The hard-bound 2000 edition of the AME Doctrine & Discipline now exceeds 700 pages. The current size and composition makes it appear somewhat "encyclopedic". If you don't have a nice size briefcase, carrying the Discipline, along with your Bible, will be an uncomfortable experience. I believe our Discipline should be produced in two versions. The current encyclopedic style is useful for it is complete, or as Robert Matthews states in a related post, "leaves no stone unturned". If anyone asked me I would also recommend that a more compact Discipline (pocket-sized) also be produced. Technology trends are rapidly moving in the direction of minaturization. Look at your cell phone today compared to 5 years ago. PDA's are radically redefining the way we retrieve and process information. The demands for road travel have caused auto manufacturers to equip vehicles with mini-tvs for passengers in the back seats. A pocket-size Discipline promotes portablility and quick reference just like the pocket-size bibles which contain the N.T. and the wisdome literature Psalms and Proverbs. More importantly it has the potentional to encourage a greater understanding for many about how the AMEC operates. Actually, we wouldn't have to re-invent the wheel since the Lay Department, I believe, is in the process of updating the Lay Organization Handbook. The 1998 edition of the Handbook has advantages (brevity, paperback) but it is not small enough to tuck inside the interior pocket to my jacket or my wife's elegant Gucci(?) purse. When I was an undergraduate student I read an interesting book for my economic development class called "Small Is Beautiful" by E. F. Shumacher. The central thesis of the book is meanigful social change is an amalgam of individual and small contributions. From where I sit this is still true. QED

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2002

Answers

Bill, you have some interesting suggestions here, but I think they presume the universality of the technology. Books are still accessible to everyone, and are available to everyone who can afford the $27 (+shipping and handling). PDAs are not quite so commonplace, however. Consider that many of our churches are still in very rural settings, and we have a situation where a tehcnology is no longer available to all our members. A web-based version, also appealing, will not reach all our members, as I venture to say that all of African Methodism is not yet wired (consider how many of our churches do not yet have web pages).

Nevertheless, I do find it forward-thinking.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2002

While I can't presume to speak for Bro. Dickens, I don't think he is necessarily suggesting the Discipline be produced in a PDA or similar format. It seems he is simply suggesting a compact print version which summarizes some of the contents of the Discipline. The PDA reference was simply and example of how technology is changing.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2002