Author: Carly Woodfin

 Y’all already know that I caught Covid, the end of July. Some of you have heard me talk about it more than you’d like! Now, four weeks out, I still feel draggy and sort of inflamed, although there’s no question that I’m getting better, little by little, for which I am very grateful. The reason…Read More »

From the beginning, I’ve been scared of catching COVID. Not because I have underlying conditions, but because of the randomness of it. In the early days, before we knew how exactly it was transmitted, there was a story from New York City about a young man who got sick and went downhill fast. His wife…Read More »

I am writing on the first anniversary of Juneteenth as a U.S. federal holiday and the 157th anniversary of its celebration by Black Americans. This is a holiday that embodies the tension between what we sometimes call the already and the not-yet. There is so much to celebrate, both historically and in the present, including…Read More »

I write following four days of training in clergy sexual ethics the week before last, for clergy across the Rio Texas Conference. Each clergy member of the conference was required to attend one of the four days. Our trainer was Becky Posey Williams, director of — for the General Commission on the Status and Role…Read More »

I remember back when I was in actual church work, I often made the decision to pick up the “Passion” part of Palm/Passion Sunday. Reading the story of the crucifixion on the Sunday before Easter was an attempt to avoid jumping from the “Hosanna” parade one Sunday to the “Alleluia” celebration the next, knowing we…Read More »

A couple of weeks ago, Rio Texas clergy gathered at Mo-Ranch in Hunt for our annual Clergy Convocation. The camp setting was gorgeous, and the agenda was designed as a retreat, with a variety of optional activities available. One of those was a zipline, and I made sure to sign up. I’ve never been on…Read More »

Many of you know by now that the 2020 General Conference has been postponed again, this time to 2024. I am a member of the Commission on General Conference, the group that made this decision, and it’s a classic example of disappointing people on all parts of the spectrum. I too am disappointed. I won’t…Read More »

Several weeks ago, the writer of a New York Times op-ed piece argued that, as Covid numbers drop, churches should also drop online worship. The writer stated that, while meeting online was important when we were shut down, worship is an “embodied” act, and allowing people the option to stay home to view worship on…Read More »