Utawala, Ibada na Sakramenti za Kimethodisti na za Kinazarayo — Sehemu ya 1: Muunganiko: Kwa Nini Wamethodisti WameunganishwaMethodist and Nazarene Polity, Worship, and Sacraments — Unit 1: Connectionalism: Why Methodists Are Connected

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Mwili mmoja, na Roho mmoja, vile vile mlivyoitwa katika tumaini moja la mwito wenu; Bwana mmoja, imani moja, ubatizo mmoja; Mungu mmoja, naye ni Baba wa wote, aliye juu ya wote, na katika wote, na ndani ya wote." (Waefeso 4:4-6, SUV)"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:4-6, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza kipindi hiki, utaweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza maana ya muunganiko (connectionalism) na kwa nini makanisa ya Kiwesley huufuata.1. Define connectionalism and explain why Wesleyan churches practice it.

2. Kueleza jinsi jumuiya (societies), wahubiri na mikutano ya John Wesley vilivyounda "muunganiko" (connexion).2. Describe how John Wesley's societies, preachers and conferences formed a "connexion."

3. Kutoa sababu za kibiblia za makanisa kuunganishwa pamoja na kutosimama peke yake.3. Give the biblical reasons for churches that are bound together and not alone.

4. Kutaja alama za muunganiko wenye afya: mafundisho ya pamoja, nidhamu, utume na rasilimali.4. Name the marks of a healthy connection: shared doctrine, discipline, mission and resources.

5. Kutaja pingamizi kuu dhidi ya muunganiko na kueleza jinsi Wawesley wanavyozijibu.5. State the main objections to connectionalism and explain how Wesleyans answer them.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kozi hii imeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Kiwesley, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wanaoyashiriki. Ni kozi ya kihafidhina kitheolojia. Inaposema "sisi" au "mapokeo yetu," inamaanisha makanisa ya kiinjili ya Kiwesley na ya Utakatifu yanayoshikilia kwamba Biblia ni Neno la Mungu lililopuliziwa na lenye mamlaka, na yanayodumisha mafundisho ya John Wesley. Makanisa haya ni pamoja na Kanisa la Nazarene (Church of the Nazarene), Kanisa la Wesleyan (The Wesleyan Church), Kanisa la Free Methodist, Kanisa la Global Methodist, na makanisa ya Kimethodisti katika Amerika ya Kilatini na Afrika yanayodumisha mafundisho ya Wesley. Baadhi ya madhehebu ya zamani ya Kimethodisti yamesumbuliwa na theolojia ya kiliberali, nasi tunaeleza jambo hilo kwa uaminifu lakini hatulikubali.This course is written from inside the Wesleyan tradition, for students who belong to it. It is theologically conservative. When it says "we" or "our tradition," it means the evangelical Wesleyan and Holiness churches that hold the Bible to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God and keep the doctrine of John Wesley. These include the Church of the Nazarene, The Wesleyan Church, the Free Methodist Church, the Global Methodist Church, and Methodist churches in Latin America and Africa that keep Wesley's doctrine. Some older Methodist bodies have been troubled by liberal theology, and we describe that honestly but do not adopt it.

Wakristo wengine hupanga makanisa yao kwa njia tofauti, na baadhi ya pingamizi zao ni nzito. Tunazieleza kwa haki kisha tunatoa jibu letu. Maandiko yanasema, "Jaribuni mambo yote; mkashike lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21). Kozi hii inahusu utaratibu wa kanisa. Wokovu unashughulikiwa katika Kozi ya 2 na 3, na historia ya Umethodisti katika Kozi ya 1; tunazitaja lakini hatuzirudii.Other Christians organize their churches differently, and some of their objections are serious. We state them fairly and then give our answer. Scripture says, "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). This course is about church order. Salvation is treated in Courses 2 and 3, and the history of Methodism in Course 1; we refer to them and do not repeat them.

Muunganiko Maana Yake NiniWhat Connectionalism Means

Makanisa mengi ulimwenguni ni huru. Kila usharika unamiliki jengo lake, unamwita mchungaji wake, unaamua mafundisho yake, na hauwajibiki kwa mtu yeyote nje yake. Makanisa mengine hutawaliwa kutoka kituo cha mbali. Makanisa ya Kiwesley yamechagua njia ya kati ambayo tunaiita muunganiko (connectionalism).Many churches in the world are independent. Each congregation owns its building, calls its own pastor, decides its own doctrine, and answers to no one outside itself. Other churches are ruled from a distant center. Wesleyan churches have chosen a middle road that we call connectionalism.

Katika kanisa la kimuunganiko, usharika wa mahali hapo haupo peke yake. Unaunganishwa na mwili mkubwa zaidi, ukifungwa na makanisa mengine kwa mafundisho ya pamoja, kanuni za pamoja za maisha ya Kikristo, wahudumu wa pamoja, na kazi ya pamoja. Kanisa la mahali lina majukumu halisi na uhuru halisi, lakini pia lina wajibu halisi kwa mwili mzima.In a connectional church, a local congregation is not alone. It belongs to a larger body, bound to other congregations by shared doctrine, shared rules for Christian life, shared ministers, and shared work. The local church has real responsibilities and real freedom, but it also has real obligations to the whole.

Neno hili lilitoka kwa John Wesley mwenyewe. Aliwaita watu wake "the Connexion," akitumia tahajia ya zamani. Katika siku za Wesley neno hili halikuelezea kamati wala ofisi. Lilielezea watu waliofungamana pamoja. Mmethodisti katika kijiji cha Uingereza alikuwa sehemu ya familia moja, akiwa na mhubiri aliyehudumia pia vijiji vingine, mkutano (conference) uliowaongoza wahubiri wote, na utume uliovuka mipaka ya kijiji.The word comes from John Wesley himself. He called his people "the Connexion," using the old spelling. In Wesley's day the word did not describe a committee or an office. It described people bound together. A Methodist in a village in England was part of one family, with a preacher who also served other villages, a conference that guided all the preachers, and a mission that reached beyond the village.

Kwa mchungaji aliye katika kijiji cha mbali, jambo hili lina maana ya kivitendo: hubebi huduma peke yako.For a pastor in a distant village, this has a practical meaning: you do not carry the ministry alone.

Muunganiko UlikotokaWhere Connectionalism Came From

Utendaji wa WesleyWesley's practice

Kozi ya 1 ilisimulia habari ya jumuiya (societies), makundi (classes) na vikundi vidogo (bands), kwa hiyo hapa tunakumbuka mambo makuu tu. Baada ya uamsho kuanza, Wesley hakuwaacha waamini wapya peke yao. Aliwakusanya katika jumuiya, akagawa jumuiya hizo katika makundi madogo chini ya viongozi, na akateua wahubiri wasafiri wa kuwatunza. Mwaka 1743 alichapisha kanuni za Jumuiya hizi Zilizoungana (United Societies). Alitaka kazi hiyo idumu na izae maisha matakatifu, si msisimko tu.Course 1 told the story of the societies, classes and bands, so we only recall the main points here. After the revival began, Wesley did not leave new believers alone. He gathered them into societies, divided the societies into small classes under leaders, and appointed preachers to travel and care for them. In 1743 he published the rules for these United Societies. He wanted the work to last and to produce holy lives, not only to produce excitement.

Wahubiri waliosafiri waliitwa wahubiri wasafiri (itinerants). Hawakukaa katika mimbari moja maisha yote. Walizunguka katika mzunguko wa huduma (circuit), yaani mfululizo wa jumuiya zilizotembelewa kwa zamu. Hii ilimaanisha kwamba hakuna jumuiya iliyomtegemea mtu mmoja wa mahali hapo pekee, na hakuna mhubiri aliyeweza kujijengea ufalme wake binafsi mahali pamoja.The preachers who traveled were called itinerants. They did not stay in one pulpit for life. They moved in a circuit, a round of societies visited in turn. This meant that no society depended on one local man alone, and no preacher could build a private kingdom in one place.

Wesley pia aliwakusanya wahubiri wake katika mkutano (conference). Mkutano wa kwanza ulifanyika London mwaka 1744, na mikutano hiyo ikawa mkusanyiko wa kila mwaka. Huko wahubiri waliomba, walijadili mafundisho na nidhamu, na kupokea vituo vyao vya kazi. Maswali na majibu waliyokubaliana yalichapishwa kama Minutes, na baadaye katika fomu iliyoitwa Large Minutes. Hati hizi zikawa sheria ya kazi ya muunganiko.Wesley also gathered his preachers in conference. The first conference met in London in 1744, and the conferences became a yearly gathering. There the preachers prayed, discussed doctrine and discipline, and received their appointments. The questions and answers they agreed on were printed as the Minutes, and later in the form called the Large Minutes. These became the working law of the connection.

Wa Vitendo, Lakini Ulipimwa kwa MaandikoPragmatic, but tested by Scripture

Wanahistoria hujadiliana ni kwa kiasi gani yote haya yalipangwa kwa makusudi. Wengine husema Wesley hakukusudia kamwe kuanzisha kanisa. Alibaki kuwa kasisi wa Kianglikana maisha yake yote na alisema alitaka kulifanya upya Kanisa la Uingereza. Kwa mtazamo huu, Muunganiko ulikua kutokana na mahitaji: kulikuwa na makundi makubwa ya waamini wapya, makasisi waliowekwa wakfu walikuwa wachache mno kuwatunza, na mtu mmoja alikuwa akiongoza yote. Wanahistoria wengine wanasisitiza kwamba Wesley alifikiria muundo kwa uangalifu, alipima kila hatua mpya kwa Biblia na akili, na alitumia usomaji wake wa kanisa la kwanza.Historians debate how deliberate all this was. Some say Wesley never meant to found a church. He remained an Anglican priest all his life and said he wanted to renew the Church of England. On this view the Connexion grew from need: there were crowds of new believers, too few ordained clergy to care for them, and one man to direct it all. Other historians stress that Wesley thought carefully about structure, tested every new step against the Bible and reason, and drew on his reading of the early church.

Simulizi zote mbili zina ukweli ndani yake. Wesley alijibu mahitaji yalipojitokeza. Lakini hakuamini kila kitu kilichofanikiwa kwa sababu tu kilifanikiwa. Aliuliza kama utaratibu fulani ulitumikia injili na ulikubaliana na Maandiko. Matokeo yake yalikuwa muundo uliokuwa na unyumbufu na vuguvugu lililobaki limeshikamana. Tunaupokea muunganiko kama zawadi ya majaliwa ya Mungu, na tunaupima, kama Wesley alivyofanya, kwa Neno.Both accounts have truth in them. Wesley did respond to needs as they arose. But he did not trust whatever worked simply because it worked. He asked whether an arrangement served the gospel and agreed with Scripture. The results were a structure that was flexible and a movement that stayed tied together. We receive the connection as a gift of God's providence, and we test it, as Wesley did, by the Word.

Hatua ya AmerikaThe American step

Baada ya Mapinduzi ya Amerika, wafuasi wa Wesley huko Amerika walihitaji kanisa lao wenyewe. Katika Mkutano wa Krismasi (Christmas Conference) uliofanyika Baltimore mwaka 1784, Kanisa la Methodist Episcopal liliundwa, likiwa na mkutano, daraja la wahudumu na mfumo wa mafundisho. Kozi ya 1 ilisimulia habari hii, na Kipindi cha 2 cha kozi hii kitashughulikia nafasi za msimamizi (superintendent) na askofu. Kwa sasa, tambua kwamba kanisa la Amerika halikuacha muunganiko. Mkutano, mzunguko wa huduma na mhubiri aliyeteuliwa vilisafiri pamoja na Umethodisti katika taifa hilo jipya.After the American Revolution, Wesley's followers in America needed a church of their own. At the Christmas Conference held in Baltimore in 1784, the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized, with a conference, an order of ministers and a body of doctrine. Course 1 told this story, and Unit 2 of this course will treat the offices of superintendent and bishop. For now, note that the American church did not give up the connection. The conference, the circuit and the appointed preacher traveled with Methodism across the new nation.

Msingi wa Kibiblia wa KuunganishwaThe Biblical Basis for Being Connected

Wawesley hawashikilii muunganiko kwa sababu ni wa zamani, bali kwa sababu tunaamini unaafikiana na Agano Jipya. Tunatoa sababu kadhaa.Wesleyans do not hold connectionalism because it is old but because we believe it fits the New Testament. We offer several reasons.

Mwili mmoja. Paulo aliandika kwamba kuna mwili mmoja na Roho mmoja, Bwana mmoja, imani moja na ubatizo mmoja (Waefeso 4:4-6). Kanisa si mkusanyiko wa vilabu vilivyojitenga. Ni familia moja, na Paulo aliwahimiza waamini kuhifadhi "umoja wa Roho kwa kifungo cha amani" (Waefeso 4:3). Muundo wa kanisa unaoufanya umoja uonekane na ufanye kazi kivitendo unaonyesha kile Agano Jipya linachofundisha.One body. Paul wrote that there is one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith and one baptism (Ephesians 4:4-6). The church is not a collection of separate clubs. It is one family, and Paul urged believers to keep "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). A church structure that makes the unity visible and practical expresses what the New Testament teaches.

Maamuzi ya pamoja. Katika Matendo 15 kanisa la Antiokia lilikabiliwa na swali gumu kuhusu waamini Mataifa. Usharika haukulitatua peke yake. Paulo na Barnaba walikwenda Yerusalemu, ambako mitume na wazee walikutana kulizingatia. Barua iliyofuata ilipelekwa kwa makanisa, na Matendo 16:4 inasema Paulo na wenzake walipopita katika miji, waliyatoa makanisani maagizo yale. Mfano uko wazi: swali lililogusa makanisa mengi lilitatuliwa na mkusanyiko wa viongozi kutoka zaidi ya kanisa moja, na matokeo yakawaongoza wote.Shared decisions. In Acts 15 the church at Antioch faced a hard question about Gentile believers. The congregation did not settle it alone. Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem, where the apostles and elders met to consider it. The letter that followed was carried to the churches, and Acts 16:4 says that as Paul and his companions went through the cities, they delivered the decrees to the churches. The pattern is plain: a question that touched many churches was settled by a gathering of leaders from more than one church, and the result guided them all.

Kutoa kwa pamoja. Njaa ilipotokea Uyahudi, wanafunzi wa Antiokia walituma msaada kwa mikono ya Barnaba na Sauli (Matendo 11:29-30). Baadaye Paulo alipanga mchango miongoni mwa makanisa ya Makedonia na Akaya kwa ajili ya maskini miongoni mwa watakatifu wa Yerusalemu (Warumi 15:26; 2 Wakorintho 8-9). Makanisa yaliyokuwa mbali kabisa na yenye asili tofauti yalikuwa yakisaidiana.Shared giving. When famine came to Judea, the disciples in Antioch sent relief by the hands of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:29-30). Paul later organized a collection among the churches of Macedonia and Achaia for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 8-9). Churches that were far apart and different in background were helping each other.

Wahudumu na barua za pamoja. Paulo alisafiri kutoka kanisa hadi kanisa, na akawatuma watumishi wenzake kama Timotheo na Tito kupanga mambo yaliyopungua. Aliwaambia Wakolosai wahakikishe barua yake inasomwa pia katika kanisa la Walaodikia (Wakolosai 4:16). Huduma ya Kikristo ya mwanzo haikufungiwa ndani ya usharika mmoja.Shared ministers and letters. Paul traveled from church to church, and sent co-workers such as Timothy and Titus to set things in order. He told the Colossians to see that his letter was read also in the church of the Laodiceans (Colossians 4:16). Early Christian ministry was not locked inside a single congregation.

Uwajibikaji wa pamoja. Paulo alimwambia Tito aweke wazee katika kila mji (Tito 1:5). Viongozi walikuwa wanawajibika kwa wao kwa wao na kwa mafundisho ya mitume, wasiachwe kufanya wapendavyo. Maonyo ya Bwana kwa makanisa saba katika Ufunuo 2 na 3 yanaona kila usharika kuwa unawajibika kwa imani na maisha yake.Shared accountability. Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every city (Titus 1:5). Leaders were accountable to each other and to the apostolic teaching, not left to do as they pleased. The Lord's warnings to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 treat each congregation as answerable for its faith and life.

Hakuna andiko lolote kati ya haya linalotoa ramani kamili ya utawala wa kanisa, na wanafunzi waaminifu wanapaswa kusema hivyo. Agano Jipya halitoi mfumo mmoja kamili. Lakini linaelezea wazi makanisa yaliyounganishwa, na muunganiko wa Kiwesley unafuata mwelekeo huo.None of these texts gives a full chart of church government, and honest students should say so. The New Testament does not hand down one exact pattern. But it clearly describes churches that were linked, and the Wesleyan connection follows that direction.

Alama za Muunganiko Wenye AfyaThe Marks of a Healthy Connection

Muunganiko ni zaidi ya chati ya mpangilio wa ofisi. Tunataja alama nne.A connection is more than an organization chart. We name four marks.

Mafundisho ya pamoja. Makanisa ya Kiwesley yanasimama juu ya Maandiko na juu ya tamko la pamoja la imani. Kwa Wamethodisti hii inajumuisha Makala ya Dini (Articles of Religion) ambayo Wesley alirekebisha kutoka katika Makala Thelathini na Tisa ya Kanisa la Uingereza na kuyatuma Amerika mwaka 1784, na Mahubiri ya Wesley na Notes on the New Testament (Maelezo juu ya Agano Jipya) kama vigezo vya mafundisho. Makanisa ya Nazarene na Wesleyan yana matamko yao ya imani yaliyoandikwa. Muunganiko usio na mafundisho yaliyokubaliwa ni ushirika wa kujipendekeza tu.Shared doctrine. The Wesleyan churches stand on the Scriptures and on a common statement of faith. For Methodists this includes the Articles of Religion that Wesley adapted from the Church of England's Thirty-Nine Articles and sent to America in 1784, and Wesley's Sermons and Notes on the New Testament as standards of teaching. The Nazarene and Wesleyan churches have their own written statements of faith. A connection without agreed doctrine is only a fellowship of convenience.

Nidhamu ya pamoja. Jumuiya za Wesley zilishika Kanuni za Jumla (General Rules): kutotenda madhara, kutenda mema, na kuhudhuria maagizo ya Mungu. Kipindi cha 5 kitazirudia. Muunganiko ambao kila kitu kinaruhusiwa katika mwenendo hautabaki mtakatifu.Shared discipline. Wesley's societies kept the General Rules: to do no harm, to do good, and to attend upon the ordinances of God. Unit 5 will return to these. A connection where anything goes in conduct will not stay holy.

Utume wa pamoja. Muunganiko upo ili kueneza utakatifu wa kimaandiko na kuwashinda waliopotea. Hutuma wahubiri na wamisionari mahali ambapo kanisa moja peke yake lisingeweza kuwatuma.Shared mission. The connection exists to spread scriptural holiness and win the lost. It sends preachers and missionaries where a single church could not afford to send them.

Rasilimali za pamoja. Makanisa huunga mkono kazi pana kwa kutoa. Makanisa yenye nguvu huyasaidia yaliyo dhaifu. Mchungaji wa kijijini na mchungaji wa mjini wote hutunzwa. Hii ni desturi ya Matendo 11 na 2 Wakorintho 8-9 katika hali ya kisasa.Shared resources. Congregations support the wider work by giving. Stronger churches help weaker ones. A rural pastor and a city pastor are both cared for. This is the practice of Acts 11 and 2 Corinthians 8-9 in modern form.

Safari ya Huduma na Mchungaji AliyeteuliwaItinerancy and the Appointed Pastor

Katika madhehebu mengi ya Kimethodisti mchungaji haajiriwi na usharika peke yake. Askofu au msimamizi, akishirikiana na wengine, huteua wachungaji kwa makanisa na kuwahamisha mara kwa mara. Huu unaitwa mfumo wa safari ya huduma (itinerant system). Unatokana na mpanda mzunguko (circuit rider). Wanaouunga mkono husema unalinda dhidi ya hatari mbili: usharika unaoweza kumfukuza mchungaji yeyote anayeukosoa, na mchungaji anayeweza kujifanya mmiliki wa kundi.In many Methodist bodies the pastor is not hired by the congregation alone. A bishop or superintendent, working with others, appoints pastors to churches and moves them from time to time. This is called the itinerant system. It grows from the circuit rider. Its supporters say it guards against two dangers: a congregation that can dismiss any pastor who corrects it, and a pastor who can make himself the owner of a flock.

Si kila kanisa la Kiwesley hufanya kazi hivi. Katika Kanisa la Nazarene, kwa mfano, kanisa la mahali humwita mchungaji wake, na tutaona utaratibu huo katika Kipindi cha 3. Lakini hata huko mchungaji ni wa wilaya (district) na wa madhehebu, na hawezi kutenda kwa uhuru kabisa. Kipindi cha 2 kinashughulikia mifumo ya uteuzi kwa upana zaidi. Katika makanisa yote ya Kiwesley mchungaji kwanza ni mtumishi wa mwili mzima.Not every Wesleyan body works this way. In the Church of the Nazarene, for example, the local church calls its pastor, and we will see that pattern in Unit 3. But even there the pastor belongs to the district and to the denomination, and cannot simply act independently. Unit 2 treats the appointment systems more fully. In all the Wesleyan churches the pastor is first of all a servant of the whole body.

Makanisa ya LeoThe Churches Today

Wazo la muunganiko linapatikana katika namna mbalimbali duniani kote. Kanisa la Nazarene, Kanisa la Wesleyan na Kanisa la Free Methodist ni ya kimuunganiko. Vivyo hivyo Kanisa la Global Methodist, madhehebu mapya yaliyotokana na mgawanyiko katika Kanisa la United Methodist, na makanisa mengi ya Kimethodisti katika Amerika ya Kilatini na Afrika. Iglesia Metodista de México, kwa mfano, ni kanisa la Kimethodisti linalojitegemea nchini Meksiko lakini linalodumisha muundo wa kimuunganiko. Maelezo hutofautiana kutoka dhehebu hadi dhehebu. Kanisa la United Methodist ndilo dhehebu la zamani la kimuunganiko, lenye mikutano na maaskofu. Kanisa la Global Methodist, lililotajwa hapo juu, ni la kimuunganiko katika muundo wake lenyewe. Kanisa la Free Methodist, Kanisa la Wesleyan na Kanisa la Nazarene kila moja lina miundo yake ya wilaya, mikutano, na mabaraza makuu au mikutano mikuu, pamoja na njia zake za kuchagua viongozi na kuweka wachungaji. Kama ilivyotajwa hapo juu, katika Kanisa la Nazarene kanisa la mahali humwita mchungaji wake. Hatujaribu kueleza kanuni za kila dhehebu hapa, kwa sababu zinatofautiana na kubadilika. Mwongozo wa kanisa lako mwenyewe au kitabu cha nidhamu (book of discipline) ndio neno la mwisho kuhusu jinsi kanisa lako linavyofanya kazi.The connectional idea is found in different forms around the world. The Church of the Nazarene, The Wesleyan Church and the Free Methodist Church are connectional. So are the Global Methodist Church, a more recent body that formed from the division in the United Methodist Church, and many Methodist churches in Latin America and Africa. The Iglesia Metodista de México, for example, is an independent Methodist church in Mexico that keeps a connectional structure. The details differ from body to body. The United Methodist Church is the older connectional body, with conferences and bishops. The Global Methodist Church, named above, is connectional in its own structure. The Free Methodist Church, The Wesleyan Church and the Church of the Nazarene each have their own structures of districts, conferences and general assemblies or conferences, with their own ways of choosing leaders and placing pastors. As noted above, in the Church of the Nazarene the local church calls its pastor. We do not try to describe every body's rules here, because they differ and change. Your own manual or book of discipline is the final word on how your church works.

Pingamizi na Majibu YetuObjections and Our Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Kila kanisa la mahali linapaswa kujitegemea.Objection 1: Each local church should be independent.

Wabaptisti na wainjilisti wengine wengi hufundisha kwamba kanisa la Agano Jipya ni usharika wa mahali, na Kristo ndiye kichwa chake pekee. Huelekeza kwenye barua saba za Ufunuo 2 na 3, zilizoandikiwa makanisa mmojammoja, na huonya kwamba muundo wa madhehebu unaweza kuwa udhibiti wa kibinadamu. Muundo unapokua mkubwa, wanasema, washiriki wa kawaida hupoteza sauti yao.Baptists and many other evangelicals teach that the New Testament church is the local congregation, with Christ as its only head. They point to the seven letters of Revelation 2 and 3, addressed to individual churches, and warn that denominational structure can become human control. Where the structure grows large, they say, ordinary members lose their voice.

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba Kristo ni kichwa cha kila kanisa na kwamba makanisa ya mahali ni muhimu sana. Muunganiko wetu hautengenezi kanisa la mahali kuwa tawi la ofisi tu. Lakini Agano Jipya halionyeshi makanisa ya mahali yakitenda bila kujali mengine. Matendo 15 inaonyesha uamuzi wa kanisa uliotatuliwa pamoja, Matendo 11 na 2 Wakorintho 8-9 zinaonyesha kutoa kwa pamoja, na Waefeso 4 inaonyesha mwili mmoja. Makanisa huru kwa vitendo mara nyingi huunda vyama na ushirika, ambao ni aina ya muunganiko pia, ila ulio legevu zaidi. Tunaamini kwamba muunganiko thabiti zaidi, wenye uwajibikaji wa kweli, unayatumikia makanisa vizuri zaidi. Pia tunakiri kwamba hatari ya udhibiti ni halisi, na kwamba viongozi katika muunganiko hawana budi kutumikia na si kutawala (1 Petro 5:2-3).Our answer. We agree that Christ is the head of every church and that local churches matter greatly. Our connectionalism does not make a local church a mere branch office. But the New Testament does not show local churches acting without regard for one another. Acts 15 shows a church decision settled together, Acts 11 and 2 Corinthians 8-9 show shared giving, and Ephesians 4 shows one body. Independent churches in practice often form associations and fellowships, which is itself a kind of connection, only a looser one. We believe that a firmer connection, with real accountability, serves the churches better. We also admit that the danger of control is real, and that leaders in a connection must serve and not rule (1 Peter 5:2-3).

Pingamizi la 2: Muunganiko hulinda kosa na hupoteza rasilimali.Objection 2: A connection protects error and wastes resources.

Wakosoaji wanasema kwamba katika baadhi ya madhehebu ya zamani ya Kimethodisti mafundisho ya kiliberali yalienea kupitia muundo. Mali iliyomilikiwa kwa ajili ya madhehebu iliyafanya makanisa waaminifu kuwa na ugumu wa kuondoka. Urasimu, wanasema, huwa mzito na polepole. Wawesley waaminifu wenyewe wamesema baadhi ya mambo haya. Mgawanyiko wa karibuni katika Kanisa la United Methodist, na kuanzishwa kwa Kanisa la Global Methodist, vilitokana na mashaka kama hayo.Critics point out that in some older Methodist bodies liberal teaching spread through the structure. Property held for the denomination made it hard for faithful congregations to leave. Bureaucracy, they say, grows heavy and slow. Faithful Wesleyans have said some of these things themselves. The recent division in the United Methodist Church, and the founding of the Global Methodist Church, grew out of such concerns.

Jibu letu. Pingamizi hili lina ukweli kwa sehemu, na hatulifichi. Muunganiko ni mwaminifu kadiri tu mafundisho na nidhamu yake yalivyo. Viongozi wanapoacha kushikilia Maandiko, muundo unaweza kubeba kosa kwa urahisi kama ulivyobeba kweli. Lakini jibu ni kurejesha mafundisho ya uaminifu na kuyatekeleza, si kuuacha muunganiko. Paulo hakujibu mafundisho ya uongo katika makanisa kwa kuyaambia makanisa kila moja lisimame peke yake. Aliwaambia Timotheo na Tito walinde mafundisho yaliyo sahihi na waweke viongozi waaminifu. Makanisa huru hayako huru na kosa. Yana njia chache tu za kulirekebisha. Kanisa la Kiwesley la kihafidhina linapaswa kuchagua muunganiko wake kwa uangalifu, libaki katika ule unaoshikilia imani, na lifanye kazi ili uendelee kuwa mwaminifu.Our answer. This objection is partly true, and we do not hide it. A connection is only as faithful as its doctrine and its discipline. Where leaders stop holding to Scripture, the structure can carry error as easily as it carried truth. But the answer is to restore faithful doctrine and enforce it, not to abandon connection. Paul did not respond to false teaching in the churches by telling each church to stand alone. He told Timothy and Titus to guard sound doctrine and to appoint faithful leaders. Independent churches are not free of error. They simply have fewer ways to correct it. A conservative Wesleyan church should choose its connection with care, stay in one that holds the faith, and work to keep it faithful.

Pingamizi la 3: Wesley hakubuni mfumo huu.Objection 3: Wesley did not design this.

Wanahistoria wengine wanasema kile tunachokiita muunganiko kilikuwa ajali ya maisha ya kanisa la Uingereza, na si mfano ambao makanisa ya baadaye lazima yaunakili.Some historians say what we call the connection was an accident of English church life, and not a pattern that later churches must copy.

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba Wesley hakuchora mpango kamili mapema. Lakini alipima kilichokua kwa Biblia na akakuta kwamba kilitumikia injili. Desturi iliyoanza katika mahitaji na ikathibitishwa na Maandiko na matunda haidhoofiki kwa sababu ya mwanzo wake. Makanisa ya kila mapokeo yamejipanga kwa kujibu mahitaji, na kinachojalisha ni kama matokeo yanaaminika kwa Neno.Our answer. We agree Wesley did not draw up a complete plan in advance. But he tested what grew by the Bible and found that it served the gospel. A custom that began in need and was confirmed by Scripture and by fruit is not weaker for its beginning. Churches of every tradition have organized themselves in response to need, and what matters is whether the result is faithful to the Word.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji katika mji mdogo anahudumia usharika wa watu wapatao arobaini. Wilaya inaomba kila kanisa lichangie mfuko wa pamoja, na baadhi ya washiriki wanalalamika. Mtu mmoja anasema, "Tunalipa bili zetu wenyewe. Kwa nini tuwatumie pesa watu ambao hawajawahi kututembelea? Tuache dhehebu tuwe huru."A pastor in a small town serves a congregation of about forty people. The district asks each church to contribute to a shared fund, and some members complain. One man says, "We pay our own bills. Why should we send money to people who have never visited us? Let us leave the denomination and be free."

Mchungaji hakasiriki. Kwanza, anasikiliza, kwa sababu malalamiko yanaweza kuficha jeraha la kweli: huenda wilaya imelisahau kanisa hili kweli. Pili, anafungua Maandiko pamoja na usharika na kusoma Matendo 11:27-30 na 2 Wakorintho 8:1-5, ambako makanisa maskini yalitoa kusaidia wengine. Tatu, anawaonyesha mfuko huo unalipa nini: kuwasaidia wamisionari, na kuwasaidia wachungaji wa makanisa madogo kuliko lao. Nne, anamwandikia kwa uaminifu msimamizi wa wilaya akiomba mtu aje kutembelea, kwa sababu muunganiko lazima uyatunze makanisa yake na si kukusanya kutoka kwake tu.The pastor does not become angry. First, he listens, because the complaint may hide a real hurt: perhaps the district has indeed neglected this church. Second, he opens the Scriptures with the congregation and reads Acts 11:27-30 and 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, where poor churches gave to help others. Third, he shows them what the fund pays for: the support of missionaries, and help for pastors in churches smaller than theirs. Fourth, he writes honestly to the district superintendent to ask that someone visit, because a connection must care for its churches as well as collect from them.

MuhtasariSummary

Muunganiko ni desturi ya Kiwesley ya kuyafunga makanisa ya mahali pamoja kwa mafundisho ya pamoja, nidhamu, utume na rasilimali. Ulitokana na jumuiya za John Wesley, wahubiri wasafiri na mikutano, vilivyoanza kama jibu kwa mahitaji lakini vikapimwa kwa Maandiko. Ulivuka Atlantiki na Mkutano wa Krismasi wa 1784. Mizizi yake ya kibiblia ni mwili mmoja wa Waefeso 4, baraza la Matendo 15, kutoa kwa pamoja kwa Matendo 11 na 2 Wakorintho 8-9, na huduma ya kusafiri ya mitume na watumishi wenzao. Wabaptisti na wengine wanapinga kwamba makanisa yanapaswa kuwa huru, na wakosoaji wanasema miunganiko inaweza kulinda kosa. Tunajibu kwamba Agano Jipya linaonyesha makanisa katika uhusiano halisi, na kwamba dawa ya muunganiko unaoshindwa ni uaminifu uliofanywa upya. Muunganiko wenye afya humsaidia mchungaji, huliimarisha kanisa dhaifu, na kuuweka mwili mzima katika njia ya utakatifu.Connectionalism is the Wesleyan practice of binding local churches together by shared doctrine, discipline, mission and resources. It came from John Wesley's societies, itinerant preachers and conferences, which began as a response to need but were tested by Scripture. It crossed the Atlantic with the Christmas Conference of 1784. Its biblical roots are the one body of Ephesians 4, the council of Acts 15, the shared giving of Acts 11 and 2 Corinthians 8-9, and the traveling ministry of the apostles and their co-workers. Baptists and others object that churches should be independent, and critics say connections can protect error. We answer that the New Testament shows churches in real relationship, and that the cure for a failing connection is renewed faithfulness. A healthy connection helps the pastor, strengthens the weak church, and keeps the whole body on the road of holiness.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• John Wesley, "The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies" (1743) (Hali, Kusudi na Kanuni za Jumla za Jumuiya Zilizoungana).• John Wesley, "The Nature, Design, and General Rules of the United Societies" (1743).

• John Wesley, Minutes of the Methodist Conferences na Large Minutes (Kumbukumbu za Mikutano ya Kimethodisti na Kumbukumbu Kubwa).• John Wesley, Minutes of the Methodist Conferences and the Large Minutes.

• John Wesley, mahubiri "Of the Church" (Kuhusu Kanisa).• John Wesley, sermon "Of the Church."

• John Wesley, Journal (Shajara).• John Wesley, Journal.

• The Methodist Articles of Religion (1784) (Makala ya Dini ya Kimethodisti).• The Methodist Articles of Religion (1784).

• Francis Asbury, Journal (Shajara).• Francis Asbury, Journal.

• Mwongozo au kitabu cha nidhamu cha sasa cha dhehebu lako mwenyewe, kama mamlaka juu ya jinsi kanisa lako linavyopangwa leo.• Your own denomination's current manual or book of discipline, as the authority for how your church is organized today.

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