Wayne Schmidt's Wesleyan Ordination Succession
When Wesleyan General Superintendent, Wayne Schmidt, officiates ordination services, he is continuing a long, historic line of ministerial calling/leadership as the mantle is passed to the next generation. Wayne Schmidt was ordained by O. D. Emery (Wesleyan Church) O. D. Emery ordained by Louis Willard Sturk (Pilgrim Holiness). Louis Willard (L. W.) Sturk ordained by George B. Kulp (Pilgrim Holiness) George Kulp was ordained by Stephen Merrill (Methodist Episcopal) Stephen Merrill was ordained by Thomas Asbury Morris (Methodist Episcopal) Thomas Asbury Morris was ordained by Robert Richford Roberts (Methodist Episcopal) Robert Richford Roberts was ordained by the renowned circuit riding evangelist, Francis Asbury (Methodist) Francis Asbury was ordained by Thomas Coke (Methodist) Thomas Coke was ordained by a renegade priest named John Wesley (Anglican) John Wesley was ordained by John Potter, Bishop of Oxford (Anglican). From Potter -- there's a trail all the way back...
Not only do we have ineffective pastors, we have "churches that are more interested in self-service than service to the world. These are churches that say they want to grow but refuse to do what is necessary to evangelize. These are churches who want to simply be fed rather than feeding others in discipleship and in works of charity and service."
ReplyDeletePut these two together and we have dying churches.
Wonderful article to read!
This Methodist minister has some good ideas. It is definitely a blog worth visiting.
ReplyDeleteOne statement caught my attention.
"These are churches that see the empty pews on Sunday morning and reminisce about the people who used to sit there, instead of being motivated to do what is necessary to put new people in those empty spaces."
It does not matter how many new people they get to fill the empty pews. Unless the church changes its way, these new people will leave just like the previous people did.
In a small community, it is difficult to get new people involved because they know of the disease that drove the former attendees out.
The church needs to change it ways, make amends to the people who left totally hurt. Then these people will come back bringing new people with them.