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Hope for the Future: Rev. Fred Wideman
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In this episode of the Louisiana NOW podcast, we visit with Rev. Fred Wideman.
The 2023 Annual Conference of the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church witnessed a significant development as efforts were announced to address the void left by churches that have chosen to disaffiliate from the conference. In recent months, a number of churches, including 95 this year and 68 last year, decided to leave the denomination due to resistance to LGBTQ inclusion. One area affected by disaffiliation was Ruston, Louisiana, where two United Methodist churches made the decision to leave the UMC. Grace United Methodist Church found itself nearly divided, with numerous members opting to transfer their membership to the conference while embarking on establishing a new congregation. Recognizing the importance of supporting these individuals, the Louisiana Conference Congregational Development team is actively working with the Ruston group to explore various possibilities, and Rev. Fred Wideman has been appointed as their "shepherd."
We discuss what that means and his hope for the future in Ruston and beyond.
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