2 of 3
 Beyond Casual ChristianityTried-and-true methods for discipleship have their roots deep in history.
2 of 3
This simple system became the primary means of grace for thousands of Methodists. But it also empowered the movement's evangelistic and discipling mission. In his Pastoral Theology, Thomas Oden reminds us that in the narrow sense the care of souls now refers to the quiet sphere of one-on-one meetings with persons who look to pastors for interpersonal, moral, and spiritual guidance. In a wider sense, "soul care" is the church's total task. Pastoral Soul CareWhile Wesley taught spiritually vibrant lay people how to do soul care, Richard Baxter showed pastors how to do it. When Baxter, England's great Puritan pastor, began his ministry in Kidderminster parish in the green Worcestershire hills, he found hundreds of families without any clear signs of the grace of God. In his own words, they were an "ignorant, rude, and reveling people." So he asked himself, "If a tree is known by its fruit, how many of the people in this parish have ever been 'awakened' by God?" The Kidderminster parish, nearly 3,000 souls in about 800 homes, soon had almost 1,000 attending church to hear Baxter's effective preaching. Still, he had the good sense to admit that preaching alone was not enough. Baxter recognized the only way a preacher could tell the comfortable from the disturbed was by spending time with them. "You cannot cure unknown diseases," he said. Convinced that one word of "seasonable prudent advice" from a minister to a person in spiritual need does far more good than a whole series of sermons, he created a plan for visiting every family that would receive him. Going into their homes, Baxter got to know his people, but not by mere chit-chat. These conversations were serious conversations with every member of the family about the condition of their souls. He refused to baptize a believer before he or she gave a clear testimony of the grace of God at work in their life. This ministry became the distinctive mark of Baxter's entire ministry and made it the long-admired model for pastoral ministry to this day. It clearly strengthened Baxter's pulpit ministry. He once wrote: "He who knows what man is, and what godly men are, only as well as I do, has an insight and authority that compel attention." Outside St. Mary's Church in Kidderminster today, you can find a giant statue of Baxter, the Bible in his left hand, long flowing robes reaching to his ankles, and, in full-preaching form, his right arm pointing to heaven. Baxter's vision is hard to find in our time. People love their privacy and pastors their specialties. But here and there—more often in small towns and ethnic communities and on church staffs, Baxter's vision lives on. Know Some AnswersBefore Sunday schools and small groups and the cure of souls, there were catechisms. Reformer Martin Luther was one of the best at making use of this tool. |             |
share this page
