A brief guide for existing and prospective Circuit and Society Stewards in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. It gives background information about the way these ministries have developed and explains some of the 'how to' of the tasks involved. Also includes questions for discussion for use in local congregation training sessions.

English-born Francis Asbury was one of the most important religious leaders in American history. Asbury single-handedly guided the creation of the American Methodist church, which became the largest Protestant denomination in nineteenth-century America, and laid the foundation of the Holiness and Pentecostal movements that flourish today. In American Saint, John Wigger has written the definitive biography of Asbury and, by extension, a revealing interpretation of the early years of the Methodist movement in America. Asbury emerges here as not merely an influential religious leader, but a fascinating character, who lived an extraordinary life. His cultural sensitivity was matched only by his ability to organize. His life of prayer and voluntary poverty were legendary, as was his generosity to the poor. He had a remarkable ability to connect with ordinary people, and he met with thousands of them as he crisscrossed the nation, riding more than one hundred and thirty thousand miles between his arrival in America in 1771 and his death in 1816. Indeed Wigger notes that Asbury was more recognized face-to-face than any other American of his day, including Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

The New Beacon Bible Commentary is an engaging, indispensable reference tool to aid individuals in every walk of life in the study and meditation of God's Word. Written from the Wesleyan theological perspective, it offers insight and perceptive scholarship to help you unlock the deeper truths of Scripture and garner an awareness of the history, culture, and context attributed to each book of study. Readable, relevant, and academically thorough, it offers scholars, pastors, and laity a new standard for understanding and interpreting the Bible in the 21st century. Each volume features: COMPLETELY NEW SCHOLARSHIP from notable experts in the Wesleyan tradition CONVENIENT INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL for each book of the Bible including information on authorship, date, history, audience, sociological/cultural issues, purpose, literary features, theological themes, hermeneutical issues, and more CLEAR VERSE-BY-VERSE EXPLANATIONS, which offer a contemporary, Wesleyan-based understanding derived from the passage's original language COMPREHENSIVE ANNOTATION divided into three sections, which cover background elements behind the text; verse-by-verse details and meanings found in the text; and significance, relevance, intertextuality, and application from the text HELPFUL SIDEBARS, which provide deeper insight into theological issues, word meanings, archeological connections, historical relevance, cultural customs, and more EXPANDED BIBLIOGRAPHY for further study of historical elements, additional interpretations, and theological themes

Believe anything you want. The twentieth century has brought with it a myriad of opinions, philosophies, doctrines and ideologies. Each one of them important; each one valid. And the world says, 'Believe what you want.' Authors Wes Tracy and Stan Ingersol have authored Here We Stand to shatter that conclusion. More than ever, it is important that we know what we believe. Here We Stand is a comprehensive study of a wide range of beliefs and where Nazarenes fit into the ideological puzzle. Tracy and Ingersol provide the most contemporary and complete overview of major religions and religious beliefs since Why I Am a Nazarene . Nazarenes have the unique opportunity to reestablish their identity with a new generation of people. Here We Stand gives a clear view into other traditions in a language and approach understood by today's pastors and laymen. Here We Stand contributes to the distinctiveness of each group without sacrificing the Christian community as a whole. Pastors, Sunday School teachers and new Christians will find this unabridged version of the book What Is a Nazarene? an excellent resource because it lends a knowledgeable, objective voice to discussions of doctrine, witnessing and spirituality. Here We Stand provides the historical and theological background needed to establish identity and ownership among new and life-long Nazarenes. Kivar.

Wesley's message and his faith continue to speak to 21st-century Christians--calling for a revival of our hearts and souls so that our world might be changed. Join Adam Hamilton for a six-week journey as he travels to England, following the life of John Wesley and exploring his defining characteristics of a Wesleyan Christian. Wesley's story is our story--it's our heritage, it defines our faith, and it challenges us to rediscover our spiritual passion.

Around the turn of the 19th century, the Holiness Movement blossomed in America. Wesleyan-Holiness denominations sprang up all over the country. In 1907-8, five of these joined together to form the Church of the Nazarene.The dream that drew the founders together was a believers church in the Wesleyan tradition. It is the same dream that guides the Church of the Nazarene today. But how does that translate into a world where denominational lines don t seem to matter as much as they used to? How is a Nazarene different from a Presbyterian, Baptist, or Pentecostal brother or sister in Christ? What is a Nazarene? answers those questions in concise, easy-to-understand terms, as it examines the similarities and differences between the Church of the Nazarene and other mainline Christian denominations. With refreshing insight and candor, What is a Nazarene? will acquaint you with the heritage that birthed a vision that made a dream come true.

Is There a Way to Heaven? The great evangelist John Wesley believed there is, and he developed his theology to help people make the journey from sin to salvation. In Wesley's "order of salvation," God's grace is the keynote from start to finish. The Way to Heaven is a twentieth-anniversary revision of John Wesley's Message for Today. Dr. Steve Harper presents Wesley's writings and the ideas of Wesley scholars in language that is clear and accessible but never simplistic. Written in the spirit of Wesley, here are "plain words for plain people." The heart of this book is a thoughtful and inspiring look at Wesley's theology of grace and its power to transform. Included are two new chapters. "Vision and Means" explores Wesley's mission and methods, and "To Serve the Present Age" considers the impact and relevance of his message today. In addition, an updated reading list facilitates further study, and questions at the end of each chapter stimulate personal reflection and small group discussion. Ideal as a textbook or for personal study and reflection, this book will advance your knowledge and piety as you travel "the way to heaven."

Originally published in 1984, this book charts the political and social consequences of Methodist expansion in the first century of its existence. While the relationship between Methodism and politics is the central subject of the book a number of other important themes are also developed. The Methodist revival is placed in the context of European pietism, enlightenment thought forms, 18th century popular culture, and Wesley's theological and political opinions. Throughout the book Methodism is treated on a national scale, although the regional, chronological and religious diversity of Methodist belief and practice is also emphasized.

Beginning as a renewal movement within Anglicanism in the eighteenth century, Methodism had become the largest Protestant denomination in the USA in the nineteenth century, and is today one of the most vibrant forms of Christianity. Representing a complex spiritual and evangelistic experiment that involves a passionate commitment to worldwide mission, it covers a global network of Christian denominations. In this Very Short Introduction William J. Abraham trace Methodism from its origins in the work of John Wesley and the hymns of his brother, Charles Wesley, in the eighteenth century, right up to the present. Considering the identity, nature, and history of Methodism, Abraham provides a fresh account of the place of Methodism in the life and thought of the Christian Church. Describing the message of Methodism, and who the Methodists are, he also considers the practices of Methodism, and discusses the global impact of Methodism and its decline in the homelands. Finally Abraham looks forward, and considers the future prospects for Methodism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Attempting to restore subtlety and nuance to the study of southern religion, The Sacred Flame of Love ranges across the entire nineteenth century to chronicle the evolution of the institutions, theology, and social attitudes of Georgia Methodists in light of such phenomena, trends, and events as slavery, class prejudice, republicanism, population growth, economic development, sectional politics, war, emancipation, and urban growth.

In connecting Methodist history with the larger social transformation of nineteenth-century Georgia, Christopher H. Owen uncovers a story of considerable complexity and variety. Because Georgia Methodists included people from every social class, few generalizations apply properily to all of them. For many years they were loosely united by common adherence to the ideals of Wesleyan evangelicalism, but economic and political developments would gradually accentuate Methodist social divisions and weaken even this bond. Indeed, deviating far from the conception of unchanging and asocial southern religion often held by scholars. Owen sees both church and society undergoing enormous change in the nineteenth century.

"The Sacred Flame of Love is well researched, well written, and fills an important gap in the rapidly expanding historiography of southern religion". -- Randy J. Sparks, author of On Jordan's Stormy Banks