Introduction
Introduction
At one time, all United Methodists (or Methodists, Evangelicals, and United Brethren) knew who we were and what we stood for. We grew up in the church and knew something about our heritage. As recently as 1938, the great majority of Methodists had been raised in that tradition. Today, a great many people who sit in United Methodist pews come from other religious traditions. They are former Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, or have no church background at all. They may have heard of John Wesley, but don’t know anything about him. Today, even those who come from a United Methodist tradition are vague on our heritage and faith traditions. When I was in a local church, every time I announced a membership orientation class or workshop on our United Methodist tradition, I found that at least one third of the people who signed up were life-long United Methodists, but had no idea what that meant.
So when we first began talking about this book, I suggested that it needed to answer two questions: first, “Who was this dude Wesley?” and, second, “Why should I care?” As is true of most great leaders in history, John Wesley was a fascinating and complex personality. He never intended for his followers to be anything but members of the Church of England, yet his work is the root of one of the great denominations of modern times. He was a conservative in almost all areas of his life, but also would be understood as a radical reformer. While he believed in the solid ritual of the Church, he found himself preaching out-of-doors, wherever he could gather an audience. As I began thinking about topics for the various chapters, and reading more and more by and about Wesley, I discovered (again) what a rich thinker he was. Many of his insights into life in England are incredibly relevant for life in the United States nearly 300 years later.
And why should we care? For Wesley, above all, the key to religion was found in the answer to the question, “How does one live a holy life in front of God?”(in theological terms, the search for holiness of heart and life). That key question assumed some other questions about God, Jesus Christ, salvation, but the key was always holiness. Holiness, specifically where it applies to daily life, is the key to understanding Wesley for our time. It’s not just “talking the talk” about God and our relationship with God, it’s also “walking the walk,” taking our faith out into the family, the community, the marketplace, the larger world. How do we, as Christians, think and act about questions of education, health care, war and peace, poverty, voting, economics, and a whole host of other issues? Wesley cared deeply about those issues, not just in themselves, but because of their impact on persons created in the image of God. He calls those of us who claim to be his followers to care deeply about them as well.
John O. Gooch
Liberty, Missouri
April, 2005