Polity, Practice, and the Mission of The United Methodist Church: 2006 Edition

by Thomas E. Frank

Publisher:

Abingdon Press

, 2006

Overview

"Commissioned by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for use in United Methodist doctrine/polity/history courses." This in-depth analysis of the connection between United Methodist polity and theology addresses ways in which historical developments have shaped--and continue to shape--the organization of the church.This revised edition incorporates the actions of The United Methodist General Conference, 2004. The book discusses continuing reforms of the church’s plan for baptism and church membership, as well as the emergence of deacon’s orders and other changes to ordained ministry procedures. The text is now cross-referenced to the Book of Discipline, 2004, including the revised order of disciplinary chapters and paragraph numbering. Denominational statistics are updated, along with references to recent works on The United Methodist Church and American religious life.

Product Details

• Title : Polity, Practice, and the Mission of The United Methodist Church: 2006 Edition
• Author: Frank, Thomas E.
• Publisher: Abingdon Press
• Publication Date: 2006
• ISBN: 9781426763571

About Thomas E. Frank

Professor Frank’s primary interest is the history, congregational life, and organizational culture of mainstream Protestant denominations. He is the author of two books on United Methodism, most recently, coauthored with Russell E. Richey, Episcopacy in the Methodist Tradition: Perspectives and Proposals (Abingdon Press 2004). His Polity, Practice, and the Mission of The United Methodist Church has been updated in a new edition (Abingdon Press 2006). His book exploring the culture and imagination of local church congregations is entitled The Soul of the Congregation: An Invitation to Congregational Reflection (Abingdon Press 2000). He was the principal writer and consultant for the United Methodist bishops’ pastoral letter and episcopal teaching statement on Vital Congregations—Faithful Disciples (Graded Press 1990). He has also explored the relationship of Protestant Christianity and the liberal arts, and is the author of Theology, Ethics, and the Nineteenth Century American College Ideal: Conserving a Rational World (Mellen Research University Press 1993). A graduate of Harvard (BA), Candler (MDiv), and Emory (PhD), Professor Frank recently completed a master’s degree in heritage preservation at Georgia State, in preparation for research and writing on preservation of historic religious buildings.