I want to keep everyone up-to-date on two opportunities that are coming up. I will address the first meeting in this post, and I will address the second in a separate post.
On March 6-7, the Wesleyan Theological Society will be having their annual meeting. This year it will be held at my alma mater, Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO.
The WTS originated as a commission of the Christian Holiness Partnership, but it seems to have long outlived the CHP. - From the WTS website we read this description:
The Wesleyan Theological society (WTS) is a scholarly society that exists to encourage the
exchange of ideas among Wesleyan-Holiness theologians. We hold a yearly academic conference
devoted to the topics of systematic theology, biblical studies, philosophy, missions, historical
studies, and pastoral theology. In addition, the society publishes a scholarly journal twice a year,
and stimulates scholarship among younger theologians, pastors, and inquiring laity who are
invited to participate in the society’s meetings and activities and publish in the journal.
I have been a member of the WTS since the '80's, and I encourage other Wesleyan-Holiness pastors/theologians/scholars to consider membership.
However, the more particular reason that I want to draw your attention to this meeting is that there are related societies that fall under WTS's larger umbrella that will also be meeting in Kansas City on March 5, the day prior to the main meeting. Specifically the Wesleyan Liturgical Society will be meeting.
The WLS is a relatively new society. I think this will be our fourth(?) meeting. Up until this year, I have served on the oversight committee for the WLS.
During this year's meeting, I will be presenting and leading a discussion on World Wesleyan/Methodist Worship. - This topic flows from an assignment taken up by the Worship and Liturgy Committee of the World Methodist Council. - I have served on that Committee since 2016, when the Nazarene General Secretary appointed me to the WMC.
I was one of three people on the WMC Worship and Liturgy Committee tasked with producing a document, which the Committee will use to discuss the essentials or characteristics of Wesleyan/Methodist worship. The hope is that the Committee will produce a document to give to the Council and through the Council to member denominations.
My work has been based on my doctoral dissertation that focused on John Wesley's criteria for authentic Christian Worship. (Versions of this work may be previewed using the links at the top of the sidebar.) - I presented a version of this work at the recent meeting of the North American Academy of Liturgy in order to gain feedback from them. I will be doing something similar at the upcoming WLS meeting.
So, if you have particular interest in Wesleyan/Methodist (or Anglican) worship, or if you have a background in the study of this topic, I would love to see you at the WLS meeting! - Information for registering for the meetings of the Wesleyan Theological Society, the Wesleyan Liturgical Society, and all of the other auxiliary societies can be found, here.
I hope to see you in Kansas City! (And, if you are a member of the Wesleyan Anglican Society and are planning on being at WTS, let me know. We may try to plan an opportunity to get together!)
