WETNK UM Church-03r 2/27/06 11:13 AM Page 1 W H AT EVERY T E ACHER NEEDS TO KNOW A B O U T Developed by the Christian Education Staff of The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church WETNK UM Church-03r 2/27/06 11:13 AM Page 2 This booklet was developed by the Christian Educa- tion Staff of The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. It is one in a series of booklets designed to provide essential knowledge for teachers. Members of the staff who helped write and develop this series are Te rry Cart y, Bill Cre n s h a w, Donna Gaither, Contents Rick Gentzler, Mary Alice Gran, Susan Hay, Betsey H e a v n e r, Diana Hynson, Carol Krau, MaryJane Pierc e N o rton, Deb Smith, Julia Wallace, and Linda Whited. Reprinted 2002, 2003 Introduction . 5 Cover and booklet design by Joey McNair History . 7 Edited by Debra D. Smith and Heidi L. Hewitt Mission . 21 ISBN 0-88177-363-8 Quotations from the Book of Discipline are from The Book of Discipline of The Connectional Structure . 27 United Methodist Church—2000. Copyright © 2000 by The United Methodist Some Interesting Details . 35 Publishing House. Used by permission. The Cross and Flame . 35 Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised The Circuit Rider . 36 Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Cokesbury . 36 Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All Why Methodist? . 37 rights reserved. Used by permission. Why United Methodist? . 37 WHAT EVERY TEACHER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE UNITED Charles Wesley: Hymn Writer . 37 METHODIST CHURCH. Copyright © 2002 Discipleship Resources. All rights The Ministry of All Christians. 38 reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, Episcopal Leaders . 39 print or electronic, without written permission, except in the case of brief quota- Itinerant Ministry . 40 tions embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information regarding rights and permissions, contact Discipleship Resources, P.O. Box 340003, Nashville, The World Is My Parish . 41 TN 37203-0003; fax 615-340-1789. Going Further. 43 DR363 Helpful Resources . 45 WETNK UM Church-03r 2/27/06 11:14 AM Page 4 This booklet is dedicated to YOU, a teacher of Introduc t ion children, youth, or adults, WHO, with fear, excitement, joy, and commitment, allows God to lead you n accepting the invitation to teach in your congrega- in the call to tion, you have entered into a time of growing as a TEACH. IChristian while you lead others to grow along with you. Whether you are a teacher of children, youth, or adults, it is important that you know something about The gifts he gave were that some would be . the church where you are and how your class members teachers . for building up the body of Christ. learn and worship. (Ephesians 4:11-12) This booklet introduces basic knowledge about the h i s t o r y, mission, and stru c t u re of The United Methodist C h u rch and information about the words and symbols that you see in your church and on the re s o u rces your c h u rch develops. Depending on your background, this booklet may be a crash course on United Methodist basics, a reminder of things you have forgotten, or an encourage- ment to continue to learn more about your churc h . 5 WETNK UM Church-03r 2/27/06 11:14 AM Page 6 Teachers and small-group leaders are growing in faith. As teachers, we pay attention to our relationships with God and with others. We seek to live our faith in our daily lives. We create safe, healthy settings for people to seek God, to respond to God’s grace, and to find support and encouragement for living as disciples in the world. History G rowing in faith, which helps us become spiritual leaders, is a life-changing experience that continues Go...make disciples of all nations. t h roughout life. We do not have this experience alone. We (Matthew 28:19) g row with the help of God and with the help of our con- g regation as they support us by providing opport u n i t i e s for learning, re s o u rces for teaching, prayer, and training. This booklet about The United Methodist Church is he mission of The United Methodist Church is one of ten booklets that will equip you for teaching. “to make disciples of Jesus Christ” (The Book Use the entire series to reinforce your own knowledge, Tof Discipline of The United Methodist skills, and abilities. Church—2000, ¶ 120). The mission had its beginnings Other booklets in this series are in the eighteenth-century movement that in 1968 What Every Teacher Needs to Know About became The United Methodist Church. John Wesley • the Bible was the founder of that movement. • Christian Heritage John Wesley • Classroom Environment • Curriculum John Wesley was born in 1703 in Epworth, England. • Faith Language He was one of many children of Samuel Wesley, an • Living the Faith Anglican priest, and Susanna Wesley, a strong, caring, • People Christian woman. John Wesley studied at Christ Church • Teaching College in Oxford, England. In 1728, at the age of • Theology twenty-five, John Wesley was ordained as a priest in the Church of England. 6 7 WETNK UM Church-03r 2/27/06 11:14 AM Page 8 The Holy Club John Wesley’s heart-warming experience came only While John and his brother Charles Wesley were three days after his brother Charles had found God’s at Oxford, they organized and led a group of Oxford peace in a similar experience. students who became known as the Holy Club. The Preaching in Streets and Fields members of the club met regularly for Bible study, p r a y e r, social work, fasting, and Holy Communion. Soon, John and Charles and George Whitefield, their They practiced their faith by visiting people in prison, friend from the Holy Club, began preaching to the poor by taking care of people who were poor, and by showing in England. Since their preaching was not encouraged c o n c e rn for the social issues of their day. inside the Church of England, they preached in the streets, in abandoned buildings, in homes, in mines, and John and Charles in America in open fields. In 1735, John and Charles left for America with dre a m s Early Methodist Societies of becoming missionaries. But their eff o rts failed, and they re t u rned to England in about two years. They both John Wesley organized the converts into societies. These re t u rned searching for something more in their own faith. g roups were based on We s l e y ’s experience with the Holy Club at Oxford, on his observations of the Moravians who A Heart-Warming Experience had influenced his faith, and on other Anglican re l i g i o u s May 24, 1738, marked a turning point in John’s societies. The societies met weekly for preaching, prayer, faith. After attending a religious service on Aldersgate- hymn-singing, Bible study, Christian conversation, and Street in London, John wrote in his journal: mutual accountability for their spiritual gro w t h . Anyone who wanted to “flee from the wrath to come, In the evening, I went very unwillingly to a society in and to be saved from their sins” was welcome to join a Aldersgate-Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter Methodist society and lead a disciplined Christian life. before nine, while he was describing the change which Each person was re q u i red to follow three General Rules, God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt which are still expected of United Methodists today: my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, • Do no harm. Christ alone, for salvation: And an assurance was • Do good. given me, that he had taken away my sins, even mine, • Attend the ordinances of God. and saved me from the law of sin and death. 8 9 WETNK UM Church-03r 2/27/06 11:14 AM Page 10 The ordinances of God are those things that help us John Wesley sent missionaries to America in 1769. experience God’s presence. They include worship, During the Revolutionary Wa r, though, John Wesley sup- prayer, Scripture study, Holy Communion, and fasting. p o rted England. As a result, all of the British Methodist Later, the societies were broken up into even smaller p reachers—except Francis Asbury — re t u rned to England. groups called classes and bands. In these smaller A s b u ry continued to preach in America, riding thousands groups, members talked about their lives, confessed of miles each year to organize new churches. By 1784, their sins, prayed for one another, and encouraged one the Methodist movement in America had grown to another to be more-faithful Christians. 15,000 members. John Wesley never intended for the societies to become a new church. He himself remained a priest in the Churc h The First American Conference of England until his death. The members of the societies, In 1784, John Wesley began ordaining lay preachers to classes, and bands were encouraged to attend the serv i c e s s p read the work of the Methodist movement in the United of the local Church of England and to receive Holy Com- States.