Wesleyan Pastoral Ministry, Evangelism, and Global Missions — Unit 10: Leading a Holy Church in a Changing World

Key Verse

"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28, NKJV)

Learning Objectives

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Explain why a Wesleyan pastor must give attention first to his own life and doctrine, and then to the flock.

2. Distinguish what must never change (the gospel and Scripture) from what may change (methods and forms), using Wesley's example.

3. Describe the main pressures on churches today, including doctrinal drift, materialism, migration, digital media and the loss of young people.

4. Explain how connection, accountability and shared doctrine protect a Wesleyan church, and how the Methodist division of recent years can be understood.

5. State the main objections to firm doctrine and strong leadership, and give the Wesleyan answer.

The Voice of This Course

This course is written from inside the evangelical Wesleyan tradition, for pastors who belong to it or want to understand it. We hold that the Bible is the inspired and final authority. In this last unit we speak plainly about the pressures that churches face today. Where other Christians see these matters differently, we state their view fairly and then give our answer, without anger. Scripture says to speak "the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15).

The Leader First

Paul's charge to the elders of Ephesus begins with the words "take heed to yourselves" and only then turns to the flock (Acts 20:28). He gave Timothy the same order: watch yourself and your teaching, for in doing so you will save both yourself and those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:16, cited by reference). A church will rarely rise above the life of its leaders.

For Wesleyans this means more than avoiding scandal. We teach that God calls believers to holiness of heart and life, and the pastor is first among those called. The means of grace are for him as much as for the congregation: prayer, Scripture, the Lord's Supper, fasting, and fellowship with other believers. The pastor who is too busy to pray, who has no friend who can ask him hard questions, and who keeps no sabbath rest is in danger. Jesus himself rose early to pray in a solitary place (Mark 1:35, cited by reference), even when crowds were waiting.

Three dangers have ruined many ministers in every country and age, and a Wesleyan pastor should name them.

Money. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Keep church money separate from your own, keep clear records, and let others check them.

Sexual sin. Do not counsel people of the opposite sex alone and in secret. Keep the door open, or bring another person. Guard your marriage.

Pride and control. Peter tells elders to shepherd the flock "not as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3, cited by reference). Ask a trusted brother or sister to tell you the truth.

What Must Not Change and What May Change

Every generation of pastors faces the same question: how can we stay faithful to the old gospel and still reach new people? Wesley gives a helpful answer.

In doctrine, Wesley was conservative. He held to the Bible, the creeds and the teaching of the Church of England. He did not claim to teach new doctrine. In method, he was bold. Field preaching, lay preachers, the class meeting, the use of hymns for teaching, and the printing of cheap books for common people were all new in his day. Some people thought them improper. He used them because they worked, and because they served the old gospel.

This is the Wesleyan principle: hold the message firmly and hold the methods loosely. The gospel, the authority of Scripture, the Trinity, the atonement, the new birth and the call to holiness do not change. How we gather, what language and music we use, what technology we employ, and how we organize groups may change as needed.

Two errors threaten here. The first is traditionalism, treating old forms as if they were holy, so that the church becomes a museum and the young cannot find the way in. The second is novelty, changing everything to follow the latest fashion, until the church cannot say what it believes. Paul warns against both when he writes, "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2, cited by reference). We do not copy the world, and we do not hide from it.

Holding the Faith: Doctrine and Connection

Wesley took care to protect his movement's teaching. In 1763 the Model Deed required that the preachers in Methodist preaching houses preach the doctrine contained in his Notes on the New Testament and in four volumes of his Sermons. This became an important standard in Methodism. When Wesley prepared for the American Methodists, he sent a shorter statement of faith adapted from the Anglican Articles, twenty-four Articles of Religion, which the American church adopted in 1784 (see Course 1, Unit 6).

Shared doctrine matters because local churches, left alone, can drift. A preacher who is not accountable to anyone can begin to teach his own ideas, or change the message to please a wealthy member. Paul told Timothy to guard what was entrusted to him (1 Timothy 6:20, cited by reference), and Jude urged believers to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

Connection also protects pastors. In Course 4 you studied how Methodists and Nazarenes are connected through conferences, districts and superintendents. These are not just administrative structures. They give a pastor counselors, a check on his money and teaching, and a way to be removed if he falls. The pastor who says, "I answer to no one," is in far greater danger than the one who welcomes accountability.

Pressures on the Church Today

Here are the main pressures. They differ from country to country, and you will know best how they appear in your own community.

Doctrinal drift. The most serious pressure in the history of Methodism has been the slow weakening of confidence in Scripture and in the historic faith. This is not only a problem of the past. Some Methodist bodies, mainly in Europe and North America, moved toward theological liberalism over the twentieth century, and the effects have included division and decline in some places (see Course 1, Unit 9). The Holiness bodies we have studied, namely the Church of the Nazarene, the Wesleyan Church and the Free Methodist Church, have mostly held to the historic doctrine of Scripture.

The recent Methodist division. In the United Methodist Church, a long dispute over the authority of Scripture and teaching on marriage and ordination came to a head. In 2019 a special General Conference reaffirmed the church's traditional position. In the years that followed, many congregations left. In 2022 the Global Methodist Church was launched as a new body that holds to the traditional doctrine. We tell this as history. The United Methodist Church includes members who disagree with one another, and the details are still developing, so a pastor should check current facts from reliable church sources.

For the Wesleyan pastor, the teaching is this: marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman, and sexual holiness is part of the call to holiness for all believers, married and single. The same Scripture also calls us to love every person, to welcome all who come to hear the gospel, and to deal gently with those who struggle. We neither hide the teaching nor use it as a club. Many families, including some in our own churches, have loved ones who disagree with us or who feel excluded. Pastors need patience, listening and prayer.

Materialism and the prosperity gospel. Many people are drawn to teachers who promise wealth and health in return for faith and gifts. As we saw in Unit 6, Scripture does not teach that poverty proves weak faith. A pastor must preach about money honestly and must resist copying a flashy neighboring church that appears to be growing.

Migration and city life. In many countries families are scattered by migration to cities or to other nations, and church members move often. Pastors face broken families, loneliness, and long absences. The class meeting and the small group (Unit 3) are a Wesleyan answer: a place where a person who is far from family is known by name.

Digital media. Phones, social media and online services reach many people. They can help a church share Scripture, stay in touch, and reach isolated believers. They also bring rumor, anger, celebrity preachers and shallow teaching. Online watching cannot replace the Lord's Supper, baptism or the touch of a caring hand. Use the tools wisely, check your sources, and keep your people tied to a real congregation.

Mixing of faith with other practices. In some communities in Latin America and Africa, Christian faith is mixed with older folk practices or with nominal religion, and many people hold a faith in name only. The Wesleyan answer is clear teaching of the new birth, the witness of the Spirit and holy living, with patient pastoral care.

Young people. Many churches lose their young. Some leave because the church seems irrelevant or unkind, others because they find no real friendships or no hard questions answered. The class meeting model, plain teaching, young leaders given real responsibility, and a church that welcomes questions have all helped.

Questions Critics Ask

Objection 1: "Firmness in doctrine only divides. Unity matters more."

Many Christians, including some within Methodism, say that doctrinal disagreements should not break fellowship, and that we should focus on love and service. They point out that Wesley himself preached a "catholic spirit" and loved Christians of other traditions.

Our answer. Unity is precious, and Jesus prayed for it (John 17:20-23). Wesley taught a generous spirit toward Christians who differ on matters of opinion, such as forms of worship and church government. But he held firm on the essentials of the gospel and he expected his preachers to do the same. Unity that is purchased by giving up the truth is not the unity of the Spirit. We seek love among all Christians, and we are ready to work with others for the good of the community, but we do not give up the authority of Scripture or the way of salvation.

Objection 2: "The church must adapt to modern culture or it will die."

Some say that churches must change their teaching to match modern thought and that traditional doctrine drives people away.

Our answer. The church must always speak in a way people can understand, and Wesley adapted his methods boldly. But the message is not ours to change. Churches that have lowered the authority of the Bible have not usually been renewed by doing so. Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people would not endure sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3-4, cited by reference). Our task is to be faithful and clear, and to trust the Lord for the growth. Faithfulness is not the same as success, but the Lord has promised to build His church.

Objection 3: "Strong leadership and discipline lead to control and legalism."

Others fear that talk of accountability and standards will lead to abusive pastors and rules without love. History gives examples of such abuse.

Our answer. The warning is true and serious. Holiness without love is not holiness (see Course 3, Unit 8). But Wesleyan accountability is built on love and mutual help, as in the class meeting, where people ask one another how their souls are doing. It is not a pastor's private power. Pastors themselves are accountable to the conference or district, and Peter forbids lording it over the flock. The cure for abuse of authority is not to abolish accountability but to practice it humbly and openly.

Pastoral Application

Pastor Elena leads a church of about one hundred and twenty people in a growing city. Several families have left for a large new church nearby that preaches prosperity and holds loud, exciting services. Some young people want the church to move all its meetings online and to drop the class meetings. A deacon says, "Pastor, we must do what they do or we will disappear."

A wise pastor will respond in steps.

First, she prays and examines herself. Is she tired, jealous or afraid? She asks a trusted fellow pastor to pray with her.

Second, she listens. She visits some of the families who left, with kindness and not blame, and asks why. She listens to the young people. Perhaps they feel unseen. Perhaps they have good ideas.

Third, she sorts message from method. The message of Scripture, new birth, holy living and care for the poor will not change. She is willing to change the time of meetings, add online sharing for the sick and those far away, and give young people real tasks.

Fourth, she refuses to copy a message that Scripture does not teach. She teaches about money honestly and warmly, not to attack the other church but to protect her people.

Fifth, she renews the small groups, so that no one is lost in the crowd. She asks the young people to help lead some of them.

Sixth, she keeps accountable. She reports to her district, keeps the finances open, and tells her board where she needs help.

Seventh, she trusts the Lord. The church may not become large. Her task is to be a faithful shepherd (Acts 20:28).

What You Take from This Course

This course has taken a pastor through the whole Wesleyan ministry. The pastor's calling is to save souls (Unit 1). He preaches for decision and growth in grace (Unit 2), gathers believers in small groups (Unit 3), cares for souls (Unit 4), evangelizes (Unit 5), shows mercy and seeks justice (Unit 6), sends missionaries (Unit 7), learns from holiness missions around the world (Unit 8), plants and multiplies churches (Unit 9), and now leads a holy church in a changing world (Unit 10). One thread runs through every unit: the gospel of free grace in Christ, received by faith, producing a heart and life of holy love.

Summary

A Wesleyan pastor must first watch his own life and doctrine, then the flock, as Acts 20:28 teaches. The three common dangers are money, sexual sin and pride. Wesley was conservative in doctrine and bold in method, and the principle for today is to hold the message firmly and the methods loosely. The Model Deed of 1763 and the Articles of Religion adopted in 1784 protected Methodist teaching, and connection gives accountability. Today's pressures include doctrinal drift, the division in the United Methodist Church and the launch of the Global Methodist Church in 2022, materialism and the prosperity gospel, migration, digital media, mixed faith and the loss of the young. We answer those who say doctrine only divides, those who say the church must follow the culture, and those who fear strong leadership, by affirming unity in truth, faithful message with flexible methods, and humble accountability. The pastor leads in prayer, trusting the Lord to build His church.

Further Reading

• John Wesley, sermon "Catholic Spirit."

• John Wesley, sermon "The Character of a Methodist."

• John Wesley, Notes on the New Testament, on Acts 20 and 1 Timothy.

• John Wesley, Journal.

• The Methodist Articles of Religion (1784).

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