I listened with interest to the General Conference of the Wesleyan Church this week. I feel a little detached at the moment. I'm not working at a Wesleyan school (though working with several). Perhaps that gives me more freedom to speak. If I were in leadership somewhere, I'd have to be more careful, I suppose.
There were clear tensions at the conference. I thought the leadership did a good job steering between Sylla and Charybdis. They did a good job diversifying the voices, I thought.
On a late-night whim, I made a quick drawing to try to capture the diversity of the church that, I think, expresses some of the tensions in the church right now:
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Closely related to that group are what I call the "culture warriors." They are in continuity with the older group although their issues are civilly oriented rather than the older morality orientation. Their chief concerns are to codify statements in the Constitution against abortion and to prevent TWC from ever accepting homosexuality. They are trying to prop up the tree.
The bulk of the tree I pinned as "Church Growthies." These are the larger churches and the ones focused on evangelism, discipleship, and marketplace ministry. I suspect they hold the dominant influence at the moment. Certainly some issues of interest overlap between these groups.
I put some birds in the tree. There are a good number of Baptists who have become Wesleyans over the years. The Wesleyan Church bears the impact of baptistification like the rest of the American church. These elements often reinforce fundamentalist elements in the church.
I also put some charismatics who have joined us. It was interesting to realize that tongues is already practiced in some Wesleyan churches. I suspect that Latino elements of the church, and perhaps some other diverse congregations, have quite a bit of this element.
Then there is always a group of Wesleyans who are secretly or not so secretly attracted to our Anglican roots. There are even some closet Catholic lovers in our midst. These tend to be the more contemplative Wesleyans.
Finally I put fire on the top to represent what I decided to call "radical Wesleyans." Call them "Don Dayton" Wesleyans if you would. They are the closest we have to the Orange Scotts and Luther Lees. Call them progressive Wesleyans. Call them "social justice warriors." The cultural warriors think they should be kicked out of the church. To them they are burning down the church. So are they on fire for God or setting the church on fire?
I'm pretty happy with this picture. It is meant to be descriptive rather to endorse or condemn a faction. To me, it explains the tensions.
This is probably long enough for a post, although I have thoughts on tongues and drinking, considered at the conference.
5 comments:
Thanks for the drawing.
For some reason, my system put up an ad for form-fitting, but not R- or X-rated, women's underwear with the post.
I just finished (literally yesterday) the updated version of Dayton’s book. People like Finney, Orange Scott and Luther Lee would probably think todays “Wesleyans” are wimps. In the conclusion, Douglas Strong notes the passion he was seeing in millennials for a direct encounter with Jesus, and the added complexity of their sympathy for the lgbt community. The updated book is eight years old, and Gen Z is now in the picture; I wonder if he would revise anything he had to say in light of continued shifts in the culture. I heard a Reformed theologian criticize Finney (years ago) but after reading Dayton I have renewed respect for him, tempered by Dayton’s (Strong’s, really) comments at the end of the book. No one is perfect, we are all people of our time. These times are chaotic, and confusing, in my opinion.
I always wonder how TWC compares to the CotN. It seems to me that TWC is in some ways more progressive, though I don’t know anything about that except what I pick up here. I have attended 12Stone once, and I have a brother in Georgia who says he would go there if there was even a satellite church within driving distance. And you guys have Steve DeNeff! My people, the ones who liked me, told me more than once I was a good preacher, the best they ever had. (Given my lack of formal education, you can imagine how flattered/humbled I was). But Steve DeNeff is a truly great preacher! There may be some of equal stature, but I don’t think anyone I’ve ever heard surpasses him. Whether from hard work, genius or some special dispensation of the Holy Spirit, he is in a class by himself. Maybe he and Kevin M of 12Stone are exceptions, but you are blessed to have them.
Nazarenes are at least facing the baptistification of our faith, and there are a growing number among us who are social drinkers. As for tongues I don’t know. In my one and only church I had pre-mil, Rapture believing QAnon adherents, and what was bad was they had influence, and were rich to boot. So here we are, and I feel for our leaders who have to try to lead people who they seldom have any real influence over—or even any connection.
Anyway; thanks for your work. I’ve learned a lot from you. JMP
Keep thinking of the thought, "Are they no fire for God or burning the church down?"
I really liked your thoughts in this post. So much so, I shared them with Asbury seminary grad son who seems to have liked this as well. When I see him in a few weeks he and I are going to have a some really good food for conversation with what you have shared. Thanks! Be blessed. Thank you for blessing us and so many others.
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