Rayne United Methodist Church Hosts Noted Methodist Historian, Dr. Ashley Boggan

Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church in New Orleans will host Dr. Ashley Boggan, the General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History, in early December. 

Dr. Boggan was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Annual Conference. At that time, Boggan spoke about the history of United Methodism and how it connects to ministry today. Specifically, she mentioned that John Wesley “continually criticized the Church of England for not meeting the needs of those outside their walls,” Boggan said, likening Wesley’s crusades to today’s movement inside the United Methodist Church to extend full rights to all LGBTQI+ members. “Change,” Boggan said, “only comes from the inside.”

Boggan shared that John Wesley was astonished when his good friend Geroge Whitfield was preaching to thousands of people in the fields and not in churches. Later, Wesley would write in his journal, "At four in the afternoon, I submitted ‘to be more vile’ and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation.” 

From that moment, Wesley decided to directly and openly violate church law. And during the 2023 Annual Conference, Boggan dared Louisiana United Methodists to be 'more vile'.

“If we want to be vital again, if we want to reach young people in new ways, if we want to pivot and reclaim, revive and renew our sense of Wesleyan mission in this world — perhaps we first need to submit to be more vile,” Boggan said.

Boggan will bring that same spirit to New Orleans as she visits Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church, and all are welcome to hear her speak. 

She will speak on Saturday, December 2nd, from 9 a.m. to noon and on Sunday, December 3rd, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Both events will be held in the chapel.

An RSVP is asked for those attending and can be completed by email.