Organized churches typically have some sort of manual that specifies both what the beliefs of that denomination are as well as its key practices. At one point, the Manual of the Pilgrim Church was only three pages or so. The current Discipline of the Wesleyan Church is almost 400 pages. 

As Dr. Mark Gorveatte suggests in his overview of this module, these documents provide a certain protection for the church in relation to civil governments. For example, the U.S. Constitution makes allowances for churches to have rules that are more restrictive in many ways than the laws of the land. In that sense, official documents like the Discipline protect the church legally.

This module is about the “Basic Principles” section of The Discipline. These are its chapters 1-5. These contain a section on the history of the church and one on its mission. There is a chapter on “Special Directions” that has its own unique history (chap. 5). The most important section is the Constitution in chapter 4, which includes our Articles of Religion. These provide our core beliefs. We will explore this first section of The Discipline in this module.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Describe the overall structure of The Discipline.
2. Articulate the core beliefs and values of The Wesleyan Church.
3. Express an opinion on the way The Wesleyan Church has navigated and is navigating disagreements over disputable matters.