Christen Turney: Welcome to Across the Globe the Podcast, the official podcast of the Global Methodist Church. Across the Globe is a space to unify, inform, unite, and tell the stories of God's work through the Global Methodist Church as we make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe. I'm Kristen Turney, the communications manager for the Global Methodist Church, and I am truly excited to be your host for today, but equally happy that you are all here listening with us. Before we dive in, make sure to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with others who may want to stay connected with what God is doing through the GMC around the world. Today we are joined by Bishop Scott Jones. This is actually Bishop Jones' third appearance on Across the Globe, but we are so happy to have him back to talk about the new series from the Assembly of Bishops, Methodist Roots. So, Bishop Jones, thank you so much for being here with us today.

Bishop Scott Jones: My privilege, Kristen. Glad to be with you.

Christen Turney: Well, to kick us off this morning, I want to give a little bit of context for our listeners. This episode is going to be released in tandem with the new teaching series, Methodist Roots. And as you may or may not know, our bishops they travel all over the world. And so it's a really special time when they get to come together in person and create these teaching series so that our church can learn and grow. So during their meeting in October, the bishops filmed the Methodist Roots series. And this series is particularly special because they didn't just film the lessons. We actually trekked to different historic sites throughout the United Kingdom. And we captured footage along the way so that you can experience these places yourself. It's not just some of the fancy tourist attractions, but these are really sacred Wesleyan and Methodist sites, places that John and Charles Wesley stepped foot, where you know folks left for America so that others would know the gospel. and I had the privilege of producing the series and I really thought I was just gonna keep us on the filming schedule, making sure we got the shots that we needed, but I learned so much on the tour and from you, Bishop Jones, and so I really just can't wait for our church to get a taste of we got what we got to see. So let's jump in and can you start us off, Bishop Jones? Why is it important for us as Methodists to understand the roots of the denomination?

Bishop Scott Jones: I am first and foremost a Jesus follower. I believe in the Bible. But for every Christian, we come to faith in Christ and we follow Jesus in light of a particular tradition. We are not the first generation of Christians. And so there are Catholic Christians, there are Baptist Christians. I'm a Wesleyan Christian. That means I read the Bible in a certain way. And I have certain practices where God is at work in my life and the life of my fellow Methodists to follow Jesus in a particular way. Well, understanding those beliefs, understanding those practices. Is an important part of going deeper in my faith and being more fruitful in my service to Christ. And so knowing those stories is an important part of my own faith development. That's part of what happened to me when I first encountered the writings of John Wesley. as a seminary student, I realized this is what it means to follow Jesus as a Wesleyan Christian. And so my whole ministry since then has been about helping others make that same journey.

Christen Turney: I love that. so tell us about the process of creating this series. What was it like collaborating

Bishop Scott Jones: so tell us about the process and how was your community with your work. What was it like

Christen Turney: with the other bishops to develop these materials for the church?

Bishop Scott Jones: Well, first of all, it's important to understand what it means to be a global Methodist bishop. There are nine of us, and our most important task is to be spiritual leaders and teachers of the church. We are not primarily administrators. That work has mostly been given to conference superintendents and others. We are people who are supposed to help keep the values and the mission at the forefront of our denomination and help people grow in their ability to follow Jesus as Wesleyan Christians. So that's our job. I'm working with eight other amazing colleagues. And so as we try to speak with one voice, we work hard at thinking. About what is it the church needs to hear? And we decided that one of the lessons would be for us to go deeper into Methodist roots. How did all this begin? And then to actually meet in London and make a tour of the Wesley sites to give a visual for that. Kristen, you may not know, but I spent the year 1978-79 in Wesley's Chapel in London. As a seminary student, I

Christen Turney: Mm.

Bishop Scott Jones: started doing tours of these Wesley sites back then as a young man. And so to be able to take my colleagues on that tour, some of them going to these places for the first time, was just a great gift that I could do once again and help people. My experience is when you go to these sites, you not only tell the story of what God did back then, but you remind people it's the same God and He's doing it today. And so you use that.

Christen Turney: Yeah, and you know, I would say it was a gift for those of us who were on the tour because we were able to learn so much from you and we had a fantastic tour guide, but I think that you taught her some things that she didn't know as well. It was really special to see, you know, her kind of sh explain some of these sites. And then we always had the Bishop Jones moment where you taught us something else and helped really connect it to our roles in the Global Methodist Church. And I thought that was just really, really special to be able to to marry those two. Taking, you know, being able to actually visit these places that are, you know, historic, but giving that just like a a fresh wind almost for the movement now, I thought was really special. And so I really appreciated just all of your teaching. So why don't we talk a little bit about the tour? What were some of the Wesleyan sites that we visited?

Bishop Scott Jones: Well, there were a lot of them, and I can go through them one by one, but let's just say that the primary site is Wesley's Chapel on City Road. Wesley began his ministry by forming societies within the Church of England. And the society that he formed in London had its base in a place called the Foundry. The Foundry had been used to recast cannon captured in the war with France, and the building had exploded. And so in 1739, Wesley took the lease, rebuilt the building, and that was his London headquarters. That building No longer exists, but it was in this neighborhood. In 1778, John Wesley built a chapel that was a worship space and had built his own house next door to it. And so to go to that chapel and think about how Wesley did his ministry in London. Early morning preaching, he had a medical dispensary, he had place for class meetings, and to be on that holy site. He's buried in the background in the backyard of the chapel, and so visiting his grave. they've turned the basement of the chapel into a museum so that you can see a lot of his artifacts, his robe, his one-gallon wedgewood teapot. his house has been restored to what it was like in the 1800s. And just as an example, the room where Wesley died is there. It was his bedroom. But off to the side of it is a little closet kind of thing with a kneeling bench. This was Wesley's prayer room. this was where Wesley knelt in prayer daily that he was in London. And so to think about his own spirituality, his commitment to prayer, his understanding that prayer is a means of grace, is a way of talking about that and to remember how important prayer is in my life and in the life of the Methodist people. When you're standing in front of Wesley's grave, there's an epitaph on the side of it. I always read that out loud to everybody. It starts off this way: This great light arose by the singular providence of God to revive, enforce, and defend the pure and apostolical doctrines of the primitive church. In other words, Wesley was raised up by God to help renew Christianity going back to the values of the earliest church. and to just think about how his life made such a difference in the history of Christianity by looking at this epitaph written by one of his preachers right after he died and then put on his tomb, it just was an inspirational moment for me.

Christen Turney: Well, and I think watching

Bishop Scott Jones: Well, I think wasn't we was introduced on as well because kind of what you were saying the leader for the problems were some kind of approach. But then

Christen Turney: that moment was inspirational as well because kind of what you were saying, the leadership of John Wesley was so imperative to the church. But then I think for us, seeing you and the other bishops gathering in that same place and honoring that felt very sacred because and it it and just seeing our leaders experience that was very, very special just from the outside looking in. So I loved watching that as well. Are there any other sites that you wanted to talk about?

Bishop Scott Jones: Well, let's go through several others. Right across the street from Wesley's house, and it's interesting, his desk is in the study room there, and the

Christen Turney: Mm-hmm.

Bishop Scott Jones: windows look across City Road onto a burial ground called Bunhill Fields. Bun Hill is short for Bone Hill. It was a burial ground for people who were dissenters, meaning they were not part of the Church of England. They were Presbyterian or Congregationalist. Daniel Defoe is buried there. Robert Blake is buried there. So for some reason, when Susanna Wesley died, John buried her in that cemetery. I don't know why. He probably wanted to keep her bones close to him and the foundry. But nevertheless, his study looks right across onto Susanna's burial ground. Well, that gives us an opportunity for talking about the spiritual leadership of women. She was an amazing woman who was educated at home by her father, who was a dissenting minister, and she was an incredible influence on all of her many children. Raising up three sons to be ministers of the Church of England and to talk about Susanna's faith and her spiritual influence on her family. Again, that's one of those teaching moments. When Chet Wesley's Chapel was renovated in 1978, some donors decided to refurbish her tombstone. It was painted over and then the letters colored in black so that you can read it. Today. And we gathered around her grave and honored her there. We also walked around, we had a couple of docents who were willing to teach us about the other graves in the Bunhill Fields, who represented a particular kind of Christianity in England and some notable people who were there buried in that graveyard. So again, it's just part of the history. Of this place. Now, there are some other spots. We went to the New Room in Bristol, which is the oldest Methodist church in the world. Wesley started building this in 1739. I teach people that we talk about Aldersgate as a heartwarming experience that changed John Wesley's life, but also April 1st, 1739, John Wesley very reluctantly started preaching out of doors. He said, I thought it was a sin to save a soul outside of a church. But his friend George Whitfield was already doing this and took him outside and he began to preach in the place where people were gathering. The Church of England had quit building new churches. Think about that. We need to be planting new churches. Well, the Church of England had quit. The population around Bristol was growing because of mining operations that were and industrial revolution activity. Well, John Wesley preached out of doors. He claims there were 3,000 people there that day. I frankly don't believe that number. I

Christen Turney: Mm.

Bishop Scott Jones: think that was preacher's count. He was exaggerating his audience. Nevertheless, let's say there are only 1,000 people there that day. That was an amazing step forward because he had figured out how to carry this gospel that he cared about so deeply to where the people would actually gather and hear him. We went to a place in Bristol called Hanam Mount, that was one of his preaching places. Again, It was a an elevated place where he could reach a lot of people. But he needed a meeting space because of inclement weather. And so soon after that outdoor preaching he began to build the new room. we call it New Room because in 1739 it was new, and the name has just stuck for two hundred and some odd years. well the new room was his Bristol headquarters where there was room. For people to sleep and continued worshiping and class meetings and things like that. So again, remembering evangelism that you've got to take the gospel to where the people are was the lesson that we talked about in Bristol. We made trip to Oxford, and you have to remember that we as Wesleans believe that education is a high value. That's why we require a seminary degree or a pastoral studies program from our preachers. We want them to know something about the Bible, about church history, about theology, about the practice of ministry. Well, John Wesley was an Oxford Don, meaning he was a fellow of Lincoln College, and what he called the first rise of Methodism. Happened in Oxford. Charles formed a group of students. John later took over leadership of the group. We call it the Holy Club, but that's where the name Methodist was first used because they were so methodical in their faith. Well, we visited Oxford to see what the university was like and to pay tribute to the colleges where Wesley was a teacher. Christ Church was the undergraduate college, Lincoln College was was the one where he held a fellowship. and so going to Oxford was again, we talk about the value of education in Methodism. Oxford symbolized that for us.

Christen Turney: When I will say I think that was one of my favorite stops. It was so beautiful. But then also there were just those little pieces of Wesley throughout. So I know there was in the dining hall, there's a portrait of him hanging up. And then also there is a stone that that has an inscription on it, honoring both Charles Wesley and John Wesley when you're actually in the church. So it was neat to be able to take a look at those spots. And I know that if you're listening right now, you're probably thinking This all sounds beautiful. I wish I could have seen it. And that really is the joy of this particular teaching series is you will get to see it. We have some videos that are gonna be released along with this series that feature a lot of these different spots. We have some really beautiful photography as well because we couldn't go without bringing the rest of you with us. So you'll be able to we'll share a little bit more later in the episode about how you can see those resources. Okay, so I shared that Oxford was one of my favorite spots on the tour, and I wanted to ask you what was one of your favorite stops?

Bishop Scott Jones: Okay, I have to confess that I had never been all the way through Charles Wesley's house before in Bristol. Charles Wesley had a happy marriage with children and lived in a home in Bristol, and we were able to tour the house. Well, we went to the music room with the piano. And sang a hymn together as a group and prayed. And that was really one of the most powerful spiritual moments. For me, it was new and different because all the tours that I had led went to the new room but not to the the house. This was a way of remembering Charles Wesley and his musical heritage. My personal faith is formed by singing Charles Wesley hymns. I say one every day in my prayer time. that was an opportunity to go spiritually deeper for me that actually I didn't lead. It wasn't my idea to sing it, but one of my colleagues suggested that we do, and it was a powerful moment.

Christen Turney: sure and what I thought was interesting about Charles Wesley's house in general is it's kind of tucked away and in I mean in the middle of the city. So if you were just walking by you would just think this is a normal house if you hadn't seen the plaque on the door. And there also was graffiti on the outside of it. And really I think you would just pass by but there's just something so special about stepping foot actually in this place. And it was so meaningful to us, but I kind of loved because I I feel like sometimes that's how it is with the Lord, where he meets us in those little places that are unexpected. And I thought that that moment too, singing was just so beautiful. And I'm I know we have some footage of that happening. So we'll be able to share that with our listeners. and kind of along those lines, what did it f now you've seen a lot of these spots before? I know you said that this was maybe The first time you were really able to spend time in Charles Wesley's house, but what did it feel like to step foot in these different places?

Bishop Scott Jones: We Americans don't think about history very much. We are spatially oriented. We think about distances and drive, you know, several hundred miles for an event. In England and in Europe generally, the history is so deep and people are so much aware of it. So the very first night that I lived in London at Wesley's Chapel, my room was on the fourth floor of Wesley's house. Here I am, I've just traveled across the English Channel. I've got this huge suitcase, I'm dragging it up the stairs, and I'm dragging it right by the room in which Wesley died. And all of a sudden, as a young American, I realized, there's history here. I'm living in a place that's so rich in stories that go back hundreds of years. you know, it it deepens one's faith to know God's been at work in this place, in these rooms. a and just goes back a long ways. And so that's what I think happens to Americans who tour England is they realize, wait a minute, there's more to this Christian story than I'm usually aware of. Yeah

Christen Turney: Yeah,

Bishop Scott Jones: Yeah and I thought you

Christen Turney: and I thought through you know, throughout the tour,

Bishop Scott Jones: know

Christen Turney: the whole group really took time to pray in these different spots. I think

Bishop Scott Jones: Right.

Christen Turney: about the Pill sailing site where there's a monument where we haven't talked about

Bishop Scott Jones: yeah.

Christen Turney: that one yet, but it's where Coke and Asbury left to sail for America, correct? and we took time to just just pray there and give thanks for those that came before us and it to be able to do that in so many places. I I like what you're talking about with just really being appreciative of the history and taking what we can learn from others and applying it now. it's just is really it's really neat and was really neat to experience. now I know you know so much about all of these different spaces that we we took a look at, but I wanted to know was there something that you learned by visiting the sites this go around?

Bishop Scott Jones: Something I learned.

Christen Turney: But I wouldn't be surprised if you already know it all because yeah, you

Bishop Scott Jones: Yeah.

Christen Turney: you shared a lot of great information with us.

Bishop Scott Jones: I I have spent a lot of years studying this stuff. I think it wasn't a matter of me learning as much as it was Being impacted spiritually, thinking about my ministry and my life, how God is using me to reach people. For example, I think the Hannah Mount experience was a way of remembering what it was like to carry the gospel to where people actually are. And we bishops talked about the use of social media. Here I am doing a podcast to reach people. through the internet, that's the 21st century equivalent of Hannah Mount. And if there's any gift I have, I'm I'm not the world's best Wesley scholar. I'm I'm in the group, but I'm not at the top. but if there is a gift I have, I have spent years and years and years with adequate, accurate information about the past and connecting it to ministry opportunities in the present. and so that's part of what happened to me on this tour was being once again in. inspired by what I know about what how God acted in the lives of Methodist people back two hundred and fifty years ago.

Christen Turney: Yeah, well, you know, I can't wait for everybody listening to be able to experience this whole series, take in the beautiful sights, and share a

Bishop Scott Jones: Because I

Christen Turney: lot of the same appreciation that, you know, you have, and now I have the privilege to have as well. So you know, before we end today, I want to just tell our listeners a little bit about where they can find the series, how they can get involved. So with this series, there's one video that features several of our bishops. We actually have another series, The World is Our Parish. Which you can go back and watch right now. It features some of these sites as well. You'll see it in some of the footage in the teaching. But this one, we feature a little bit more of you know more information about each site so that you can learn about them as well. So there's a video, there's a study guide that will accompany the video. And you can do that for your own personal devotional time. You can also do that with your small group or members of your church. It's a great way to join in community and really connect back to our roots. So that will be available on global methodist.org. And if you aren't subscribed to Across the Globe the newsletter, this is our plug for you to do that because if you're on that mailing list, you will get an email once a week with the content for that for each week's lesson. So I encourage you to sign up. You can do that over on globalmethodist.org. So with that, I want to just thank you again, Bishop Jones, so much for joining us, for sharing your wisdom and your time. and just thank you for your leadership. It was great having you on again today. But before we end, you know, we always ask a question about the local church, because it is about our local church. But I know you've been on the show a few times. And so since you've joined us before, I want to tweak this question a little bit. I know you've been busy with travel and with the different annual conferences gathering this summer, but I want to know how are you seeing the Lord at work in some of our annual conferences?

Bishop Scott Jones: Ам вачні локаль черчиз речов. We've been through a season where people left another denomination and joined us. That was important, but it's also coming to an end. I think it's now time for us to reach out and offer the gospel to our neighbors, friends, and relatives who aren't part of a church or aren't believers yet. We need to empower our lay people to do evangelism. That also means planting new churches. And so what I'm watching is churches who are taking the evangelism. evangelistic tasks seriously and who are in the business of planting new congregations to gather new people into Christian faith communities. That's been an exciting thing to hear stories about how God is working through GMC churches to reach the unchurched. I'm ready for that to happen even more.

Christen Turney: Amazing. Well, thank you again, Bishop Jones, for joining us on today's episode of Across the Globe the podcast. And thank you all for listening. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode as we continue telling the stories of God's work through the Global Methodist Church around the world. You can find Across the Globe the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts. And tune in next time for more stories of how God is moving through the Global Methodist Church. as we worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly. See you next time.