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The Pastor's Study -- Mainline or Methodist

Submitted by jvoorhees on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 1:14pm.

Bishop Matthew Simpson Last night I had the chance to attend an author’s reception sponsored by Upper Room Books, Fresh Air Books, and Discipleship Resources. During the event, George Donnigian shared that DR has a new book coming out titled “Mainline or Methodist” (I can’t remember the author). The driving premise of the book suggests that the decline of the Methodist movement began not with the merger in 1967, but when Bishop Matthew Simpson became a central part of Abe Lincoln’s inner circle, thus leading to Methodism becoming mainstream.

 

Is it possible to move back from mainline to “Methodist?” What would it mean for our communion to become a radical, fringe movement? Isn’t part of our problem the desire to remain a mainstream power rather than truly becoming a movement that is belittled by those in power? What is your take on the notion that we can either be mainline or that we can be Methodist?

Read the Book Today

Submitted by guest on Tue, 07/29/2008 - 9:55pm.
And it is outstanding, and spot on. Scott Kisker has named the cultural reality that H Richard Niehbuhr cited long ago in "Social Sources of Denominationalism in America"... the upward mobility that leads to a quest for identification with the culture rather than some initial vision of discipleship... and taken it several steps further. He has reminded us what Methodism was about-- which was not planting congregations, or being itself THE CHURCH, but rather being more like an evangelistic, disciple-forming and missionary deploying movement within and alongside congregational and several denominational manifestations of church. Kisker is convinced we can reclaim and recover who we are as Methodist people-- if we will recover Wesley's love-based theology/soteriology, and if we will put into practice measures, like the class meeting, that help us concretely live the way of God's kingdom (and not the respectable ways of the kingdoms of this world) in our own day. Well, well worth the read. By far the best of the "recovering Methodism" kinds of books currently available. Peace in Christ, Taylor Burton-Edwards

Mainline or Mainstream

Submitted by guest on Wed, 07/23/2008 - 10:10am.
The words mainline and mainstream are being used here interchangeably as if to mean the same thing. The author would help the reader more by clarifying what he/she means by the Methodist becoming mainstream when joining Abe Lincoln and the Methodist becoming mainline... because I believe there is a difference between the two...

response

Submitted by guest on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 12:53pm.
Jay, WOW! Dude still thinking about it all, man I would love to have this discussion live on a podcast. Which BTW: I have set up the Praxis Podcast to be live now, when we have a live show I will Tweet about it, but until then you can check out the live site I created for it: http://praxispodcast.com/live blessings!

author of Mainline or Methodist

Submitted by guest on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 9:47am.
The author of Mainline or Methodist is Scott Kisker, professor at Wesley Theological Seminary. You can view the cover and more info about the book at amazon.com, here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Mainline-Methodist-Rediscovering-Evanglistic-Missi... Peace, Kevin M. Watson http://deeplycommitted.wordpress.com
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