Wesley's Effective Discipleship
The History and Practice of
Wesley's Discipleship
===============================
===============================
Copyright © 2025, Odilon
Massolar Chaves
All rights reserved to the
author.
It is allowed to read, copy
and share for free
Article 184 of the Penal
Code and Law 96710 of February 19, 1998.
Books published in the
Wesleyan Digital Library: 604
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author: 678
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https://dayspring-umc.org/wesley-and-the-people-called-methodists/
Translator: Google
All glory to God!
Odilon Massolar Chaves is a
retired Methodist pastor, with a doctorate in Theology and History from the
Methodist University of São Paulo.
He is married to RoseMary.
He has two daughters: Liliana and Luciana.
His thesis dealt with the
Methodist revival in England in the eighteenth century and its contribution as
a paradigm for our days.
He was editor of the
official Methodist newspaper and coordinator of the Theology Course.
Copyright Statement: These
files are in the public domain and are derived from an electronic edition that
is available on the Ethereal Library of Christian Classics website.
Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
"But the Methodists and their small groups who
cared for each other provided many with a place of hope and community. As Kevin
Watson states, 'in the vast work of social organization that is one of the
dominant features of nineteenth-century England, it would be difficult to
overestimate the role played by the Wesleyan revival.' Revolution or not, there
is no arguing that nothing close to the storming of the Bastille happened. The
success of the Methodists cannot be conceded solely on the basis of John
Wesley's field preaching. As innovative and risky as his willingness to get
outside the walls of the church was, it was probably something else that
contributed even more. George Whitefield himself, the best-known field preacher
of the day, believed that Wesley's impact had more to do with the care he took
to organize the masses into classes and bands. He attributed Wesley's success,
and lack of his, to Wesley's creation, organization, and maintenance of the
class meeting.[1]
Index
· Introduction
· Highlights of the book's
chapters
· The Emergence of Classes
and Bands in Methodism
· The cradle of bands and
classes
· Discipleship in Georgia
· Joining a Band in London
· Learning from the Moravians
· The Bands in Bristol
· The organization in Cells
· Band, a path to perfection
in love
· The Classes
· The Select Societies
===============================
Introduction
===============================
"Wesley's Effective Discipleship" is a
37-page book about the history and practice of Wesley's discipleship.
The small groups or
Bands were part of Wesley's strategy for new converts not to get lost, but to
reach Christian perfection.
"To Wesley, a
revival meeting without a class to conserve the work was as innocuous as, to a
farmer, it was the harvesting of the field without the concern of tying up the
sheaves and gathering them up."[2]
His discipleship was
effective.
"Although his
disciple-making methods were not new, they were tremendously effective. The concept
of discipleship defended by Wesley can be divided into four auxiliary
convictions: 1) the need for discipleship; 2) the need for small groups for
discipleship; 3) the need for lay leadership for discipleship; and 4) the need
to make holiness and service the dual goal of that discipleship."[3]
As needed, Wesley
perfected the Methodist organization.
Both bands (1739),
classes for adults (1742) and classes for children (1760) emerged in Bristol. In March 1764, there was
already the select society. Wesley wrote in his diary, "I met
the select society (at Worcester)."
Wesley also created the
penitent band for those who had drifted away and were returning repentant, but
needed support.
George Whitefield
preached to large crowds, but he did not follow Wesley's model of small groups.
He said, "My brother
Wesley acted wisely, the souls that were awakened in his ministry he gathered
together in the classroom, and thus preserved the fruits of his labor. This I
have neglected and my people are a rope of sand."[4]
For Wesley, preaching left
people only "half awake" and the devil could make them fall asleep
again.
In his diary of March 13,
1743, at Tanfield, Wesley said: "From the terrible conditions which I have
witnessed here (and indeed in all parts of England), I am more and more
convinced that the devil desires nothing but this, that the people everywhere
should be half awake, and then left to fall asleep again. Therefore I am
resolved, by the grace of God, not to commence the work anywhere without the
probability of retaining it."[5]
Mutual support and leaders
were needed to awaken them to holy living. "The key to spiritual revival
in England and America was the organization of Christians into various small
groups, then called select societies, class meetings, and bands. The purpose of
each was to pursue holiness together. These structures allowed for mutual
accountability, where spiritual friends confessed sins without fear of
condemnation."[6]
Wesley did not use the
word "discipleship," but the purpose of Wesley's Methodism was that
everyone would attain perfect love, holy living, to be like Jesus.
Wesley believed that
early Christianity could be restored by renewing the doctrine, liturgy,
discipline, and devotional practice of the early church."[7]
Even part of the Methodist
organization was modeled on the practice of the Early Church. There was a
purpose for Wesley to restore the doctrine and practice of the Early Church.
The main purpose of
the small groups was to bring together "people who are interested in
seriously pursuing the study of holy living."[8]
The Bands in
particular provided communion and the search for perfect love.
The Classes stimulated
with a spiritual discipline, confession, the development of salvation and
sanctification. There was a
responsibility to each other.
Wesley said, "In
London alone, more than 400 members of the societies testified that they were
delivered from all sin. In Liverpool, society has undergone a true
metamorphosis in its perfection."[9]
After the bands and
classes, Wesley created the Selection Societies for those who had attained
perfect love.
Wesley's discipleship
generated a new type of citizen.
"In 1777 he described
what these new citizens were like: This religious revival spread to such an
extent that neither we nor our fathers knew [...] Multitudes are convicted of
their sin, and a short time later they are so filled with joy and love that
whether they are in the body or out of the body, they could not tell. And in
the power of this love, they put under their feet all that the world offered,
whether it was something terrible or desirable, showing evidences, during the
hardest trials, of an unvarying and mild good will towards humanity, and all
the fruits of holiness."[10]
As Whitefield
acknowledged, discipleship is a necessary practice within the Church so that we do not have a
"rope of sand."
It is important to note
that Wesley's discipleship had a very high purpose.
The Author
===============================
Highlights of the book's chapters
===============================
The Emergence of Classes
and Bands in Methodism
Band was a model for making
disciples perfect. It was the ideal place to seek holiness of heart
The cradle of bands and
classes
John's diary shows
that these meetings between friends, during these ten weeks he spent at Oxford
in the summer of 1729, were not regular; but the seeds of an organizational
model began to germinate during this period"
Discipleship in Georgia
"It
was on Sunday afternoons, and every evening after public service, to spend some
time with the most serious of communicants, in singing, reading, and
talking"
Joining a Band in London
The group became known as
the Fetter Lane Society, which Wesley would later call: "The third
emergence of Methodism."
Learning from the Moravians
Several nights this week I
was with one or the other of the private bands
The Bands in Bristol
"Speaking of a small
eminence on land adjacent to the city"
The
organization in Cells
When Wesley preached many
were converted. He decided to create cells where new converts could be cared
for and develop holiness. He created thousands of small groups (Bands).
Band, a path to perfection
in love
The main objective
of the small groups was to bring together "people interested in seriously
pursuing the study of holy living
Prayer, an essential part
of the Bands
John Wesley called this
"intimate conversation." He felt that Methodism was closer to the New
Testament ideal in the band meetings.
The Classes
The class meeting was
"the most influential instructional unit of Methodism and probably
Wesley's greatest contribution to spiritual growth"[11]
The Select Societies
The select societies
created by Wesley were for those entirely sanctified
===============================
The Emergence of Classes
and Bands in Methodism
===============================
Band was a model for making
disciples perfect. It was the ideal place to seek holiness of heart
When it had not yet become
a Church, Methodism met as a Society to worship, to pray, to have a life
of fellowship and study of the Word, in England, in the 18th century. Within
the organization of the Methodist Societies there were the small discipleship
groups called the class or band.
The goal of these
discipleship groups was to lead the participants to perfect love, to Christian
perfection. The classes were grouped geographically and the bands by age group
or sex.
John Wesley guided how
people should group together to care for their salvation: "In order that
it may be more easily discerned whether they are really working out their
salvation, each society is divided into smaller groups called classes, according
to their residences. There are about 12 people in each class, one of whom is
appointed to be the leader."[12]
Classes differed from
bands: they were grouped geographically, rather than being divided by age, sex,
or marital status, like bands. They contained all the people in society, not
just those who voluntarily grouped together[13].
The goal of the bands was spiritual growth:
"Their main activities were the confession of sins and prayer; Their goal
was spiritual growth. The bands were homogeneous, according to the Moravian
model: there were bands of women, men and even boys (...).[14]
The main purpose of the small groups was to bring
together "people who are interested in seriously pursuing the study of
holy living."[15]
Later, in the face of new demands, Wesley made new
adaptations, created the select bands for those who had received the
remission of sins and were having an exemplary life.
Wesley's small groups were instrumental in
organizing, growing, and searching for Perfect Love.
Wesley created classes, bands, and societies.
In short, the purpose was mutual support and growth
in holiness among believers.
"Group Wesleyan
discipleship details:
- Societies: These were the largest gatherings
of believers, where preaching and teaching took place, with the aim of
reinforcing the duties of the Christian profession and adapting
exhortations to the specific circumstances of each group.
- Classes: These were basic organizational
units, with required participation, where 12 people met weekly to focus on
responsibility and growth, often organized geographically.
- Bands: These were smaller and optional groups,
usually of 4 people of the same sex, with a more confidential and pastoral
care function, seeking to deepen holiness and mutual responsibility.
Wesley's main goal was
holiness (from Greekhagiasmos), and he believed that
these groups were crucial for believers to live a practical Christian life and
to become disciples of Christ in his fullness."[16]
A central function of the band was what Wesley
called "close talk".[17]
Band was a model for making disciples perfect. It
was the ideal place to seek holiness of heart.[18]
The bands were small companies created to lead the
Methodists to perfect love.
The bands were important in the process of forming
the Methodist organization.[19]
"In addition to the Society and Class
meetings, bands of about five people of the same sex and marital status
gathered to confess specific sins and struggles to each other. It is estimated
that about 1 in 4 Methodists regularly participated in a band."[20]
In 1738, Wesley went to Germany to learn about the
Christian practice of holy men and bands.
===============================
The cradle of bands and classes
===============================
John's diary shows that these meetings between friends, during these ten
weeks he spent at Oxford in the summer of 1729, were not regular; but the seeds
of an organizational model began to germinate during this period"
The beginning of the
Holy Club's activities was in the late winter of 1729, when Bob Kirklam left
his society and began to meet with Wesley and Morgan regularly.[21]
The Holy Club emerged
"in 1729, with Charles Wesley, William Morgan and Bob Kirkham, who began
to meet very regularly and to encourage each other for certain religious and
academic activities. From June of the same year, with the return of John
Wesley, the group was strengthened and organized definitively".[22]
Wesley encouraged
Charles's word in May,
1729, that he had persuaded a colleague to join him in earnest study and attend
church weekly, encouraged John to visit Oxford, where he arrived on his
birthday, June 17. During the next two months, John, Charles, Charles's friend
William Morgan (and occasionally his old friend Bob Kirkham) encouraged each
other in their academic and religious pursuits, meeting occasionally for study
and going to church every week. John's diary shows that these meetings between
friends, during these ten weeks he spent at Oxford in the summer of 1729, were
not regular; But the seeds of an organizational model began to germinate during
this period."[23]
Writing to William
Morgan's father, Wesley said: "In November, I729, at which time I took up
residence at Oxford, his son, my brother, myself, and one more, agreed to spend
three or four nights in a week together. Our project was to read the classics,
which we had previously read in private in common evenings, and on Sunday some
book in divinity."[24]
The "Holy
Club" was instrumental in "shaping the principles of Methodism, with
an emphasis on practical holiness and Christian living lived in community and
action.
Development of
Wesleyan Thought: Through the group, John Wesley developed his concept of
'practical holiness' and the importance of going beyond intellectual knowledge,
seeking the practical application of faith in life."[25]
In Georgia, beginning in
1735, Wesley continued to meet in groups.
===============================
Discipleship in Georgia
===============================
"It was on Sunday
afternoons, and every evening after public service, to spend some time with the
most serious of communicants, in singing, reading, and talking"
Starting in Frederica
"After a psalm and a
short conversation, I read Mr. Law's Christian Insight and concluded with
another psalm"
It was on Thursday, June
10, 1736, that "we began to execute at Frederica what we had previously
arranged to do at Savannah," Wesley said. "It was on Sunday
afternoons, and every evening after public service, to spend some time with the
most serious of communicants, in singing, reading, and talking. Tonight we had
only Mark Hird. But on Sunday Mr. Hird, and two others wished to be admitted.
After a psalm and a short conversation, I read theChristian Insightof
Mr. Law and concluded with another psalm."[26]
Inviting to your home
"I cried out to God to
arise and maintain his own cause: and after the evening prayers were over, I
invited some to my house"
On October 12, 1736, Wesley
said, "I was at first a little discouraged," Wesley confessed,
"but I soon remembered the word that cannot fail, Greater is he who isin
you than he who is in the world.I cried out to God toto stand up and
keep up his own cause:and after the evening prayers were over, I invited
some to my home (as I did every evening while I was at Frederica). I read to
them one of the exhortations of Ephraim Syrus, the most awakened writer (I
think) of all the ancients. We conclude our reading and conversation with a
psalm, and I trust, our God has given us his sorrows."[27]
Band with Germans
"I wished they would
find me in my house; what they did every day at noon from then on"
On Monday, October 18,
1736. "Finding that there were several Germans in Frederica, who, not
understanding the English language, could not participate in our public
service, I wished them to meet me at my house; what they did every day at noon
from then on," Wesley said. "First we sang a German hymn, then I read
a chapter from the New Testament, then I explained to them as best I could.
After another hymn, we concluded with prayer."[28]
Reading prayers to Germans
"I read prayers in
German also to the German villagers"
On Saturday, October 22,
1737, "I read prayers in German also to the German villagers of Hampstead:
and so I continued to do, once a week. We started the service (both in Highgate
and in Hamp∣stead) singing a psalm. Then I
read and explained a chapter of the French or German testament, and concluded
with prayers and another psalm,"[29]told.
Bands with parishioners in
their home
"As many of my
parishioners as they wish, they gather in my house (as they also do on
Wednesday evening) and spend about an hour in prayer, singing and exhortation
to each other"
"Sometime after the
evening service, as many of my parishioners as desire, assemble in my house (as
they also do on Wednesday evening) and spend about an hour in prayer, singing,
and exhortation to one another."[30]
Band on Saturday
"A smaller number
(mostly those who intend to communicate the next day) gather here on Saturday
night"
"A smaller number
(chiefly those who intend to communicate the next day) assemble here on Saturday
night: and some of them come to me on the other evenings, and spend half an
hour in the same employment,"[31]Wesley
said.
===============================
Joining a Band in London
===============================
The group became known as the Fetter Lane Society,
which Wesley would later call: "The third emergence of Methodism."
On May 1, 1738, the Moravian Peter Bohler organized
a cell (Band) inviting some people who had the same way of thinking; among them
Wesley and James Hutton.
Two rules were set for belonging to this small
society:
"1. That they would meet once a week to
confess their faults to one another and to pray also for one another that they
might be healed (cf. James 5:16).
2. That any other person, of whose sincerity they
were well assured, might, if he so desired, meet with them for that
purpose."[32]
The group became known as the Fetter Lane Society,
which Wesley would later call: "The third emergence of Methodism."[33]
With Peter Bohler's departure for America, Wesley
became the main leader of society, whose only requirement was sincerity of
intent. The group's basic concern was
with soteriology, spiritual health.[34]
During this period, Charles Wesley, in the midst of
spiritual struggles, felt a strange heart palpitation and could say that he
believed. Thus, he found peace with God. He was assured that his sins were
forgiven.[35]
Three days later, on May 24, 1738, Wesley had his
heart strangely warmed. He felt his sins forgiven and obtained peace in God.
Wesley visited the Moravians in 1738 in Germany and
returned with more doubts regarding the faith, but he learned from their
organization and applied classes in their societies. Soon after, he began to
detach himself from some of the teachings of the Moravians. He began to accept
that there were degrees of faith and that deliverance from sin should be
understood as deliverance from the dominion of sin.[36]
"Wesley observed the disciplined life and
communal organization of the Moravians, and incorporated these elements into
his own religious practice, establishing meetings in smaller groups for Bible
study, prayer, and sharing, resulting in the formation of the "bands"
and "classes" within the Methodist movement."[37]
===============================
Learning from the Moravians
===============================
Several nights this week I was with one or the
other of the private bands
On Tuesday, August 8, 1738, Wesley was in Germany.
He made this trip to learn from the Moravians, from "holy men," about
the way of life and about their organization.
Wesley was tireless and participated in the
services and bands, the small groups:
"Several nights this week I was with one or
the other of the private bands. On Wednesday and Thursday, I had the
opportunity to talk with Michael Linner, the oldest of the church, and largely
with Christian David, who, under God, was the first planter of it."[38]
Christian David (1692–1751) was a Moravian-born
missionary.
Wesley was "influenced
by the Moravians, organized small societies and classes within the Church of
England, led by laymen, for the purposes of sharing, Bible study, prayer, and
preaching. These classes grew by the thousands."[39]
===============================
The Bands in Bristol
===============================
"Speaking
of a small eminence on land adjacent to the city"
The meetings of the bands
in English Methodism began in Bristol in 1739.
Wesley was invited by
George Whitefield to preach in the open air, which to him was vile at first.
But many conversions began to happen.
In February 1739, George
Whitefield began preaching in the open air in Bristol and attracted immense
crowds.
He "asked his friend,
John Wesley, to continue his work at Bristol. At first, Wesley was reluctant to
preach outdoors because the Church disapproved of such behavior, but later he
became convinced of his value when he saw the impact Whitefield was
making."[40]
On Monday, April 2, 1739,
Wesley said, "At four o'clock in the afternoon I came forth to be most
vile, and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation, speaking
from a little eminence on a land adjacent to the city, to about three thousand
persons."[41]Wesley
preached about:"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty
to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those
who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke
4:18-19 NIV).
At seven o'clock Wesley
preached at a meeting of the "society in Baldwin Street: and the next day
the Gospel of St. John in Newgate Chapel; where I also read the morning church
service daily," Wesley said.[42]
Organizing bands and
preaching to 1500 people
"In
the evening, three women agreed to meet weekly, with the same intention as
those in London, namely, to lay their faults on each other, and to pray for
each other."
On Wednesday, April 4, at Baptist-Mills
(a sort of suburb or village about half a mile from Bristol) "I offered
the grace of God to about fifteen hundred people."[43]
Beginning of the Band
"In the evening, three
women agreed to meet weekly, with the same intention as those in London,
namely,to put their faults on one another, and to pray for one another
(...).At eight o'clock, four young men agreed to meet, in pursuit of the
same design. How dare any man deny that this is (as to the substance of it) a
means of grace, ordained of God? (...)”.[44]
===============================
The organization in Cells
===============================
When Wesley preached many were converted. He
decided to create cells where new converts could be cared for and develop
holiness. He created thousands of small groups (Bands).
Wesley did not intend to create a new Church. He
believed that Methodism was raised up by God to effect changes in society and
the Church, as well as to spread holiness throughout the earth.
When Wesley preached many were converted. He
decided to create cells where new converts could be cared for and develop
holiness. He created thousands of small groups (Bands).
Other changes were more radical aimed at the good
of the Work of God.
With the development of the Methodist movement,
Wesley had to make radical decisions and separate himself from the Moravians.
He looked for his own model of bands. As a simple man who was sensitive
to the problems of the human being, Wesley noticed mistakes in the Moravian
model: "(...) it did not adapt well to the needs of the English
working class, people who faced the difficulties of social change and the
economic conditions of the world of daily work."[45]
The main purpose of the small groups was to bring
together "people who are interested in seriously pursuing the study of
holy living."[46]
Later, in the face of new
demands, Wesley made new adaptations, created the select bands for those who
had received the remission of sins and were having an exemplary life.
Wesley put some Bristol
women who had become negligent in a separate band. It became known as penitential
bands.[47]
There
was also a large group called the Agapes "in which the members of all
classes of a society met for the purpose of breaking bread together, following
the custom of the early church, and where their Christian experiences were
publicly reported."[48]
These adaptations and
openness to the new characterized Wesley and Methodism in England in the
eighteenth century.
===============================
Band, a
path to perfection in love
===============================
The main objective of the
small groups was to bring together "people interested in seriously
pursuing the study of holy living
Wesley created the bands.
"This structure was actually a version of two small-group experiences that
Wesley had had before his conversion: the Holy Club, with its strict rules and
the need for accountability, and the Fetter Lane society, which Wesley joined
shortly after his conversion. What Wesley had learned firsthand from the small
group he himself was in applied to that group”.[49]
Wesley believed that early Christianity
could be restored by renewing the doctrine, liturgy, discipline, and devotional
practice of the early church."[50]
Part of the Methodist
organization was modeled on the practice of the Early Church.
There was a purpose for
Wesley to restore the doctrine and practice of the Early Church. The main
purpose of the small groups was to bring together people who were interested in
seriously pursuing holy living.
The Bands, in particular,
provided communion and the search for perfect love.
Band was a means to make
disciples attain perfect love. It was the ideal place to seek holiness of
heart.[51]
One function of the band
was what Wesley called "close talk".[52]
Bands were small groups
created to lead Methodists to perfect love.
Wesley wrote in his diary:
"In the evening I met the bands for the second time (in Dublin). I admired
them very much. They are more open than those in London or Bristol; and I think
here is a greater number of those who are now clearly perfected in love
(...)".[53]
Bands were important in the
process of forming the Methodist organization.[54]
"In addition to the
Society and Class meetings, bands of about five people of the same sex and
marital status gathered to confess specific sins and struggles to each other.
It is estimated that about 1 in 4 Methodists regularly participated in a band."[55]
Wesley closely followed
Jesus' practice: "Bands" (similar to Jesus' three closest disciples:
Peter, James, and John)."[56]
The main activities of the
bands "were confession and prayer; Their goal was spiritual growth. The
bands were homogeneous, according to the Moravian model; there were bands of
women, men and even boys (...)."[57]
The bands were groups
committed to each other and to the holy life. They came together to help each
other on the path to Christian perfection. These were "deeper" groups
and only about a third of the typical Methodist society joined, or were invited
to join the bands from which they shared their spiritual journeys
"unreserved and undisguised."
John Wesley called this
"intimate conversation." He felt that Methodism was closer to the New
Testament ideal in the band meetings.[58]
Wesley wrote five initial
questions to be used in each band meeting:
1. What known sins have you
committed since our last meeting?
2. What temptations have
you suffered?
3. How did you give in to temptation?
4. What have you thought,
said or done, of which you doubt whether it is sin or not?
5. Don't have anything you
want to keep secret?[59]
Purpose and growth of small groups
For Wesley, discipline was fundamental in small groups. For him, "the soul and the body make a man, the spirit and discipline make a Christian".[60]
===============================
Prayer, an essential part
of the Bands
===============================
John Wesley called this
"intimate conversation." He felt that Methodism was closer to the New
Testament ideal in the band meetings.
The bands were important in
the process of forming the Methodist organization.[61]
The main activities of the bands "were confession and prayer; Their goal was spiritual growth. The bands were homogeneous, according to the Moravian model; there were bands of women, men and even boys (...)."[62]
Bands were groups of five or six people of the same
sex committed to each other and to the holy life. They came together to
help each other on the path to Christian perfection. These were
"life's deepest" groups and only about a third of the typical
Methodist society joined, or were invited to join the bands from which they
shared their spiritual journeys "unreserved and undisguised."
John Wesley called this "intimate
conversation." He felt that Methodism was closer to the New Testament
ideal in the band meetings.[63]
Prayer, an essential part of the
bands
The bands were important in the process of forming
the Methodist organization.[64]
The main activities of the bands "were
confession and prayer; Their goal was spiritual growth. The bands were
homogeneous, according to the Moravian model; there were bands of women, men
and even boys (...)."[65]
Bands were groups of five or six people of the same
sex committed to each other and to the holy life. They came together to
help each other on the path to Christian perfection. These were
"life's deepest" groups and only about a third of the typical
Methodist society joined, or were invited to join the bands from which they
shared their spiritual journeys "unreserved and undisguised."
John Wesley called this "intimate
conversation." He felt that Methodism was closer to the New Testament
ideal in the band meetings.[66]
Example of the power of prayer
in bands
Class leader Thomas Walsh reported, "How
wonderfully we experienced the power and love of God whenever we prayed and
supplicated to Him! We had a heaven in our midst! A paradise within us. The
Lord poured peace and joy into our hearts ... we were of one heart and one mind
in the presence of God. And is not this the communion of saints?"[67]
===============================
The Classes
===============================
The class meeting was "the most influential
instructional unit of Methodism and probably Wesley's greatest contribution to spiritual
growth"[68]
There was a purpose to class meetings.
His main goal "was personal holiness. The
Class Meeting served as a place where the 6–12 people gathered were able to be
honest about their condition and receive loving exhortation and encouragement
in their battles. It provided a forum where everyone was welcomed into an
environment of acceptance. They would share about the previous week's
experience, thank God for the progress, and honestly share their failures,
temptations, or internal battles."[69]
With more details and historical moments, we
summarize a little about its beginning and development, the struggles and
victories.
The beginning
Wesley realized that some Methodists were growing
cold in their faith and something had to be done. "The Wesleyan class
meeting came into being in Bristol early in 1742, somewhat by accident. Wesley
was increasingly concerned that many Methodists did not live the gospel;
"Several have grown cold and have given place to the sins that had long
easily afflicted them." (Works, 77-78) Clearly, some mechanism for
exercising discipline was necessary.[70]
To meet a debt
To meet the debt of the
preaching house in Bristol, the society there (now numbering over 1,100) was
divided into 'classes' of a dozen each. Leaders were appointed to ensure weekly
contributions to the debt, and Wesley, being Wesley, asked the leaders to also
'make a private inquiry into the behaviour of those he saw weekly'. (Works, 9:261) This provided the opportunity to
exercise discipline."[71]
It all started on Monday,
February 15, 1742. Wesley wrote in his diary: "Many assembled to consult
on a suitable method of paying off the public debt; It was finally agreed 1)
that each member of the society, who was able, should contribute one cent per
week; 2) that the whole society should be divided into small companies or
classes – about twelve in each class; and 3) that one person in each class
should receive the contribution of the rest and bring it to the stewards on a
weekly basis."[72]
Later, the method was used
in London and everywhere else.
Establishing the classes in London
On Thursday, March 25,
1742, Wesley decided to establish the classes in London, after much
conversation: "I appointed several serious and sensible men to meet me, to
whom I showed the great difficulty I had long encountered in knowing the people
who wished to be under my care. After much talk, they all agreed that there was
no better way to arrive at a sure and complete knowledge of each person than to
divide them into classes, such as those at Bristol, under the inspection of
those whom I could most trust. This was the origin of our classes in London,
for which I shall never be able to praise God sufficiently; the indescribable
usefulness of the institution has since been increasingly manifest."[73]
A crucial tool
Soon the Methodist class
meeting "became much more than a capital campaign. It became a crucial
tool in empowering Methodists to "watch over one another in love," to
support and encourage one another in their lives with God. In fact, John Wesley
felt that the supervision and support that the class meeting provided was so
important that it became a requirement for membership in a Methodist
society. Being a Methodist meant you were involved in a weekly class
meeting."[74]
Class, a model for making disciples
Wesley guided how people should group together:
"In order that it may be more easily discerned whether they are really
working out their salvation, each society is divided into smaller groups called
classes, according to their residences. There are about 12 people in each
class, one of whom is appointed to be the leader."[75]
David Lowes Watson, in his bookResponsible
Discipleship, a modern manual on the class system,writes, "It was a
weekly meeting, a subdivision of society, at which the members were required to
give an account to one another of their discipleship, and thus to sustain one
another in their testimony."[76]
Each Methodist belonged to a class. The meeting was
a sharing of last week's personal experience. They learned from this to have
self-confidence and the ability to speak in public.
The class was a place to be accepted by all people
from different social backgrounds.[77] All people confessed their
faults and sought salvation and sanctification.
"In 1760 there were 20,000 individuals in the
classes. By 1790, that number had more than doubled to over 53,000. Thus, of
the total population of England and Wales of 8,216,096, approximately 6.5% were
part of Methodist society in a class or band."[78]
Wesley wrote how a person was admitted to the class
and the Society: Anyone determined to save his soul could be united with the
Methodists (this is the only necessary condition). But this desire was to be
proved by three marks: to avoid all known sin, to do good, and to attend to all
the ordinances of God.
The person was then placed in a class that was
convenient for him, where he spent about an hour a week. And in the next
quarter, not objecting to it, she would be admitted to the Society.
Discipline was fundamental in the Methodist
movement. "Wesley did not hesitate to expel anyone from society if they
were not following the Lord with all their hearts. Wesley knew the condition of
each member through the accountability of the class."[79]
In one society, in 1743, he excluded some members:
"Two on account of blasphemy. Two for desecrating the Sabbath. Seventeen
for drunkenness. Two for selling alcoholic beverages. Three for fighting. One
for beating his wife. Three for habitually telling lies. Four for having
scolded and spoken ill of others. One for laziness and vagrancy. And twenty-nine for worldliness and levity."[80]
"The classes served as an evangelistic tool
(most conversions occurred in this context) and as an agent of
discipleship."[81]
In Wesley's small groups, leaders shared
"honestly about their failures, sins, temptations, or inner battles. They were the role models for others.
Class meetings revolved around personal experience,
not doctrine or biblical information. Perfect
love was the goal of the class meetings."[82]
"The purpose of societies and classes was to
work out the salvation of their members (cf. Fil. 2:12) and to seek a holy life
("without which no man shall see the Lord," Heb 12:14)."[83]
The classes were grouped geographically and
contained all the people in the Society. By 1742, the Society of London had
more than a thousand members.
Wesley guided how people should group together: "In order that it may be more easily discerned whether they are really working out their salvation, each society is divided into smaller groups called classes, according to their residences. There are about 12 people in each class, one of whom is nominated to be the leader."[84]
Members of the society received quarterly notes
from Wesley or his ministers, "provided they had not missed more than
three class meetings during the preceding quarter. This led to their regular
and active participation and provided a painless way to get rid of members who
violated the rules. It usually happened if someone didn't want to improve and
corrupted the group; As long as he had a spark of spiritual life, he was rarely
excluded. Wesley himself paid close attention to their societies; He was not
only an organizing genius, but he also cared about details."[85]
The classes differ from the bands: they were
grouped geographically instead of being divided by age, sex or marital status;
They contained all the people in society, not just those who voluntarily
grouped together.[86]
Boys and girls class
John Wesley realized the need to put the boys and
girls of society into classes. There was still no formal Sunday School in the
evangelical churches of England.
On November 23, 1760, he said, "In the
afternoon I assigned the children to meet at Bristol, whose parents were from
society. Thirty of them came today, and more than fifty on Sunday and Thursday
following. About half of them I divided into four classes, two for boys and two
for girls; and appointed suitable leaders to meet them separately."[87]
Wesley
made a point of meeting with them in a meeting.
"I
met them all together, twice a week; and it wasn't long before God began to
touch some of their hearts. On Tuesday and Wednesday I visited some of the
country's societies."[88]
===============================
The
Select Societies
===============================
The
select societies created by Wesley were for those entirely sanctified
After
the bands and classes, Wesley created the select societies.
"From
among the most faithful men and women, Wesley selected some as a separate group
and trained them weekly in the doctrines and methods of Methodism, that they
might set an example to other Methodists”.[89]
What
was the function of the select society?
"Select societies were
required to (1) maintain extreme confidentiality; (2) to have absolute
submission to the leader in all things; and (3) contribute to a common fund
with money they had left over, in order to meet the needs. Community life on this
third level was intense, and because of deeper accountability, many of the
disciples who helped reform the church and the nation came out. 3. The need for
lay leadership for discipleship Wesley soon discovered that he would need a
small army of leaders to maintain the system of discipleship using small
groups. Snyder estimates that by 1800, small meta-social groups numbered
100,000 members and 10,000 leaders."[90]
The select societies created by
Wesley were for those entirely sanctified.
"I
saw that it might be useful to give some counsel to all those who continued in
the light of God's countenance, which the rest of their brethren would not and
probably could not receive. So I wished that a small number of those who seemed
to be in that state, would spend an hour with me every Monday morning. My goal
was, not only to guide them on how to press perfection; to exercise all his
graces and improve all the talents they have received; and encourage them to
love one another more and to care for one another more carefully; but also to
have a select company whom I could disengage from on all occasions, without
reservation; and whom I could hold up to all his brethren as a model of love,
holiness, and good works."—Worksvol. v. p.184.".[91]
"They are witnesses of the perfection that I
preach"
In March 1764, Wesley wrote in his diary: "I have become acquainted with
the select society (at Worcester). How quickly God deepened His work in them! I
have seen very few, either in Bristol or London, who are clearer in their
experience. The account that everyone I had time to examine gave was Scriptural
and rational. And suppose they spoke the truth, they are witnesses of the
perfection I preach."[92]
In Wesley's diary there are accounts of his meeting
with some select societies:
In
Witney:
"In
acquainting the select society (at Witney), I was greatly comforted to find
that so few of them lost ground, and the greater part still testifying that
'the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin.'"
In
LEDDS:
"I
went to Leeds, and after preaching, I became acquainted with the select
society, consisting of about sixty members; most of whom can testify that 'the
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin.'" —Journal, July
1782.
In
Birmingham:
"I
spent a pleasant hour with the select society (in Birmingham). Most of them
still enjoy the pure love of God, and the rest are sincerely panting for it.-DailyMarch
1787".[93]
===============================
[1]https://www.amazon.com.br/Manuscript-Journal-Reverend-Charles-Wesley/dp/0687646146. Kevin Watson is a Methodist pastor and writer. He
is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma (BA), Wesley Theological Seminary
(MDiv), and Southern Methodist University (PhD). https://kevinmwatson.com/
about/
[2]http://metodistavilaisabel.org.br/docs/Joao_Wesley_O_Evangelista.pdf
[3]https://pdfcoffee.com/wesley-uma-licao-de-crescimento-pdf-free.html
[4]http://seedbed.com/feed/how-john-wesley-s-class-meetings-serve-as-identity-formation.
[5]https://pdfcoffee.com/wesley-uma-licao-de-crescimento-pdf-free.html
[6]https://wesleyano.inf.br/sistema-de-discipulado-transformacional-de-wesley/
[7]https://www.jstor.org/stable/41179847 · PDF File
[8]HEITZENHATER, Richard P. Wesley and the people
called Methodist. Editeo-Pastoral Bennett, 1996, p.108.
[9]LELIÈVRE,
Mateo. John Wesley - His life and work. São Paulo: Editora Vida, 1997, p.217.
[10]https://pdfcoffee.com/wesley-uma-licao-de-crescimento-pdf-free.html
[11]https://belonggsumc.com/john-wesleys-small-groups-models-of-christian-community/.Mark
A. Maddix is Professor of Christian Education and Dean of the School of
Theology and Christian Ministries at Northwestern Nazarene University.
[12]BURTNER, Robert; CHILES, Robert. Collection of the
Theology of John Wesley, JGEC, São Paulo, 1960, p.264.
[13]HEITZENRATER, Richard P. Wesley and the people
called Methodist. São Bernardo do Campo/Rio de Janeiro, Editeo/Pastoral
Bennett, 1996, p.104.
[14]There were several societies in England. Wesley and
other leaders of the Holy Club led some, but they were not necessarily
considered Methodists (HEITZENHATER, Richard P., Ibidem, p.103).
[15]HEITZENHATER, Richard P., Ibidem, p.108.
[16]Overview created by Google AI.
[17]https://belonggsumc.com/john-wesleys-small-groups-models-of-christian-community/
[18]https://academic.oup.com/book/27734/chapter-abstract/197911662?redirectedFrom=fulltext
[19]LELIÈVRE, Mateo. John Wesley, His Life and Work.
Editora Vida, 1997, p.118.
[20]https://www.umc.org/en/content/the-method-of-methodism-expands-societies-and-the-new-room
[21]HEITZENHATER, Richard P., Wesley and the People
Called Methodist, Editeo-Pastoral Bennett, 1996, p. 41.
[22]https://moisescoppe.blogspot.com/2020/06/o-clube-santo-wesley.html?m=0
[23]HEITZENHATER, Richard P., p.38.
[24]Wesley, his own historian. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/AGV9079.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext.Wesley,
his own historian. Cincinnati: Hitchcock and Walden. 1870
[25]AI-Powered Overview
[26] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:7.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext
[27] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:7.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext
[28]https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:7.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext
[29]The
Diary of John Wesley – 1735-1791, the father of Methodism. Angular Editora,
2017.
[30]https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:7.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext
[31]https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:7.2?rgn=div2;view=fulltext
[32]HEITZENHATER,
Richard P., Ibid., p. 78.
[33]Ibidem,
p.79.
[34]Ibidem,
p.79.
[35]LILIÈVRE,
Mateo, Ibidem, p.67.
[36]Ibidem,
p.82.
[37]Overview
Powered by Google AI
[38]LILIÈVRE,
Mateo, Ibidem, p.82.
[39]https://www.metodista.org.br/john-wesley-e-francisco-de-assis
[40]https://www.newroombristol.org.uk/content/uploads/2017/04/A_brief_guide_to_the_New_Room.pdf
[41]https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:18?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[42]https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:18?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[43]https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:18?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[44]https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N22587.0001.001/1:18?rgn=div1;view=fulltext
[45]LELIÈVRE,
Mateo. John Wesley, His Life and Work p.119.
[46]Ibidem,
p.108.
[47]LELIÈVRE,
Mateo. John Wesley, His Life and Work p.123.
[48]LELIÈVRE,
Mateo. John Wesley, His life and work., ibidem, p.366.
[49]https://pdfcoffee.com/wesley-uma-licao-de-crescimento-pdf-free.html
[50]https://www.jstor.org/stable/41179847
· PDF File
[51]https://academic.oup.com/book/27734/chapter-abstract/197911662?redirectedFrom=fulltext
[52]https://belonggsumc.com/john-wesleys-small-groups-models-of-christian-community/
[53]https://www.craigladams.com/Books/styled/page26/
[54]LELIÈVRE,
Mateo. John Wesley, His Life and Work. Editora Vida, 1997, p.118.
[55]https://www.umc.org/en/content/the-method-of-methodism-expands-societies-and-the-new-room
[56]https://www.expositorcristao.com.br/o-movimento-metodista-e-o-discipulado
[57]There
were several societies in England. Wesley and other leaders of the Holy Club
led some, but they were not necessarily considered Methodists (HEITZENHATER,
Richard P., Ibidem, p.103).
[58]http://blogs.nazarene.org/rev4/2011/04/02/the-bands.
[59]http://blogs.nazarene.org/rev4/2011/04/02/the-bands.
[60]Wesley's
Works, vol. 2, pg. 2, p. 204. 204:
[61]LELIÈVRE,
Mateo. John Wesley, His Life and Work. Editora Vida, 1997, p.118.
[62]There
were several societies in England. Wesley and other leaders of the Holy Club
led some, but they were not necessarily considered Methodists (HEITZENHATER,
Richard P., Ibidem, p.103).
[63]http://blogs.nazarene.org/rev4/2011/04/02/the-bands.
[64]LELIÈVRE,
Mateo. John Wesley, His Life and Work. Editora Vida, 1997, p.118.
[65]There
were several societies in England. Wesley and other leaders of the Holy Club
led some, but they were not necessarily considered Methodists (HEITZENHATER,
Richard P., Ibidem, p.103).
[66]http://blogs.nazarene.org/rev4/2011/04/02/the-bands.
[67]Ditto.
[68]https://belonggsumc.com/john-wesleys-small-groups-models-of-christian-community/.Mark
A. Maddix is Professor of Christian Education and Dean of the School of
Theology and Christian Ministries at Northwestern Nazarene University.
[69]https://holyjoys.org/wesleyan-class-meeting/
[70]https://seedbed.com/how-john-wesley-organized-the-revival/
[71]Ditto.
[72]https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/travellers/J_Wesley/4
[73]Ditto.
[74]https://kevinmwatson.com/
7/30/2010/the-methodist-class-meeting-for-the-21st-century-the-foundation/
[75]BURTNER,
Robert; CHILES, Robert. Collection of the Theology of John Wesley, ibid.,
p.264.
[76]http://www.disciplewalk.com/files/Joel_Comiskey_Methodist.pdf.
[77]http://www.nph.com/nphweb//html/ht/article.jsp?id=10008759
[78]https://scholar.smu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=theology_ministry_etds
[79]Ditto.
[80]WESLEY,
João Wesley. Excerpts from the Diary of John Wesley. Translated by Paul Eugene
Buyers. General Board of Christian Education, 1965, p.41.
[81]http://www.disciplewalk.com/files/Joel_Comiskey_Methodist.pdf.
[82]http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ht/article.jsp?id=10008759.
[83] http://www.hivo.hu/wcsoport_e.html
[84]BURTNER,
Robert; CHILES, Robert. Collection of the Theology of John Wesley, ibid.,
p.264.
[85]Ditto.
[86]HEITZENHATER,
Richard P., Ibidem, p.104.
[87]https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Volume-3-Journal-1760-1773.pdf.
[88]Ditto.
[89]http://www.hivo.hu/wwcsoport_e.html
[90]https://pdfcoffee.com/wesley-uma-licao-de-crescimento-pdf-free.html
[91]https://www.craigladams.com/Books/styled/page26/
[92]https://www.craigladams.com/Books/styled/page26/
[93]https://www.craigladams.com/Books/styled/page26/
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