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Overview
In 1988, The General Conference of the United Methodist Church restored class leaders and class meetings to the Book of Discipline after an absence of fifty years. In this volume, David Lowes Watson explains what the recovery of this tradition can mean for congregations, and offers some guidelines for the revitalized office of class leader.
Adapting the later Methodist class meeting as a pastoral subdivision of the congregation, Watson shows how class leaders, under the supervision of the pastor, can nurture the discipline of other church members in light of a "General Rule of Discipline" derived from the early Methodist societies: "To witness to Jesus Christ in the world, and to follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship, and devotion, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit."
This volume is the second in a trilogy : Covenant Discipleship, Class Leaders, and Forming Christian Disciples.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781579109547 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Wipf & Stock Publishers |
| Publication date: | 04/01/2002 |
| Edition description: | Reprint |
| Pages: | 184 |
| Product dimensions: | (w) x 9.00(h) x (d) |
About the Author
David Lowes Watson is Director of the Office of Pastoral Formation for the Nashville Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church.
A native of England, he was educated at Oxford University, (M.A.), Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri (M.Div.), and Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (Ph.D.). He has pastored inner city and rural congregations in Illinois and North Carolina, and has served as Executive Secretary for Covenant Discipleship and Christian Formation at the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. He has taught at Southern Methodist University as the McCreless Professor of Evangelism at Perkins School of Theology, and at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. as Professor of Theology and Congregational Life and Mission.
He has written extensively in the fields of Methodist history and theology, evangelism, and congregational life and mission. His books include The Early Methodist Class Meeting, and God Does Not Foreclose. He has also written curriculum resources for The United Methodist Church, including the New Testament studies in Troublesome Bible Passages. He was the founding editor of the Covenant Discipleship Quarterly and the Journal of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, of which he is a past President. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Bicentennial Edition of The Works of John Wesley and is presently a member of the Board of Directors of Eden Theological Seminary.
Table of Contents
| Acknowledgments | ix | |
| Preface | xiii | |
| Introduction: Recovering a Tradition | xv | |
| Eventful Legislation | xv | |
| The Genius of Methodism | xv | |
| Clergy and Class Leaders | xvi | |
| A Focus on Class Leaders | xvii | |
| Small Groups | xviii | |
| The Horse Before the Cart | xix | |
| Covenant Discipleship | xix | |
| An Echo of the Class Leader | xx | |
| Chapter 1 | The Need for Leaders in Discipleship | 1 |
| The Mystery of Christian Discipleship | 1 | |
| Loose Discipleship | 2 | |
| Moments of Resentment | 3 | |
| More Discipline? | 4 | |
| The Two-Fold Ministry of Jesus | 5 | |
| Feed My Sheep | 6 | |
| A Shepherd's Secret | 6 | |
| Too Much Expertise | 7 | |
| Getting the Job Done | 8 | |
| Practicing the Basics | 8 | |
| Delaying Tactics | 9 | |
| First Steps | 10 | |
| More Delaying Tactics | 11 | |
| Leading the Flock | 12 | |
| Guidance in the First Steps | 12 | |
| Leadership Credentials | 13 | |
| A Leadership Question | 14 | |
| A Touchy Question | 15 | |
| Amateurs and Professionals | 15 | |
| A Model from Early Methodism | 17 | |
| For Reflection | 18 | |
| Chapter 2 | The Origin of Class Leaders | 19 |
| The Early Methodist Movement | 19 | |
| Affection for the Church | 20 | |
| True Freedom of Discipleship | 20 | |
| Privileged Servanthood | 21 | |
| Spirit and Structure in the Church | 22 | |
| Spiritual Renewal | 23 | |
| Obedient Discipleship | 24 | |
| Religious Common Sense | 25 | |
| Pastoral Oversight | 25 | |
| Mutual Accountability | 26 | |
| The Need for Mutual Support | 27 | |
| The Class Leader | 28 | |
| Disciplinary Oversight | 28 | |
| Resistance to Discipline | 29 | |
| Matters of Heart and Life | 30 | |
| Spiritualized Discipleship | 31 | |
| Disciplined Relationships | 31 | |
| Companionship with Christ | 32 | |
| An Early Methodist Class Leader | 33 | |
| A Return to Class Leaders | 36 | |
| For Reflection | 38 | |
| Chapter 3 | The Class Leader in North America | 39 |
| Across the Atlantic | 39 | |
| Pastoral Concern | 40 | |
| Class Leaders in Their Prime | 42 | |
| Literature on Class Meetings | 42 | |
| The Duties of Class Leaders | 43 | |
| Signs of Decline | 44 | |
| From Society to Church | 45 | |
| The Mother Church of Methodism | 45 | |
| Uncertain Identity | 46 | |
| Churchly Responsibilities | 47 | |
| A Question of Leadership | 47 | |
| An "Unnecessary Wheel" | 49 | |
| An Unfortunate Irony | 49 | |
| Loss of Leadership | 50 | |
| Displacement of the Class Meeting | 51 | |
| The Question of Slavery | 52 | |
| Loss of Integrity | 52 | |
| Keeping the Tradition Alive | 53 | |
| African American Methodism | 54 | |
| An Extract from A.M.E. Polity | 55 | |
| African American United Methodists | 56 | |
| Other Methodist Traditions | 57 | |
| The Korean Tradition | 58 | |
| Mutual Learnings from a Common Tradition | 59 | |
| For Reflection | 60 | |
| Chapter 4 | Recovering the Tradition of Class Leaders | 61 |
| Tradition and Traditioning | 61 | |
| Faithful Traditioning | 62 | |
| The Presence of the Risen Christ | 63 | |
| The Methodist Tradition | 63 | |
| A Detraditioned Office | 64 | |
| Retraditioning the Office | 64 | |
| The United Methodist Church and Its Context | 65 | |
| A Counter-Cultural Office | 66 | |
| Careful Traditioning | 67 | |
| The Importance of the Pastor | 67 | |
| First Things First | 68 | |
| A Climate of Accountability | 69 | |
| Covenant Discipleship | 69 | |
| The General Rule of Discipleship | 70 | |
| Extending the General Rule | 71 | |
| Classes as Pastoral Groupings | 72 | |
| "Tracking Them Down" | 73 | |
| Why Not Class Meetings? | 74 | |
| A "New Frontier" | 75 | |
| The Class Leader as Coach | 75 | |
| The Class Leader as Drill Instructor | 76 | |
| The Class Leader as Guide | 76 | |
| The Class Leader as Co-Pastor | 77 | |
| Why Class Leaders? | 78 | |
| A Foundation and a Catalyst | 79 | |
| Hearing the Call | 80 | |
| For Reflection | 81 | |
| Chapter 5 | Discerning the Call: Preparing for the Task | 83 |
| The Inward Call | 83 | |
| The Outward Call | 84 | |
| A Good Reason to Hesitate | 85 | |
| A Good Reason Not to Hesitate | 86 | |
| Seemingly Impossible Standards | 87 | |
| The Most Important Question | 89 | |
| He Did the Best He Could | 90 | |
| They Did the Best They Could | 91 | |
| Ready to Go Professional | 91 | |
| Preparation through Covenant Discipleship | 93 | |
| A Condition of the Office | 94 | |
| Accepting the Office | 94 | |
| Prayerful Preparation | 95 | |
| The Leaders' Meeting | 97 | |
| Co-Pastor of the Congregation | 98 | |
| Your Accountability | 98 | |
| Getting to Know Your Congregation | 99 | |
| Getting to Know Your World | 100 | |
| Training "On the Job" | 100 | |
| Forming Your Class | 101 | |
| For Reflection | 103 | |
| Chapter 6 | Getting to Know Your Class | 105 |
| Diversity of People | 105 | |
| An Open Mind | 106 | |
| Diversity of Gifts and Graces | 106 | |
| Human Qualities and Talents | 107 | |
| Spiritual Gifts | 108 | |
| The Fruit of the Spirit | 109 | |
| Diversity of Needs | 110 | |
| Diversity of Faith | 112 | |
| Faith as a Human Universal | 112 | |
| Religious Faith | 113 | |
| Religious Beliefs | 113 | |
| Stages of Faith | 114 | |
| "Degrees of Faith" | 115 | |
| The Christian Life | 116 | |
| The New Birth | 116 | |
| Growth in Christ | 118 | |
| Maturity in Christ | 119 | |
| Constancy of Grace | 121 | |
| Diversity of Discipleship | 122 | |
| Growth in Discipleship | 123 | |
| Christ-Centered Discipleship | 123 | |
| A Word of Encouragement | 125 | |
| For Reflection | 126 | |
| Chapter 7 | Forming the Discipleship of Your Class | 127 |
| Establishing Contact with Your Members | 127 | |
| The First Visit to Your Members | 127 | |
| The Agenda of the Visit | 128 | |
| The General Rule of Discipleship | 130 | |
| This Is Just the Beginning | 131 | |
| An Intensive First Few Weeks | 132 | |
| What Not to Do with Your Class | 133 | |
| At Ease and Alert | 135 | |
| Reactive Resistance | 136 | |
| In Covenant with an Active God | 137 | |
| Joyful Surrender | 138 | |
| Getting Caught in the Crossfire | 139 | |
| A Christ-Centered Relationship | 139 | |
| Becoming Informed about Your Congregation | 140 | |
| Further Contact with Your Members | 141 | |
| Applying the General Rule | 142 | |
| Witnessing to Jesus Christ in the World | 142 | |
| Acts of Compassion | 143 | |
| Acts of Worship | 143 | |
| Acts of Justice | 144 | |
| Acts of Devotion | 146 | |
| The Guidance of the Holy Spirit | 146 | |
| Connecting Your Class Members | 147 | |
| For Reflection | 148 | |
| Conclusion: In Harmony with One Another | 149 | |
| Knowing Who You Are | 149 | |
| Spiritual Discernment | 149 | |
| A Dangerous Gift | 150 | |
| Deal Charitably with Your Members | 151 | |
| Deal Charitably with Your Pastor | 152 | |
| A Question of Calling | 152 | |
| True Christian Collegiality | 153 | |
| A Final Word | 154 | |
| Endnotes | 155 | |
| Resources | 163 |