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If Your Church Is Leaving You . . .

By Rev. Keith Turman | 2023-09-21 | 3 min read

First United Methodist Church Waynesville has become a Lighthouse Congregation. Lighthouse Congregations are local United Methodist Churches in the Western North Carolina Conference that are trained and equipped to welcome individuals or groups whose churches are disaffiliating. If you find yourself in this situation—if your church is leaving you, but you want to remain United Methodist, we first want you...

Tell Me A Story

By Rev. Keith Turman | 2023-08-19 | 3 min read

We are surrounded by dreamers—a fact that became evident during this week’s staff evaluations. Prompted by the first question on the evaluation sheet [“What is your vision or dream for your area of ministry?”] the stories they told were inspiring. I sat intrigued, probably with my mouth hanging open, as one staff member after another helped me to see the...

Dream With Me

By Rev. Keith Turman | 2023-08-05 | 3 min read

“All dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, making them possible.” – T.E. Lawrence Every now and then, an old-timer—one who has clearly...

The Winds of Change Are Blowing

By Rev. Keith Turman | 2023-07-25 | 4 min read

I love a good breeze—especially at the very beginning, when it slowly and gently moves the world around me. I imagine you know what I’m talking about. We feel it most when the air is stagnant and still—when it’s too hot to move but the beads of sweat show up on the forehead anyway. The wind changes things. It stirs...

You've Got A Friend

By Rev. Keith Turman | 2023-07-10 | 3 min read

A stranger walked into our house early on Saturday morning. He helped himself to the coffee pot and sat down at the table. His appearance unsettled me a bit, but I was determined to get his name, so I approached the table and sat down. He said he had just gotten out of prison. I figured as much. I’ve seen...