Because my ministry context is within the walls of a local business,

there's a wide range of denominations and religious influence that I'm

exposed to. With that said, as the funeral director I have a big
influence and i'm usually well received. Most are comfortable with a
Wesleyan contextual reading of scripture.
Again, our community is influenced heavily by a variety of doctrines,
leaning most heavily in the Calvin and Wesleyan reading of scripture. I
believe the community is most comfortable with the idea that the Bible
isn't black and white but rather an instrument used by the Holy Spirit to
speak the hearts of people. It's alive and has the power to take on
different shapes in different situations. However, much of the
community is heavily influenced by a Calvanistic theology. With that
said, while there are many similarities in a Calvinistic and Wesleyan
reading of scripture, there are some significant differences that
differentiate the two that aren't as easily abandoned.
One of the most significant obstacles would have to be the Calvanistic
contextual context. I say that because people feel very strongly about
their faith. To mention anything that brings into question their
translation of the Word, causes people to shut down completely or to
become defensive. The best way in my opinion to reach people is through
the utilization of personal gifts such as encouragement, love, kindness,
resources, etc. etc. People that are touched by the way they're treated
tend to explore in that direction.
The most significant obstacles in the community to hearing scripture
from a Wesleyan contextual context would be the sheer number of
churches in such a small town. With a large number of churches and a
limited number of people in the community, there's a tremendous
amount of outreach that could be confusing. With different theologies
sharing similar but different messages, an obstacle could be confusion
about what's true.
There are many influences that i believe are contributors to shaping
obstacles to a Wesleyan reading, or understanding of scripture. The
strongest influence that I'm aware of would have to be family tradition.
People tend to lean towards the faith they grew up in. Not just that but
the expectation of remaining within a certain faith because of family

offers a significant amount of pressure as well. With that said, that's not
the only obstacle in the way. In a world of total distraction, fewer people
are finding time in their busy schedules to spend time in God's word. I'm
not suggesting that time with God should be "squeezed in," i'm speaking
more to the thought process of people today. I equate it with the same
thought process given to the idea of paying tithe, "I can't afford to pay
tithe." Until people understand that they can't afford not to spend time
with God, or pay tithe, etc. the business of life and distractions, especially
the technology held in the hand, will continue to be an obstacle to faith in
general.
For believers in my local ministry context, the authority of scripture is
understood clearly as God's word. With that said, like most communities,
there's a mix of those committed to reading His word, those who don't
read it, and those who read it sporadically. As stated earlier, the
community is a melting pot of denominations and faiths. Because of that,
the Wesleyan understanding is probably limited to those who attend a
denomination that agrees with the Wesleyan understanding of the
authority of scripture. To be honest, I don't know how prominent it is in
the community. For the most part, the community understands the
authority of scripture through the teaching of their pastors and the
influence they impart on interpretation of God's word. Again, this varies
to some degree across the community.