The afternoon rally of Wesleyan General Conference 2012 began at 2:30PM
The theme: Loving Christ . . . Embracing our World through Educational Ministries
Sponsored by the Department of Education and the Ministry
Message by Dr. Kevin Myers, pastor of 12Stone Church
photo courtesy of @GenCon2012
Honoring two Christian martyrs from our Wesleyan educational institutions.
Cheryl Beckett (2000 IWU grad)
Travis Eiler (2010 SWU grad)
photo courtesy of @GenCon2012
II Chronicles 14 – when God gives a mission – be RIGHT and RUTHLESS
WHAT WE GET RIGHT:
1. We’ve got CHRIST FIRST right. (in our churches, in our universities)
Making Jesus Christ the main thing is our main thing.
2. We’ve got CHARACTER right. (Biblical holiness, character right)
Compassion w/o Truth is hollow – leads towards pluralism and is the base of our nation.
3. We’ve got CHANGE right. (membership changes, a seminary, technology)
HOW TO RETURN TO THE RUTHLESS:
1. CALLING – we need to become more ruthless in calling. Calling is a SUPERNATURAL thing and God still calls.
2. COMPETENCE – competency matters and we have a responsibility to raise competent, capable, confident, trained, strong, aggressive, entrepreneurial pastors – and we must be relentless
3. CHANGE – we are willing to change, but will we?
FOUR CHANGES SUGGESTED
1. All of us: Ruthlessly pray for CALLING – we don’t need a bunch of Matthias’s that we roll the dice on, we need a bunch of Paul’s that God has laid His calling on!
2. Educational Institutions: Ruthlessly educate to lead the “church of the present” not the “church of the past”
3. Local Church: ruthlessly commit to next generation’s ministry internship (note the delayed development w/in this generation – and the model of the medical field)
4. The Denomination: Change how we form & fund next generation from college to ordination
