“A body at rest tends to stay at rest. A body in motion tends to stay in motion.” I remember my high school physics teacher helping us understand Isaac Newton’s first law of motion. She would use all sorts of objects to demonstrate this law to us and show how this law governs the universe. It’s interesting to me that this law doesn’t just apply in physics, but in ministry too. It has become painfully obvious how difficult it is to get a resting object into motion. But once it is in motion, how difficult it is to stop that object. Thankfully, in the short time that the Global Methodist Church has existed, it seems that its inertia leans more toward movement than stagnation. A church committed to being a flexible, nimble movement is why I’m excited for the Global Methodist Church of South Carolina.

If you want to see a church in motion, go to the book of Acts and see how the Spirit kept the early church in motion. It begins in the first few chapters when Jesus promises “power when the Holy Spirit comes” (Acts 1:8). This word for power is dynamis. As you can probably guess, words like dynamite and dynamic have a root in dynamis. The church in its earliest form was a dynamic movement that “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Not only that but “awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done” in their presence (Acts 2:43). They sold their possessions and distributed the proceeds to everyone in need. And day by day, “the Lord added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). The early church - completely surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - was a powerful conduit for the kingdom of God in the first century. The ministry of Jesus (who was constantly on the move, by the way) was being continued in the power of the Holy Spirit through ordinary disciples. When you read Acts, it will seem that miracles were just ordinary to them. This is what a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit looks like.

Yet, many of us have experienced the opposite in our lives and churches. Many of us have experienced a season of life in the resting state. It seems like we can’t get any momentum to do new or fruitful things. Alternatively, we pitch new ideas or try new practices only to be told it won’t work. Perhaps there are moments when you've had a God-sized dream only to be met with cumbersome and ineffective decision-making processes that kill the dream before any progress is ever made. Ultimately, it can feel like the movement we once had has been bogged down by the inert culture of the church that says, “It won’t work.” To be honest, many of us have grown accustomed to living in a body, a church, or a denomination that is at rest slowly seeing the body decline as dust and cobwebs gather. The bad news is that many of us still live with that mindset or culture in our DNA. And unless an outside force acts upon the body or the church, it will remain at rest. The good news is that, if you’re paying attention, the Holy Spirit is already working around the state to bring a Methodist Movement into expression. 

In the Global Methodist Church of South Carolina, there is a fresh wind blowing causing life to spring from the chaotic waters. In the last few months, there have been new God-sized dreams shared about what could be. Instead of worrying about denominational divisions, what I’m hearing is a passion for discipleship and pursuing holiness in the Wesleyan Way. There have been numerous conversations about starting new churches (using various different models) across the state for the sake of reaching those who don’t have a saving relationship with Jesus. There have been serious conversations about churches connecting with one another to do confirmation, to provide resources for children’s ministry and how they can be a bold witness in our communities. The Holy Spirit is acting on resting churches to bring them into motion and create a powerful movement - much like the Spirit did in the first days of the church.

  The Global Methodist Church of South Carolina is committed to being a movement of the Holy Spirit.  We want to be a body in motion that stays in motion. The Provisional District Advisory Team’s mission is “to equip local churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly and witness boldly.” Everyone in leadership desires to see the local church take priority in our connection. We believe that ministry and movements happen primarily at the local church level. That attitude and vision makes me excited for the movement to come. The opportunity is here to emerge from a place of stagnation and rest to a place of growth and movement. We will have the opportunity to dream and vision with the Holy Spirit about what God wants for our churches. Perhaps, if we are completely under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we will receive the Holy Spirit to continue the ministry of Jesus today and see miracles happen everyday. My hope is that people will look at us one day and say, “Those Methodists, they are always on the move.”