7) How to you intend to affirm, teach, and apply Part II of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in you work in the ministry to which you have been called?

7) How to you intend to affirm, teach, and apply Part II of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in you work in the ministry to which you have been called?

            As a deacon in the United Methodist Church, part of my responsibilities will be to guide, instruct, and nurture the theological development of those who are in my congregation.  Since discipleship is a passion of mine, I am called to help others grow in their understanding of God and, most importantly, use that knowledge and love of God in service to the world.  The Book of Discipline gives us a guide for understanding our theological task, telling us that it is critical and constructive, individual and communal, contextual and incarnational, and essentially practical (Discipline 75-76).

            The critical nature of the theological task requires that I call people to wrestle with their knowledge and understanding of God.  The understanding should be rooted in the Doctrinal Standards of the Church, and challenged against scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.  I must make sure that those for whom I am a spiritual guide are expanding their horizons and asking questions about their expressions of faith.  The key here is not to be harsh in questioning one’s understanding, but instead to be constructive.  Being critical of faith should always have the goal of growth; of thinking afresh about God.  This helps us to see the gospel in light of “our troubled and uncertain times” (Discipline 75).

            There is also the tension between individual and community.  The individual portion of our theological task means that each person must be called to live a life that involves “sustained disciplines of study, reflection, and prayer” (75).  Every person is called to participate in the theological life of the church, and as one who is ordained a deacon, I am called to the formation and nurture of disciples in the church (231).  Part of the individual component of the theological task also involves my own personal growth.  If I am not setting an example in seeking God and living out my faith, then my credibility and witness is harmed.  Individual growth, however, must always be refined in relationship with others.  As a pastor I will seek to provide opportunities for people to engage in communal reflection so that they might learn from one another and challenge each other.  Their spiritual growth should not rely on the ordained clergy, but should be formed amongst one another, learning from each other’s experience and understanding.

            This is especially important in light of the fact that our theological task is contextual.  This relates to our understanding that theology is informed by our tradition, reason, and experience.  The context we live in will shape who we are and what we believe, and must be contextual in order to be practical, so that our theology speaks to the world around us.  However, in order to keep from developing into theological relativism, our theological task must remain incarnational.  This means that it is based in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the revelation of Christ, God’s Word.  Scripture has always maintained the primary position in theological study for Wesleyan’s, and this keeps us grounded as we seek to contextualize our faith.

            Lastly, our theological task is practical.  As a deacon, this holds special importance to me, as I am called to give leadership in “embodying the church’s mission to the world; and in leading congregations in interpreting the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world” (Discipline 231).  My calling is to help people take their theological understandings of God and apply them to their daily lives, showing the world what it means to be a follower of Christ and “spreading scriptural holiness over these lands” (75).  Helping people to take their beliefs about God and transform those into a life that serves Christ in the world is the primary calling that God has given me.