer, and we follow a shared rule of life. More information about the Community of the Mantle may be found at www.communityofthemantle.com.  

3.    Sponsoring and Promoting Four-Day Academies for Spiritual Formation along with our partners in the Alabama-West Florida Conference. These local expressions of this ministry of the Upper Room are held almost annually in alternating locations. The next one features Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown and Rev. Dr. L. Roger Owens and will be held August 11-15, 2025 at Camp McDowell. The following Four-Day Academy is scheduled for October 5-9, 2026 at the Sumatanga Retreat Center. More information about Academies may be found at www.academy.upperroom.org.

4.    Directory of Spiritual Directors. We keep a continually updated directory of spiritual directors in North Alabama that are available to join you for your walk with God. This ancient companioning ministry brings life and accountability to discipleship. Contact the conference Adult Discipleship office for contact information on how to receive an updated list with contact information.

The Spiritual Formation Team is chaired by Rev. Renae Perry and includes Rev. Michael Bowman, Rev. Dale Clem, Robert Ferrell, Rev. James Fields, Bonita Gill, Rev. Carol Gullatt, Rev. Susie Knedlik, Rev. Emily Penfield, Rev. Judy Shepherd, Rev. Roger Short, Becky Walker, and myself.

To keep up with the work of the Adult Discipleship Team and the Spiritual Formation Team, as well as learn about the vast number of quality resources and curriculums from Discipleship Ministries, follow “Adult Discipleship UMCNA” on Facebook (be sure to like it and share it!). Browse our pages on our Annual Conference web page regularly at www.umcna.org/adultdiscipleship.

Rev. Dr. Steve West, chair

Adult Discipleship Team

What United Methodists Believe

The local church I’m departing from next month will be revamping its website soon after I start my new adventure as a chaplain in Birmingham. I thought I’d capture the article I wrote for the church's website on basic Methodist beliefs and post it here. I’ve worked on this wording for years, and I’d love to share it with you!

What Do United Methodists Believe?

The United Methodist Church is a 10 million member world-wide denomination, the largest of many denominations in the Methodist faith family that total approximately 80 million people in the world. The United Methodist Church is the second largest protestant denomination in the United States, and the most evenly wide spread. We love our denomination, but we live for Jesus Christ. We follow the passionate, heart-warming spirituality of the English reformers John and Charles Wesley.

We do not believe that we are “right” and everyone else is “wrong.” But we have a unique flavor. Methodists believe that while we are sinners in need of grace, our most essential identity is that we are beautifully created in the image of God. We trust in the expansive nature of God’s grace, which reaches to us before we even know it and continues to transform us long after we embrace it. We believe that God gives us the free will to respond, and we cooperate with God through spiritual practices such as scripture, prayer, worship and sacraments, sacrificing for God, and developing Christian relationships to hold us accountable. These are the “methods” of Methodism, the ways we open ourselves to God’s incredible grace.

Jesus calls us to be followers, not just fans, and personal relationship with Christ nourishes us for that great adventure. We believe in the essential nature of God as Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). We affirm that the scripture is the inspired revelation of God, and we believe that Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh to dwell among us. We assume that faith is informed by a healthy balance of scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. We believe that faith in Christ warms the heart and changes the world around us.

There is an excellent website on United Methodist beliefs which includes sections on basics of faith, sacraments, and spiritual living. Check out What We Believe.

Interested in more?

Here are some thoughts and reflections for those who would like to know more about Methodist beliefs.

The Christian church is like a river, with Jesus Christ as its source. In time the river has divided into smaller rivers and tributaries. But like a river, as travelers move upstream, they will find their way back to the source, Jesus Christ.

Traditionally, Wesleyan Christians have emphasized the following:

• - God reaches us with immeasurable grace. Grace is active in our lives long before we respond, transforms us in faith, and makes us more complete through a lifelong journey. Wesley called these ways of grace prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace.

• - God gave us the gift of free will. We are called to respond to the graceful initiative of God in our lives.

• - God will comfort, guide, and forgive every person, no matter who they are or what they’ve done.

• - Our faith is one of the head, the heart, and the hands. We are called to serve.

• - We find spiritual fulfillment in the balance of solitary moments of reflection and the activities of a community of faith.

• - Faith is about love, not about being “right.” In essentials, we have unity. In non-essentials, we value diversity. In all things, we are called to be people of self-giving love.

• - We are a global movement that’s making a difference in the world. The Church is bigger than we are. We are part of the Body of Christ.

In practice, we are similar to other Protestant denominations, affirming our beliefs through the sacred acts of baptism and communion. For us, these are sacraments, the outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace. They aren’t just object lessons. Something happens here.

Through baptism, we accept God’s gift of grace. People of any age may be baptized, including infants who receive the prevenient grace of God. We recognize the baptisms of any Christian faith tradition, and we do not rebaptize those who come into the Methodist faith. There is no requirement among United Methodists about how baptism must be performed, although sprinkling is most common.

Everyone is accepted at the communion table, whether members of the Church or not, whether children or adults. This table is a table of grace and all are welcome. Communion is both a sacred experience with God and a celebration of our community life together. We are always becoming the Body of Christ in the mystery of God’s grace.

The history of United Methodism can be traced back to John Wesley, an Anglican priest who felt his own heart “strangely warmed” with an assurance of God’s love nearly three centuries ago. After this experience, he began a movement of “religion of the heart” along with his brother Charles, a musician and pastor in his own right. The early Methodist movement was based on the expansion of small groups within societies, holding each other gently accountable for their discipleship. It spread like fire through circuit riding preachers on horseback. Their work launched a movement that spread rapidly in the American colonies and took hold with a fervor that still exists almost 300 years later.

During that time, our hearts have led us to build many schools as well as churches. Methodists were among the first to create institutions of learning for settlers, women, and newly freed slaves. There are now 120 United Methodist educational institutions, including schools outside the U.S., most notably Africa University in Zimbabwe. But countless other schools, as large as Auburn University, were Methodist schools at one time.

Today, United Methodists comprise the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Our churches are connected by a system to guide our work and govern our policies. We continue to take the lead in social, spiritual, and moral concerns. In the tradition of John and Charles Wesley, our members study scripture, encourage thoughtful debate, and confront the tough issues of the day. We still lead with our hearts, keep our minds open, and welcome everyone through our doors.

Announcing Soul Studio on Earth Day

April 22 is “Earth Day,” so as always, the whole world celebrates my birthday.

But this year I turned the big “6.0.” So I’m reflecting on life more than usual.  I’m grateful for your birthday wishes, but what I’m most grateful for is life itself.

I was born on a Tuesday, four weeks (to the day) after the March on Montgomery arrived on the capital steps led by Martin Luther King, Jr. I once went to visit that spot where MLK made his speech, “How Long? Not Long,” exactly 60 years (and 4 weeks) ago. I went just after Obama became president, pondering how far we’ve come in one lifetime. Of course, in some ways we’ve regressed since then, but I am still hopeful.

Soon I will be finishing 36 years of pastoral ministry, having served 8 churches (all of whom grew spiritually and 6 of whom grew numerically while I was there, and 5 of whom are still “United,” I’m happy to say). I’ve done 86 weddings, 168 funerals,  364 baptisms, and exactly 500 professions of faith. I kept record of each and every name.

But I’m not retiring. I’m redirecting my ministry because I really need to be more available to attend to my elderly Dad, help my daughter raise our new grandchild, and care for my wife in this new season. I look forward to the adventure of being a chaplain at Fair Haven and, on the side, launching “Soul Studio,” a ministry of writing, music, and spiritual formation.

The Holy Spirit never quits, I love to say. I am being called to a new adventure, for a new season of life, and for a new period of history.

The best is yet to come.