Wright Walking Together Church Doctrine (Ch 1)

This is a talk given at a retreat for ministers in 1983.  He addresses 6 questions:

1. What is the authority to be appealed to in matters of ecclesiastical organization?
Argues for a mixture of tradition & practical experience. Reason not enough.
2.  What constitutes a church?
Here, he has a nice concise answer ‘walking together in mutual fellowship’, covenant/commitment
3.  How is the boundary of the church established? (How is membership defined?)
Person decides if congregation suits them or not responsibilities.
4. What leaders, or officers, are essential to the well-being of the church?
Choose own leaders, necessary for well-being
5. Ministers have responsibility to church, what responsibility do they have to fellow ministers?
Ordination (local churches) vs. professional status (MFC)
6.  Is a community of churches essential to their well-being?

Communion of churches: mutual care, consultation, admonition, participation, recommendation & relief and succor.

He recommends regular and repeated pulpit exchanges so that congregations come to know more than one minister.  Also that each congregation send some type of annual report to all congregations in their district so we know what is happening in our fellow churches.

This struck me as a strange address.  Obviously, this was a point of concern.  I wonder what his audience thought?  By the publication and widespread use of the book (this is my third class to use this book), I'm thinking that this was a problem and that the ministers (or at least Meadville) thinks it would be a good idea to address it.