As the 21st century unfolds, the ground has shifted beneath the feet of church-going Americans.
"The society that once called itself Christian now has new values, new habits, new saints, new gods, and, so it assumes, new and better places to get its religion than the neighborhood church on the corner," writes Logan in How Great a Flame!. "The contemporary church finds itself in the posture of trying to maintain … rather than imaging itself as an apostolic, missionary people."
Logan connects John Wesley's passion to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ within the current realities — a time when people seek spirituality and yet dismiss the church as "not spiritual" or irrelevant.
Through stories from the early Wesleyan movement, Logan challenges our understanding of evangelism. He illustrates the interconnection of piety and social witness in those early days of revival and urges us to reclaim our heritage.
Logan identifies six bad habits of the church and offers practical advice for healthy, effective congregational ministries of outreach and evangelism today. The book includes questions for reflection and group conversation.
"There are books on the history and theology of the church, then there are practical books about evangelism and leadership," one reviewer said. "How Great a Flame! is both, and it will guide us in the recovery of our identity as Methodists and as Wesleyan evangelicals."
