Pastoral Letter to Live as a Disciple in a Chaotic World

Beloved church,

We begin a new year with great hope, even as we acknowledge the poverty, violence, and fear that surround us at home and abroad. As your pastor, I want to invite us to respond as disciples shaped by the grace of Jesus Christ and the wisdom of our Wesleyan tradition. John Wesley taught that Christian hope isn’t optimism about circumstances, but confidence in God’s presence and faithfulness regardless of circumstances.

First, we trust that God’s grace is at work—even in broken systems. John Wesley taught  us not to assume that God is absent because institutions fail or leaders falter. God’s grace does not excuse injustice. Grace exposes it, restrains it, and calls people and nations toward repentance. As Wesleyans, we refuse despair—but we also refuse to confuse power with righteousness.

Second, we measure power by its impact on the poor and vulnerable. John Wesley was clear that faith must be lived in community with one another. He wrote, “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness.” That means political actions—especially those involving force, detention, or regime change—must be evaluated by their human consequences, not merely their strategic claims. Our guiding questions are not, Who won? but Who suffers? Who is displaced? Who bears the cost of these decisions?

Third, Christian perfection calls us beyond retaliation. Wesley’s vision of holiness of heart and life was never about moral superiority. It was about perfect love—a love that refuses vengeance, resists dehumanization, and seeks reconciliation even when accountability is necessary. We hold together a difficult truth: justice without love becomes domination, and love without justice becomes sentimentality. The church is called to embody both justice and love.

Finally, the church is not a chaplain to an empire. Wesley warned against baptizing national power with religious language. Our loyalty belongs to Christ before any nation, ideology, or political tribe. That means we pray for leaders without excusing them, pursue peace without denying truth, and speak prophetically without becoming partisan. Our vocation is not to defend any government—including our own—but to bear witness to God’s reign, which judges all earthly power and calls every nation to humility.

St. Stephen’s, this is who we are called to be: a people grounded in grace, attentive to the suffering of others, courageous in love, and faithful in witness—no matter how turbulent the world becomes. Beginning this Sunday our goal is to equip you with the tools to engage the world around you with confidence that you are responding as a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

Guided by Grace,

Pastor William T. Chaney Jr.

Pastoral Prayer

Gracious and sovereign God,
You are the Lord of all nations and the keeper of every human life.
Where systems are broken, let your grace move ahead of us.
Where power is abused, bring truth and accountability.
Where people suffer, bring protection, provision, and hope.

Shape us as your church to resist fear, reject dehumanization, and live out your love in concrete ways.
Give wisdom to leaders, courage to peacemakers, and comfort to all who live under threat or instability.
Keep our hearts loyal to Christ alone, and our lives committed to justice, mercy, and humility.

Make us instruments of your peace,
witnesses to your reign,
and servants of your reconciling love.

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.