Revitalize Your Church

  Just an ugly old stump -- that's all it was -- and old stumps carry no hopes or dreams. Only maps and memory rings of thirsty days, hard toil, and weary longings embedded to the core. Just an ugly old stump -- a dwarfed reminder -- of what once was. . . and all that might have been. If only. If only. But old stumps carry no hopes or dreams -- Only scarred rememberings. . . of lightening strikes and howling wind, of squirrels and hammer heads, of children's summer play, All these now faded away To just an ugly old stump -- useless for humans, but to to sit to rest to think And hurried humans hardly take the time to do such things. Just an ugly old stump -- that's all it was -- and old stumps carry no hopes or dreams. Or do they? Look again. Could it be? A tiny sprout of green? What could this possibly mean? "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse"  Isa. 11:1 "Hope springs eternal in the human breast. . ."  Alexander Pope "The thrill of hope, ...

I was ordained in 1987 in the Pacific Southwest District of The Wesleyan Church by Earle Wilson Earle Wilson was ordained by William Neff (Pilgrim Holiness) William Neff was ordained by Winfred (W. R.) Cox (Pilgrim Holiness) Winfred (W. R.) Cox was ordained by George Kulp (International Apostolic Holiness Church) 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) R obert Richford Roberts was ordained by Francis Asbury (Methodist) Francis Asbury was ordained by Thomas Coke (Methodist) Thomas Coke was ordained by John Wesley (Anglican) John Wesley was ordained by Bishop John Potter (Anglican) From Potter, a line of consecrated bishops can be traced back to St. Peter Jonathan Trelawney William Sancroft Henry Compton Gilbert Sheldon Brian Duppa Bl. William Laud George Montaigne George Abbot Richard Bancroft Joh...

In the Pleasant Hill Baptist Cemetery, just a mile from where I live (near Six Mile, SC) is the grave of Furman Smith, the first Medal of Honor recipient (U.S. military's highest decoration) from the state of South Carolina. Smith, a 19-year-old farm boy from Six Mile, was in Lanuvio, Italy with Company L, 135th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division in a mission to liberate Rome, when his unit came under heavy Nazi fire, wounding his commander and another soldier. Instead of retreating with the rest of the company, Furman Smith stayed with his fallen comrades in an attempt to protect them. Smith fought valiantly but eventually lost his life after being swarmed by a force of 80 German soldiers. Today, his name graces a highway about a mile from our home, and his body lies at rest in the Pleasant Hill cemetery between his parents and his younger brother, Mit, who died the following year at the tender age of 17. Researching Furman's story today, I discovered a sister born earl...

 I made an error when I listed my ordination succession a few weeks ago.  I was ordained by Earle Wilson and he was ordained by William Neff. I had thought that Neff was ordained by early Pilgrim leader, Seth Rees, but upon further investigation, he was actually ordained by Winfred Cox.  Thus, my ordination line takes a fortunate turn. It was a struggle reconciling Rees anyway.  I had taken a leap saying that he was ordained by the Nazarenes -- when, in fact, he was originally "recorded" (not ordained) by the Quakers, and the Nazarenes claim they never ordained him.  I find that hard to believe -- especially when, according to historian, Kostlevy, he participated in ordinations for the Metropolitan Church Association, a forerunner of the Pilgrim Holiness Church. Anyhow -- deepest apologies for leading anyone astray and here is the updated ordination succession for Earle Wilson and anyone ordained by him (including former Wesleyan GS, JoAnne Lyon). I was ordained...

  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...

JoAnne Lyon and I share the same Wesleyan line of ordination succession. I was ordained by Earle Wilson in 1987 in the Pacific Southwest District. Earle Wilson was ordained by William Neff (Pilgrim Holiness) William Neff was ordained by Winfred (W. R.) Cox (Pilgrim Holiness) Winfred (W. R. Cox) was ordained by George Kulp (International Apostolic Holiness Church) 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 Francis Asbury (Methodist) Francis Asbury was ordained by Thomas Coke (Methodist) Thomas Coke was ordained by John Wesley (Anglican) John Wesley was ordained by Anglican Bishop (of Oxford) John Potter. From Potter -- there's a trail all the way back to St. Peter!  ( You can see the Anglican list here. ) (Potter is #163) And the Word marches on -- proclaimed from o...

 

  Matthew 7 stands against a censorious Christianity. "Judge not that ye be not judged" Mattew 13 stands against a coercive Christianity. "Let both wheat and tares grow together until the harvest." Matthew 18 standS FOR a conscientious Christianity. "If your brother sins against you. . ." ensuring that the church of Matthew 7's and 13's accomodation does not wink at sin. Matthew 7 & 13 keep the church from being puritanical, while Matthew 18 keeps the church from being epicurean. -- Reggie Kidd quoting Emil Brunner .

  "Something greater than the temple is here." -- Matt. 12:6 "Something greater than Jonah is here." -- Matt. 12:41 "Something greater than Solomon is here." -- Matt. 12:42 Here, Jesus claims that. . . He is the place where people meet God -- the center of sacrifice and worship He is the point of the Old Testament prophets and the fulfillment of their prophecies. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is saying that he is . . . Greater than your worship tradition (your preference) Greater than your political stance (your perspective) Greater than your leadership skill (your performance)

 "Much of our praying is like the little boy who rings the doorbell, but runs away before the door is opened."  --  Leonard Ravenhill,   Why Revival Tarries  (quoted in Herald of His Coming, Sept. 2012.)

  "What in the world am I doing here in Ethiopia?" I wondered, as I bounced in the jeep with missionary doctor, Harold Adolph. Our motor vehicle was the only one in sight. Slowly, we navigated our way through a sea of pedestrians, ox carts, and chickens, down the deeply rutted dirt road into in the village of Soddo. It was just as if I had been plucked from the northwoods and plopped into a National Geographic documentary on Africa. Arriving at the clinic, we emerged from our Jeep, and were immediately swarmed by hundreds of needy people seeking medical attention. Most had been waiting for hours to see the good doctor. Many would have to wait much longer. I observed a grieving mother, holding a lifeless infant in her arms. She looked at me with pleading eyes. I looked away. The immensity of poverty and human suffering was absolutely overwhelming. Never, in all my life, had I witnessed such need, and felt so powerless to do anything about it. A grotesque begger approached me. ...

 

. A few years ago I developed a version of John Wesley's Covenant Renewal with updated language for my church based on the works of George Lyon and Jeren Rowel.  We used it the first Sunday of the New Year. Wesley Covenant Renewal An Adaptation by Mark O. Wilson from versions of the Covenant by George Lyon and Jeren Rowel Introduction:   Historical background of John Wesley, and the purpose for the covenant renewal. Hymn:   “Come Let Us Use the Grace Divine” written by Charles Wesley especially for the covenant renewal. Another version is found here that could be used in churches that rely on videos, rather than live musicians, for congregational singing. LEADER : "Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant which will never be forgotten" (Jer. 50:5, RSV ). LEADER : Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your ...

  Merry Christmas from the Wilson's!  What a strange and challenging year we've all had. Yet, God is faithful and sees us through life's perplexing challenges. Normally, our lives are full of busy activities, but the pandemic changed all that, as it has done for most people. Despite the adjustments, we've been able to figure out a new (temporary) normal. Fortunately, Southern Wesleyan University was able to start and finish the fall sememster in person, due largely to herculean precautions on the part of everyone to stay safe.  It has been a challenging year for the university, but everyone has pulled together to make the best of a difficult situation. Hannah has completed her junior year of college and remains on the dean's list, majoring in Early Childhood and Family Studies. She also works every afternoon at The Growing Place Daycare Center. Cathy is involved in many projects at home and in the community. Both Mark and Hannah are grateful for her encouraging supp...

The majority of protestant churches are in small towns and rural communities. Many pastors, upon graduation from seminary, find themselves in one of these "ends of the earth" assignments. Their attitude is "I'm stuck here in this one horse town until I learn the ropes; then, I'll move on and do something important." Today, as Christmas approaches, I'd like to challenge the assumption that small places are insignificant. Jesus, God in human flesh, came to the earth on a mission from heaven to transform humanity. He looked the whole world over and picked the perfect place to launch his global and eternal enterprise. Where did he go? What was his strategic missional selection? A small town! "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) You won't get any Christmas cards with pict...

 

During the Great Pestilence of 1637, Martin Rinkart, age 31, found himself in a distressing situation as the only clergyperson in Eilenburg, Germany. The plague had broken out in this war torn community, and all of the other clergymen had either died or departed.   Left alone to meet the vast spiritual needs of the entire community, Rinkart officiated 4480 funerals (40-50 per day) including that of his first wife.   A severe famine followed the epidemic, and the good pastor rose to this challenge, working with town leaders to provide relief and organize assistance. He also led negotiations to secure peace with their enemies. In the darkest hours of the epidemic, young Pastor Rinkart served as a beacon of light and hope for others. It was during this time that he wrote the beloved hymn "Nun dankket alle Gott" ( Now Thank We All our God ), which is now often sung in Thanksgiving worship services around the world. Now thank we all our God, with heart and h...

 This is the PowerPoint of my Global Partners presentaion: Navigating Change and Transition in Ministry.