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The Evangelical Methodist Church

catechism the journey of faith __________

“We should so work as if we were to be saved by our works; And so rely on Jesus Christ, as if we did no works.” —Francis Asbury: God’s Circuit Rider (1745-1816)

The Evangelical Methodist Church

CATECHISM Published by the authority of the 30th General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church, held in Indianapolis, Indiana March 12-15, 2010 General Editor: Dr. Edward W. Williamson, General Superintendent Department of Publications Editor: Mrs. Peggy Trim, Deaconess

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the Department of Publications. All Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible unless otherwise noted. Printed in USA by 48HrBooks (www.48HrBooks.com)

Evangelical Methodist Church International Headquarters P. O. Box 17070 Indianapolis, IN 46217 Location: 6838 South Gray Road Indianapolis, IN 46237

Additional copies of this publication may be ordered by contacting the Department of Publications at:

Phone: 317-780-8017 Email: publications@emchurch.org www.emchurch.org

Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................. 6 Lesson 1: Our History and Commitment ............................... 7 Lesson 2: The Articles of Religion ....................................... 15 Lesson 3: A Biblical View of the Scriptures ........................ 39 Lesson 4: A Biblical View of God and Humanity ................. 41 Lesson 5: A Biblical View of Sin and Redemption .............. 47 Lesson 6: A Biblical View of God’s Plan for Salvation ........ 51 Lesson 7: Sanctification ..................................................... 55 Lesson 8: A Biblical View of the Church and the Sacraments ......................................................... 59 Lesson 9: A Biblical View of Eternity .................................. 65 Lesson 10: Missions ............................................................ 69 Lesson 11: Our Government: Congregational and Connectional ............................................... 79 Lesson 12: Membership Responsibility ………. .................... 83 Lesson 13: Membership ...................................................... 89 Membership Covenant ...................................... 90 Appendix A: John Wesley’s The Scripture Way of Salvation A Break-Through Sermon .................................... 91 Appendix B: The Scripture Way of Salvation, John Wesley’s Sermon in Modern English … ............... 99 Appendix C: Explanatory Notes, Evangelical Methodist Articles of Faith ……………………… ................. 113 Appendix D: Basic Denominational Principles .................. …..127 Answers to Lesson Questions ................................................ 129

Forward The General Board of Christian Education congratulates you for taking this step in expanding your knowledge of the basic doctrinal teachings to which the Evangelical Methodist Church adheres. The EMC is Wesleyan in doctrine which promotes purity of heart and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the desire of this Board that as you embark upon your journey through this study you will come to know the EMC better and appreciate its stand for holiness. While this study perhaps will not answer all your questions, it will serve as a foundation upon which you, as a student, may build your understanding of the Wesleyan tradition. As you work your way through this study, you will not only develop a better understanding of what the EMC is, but also establish personal disciplines of study which will serve you well as you grow in your personal relationship with the Lord. While this study gives you a basic understanding of the EMC, it also gives you information for becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Another study, Discipleship Training, A Venture in Learning and Accountability offered by the General Board of Christian Education, will help you become more disciplined in your daily walk with the Lord. It will also give you tools to disciple others, thus fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus gave the Church while it waits for His return. The pastor and lay leaders will enlarge and supplement this material to accommodate their local church mission statement and unique missional ministries. 2010-2014 General Board of Christian Education Members: Rev. Debbie Miller, Chair Rev. Dan Cottrell Dr. William Dean Rev. John Gentry Mr. Benoit Kitenge Rev. Robert Perkins Rev. Daniel Stiles

esson 8

A Biblical View of the Church and the Sacraments THE CHURCH The New Testament word for Church is ecclesia meaning “those who are called out.” This term presents two ideas: First, it refers to those called out who meet together in the name of Jesus as a local congregation. Secondly, the term has a broader meaning referring to those called out who meet in the name of Jesus universally. There are several key elements contained in this expression. John Wesley describes the true Church as a body of believers who have been called by the gospel, grafted into Christ by baptism, motivated by love and united through fellowship. John Wesley believed that the church was the only true church if it proclaimed the pure word of God and administered the Sacraments according to the teachings of Christ. In order to gain a biblical understanding of the Church we must examine its Old Testament roots. We find in Genesis God starting a clear process of establishing people into nations. In doing so, God selected from among the nations one nation that would serve Him in His divine purpose to fulfill His redemptive plan. His covenant with this chosen nation is found in Genesis 12:2-3. From the family of Abraham, God narrowed and identified this family of promise. From Jacob to Israel, God taught, disciplined and prepared a people for His redemptive purposes, and charged them with a special responsibility which is found in Exodus 19:5-6 where God says “…you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Israel was set apart as a “kingdom of priests” to represent God before all the nations of the earth. Israel was to become “a light to the Gentiles” by announcing God’s redemptive plans and purposes for the world. Exodus 19:5 indicates their special charge was conditional upon their obedience to Him. 59

However, Israel did not obey God. Jeremiah 31:31-34 says that God established a new covenant with a new people. This new covenant was written on the hearts of people rather than on tablets of stone. Who were these new people with whom God established a new covenant? Hosea 2:23 identifies the new people. The new people with whom God established His new covenant are the people who have trusted Christ by faith for their salvation. Paul in writing to the church at Rome mentions this important prophecy from Hosea. The new people of promise were both Jews and Gentiles who had one thing in common, “they believed God and it was accounted unto them for righteousness.” When Israel failed to live up to their promise to God, His plan and purpose were not thwarted. Although Israel failed, they continued to be God’s chosen people through which He would introduce into the world the Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of their failure, God looked for a new kingdom of priests, a priesthood of believers who would take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This new priesthood of believers is known as the true Church of Christ. John Wesley spoke of the true Church as being those individuals who have made Jesus Lord of their lives, and is both local and universal. The true Church trusts Jesus as its Savior and obeys Him. The true Church of Jesus represents Him before the world by proclaiming the message of salvation, holy living, and holy obedience to God. THE SACRAMENTS One thing that continually amazes God’s people about the grace of God is its endless complexity as we attempt to understand it and its beautiful simplicity when we first come into contact with it. One of the things that make us proud to be a part of the Evangelical Methodist Church is that we are willing to acknowledge that our understanding of God’s grace will always be incomplete this side of heaven. An example of this approach is found when we talk about God’s grace in regard to the Sacraments of the Eucharist and baptism. We acknowledge that the Church has historically been in dialogue concerning what happens when we partake of these means of grace.

In the case of baptism, the Church as a whole was in general agreement concerning the role of baptism and who could partake of the Sacrament up until the Reformation. Prior to the Reformation, those who came to Christ as first generation Christians were properly catechized (taught the fundamentals of the faith) culminating in their partaking of the Sacrament. When a child was born to a family of believers, that child was allowed to partake of the Sacrament because it was believed to have been the New Testament sign of the Covenant (replacing circumcision). It was generally held that this child was ushered into the community of believers just as the children of the Israelites were brought into the Covenantal community from birth. God’s prevenient grace was imparted to the child at the time baptism was administered, and when they reached the age of accountability (different for each child) they were expected to confirm this heritage in their lives. Leading to the time of the Protestant Reformation (16th century), the Roman church had distorted this view of baptism to the exclusion of the need for justification by faith alone at the age of accountability. Children continued to be confirmed after being catechized, but a personal commitment founded in grace alone was no longer emphasized. While Luther, Calvin, and later Wesley all maintained infant baptism as a valid practice, others questioned its legitimacy. Zwingli and the Anabaptists felt that infant baptism was something that had been imposed upon Scripture rather than springing out of the Scriptures. They pointed to the Great Commission Jesus gave His disciples in Matthew 28 that they were to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” They felt the implication was that baptism could only come after justification and regeneration had occurred. They also pointed to the absence of specific references to infant baptism in the Scripture. The debate became heated as each side refused to acknowledge the mystery that was obviously present. Today the debate continues and we as an Evangelical Methodist Church offer both infant dedication and baptism as a balanced response. Choosing one over the other doesn’t mean you deprive your child of any of God’s grace. We should always remain teachable especially in regard to the grace of God and how it impacts our lives. 61

Summary of the Sacraments A Sacrament is an outward visible sign of an inward invisible grace. We believe that the Sacraments themselves do not have the power to communicate saving grace to the recipient. We believe that saving grace is conditioned upon our faith in Christ and God’s unmerited grace. The Sacraments are symbols through which God communicates to the believer a special strengthening grace as they believe God’s promises and Word. The Sacraments are anchored in the Word of God. The Sacrament of Baptism was established by Christ’s example and command. By His example, Jesus established the Sacrament of Baptism and commanded His disciples to continue the practice. (Matthew 28:18-20) The Sacrament of Christian Baptism is the believer’s identification with Christ. As believers we are baptized into Christ’s death, that is, our baptism is our death to sin and unrighteousness; therefore, our identification with the death and resurrection of Christ. It is the Sacrament through which God gives special strengthening grace to live the Christian life. The Lord’s Supper or Communion is a celebration of thanksgiving in which we remember the price God paid for our redemption. The price was the broken body and shed blood of our Lord. We are told in 1 Corinthians 11:25 that we are to practice this sacrament in remembrance of Christ until He returns to receive us unto Himself. Through the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, God communicates special strengthening grace to the believer to live the Christian life. To receive that special grace we must live in obedience and have a relationship with God. We are to receive the Lord’s Supper with prepared hearts, having repented of our sins, loving our neighbors and obeying God; once we have our hearts prepared we then may participate in this Sacrament.

LESSON 8 â€“ REVIEW A Biblical View of the Church and the Sacraments 1. What is the New Testament term for the called out ones? __________________________________________________ 2. In order to understand the biblical view of the church, where do we start? __________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 3. When Godâ€™s chosen people did not fulfill His divine plan to bring to the world His redemptive plan, to whom did He turn to fulfill His plan? __________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 4. What are the two Sacraments that we practice? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 5. There is one requirement that the believer must fulfill before participating in the two Sacraments; what is it? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

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