The Foundation for Evangelism helped sponsor a first-ever consultation between United Methodist Professors of Evangelism and United Methodist Professors of Missions June 15-17 at the Techny Towers Retreat Center in Chicago. Nearly twenty participants gathered including the following E. Stanley Jones (ESJ) Professors of Evangelism: Bryan Stone (Boston), Leonard Sweet (Drew), Stephen Gunter (Duke), Tumani Nyajeka (Gammon), Achim Haertner (Germany), Joon-Sik Park (MTSO), Sergei Nikolaev (Russia), Doug Powe (St. Paul), and Drew Dyson (Wesley).
The event preceded the meeting of The Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education (AETE) held June 16-20 during which more than 150 professors of evangelism and mission from many denominations gathered to share research and discuss evangelistic and missional strategy.
Professors Dana Robert (Boston University) and Stephen Gunter were the planners and co-conveners of the Foundation-sponsored Methodist consultation. Nearly fifteen years ago, Professors Robert and Gunter wrote essays for a book called, Evangelism – The Heartbeat of Mission and this perspective guided the discussions.
Although all of the professors were United Methodist, teaching in a U.M. context, many had never been together for a meeting. New friends were made and old acquaintances were renewed. The gathering was characterized by a high degree of enthusiasm as convergences and divergences of teaching practices were discussed. The results of these discussions were both inspirational and insightful. Plans were made to work together to shape the formal General Board of Higher Education and Ministry guidelines for teaching evangelism and mission, which in the past have been worked out in a piecemeal fashion. It is anticipated that as a result of this gathering, that will change.
This consultation is the first of what the Foundation hopes to be a biennial event in which the ESJ Professors will convene in conjunction with the meeting of AETE. Plans are underway for the meeting of AETE to be held each year at the same time and venue with the American Society of Missiologists. It is expected that this gathering will strengthen the bonds of fellowship and consultation. As evangelistic and missional strategies come together, the Church can move forward with a stronger vision for God’s work in the world.
