Southwest Illinois is home to several openly LGBTQ-affirming churches and houses of worship. Here’s information from a pastor about services, as well as a list of welcoming congregations in the area.
By Chris Smith
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” This well-known quote by the Greek philosopher Aristotle can be applied to many areas of achievement and growth. A famous athlete or musician would most likely tell you that there was no single day or event that led to an exponential growth in ability, but rather years of disciplined work that added up over time. Likewise, the majority of wealthy people are not that way from winning the lottery, but are so because of years of shrewd financial decisions. This being said, these aforementioned areas should be of secondary importance to one’s spiritual health. But unlike the above, people often make the mistake of thinking that spiritual formation is a one-time decision. (Perhaps a heavy influence of church services that urge attendees to make a “decision for Christ” and then offer little follow up has proliferated this ideology). Whatever the cause of this viewpoint may be, it is simpl
(Courtesy photo)
Patrick Matsikenyiri, a United Methodist hymn writer and teacher, died on January 15 from complications related to COVID-19. He was 83.
Born in Zimbabwe, Matsikenyiri was known around the world for his song leading and his teaching on African music. He gained international recognition in the 1980s through his work planning the worship music for World Council of Churches events. He was an early advocate of including indigenous music in congregational singing.
He spent nine years teaching at the UMC-affiliated Africa University in Zimbabwe. There he developed a four-year music education program the first such program in the country.