Laity Evangelism Award Recipient Shares the Gospel One Meal at a Time
Many of the pastors and laity in the Holston Conference know Annette Spence as a writer and reporter for The Call, Holston’s news publication. Her gifted reporting and storytelling have inspired many in the conference who say that her faith informs her work as a journalist. Those who have worked closely with Annette, either professionally […]
Missouri Youth Leader Makes Space for Youth to Experience Jesus
Kris O’Neal received 2025 The Foundation for Evangelism Laity Award from the Missouri Conference of The United Methodist Church for his outstanding commitment to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ through authentic relationships and transformative ministry with youth. “Kris has been instrumental in the growth and vitality of our Limitless youth program,” said Rev. Paul Klepees, […]
Foundation President Leads Seminar with Church Leaders in Hawai’i
On August 17, twenty lay and clergy leaders from across the Hawai’i District of The United Methodist Church gathered at First United Methodist Church of Honolulu. They were there to hear about how to share their faith with the people they live, work, and “do life” with. The Foundation for Evangelism’s president, Rev. Dr. Jack […]
Empowering Laity to Lead the Way
Lay leaders receive evangelism training for congregational outreach & connections in their community John Wesley famously pronounced, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen, such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up […]
Lake Junaluska Theologian in Residence – Dr. Michael Adam Beck Sponsored by Foundation
From July 28-31, Rev. Dr. Michael Adam Beck was the Foundation-sponsored Summer Theologian in Residence at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center at Lake Junaluska, N.C. The director of the Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Theological Seminary, Michael is a sought-after speaker and workshop leader. During his time at Lake Junaluska, he led […]
Innovation Grant to ALA Equips and Supports Pastor-Lay Couple
For Pastor-Lay Couple, Rev. Jeff and Jessica Taylor, The Adventurer’s Leadership Academy (ALA) has been a lifeline for their ministry leading Fresh Expressions of Church. Feeling a call to a different kind of ministry, the couple envisioned a kind of church that could take place in campgrounds or online among people who RV. Their vision […]
“Conversational Testimony” Gives Laity a Voice to Share Their Faith
By Jane Boatwright Wood, President As the young man approached Professor Jack Jackson, I could sense the earnest need to ask the question driving him forward. He began by relating a situation so many of us will find relatable, “I am asking my friends to say yes to Jesus, but they have not said yes. […]
Innovation Grant Gives Laity Training in Fresh Expressions Leadership
The Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Theological Seminary received a multi-year grant for their Adventurer’s Leadership Academy to help Laity find their voice, share their faith, and invite others to the Christian journey. For two balmy days in July, across three locations in Dayton, Ohio, more than 50 Adventurers – laity, local pastors, […]
Evangelism Summit Gathers Pan-Wesleyan Laity
In March The Foundation for Evangelism gathered a diverse group of laity in Dallas, Texas. The group hailed from points across the United States, from six Wesleyan-tradition denominations, with one paramount goal in mind: TO LISTEN. Just a few weeks later, the group gathered again online to share and pray, and discuss how they were […]
Grant Supports Laity in Innovative Evangelistic Ministry
Fresh Expressions of Worship may be familiar to you. It’s a form of church for our changing culture, primarily for those who are not yet part of any church. Usually tied to an existing church, they are held in places relevant to the lives of the people who are a part of them. Places like […]