Time to Renew Once Popular 'WWJD' as Previous Pastor Comes to Speak this Sunday at First Methodist in Perry

"What Would Jesus Do?" (WWJD)  was a once popular phrase used to help both Christian and non-Christian alike to evaluate a considered action or approach toward a difficult choice or situation. For some, it was considered too simplistic; but for others, it stimulated a deep train of thought as "the Mind of Jesus" was taken seriously. The phrase was quite often altered into "What would Jesus have us do?" 

Rev. Greg Franklin, retired Chaplain and year-round resident of Silver Lake Institute, will be speaking at the First United Methodist Church in Perry Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 11:00 am, located at 35 Covington St., just one block west of Main St. (Rt. 39). Rev. Greg served as pastor of First from July 1, 2005 through Nov. 1, 2009 (4 years and 4 months) before health reasons caused him to take an early retirement at 62.

Tomorrow Rev. Franklin will be hypothesizing that, most likely, there would not have been an American Civil War if all parties involved would have considered WWJD with regard to slavery. His second hypotheses of the morning will be: Would the United Methodist Church be facing issues of a church split now in 2019 if it had considered the teachings of Jesus exclusively in 1972 when it first entered restrictive language into its Book of Discipline regarding gay Christians. 

Pastor Franklin came from the United Methodist Church of Orchard Park where he served for 11 years. In Perry, he followed the Rev. Dr. Douglas Wilson of Silver Lake NY. Pastor Franklin was followed by the Rev. Wilson Jones who had served at LeRoy UMC before being appointed to First UMC in Perry.