Connect Polity to the Heart of Ministerial LeadershipThe Method of Our Mission by Laceye Warner is an essential textbook for United Methodist ministerial education, offering seminary students, lay ministry leaders, and denominational educators a theologically grounded foundation for understanding church polity, governance, and organizational life. This revised edition incorporates the most recent changes from General Conference, equipping both current and future leaders to navigate the denomination's evolving landscape with theological clarity and practical confidence.
Warner addresses a critical gap in ministerial education: the tendency to treat polity and governance as administrative necessities rather than theological practices. Drawing on John Wesley's concept of connection, she demonstrates that United Methodist beliefs, mission, and institutional structures are not separate concerns but deeply interconnected expressions of a shared Wesleyan identity. For students preparing for ordained or licensed ministry, this reframing is transformative, connecting the mechanics of denominational life to vocational identity and helping leaders make decisions rooted in Wesleyan principles rather than institutional habits.
Organized around four integrated themes, the book builds understanding systematically while keeping each element anchored in Wesleyan theology:
- Beliefs: Grounds readers in the theological convictions that define United Methodist identity
- Mission: Frames the church's calling to make disciples for the transformation of the world
- Practice: Explores how theology shapes the day-to-day work of ministry and leadership
- Organization: Examines why denominational structures exist and how they serve the mission.
Together, these four parts reveal how governance and administration are not separate from ministry but essential expressions of it.
For leaders navigating a period of significant denominational change, this book provides more than historical or structural knowledge. It offers a theological lens for interpreting institutional life, a practical framework for leading within United Methodist structures, and a vocabulary for connecting daily ministry decisions to the deeper Wesleyan convictions that animate them.
Ideal for: seminary polity courses, Course of Study programs, continuing education for clergy, and lay leaders seeking a deeper understanding of United Methodist identity and structure.
