In the West, we think...
"In the West, we think we have to have all this training."
Remember that in the early church, those who were scattered abroad, i.e. the saints, went everywhere preaching the good news. Acts 8:4. The clip is from the Biglife Ministry, from one of their advertisements.
-
From 1773-1790 the American population increased 75% and during the same period Methodism increased 5,500%. By 1850, the Methodists were the largest Protestant church in American and one-third of all church members were Methodist.”
The Methodist plan hugely succeeded where other groups did not. They did not require long periods of time for a leader to become trained and ordained. On horseback across the plains and in open fields and in barns they shared Christ wherever they were able.
Training is great. Training is needful. Still, I believe there is something here we can learn from the past.
Reasoner, Vic. (2007). "The Hope of a Christian World: Wesleyan Eschatology and Cultural Transformation."