Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Offering timely, relevant analysis of trends and issues, the essays in this collection address questions and concerns that will determine the shape and direction of the denomination in the next century. These essays cover policy issues and current events considerations that Russell Richey says "emerged as a priority" in sponsored conferences of the United Methodism and American Culture Project. Policy issues addressed include music, evangelism, contextual theology, urban losses, electronics & media, lay leadership roles and growth, bishopric election and leadership, the discipline of local churches, church finance, clergy compensation, and others. Contributors include Garlinda Burton, Dennis Campbell, Jackson Carroll, Ken Chalker, Meghan Froehlich, Frederick Herzog, Sarah Kreutziger, Andy Langford, William Lawrence, Priscilla Pope-Levison, Russell Richey, Kenneth Rowe, and Carol Voisin.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Where Will United Methodism Find Renewal and Fulfill Its Mission? -- Does Methodism Have a Future in American Culture? -- What Is the Future of Music in United Methodism? -- Is a Holistic Evangelism Possible? -- What Is the Character of Methodist Theology? -- Can United Methodist Theology Be Contextual? -- Will the City Lose the Church? -- Does United Methodism Have a Future in an Electronic Culture? -- Why Can't United Methodists Use Media? -- Is Division a New Threat to the Denomination? -- What Will United Methodism Need and Expect from Its Leaders? -- Is There a New Role for Lay Leadership? -- Clergy Leaders: Who Will They Be? How Will They Emerge? To What Will They Lead Us? -- Leading Small Congregations: Persistence or Change? -- Has Our Theology of Ordained Ministry Changed? -- Has United Methodist Preaching Changed? -- Are Extension Ministries an Opportunity to Reclaim a Wesleyan Understanding of Mission? -- Is There a Better Way to Elect Bishops? -- What Style of Leadership Will Our Bishops Embody and Model? -- How Will United Methodism Express Its Connectional Nature? -- What Is the Common Discipline for Local Churches? -- Are the Local Church and Denominational Bureaucracy "Twins"? -- How Do Caucuses Contribute to Connection? -- Is United Methodism a World Church? -- Will Homosexuality Split the Church? -- Is There a Crisis in Church Finance? -- What Defines Clergy Compensation: Mission or Market? -- What Difference Do the Size, Site, and Style of the Annual Conference Make? -- Connectionalism: End or New Beginning? -- Contributors -- Editors -- Notes.