The Wesleyan Church

Wesleyans have in the past typically emphasized the pulpit over the sacraments. Although Wesleyan theology identifies these sacraments as a means of grace and accept many different forms or modes of these sacraments as legitimate, many members have tended to view them more as an opportunity for personal testimony. However, recent worship renewal has drawn the church to more of a balance between the preaching of the Word and the administering of the sacraments. At their ordination, ministers in the Wesleyan Church are charged to preach the Word and administer the sacraments. In the life of the church, though, preaching is obviously the dominant assignment. Like other churches in the Holiness movement, the Wesleyan Church is a non-sacramental denomination. The pulpit, not the Table, has always been central in the service, and priority is given to the sacred Word, rather than to sacred actions. Still, the sacraments are not neglected or ignored. In Wesleyan congregations, the two hi…