Easter 2020 was very unusual to say the least according to Indiana Area Bishop Julius Trimble. Bishop Trimble was Rev. Dr. Brad Miller’s guest on Be Encouraged by the Bishop on the United Methodist People Podcast. Bishop Trimble shared how he spent his Easter attending four online worship experiences and recording an Easter sermon which was aired on television and online on Easter Sunday. Of course the coronavirus pandemic caused the closure of almost all United Methodist Church buildings for Easter leaving most churches to worship in some sort of lifestream form.
Bishop Trimble shared some of the key points from his Easter message:

-To not be afraid.
-To come and see.
-To go and tell.

Bishop Trimble then pointed to the ways that the church need to respond to impact of the pandemic on the future of worship, missions and ministry in the UMC. He said in order to sustain ministry moving forward it will take strategic prayer and planning that will mean the church will need to be more effective and efficient in a new day post pandemic.

In order for new strategies to be implemented Bishop emphasized that collaborative effort need to ramped up and that kindness needs to become as viral as coronavirus.

Bishop Trimble closed his conversation with Brad by giving a devotional thought about caring for one another moving forward as our brother and sister’s keeper and offering a prayer of encouragement.

The United Methodist People Podcast is published by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller as a means to strengthen the connection in the United Methodist Church through conversation and commentary.

April 13, 2020

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller

inumc.org