(Rev. Kelli Hitchman-Craig for AWF) - Disciple Bible Study first launched in 1987, and since then has educated over 3 million participants. Most often referred to as just “Disciple,” the resource was first developed by Bishop Richard Wilke and his wife, Julia Wilke. Not only has Disciple equipped over 3 million Christians around the world, it has become a core teaching and commonality among United Methodists everywhere, uniting us in our love for Scripture and desire to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The Disciple Bible Study library has grown over the years to include youth curriculum, teacher support, and even a fast-tracked version of the study!
In 2023, the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference identified four priorities for their “Revive Us Again” initiative. Those priorities include new congregations, healthy clergy and healthy congregations, renewed commitment to open itineracy for female clergy and clergy of color, and a renewed passion for small group discipleship. Because of its legacy of impactful and life-changing disciple-making, the Alabama-West Florida Conference knew immediately what we would use to revitalize our intentional discipleship and small groups across the connection—Disciple Bible Studies.
Rev. Dr. Hunter Pugh was among the first to implement this priority in his community of Brantley, Alabama. He shared, “What I love about Disciple is that it helps groups gently get to the bigger questions in life and faith.” He continued, “In my experience as a pastor, so many of our people are not past those first couple stages of spiritual development or maturity, and their Biblical knowledge reflects as much.” So, Dr. Pugh got to work with the goal of helping people understand the theology of Old Testament atonement and how it connects to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After much research into books, lessons, and curriculum to help him accomplish that teaching goal, he landed right back where he started—the Disciple Bible Study.
While Disciple Bible Study is a wonderful resource designed for long-term formation, Dr. Pugh quickly realized that his people simply do not have the time to devote to a 34-week long study—even their “Fast Track” edition requires a 24-week commitment. However, even in the face of these time constraints, Dr. Pugh did not wary in his to dedication to offering his congregation Disciple Bible Study. Instead, he diligently combed through a Youth Disciple curriculum, adjusting the lessons until he created a 14-week abridged Disciple Bible Study, custom tailored for his congregation.
Each lesson begins with prayer and lasts about an hour. When asked about his experience teaching his customized curriculum, Dr. Pugh remarked, “My hope is that people, whether seasoned or fresh, will be able to ask the questions they’ve never been able to ask before. It’s been very cool to see people responding and learning.” The study provides 7 weeks of Old Testament study and 7 weeks of New Testament study.
While reflecting about the structure of his course Dr. Pugh shared, “I wanted us to be able to study the Old and New Testaments together.” He continued, “I wanted to connect the idea of covenant in the Old Testament with the new covenant of Jesus in the New Testament. Covenant and Resurrection go together, and you can’t get to resurrection until you understand the origins of why we need resurrection.” Pugh concluded, “People get lost in the Law and genealogies of the Old Testament, which are important, but they overlook the narrative story of God’s faithfulness to the people. It’s our job to help people understand that.”
If you’d like to learn more about Disciple Bible Study or start a Disciple Bible Study at your church,
learn more here. For more information about Rev. Dr. Pugh’s work, contact him
here.
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