wfn.org | New booklet interprets United Methodist 'Book of Discipline'

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New booklet interprets United Methodist 'Book of Discipline'

Aug. 25, 1998 Contact: Thomas S. McAnally*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{501}

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) --   It's been said that a good United Methodist
has the Bible under one arm and the Book of Discipline under the other.

But for many church members the daunting Book of Discipline is like a
phone book or encyclopedia --- you don't read it until you need it.

To help United Methodists - clergy and lay - become more familiar with
it, A Brief Introduction to the Book of  Discipline of the United
Methodist Church has been produced by Discipleship Resources, the
publishing arm of the churchwide Board of Discipleship. Author of the
48-page booklet is Branson L. Thurston, a former editor of church school
publications, who retired after19 years as a staff member of the United
Methodist Publishing House.

The Book of Discipline is revised every four years by the General
Conference. The current volume, produced by the 1996 General Conference,
has 742 pages. It includes the church's Constitution, Doctrine and
Doctrinal Statements, General Rules and Social Principles. It also has
sections on the church's mission and ministry, the denomination's
structure, the local church, the ministry of the ordained, the
superintendency, the conferences, administrative order, church property
and judicial administration. It has a full list of bishops and the year
they were elected.

Written in plain language, the booklet addresses how to use the
Discipline as a tool for ministry.  It explains how the book is
developed, organized and changed, and where it should be used within the
church. The new booklet may be used individually or in group study and
exploration.

A Brief Introduction to the Book of  Discipline of The United Methodist
Church (order #DR243) is available from Discipleship Resources in sets
of 10 ($19.95 per set). Order from Discipleship Resources, P.O. Box
1616, Alpharetta, GA 30009-1616; phone: 1-800-685-4370; online:
http://www.discipleshipresources.org. The books may also be ordered from
Cokesbury, 1-800-672-1789  (ICOP # 971006).
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