Ashley Boggan is the denominational archivist for the United Methodist Church. She has a new book out called Wesleyan Vile-tality: Reclaiming the Heart of Methodist Identity. In it, she asserts that:
“Within the Christian tradition, being Wesleyan and/or Methodist calls us to actively stand as a beacon of justice in this world. You cannot identify as Wesleyan or Methodist without constantly seeking to ensure that all people, no matter who they are, how they identify, or where they come from, feel worthy of God’s love, have their basic physical and bodily needs met, and have the ability to seek happiness and perfection in Jesus Christ. If we are actually living into this call of our faith . . . we will be known as a people who bend the rules and push the boundaries of society to ensure God’s love is continuously felt. This is the core aspect of our identity, one that we’ve lost, and one that we need to claim.”
I think this is an excellent call to action for those of us who are part of College Avenue United Methodist Church.