The GBOD Wesley Study group at the New Room in Bristol: Back row (l-r): Sheri Whitehorn, James McLaurin, Madeleine Couch, Marilyn Beecher, Russell Fincham, Vicki Fincham, Steve Manskar. Middle row (l-r): Kathy Morrison, Jeff Hall, Karen Lair, Bette James, Kathryn MaGee, Danny Powell. Front row (l-r): Lupe Saafi, Daniel Mhone, Brandon Rios, Gladys Bowie, Suzannah and Sarah Moorman, Horacio Rios, Martha Johnson

From August 12 to August 17, twenty intrepid United Methodist women and men, lay and clergy, met at Sarum College in the Close of Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury, England. They came from Alaska, Missouri, Florida, Arkansas, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, New York, and Malawi (southern Africa). The General Board of Discipleship and Sarum College sponsored the journey. It was designed to be more than a typical Wesley Heritage Tour. With the leadership of Dr. Steven Manskar (Director, Accountable Discipleship at the General Board of Discipleship) and Dr. Tim Macquiban (principal of Sarum College), participants were invited and challenged to reflect upon what the church of today can learn from the ministry of John and Charles Wesley and the early Methodists that will help them be in ministry in the twenty-first century.

In addition to Salisbury, the group visited Oxford, Bristol, and London: cities important to the life of John Wesley and the development of the Methodist movement. They also participated in lectures by British Methodist leaders: Dr. Tim Macquiban; the Rev. Tom Stucky, Chair of the Southampton District and author of To the Far Country: Theology of Mission for an Age of Violence (Epworth Press, 2003); Dr. Leslie Griffiths, former president of the British Methodist Conference and current Superintendent Minister of Wesley's Chapel at City Road in London. John Baxter Brown (church worker in youth ministry for the Church of England) and Phil Rankin (research fellow at Sarum College) gave provocative and challenging presentations on the spirituality of young people.

Group leaders: Tim Macquiban and Steve Manskar

Along the way the group learned that

• In the Wesleyan tradition, love is the measure of faith in Christ.
• While orthodoxy (right belief) is important, Christ is more concerned with what we do with our lives and how we treat others.
• Because John Wesley understood the importance of balancing orthodoxy (right belief) with orthopraxis (right practice) he went to the people neglected by the church and society: the poor, the prisoners, and the sick. To the poor he preached universal grace (the promises of Christ), and to the prosperous he preached the responsibility of faith (the commands of Christ).
• Wesley gave the Methodists a rule of life, the General Rules, to help them live lives balanced between works of piety and works of mercy.
• Wesley understood the necessity of community, particularly small groups, for Christian formation, i.e., "there is no holiness but social holiness."
• Wesley acted and preached out of his expectation that God will keep God's promises given in Scripture.
• Wesley understood Christian life to be a process of growth, maturation, and character formation into the image of Christ.
• Discipleship is the process of learning and forming what Wesley called "holy tempers": love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and self-control.
• This "holiness of heart and life" is the outcome of a vital, real, living relationship with God revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Everyone in the group agreed that the experience in England sparked a new understanding of and excitement about faith and discipleship.

Highlights

• Members of the group who arrived in England on or before Sunday, August 10, had the privilege and/or misfortune of experiencing the hottest day in English history: 100° F.
• The accommodations and staff at Sarum College were superb. The refectory food is worthy of a four-star restaurant. And the beauty of Salisbury Cathedral was breathtaking every day.
• During our visit to Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (the place where John and Charles Wesley were students and ordained priests of the Church of England), one of the group, Suzannah Moorman, sang "And Can It Be That I Should Gain" a cappella. The beauty of her voice and the power of the words, combined with the majesty and history of the place, moved many to tears of joy.
• Meeting the Rev. John Wesley in the New Room at Bristol was a treat. He explained to the group how the building came into existence and how it was used during his lifetime. The time at the New Room was concluded with prayers and receiving Holy Communion with the regular congregation.
• The diversity of the group was a blessing: women and men; lay and clergy; young adults, middle-aged, and retired; North American, Tongan, and African (Malawi) United Methodists.
• Morning and evening prayer in the Sarum College chapel.
• Free time to enjoy Salisbury and English history, culture, and hospitality.

Steven W. Manskar is Director of Accountable Discipleship at The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship, Nashville, Tennessee.