Giving Witness

Why such a change? What does it mean to be a "witness"? How can we be witnesses?

Impetus for Action

Adding "witness" to the familiar litany of vows a member keeps underscores its importance. Perhaps today, more than ever, we need to make manifest our witness to faith in Jesus Christ. Its inclusion in vows gives impetus to this. The change was initiated by the Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders. They gave this rationale:

Membership vows of The United Methodist Church do not include witness, an integral part of laity's role from earliest Methodism, in members' participation in the church's life. Because congregations repeat these vows along with new members, a pledge to "witness" will remind members to be witnesses in the community.

What does it mean to "witness"?

The dictionary defines "witness" as "having personal knowledge of something and giving testimony to it." Thus, one is an observer of an event and then is able to tell others what one has seen or heard.

As Christians, we can witness to the knowledge we have of Jesus Christ and the meaning he has for our lives. Our response to simple questions such as "Do you go to church?" or "Are you a Christian?" is an opening. We can share with another what we know.

But giving witness is even more than sharing what we know. The first Christian historian, Eusebius, defined witness in terms of the way one lived. He called it philosophia biou -- a philosophy of life or more accurately, a way of life. We give witness by the way we live. John Wesley emphasized this through what is now known as "Wesley's Rule": "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can." It is to live out the promise of the familiar song refrain: "They will know we are Christians by our love."

Give All to the Cause

A third understanding of "witness" goes to the root of the word -- literally. The Greek word that we translate for witness is martys from which we also receive the English word, martyr. To give witness, then, is to be willing to give our all for the cause to which we testify. It is to take risks for the knowledge we have of Jesus Christ. Such witness brings others to the faith. It was Tertullian who first wrote that "the blood of the martyrs is seed." When something is worth dying for, others want to know what it is.

How can we be witnesses? First, prepare. We need to gain clarity about our personal testimony. How do you answer such questions as: "What does Jesus Christ mean to you?" or "Why do you believe in Jesus Christ?" or "Why do you belong to the church?" To give witness, we need to be prepared to answer these kinds of questions. We might write our answers on a sheet of paper, or compose a lyric to a song, or paint a picture that expresses what Christ means to us.

Second, practice. We should rehearse our testimony with brothers and sisters in the church. Why not start a meeting of the administrative council with one person sharing his or her faith story? Or why not start any meeting of the church with someone giving witness to his or her faith in Jesus Christ?

Third, perform. Look for opportunities to give witness to your faith in word or action through daily living among the people with whom you come into contact.

In the future, those joining our churches will say, "I will be faithful . . . in my witness." The question for all of us -- old-timers and newcomers alike -- is this: How will we live out this membership promise?

The Reverend Dr. Douglas Ruffle serves as Team Coordinator of Congregational Development for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference.