Utawala, Ibada na Sakramenti za Kimethodisti na za Kinazarayo — Sehemu ya 3: Mfumo wa Kinazarene na Kiwesley: Wilaya, Wasimamizi Wakuu na Bodi za MahaliMethodist and Nazarene Polity, Worship, and Sacraments — Unit 3: The Nazarene and Wesleyan Pattern: Districts, General Superintendents, and Local Boards

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Basi yote na yatendeke kwa uzuri na kwa taratibu." (1 Wakorintho 14:40, SUV)"Let all things be done decently and in order." (1 Corinthians 14:40, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

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

1. Kueleza kwa nini makanisa ya Utakatifu ya karne ya kumi na tisa na mwanzo wa karne ya ishirini yalitaka utaratibu wa kanisa ulio rahisi zaidi na wenye uwakilishi zaidi.1. Explain why the Holiness churches of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries wanted a simpler and more representative church order.

2. Kueleza ngazi tatu za Kanisa la Nazarene na Kanisa la Wesleyan: kanisa la mahali, wilaya, na kanisa kuu (general church).2. Describe the three levels of the Church of the Nazarene and The Wesleyan Church: the local church, the district, and the general church.

3. Kueleza kazi ya msimamizi wa wilaya, msimamizi mkuu, na bodi ya kanisa la mahali.3. Explain the work of a district superintendent, a general superintendent, and a local church board.

4. Kueleza jinsi makanisa haya yanavyojaribu kuunganisha wajibu wa mahali na usimamizi wa pamoja.4. Describe how these churches try to join local responsibility with shared oversight.

5. Kutaja ukosoaji mkuu wa mfumo huu na majibu ya Wawesley.5. State the main criticisms of this pattern and the Wesleyan answers.

Sauti ya Kipindi HikiThe Voice of This Unit

Kipindi hiki kimeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya kihafidhina ya Kiwesley ya Utakatifu. Kusudi lake ni kumsaidia mchungaji au kiongozi mlei kuelewa jinsi kanisa la Nazarene au Wesleyan linavyojengwa, ili aweze kutumikia ndani yake kwa hekima. Maelezo yaliyo hapa chini yametokana na mfumo wa jumla wa makanisa haya. Makanisa yote mawili huchapisha mwongozo (manual) au kitabu cha nidhamu (book of discipline) kinachorekebishwa mara kwa mara, na toleo la sasa ndilo mamlaka ya mwisho kuhusu kila kanuni. Somo hili na mwongozo wako vikitofautiana, fuata mwongozo wako. Pale Wakristo wengine wasipokubaliana na utaratibu wetu, tunaeleza mitazamo yao kwa haki kisha tunajibu. "Jaribuni mambo yote; mkashike lililo jema" (1 Wathesalonike 5:21).This unit is written from inside the conservative Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. Its purpose is to help a pastor or lay leader understand how a Nazarene or Wesleyan church is built, so that he can serve in it with wisdom. The details below are drawn from the general pattern of these churches. Both churches publish a manual or book of discipline that is revised regularly, and the current edition is the final authority on every rule. When this lesson and your manual differ, follow your manual. Where other Christians disagree with our order, we state their views fairly and then answer. "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Kwa Nini Makanisa ya Utakatifu Yalijipanga Kama YalivyofanyaWhy the Holiness Churches Organized as They Did

Kozi ya 1 ilisimulia jinsi vuguvugu la Utakatifu lilivyokua katika karne ya kumi na tisa, na jinsi makanisa mapya yalivyotokana nalo: Kanisa la Wesleyan Methodist mwaka 1843, Kanisa la Free Methodist mwaka 1860, na Kanisa la Nazarene mwaka 1908. Hapa tunauliza swali tofauti: watu hawa walichagua utaratibu wa kanisa wa aina gani, na kwa nini?Course 1 told how the Holiness movement grew in the nineteenth century, and how new churches came out of it: the Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1843, the Free Methodist Church in 1860, and the Church of the Nazarene in 1908. Here we ask a different question: what kind of church order did these people choose, and why?

Mambo kadhaa yaliwaunda.Several concerns shaped them.

Hamu ya urahisi. Waamini wengi wa Utakatifu walikuwa wameona makanisa yakikua makubwa, yenye utajiri na urasmi. Walitaka majengo rahisi, ibada rahisi na huduma iliyo karibu na watu wa kawaida. Phineas Bresee alianza kazi huko Los Angeles mwaka 1895 akiwa na moyo maalum kwa maskini, naye alilipa kanisa jina la Yesu wa Nazareti.A wish for simplicity. Many Holiness believers had seen churches grow large, wealthy and formal. They wanted plain buildings, plain worship and a ministry close to ordinary people. Phineas Bresee began the work in Los Angeles in 1895 with a special concern for the poor, and he named the church for Jesus of Nazareth.

Hamu ya sauti ya walei. Wamethodisti wa Wesleyan wa mwanzo wa mwaka 1843 waliondoka katika Kanisa la Methodist Episcopal kwa sehemu kwa sababu ya maaskofu na utumwa, wakajipanga bila maaskofu. Watu wa Utakatifu kwa ujumla walithamini sauti ya walei katika maamuzi ya kanisa.A wish for lay voice. The early Wesleyan Methodists of 1843 left the Methodist Episcopal Church partly over bishops and slavery, and organized without bishops. Holiness people generally valued the voice of the laity in the church's decisions.

Hamu ya usimamizi wa watumishi, si mabwana. Hawakutaka watawala waliosimama juu sana ya watu. Lakini hawakutaka pia mtawanyiko wa makanisa huru. Walitaka viongozi watakaoongoza, kupanda makanisa na kuwatunza wachungaji, huku watu wakibaki na sauti ya kweli.A wish for oversight with servants, not lords. They did not want rulers who stood far above the people. But they did not want a scattering of independent congregations either. They wanted leaders who would guide, plant churches and care for pastors, while the people kept a real voice.

Hamu ya utume. Makanisa haya yalikua kwa kupanda makutano mapya na kutuma wamisionari. Yalihitaji muundo unaoweza kufanya hivyo kwa haraka.A wish for mission. These churches grew by planting new congregations and sending missionaries. They needed a structure that could do this quickly.

Muungano wa KinazareneThe Nazarene union

Makundi kadhaa ya Utakatifu yalikuja pamoja kuunda Kanisa la Nazarene. Kazi ya Bresee huko Los Angeles ilikuwa moja. Makundi ya Mashariki na Kusini yalikuwa yamechipuka kwa kujitegemea, na yakaungana katika mfululizo wa miungano. Muungano wa makundi makuu ulikamilishwa Pilot Point, Texas, mwezi Oktoba 1908. Jina la mwanzo lilikuwa Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, kwa kutumia "Pentekoste" kwa maana yake ya zamani ya Kiwesley ya kutakaswa na kujazwa na Roho Mtakatifu. Mwaka 1919 neno hilo liliachwa, ili kuepuka kuchanganywa na vuguvugu la Kipentekoste linalonena kwa lugha. Bresee na viongozi wa mwanzo walifikiria utaratibu kwa uangalifu, na muungano uliwataka kuchanganya desturi za makundi yenye asili tofauti.Several Holiness groups came together to form the Church of the Nazarene. Bresee's work in Los Angeles was one. Groups in the East and in the South had arisen separately, and they joined in a series of unions. The union of the main groups was completed at Pilot Point, Texas, in October 1908. The early name was the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, using "Pentecostal" in its older Wesleyan sense of the cleansing and filling by the Holy Spirit. In 1919 the word was dropped, to avoid confusion with the tongues-speaking Pentecostal movement. Bresee and the early leaders thought carefully about order, and the union required them to blend the practices of groups with different backgrounds.

Muunganiko wa WesleyanThe Wesleyan merger

Kanisa la Wesleyan katika umbo lake la sasa lilianza mwaka 1968, wakati Kanisa la Wesleyan Methodist, lililoanza mwaka 1843, liliungana na Kanisa la Pilgrim Holiness, dhehebu jingine la Utakatifu. Yote mawili yalikuwa yametumia utaratibu wa kanisa wa kimuunganiko. Muunganiko huu uliyaleta katika dhehebu moja lenye mwongozo mmoja, unaoitwa Discipline.The Wesleyan Church in its present form came into being in 1968, when the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which dated from 1843, merged with the Pilgrim Holiness Church, another Holiness body. Both had practiced a connectional form of church order. The merger brought them into one denomination with one manual, called the Discipline.

Ngazi TatuThe Three Levels

Makanisa ya Nazarene na Wesleyan kila moja lina ngazi kuu tatu. Majina yanatofautiana kidogo, lakini mfumo ni uleule.The Nazarene and Wesleyan churches have each three main levels. The names are a little different, but the pattern is the same.

Kanisa la mahaliThe local church

Kanisa la mahali ni usharika wa washiriki ukiongozwa na mchungaji. Hukutana kwa ibada, mafundisho na utume. Katika makanisa yote mawili lina kiasi cha mamlaka halisi.The local church is a congregation of members led by a pastor. It meets for worship, teaching and mission. In both churches it has a measure of real authority.

Usharika. Washiriki hukutana angalau mara moja kwa mwaka katika mkutano wa kanisa. Huko huchagua viongozi walei na kupokea ripoti. Katika Kanisa la Nazarene, washiriki hushiriki katika kumwita mchungaji kwa kupiga kura. Katika Kanisa la Wesleyan, mchungaji huitwa kupitia kanisa la mahali kwa makubaliano na uongozi wa wilaya. Kanuni kamili ziko katika mwongozo.The congregation. The members meet at least once a year in a church meeting. There they elect lay leaders and receive reports. In the Church of the Nazarene, the members take part in the call of the pastor by vote. In The Wesleyan Church, a pastor is called through the local church in agreement with the district leadership. The precise rules are in the manual.

Bodi ya kanisa. Kikundi kidogo cha viongozi walei waliochaguliwa hufanya kazi pamoja na mchungaji kusimamia maisha ya kanisa. Katika Kanisa la Nazarene huitwa bodi ya kanisa (church board), na inaweza kujumuisha wasimamizi wa fedha (stewards), wanaotunza fedha na kazi ya kanisa, na wadhamini (trustees), wanaotunza mali. Katika Kanisa la Wesleyan pia kuna bodi ya kanisa la mahali. Bodi hushauri na kutenda kwa niaba ya usharika kati ya mikutano, ndani ya mipaka ya mwongozo.The church board. A smaller group of elected lay leaders works with the pastor to manage the life of the church. In the Church of the Nazarene it is called the church board, and it may include stewards, who care for finances and the work of the church, and trustees, who care for property. In The Wesleyan Church there is a local church board as well. The board advises and acts for the congregation between meetings, within the limits of the manual.

Mchungaji. Anahubiri, anaongoza ibada, anachunga watu, na anafanya kazi na bodi. Ni mhudumu aliye chini ya mamlaka ya wilaya na pia mtumishi wa usharika. Kipindi cha 4 kinashughulikia wito na stakabadhi za mchungaji.The pastor. He preaches, leads worship, shepherds the people, and works with the board. He is a minister under the authority of the district as well as a servant of the congregation. Unit 4 treats the call and the credentials of the pastor.

WilayaThe district

Makanisa ya mahali hupangwa katika wilaya, kwa kawaida kwa eneo. Wilaya inaweza kuenea juu ya sehemu kubwa ya nchi, au miji michache tu, kulingana na idadi ya makanisa.Local churches are grouped into districts, usually by region. A district may cover a large part of a country, or only a few towns, depending on the number of churches.

Baraza au mkutano wa wilaya. Mara moja kwa mwaka, wahudumu na wajumbe walei kutoka makanisani hukutana. Husikia ripoti, huchagua baadhi ya viongozi wa wilaya, hupiga kura juu ya mambo ya shughuli za wilaya, na huwachunguza wahudumu kwa ajili ya leseni au kuwekwa wakfu. Wanazarene huita baraza la wilaya (district assembly). Kanisa la Wesleyan huita mkutano wa wilaya (district conference). Wajumbe walei na wahudumu waliochaguliwa hushiriki ndani yake.The district assembly or conference. Once a year, ministers and lay delegates from the churches meet. They hear reports, elect certain district leaders, vote on matters of district business, and examine ministers for licensing or ordination. The Nazarene call it the district assembly. The Wesleyan Church calls it the district conference. Elected lay and ministerial delegates share in it.

Msimamizi wa wilaya. Ndiye afisa mkuu wa wilaya. Kazi yake ni kuwatia moyo na kuwatunza wachungaji, kutembelea na kuliimarisha makanisa, kusaidia makanisa kupata wachungaji, kupanda makanisa mapya, na kuhakikisha mwongozo unafuatwa. Hufanya kazi pamoja na bodi au kamati ya wilaya na huwakilisha dhehebu kwa kanisa la mahali. Wakati wa taabu anaweza kuwa mtu anayeliita kanisa kwenye umoja. Katika Kanisa la Nazarene huchaguliwa kupitia baraza la wilaya. Kwa kuwa yu karibu na makanisa na pia anawajibika kwayo, anatimiza nafasi inayofanana na msimamizi wa mzunguko wa huduma wa siku za Wesley.The district superintendent. He is the main officer of the district. His work is to encourage and care for the pastors, to visit and strengthen the churches, to help churches find pastors, to plant new churches, and to see that the manual is followed. He works with a district board or committee and represents the denomination to the local church. In a time of trouble he may be the person who calls the church to unity. In the Church of the Nazarene he is chosen through the district assembly. Because he is both close to the churches and answerable to them, he fills a role like the circuit overseer of Wesley's day.

Kanisa kuuThe general church

Wilaya zote pamoja zinaunda kanisa kuu (general church).All the districts together make up the general church.

Baraza kuu au mkutano mkuu. Wajumbe kutoka kila wilaya hukutana kwa kawaida kila baada ya miaka minne. Katika Kanisa la Nazarene hiki ni Baraza Kuu (General Assembly). Katika Kanisa la Wesleyan ni Mkutano Mkuu (General Conference). Chombo hiki huamua mabadiliko ya mwongozo, husikia ripoti za viongozi wakuu, huchagua viongozi wakuu, na huweka mwelekeo wa dhehebu.The general assembly or conference. Delegates from every district meet usually every four years. In the Church of the Nazarene this is the General Assembly. In The Wesleyan Church it is the General Conference. This body decides on changes to the manual, hears the reports of the general leaders, elects general leaders, and sets the direction of the denomination.

Wasimamizi wakuu. Idadi ndogo ya wanaume huchaguliwa kutoa uongozi kwa kanisa zima. Huongoza mabaraza, husafiri kati ya wilaya, husimamia kazi ya ofisi kuu, hushiriki katika kuweka wakfu, na hutoa ushauri juu ya mafundisho na umoja. Pia hufanya kazi pamoja na bodi kuu inayoongoza shughuli za dhehebu kati ya mabaraza. Cheo chao kinarudi kwenye neno la Wesley mwenyewe kwa ofisi aliyowapa Coke na Asbury.The general superintendents. A small number of men are elected to give leadership to the whole church. They preside over assemblies, travel among the districts, oversee the work of the general offices, take part in ordinations, and give counsel on doctrine and unity. They also work with a general board that directs the business of the denomination between assemblies. Their title returns to Wesley's own word for the office he gave to Coke and Asbury.

Uwiano: Mahali, Wilaya na Kanisa KuuThe Balance: Local, District and General

Kanisa la Nazarene linaeleza serikali yake kuwa ya uwakilishi. Si utawala wa mtu mmoja wala utawala wa kila usharika peke yake. Linaunganisha sifa fulani za mfumo wa kiaskofu, unaotoa uzito kwa viongozi wakuu, na sifa za mfumo wa kiusharika (congregational), unaotoa uzito kwa kanisa la mahali. Wajumbe waliochaguliwa, wahudumu na walei, hufanya maamuzi. Maafisa waliochaguliwa huyatekeleza na huwajibika kwa mabaraza yaliyowachagua.The Church of the Nazarene describes its government as representative. It is neither the rule of one man nor the rule of each congregation alone. It combines certain features of the episcopal pattern, which gives weight to general leaders, with features of the congregational pattern, which gives weight to the local church. Elected delegates, both ministers and laity, make the decisions. Elected officers carry them out and answer to the assemblies that chose them.

Muhtasari ufuatao unaonyesha jinsi wajibu unavyoshirikiwa.The following summary shows how responsibility is shared.

• Kanisa la mahali huabudu, hueneza injili, hufundisha, hupokea washiriki, huchagua viongozi wake walei, hutunza mali yake, na hushiriki katika kumwita mchungaji wake.• The local church worships, evangelizes, teaches, receives members, elects its lay leaders, cares for its property, and takes part in calling its pastor.

• Wilaya hutoa leseni na kuwachunguza wahudumu, huyasaidia makanisa na wachungaji, hupanda makanisa mapya, na hutekeleza kazi ya dhehebu katika eneo lake.• The district licenses and examines ministers, helps churches and pastors, plants new churches, and carries out the work of the denomination in its region.

• Kanisa kuu huamua mafundisho na mwongozo, huongoza utume na uchapishaji, husimamia vyuo na seminari, na huweka mwelekeo kwa mwili mzima.• The general church settles doctrine and the manual, directs missions and publishing, oversees colleges and seminaries, and sets the direction for the whole body.

Wazo la msingi ni kwamba hakuna aliyeachwa peke yake na hakuna anayetawala peke yake. Hii ndiyo kanuni ya 1 Wakorintho 14:40: utaratibu mwema huutumikia mwili ili kazi ya Mungu iendelee.The basic idea is that no one is left alone and no one rules alone. This is the principle of 1 Corinthians 14:40: good order serves the body so that the work of God may go forward.

Maoni ya Wanahistoria na Jibu LetuHistorians' Views and Our Answer

Wanahistoria hawakubaliani wote juu ya chanzo cha mfumo huu. Wengine wanasema makanisa ya Utakatifu yalikopa tu miundo yake kutoka Kanisa la Methodist Episcopal, huku maaskofu wakipunguzwa na walei wakiongezwa. Wengine wanasisitiza ushawishi wa mapokeo mengine ya makanisa ya Amerika yenye wawakilishi waliochaguliwa, pamoja na mahitaji ya vitendo ya utume wa mipakani na wa mijini. Wengine wanaamini kwamba viongozi kama Bresee waliuunda mfumo wa Nazarene kwa makusudi kama njia ya kati.Historians do not all agree on the origin of this pattern. Some say the Holiness churches simply borrowed their structures from the Methodist Episcopal Church, with the bishops reduced and the laity enlarged. Others stress the influence of other American church traditions with elected representatives, as well as the practical needs of frontier and urban missions. Others believe that leaders such as Bresee shaped the Nazarene pattern deliberately as a middle way.

Tunaweza kukubali kitu kutoka kwa kila simulizi. Makanisa ya Utakatifu yalirithi mengi kutoka Umethodisti, na yalikopa yaliyofaa. Lakini hatuhukumu utaratibu wa kanisa kwa chanzo chake tu. Tunauliza kama unaitumikia injili, kama unakubaliana na Maandiko, na kama unawasaidia waamini kukua katika utakatifu. Agano Jipya halitoi chati moja. Linaonyesha wazee, waangalizi, maamuzi ya pamoja na kutoa kwa pamoja. Mfumo wa Nazarene na Wesleyan unaheshimu kila kimoja kati ya hivi.We can accept something from each account. The Holiness churches did inherit much from Methodism, and they did borrow what worked. But we do not judge a church order only by its source. We ask whether it serves the gospel, whether it agrees with Scripture, and whether it helps believers to grow in holiness. The New Testament does not hand down a single chart. It does show elders, overseers, shared decisions and shared giving. The Nazarene and Wesleyan pattern respects each of these.

Pingamizi na Majibu YetuObjections and Our Answers

Pingamizi la 1: Wilaya inaondoa mamlaka mengi kwa kanisa la mahali.Objection 1: The district takes too much power from the local church.

Wabaptisti, na baadhi ya washiriki wa makanisa ya Utakatifu wenyewe, wanasema kwamba wilaya na mwongozo huingilia uhuru wa usharika wa mahali. Msimamizi wa wilaya anayekuja kanisani na mtazamo wa nje anaweza kutokaribishwa. Kanisa la mahali, wanasema, linajua hali yake vizuri zaidi.Baptists, and some members of Holiness churches themselves, say that the district and the manual interfere with the freedom of the local congregation. A district superintendent who comes into a church with an outside viewpoint may be unwelcome. A local church, they say, knows its own situation best.

Jibu letu. Tunakubali kwamba kanisa la mahali linapaswa kuwa na sauti ya kweli, na katika mfumo wa Kiwesley wa Utakatifu lina sauti hiyo. Linachagua viongozi wake, linashiriki katika kumwita mchungaji wake, na linapiga kura katika mabaraza kupitia wajumbe wake. Lakini kanisa la mahali pia ni sehemu ya mwili mkubwa zaidi. Paulo alimwambia Tito aweke wazee katika kila mji, na makanisa ya Agano Jipya yalishiriki mafundisho, kutoa na maamuzi. Msimamizi wa wilaya anayekuja kanisani kwa sala na unyenyekevu hakiondoi kanisa kwa Kristo. Analisaidia kusikia yale ambayo familia nzima imejifunza. Anaposhindwa kufanya hivyo, kanisa linaweza kusema kupitia baraza.Our answer. We agree that the local church should have a real voice, and in the Wesleyan-Holiness pattern it does. It elects its leaders, shares in calling its pastor, and votes in the assemblies through its delegates. But the local church is also part of a larger body. Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every city, and the churches of the New Testament shared teaching, giving and decisions. A district superintendent who comes to a church with prayer and humility does not take the church away from Christ. He helps it to hear what the whole family has learned. When he fails to do so, the church can speak through the assembly.

Pingamizi la 2: Mfumo huu ni dhaifu mno kulinda mafundisho.Objection 2: The pattern is too weak to protect doctrine.

Wale wanaopendelea maaskofu, au mamlaka kuu yenye nguvu, wanasema mfumo wa wasimamizi na mabaraza yaliyochaguliwa unaweza kupotea njia. Kwa chaguzi za mara kwa mara na kutegemea sana kura, wanasema, mafundisho yanaweza kuamuliwa na umaarufu na si ukweli.Those who prefer bishops, or a strong central authority, say a system of elected superintendents and assemblies may drift. With frequent elections and a heavy dependence on votes, they say, doctrine may be decided by popularity and not by truth.

Jibu letu. Hatari ni halisi, na inahusu mfumo wowote. Lakini madhehebu ya Kiwesley ya Utakatifu huweka mafundisho yao katika tamko la imani lililoandikwa ambalo si rahisi kubadilishwa, na mwongozo wao unawataka wahudumu kukubaliana nalo. Baraza kuu linaweza kubadilisha kanuni za utaratibu kwa kura rahisi, lakini matamko ya imani hulindwa kwa michakato migumu zaidi sana. Ulinzi bora ni kanisa ambalo wachungaji na walei wanalijua Neno na kupenda ukweli. Hakuna muundo unaoweza kuchukua nafasi ya hilo.Our answer. The risk is real, and it applies to any system. But the Wesleyan-Holiness bodies fix their doctrine in a written statement of faith that is not easily changed, and their manual requires ministers to agree to it. A general assembly can change rules of procedure with a simple vote, but statements of belief are protected by much more difficult processes. The best defense is a church in which pastors and laity know the Word and love the truth. No structure can replace that.

Pingamizi la 3: Chaguzi hugeuza uongozi kuwa siasa.Objection 3: Elections turn leadership into politics.

Wakosoaji wengine wanasema kwamba wasimamizi waliochaguliwa wanaweza kujaribiwa kutafuta uungwaji mkono wa wajumbe, na kwamba tamaa ya makuu inaweza kuingia mabarazani.Some critics say that elected superintendents may be tempted to seek the support of delegates, and that ambition may enter the assemblies.

Jibu letu. Hii ni hatari popote viongozi wanapochaguliwa na watu. Dawa ni ya kiroho. Viongozi wanapaswa kuchaguliwa baada ya sala, na watu wanaoijua tabia ya wagombea, nao wanapaswa kushika ofisi kama watumishi. Yesu alisema, "yeyote atakaye kuwa mkubwa kwenu, atakuwa mhudumu wenu" (Mathayo 20:26). Chaguzi zinapofanywa kwa sala na kwa kumwogopa Mungu, huonyesha imani ya kanisa. Zisipofanywa hivyo, zinapaswa kusahihishwa.Our answer. This is a danger wherever leaders are chosen by people. The remedy is spiritual. Leaders should be chosen after prayer, by people who know the character of the candidates, and they should hold office as servants. Jesus said, "whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant" (Matthew 20:26). Where elections are conducted in prayer and in the fear of God, they express the church's trust. Where they are not, they should be corrected.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mlei mmoja katika kijiji ameongoza kikundi kidogo nyumbani mwake kwa miaka miwili. Sasa kina watu thelathini wanaokutana kwa ibada kila wiki. Wanamwuliza, "Tunawezaje kuwa kanisa halisi la Nazarene na si mkutano wa nyumbani tu?" Hana mafunzo ya seminari, na anaogopa kwamba dhehebu litamnyang'anya kazi.A layman in a village has been leading a small group in his home for two years. It now has thirty people who meet for worship each week. They ask him, "How can we become a real Nazarene church and not just a house meeting?" He has no seminary training, and he fears that the denomination will take the work from him.

Msimamizi wa wilaya kutoka eneo hilo anakuja kutembelea. Kwanza, anasikiliza hadithi ya jinsi kikundi kilivyoanza. Pili, anaeleza hatua: kikundi kitatambuliwa kama misheni, mchungaji atateuliwa au atapewa leseni, washiriki watapokelewa baada ya mafundisho, na kanisa litaundwa baadaye likiwa na bodi ya kanisa iliyochaguliwa kutoka miongoni mwa washiriki. Tatu, anaahidi kikundi msaada kutoka wilayani, ikiwemo msaada wa mafunzo. Nne, anamwomba mlei aendelee kutumikia, na anamtia moyo asome kwa ajili ya stakabadhi za huduma. Mlei anatambua kwamba wilaya si mmiliki bali ni mshirika. Kikundi hakiko peke yake wala chini ya utawala wa mgeni. Washiriki wake wana sauti na familia pia.A district superintendent from the region comes to visit. First, he listens to the story of how the group began. Second, he explains the steps: the group will be recognized as a mission, a pastor will be appointed or licensed, members will be received after instruction, and the church will later be organized with a church board elected from among the members. Third, he promises the group support from the district, including help with training. Fourth, he asks the layman to continue to serve, and encourages him to study for ministerial credentials. The layman realizes that the district is not an owner but a partner. The group is neither alone nor under a stranger's rule. Its members have both a voice and a family.

Maelezo kama hatua na majina hutofautiana kutoka wilaya hadi wilaya na nchi hadi nchi, kwa hiyo mchungaji anapaswa kusoma mwongozo wake mwenyewe na kuzungumza na msimamizi wake.Details such as the stages and names differ from district to district and country to country, so a pastor should read his own manual and talk with his superintendent.

MuhtasariSummary

Makanisa ya Utakatifu yalitaka urahisi, sauti kwa walei, viongozi watumishi na utume. Kanisa la Nazarene lilichukua umbo kupitia miungano iliyokamilishwa Pilot Point, Texas, mwaka 1908, na Kanisa la Wesleyan lilitokana na muunganiko wa makanisa ya Wesleyan Methodist na Pilgrim Holiness mwaka 1968. Yote mawili yamepangwa katika ngazi tatu: kanisa la mahali lenye usharika wake, bodi ya kanisa na mchungaji; wilaya yenye baraza au mkutano wake na msimamizi wa wilaya; na kanisa kuu lenye baraza kuu au mkutano mkuu na wasimamizi wakuu. Matokeo ni utaratibu wa uwakilishi unaochanganya uhuru wa mahali na usimamizi wa pamoja. Wabaptisti wanaogopa kwamba unaondoa mengi kutoka kwa kanisa la mahali, wengine wanaogopa kwamba ni dhaifu mno kulinda mafundisho, na wengine wanaonya juu ya siasa za kanisa. Tunajibu kwamba kanisa la mahali linabaki na sauti ya kweli, kwamba mafundisho yanalindwa na matamko yaliyoandikwa na upendo wa ukweli, na kwamba dawa ya siasa ni sala na uongozi wa utumishi. "Basi yote na yatendeke kwa uzuri na kwa taratibu."The Holiness churches wanted simplicity, a voice for the laity, servant leaders and mission. The Church of the Nazarene took shape through unions that were completed in Pilot Point, Texas, in 1908, and The Wesleyan Church came from the merger of the Wesleyan Methodist and Pilgrim Holiness churches in 1968. Both are organized at three levels: the local church with its congregation, church board and pastor; the district with its assembly or conference and its district superintendent; and the general church with its general assembly or conference and its general superintendents. The result is a representative order that blends local freedom with shared oversight. Baptists fear it takes too much from the local church, others fear it is too weak to protect doctrine, and some warn of church politics. We answer that the local church keeps a real voice, that doctrine is guarded by written statements and the love of truth, and that the cure for politics is prayer and servant leadership. "Let all things be done decently and in order."

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).

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

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

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

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