The Wesleyan Church is a Protestant, evangelical, holiness denomination with a rich heritage. We
see it as our special mission to emphasize the message of "full salvation from all sin." We teach that a victorious
Christian life is possible for all believers through the experience of both forgiveness of sins and the fullness of the Holy
Spirit in our lives.
Where We Came From
The
name "Wesleyan" is in honor of John Wesley, a priest in the Church of England who became the inspiration behind
the Methodist movement. It was their disciplined routine (or method) of spiritual devotion and social work which earned Wesley
and a few of his friends in ministry the nickname "Methodists" beginning in 1735. The name stuck later to the unique
new organizational structure Wesley designed to provide prayer and spiritual care for tens of thousands of converts who found
Christ through his work.
Wesley was an outstanding scholar, yet regarded himself
as "a man of one Book" the Bible. It was while studying the Bible that he received assurance of his own salvation
through faith. It was the Bible which motivated his vision for offering Christ to the common people of England in a way that
led to that nation's greatest spiritual revival. It was biblical truth which inspired Wesley to develop a school for orphans,
job programs and medical assistance for the poor, efforts to reform inhuman e prisons, and arguments for the abolition of
slavery, a great evil of his time. Confidence in the Bible as "the only and sufficient rule for Christian faith and practice"
(to use Wesley's own words) is still a hallmark of The Wesleyan Church today.
Although
we respect his example, John Wesley is not the person Wesleyans worship, however. "A Methodist," he said, "is...
one who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength."
In fact, "perfect love" for God and for other people is the priority goal for Christian disciples emphasized in
our churches.
The first Methodists came to America in 1766 and organized the
Methodist Episcopal Church in 1784. In 1843 a group of pastors and local churches left that denomination because of their
strong antislavery convictions and their preference for a more democratic form of church government. They adopted the name
of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, later changed to The Wesleyan Methodist Church in America. A number of smaller groups
of churches merged with them over time, especially between 1948 and 1966, including the Alliance of Reformed Baptists of Canada.
During the late 1800s, a widespread emphasis on the teaching of holiness swept
across various denominations in America. This resulted in the formation of holiness unions (groups of people interested in
encouraging this teaching in their own denominations), rescue missions, camp meeting associations, and new congregations.
Mergers among many of these groups from 1882 on eventually resulted in the organization of the Pilgrim Holiness Church in
1922.
In 1968 The Wesleyan Church was created when The Wesleyan Methodist Church
in America and the Pilgrim Holiness Church united in order to serve Christ more effectively together. As part of its historic
past, The Wesleyan Church celebrates the involvement of its early leaders in the first ordination of women for Christian ministry
in 1843. It was also the first denomination ever to adopt a formal statement of faith in "entire sanctification,"
God's work of making believers pure in heart, holy in character, and empowered with the Spirit of Jesus for witness and
service.
The Wesleyan Church Today
Around
the world Wesleyan churches and missions are now found in 44 nations. In 1990 worldwide Sunday morning worship attendance
was 239,000 persons in 3,267 congregations. Worldwide full membership was 159,000. There were 1,700 local churches in the
United States and Canada, with 108,000 full members and an average of 143,000 in Sunday morning services.
Five colleges and universities are supported by the denomination in the United States and Canada.
They are Houghton College (New York), Indiana Wesleyan University (Indiana), Southern Wesleyan University (South Carolina),
Bartlesville Wesleyan College (Oklahoma), and Bethany Bible College (New Brunswick).
In
addition to worship services and Sunday schools, many local churches provide other unique programs, such as a Bible adventure
club for children called Clubhouse, Wesleyan Youth (WY), Young Adults International (YAI), Best Years Fellowship (BYF) for
senior adults, Wesleyan Women International (WWI), and Wesleyan Men (WM).
Our
Government and Organization
The Wesleyan Church is organized at three levels
for effective ministry. Lay persons and clergy are involved at each level in leadership.
The
Local Church
Local congregations are the basic units of caring, growth and outreach
for the denomination. Each is led by its own pastoral staff, a Local Board of Administration (or a Local Advisory Council
if the church is not fully established), and other officers and boards depending upon local needs. Senior pastors are called
by the majority vote of full members of the church, but serve only when appointed by the district conference. Titles to property
are usually held in trust by both the local church and its district. Annual and special local church conferences allow every
member opportunities for involvement in church government. Individual members are encouraged to develop their full talents
and potential by active service through their local church.
The District
Wesleyans practice interdependent, not independent church government. Being part of a larger body
of believers bolds each church to a higher degree of accountability for its resources and ministries, and also makes it a
partner in goals best pursued together. Each local church is assigned to a network of churches called a district. Delegates
from each local church and all ordained members of the district meet annually during the District Conference to govern its
affairs. The District Conference elects a District Superintendent, a District Board of Administration, and other officers
and boards with special duties. The district credentials and appoints pastors and other licensed workers, supports area church
colleges, provides camping programs and other special ministries, and participates in denominational emphases.
The General Church
The General Conference meets every
four years and consists primarily of lay and clergy delegates elected by the District Conferences. At this level the church
is organized to insure unity in doctrine, practice and priorities. Four General Superintendents and a General Board of Administration
are elected to oversee the work of each aspect of the denomination between General Conferences. Directors of nine General
Departments or offices are elected to provide a variety of services to the local churches, districts and the denominational
operation. They include the General Secretary, General Treasurer, General Editor, General Publisher, and General Secretaries
of Evangelism and Church Growth, World Missions, Education and the Ministry, Local Church Education, and Youth. Offices for
denominational work are located at The Wesleyan Church Intentional Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The general level of administration also allows the denomination to provide other important ministries through
special offices and subsidiary corporations. The Wesleyan Pension Fund provides retirement and disability security for ministers
and other church workers. The Wesleyan Investment Foundation allows investors to earn income on savings that are used to help
finance Wesleyan church expansion.
The Wesleyan Hour, a weekly international
radio broadcast, is heard in the English, Russian, and Spanish languages. Hephzibah Children's Home in Macon, Georgia,
ministers to scores of orphaned and foster children. The Office of Estate Planning provides local church estate planning seminars,
individual estate planning counsel, and stewardship resource materials. Wesleyan Native American Ministries supervises outreach
among several tribes across the United States. Nearly 200 missionaries serve the Church in overseas countries, while numerous
pastors and volunteers continue to work as "home missionaries" planting new churches in North America. All these
ministries and more are possible because of a church structure which emphasizes cooperative planning and mutual responsibility
for world evangelization.
Other Affiliations
The
Wesleyan World Fellowship provides a global network for cooperation among the North American General Conference (the United
States and Canada), the Caribbean Provisional General Conference, and the Philippine General Conference of The Wesleyan Church.
The denomination is also a member of the Christian Holiness Association, National Association of Evangelicals and the World
Methodist Council, formed in 1881 and representing sixty different denominations with a Wesleyan heritage. The Wesleyan Church
does not belong to the National or the World Council of Churches. The financial affairs of The Wesleyan Church adhere to the
high standards of Christian ethics in financial accounting and reporting monitored by the Evangelical Council for Financial
Accountability.
Prepared by the General Department of Evangelism & Church
Growth.
