THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 29, 1995 TAG: 9509290497
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ESTHER DISKIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
The chairman of the World Methodist Council on Thursday called on clergy and laymen to commit themselves to evangelism, even if it requires shaking up church hierarchy and using television to get out the Gospel message.
The Rev. Donald English, recognized as the world leader of Methodism, spoke at Virginia Wesleyan College to dedicate a statue of the denomination's founder, John Wesley. English said modern Methodists need to recapture the original spark of Wesley's vision.
``This statue today poses us the question: What structure would a church have which took evangelism seriously?'' English said to his audience of 450 people. ``What shape would a church be which believed that one of its prime tasks was to reach out and declare to all that God loves them and that Christ died for them?''
He added,``How does that compare with the shape of my church, and of yours?''
His call for energetic outreach comes as Methodists in the United States are seeking ways to halt a membership decline over the past 15 years. That struggle is compounded by declining contribution rates from its members, a problem that besets other other Protestant mainline denominations and threatens the health of seminaries, missionary organizations and other programs.
Nationwide, there are an estimated 8.6 million Methodists in 37,000 congregations. There are 390,000 Methodists in Virginia, and about 84,000 in Hampton Roads, according to Virginia Wesleyan College officials.
Though membership is shrinking in the United States, Methodism is on the upswing around the world, especially in some regions of Asia and Africa. The denomination has 33 million members worldwide.
English used his speech to paint a portrait of Wesley's fervor and prolific activity during the 1700s, saying that Wesley's life could serve as inspiration for clergy and lay people in modern times.
During 66 years of ministry, Wesley rode 250,000 miles on horseback throughout England, Scotland and Ireland, preaching in open fields, pubs and boats to reach the common man. Methodist societies and groups of followers arose in response to his itinerant ministry.
Though Wesley was ordained as an Anglican priest, a spiritual awakening in 1738 gave him the impetus to move far from the church hierarchy. In a letter, which English quoted, Wesley challenged the Bishop of Oxford to consider whether the church's structure served its higher purpose.
``What is the end of all ecclesiastical order? Is it not to bring souls from the power of Satan to God, and to build them up in fear and love?'' Wesley wrote.
English said that Methodists sometimes shy away from the idea of evangelism, because the American models for it don't appeal to them. ``I refer to evangelism as making sense of life through faith in Jesus,'' he said, in an interview. ``It's not about going out and bombing people with texts or imposing yourself on them.''
English predicted that Wesley, if he were alive today, would have used all modern communication mediums - including radio and television - to spread his message.
Bishop Thomas B. Stockton, head of the Virginia conference of the United Methodist Church, said the conference already has made evangelism its top priority. Now, he said, church leaders are trying to figure out how to energize and train people to be witnesses to their faith in ways that are meaningful. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
COURTESY OF VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
The Rev. Donald English, chairman of the World Methodist Council,
reminded fellow Methodists that John Wesley was an evangelist and
would use any modern means possible to spread the Gospel message.
by CNB