As the saying goes, "Once ordained always ordained." This call even comes in the middle, not the end of his life's service. At the same time the sense of finishing what God has called us to do in one specific endeavor, much earlier than expected, sometimes comes along the road of ministry. This kind of occurrence appears at all levels of service both lay and clergy.

The differences have simmered for years, and came to a head in February at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 for a proposal called the Traditional Plan, which strengthens bans on LGBT-inclusive practices. A majority of U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBT-friendly options, but they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines.

An Open Letter to the House of Bishops Tuesday in Holy Week

On March 29, The House of Bishops released a call to prayer which included their hope for the upcoming General Synod. From the bishops' point of view, there will be two doctrines of marriage in the church, and for both there ought to be support and protection.

In 1549, The Book of Common Prayer was a revolutionary addition to the life of the Church. During the Reformation, as the movement sought to make Scripture more accessible for the lay person, Archbishop Cranmer also sought to make the prayers and liturgy more accessible. He did so by creating The Book of Common Prayer -- a compilation of prayers and liturgy based on Scripture in the language of the English people.