the bi-vocational future for clergy

next project

Now that the book is finished I can give more attention to my next Wesley-inspired research project.

In A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, Wesley mentioned that the study of Scripture that he undertook in 1729 convinced him that the goal of religion was self-conformity to the example of Christ.  In A Short History of Methodism, Wesley identified the Greek Testament as the focus of the 1729 Bible study that he undertook with his brother Charles and two other Oxford students.  This study left Wesley with the following impression--

Hence I saw, in a clearer and clearer light, the indispensable necessity of having the mind which was in Christ, and of walking as Christ also walked; even of having, not some part only, but all the mind which was in him; and of walking as he walked, not only in many or most respects, but in all things. And this was the light, wherein at this time I generally considered religion, as an uniform following of Christ, an entire inward and outward conformity to our Master. Nor was I afraid of any thing more, than of bending this rule to the experience of myself, or of other men; of allowing myself in any the least disconformity to our grand Exemplar.

Now I'm studying Greek with the goal of seeing what overall impression I take away from these translations of the Bible (the Septuagint and the Greek NT).  Will the imitation of Christ be the most prominent theme that I notice in my reading of the Greek or will some other theological topic capture my attention?  If this experiment does yield a different result, can I account for this difference? 

That's the main research query.  Others include-- Will my analogy of faith match Wesley's (Repentance then Faith then Holiness) after this study?  Will the conclusions that I draw from my study match any other theologian's work?  Should UM seminaries require courses in biblical languages, and can I offer a rationale for such a requirement based on my experience?

In seminary there is no longer Bs and Cs, there is no longer Ds and Fs, there is no longer Pass or Fail; for all of you are A-students in Christ Jesus

Primarily, my article on grading standards, "Designing Seminary Expectation," is based on my experience teaching United Methodist History, Doctrine, and Polity and courses on Wesleyan history and theology.  What resources helped you develop your grading rubric?

Maddox on Wesley on Making Disciples

My thanks to John Meunier for the link to Dr. Randy Maddox's paper, "Wesley's Prescription for Making Disciples of Jesus Christ."  I discovered that the Quarterly Review article was an edited version of a paper Maddox produced for the United Methodist Council of Bishops' Task Force on Theological Education and Leadership Formation.  The paper does not address seminary education or the type of training that would best prepare leaders for the church.  Instead, Maddox describes five characteristics of Wesley's ministry and discusses their implications for today.

The faculties of the soul (Understanding, Will, Affections, Liberty) are referenced in the paper, although Maddox uses terms such as "intellectual convictions"and "rational initiative" instead of Understanding.  This is an example of one possible approach to updating Wesley-- maintain Wesley's definition of the soul but use terms that are more familiar to a contemporary audience.

The advice that Maddox offers to the 21st Century church is shaped by Wesley's theory of the soul:

1. Cultivating a Doctrinal Sense of Christ-likeness will reform the Understanding
2. Offering opportunities to experience the Spirit will reform the Affections
3. Engaging in formative practices will reform the Will
4. Participation in the Means of Grace (which includes working with the poor) will reform the Affections and Will
5. Creating small groups for support and accountability will reform the Liberty

I take away from Maddox's argument the insight that our definition of the soul matters because it determines the focus of our ministries.  Our view of the soul, its predicament and functions, is implicit in our church programming.

For that reason theological education must provide students with an opportunity to both learn and test various theories of the soul.  Activities such as reading, preaching, and writing about the soul are insufficient.  Seminary students must have learning labs in church settings where they can try out theologically-informed practices of ministry and evaluate their results in order to determine what kind of impact these practices are having on souls.

These reflections make me wonder if there is an unacknowledged theory of the soul that currently informs most church programming (including preaching)?  If so, how do we surface this theory and make it more explicit?  When we become aware of our definition, what means should we use to evaluate if our practices are producing the desired reform to the soul?

Call to Action report, Item #2-- “redesign the leadership development system”.

The seminaries aren't mentioned in the UMC Call to Action report, but as a significant part of our leadership development system they could help the Church fulfill the vision laid out in the Call to Action/Vital Congregations/Leadership Summit.  The proposed planning guide identifies 16 strategies for vitality that congregations should follow.  If this proposal is adopted, then pastors will be expected to lead their congregations in the implementation of these tasks.  Seminaries could help their students (and current pastors) by offering training related to these 16 strategies.  The training will have to move out of the classroom to be effective, however.  The interpersonal skills needed to accomplish all 16 strategies can only be acquired through supervision and mentoring.  The pastors will need to:

1. shadow someone leading a church that has one or more of the vitality strategies running, 
2. learn the steps taken by that church to start the ministry, 
3. think through how to adapt those steps to their setting for ministry with the help of mentors and/or peers,
4. take the ideas back to their congregations and share them with the lay leadership,
5. evaluate their efforts to implement a vitality strategy with a supervisor.

The first three steps could be accomplished in a week.  The last two steps could take a year to complete.  This is an expensive proposal, but I think it is the only way that students are going to learn how to lead the laity and work as a congregation to fulfill the tasks laid out in the planning guide.  The 16 strategies can only be realized by a highly motivated congregation.  Motivating others is a learned skilled.  Done poorly, it leads to manipulation and exploitation.  Where else and how else can this skill be acquired if not in seminary?

July 24 addendum:  The Alban Institute's report on an initiative to train new pastors in congregational clusters.