Methodist/Wesleyan Beliefs and Teachings - Essay Example

Methodist/ Wesleyan Theology Introduction: The era of the Methodists began with John Wesley, the backbone and founder of the Methodist Church. His teachings went a long way in spreading the conservative doctrine and tradition of the Wesleyan Church. The Methodist group of people belonged to the Protestant Christian Fraternity and originated from John Wesley’s evangelistic teaching of the scriptures during the 18th century in Britain and spread across the United States and to other countries. Most Methodists are Arminian, but may also be a bit Calvinist at times. In the beginning, this kind of teaching greatly appealed to agricultural and other workers that included slaves but later it spread across the higher strata of society. By the year 2006, Methodism had acquired around 75 million worldwide. The believers of the Methodist church cooperated together in evangelism in spreading of Christ’s kingdom. Theological Teachings of the Methodist Church In the 18th century a revival began in England with a small group of men that included John Wesley and his younger brother Charles Wesley who began a movement in the Church of England that focused its attention on a methodical approach in learning the scriptures and living a Christian life. “Methodist” was a term that was handed down to a small society of Oxford students who met for the sole purpose of self improvement during the years 1729 to 1735. This group of people became accustomed to going to church every week and receiving communion. They led good Christian lives by fasting at regular intervals and abstaining from indulging in the luxuries of life. Besides this, they visited the poor, sick and the dying at regular intervals. They also visited the prisons and tried their best to help prisoners cope with their lives while keeping themselves away from any kind of amusement themselves. The ancient Methodist did not like the apathy present in the Church and retaliated by becoming open- air preachers and teachers spreading the Word of God wherever they went and establishing Methodist Societies in their course because there was a dearth of faith. This situation effected a religious revival that had a direct impact on people’s lives. In his Short History of the English People, J.R. Green says, “….never had religion seemed at a lower ebb”. (J.R. Green) Commenting on the revival, J. Wesley Bready stated, that “the Wesleyan revival contributed more to the social and political freedoms of Britons than the French Revolution did-and that it was the experiential religion promulgated by Wesley, essentially, that brought about so drastic a change in human rights and human life generally in England.” (J. Wesley Bready) The societies that had been set up consisted of an intimate group of people who encouraged each other to make a confession of their sins and share their problems with each other. The main aim of the group was to lend their support to each other while building each other. The key feature of the early Methodists was the prevalence of ‘Love Feasts’ in which everyone took part and shared their testimony with the others. The ‘Love Feast’ was a common Eucharistic ritual accompanied by a banquet which focused on the sharing of Bread and Wine which was a universal Christian practice which had elements of the Jewish ritual of the Passover Seder. These banquets were also referred to as ‘Agape’ which meant and referred to God’s selfless love for humanity. During these feasts the participants indulged in a lot of food and drink. During the Middle Ages, the Agape feasts were replaced by Eucharistic Liturgies that was made up of the symbolic bread and wine. Though not universal these meals existed in the Christian world. The Lord’s Supper is one of the earliest accounts of its prevalence and could be seen in 1 Corinthians 11: 20 – 22. The service consisted of a full meal that was brought by the participants themselves but eaten in a common room where everyone shared their religious thoughts and ideas as they ate their meal. The Awakenings The primary basis of the Methodists lay or focused on the Bible and its teachings which was in turn utilized in living good Christian lives by following the scriptures. The ancient Methodists showed a lack of interest in the Church and its leaders feared that other doctrines would find its way in. The existing doctrine stated that salvation was necessary for justification through faith by the presence of the Holy Spirit. This kind of concept did not appeal much to the already established churches. George Whitefield, an English Methodist preacher played a significant role in the religious movement that took place between 1730 – 1740. He was a circuit rider (a layman who traveled and preached the Word of God) who traveled the length and breadth of America preaching the Gospel and establishing churches. The people of America were attracted to this style of preaching and soon new life was breathed into the religion once again and found people involving themselves by listening and learning the Bible. This revival is known as the First Great Awakening. In the year 1800, when slavery was rampant, loyal abolitionists consisting of the Free Methodist Churches and the Wesley Methodist Churches played an active role in freeing the slaves by constructing an Underground Railroad. But unfortunately in 1845 Louisville, a great split occurred when a majority of the slaveholding states broke away from the Methodist Episcopal Church and instead created The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. But by the year 1939, the northern and southern church branches were united together once again after slavery was abolished. The Southern Church had a very conservative outlook towards theology and hence opposed the merger in 1940, forming the Southern Methodist Church. It was during this revival that the Holiness Movement took seed and which is considered as the Second Awakening. During the years 1858 and 1908, there was a great spurt in the growth of membership. The leaders of the Church involved themselves deeply in the Gospel Movement that resulted in a Missionary Awakening which is considered as The Third Great Awakening. Methodist/Wesleyan Beliefs and Teachings In Relation to the Broader Christian tradition The Methodist Movement always considered itself highly indebted to the Christian teaching on the subject of justification as was portrayed by Luther and later by the Wesley’s and other great reformers. This doctrine of justification that belonged to the Catholic tradition was embraced by them in the East as well as the West. Hence the doctrine of justification attained its own distinctive profile – “the remaining differences of language, theological elaboration, and emphasis” which are not reckoned to impair the “consensus in basic truths of the Doctrine of justification” between Lutherans and Catholics (JDDJ 40). John Wesley considered the Doctrine of Original sin as an essential Christian doctrine and says that human nature that is corrupted cannot be cured by the person themselves because he needs the grace of God to do so. According to Wesley, the grace of God “assists” but does not “force” the human response (Sermon 63, The General Spread of the Gospel, 11). There is yet another angle to the Christian Doctrine of justification which helped the Methodist understanding that there was a correlation and distinct connection between justification and sanctification. According to John Wesley’s views, God’s grace had a dual impact on salvation. He states, “By justification we are saved from the guilt of sin and restored to the favor of God; by sanctification we are saved from the power and root of sin, restored to the image of God” (Sermon 85, II.1). All through the history of the Methodist Movement, the doctrines were interpreted differently as time passed by, but however five basic ideas or concepts set a firm foundation for them – Sanctification: According to the Methodists ““Entire sanctification” or “Christian perfection” is nothing else than “loving God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind” and “your neighbor as yourself” (cf. Matthew 22:37-39; 1 John 2:5). They believed that they have to experience a birth that is spiritual by their indisputable faith in Jesus Christ. This spiritual birth is considered a life changing miracle because it makes the believer a new creation of God. Christian Perfection: According to Methodist teachings this “does not imply an exemption either from ignorance, or mistake, or infirmities or temptations” (Wesley’s Sermon 40, Christian Perfection, I.9) This perfection that is spoken of is not the absolute perfection that adheres only to God. It encompasses the perfection that we as humans should try our best to achieve. This status could be achieved living our lives in accordance with the teachings of the Bible. God’s Gift: Trying to achieve “Christian Perfection” cannot be taken as a merit of human achievement, because it is entirely God’s grace and God’s gift to us. “Even if our whole being is filled with the love of God which has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5) Conquering Sin: Trying our best to conquer sin may direct us in the path of sin itself and there is always the danger or temptation to slip back when there is a temptation. As John says, “If we say that we have fellowship with God while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:6-9 Promise of the Gospel: When we are faced with temptation or sin in our lives, God’s sanctifying grace helps us to struggle and overcome it. In our struggle we are strengthened by God’s promise to us in the gospel that he would help us overcome our weakness when temptation strikes. As it is said, “the contradiction to God within the selfish desires of the old Adam” (JDDJ 28) remains in the lives of the justified, God's grace “reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:25). According to Wesleyan teaching, the law as well as the gospel, are expressions not only of God’s word but also God’s will. For guidance in the way of life and good (cf. Deuteronomy 30:15-20), God gave us the commandment to love God as well as our neighbor and this teaching is framed in the laws for us to follow. God reveals and expresses his love for us through the death of Jesus Christ by saving us and giving us renewed life. The fulcrum around which Methodist Teaching and preaching revolves is the assurance of faith and salvation. This assurance is the foundation of God’s love for us and is achieved only by the pure and spiritual relationship we share with Him. The outward sign by which God passes on his grace to us is by reading the Scriptures and partaking of the Lord’s Supper. According to Wesleyan terminology, the gifts of God’s grace to us are “holiness” and “happiness”. They also believe that the works of piety and mercy are fruits of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who believe and follow Jesus. Such works also help the believers to live their lives in communion with God and to be “co-workers with God” (1 Corinthians 3:7) Methodist/Wesleyan Doctrines In Relation to the Broader Christian tradition The Nature of God: The Methodist had deep faith in the conviction that God the Father sent his Son into the world in order to save sinners. They also hold a strong conviction that the main work of the triune God was justification in every walk of life. The main basis or foundation for this justification is the death, resurrection and incarnation of Christ. The meaning of justification here is that our righteousness is Christ the Lord himself. The Person and Work of Christ: Every single person is called by God Our Father to experience salvation in Christ. When we obtain salvation in faith, we are justified only through Christ’s grace that he bestows upon us and not by our own merit. When we gain acceptance from God we are blessed with the grace of the Holy Spirit and are chosen to do good works while spreading the Word of God. Faith therefore is God’s gift to us which we receive through the Holy Spirit and use fruitfully among the community of believers leading them to find solace through a renewal of life. Role of the Holy Spirit: Methodists believe that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate power and life of the Church and every believer should yearn or seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. To attain this, he has to follow the scriptures and live according to its teachings only then can he share the fruit of the Holy Spirit with all those around him. It is common belief that when they are filled with the Holy Spirit they are sanctified with God’s grace and it is this that sets them apart from people who are non- believers. Human Nature: “No man is perfect” is a very apt saying that rightly describes the nature of humans. It is easier to utter this saying than adapt it in our daily lives because by nature we humans are weak and falter in word and action time and again. No human being can be perfect because only God can. It takes a lot of patience and courage to at least try our best to achieve some fragment of perfection. As another famous saying goes –“To err is human to forgive is divine”. Due to our weaknesses we are bound to fall a prey to temptation and it is God in His Divinity who forgives us for our actions and embraces us once again. The Problem of Sin: According to the Methodist preaching and teaching of the liturgy and hymnody, they believe that God forgives our sins by bestowing his grace on us and also liberates us from the degradation of sin. Since we are human and have weaknesses we fall into temptation time and again. In Methodist theology they believe in Paul’s assertion that says, ““Now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Romans 6:22). Wesley considered this to be the core of Methodist teaching and hence developed the doctrine of “Christian perfection” or “entire sanctification” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23), The Character and Scope for Salvation: According to the Christian faith salvation is “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6) Faith and love are not achieved by human effort but only through God’s grace and love bestowed on us humans that we are included in the path of God’s salvation. The Methodists too believe that Salvation “depends on faith in order that the promise may rest on grace” (Romans 4:16) When we have faith we surrender ourselves to the healing, redeeming and renewing of God’s true love and grace in our lives. We are saved by the eternal grace of God only because we have faith and trust in Him. The Kingdom of God: The Roman Empire was extremely powerful during that time and besides exercising their power in the political, economic and military forefront, it tended to turn their attention in gaining a place in the hearts and minds of the people. According to theology this is referred to as demonic power. When Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s, he clearly avoided being trapped by answering yes or no, but on the other hand he was imploring the people to choose the Kingdom of God. The focus of the ministry is to help in God’s mission of bringing people into the Kingdom of God. By answering in such a way, Jesus gave a clear demarcation of God’s power and the power that belonged to Caesar. In other words he was telling them that God’s kingdom was not brought about or established by political, cultural or ideological domination or pressure but the Kingdom of God is based on Love, fellowship, justice, compassion and unity. The Role of the Ministry in God’s Mission: The ministry’s unfailing mission is to spread God’s kingdom on Earth. They believe that they are representatives who are chosen by God to carry on His mission. The ministry plays an active role in redeeming souls and bringing them to God’s kingdom. They travel far and wide preaching The Word of God and helping God’s people who have gone astray and drowned in the sea of temptation and sin. They also administer the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper and try their best to enrich their lives through faith and spirituality. Besides their evangelistic work, the ministry seeks out their less fortunate brethren like the sick, poor and the dying and renders selfless service to them. They give them courage and hope of a better life by making them believe in the goodness of Jesus Christ. The Role of the Sacraments: The Methodist Church deem it their duty to spread the Word of God by preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments. They believe that the Holy Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper gives a lot of courage and strength to the faith of any believer. Baptizing a person signifies the declaration of their faith in the Lord and the acceptance of God’s covenant of grace upon them. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper denotes and reminds us of our redemption by the death of Lord Jesus Christ. Bread and wine are but the outward symbols that signify the body and blood of Jesus. This breaking of bread and sharing of wine signifies the unity and love that is shared among them. They believe that God is really present in this sacrament and so partake of it with great reverence keeping in mind God’s promise of redemption. According to the Methodists the elements of bread and wine are not objects to be worshipped but they are symbols of God’s precious body and blood that has to be consumed with great faith. The other means of grace in Christian life is confession. By confessing our sins we are absolved and through the grace of the Holy Spirit we are sanctified. Any person wishing to become a member in the Methodist Church has to first make a good confession before doing so otherwise he will not be permitted to become a member. Being absolved of ones sins is the first step leading to a good Christian life. Tensions That Prevailed: According to the EMC Book of Disciplines 1966 – 1970 Edition reads, "With a firm conviction that the gulf that separates conservative and liberal thought in the church is an ever-widening chasm which can never be healed, the Evangelical Methodist Church came into being to preserve the distinctive Biblical doctrines of primitive Methodism." John Wesley and other circuit riders preached the “old fashioned” Methodism and laid emphasis on ones free will and personal responsibility before the Lord. They were capable in inspiring and convincing people through their local congregations and missions and attracted others to join them in their quest of sharing their love and faith with their less fortunate brethren whom they considered as lost souls. Another tension that prevailed was the Fundamentalist – Holiness relationship. In 1946 a protest was carried out regarding the growing liberalism about the Evangelical Methodist Church comprising of both Holiness and non-Holiness factions. Tension built up over the over the subject of entire sanctification till finally there was a split. Those who were opposed to entire sanctification found their place within the group of Fundamentalists. Then on July 3rd 1962, the General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church took place and expressed their desire to merge with the People's Methodist Church, formerly known as the People's Christian Movement. Current Trend in the Methodist Church: The present problem faced by the leaders in the Methodist Church is that their leadership base is diminishing at an alarming rate and the Church has lost its capacity to attract quality young leaders who would be able to tackle the youth of the present generation. Times have changed a lot and in order to be in with the modern times, the organization and its leaders have to change; only then will it be able to thrive. Secondly the overall climate and health of the Church is a very vital factor in determining the quality of ministry that are ordained and would assimilated into the Clergy who would make a good difference. As it is stated, "The impression is abroad, and that the church does not welcome strength since it is more a place to find a support group than a channel for energy and talent, more a place where the bruised find solace than where the strong find companions and challenge.” (The Church Confident, Abingdon, 93) It is also a known fact that "the churches have the opportunity to nurture the kind of persons that society needs to lead its institutions including the churches themselves" (93-94). In his “Multigenerational Congregation (Alban, 2002) Gil Rendle deftly captured the reality and dilemma faced by older clergy who were striving to reach out to the younger generations. As one pastor puts it, “It is no easy task to build up the faith of one generation “and not destroy the supports of the religion of the other. Today’s clergy live in such a tension”. Speaking on the topic of the existing older generation clergy, it was discussed that they needed to change their thoughts and ideas to the modern times by attending enhanced training on how to meet the needs or how to deal with the present generation. Besides this, the unity in the Methodist Church has increased and it is noteworthy to find that they have maintained good doctrinal standards which had caused terrible turmoil in the past. Another change that has been brought about is the new book of worship and hymnal book that contains traditional hymns as well as material taken from various ethnic groups. The present out look of the Methodist Church is that it encourages its members on their religious journey by not only reading the scriptures but also drawing upon their own personal religious experiences they come across in life and to make use of these experiences to better their lives and the lives of all those people who are less fortunate than themselves. References: 1 J. R. Green, Short History of the English People (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1893), p. 735. 2 J. Wesley Bready, This Freedom Whence (New York: American Tract Society, 1942), p. 340-341. The Nature of Wesleyan Theology www.wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyan_theology/theojrnl/16-20/17-12.htm Methodism www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodism Becker Bible Studies www.guidedbiblestudies.com/library/free_methodists.htm Kingdom of God/ Youth Bible Study www.gbgm-umc.org/who_we_are/mcr/biblestudy.cfm "Discipline of the Evangelical Methodist Church: 1966-1970," (1966) Driggers, Ronald D., editor; Evangelical Methodist Church International Headquarters, Wichita, Kansas. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Methodist_Church Ideas and Trends/ Methodist Church www.query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2DB163BF93BA35756C0A96E948260 Read More