Recontextualizing John Wesley’s Class Meeting for Holistic Discipleship and the Contemporary Methodist Church Ghana

This paper explores the recontextualization of John Wesley’s Class Meeting as a framework for holistic discipleship within the contemporary Methodist Church Ghana (MCG). Rooted in Wesley’s eighteenth-century vision of accountable small-group discipleship, the Class Meeting historically nurtured spiritual growth, mutual care, and lay leadership formation. In Ghana, however, rapid urbanization, youth disengagement, and declining participation in small-group ministries have created significant discipleship gaps—relational, practical, and leadership-oriented. Drawing on Wesleyan theology and the Akan concept of abusua (extended family), this study proposes a contextual model that frames Class Meetings as “spiritual families” embodying communal identity, accountability, and intergenerational mentorship. A sample liturgical framework is outlined, integrating accountability, sermon application, and missional outreach. The paper highlights potential challenges—cultural sensitivities, clerical inertia, leadership quality, sustainability, and theological depth—and offers mitigation strategies through training, participatory leadership, and contextualized liturgy. Ultimately, the re-envisioned Class Meeting emerges as a vital complement to preaching, the sacraments, and other means of grace, positioning the MCG for ecclesial renewal and transformative discipleship in Ghana’s evolving sociocultural landscape.