We Had It, Then We Lost It

A few days ago I was at the Conference Office for a meeting. I was in Paul Brunstetter's office, looking at his and bookshelf. He had a Book of Discipline of the Northern Methodist Church from 1900. I am fascinated by the old Disciplines. They were short and the Bishops wrote compelling, convicting introductions. They stood firm for orthodoxy and historic Methodism. They wrote in the Bishops' Greeting something that I think should be very instructive and convicting to us. They were talking about the amazing amount of success the church was having, and had been having for about 20 years. They were in that phase of our history where we were opening a new church EVERY DAY. Can you imagine? Opening one new church every day. They were, in fact, close to opening two a day for a while.

They attributed their success to the very reason we have a Book of Discipline: our structure and organization (the METHOD in Methodist) was (WAS) geared to get out and evangelize, make disciples and gather them into churches. They attributed the success directly and unequivocally to “the itinerant preacher and the sub-pastorate of the class meetings.”

We had it.  Then we lost it.

The pastors weren't itinerant solely based on the Bishop moving them around. They went out looking for the people and places where Jesus was not worshiped as Lord. People would be gathered into small discipleship groups, and when there were enough of those, they became a church. In the times between the return of the preacher, the small group leaders provided pastoral care and encouragement for spiritual growth.

1900 was about 160 years after the Methodist movement started. 160 years after the Wesley brothers started, their movement had another outburst, of probably greater growth than the first revival! So a movement can still burn 160 years later! No doubt it can happen again. And it is, just not among the Methodists. We wryly say, “The Wesleyan movement is alive and well in the non-denominational church.” Other people have adopted the Method. I am part of a learning community from the Exponential Conference. It is my second go-round, learning from churches that are doing discipleship well. They are all working heavily with accountable small-group discipleship. Alan Hirsch, perhaps the foremost thinker in this movement says that all he does is “teach Methodism.”

I am hopeful that some may rediscover “the old paths,” and that individuals and churches here and there will start class meetings because they see and feel the life transformation. Perhaps it might even become so compelling that we re-adopt it again as the model for our churches!