UM Men
INSIGHTS
The saving grace of the Wesleyan class meeting By Gil Hanke
I challenge you to do something old in a new way. However, I warn you, if you follow the Wesleyan path I describe, you will never be the same. My adventure with this life-changing experience began in the fall of 2014 when I attended a Council of Bishops meeting in Oklahoma City. At that meeting I got to meet and learn from Dr. Kevin Watson, who introduced the bishops to his book, The Class Meeting, Reclaiming a Forgotten and Essential Small Group Experience. I read most of the book before I returned home.
Our first group In mid-December of that year, I had assembled a group of six men who did not know one another–– three laymen and three clergy. I purposely made this a group of strangers who would probably disagree and who would see any subject from six different angles. If this group could get through this book and beyond, it would work with any group.
Gil Hanke is the top staff executive of the General Commission on UM Men.
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Since group members lived in different states, our 8-week study of the principles of class meetings was 100 percent on line. While we completed the study in early 2015, all but one of the men continue to meet every week in 2021. Only one man had to leave the group when he changed jobs and had a different time schedule. We meet every week as a class meeting. We don’t study the Bible or discuss other subjects; we do what Wesley asked his congregants to do––talk about our experiences with God. During these six years, “life” has happened to each of us, just as your life has had ups and downs since 2015. We always meet the same day and time, and for one hour. It is one of the most valuable hours of my week.
Four groups leading to 32 groups with 256 participants In the midst of the pandemic of 2020, when many things shut down, I got a crazy idea–– “Let’s start four additional class meeting with a stipulation that after the initial 8-week study, each participant must promise to start his own class meeting in his context.” I immediately started two and Dr. Rick Vance started one. In October, I started a fourth. I enjoy the teaching, but most of all, I enjoy the outcome.
