Chapter 7: Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division

2305. Vision. The vision of the Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division is to make more and better disciples, leaders, and healthy churches within The Wesleyan Church and beyond of every age, ethnicity, and community. The church should be the pinnacle of declaring the truth of full salvation through Christ as recorded in the Holy Scriptures for both personal and public holiness. The local church is to guide sinful, fallen men, women, youth, and children of every culture, background, and ethnicity to experience the crises of conversion and entire sanctification that lead to dynamic service to God and humanity, fed by continuous, transformational growth into the fullness of Christ. The outcome of this process will be healthy, multiplying churches and ministries that boldly reach the lost, the least, and the leaders of all generations, communities, and cultures with the hope of Jesus Christ.

2306. Purpose. The Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division is responsible for carrying out the church multiplication objectives of The Wesleyan Church within the borders of the United States and Canada, and in such other places as shall be assigned to it by the General Conference or the General Board; carrying out, on the General level, the discipleship objectives of the Church through such means as Sunday school, small group ministries, the promotion of Christian family life, children’s ministries, youth ministries, young adult ministries, and adult ministries; and serving as the Church’s resource agency with regards to church health, church planting, evangelism, discipleship, and membership development.

2307. Executive Director. The Executive Director of the Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division is elected by the General Conference from among the ordained ministers of The Wesleyan Church as a general official, and is an ex officio member of the General Conference (1503:1c) and the Executive Cabinet (1990). The Executive Director is amenable to the General Board, serves as a nonvoting resource person to the board, and is under the supervision of the General Superintendent (1935). The Executive Director of Church Multiplication and Discipleship shall exercise leadership in this division in keeping with The Discipline, the General Board Policy for the Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division, and other directives as may be given by the General Conference, the General Board, or its Executive Board. The term of service and other regulations for this office are provided in 1810-1870.

2310. General Duties. The Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division and its executive director, shall:

(1) Ignite a movement and implement tools and support systems for various forms of church planting and community-based ministries (including urban and cross cultural emphases) in cooperation with district superintendents and the Global Partners Division.

(2) Create a passion throughout the church that desires an intentional disciple-making process for children’s ministry, youth ministry, and adult ministry of all ethnicities that is grounded in a biblically rooted approach to Christlikeness that results in ongoing practices of daily spiritual disciplines, service inside and outside of the church, outreach, compassion, mercy, justice, stewardship, fellowship, church membership, church health, and church multiplication.

(3) Design multigenerational, multicultural discipleship materials, worship resources, experiences, training, and opportunities for both clergy and laity, which reflect biblical and Wesleyan-Arminian values and thought leading to holy living and church membership; and develop a Wesleyan-Arminian scope and sequence for lifelong discipleship instruction and curriculum content for Sunday school, small group and other ministries, reviewing and recommending materials suitable for Wesleyan Church use from a variety of sources.

(4) Create and implement opportunities for leadership development with regard to spiritual formation, evangelism, church health, and church multiplication, including specific leadership opportunities for women, ethnic minorities, and next generation leaders.

(5) Define, set benchmarks, and implement strategies for local church health in consultation with district superintendents.

(6) In consultation with district superintendents and pastors who are involved in urban church ministry, develop and refine, as needed, specific criteria for designating urban missional churches from among those who apply (523).

(7) Design and implement relevant ministries with and for women.

(8) Develop strategic partnerships which enhance effective local church ministries to every generation, culture, and ethnicity.

(9) Develop a network of “teaching churches” that will serve other churches in making more and better disciples, leaders, and churches, as well as equipping lay leaders across the Church.

(10) Supervise and serve on the boards of directors of Hephzibah Ministries and Wesleyan Native Ministries.

(11) Encourage and resource the work of Wesleyan general evangelists.

(12) Maintain loan guarantee funds for properties in developing districts and manage permanently restricted funds for which the division is responsible.

(13) Develop potential revenue streams to assist in funding division priorities and services.

(14) Further, the specific vision, mission, strategic plan, core values, and general duties for the Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division shall be prepared by the divisional leadership in collaboration with the General Superintendent and be presented to the Executive Cabinet for ratification and to the General Board for final approval.