Recipe for a Wesleyan Minister 2

Now the second set of competencies for a Wesleyan minister. The first set had to do with the person of the minister and cultural/context competencies. This set has to do with what you might call "foundational" competencies.

A Wesleyan minister should be able to:
Bible

1. Articulate an understanding of Scripture as inspired and authoritative for Christian life and faith.
2. Demonstrate an authentic love and passion for God’s Word, reflected in one’s devotional practices and a desire to apply Scripture to one’s life.
3. Use Scripture in teaching, preaching and pastoral ministry to facilitate the Christian transformation of others.
4. Know biblical themes and content comprehensively, as well as the background contexts of the biblical texts.
5. Employ sound interpretive and exegetical methods in order to use the Bible effectively in preaching, teaching and pastoral ministry.
6. Apply Scripture appropriately to a broad range of life situations.

Theology

1. Know the key doctrines of the church and their basis in Scripture.
2. Identify the distinctives of Wesleyan theology and its relationship both to evangelical theology and other theological perspectives.
3. Practice theological research, compare and contrast differing theologies, and identify cultural influences on the theologies of particular groups.
4. Understand and respect a broad range of theological perspectives.
5. Develop a life-long positive and humble attitude toward learning.
6. Communicate theology in clear, understandable ways that relate to life and mission and result in Christian transformation.
7. Discern truth from error and articulate a sound basis for one’s faith.

Church History

1. Know the broad sweep of church history including key eras, people, movements, and major ideas/theology.
2. Know the historical development of the canon and how the Bible has functioned in the life of the church.
3. Know the history of the development of key Christian doctrines throughout church history.
4. Know the history and development of the Wesleyan and Holiness movements, especially The Wesleyan Church, its key doctrines, practices and polity.
5. Know the general history of other church traditions/denominations and respect their various doctrines and practices.
6. Know the influence of culture on the church throughout history and how it affects a local church today.
7. Apply relevant aspects of historical Christianity to inform pastoral ministry and the life of the church today.

Wesleyan Identity and Ethos

1. Articulate core Wesleyan doctrines such as entire sanctification, love, prevenient grace, optimistic soteriology, free-will and their application to life and pastoral ministry.
2. Demonstrate an ability to proactively engage culture and community with the holistic Gospel through various strategies and initiatives.
3. Demonstrate an ability to organize and lead small group discipleship and membership classes.
4. Articulate a sound understanding of how God changes lives to become what God has designed us to be as human beings.
5. Articulate a sound understanding of holiness of heart and the centrality of love for God and others and how it manifests itself in life and relationships.
6. Develop a “rule of life” for engaging various spiritual disciplines and cultivating a vibrant intimate relationship with God.
7. Articulate scriptural and theological rationale for gender, racial, and ethnic equality.
8. Know how to engage the local church in acts of mercy.
9. Know how to engage the gospel as it targets the root causes of various forms of social injustice such as poverty, sex trafficking, and pornography.
10. Demonstrate increasing maturity in one’s life and love for others, integrity, purity of heart and life.