The Center for Leadership Excellence presents a two-part webinar series with Ashley Boggan and Chris Heckert…

About the Webinars:

Join Ashley Boggan and Chris Heckert for webinars designed to start with our history and move toward practical application. Reconnect with Wesleyan roots (webinar one) and learn how to take our United Methodist concepts and apply them for effective ministry (webinar two)!

Wesleyan Vile-tality, October 16, 2025, 11am-12pm
In this online session with Ashley, we’ll learn about how early Methodists embraced a ‘submission to be more vile’ in order to spread the love of God in places most unexpected. During this time, you’ll hear about the origin of the name ‘Methodist’ and what our founder, John Wesley, intended for us as the people called ‘Methodist.’

The Practical Wesleyan Quadrilateral, October 23, 2025, 11am-12pm
In the second session with Ashley and Chris, we’ll examine a new Wesleyan Quadrilateral, the “practical quad.” We’ll review how Wesley implemented these four steps (or “method”) to grow the movement across England and how it led to extreme growth in the United States. This will include practical applications for growing churches today!

About the Presenters:

Dr. Ashley Boggan Ph.D. is the General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives and History. In this role, she ensures that The UMC understands its past in order to envision a more equitable future for all Methodists. Boggan earned her PhD from Drew Theological School’s Graduate Division of Religion, specializing in both Methodist/Wesleyan Studies and Women’s/Gender Studies. She earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago’s Divinity School, specializing in American Religious History. Boggan is the author of Nevertheless: American Methodists and Women’s Rights (2020); Entangled: A History of American Methodism, Politics, and Sexuality (2018); Wesleyan Vile-tality: Reclaiming the Heart of Methodist Identity (2025); and added to the revised American Methodism: A Compact History (2022).

Rev. Dr. Chris Heckert serves as the senior pastor of Haddonfield United Methodist Church in Haddonfield, NJ. 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 UMC. A musician, composer, photographer, and communicator, he has sought to engage the arts in ministry with the church in 5 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.