Methodist Structures

Sources

Sources: methodist.org.za Book of Order dmbi.online

The Methodist Witness

1.8 The Methodist Church lays particular stress upon certain privileges and duties which belong to the company of all faithful people. These may be briefly stated:

1.8.1 declaring the universality of the grace of God by preaching the gospel of ‘a free, full, present salvation’ for everyone who repents and believes upon our Lord Jesus Christ.

1.8.2 a change of heart wrought by the grace of God, issuing in a new birth, in a conscious personal experience of the forgiveness of sins, and the spiritual glow of a ‘joy unspeakable and full of glory’ as the present privilege of every believer in Christ.

1.8.3 the necessity of a living fellowship in the realities of the Christian experience in order to nourish the life of God in the soul and to enrich the Body of Christ, so that ‘when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love’.

1.8.4 the teaching of the possibility, here and now, of Christians being made ‘perfect in love’ through the obedience of faith.

1.8.5 the reaffirmation and consistent exercise of the New Testament truth of the universal priesthood of believers. The Methodist Church, therefore, hold that while certain of its members are called of God and are ordained and separated to the holy office of the Ministry within the Church, these hold no priesthood differing in kind from that which is common to the Lord’s people, and have no exclusive title to the preaching of the Gospel or to the care of souls. These ministries are shared with them by others, men and women. ‘It is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as the Spirit wishes different gifts are given to each person’.

universality of the grace of God

change of heart wrought by the grace of God

the necessity of a living fellowship

possibility of ’perfect in love’

universal priesthood of believers.

Methodist Origins

Methodism had its birth in the great work which God performed through the Revival of Religion in the eighteenth century by means of the preaching and apostolic labours of John and Charles Wesley and their fellow helpers.

These founders of Methodism were constrained to provide, step by step, in the wisdom God had given to them, for the spiritual needs of a multitude of Christ’s shepherdless sheep which they were gathering in from the wilderness.

In making this provision they reproduced many of the modes of Church life indicated in the New Testament. Led thus by the Spirit of God the early Methodist Societies were gradually fashioned into a distinctive Christian Church.

Orders of Membership

Lay Membership

Ordained Membership

Lay members are first of all members of the local church. Subject to the Leader’s Meeting:

3.6 Persons falling under the category set out in para 3.2 shall be admitted as Members on Trial to Preparation Classes, also called Confirmation Classes. They shall continue On Trial for not less than three months before the Leaders’ Meeting considers them for admission to membership.

3.7 If the Leaders’ Meeting declares any person On Trial to be unfit for membership, the Superintendent shall not admit such person. The guiding principles when the Leaders’ Meeting makes such a decision shall be those set out in para 3.2.

Paragraph 3.2?

3.2. All persons are welcomed into membership who sincerely desire to be saved from their sins through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and show the same in life and conduct, and who seek to have communion with Christ Himself and His people by taking up the duties and privileges of the Methodist Church.

Lay Membership

Ordained Membership

The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church Presbyter

presbyter. The earliest organization of the Christian Churches in Palestine resembled that of the Jewish synagogues, each of which was administered by a board of ‘elders’ (πρεσβύτεροι, i.e. ‘presbyters’). Acts 11:30 and 15:22 witness to this collegiate system of Church government at *Jerusalem, and Acts 14:23 has St Paul appointing presbyters in the Churches he founded. At first the presbyters seem to have been identical with the ‘overseers’ (ἐπίσκοποι, i.e. ‘bishops’), and such passages as Acts 20:17 f. and Tit. 1:5, 7 reveal the terms as interchangeable.

Ordained Members - are members of ‘An Order’ - and hold their membership in the Connexion.

1.42 - Ordination places ordained Ministers in a new relation both with Christ and with the Church. Under Christ they are the leaders and teachers of the congregation, setting forth in their own life the headship of Christ over themselves and over the Church.

So my membership of the Methodist Church is no longer as a member of a congregation - but as a member of the Connexion.

In a sense - My Class Leader is the Superintendent. My ministers are the Bishop and Presiding Bishop.

As a minister - I think it is important that I don’t work ‘for’ you. And this is because of the way that the church is structured…

We find ourselves somewhere between Congregational and Episcopal - we call ourselves ‘Connexional’.

Episcopal / Connexional / Congregational

Connexional describes the way in which the Methodist Church is held together.

In the eighteenth century 'connexion' was a term used generally, in e.g. political, commercial and religious contexts, to refer to the circle of those connected to some person or group, and to the relationship thus created.

But it was the particular character of the connexion John Wesley maintained with his members, his societies and his itinerant preachers that gave the term its technical significance in Methodism.

All were in connexion primarily with him and thence with each other. The 'connexion' came to be in some senses equivalent to 'denomination' and, later, to 'Church', and 'connexionalism' was descriptive of a particular principle and pattern of church life which emphasized the interdependence of the constituent parts (over against independency).

The WM Conference of 1891 endorsed the use of the word 'Church' rather than 'Connexion' and it replaced 'Society' on class tickets in December 1893.

To me the best way to describe it is that it is somewhere between Congregational and Episcopal and when we become to Episcopal we lose our essence - and when we become too Congregation - we head in the same direction.

I think the Congregational Model is evident in the New Testament - and so is the Episcopal.

New Dictionary of Theology Congregationalism

CONGREGATIONALISM. The origins of Congregationalism may be traced back to England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Her objective for the church was an enforced uniformity, but there were those who wanted to see the national church re-organized on presbyterian (see also Church Government) rather than episcopal lines. Others, however, repudiated the whole concept of a state church and favoured the ‘gathered church’ principle. These became known as ‘Independents’ and were the forerunners of the Congregationalists.

episcopacy (Gk. ἐπίσκοπος, lit. ‘overseer’), the system of Church government by bishops. Where it prevails it is commonly related to the institution of the *Apostolate by Christ. In the NT the word ἐπίσκοπος (AV, ‘bishop’) appears to be used of the same office as πρεσβύτερος (‘presbyter’). See BISHOP.

The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church Bishop

In Catholic Christendom (incl. the Anglican Communion) bishops are the chief pastors of the Church, who individually form a centre of unity in their dioceses, and together, by their sharing in the episcopal college, embody the unity of the Church, and by their consecration and power to confer Orders, witness to the succession of the Church throughout the ages.

Why I’m a Methodist?

Congregational is too independent.

Episcopal is too dependent.

4.73 Ministers, as those who have been overwhelmed by the saving love of Jesus Christ, are called to proclaim by word and by deed this saving love for all people. As the Lord has accepted all sinners without condition, so Ministers must declare unconditional acceptance and forgiveness for all. A Minister’s duty is to use the pulpit to preach this Gospel and this Gospel only, preaching both pastorally and prophetically.

Purpose of Church?

Make disciples

Matthew 28:19–20 (NRSV)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Lexham Theological Wordbook Discipleship

Discipleship

Discipleship is the process of devoting oneself to a teacher to learn from and become more like them. For the Christian, this refers to the process of learning the teachings of Jesus and following after his example in obedience through the power of the Holy Spirit. Discipleship not only involves the process of becoming a disciple but of making other disciples through teaching and evangelism.

I’ve never had the privilege of employing an architect - but I have been on boards that have. And we start by saying we want a class room or a bathroom or a kitchen. We say 5m x 3m.

Architects come and say will you cook beef or chicken?

How many people will you feed?

They ask questions to make sure a structure is fit for purpose.

Structures

Lay Leadership

Ordained Leadership

Meetings / Governance

Lay Leadership

Class Leaders

7.52 The duties of the Class Leaders are, inter alia:

7.52.1 to assist the members of the Class in their spiritual life and growth, making this the primary aim of the Class meetings;

7.52.2 to visit the members of the Class as frequently as possible in order to watch over their spiritual life;

7.52.3 to keep Class Registers of the Class members.

Society Stewards

7.49 The duties of the Society Stewards are, inter alia:

7.49.1 to co-operate with the Ministers and Leaders of the Society to promote its spiritual and temporal welfare. [There is more…]

Communion Stewards

7.56 The duties of the Stewards of the Poor Fund are:

7.57.1 to act as Communion Stewards by providing for the administration of the Lord’s Supper and Love Feasts, by preparing the elements;

7.56.2 to arrange for the collection of funds for the needy;

7.56.3 to inform the Minister of any who are ill or in distress and to collaborate with the Minister in caring for them and in making disbursements from the Poor Fund;

Mission Group Leaders

Mission Groups

Mission Groups:

7.38 The Society Mission Groups report to the Annual Society Meeting but are accountable to the Leaders’ Meeting. The following activities should be part of every Society’s life and the Annual Society Meeting should appoint Mission Groups which best promote them:

Spiritual Formation; Mission and Extension; Youth; Justice and Service; Property; and Finance.

Mission Groups At TVMC

Spiritual Formation + Mission & Extension = Discipleship

Youth

Justice & Service

Property

Catering & Hospitality

Pastoral Care

Finance

Organisations

Society Leadership

Class Leaders

Society Stewards

Communion Stewards

Mission Group Leaders

Circuit Leadership

Circuit Stewards

7.21 The duties of the Circuit Stewards are inter alia:

7.21.1 to provide for the effective operation of the Circuit subject to the directions of the Quarterly Meeting;

7.21.13 to be ex-officio members of all Committees in the Circuit and Societies.

Lay Leadership

Ordained Leadership

Meetings / Governance

Ordained Leadership

The Superintendent Minister:

7.16 The Superintendent of the Circuit is the official head of the Church in the Circuit and shall exercise authority and carry out duties as such subject to the directions of the Conference and the Laws and Discipline of the Church, being responsible in the first instance to the Bishop.

The superintendent then ‘deputes’ these responsibilities to the circuit ministers and they report to the superintendent.

Annual Society Meeting:

7.35 The Society shall hold an Annual Meeting open to all Members.

7.36 The Superintendent or a Minister deputed by him/her to preside over the Society Leaders’ Meeting shall also preside over the Annual Society Meeting.

So where the superintendent appoints a minister to chair the Society Leader’s Meeting that minister acts as ‘superintendent’ to that society.

4.76 Ministers shall observe and implement the provisions of Laws and Discipline and all other policies, decisions, practices and usages of the Church.

Ministers are then held to account at Synod:

5.4 Is there any objection to any Minister or Probationer?

5.4.1 Is there any objection to their moral and religious character?

5.4.2 Do you believe and teach sound Christian Doctrine as held by the Methodist Church?

5.4.3 Do you duly observe and enforce our discipline?

5.4.4 Have they competent abilities for our work?

Lay Leadership

Ordained Leadership

Meetings / Governance

Meetings / Governance

Connexion (Presiding Bishop):

Conference (Presiding Bishop)

District (District Bishop)

Synod (District Bishop)

Circuit

Circuit Quarterly Meeting (Superintendent)

Circuit Mission Group Meetings

Annual Society Meeting (Minister)

Society Leader’s Meetings (Minister)

Society Mission Group Meetings (Stewards)