Methodist Church (United Methodist Church)

Methodist Church (United Methodist Church)
Name	United Methodist Church
Main classification	Protestant
Orientation	Wesleyan–Arminian
Polity	Connexionalism, Episcopal
Founded date	1968 (merger)
Founded place	United States
Leader	Council of Bishops
Area	Global
Congregations	~32,000 (estimate)
Members	~6.5 million (2020s estimate)

Methodist Church (United Methodist Church) is a Protestant denomination rooted in the Wesleyan revival associated with John Wesley, Charles Wesley, Methodism, and the Evangelical Revival. The denomination formed by merging traditions linked to the Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist Church (1939), and Evangelical United Brethren Church and has been influential in United States religious life, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Its theology draws on Wesleyan theology, Arminianism, and strands represented by leaders such as Francis Asbury, Thomas Coke, and Phoebe Palmer.

History

The movement traces to John Wesley and the 18th-century Methodist revival in England and the British Isles, linked to societies, circuits, and preaching at sites like Oxford University, Aldersgate Street, and the Holy Club. American roots include the work of Francis Asbury and the establishment of the Methodist Episcopal Church after the American Revolutionary War, with later splits and reunions involving the Methodist Protestant Church, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and disputes over slavery. The 20th century saw consolidation in the 1939 union forming the Methodist Church and the 1968 merger with the Evangelical United Brethren Church creating the current body, amid wider conversations influenced by figures like Bishop Francis Asbury, James O. Andrew, Hannah More, and institutions such as Emory University and Duke University.

Beliefs and Theology

Doctrine centers on doctrines articulated by John Wesley, including prevenient grace, justification, sanctification, and Christian perfection, within a Wesleyan-Arminian framework that dialogues with thought from Jacob Arminius, Jonathan Edwards, and Charles Finney. The denomination subscribes to historic creeds such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, and to texts including the Articles of Religion adapted from Articles of Religion (1784), while engaging contemporary theologians like Albert C. Outler and Thomas Oden. Ethical teaching has been shaped by social theologians connected to Sojourners, Social Gospel, and movements influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. and Dorothy Day.

Organization and Governance

The church practices an episcopal and connexional system with oversight by bishops, annual annual conferences, jurisdictional and central conferences, and a global General Conference as its legislative body, meeting alongside agencies such as the General Board of Church and Society and the General Board of Global Ministries. Seminaries like Duke Divinity School, Candler School of Theology, and Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary train clergy who serve itinerantly under the supervision of bishops in episcopal areas, episcopal residences, and conference structures rooted in connexionalism similar to networks like the World Methodist Council and global denominations such as the United Church of Christ and African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Worship and Sacraments

Worship styles range from structured liturgies found in books like the United Methodist Hymnal and the Book of Worship to charismatic services influenced by Pentecostalism and Holiness movement traditions, with hymnody shaped by Charles Wesley and hymnists like Isaac Watts and Fanny Crosby. The denomination recognizes two sacraments—Baptism and Holy Communion—and practices infant baptism and open communion, while liturgical seasons such as Advent, Lent, and Easter are observed in parishes across contexts from urban ministry centers to rural circuits affiliated with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and campus ministries at institutions including Wesleyan University and Boston University.

Social Principles and Activism

The church issues periodic Social Principles guiding stances on issues ranging from racial justice, economic disparity, and public health to international peace, paralleling advocacy by groups like Methodist Federation for Social Action and ecumenical partners such as the World Council of Churches and National Council of Churches. Its activism has intersected with movements and figures including abolitionism leaders, Civil Rights Movement activists like Martin Luther King Jr., and modern partnerships with agencies including UNICEF, Catholic Relief Services, and faith-based responses to crises in regions such as Haiti, Syria, and South Sudan.

Membership and Demographics

Membership has historically concentrated in the United States, with growing constituencies in Africa, Philippines, and parts of Europe, reflected in statistics produced by conference reports and organizations like the Pew Research Center and World Methodist Council. Demographic trends show shifts including aging membership in some regions, expansion of congregations in countries such as Liberia and Nigeria, and educational links to universities including Wesleyan University, Emory University, and Boston University.

Controversies and Schisms

The denomination has experienced disputes over human sexuality, ordination standards, and biblical interpretation, leading to legislative actions at successive General Conference sessions and proposals for schism involving groups such as the Global Methodist Church and conservative caucuses like the Traditionalist Movement and organizations including the Good News movement. Other controversies have involved debates over episcopal authority, property disputes adjudicated in courts like the Supreme Court of the United States and state judiciaries, and tensions echoing earlier splits over slavery in the 19th century exemplified by the formation of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Category:Methodism