The United Methodist Church is a Protestant movement and traces
its roots back to John Wesley, an
Anglican priest in the Church of England in the 1700s. John and his
brother, Charles, intended to revitalize the Church of England by forming
societies of “Methodists”– so called because the members followed a daily
routine of religious observance and social work. Methodism first spread to
Ireland and then to America where it officially became its own
denomination in 1784. Today United Methodist membership stands at nearly
10 million worldwide (more than 1 million are outside of the United
States).
|
What do we believe? Part of the mark of being a United
Methodist is that we hold a wide range of theological beliefs. John Wesley
said, "As to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity,
we think and let think." In general, we agree on the major aspects of
theology. We believe in a Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We
believe in God’s love and forgiveness of all people. We believe in the
mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ. And we believe in celebrating
the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.
|
For United Methodists, social consciousness has always gone hand in hand
with faith. We believe, with John Wesley, "that the world is our parish."
Hence, we support mission and justice work locally, regionally and around
the world. We cherish an ecumenical tradition and seek to work together
with other Christian denominations as well as other religions. We believe
in the dignity of each person and the practice of total democracy in our
church’s life.
|
In the Wesleyan tradition, we follow four main guidelines that help us
understand our faith. Scripture—what
does the Bible say? Tradition—what do
our tradition, our creeds and past theologians teach us?
Experience—what does our experience tell us?
Reason—does it make sense? These four are interdependent and
allow for a variety in theology.
|
The three main books that inform our faith and practice include: the
Bible, with the Old and New Testament
scriptures, in which we encounter the Living Word of God; the
United Methodist Hymnal, with the songs, creeds and rituals of
our personal and public worship life including the Sacraments, Weddings,
Funerals and more; and the Book of Discipline,
which contains our Articles of Faith, various rituals, and the laws of our
denomination for the many facets of Christian life, Ordinations,
Consecrations and Dedications.
|
We ordain men and women as pastors, and they may be married. All of the
lay committee members that run the local church are elected by the
congregation. The congregation also elects lay delegates to the Annual
Conference (a gathering of regional, or statewide clergy and lay members).
Our pastors are appointed to the churches by the Bishop and District
Superintendents, in consultation with leaders of the local congregations.
The intent is to facilitate the wisest match between the clergy and needs
of the churches.
|
|
Being a member in the United Methodist Church means many things to many
people. It means involvement in prayer, worship, sacraments, study,
Christian action, and giving. It means sharing the work of the local
church, ecumenical efforts and teaching about God. It means knowing our
commitment to God and to people, that we are called to be God’s ministers
in this world and that God is an active and loving part of our lives. |
|
