The Gift of Discernment and the Future Mission Statement of the Global Methodist Church
To understand context of this post, read Dr. David Watson’s original proposal HERE. And in order to understand this post, may I suggest you read my response HERE.
Come, let us reason together. And as we do, let us discern on the basis of Scripture, prayer, the emphasis of John Wesley, our history, and holy reflection as the Body of Christ.
Here’s a proposed iteration of the mission statement for the Global Methodist Church, which honors our present statement but also emphasizes our Wesleyan distinctive and the missional pulse of reaching unreached people groups (As I explained in my previous post).
Our Mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly by spreading scriptural holiness to all peoples.
Why am I taking the time to suggest we modify the mission statement of the Global Methodist Church? There are three primary reasons:
First, I agree with Dr. David Watson (as he stated in his original post) that our Wesleyan distinctive matters greatly in the mission statement of the Global Methodist Church. As I have expressed, I believe the phrase “spreading scriptural holiness” should be included.
Second, if there is ever a time to make an adjustment, the window for doing so is 2024 in conjunction with the GMC convening conference this September in Costa Rica.
Third, rather than having extensive floor debates at the first convening conference, wouldn’t we prefer laboring to develop consensus around this matter well before we gather? Whether we like it or not, the cat is out of the bag as it relates to modifying our mission statement. Just look at the comment section at the end of Dr. Watson’s post.
After publishing my response to David on Twitter (X), I received emails, texts, and DMs from persons with various thoughts. What stood out to me was the number of persons who have been Methodist Christians for decades who shared, “I don’t know what scriptural holiness is” or “I don’t understand why we need to include scriptural holiness in our mission statement” or “No thank you, I like what we have.”
I wonder if it’s possible that we Methodist Christians, even those holding seminary degrees and are ordained to vocational ministry, have a blind spot? And I wonder if this is the catalytic moment in history in which we need to address it.
The responses I received caused me to wonder what some were thinking when they were asked the question at ordination, “Do you expect to be made perfect in this life?” No one, other than Wesleyan Christians, asks this question. I thought about the Rev. Dr. Carolyn Moore’s commentary on Methodist ordination vows and the centrality of what makes us unique as Methodist Christians:
Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?
Methodists believe entire sanctification is the trajectory of authentic discipleship. The question is not whether we have reached it or even if we can. The question is, are our lives pointed in that direction? Sanctification is costly; it is, simply put, a call to die to self. But this question is also an invitation to freedom — freedom from mediocrity and the tyranny of tolerable. It is an invitation into the good life in its most vivid and faithful form.
Are you earnestly striving after it?
The repetition of this theme makes it all the more meaningful for Methodists, whose contribution to the Body of Christ is their commitment to sanctification. When you say you are going on to perfection, is this your intention? Will you be ruthlessly opposed to stagnation in your life with Christ, ministry, and care of the Church?
This commitment to sanctification is ultimately a call to defeat the spirit of fear. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
Have we read widely enough to understand the primary distinctive of the Wesleyan movement? Do we understand how scriptural holiness, properly understood, was God’s transformational agency for England and the emerging colonies in the 18th century? Do we understand how a proper understanding of scriptural holiness played a key role in a sustained 40-year revival under the leadership of the Wesley brothers? Do we understand Wesley’s commitment to scriptural holiness, which was why George Whitfield grieved as he expressed…
“The souls that were awakened under his (Wesley’s) ministry he joined in societies and thus preserved the fruit of his labor. This I neglected, and my people are a rope of sand.”
And if we understand these things, are we convictional enough about our distinctive to include it in our mission for the sake of generations to come?
In light of the weight related to these matters, and in light of many who have strong affection for our present mission statement, I propose the following for consideration:
Our Mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly by spreading scriptural holiness to all peoples.
Come, let us reason together. And as we do, let us discern on the basis of Scripture, prayer, the emphasis of John Wesley, our history, and holy reflection as the Body of Christ.
To aid your understanding in Scriptural Holiness, and its centrality and impact through the Methodist movement, the following resources are available to you:
- Recovering Methodism’s Lost Power, interview between Dr. Andy Miller and Dr. Kevin Watson
- Perfect Love — The Purpose of Methodism, by Dr. Kevin Watson
- Perfect Love, Recovering Entire Sanctification — The Lost Power of the Methodist Movement, by Dr. Kevin Watson
- The Wesleyan Doctrine of Scriptural Holiness, by Dr. Frank Bateman Stanger
- From the Wesleyan Church Book of Discipline
- What is Entire Sanctification? by, Dr. Matt O’Reilly
