What is a Wesleyan?
Often a reader of my column says something like, “I like your writing and agree with some of it—you say you are a Wesleyan—What exactly is a Wesleyan?
This column is my attempt to answer that question.
1. A Short History
I am a Wesleyan—both in doctrine and denomination. A Wesleyan in doctrine means that I generally
fit with the way John Wesley viewed theology and the world. And I am also a
Wesleyan denominationally--I am a member and ordained minister in a church
calling itself Wesleyan—The Wesleyan
Church. This small denomination
split from the Methodist church in 1843 when the Methodists refused to condemn slavery. My denominational forefathers were
abolitionist Methodists who split from the Methodists and founded a new anti-slavery
denomination. They chose the term
“Wesleyan” because John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, took an ardent
anti-slavery position and they believed they were being true to Wesley’s own
position. Thus they considered themselves the “true Wesleyans.” The
The founders of my denomination felt slavery was simply sin
and it should be labeled as such with slaveholders being treated as
such—sinners who needed to repent of slave holding and get right with God. The Methodist church at the time was being
torn by the issue and was attempting to pacify southern Methodists who called
for patience and a little more time. The
founders of the Wesleyan church did not believe patience was the right response
to sin. When Methodism “refused to deal
with it” these abolitionist ministers and laity (including Orange Scott and
Luther Lee) simply split from the Methodists in 1843 and organized another
Methodist church—the “Wesleyan Connection,” later to become the “Wesleyan
Methodist Church” and later still “The Wesleyan church” (the name chosen in 1968
on merging with the Pilgrim Holiness Church).
The institution where I teach is called
However, denominational labels are not always enough to answer the question, “What is a Wesleyan?” Especially when the sponsoring denomination is a small one that many folk have never heard of. Past denominational history can’t always adequately define what a denominations are today. Being “Wesleyan” may be better defined by doctrine, ethos and values than just our history. So here goes.
2. Wesleyan Doctrine
Wesleyans are evangelicals and thus are doctrinally conservative. We believe in God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit—the Trinity. We believe in Jesus Christ’s virgin birth, His sinless life, His death and resurrection, and His promised return in the future. We believe a person is lost without Christ and every human needs of a personal relationship with Christ to be saved. We believe in the afterlife—that all humans will be resurrected some day and there is heaven or hell as our final destination. We believe Christ died for all men and women and none of us can be saved except through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We believe in the church—the collective group of Christian believers, and we believe God works through this collective body on earth to help Christians guide and direct each other to live in this present age. We believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word to us and that it is authoritative in guiding us in what to believe and in how to live. Wesleyans believe in an active work of the Holy Spirit—God’s invisible presence today on earth—to guide and direct people and draw them toward Jesus Christ and the Father and to empower them to change and live a Christ like life.
3. Religious Conversion
Since Wesleyans are “Evangelicals” we believe that all men and woman are spiritually lost without Christ. Thus we try to lead people to a personal conversion or personal relationship with Christ. We think people are not born or brought up Christian, but become Christian when God draws them and they respond in personal faith. We call this experience variously, “becoming a Christian,” “being born again,” “finding faith in Jesus Christ,” or “beginning a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” All these terms mean the same thing—recognizing we cannot save ourselves and need God through His Son Jesus Christ to give us eternal life in heaven and His guidance and power for living today on earth. From this personal faith comes a daily practical personal walk of trust and faith in God through Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit guides and directs our lives. A Wesleyan church member has been converted and tries to practice this personal walk with Jesus Christ through God’s power. In addition, they will want you to start this walk too if you have not yet done so—Wesleyans believe in “evangelism.” However we generally reject high-pressure manipulative methods of evangelism, so if you meet a Wesleyan you can probably relax and expect to be treated with dignity and respect, and most of all personal friendship.
4. Catholic-spirited
While Wesleyans are Protestants we are very “catholic-spirited,” like John Wesley was. Put another way, we believe in the universal church—the collective group of all Christians in all denominations. We do not believe Wesleyans are the only folk going to heaven or even that we have the perfect answer to every question of life. Wesleyans are not a narrow-minded legalistic sect that rejects all other denominations and thinks we have the inside track to heaven. Rather we reach out and relate with (and learn from) people form other denominations and even people with no faith at all. We believe one should approach others with humility, respect and an open mind. This catholic-spirited ethos makes Wesleyan churches and universities attractive to people from a wide variety of denominations. Wesleyan local churches and universities are sensitive to people first—not denominational labels.
Our churches, universities and colleges often attract people from Lutheran, Reformed, Presbyterian , Baptist, Charismatic, Catholic and a dozen other backgrounds. While these students or attendees do not always agree with us on everything, they find our approach to things is more open-minded than the churches they came from. Among Wesleyans they find accepting friendship and respect. Wesleyans tend to shy away form being doctrinaire and dogmatic in our approach. That is not to say we do not hold our beliefs dearly—we do. We just believe in approaching people with dignity and respect and holding our beliefs with humility seeking common ground with others, not searching for areas where we can scrap. Wesleyans are constantly learning from other Christian groups while we contribute our own specialties and emphases to their religious heritage. We try to give a “fair shake” to all Christian views while presenting our own views too, hoping that the weight of our own position will persuade a person to enrich their own heritage with the Wesleyan perspective, or maybe even adopt our own views on these matters.
So, what is that perspective? Besides our doctrine and being catholic-spirited, what is the ethos you will find in a Wesleyan church or University?
5. Optimistic
Wesleyans are not pessimistic about the world and the future. We really believe we are put here to change the world and make it a better place. Being a “world-changer” is a particularly optimistic approach. We do not withdraw to our churches or campuses to wait for the world to go up in smoke and Jesus to return. Instead, we are activists—getting involved in the world around us, improving things, making a difference and attempting to make the world a place where God’s will is done here “as it is in heaven.” Thus at our universities or in our churches you will find a generally positive outlook toward improving the world. We really believe one person can make a difference. We do not hide out heads in the sand from the pain and suffering in the world, but we do not sit around waiting for God to do something either—we try to do what God would want done: feeding, clothing, giving medicine, counseling, aid, and comfort—fixing things the way God would want them fixed. (Optimism runs so deep in our value system that it even bleeds into our view of holiness, but that’s the next item.) Among Wesleyans you will find optimism prevails—we really do believe a person can be a world-changer.
6. Holiness
This optimism is such a deep value among Wesleyans that it affects how we view Christian living and holiness. God is a holy god, but God also calls His people to be a holy. Christians are supposed to actually live a Christ-like life. Christians should be different—they should really live up to what they claim to be. We believe Jesus Christ is our example of the holiness—he shows us how to live. Thus Wesleyans often speak of “becoming Christ-like” or try to live life using the question, “What would Jesus do?” Wesleyans believe that Christians should actually become more like Jesus Christ in their practical daily living. Not just by avoiding sins like murder, hate, bitterness, lying, stealing or adultery, but by actively practicing positive Christ-like actions and attitudes like compassion, generosity, honesty, gentleness, patience and fidelity. To Wesleyans these are not just pie-in-the-sky ideals but real practical possibilities through God’s changing power. So, you will often see Wesleyans having a time when people can pray and receive from God the power to change—to make us a better person. This is because Wesleyans actually believe people can improve—nobody is trapped being only what he or she is today. God will give change-power to those who believe in Him—not just to forgive past sins, but God can change a person into becoming more like Jesus Christ in thought, word and deed.
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There are other distinctives of the Wesleyan approach—like our holistic approach, the way we interpret the Bible, how we see humanity and humanness, but I have run out of time to write this morning’s column—so these will have to wait for another day. For now, the above gives some idea of what I mean when I claim to be a “Wesleyan.” This is what I mean.
So what do you think?
To contribute to the thinking on this issue
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keith@TuesdayColumn.com
Other "Thinking Drafts" and writing by Keith Drury -- http://www.indwes.edu/tuesday