Every Monday afternoon, Jeff Pospisil, Conference Treasurer, Kyle Reinhiller, pastor at Harrisburg UMC, and Jerry Stravia, associate pastor at Mitchell Downtown First UMC, get the band together. As awesome as it would be to see these three in a rock band, we are referring to the Methodist Band Meeting. Today, they share with us their experiences in rediscovering this accountability group rooted in the beginning of the Methodist movement.

What is the Methodist Band Meeting?
In the early days of Methodism, John Wesley formed several types of small groups as a place for accountability and spiritual growth for early Methodists. The class meeting, consisting of no more than twelve individuals, focused on ‘how is it with your soul’ and the spiritual life of the individual. Band meetings, hosting four to five people, allowed members to openly wrestle with and confess their sin as a way of spiritual growth and holiness. It is a place for Christians to be completely vulnerable and honest about how they have fallen short of where God is calling them.

What happens during a Band Meeting?
Each meeting opens with prayer and the of reading James 5:13-20, with special emphasis on verse 16: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Then, each person takes a turn confessing their sins from the past week. As someone is confessing, the others in the group can ask deeper questions, but most importantly they listen. After one is done, the group prays over that person, declares forgiveness, and asks for healing before moving on to the next individual.

Facing your sin
The main focus of band meetings is to openly address your own sin and have others who can hold you accountable. The thought of putting your sin out in the open and confessing in front of others can be terrifying. The power of sin wants to keep us isolated from everyone else and we have a lot of fear. But there is freedom in being vulnerable with others. Not only does confessing your sins to others lift a huge weight off your shoulders, but you also have the freedom of knowing that you have someone who you can reach out to when you are struggling with temptation. “There is something powerful about confessing to someone and they still like you and love you. A lot of times they love you more because you are willing to show your worse self and risking that,” says Kyle.

Social Holiness
Part of drawing closer to God is to grow closer to other people through deeper relationships. John Wesley believed ‘There is no religion that is not social, no holiness that is not social.’ Social holiness is about people walking with each other to grow in their holiness, and not struggling to do it on their own. Jeff prays for both Kyle and Jerry on a regular basis, sometimes several times a day, and all three see God actively using them in each other’s lives. There is strength in knowing that other people are facing the same struggles you are. Jerry shares, “This isn’t about shaming yourself into being better, it’s about accountability, which is positive.” Checking in with each other’s goals, being a support system, and having the opportunity to minister to others through your own brokenness is where the strength lies in this practice.

Why it works
We live in a society surrounded by social media, which allows everyone to show their best face. What we don’t see or show others is the messy and painful stuff we are dealing with. At some point, you get tired of always trying to put on a show for everyone, and you need someone who you can confide in. Jerry says, “This is an opportunity to just be human. For a second, we don’t have to be the world’s definition of man, we can be vulnerable and just be the broken person that God loves.”
Band meetings work because it is about casting light on and letting go of what is weighing you down. “What we keep secret has power over us. When we bring that to light, that secret loses its power, loses its hold. That is really what the band meeting is: bringing our secret things that hold us captive to light. That is the power of that confession,” says Kyle. “If I hate myself because of this sin and I confess it and they don’t hate me, then I realize God doesn’t hate me and I don’t have to hate me. That’s the beauty of this as well. You’re precious. You’re valuable. You’re loved for you who are.” As you grow throughout this process, you start to love yourself, God, and others better. It is a holistic approach to growth that is rooted in divinity and spiritually.

Getting started on your own Band Meeting
While Methodists have fallen away from the band meeting, there is a movement to revive this accountability group. Jeff, Jerry, and Kyle urge church leaders to be a part of something similar to this. If you are interested in getting your own group going, a good place to start would be to read “The Band Meeting” by Kevin Watson and Scott Kisker, and pray about who God may have placed in your path that can join you in this journey. Members should be the same gender or around the same age to allow for deeper conversations. Be intentional about starting a band and then just do it. Jeff said of his first meeting, “I thought ‘I have 39 years worth of sin and I can’t confess that much, so I am going to confess the last week’s worth.’” You don’t have to unload everything, but you do have to be willing to open up and share with others. And don’t be discouraged if someone says no, it might not be the right time for them.