Course at SWU explores ‘The Missional Church’
Rev. Mark Wilson, senior pastor of Hayward Wesleyan Church, Hayward, Wis., was a guest instructor for “The Missional Church: Ministry in Context,” a new course offered this semester at SWU's Central campus. Wilson is pictured addressing a chapel at the university April 8.
Southern Wesleyan University students, along with area pastors, ministerial candidates and others are exploring what it means for the church to be missional during a course being offered at the university during spring semester. They traveled to 12Stone Church to learn how the megachurch reaches out to suburban Atlanta. Pictured from left are Taylor Looney of Inman; Will Henderson of Brevard, N.C.; Kylie Rovenstine of Lawrence, Kan.; Matt Trotter of Pickens; Martha Rampey, SWU graduate; Bethany Collins of Denton, N.C., Mari Gonlag, SWU religion professor; Pastor Rick Gilbert; Pastor Aaron Gadsby, pastor of Mt. Olivet Wesleyan; Joshua Tolan of Six Mile; Mark Tennefoss of Harrington, Del.; Hannah Covington of Harrisburg, N.C.; and Alex Oakley of Dallas, N.C.
How does contemporary culture affect a church’s strategy for ministry? How can a church grow and remain true to its mission?
These and other questions were posed in a new course offered by the Division of Religion at Southern Wesleyan University during spring semester. Class workshops included a unique mix of SWU students, area pastors, ministerial candidates and a lay person – all interested in exploring what it means for the church to be missional.
They traveled to a suburban Atlanta megachurch whose attendance averages more than 15,000. They also explored the ministry context of a church that takes to the streets in Chapel Hill, N.C., reaching out to those who are hesitant to enter a church sanctuary. They also spent time with a pastor from Wisconsin, who traveled to the university’s campus in Central, learning from him about ministry in a rural community in another region.
Exposure to these diverse ministries raised awareness for class members. They looked at how large churches reach their communities, not only through corporate worship in multiple locations, but also through small groups. They also compared each church’s unique approach to reaching non-Christians in its community.
The instructor for the course was Dr. Derrick Lemons, a 1994 SWU graduate and also faculty member at the University of Georgia. Guest Instructors were Revs. Matt LeRoy, Miles Welch and Mark Wilson.
LeRoy is pastor of Love Chapel Hill, self-described as “a quirky church plant” in downtown Chapel Hill, N.C., that reaches out to “an ecletic collision,” which includes college students, homeless men, families, professionals, artists, activists and academic-type intellectuals. Welch is pastor of leadership expansion at 12Stone Church, a large, suburban multisite church outside Atlanta that conducts services in multiple locations as well as online. Wilson is pastor of Hayward Wesleyan Church, a thriving, missional congregation in Hayward, Wis., a rural community in the state’s northern region.
Matthew Trotter, a sophomore Religion major from Pickens, feels his personal ministry will benefit from the experience. “I really appreciate the different kinds of churches that we have seen and have learned something from each one.”
“I feel like I am a part of this learning process through both the opportunity to share my opinions and hear the differing opinions of others about important topics and in a mature setting where disagreements and debate are accepted without judgment,” said Bethany Collins, a freshman from Denton, N.C., majoring in Religion.
Will Henderson, a Youth Ministry major from Brevard, N.C., was impressed by the diversity of ways 12Stone reached out to its community. He was also impressed by how Love Chapel Hill sought out people, even if it meant going into the back alleys.
Being exposed to different ministry settings was thought-provoking for Hannah Covington, a Youth Ministry major from Harrisburg, N.C. The experience reinforced for her the importance of building relationships with people out in the community.
“Ministry can happen everywhere,” Covington said.
Southern Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered, student-focused learning community devoted to transforming lives by challenging students to be dedicated scholars and servant-leaders who impact the world for Christ.