Methodism is on the cusp of an exciting new era. The movement launched in eighteenth-century England by John and Charles Wesley-and which defined the early American religious landscape-has in many ways waxed and waned over the subsequent centuries. It is now at the threshold of a powerful new future. Our beautiful heritage connects us to the apostolic faith Christians have professed across the nations and ages. Historically, we also lifted up certain beliefs and practices that set us apart, and through which we were able to offer a compelling vision of salvation that was at the heart of the Wesleyan revival. We cannot simply recreate early Methodism, but we can recover essential aspects of its life that gave it such power. In this book, Watson and Watson offer a view of Methodism rooted in Scripture, shaped by the teachings and practices of the Wesleys, empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit, and applicable to the global church. The time has come, they argue, for Methodists to retrieve the best parts of their tradition while remaining attentive to what God is doing both now and in the future. The embers of Methodism must be fanned into fire and not allowed to languish into ashes.
