Social Faithfulness

Social Faithfulness means identifying, understanding, and helping to resolve root causes of societal issues so all people may experience the fullness of life Jesus expressed in John 10:10b - "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Our ministry, which helps Bethany carry out this mission, is called Bethany Church and Society. It’s focused in two areas:

The Methodist Church has a long history of engaging in social issues, going to back to the founder, John Wesley, who wrote, "The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness."

Holiness is social because God is social. God created human beings in God’s image to be relational creatures. Social holiness is the practice of obeying Jesus’ commandments to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself. When Wesley says that holiness is social he means that the depth of our love for God is revealed by the way we love whom God loves.1

Bethany Church and Society is the local representation of the General Board of Church and Society, an official body of the United Methodist Church.

  1. Adapted from Rev. Steven W. Manskar, https://blog.umcdiscipleship.org/no-holiness-but-social-holiness/