What Would Wesley Say

about The Emerging Church

Hal Knight has done Wesleyan-type folk a great service with his article in the current (Advent/Christmas 2007/08) issue of the Preacher’s Magazine. Alert reader Tim Smith of North Carolina tapped my shoulder on this one before I saw the article—thanks Tim! Hal Knight outlines seven features of the emerging church and suggest what Wesley would say of each. You ought to read the original article here. I’ve taken the article and summarized it into the following table which lists Knight’s description of the emerging church then guesses and what Wesley would say. Don’t blame Knight for Wesley’s words in the following table, I am channeling Wesley based on his life and writing.

Emerging Church Feature	What would Wesley say
1. Understand discipleship as “following closely and emulating the person and ministry of Jesus.”	WESLEY: “Kudoes to you… I understand discipleship precisely this way… it is not just about getting a ticket to heaven, but about a constant, daily walk of holiness based on the model and example of Jesus—who else? The correction you are giving to the get up, show up, and pay up, nominal life is exactly what is needed in the 21^st century.” Go for it!”
2. Pre-eminently missional—Rather than recruiting members for a church they recruit people to join God’s mission in the world.	WESLEY: “Isn’t that obvious to the church I your day? I too consider the world my parish and believed that god had raised up the Methodists to reform the nation and the church. What other kind of Christianity is there but one that feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, visits those in prison? I know of none. So, go for it!”
3. Radically incarnational and anti-dualism—all of life is sacred and every place can be made holy and we refuse to compartmentalize.	WESLEY: “You still have people who separate the spirit from the flesh and material? Why, of course all can be holy—that is what the plan of redemption is about—restoring all things to the way God meant them to be. Why if you don’t chose that line of thinking you’ll soon be dividing flesh from spirit, you’ll have people thinking their spirit is what goes to heaven and they’ll ignore the environment believing that everything here is temporary and unimportant. Go for it!”
4. Alternative communities—a gathering of people committed to mission living in relationship with each other and the world based on the principles of Jesus.	WESLEY: “I have always wondered of the Class Meeting would survive, and it didn’t, but seeing your emphasis on the radical living out of your faith with each other and to the world—well, to tell the truth, when I heard this my heart was strangely warmed. Go for it!”
5. Proclamation through biblical narrative more than a rational/propositional approach to scripture.	WESLEY: “Hmmmmm, I don’t get this, how shall people understand unless you line up propositions one on another to convince them? Has the enlightenment and age of reason passed away somehow?”
6. Creative experimentation with ancient-future worship experience—creatively blending the Eucharist and video or art, hymns and choruses, mystical actions and contemporary tunes.	WESLEY: “Finally someone has come along to value both tradition and new foms? I am so tired of those Baby Boomers who only valued the novel. Welcome to the church. Have you tried my love feast yet?”
7. Generous orthodoxy—not arrogant in claiming they have all truth captured and stuffed on the wall for all time but humbly continue the quest as the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.	WESLEY: “they often say of me that I am catholic spirited and it is right, I could use the term “Generous Orthodoxy” if by that you meant generous on all things that are not core matters of the faith—those things found in the creeds. Be careful to not be generous on the deity of Christ or the Trinity—but certainly I hope you’ll be generous on matters like the end times, security of the believer or baptism. By generous I presume you mean you hold some opinion yourself, but are generous to those who hold differing opinions. That is simply what Jesus would do on issues that are not core to the faith. I’d say it this way: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, but in all things: charity.”

While this is what Wesley might say, Wesleyans might say something different.

What would Wesleyans say of these trends?

What descriptors of the emergent movement did Knight’s leave out that you would add?

So what do you think?

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Keith Drury October 23, 2007