Three Simple Rules, One Transformed Life (The 19)

In May, I was ordained an elder in the Global Methodist Church. Each clergyperson ordained in a Methodist denomination has to answer 19 historical questions asked by bishops going back to John Wesley’s (the founder of the Methodist movement) time. I thought I might share my responses to these questions in hopes of sharing a bit more about myself and about Methodism. This is the sixth and seventh of the 19 questions. I hope it blesses you!

To read my other responses to the questions, check them out here:

Have you faith in Christ?
Are you going on to perfection?
Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?
Are you earnestly striving after perfection in love?
Are you resolved to devote yourself wholly to God and to God’s work?
Do you know the General Rules of our Church?
Will you keep the General Rules of our Church?
Have you studied the doctrines of the Global Methodist Church?
After full consideration do you believe that our doctrines are in harmony with the Holy Scriptures?

6. Do you know the General Rules of our Church?

The General Rules of our Church, as stated in the Global Methodist Book of Doctrines and Discipline are: do no harm, do good to all, and stay connected to the sacramental and devotional life of the church.[1]

As I have meditated on these simple rules, originally written in 1738 by John Wesley for the United Societies,[2] I think of the first (“Do no harm”) as a defensive strategy for the Christian. We are to prevent Satan from taking any foothold in our life, which requires vigilant defense of our own soul. The second rule (“Do good to all”) seems to be an offensive strategy for the Christian. As Methodists, we believe that we are not just called to give our lives to Christ and then wait until we die or His return to see the Kingdom of God come to earth. Instead, we believe that we are called to be active participants in welcoming the Kingdom of God to earth. In order to do this, we practice social holiness by doing good to all. Finally, the third rule (“Stay connected to the sacramental and devotional life of the church”) seems to be the way that we continue to receive God’s guidance and power to live out the first two rules. As Methodists, we don’t believe that there are any “self-made Christians.” We believe that we need God and each other to become holy as God is holy.

7. Will you keep the General Rules of our Church?

In all things, I aim to keep the General Rules of our Church. I have learned, though, that I cannot keep these rules simply by my own willpower. I need accountability and spiritual disciplines to ensure that I am keeping them.

One of the primary practices I have to “do no harm” is meeting with my Wesleyan band. For the last seven years, I have been in a band with fellow seminary students or fellow pastors who have heard my confession and offered Christ’s forgiveness; encouraged and been encouraged by me; and prayed with and for me. The practice of meeting in a band every other week has made me more aware of the ways I do harm to others so that, empowered by the Spirit and forgiveness of God, I can repent and cease doing that harm.

Additionally, I seek to be active in “doing good to all.” Several years ago, my wife and I began prayerfully discerning who God has called our family to be and what specific good He has called us to participate in. From what we discerned, we wrote down a family vision statement (“Our multigenerational family team exists to see God’s reviving Spirit breathe life into broken systems by being His agents of change in our home, church, and community.”) and identified six pillars/values God has given our family (Discipleship, Table, Missional Stewardship, Holistic Health, Integration, Creativity). I share this because it is through that lens that I see myself “doing good to all.” In a broken world that God desperately desires to see reflect His Kingdom, I and my family only have a finite amount of time and capacity with which to serve God and others. By identifying the unique ways in which God has designed our family, we are able to be strategically offensive in ushering the Kingdom of God to earth. One such example of this occurred when I was in seminary. We knew of a college ministry that lacked healthy leadership and, to help to “do good” in a system where God wanted to work, we each began discipling several students for a couple years.

I cannot count the number of times that “the sacramental and devotional life of the church” has aided me as I seek to “do no harm” and “do good to all.” Through the church, I have found mentors, co-laborers, and encouragers. I also believe that one of the purposes of the church is to help ensure that the ministry individuals do in their homes, their workplaces, and in the community are aligned with who God is and what His Word says. Now as a pastor, I see it as one of my duties to ensure that the sacramental and devotional life of the church is such that can empower those at my church to minister to those they encounter.

1. The 2024 Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church, ¶ 108.
2. The 2024 Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church, ¶ 108.

Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in getting the other responses to the 19 questions delivered to your inbox, subscribe to my blog below!

This blog is a hobby for me, but it does cost some money to maintain. If you’d like to support this blog, you can purchase any of the books I’ve mentioned in this post using the links on this blog, or you can “buy me a coffee.” Thanks!

Also, to read my book review of GMC Bishop Carolyn Moore’s book The 19: Questions to Kindle a Wesleyan Spirit, check it out here.

You might also be interested in some of my other blog posts about the Global Methodist Church. If so, they’re below:

“The Two Preachers We Need”
“My Grandchildren’s Denomination”
“Why Do We Ordain?”
“Learning to Trust: From Calling to Ordination”