United Methodist History

Thursday, Nov 5th FINAL ZOOM MEETING 2:30-3:45pm mtn time This was a lovely conversation, exploring our current moment using our historical and theological skills.  It did not, however, get recorded.  If you have questions related to the course in any way, don't hesitate to be in touch with me directly. Cathie ckelsey@iliff.edu or text 303-968-9812

Oct 15th zoom conversation: Early in this conversation I talked about how to think about the final paper using the four short papers. And the two screen shares are the first two links just below.  If you want access to both the Oct and the Sept conversations, click on "Studio" on the left. Studio has most of the videos for this course in it. Cathie

Some docs you may find useful for your final paper research (discussed on 10-15-20 zoom):

METH Timeline in color to 2010.PDF

United Methodist Membership Statistics.docx

United_Methodist_African_American_Timeline.pdf

WOMENS_TIMELINE UMC to 2014.pdf

Instructor: Rev. Dr. Cathie Kelsey, Dean of the Chapel and Gerald L. Schlessman Professor in Methodist Studies ckelsey@iliff.edu, 303-968-9812 (cell)

Course Synopsis: How did a movement based on sharing grace become a multi-continent denomination at war with itself?  Whose voice and experiences got lost and found in the 275 years along the way of "methodism"? What in this history do you want to claim, and what do you want to reform?  These questions are bigger than one 10 week course, but in these 10 weeks you will discover how to live toward answers as a leader among the next generation of the people called Methodist.  This course is required for persons seeking ordination in The United Methodist Church (and probably in its successors, whatever they might be, as well).

UM History 2020 course assignments grid-1-1.docx START BY LOOKING AT THIS DOCUMENT!  It not only lists the learning goals, it is a complete picture, week by week, of all the assignments and readings for the course.  This is what I use to get my mind around this course. I think you will find it helpful also.  Don't hesitate to be in touch with questions that I've not addressed clearly.

5 Required books:

Heitzenrater, Richard Wesley and the People Called Methodists  2nd edition (Nashville: Abingdon, 2013)

Job, Rueben P. A Wesleyan Spiritual Reader. (Nashville: Abingdon, 1998)

Richey, Rowe, and Schmidt, American Methodism: A Compact History. (Nashville: Abingdon, 2012)

Watson, Kevin M. and Scott T. Kisker. The Band Meeting: Rediscovering Relational Discipleship in Transformational Community. (Franklin, Tenn.: Seedbed Publishing, 2017)

Wigger, John H. Taking Heaven By Storm: Methodism and the Rise of Popular Christianity in America. (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1998)

 

Useful books for reference, but not required:

Maddox and Vickers, eds. The Cambridge Companion to John Wesley. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2010.

Course Overview

How did a movement based on sharing grace become a multi-continent denomination at war with itself?  Whose voice and experiences got lost and found in the 275 years along the way of "methodism"? What in this history do you want to claim, and what do you want to reform?  These questions are bigger than one 10 week course, but in these 10 weeks you will discover how to live toward answers as a leader among the next generation of the peoples called Methodist.  This course is required for persons seeking ordination in The United Methodist Church (and probably in its successors, whatever they might be, as well).

 

Course Objectives

  1. you sought out at least two things that challenged you to see yourself or Methodism differently, and you engaged with them until you understood them or you were changed by them
  2. you demonstrated that you can participate well in the connectional system that is a backbone of Methodism, by engaging frequently with your student colleagues and with me; sometimes with insightful thorny questions that helped us think more deeply, sometimes with tentative ponderings, sometimes by putting together things that we had not seen in light of each other, always with respect and genuine desire for growth in the work of the Holy Spirit among us
  3. you did the reading (Methodists are readers) and you thought about it in light of your own questions and in light of the congregation you lead or are a member of
  4. you have developed an overarching "story of the Methodist movement" for teaching others about what it means to be part of the Methodist tradition in North America

 

At the end of the course a successful student will have:

  1. Added to their prayer journal once a week and received the instructor’s spiritual guidance in response at the end of the term.
  2. Met 9 times with 2 or 3 other students in a covenant group and submitted a written reflection on the experience.
  3. Read the weekly assignments and posted 20 times (twice each week) in response to a question engaging the readings.
  4. Written 4 short 2 page accounts of an aspect of the Methodist movement in America
  5. Synthesized those accounts within a larger narrative account of the history of one particular congregation, setting the congregation into the larger context of features of the Methodist movement in order to illuminate its times of success and times of difficulty.

See the "course grid" link on the syllabus page for a matrix of the assignments and the amount of time anticipated you will need for each assignment.

Here is how I will be assigning points for posting each week:  out of a possible 6 points -- just getting a post up earns 2 or 3 points; answering the question, including building on what someone else said earlier earns 4 points; significant insight in an answer that builds on what someone else said earlier earns 5 points.  An additional point is awarded for returning after Thursday deadline to respond to at least one other colleague.   

My intention is to think with you in each thread on Thursday and Friday and then to return on Monday to award points.

Includes description of how I will award points for posting each week.

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASJE, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS).

Incompletes: Incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Core ValuesAs a community, Iliff strives to live by this set of Core Values.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

this includes links to information about adaptations to disability, academic integrity, incompletes, and other things that keep everyone's expectations consistent.

This page is for sharing links to electronic resources that you may have found that others interested in UM History might find useful.

www.gcah.org   the home page for the General Commission on Archives and History. Look at the UMC History tab for a great variety of basic tools and data sources and access to further links. 

https://archive.org/details/americanmethodism?&sort=-downloads&page=2   a growing collection of archival material from a number of different collections.  All of it electronically available. This is the place to start with a search on your annual conference's name (and a search on the predecessor conferences - see the document at gcah.org that gives you the succession of annual conference names state by state.)

https://divinity.duke.edu/initiatives/cswt/research-resources   Duke Divinity School's basic page for research resources, including basic getting started materials.

http://palni.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/archives/order/date/ad/asc   DePauw University archive (one of the earliest Methodist colleges)  Indiana conferences archives

a page in process during Gathering Days
DateDayDetails
Sep 15, 2020TueThe "Big Question" of the course discussion threaddue by 05:59AM
Sep 15, 2020TueIntroduce yourself please!due by 05:59AM
Sep 15, 2020TueBonus Assignment - engage fastingdue by 05:59AM
Sep 18, 2020FriCovenant Group - getting started wk 1due by 05:59AM
Sep 18, 2020FriReading and posting wk 1due by 05:59AM
Sep 18, 2020FriPrayer journal wk 1due by 05:59AM
Sep 25, 2020FriCovenant Group wk 2due by 05:59AM
Sep 25, 2020FriReading and posting wk 2due by 05:59AM
Sep 25, 2020FriPrayer Journal wk 2due by 05:59AM
Sep 26, 2020Sat1st short paperdue by 05:59AM
Oct 02, 2020FriCovenant Group wk 3due by 05:59AM
Oct 02, 2020FriReading and posting wk 3due by 05:59AM
Oct 02, 2020FriPrayer journal wk 3due by 05:59AM
Oct 09, 2020FriCovenant Group wk 4due by 05:59AM
Oct 09, 2020FriReading and posting wk 4due by 05:59AM
Oct 09, 2020FriPrayer journal wk 4due by 05:59AM
Oct 10, 2020Sat2nd short paperdue by 05:59AM
Oct 15, 2020ThuCovenant group wk 5 due by 05:00PM
Oct 16, 2020FriReading and posting wk 5 due by 05:59AM
Oct 16, 2020FriPrayer journal wk 5due by 05:59AM
Oct 23, 2020FriCovenant Group wk 6due by 05:59AM
Oct 23, 2020FriReading and posting wk 6 due by 05:59AM
Oct 23, 2020FriPrayer journal wk 6due by 05:59AM
Oct 24, 2020Sat3rd short paperdue by 05:59AM
Oct 30, 2020FriCovenant Group wk 7due by 05:59AM
Oct 30, 2020FriReading and posting wk 7due by 05:59AM
Oct 30, 2020FriPrayer Journal wk 7due by 05:59AM
Nov 06, 2020FriCovenant Group wk 8due by 06:59AM
Nov 06, 2020FriReading and posting wk 8due by 06:59AM
Nov 06, 2020FriPrayer Journal wk 8due by 06:59AM
Nov 13, 2020FriCovenant Group wk 9 due by 06:59AM
Nov 13, 2020FriReading and posting wk 9due by 06:59AM
Nov 13, 2020FriPrayer journal wk 9due by 06:59AM
Nov 20, 2020FriCovenant Group wk 10 -EVERYONE posts this week!due by 06:59AM
Nov 20, 2020FriReading and posting wk 10due by 06:59AM
Nov 20, 2020FriPrayer Journal - cumulative threaddue by 06:59AM
Nov 20, 2020FriPrayer Journal wk 10due by 06:59AM
Nov 21, 2020SatFinal Paperdue by 06:59AM