Wesleyan Accent is World Methodist Evangelism’s online magazine of practical resources in the area of discipleship, evangelism, leadership and theology. Through articles, book reviews, and interviews, WME features leading and emerging voices of the Wesleyan Methodist world.
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Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you … Ephesians 1:15-16a At World Methodist Evangelism, we are committed to helping people show and share the love of Jesus. While that may be easy to say, it is much harder
We are in the midst of the Advent season. It’s Christmas time. Let’s stay with the story…at least reflect seriously for a bit. A central figure is Joseph. He is perplexed, deeply perplexed. The woman to whom he is engaged is pregnant and he knows the baby is not his. He is wrestling with what to do. Will he expose
A minister friend told a story of a couple who had been married for twelve years when the woman was stricken with cancer. Medically, the situation seemed hopeless. But each day in the hospital the couple read together the stories of how Jesus healed so many people in his earthly ministry. As they read, their despair turned to hope, and
Prayer means that no one of us can ever say, “There is nothing I can do.” I first went to the Soviet Union in 1981 and came away frustrated and confused. I experienced pain to see beautiful churches turned into warehouses, factories, and communist meeting halls. For a long time after that, the picture I had of the Russian church
Scripture Focus: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. (Mark 1:15, NKJV) Over the last few months, we’ve talked about discovering our created purpose and the way we fit into God’s overall kingdom work. As we finish out this year, I want to encourage you to lock onto
Let me tell you the story of a young man whom we will call “Victor.” This story catches up with Victor in his early twenties. He had a difficult childhood, and both of his parents had passed by the time he was twenty years old. He had fallen into several destructive habits in his late teens, habits that he continued
Somewhere I read that Darwin kept a notebook to jot down the contradictions that he came across, contradictions against his theories. He knew that if he didn’t jot those contradictions down, he was so committed to his theories that he would forget them. It’s so easy to forget. It’s easy to lose touch with the source of life… how we
One of our big failures as Christians is our continual refusal to discipline ourselves in living with the word of God. We need to study the Bible. It is the shaping source of our Christian faith and way. In it we find the revelation of God which God provided through God’s Son, Jesus. It is food for our souls, direction
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in
This is the sixth and final article in a series of articles Maxie is writing about the beliefs behind our views of evangelism. Check out the prior articles on Wesleyan Accent (first, second, third, fourth, and fifth). Natalie Sleeth has given us one of the most popular hymns written during the past fifty years, “Hymn of Promise.” The last two
I live in an area that is susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical weather. Frequently, when my neighbors and I talk about these big storms, you will hear the phrase, “Not if but when the storm comes…” Throughout the year we prepare our homes, our churches, and our businesses to face the wrath of the storms that will eventually come
In a previous blog, we considered the nature of grace. Grace was a core issue in Wesley’s theology. He sounded the note of grace strongly in opposition to a doctrine of predestination. The doctrine of predestination has as its center an understanding of grace being limited. For Wesley, grace is not limited – it is universal. It is “free in
Scripture Focus: “The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.” Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could
This is the fourth article in a series of articles Maxie is writing about the beliefs behind our views of evangelism. Click here for the first article, here for the second, and here for the third. In my reflection on evangelism I have made three bold claims. What you think about Christ determines what you do about evangelism. If we
It could happen to you today. It could happen in a coffee shop, in the car, in the gym, on the phone, at work, or at church. Someone may ask you a question that takes your breath away. The question might come from a colleague, a new friend, or a family member. “Why are you a Christian? You seem like
This is the third article in a series of articles Maxie is writing about the beliefs behind our views of evangelism. Click here for the first article and here for the second. In a previous article we focused on the uniqueness of Christ, insisting that ideas have consequences. What we think about Christ determines what we do about evangelism. If
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. – I Peter 3:15 NIV I ducked into a small coffeeshop one cold, wet morning in northern China. As I sipped my
This is the second article in a series of articles Maxie is writing about the beliefs of evangelism. Click here for the first article. For most of my ministry life, over 70 years, my calling has been expressed as a pastor in a local congregation. Evangelism is a matter of the Christian community sharing the good news of a Savior
Scripture Focus: Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper; he was at dinner when a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the ointment on his head. Some who were there said to one another indignantly, “Why this waste of ointment? Ointment like this
I’m 89 years old. I received what was called a “local preacher’s license” when I was 17. During these 72 years since, though the expression of my calling at times has differed, I have sought to be an effective pastor and preacher. I have kept two “heroes” alive in memory as I have exercised my calling. One of those is
In 1314, wounded English knights fled south through Scotland towards the safety of the English border after their cataclysmic defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn. Overcome by weakness and pain, some fell from their horses. Many were left to die, but more compassionate locals took others to the abbeys dotted throughout the Scottish borders. These abbeys had infirmaries and monks
Written By: Published On: It is true that most of us spend our lives waiting to live. We see today as such a mundane time, so insignificant, so unexciting. But once we change our focus and begin to encounter the events of today with vitality and purpose, all sorts of changes take place. This is especially true in our personal
Written By: Published On: An exciting partnership between two denominations within the wider Wesleyan Methodist family is opening doors for Filipino pastors to continue their calling in Australia. On 16 August 2026, Rev. Dr. Lex Akers, National Superintendent of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia, and retired Bishop Rodolfo A. Juan, representing the United Methodist Church in the Philippines, signed
Written By: Published On: Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a plenary panel on the future of theological education. One of the questions put to us was about artificial intelligence and the role it may increasingly play in ministry: sermon preparation, program development, communication, congregational engagement, and more. My answer was fairly straightforward. AI is not a fringe
Written By: Published On: I don’t know when it actually began. Maybe in that little church in rural Mississippi when a country preacher sounded a note that called for a response from a fourteen-year-old boy in the congregation. The package was too neatly wrapped and tied then. The walk down the aisle, the public profession of faith, and the baptism
Written By: Published On: Movement. It is a word that I hear often when it comes to living our faith. I coach in an organization that desires movement. The theme of my Annual Conference this summer was movement. Our mission at World Methodist Evangelism is to “help leaders build faith-sharing movements.” As people who believe in the movement of the
Written By: Published On: Growth is not accidental – it is intentional, purposeful. There are leaps which we make unconsciously, and great strides in development often come as by-products. Primarily, however, we make the decision to grow. This is not to say that we manufacture growth. We don’t, no more than a doctor manufactures healing. We simply become persons open
Written By: Published On: The Power of Influence in Christian Leadership The Methodist Church in Cuba (IMECU) is blessed with exceptional men who are committed to their calling and ready to serve wherever the Lord needs them. One such man is Bishop Ricardo Pereira Díaz. For over two decades, he has been the leader God has used to guide the
Written By: Published On: God, the Father, loves you. I mean, really loves you. Why Is It Hard to See God as a Loving Father? The idea of God as Father is difficult for some people. We may have trouble seeing God as loving and good due to a difficult relationship to our own earthly father. Perhaps we misunderstand God
Written By: Published On: Early in my ministry, I served as pastor of three small country churches. Members of those congregations deserve “praise and thanksgiving.” Their pastor was also a college student. Their grace abounded as I wrestled a lot with time problems. I sometimes think that arrangement of pastoral leadership should not be allowed. But when I reflect, I
Written By: Published On: I have been in and out of jail more times than I can count. The first few times were intimidating. But before long, I became comfortable with the surroundings, the women I met, and the conversations I never expected to have. When you read the above sentences, what was your initial thought? Did your mind go
Written By: Published On: New experiences and endeavors can help us see things we did not see before we took that step. Taking action forces us into new positions and literally re-frames our perspectives. These can happen at any moment and most often in big decisions. We recently bought a house, one you might call a fixer-upper. Did you know
Written By: Published On: I’m behind on my deadline. Well, I’m behind on several deadlines, actually. This article was supposed to be on the editor’s desk quite some time ago, as a matter of fact. I am thankful for his grace. I have tried, really. Missing a deadline is hard for someone like me who prides himself on planning and
In Part 1 of this series, I shared how God challenged me to become more intentional about sharing my faith. I realized that although I had spent my life in church, I had never learned how to have meaningful spiritual conversations. Preparation became the first step. Before we can confidently step out, we have to sit with our own story.
Henry Jordan was a great all-pro defensive tackle who played with the Green Bay Packers back in the glory days of Vince Lombardi. Henry was as good with words as he was at sacking opposing quarterbacks. That made him a favorite with sports writers. One of his most widely quoted statements came when someone asked, “Does Mr. Lombardi show any
In 2014, I walked out of a Sunday service deeply challenged by my pastor’s sermon on sharing our faith. As I reflected on what he said, I realized I believed in sharing my faith, but at 57 years old, I had never actually done it. I had been raised in the church and lived in it my whole life. I
I want to tell you something about John Wesley that might surprise you. Actually — it might embarrass you. It embarrassed me. Most modern Methodists celebrate communion monthly. Some quarterly. Some considerably less. We think of it as a memorial — a symbolic remembrance of what Jesus did at the cross. A meaningful ritual. A box to check on the
Someone said that worshipping God is permanent. It starts on earth and goes on for everlasting eternity. All our toiling and efforts are temporary. All our services in the church, mission work, preaching, and teaching, etc., are temporary. But worship is eternal. So, as Christians, worshipping God is our primary duty. What is the True Meaning of Christian Worship?
This is the third installment on the Christian Pattern. Click here for part one and part two. The Inner Life and the Voice We’ve Stopped Hearing There is a spiritual condition that most pastors recognize but few talk about publicly. It goes by different names in the tradition. The desert fathers called it acedia. The medieval mystics called it
George Washington Carver was born in a slave’s shack on a cotton farm. You know his story. He became a member of the Royal Academy, distinguished himself in science and helped discover countless uses of the peanut and sweet potato which helped salvage the economy of cotton-growing areas with depleted soil. Dr. Carver was not only a distinguished scientist, a
