UMC

John Wesley’s 12 Rules for Preachers

Long ago when Methodism was still a movement, John Wesley gave his “helpers” a list of 12 rules to follow.

These “helpers” were lay preachers who were just starting to travel around and preach in various places.

I’m sure they were like many people just starting in ministry—hungry for guidance from those who had gone ahead of them, hoping not to make egregious mistakes with people’s souls, and excited about the mission that they were embarking upon.

Since my friends and I fit this same description two years ago when we were all graduating from seminary and being sent off to places around the country to preach, I decided to give them a list of Wesley’s 12 rules to hang in their offices. Of course, I made a copy for myself and it currently hangs on the “Wesley Wall” of my office.

I read over the rules regularly for basic guidance and to remind myself of the serious work to which I’ve been called. While I don’t take all of them literally (see rule number two:confession–sometimes I joke around), I’ve found them extremely helpful these last two years.

May they guide you today:

Q. 26. What are the rules of a Helper?

1. Be diligent. Never be unemployed a moment. Never be triflingly employed. Never while away time; neither spend any more time at any place than is strictly necessary.

2. Be serious. Let your motto be, “Holiness to the Lord.” Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking.

3. Converse sparingly and cautiously with women; particularly, with young women.

4. Take no step toward marriage, without first consulting with your brethren.

5. Believe evil of no one; unless you see it done, take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction on every- thing. You know the Judge is always supposed to be on the prisoner’s side.

6. Speak evil of no one; else your word especially would eat as doth a canker. Keep your thoughts within your own breast, till you come to the person concerned.

7. Tell every one what you think wrong in him, and that plainly, as soon as may be; else it will fester in your heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your bosom.

8. Do not affect the gentleman. You have no more to do with this character than with that of a dancing-master. A Preacher of the gospel is the servant of all.

9. Be ashamed of nothing but sin: Not of fetching wood (if time permit) or drawing water; not of cleaning your own shoes, or your neighbour’s.

10. Be punctual. Do everything exactly at the time. And in general, do not mend our Rules, but keep them; not for wrath, but for conscience’ sake.

11. You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go always, not only to those that want you, but to those that want you most.

Observe: It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society; but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance, and with all your power to build them up in that holiness without which they cannot see the Lord. And remember! A Methodist Preacher is to mind every point, great and small, in the Methodist discipline! Therefore you will need all the sense you have, and to have all your wits about you!

12. Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a son in the Gospel. As such, it is your part to employ your time in the manner which we direct; partly, in preaching and visiting from house to house; partly, in reading, meditation, and prayer. Above all, if you labour with us in our Lord’s vineyard, it is needful that you should do that part of the work which we advise, at those times and places which we judge most for his glory.

The copy I gave to my friends was one that I commissioned. My friend Nate Rauh did an amazing job writing the rules out in script and adding John Wesley’s seal to them. I’d like to share this work of art with you in case you’d like to print a copy for yourself.

You can download this beautiful PDF copy of John Wesley’s rules here.

May 7, 2014 by Jonathan 12 Comments

What is a Methodist?

I’m teaching a course at my church called Methodism 101. 27 people signed up and have been attending regularly.

The first night of class I was shocked that 27 people–of all ages–signed up for a course on Methodism that had a boring name attached to it. But there they were.

Cade's Cove Methodist Church — Cade’s Cove Methodist Church – Cade’s Cove, TN

Before we began, I asked them to answer one of two simple questions on a notecard: “What is a Methodist?” or “What makes the Methodist church distinctive from others?”

It’s a simple question that is difficult to answer. People have been trying for centuries, and I haven’t found a concise answer that I love–yet.

I don’t have my own answer worked out either, but I’m working on defining what a Methodist is as I prepare and teach this class each week.

I’d love to read your answer to one of the two questions in the comments below!

Below are the responses I received from the class:

A Methodist gives of themselves by helping others.

The only thing I know is that the Methodist cross has like fire, I think, on it. But I don’t know what it means.

It’s a mission church. It does more for the community and other places than any church I’ve been to. It makes you want to serve and volunteer.

A Methodist practices social Christian doctrine in each community.

Spiritual life intersects all areas of life and four factors are important – scripture, experience, reason and tradition.

The Methodist church follows the teachings of John Wesley.

It’s a body of believers in Christ that follows a “method” based on what someone’s activities were in college.

It’s a good mixture of formal (Episcopal) and informal worship.

I believe Methodism is a somewhat conservative religion (but less so than Baptist).

A denomination comprised of former Baptists, Catholics, some Jews, Presbyterians and even Methodists–all believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

It is a Christian church that is open to all, has open communion, and is mission oriented.

A Methodist will speak to you in a liquor store. We believe God is not waiting to punish but to love.

Of the beliefs I know, I agree with them. I attended both a Methodist and Catholic church for many years. My life is more meaningful being in a Methodist community.

The Methodist church believes that grace is given freely by God–does not have to be earned–and it accepts anyone who believes in Jesus.

We are open to all without prejudice(s).

It seems to me the Methodists are very accepting and welcoming of all.

The Methodist church follows principles and practices encouraged by John Wesley and other early leaders of the movement. It is open to anyone, very accepting, and diverse.

The Methodist churches I have attended seem less “official” than other denominations. They’re more laid back and accepting. They’re also less judgmental.

The open communion table separates Methodists from some of our Christian brothers.

You may have noticed some themes in these answers: mission oriented, John Wesley, openness to people of all Christian backgrounds, and welcoming.

What would you say?

January 28, 2014 by Jonathan 1 Comment

What’s your top income?

“There are few decisions that a young pastor or pastoral couple make that are more important than the attitude toward money. One should as early as possible determine the top income one would ever want or strive to have. Of course there has to be a degree of flexibility in such a decision, but the question of money and the dangers it poses should be kept under the closest scrutiny. Otherwise the desire ineluctably grows, avarice feeds upon itself, and one ends up as the victim of an appetite that is in fact insatiable and consumes by worry, guilt, and discontent in the hours and days that were once consecrated to ministry. It is not simply a matter of desire and avarice. The habits of a way of life become entrenched without our knowing it, and soon we discover that we have acquired all kinds of “needs” that can only be fed by more money.”

– Richard John Neuhaus, Freedom for Ministry

I came across this paragraph a few months back in a book that a friend recommended I read during my first year of ministry–Richard John Neuhaus’ Freedom for Ministry. The line in bold about one’s top income has haunted me ever since.

I’ve thought about the idea of setting a “top income” alot during the last few weeks–the time of the year when United Methodist pastors are up for appointment to different churches. In the itinerant model of ministry that the United Methodist Church (UMC) operates from, pastoral changes are ideally done so that the Church can best live out its mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

However, as I’ve talked to friends in my own conference and throughout the country, a common concern is that the salary of a pastor plays too large of a role in the process of determining what church one serves.

Finding a solution to this problem at a denominational level is very complicated, and I’ve yet to hear many compelling ideas. Yet, Neuhaus’ quote reminds me that each pastor has the ability to be a part of the solution now.

What if pastors stopped striving to be at one of the “best” churches that could pay one of the largest salaries in their conference?

What if a pastor determined their “top income” and told their Bishop and District Superintendent that they were willing to go anywhere above this number–even if it meant a drastic pay cut?

What if a pastor was appointed to a church with a larger salary than their “top income” and then gave all the extra money away?

What if we as pastors encouraged everyone in our church to determine their top income as well?

All of these things might just help to reform our denomination, free us from our slavery to money, and enhance our witness to the good news of Jesus in this world.

Have you thought about setting a “top income”?
Do you have any ideas on how to reduce the prominence of salary in appointments?

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April 21, 2013 by Jonathan 21 Comments

How do United Methodist pastors end up at their churches?

“How many times did you worship at the church before you went on staff? Once, twice?” asked a friend the other day.

“Zero,” I replied.

“Huh?”

“It’s a bit complicated, but let me try and explain how United Methodist churches work…”

I’ve had the above conversation many times recently. Most of my friends from high school and college are members of Presbyterian, Baptist, or non-denominational churches. Explaining how a pastor ends up at a church in those traditions is similar to how anyone else in America ends up at a job—you’re open for a position, you find openings at churches you’d like to serve, you interview and send in reference materials, a group at the church gives you an offer, and you decide whether to accept or keep looking.

To understand how pastors end up at United Methodist churches, forget all of that.

Churches in the UMC receive new pastors through a system called itinerancy. Itinerancy is a system of church organization in which ministers are sent to local churches by a Bishop and are regularly rotated from one to another. Ministers and Bishops are all part of a geographically organized conference (mine is North GA), which is broken down further into districts. The conference limits where a Bishop can appoint each pastor to serve.

The appointments aren’t random—every year the Bishop and District Superintendents consult with those like me seeking a pastoral appointment and with each church in the conference. Through much prayer and conferencing, they then seek to determine where to send pastors so that the UMC can best live out its mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The gifts of the pastor, his or her family/life situation, the needs of a local church, the needs of the denomination, and many other factors are involved in the process.

Bishops send pastors to their churches in the UMC — Bishop Mike Watson of the North GA Conference. Photo courtesy of NGUMC.org

Typically, pastors find out where they’re sent via a phone call in the spring. Some are sent far away, some are sent to a church nearby, and some are asked to stay where they are. Those moving begin to envision life and ministry at a church they’ve never visited. One week in June, all the pastors who have been appointed to new churches move and begin ministry at their new churches. All appointments are made for only a year at a time. However, the average length of a UM pastor is around four years. There is also a trend towards longer appointments. You can read more about the current itinerant system here.

Many Methodist Churches in Britain, Central America, and all over the world continue to use this system that has a historical basis from Methodism’s earliest days.

The UMC website sums up the history well. “John Wesley began the itinerant system during his work in England. Wesley developed circuits for his assistants to travel, each of which included a large number of appointments. Preachers visited these appointments about once a month and changed circuits from year to year, depending on the current circumstances.”

Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. Established 1839. Wilmore, KY.

On American soil, itinerancy adapted to the conditions at hand. Traveling preachers became known as circuit riders as they rode from one outpost to another helping organize, lead, and perform the sacraments for groups of Christians across the frontier. This system enabled Methodist preachers to reach new settlements quickly. The rapid growth of Methodism throughout the 18th and 19th centuries in America can be partly attributed to this form of organization.

“We have found by long and consistent experience that a frequent exchange of preachers is best. This preacher has one talent, that another; no one whom I ever yet knew has all the talents which are needful for beginning, continuing, and perfecting the work of grace in a whole congregation.” – John Wesley

If you are still reading at this point and you’re not a Methodist, you are probably thinking, “What a crazy system!”

If you are a Methodist congregant, you are probably thinking, “I’ve seen a lot of itinerant preachers come and go. I’ve seen some crazy ones and many gifted ones. I’m just thankful that we’ve never had a time without a pastor and that this church isn’t dependent on one person.”

If you are a Methodist pastor, perhaps like me you are thinking, “Lord, this itinerant system is counter to a culture that tells us to do what we want, look out for ourselves, and never submit to authorities. I’ve placed myself in the hands of your church—in its beauty and brokenness. I’m trusting that the Holy Spirit is present in the appointment process and that you are actively working all things together for good. Give me strength, peace, joy, and a renewed love for you and your people as I travel to a new place.”

In the future I hope to write about the strengths and weaknesses of the itinerant system. For non-Methodists, what do you think about this system? For Methodists, how have you found living within this system?

June 21, 2012 by Jonathan 25 Comments