The lifeblood of the United Methodist is passion rather than organizational neatness, entrepreneurial freedom rather than denominational restraint, and agility rather than staid institutional dependence. But if United Methodists want to change and be the church we say we want to be, what must we risk and how can we challenge current practices?

At the heart of becoming a spiritual movement once again is the requirement that we develop a new understanding of connection as Christians and as United Methodists. We are currently at a time in which United Methodists are reinventing denominational connectionalism. One way of framing the issue is to distinguish between members and disciples, or consumers (those who wait for the institution to care for their needs) and citizens (those who are willing to commit themselves to and be held accountable for the whole of the community).

United Methodism has nurtured generations of leaders and congregations that see themselves as consumers of the resources and attention of the denomination. The impulse toward movement is challenging spiritually purposeful leaders and congregations to risk becoming citizens who fully expect to make a difference in the lives of individuals and also in the world through an encounter with Christ.

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1876. Chiefly Written by Themselves. In Six Volumes. This edition contains Volumes Three and Four. A compilation of biographies of eminent Methodist preachers. These men were trained in the belief and practice of the strictest churchmanship; so that they would have thought it a sin to deviate from the rubric, to conduct public worship in an unconsecrated place, or to countenance the ministrations of a man on whose head the hands of a prelate had never been laid. Yet these very men were so controlled by the providence and grace of God, as to be a means of introducing, and that upon an extensive scale, a freedom of religious action, such as had scarcely been witnessed in any country since the apostolic age. Contents of Volume Three: Life and Death of Thomas Walsh; Life of John Murlin; Life of John Mason. Contents of Volume Four: Life of John Pawson; Life of Sampson Staniforth; Life of Thomas Lee; Life of John Prickard; Life of Jonathan Maskew; Life of Matthias Joyce; and Life of James Rogers. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. Other volumes in this set are ISBN(s): 1417947403, 141794742X.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

1876. Chiefly Written by Themselves. In Six Volumes. This edition contains Volumes Three and Four. A compilation of biographies of eminent Methodist preachers. These men were trained in the belief and practice of the strictest churchmanship; so that they would have thought it a sin to deviate from the rubric, to conduct public worship in an unconsecrated place, or to countenance the ministrations of a man on whose head the hands of a prelate had never been laid. Yet these very men were so controlled by the providence and grace of God, as to be a means of introducing, and that upon an extensive scale, a freedom of religious action, such as had scarcely been witnessed in any country since the apostolic age. Contents of Volume Three: Life and Death of Thomas Walsh; Life of John Murlin; Life of John Mason. Contents of Volume Four: Life of John Pawson; Life of Sampson Staniforth; Life of Thomas Lee; Life of John Prickard; Life of Jonathan Maskew; Life of Matthias Joyce; and Life of James Rogers. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. Other volumes in this set are ISBN(s): 1417947403, 141794742X.

In this concise, accessible book, Dr. Ted Campbell provides a brief summary of the major doctrines shared in the Wesley family of denominations. Writing in concise and straightforward language, Campbell organizes the material into systematic categories: doctrine of revelation, doctrine of God, doctrine of Christ, doctrine of the Spirit, doctrine of humanity, doctrine of "the way of salvation" (conversion/justification/sanctification), doctrine of the church and means of grace, and doctrine of thing to come. He also supplies substantial but simplified updated references in the margins of the book that allow for easy identification of his sources. John Wesley distinguished between essential doctrines on which agreement or consensus is critical and opinions about theology or church practices on which disagreement must be allowed. Though today few people join churches based on doctrinal commitments, once a person has joined a church it becomes important to know the teachings of that church's tradition. In Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials, Ted Campbell outlines historical doctrinal consensus in American Episcopal Methodist Churches in a comparative and ecumenical dialogue with the doctrinal inheritance of other major families of Christian tradition. In this way, the book shows both what Methodist churches historically teach in common with ecumenical Christianity and what is distinctive about the Methodist tradition in its various contemporary forms. For more information, please see the author's website: http: //tedcampbell.com/methodist-doctrine/

In this four-session study guide to the film "Wesley: A Heart Transformed Can Change the World" written by expert Dr. Kenneth C. Kinghorn, see how John Wesley changed the world and became the spiritual leader for millions. With a screenplay adapted directly from the journals of John Wesley, the film faithfully portrays the formative years of Wesley s ministry, from the Epworth rectory fire in his childhood, to his disastrous mission and romance in colonial Georgia, and to his pivotal heart-warming experience in London. Perfect for small groups or individual study, each session includes prayers, study questions, and background information about Wesley's life and times. "

This is an in-depth analysis of the malaise of contemporary Western civilization, based upon its modern and post modern ideological and philosophical underpinnings. And, from that grounding, it is a study that proceeds to offer a cogent diagnosis of an (if not the) intellectual problem lying at its epicenter.The author identifies that challenge as the demise of a concern for ontology amid a preoccupation with epistemology which, as he demonstrates, characterizes the philosophical consensus dominating that civilization, particularly since the Enlightenment. The author sets forth as a valuable resource for remedying that dilemma an Eastern ascetic theologian, who is shown to provide resource for rethinking a theology of mission for the present day, viewed within the parameters of the theology of John Wesley. Bellini's work addresses all of the above, and does so within the framework of recovering the apostolic concept of participation in Christ, from the standpoint of what he calls a Radical Orthodoxy perspective. In short, this is a study that does not stop with a cogent cultural evaluation and critique, but also offers a prescriptive response. He finds in Maximus the Confessor a "participatory view of ontology, in continuity with a Christological ontology of participation," which has special relevance for the global Christianity of the twenty first century. Following Maximus, as well as Wesley's prevenient grace, Bellini champions a worldview that discerns within every culture some "point of similarity" or contact, "however vague, wounded or fallen," with the universal witness of the Holy Spirit.

1923. An encyclopedic account of the work of a denomination throughout the world, presented region by region. Diffendorfer was assisted by Paul Hutchinson, Foreign Section and William F. McDermott, American Section.

This is the official history of Asbury Theological Seminary, beginning with its founder, Henry Clay Morrison, who established the seminary in 1923. It continues to the present president, Timothy Tennant. This history is written by one of the retired faculty members who is Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, Emeritus.He was authorized by the seminary administration to write a faithful and accurate account of the seminary's history.

Early American Methodists commonly described their religious lives as great wars with sin and claimed they wrestled with God and Satan who assaulted them in terrible ways. Carefully examining a range of sources, including sermons, letters, autobiographies, journals, and hymns, Jeffrey Williams explores this violent aspect of American religious life and thought. Williams exposes Methodism s insistence that warfare was an inevitable part of Christian life and necessary for any person who sought God s redemption. He reveals a complex relationship between religion and violence, showing how violent expression helped to provide context and meaning to Methodist thought and practice, even as Methodist religious life was shaped by both peaceful and violent social action."

And Facts And Incidents Illustrative Of Ministerial Life And Labor In Illinois, With Notes Of Travel Through The United States And Canada.

Leader guide for eight-week small group study to help you deepen your understanding of United Methodist core beliefs. This We Believe: The Core of Wesleyan Faith and Practice by William H. Willimon For John Wesley, the Bible is the joyfully consistent testimony of God s never-ending grace and ever-seeking love. Likewise, studying the Bible is more than merely knowing what Scripture says; it is also about living every day as a child of God. Beginning with the Core Terms found in The Wesley Study Bible, author Bishop William H. Willimonsystematically lays out key Wesleyan tenets of faith so that you will have a fresh way to hear God s voice, share in God s grace, and become more like Jesus Christ. Let this book be your trusted companion to The Wesley Study Bible as you grow to love God with a warmed heart and serve God with active hands. Order the separate book for each participant in a small group #9781426706899 "

That John Wesley was not a systematic theologian is a point frequently made. Yet if that be the case, what kind of theologian was he? To look at his literary output over the course of his long life and ministry is to recognize the central role that sermons played. Thus, claims Michael Paquarello, Wesley was a homiletical theologian, one for whom the Word preached was the core means of reflecting on and understanding the meaning of the Gospel. In this "preaching life" of Wesley Pasquarello places Wesley's sermons in the larger religious, political, and intellectual world of their eighteenth-century context. Neither a biography nor an intellectual history, it is a homiletic history, one that both uses the details of Wesley's milieu to build a framework for understanding his sermons, and that illumines the practical wisdom embodied in the content, form, and style of Wesley's preaching. John Wesley: A Preaching Life vividly portrays the centrality of Wesley's preaching to the religious revival that transformed eighteenth-century England.

John Wesley boasted that he was a man of one book, but he was also a thoughtful student throughout his life and an author of many books.Asbreathgives life, John Wesley inhaled and exhaled the words of Scripture, shaping his thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behavior. And like our eighteenth-century ancestor, the Bible is central to usfor continued faith formation. In this invitation to Scripture, the general editor of the Wesley Study Bible and biblical scholar, Dr. Joel Green, summarizes Wesley s understanding of key themes and topics of key books of the New Testament. Using brief excerpts from Wesley s writings (in updated language), Dr. Green explains the importance of Wesley s thinking as it directly applies to everyday life and faithful practice. Each chapter ends with questions suitable for private devotion or group settings, to help you apply your study to daily living. This book will be your trusted companion to the Wesley Study Bible as you love God with a warmed heart and serve God with active hands. "

Wesleyan Beliefs examines foundational beliefs as expressed in the works of John and Charles Wesley in formal doctrinal statements adopted by Wesleyan communities and in a variety of other literature including hymnals, catechisms, and works of systematic theology approved for study by preachers. It further considers the expression of these core beliefs through such popular means as personal testimonies and spiritual autobiographies and in the architectures of Methodist Wesleyan and Methodist worship spaces.

Features:
1. Short-term study with 6 sessions.

2. Teacher book with reproducible student handouts.

3. A brief overview of the history and beliefs of the United Methodist Church.

Benefits:
1. Introduces tweens to people and beliefs of the United

Methodist Church.

2. Prepares tweens in the United Methodist Church for

confirmation classes.

3. Looks at some of the things that are unique about the United Methodist Church.

Charles Wesley (1707?1788) was the cofounder of Methodism and the author of more than 9,000 hymns and sacred poems, including such favorites as ???Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, ??? ???O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing, ??? and ???Christ the Lord Is Risen Today.??? John Tyson here traces the remarkable life of this influential man from cradle to grave, using rare ? including previously unpublished ? hymns, letters, and journal materials.

As the younger brother of John Wesley, Charles was a vital partner in the Methodist revival. While often standing in the shadow of his more famous brother, Charles Wesley was arguably the founder of the Oxford Holy Club, and he actually experienced evangelical conversion three days prior to John. In Assist Me to Proclaim Tyson explores, among other things, behind-the-scenes questions about the brothers??? sometimes-stormy relationship.

Notwithstanding all his accomplishments as an evangelist and itinerant preacher, Charles is chiefly remembered for his startling facility at writing hymns that show God at work in almost every instance of life. His remarkable legacy endures around the world, as hundreds of Charles Wesley hymns are still sung in churches everywhere today.

Assist Me to Proclaim draws a picture of a man whose fidelity to both the Church of England and the original vision of Methodism energized his remarkable abilities as a revivalist and hymn writer. Readers also get a glimpse into Wesley??'s heart and mind through the window of his hymn texts. This is a biography that any student of church history or hymnody will welcome.

This study of prevenient grace in the Wesleys opens new ground in understanding the seminal doctrine of prevenient grace in Methodism. He does so by uncovering a diversity of sources used by John Wesley in his exposition of this biblical concept. He also includes an in-depth examination of the complementary role of Charles Wesley's poetical discourse on the theme, which results in a more comprehensive presentation of its form and function in early Methodism. Finally, Crofford demonstrates major ways in which prevenient grace was deployed in the writings of selected Methodist theologians.

1878. Volume II of III. Stevens was an American editor, historian and Methodist Episcopal clergyman. He suffered the trials of poverty and hard work in childhood and early on he was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. He began to preach when a mere youth, and before he was twenty-one years of age was regarded as a prodigy of eloquence. He opened the vein of American Methodistic history, and gave a long series of historical articles, which afterward appeared in the form of books, and, indeed, entered upon the investigations which produced his History of Methodism, one of the ablest and best-known works of its class. This volume covers from the Death of Whitefield to the Death of Wesley. In his preface Stevens writes: The present volume concludes the most important part of my task-The Life and Times of Wesley. It was promised in the preface to the first volume that this would should be the fullest Life and Times of the great Methodist Founder yet published; the reader must judge of the spirit and style with which the promise has been fulfilled; but I have hope that he will acquit it of presumption, so far as the extent of research and of details is concerned. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. Volume 1 ISBN 0766196194, Volume 3 ISBN 0766196216.

Beginning in 1760, this comprehensive history charts the growth and development of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren church family up and through the year 2000. Extraordinarily well-documented study with elaborate notes that will guide the reader to recent and standard literature on the numerous topics, figures, developments, and events covered. The volume is a companion to and designed to be used with THE METHODIST EXPERIENCE IN AMERICA: A SOURCEBOOK, for which it provides background, context and interpretation. Contents include: Launching the Methodist Movements 1760-1768 Structuring the Immigrant Initiatives 1769-1778 Making Church 1777-1784 Constituting Methodism 1784-1792 Spreaking Scriptural Holiness 1792-1816 Snapshot I- Methodism in 1816: Baltimore 1816 Building for Ministry and Nuture 1816-1850s Dividing by Mission, Ethnicity, Gender, and Vision 1816-1850s Dividing over Slavery, Region, Authority, and Race 1830-1860s Embracing the War Cause(s) 1860-1865 Reconstructing Methodism(s) 1866-1884 Snapshot II- Methodism in 1884: Wilker-Barre, PA 1884 Reshaping the Church for Mission 1884-1939 Taking on the World 1884-1939 Warring for World Order and Against Worldliness Within 1930-1968 Snapshot III- Methodism in 1968: Denver 1968 Merging and Reappraising 1968-1984Holding Fast/Pressing On 1984-2000"