‘Extraordinary Messengers’: On the Wesleyan origins of the superintendency and the contemporary understanding and praxis of superintendency in the Plymouth and Exeter District of the British Methodist Church ‘A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Master of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities’ 2015 Simon Huw Leigh (School of Arts, Languages and Cultures) Cliff College Calver Hope Valley S32 3XG List of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter One: Origins ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.0 Influences: Society ............................................................................................................. 9 1.1 Influences: Family and University ................................................................................... 13 1.3 Authority .......................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2: The Forerunners to the Superintendent ................................................................... 27 2.1 Conference ....................................................................................................................... 30 2.2 Wesley’s Assistants ......................................................................................................... 32 2.3 America ............................................................................................................................ 37 2.4 The Sunday Service ......................................................................................................... 42 2.5 Ordinations ....................................................................................................................... 44 2.6 Apostolic-Man ................................................................................................................. 45 Chapter 3: Methodology and Findings ........................................................................................ 48 3.1 Personal Reflexivity ......................................................................................................... 48 3.2 Epistemological reflexivity .............................................................................................. 49 3.3 Interviews ......................................................................................................................... 53 3.4 Findings: Questionnaire Responses ................................................................................. 55 3.5 The Interviews ................................................................................................................. 64 Chapter Four: Contemporary Superintendency......................................................................... 82 4.1 Sign of Unity .................................................................................................................... 83 4.2 Leader .............................................................................................................................. 85 4.3 Missio Dei ........................................................................................................................ 87 4.4 Management, Leadership and Oversight.......................................................................... 95 4.5 What sort of bishops? ..................................................................................................... 102 4.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 110 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 117 Appendix1:……………………………………………………………………………...121 Specimen Interview (extract): Minister B ……………………………………………125 (45170 words) 2 List of Tables Table 1 - Years of Service ................................................................................................... 55 Table 2 - Number of Appointments ................................................................................... 56 Table 3 - Personnel............................................................................................................. 57 Table 4 - Levels of Pastoral Charge ................................................................................... 58 Table 5 - Role of Superintendent ....................................................................................... 59 Table 6 - Adequacy of Training ......................................................................................... 60 Table 7 - Early Identification of Superintendents .............................................................. 61 Table 8 - Selection of Potential Superintendents ............................................................... 61 Table 9 - Model of Superintendency .................................................................................. 62 Table 10 - Forms of Superintendency ................................................................................. 62 Table 11 - Age Distribution ................................................................................................ 63 3 Abstract The University of Manchester Simon Huw Leigh Master of Philosophy ‘Extraordinary Messengers’: On the Wesleyan origins of the superintendency and the contemporary understanding and praxis of superintendency in the Plymouth and Exeter District of the British Methodist Church. 2015 This thesis concerns the origins of Methodist superintendency and what it meant for John Wesley. In the first two chapters the thesis explores the development of the role of the Assistant and Wesley’s growing understanding of authority and order in the Methodist movement, together with his pragmatic ideas concerning episcopacy. The thesis engages with primary sources and contemporary scholarship, offering a critique of Wesley’s project. The thesis uses a questionnaire and a set of interviews as a piece of qualitative research into the work of contemporary superintendency. The findings are used to offer a critical analysis of the Superintendents’ responses, which have significant implications for the praxis of superintendency in the Plymouth and Exeter District. This forms an original contribution to research. The final section explores what is a Superintendent for British Methodism and identifies the superintendency with being a focus for mission, unity, oversight and leadership. This is then critically examined through the lens of contemporary scholarship, particularly the work of Croft and Grundy with regards to episkope. The office of Superintendent is examined in terms of its functional utility as opposed to any ontological grounding. The implication for the missional work of the Superintendent is seen in the contention that the office is a focus for mission, for unity and exhibits episcopal characteristics of oversight, leadership and governance. Declaration No portion of the work referred to in this thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. 4 Ownership & Intellectual Property Rights i. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns certain copyright or related rights in it (the “Copyright”) and s/he has given the University of Manchester certain rights to use such Copyright, including for administrative purposes. ii. Copies of the thesis, either in full, or in extracts and whether in hard or electronic copy, may be made only in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) and regulations issued under it or, where appropriate, in accordance with licensing agreements which the University has entered into. This page must form part of any such copies made. iii. The ownership of any such Copyright, patents, designs, trademarks and other intellectual property (the “Intellectual Property”) and any reproductions of copyright works in the thesis, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions. iv. Further information on the condition under which disclosure, publication and commercialisation of this thesis, the Copyright and any Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions described in it may take place is available in the University IP Policy (see http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=487), in any relevant Thesis restriction declarations deposited in the University Library, The University Library’s regulations (see http://www.manchester.ac.uk/library/aboutus/regulations) and in The University’s policy on Presentation of Theses 5 Introduction This thesis asks the question ‘what is a Superintendent minister for John Wesley and for today. The thesis then explores what implications this has for the mission of the Plymouth and Exeter District of the British Methodist