The Rev. Robert Vale is pastor of Osceola United Methodist Church in Osceola, Ind., where he has preached about the Second Coming.

The Rev. Jonathan Marlowe is co-pastor of Gibsonville United Methodist Church in Gibsonville, N.C. He preached a four-week sermon series on the Book of Revelation and blogged about it.

Barry Bryant is an associate professor of United Methodist and Wesleyan studies at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. He has written about John Wesley and the origins of evil.

The General Commission on Religion and Race is one of six commissions of the United Methodist Church.

Stephanie Hixon is executive director of the JustPeace Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation, a United Methodist center for conflict resolution. Established in 2000, JustPeace trains people in conflict transformation and restorative justice.

Read the United Methodist Church’s statement on marriage and family. The site also provides links to the denomination’s statements on family, divorce and adoption, among other topics.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life provides provides a resources page listing religious groups’ official positions on same-sex marriage.

Karen Hester co-founded Temescal Creek Cohousing in North Oakland, Calif. The project had roots in a local United Methodist congregation. She has over 20 years of experience with group projects, grassroots organizations and communities.

Kenneth Carder is professor of the practice of pastoral formation at Duke University, Durham, N.C., and senior fellow of Pulpit & Pew. He is a United Methodist bishop.