Calling on Fire
Reclaiming the Method of Methodism
Published August 2025
Today, many Methodists feel adrift and seek ways to revitalize their churches amid the challenges they face. They seek a “method” for their mission. Yet, sometimes to move forward, we must look back. And our Methodist heritage provides a “field guide” for forming faith and caring for our neighbors.
Calling on Fire dives into key moments in Methodist history that can have practical, real-world impact today. It brings the Wesleyan Quadrilateral to life by giving churches a clear framework for effective ministry that connects Methodist history with present-day opportunities. The models it provides root us and give us strength, inviting us to travel outside our comfort zones and find people on the margins who are hurting and hungry for hope and good news—whether in online spaces, digital communities, or outside the church.
The practical steps and aids in this resource are derived from field-based research and experience. The tools it offers can help churches that are struggling with decline, disaffiliation, and closures to spark personal and communal transformation through field preaching, micro-communities, social engagement, and leadership activation.
About the Authors
Chris Heckert
Chris Heckert serves as the senior pastor of Haddonfield United Methodist Church in Haddonfield, New Jersey. Holding degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Drew University Theological School, and Duquesne University, he recently completed a Doctorate of Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary and Wesley House, Cambridge, focusing on Wesleyan practical theology in turbulent times.
Heckert has served as pastor in rural, suburban, and urban settings, as well as having served as Director of Communications with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. A musician, composer, photographer, and communicator, he has sought to engage the arts in ministry with the church on five continents through trainings, conferences, and publications. He is the founder and president of Two Pews Media, a communication company that produces resources and content to promote field preaching, micro-communities, social engagement, and leadership activation.
Ashley Boggan
Ashley Boggan is a scholar, laywoman, and currently the General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History. In this role, she ensures that The United Methodist Church understands its past in order to envision a more equitable future for all. She is the author of Nevertheless: American Methodists and Women’s Rights (2020) and Entangled: A History of American Methodism, Politics, and Sexuality (2018) and contributed to American Methodism: Revised and Updated (2022).