Abstract
This paper is an attempt to resurrect the Wesleyan class meeting in to the modern day congregation in order to build stronger and more vibrant communities. By examining the historical footprint of the class meeting in Wesley's Britain and the beginning of the American experiment, the core attributes of the class meeting are extracted to be accountability, vulnerability, and practical faith.
This paper also attempts to show that these core principles of the class meeting are still present in the modern world outside of the church to great success within the military, non-denominational faith groups, and in the battle against addiction in its many forms through 12-step programs.
Finally, there is a a step by step method in how to go about creating and sustaining a class meeting in the modern church, as performed by the author at a local United Methodist congregation.
Degree Date
Spring 5-14-2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
D.Min.
Department
Ministry
Advisor
Dr. Ted Campbell
Second Advisor
Dr. William Abraham
Third Advisor
Dr. James Lee
Subject Area
History, Religion, Theology/Religious Education
Number of Pages
144
Format
.docx
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Clayton, Roger Graham Jr, "The Modern Wesley Class Meeting - Bringing Accountability, Practical Faith, and Personal Connection into Established Local Congregations" (2022). Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses. 12.
https://scholar.smu.edu/theology_ministry_etds/12
Included in
Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Social History Commons, United States History Commons
