Wider Connections

ekklesia, Greek; trans. “church” – the gathering of those summoned; the assembly of those who are “called out” from the ordinary, to stir up one another to love and good works; neglecting not to meet with one another, but to encourage one another in the hope that God has for the Creation. (1 Peter 2:9-11, Matthew 5:9-11, Hebrews 10:23-25) The Christian Church has congregations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, North America, Central America, South America and Oceania. Worldwide, there are more than 34,000 denominations and in the United States there are more than 200. While incredibly diverse because of history, tradition, geography and culture – and sometimes contentious in belief and practice – the Christian Church is united because people have experienced the presence of God in Christ. All the people of God in Christ affirm: While we are yet sinners, Christ gave his life for us; and being now justified by his crucifixion on the cross, we are called to be reconciled to God and to all peoples and the Creation. (Romans 5:8) The Christian Church affirms: The Lord requires of us to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly. (Micah 6:8) And the Church affirms the Great Commandment: We shall love God and all peoples and self with all of one’s heart and mind, soul and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:34-40)

United Methodism

The United Methodist Church is one of the many historic and newly emerging “confessions” of the Christian Church. The United Methodist Church affirms it is one among many “confessions” of the Church universal, a diverse and multi-faceted people gathered by the relationship they share with Christ, and through that experience, have been called to bring blessing to all Creation. Confession, a group of people who share a common experience or a desire to experience the divine; those who have gathered together as a covenant community to give witness to that experience and desire to give witness to their shared beliefs and their unique “call” to be a blessing among people, cultures, nations and the Creation. Worldwide, there are more than 80 million persons who are Methodists gathering as more than 116 different Methodist denominations.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Methodist_denominations ) United Methodism, as one of those 116 Methodist denominations, has congregations on every continent, comprising a diversity of peoples, cultures and traditions. It has a global membership exceeding 12.5 million persons and, of those, there are six million United Methodists in the United States in more than 43,000 congregations. Whether on different continents, in different nations . . .United Methodists are . . .

  • a covenant people . . .

  • a diverse community . . .

  • biblical in faith . . .

  • mission-oriented, socially conscious and involved . . .

  • ecumenical and connectional . . .

  • evangelical and interfaith

A People Called “Methodists”

When John and Charles Wesley were students at Oxford University (1720-1724), they sought to be revolutionary and faithful as Christians. They were very methodical in the life of studies and faith earning for them the derision from others who called them “methodists.” They sought to practice “works of piety” and “works of mercy” giving witness to how God’s love changes the inward nature of personhood and proclaiming how God can change a church, a neighborhood, a nation and the world through justice, mercy and compassion. John and Charles Wesley were Christian and “Protestants” to their core. In their unique Reformation tradition, a whole group of people gathered to experience and be co-participants with the living presence of God. Thus, the “methodists movement” began. Small covenant groups convened and sought to “put their faith to work.” Their motto, “To preach scriptural holiness and to transform the continent” fired the imagination of people and nations. Over the three centuries, Methodists have founded new communities of faith, e.g., Pentecostals, Nazarenes, Wesleyans, and have created new expressions of faith, e.g., Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, colleges, universities, community centers, hospitals and more. Like John and Charles Wesley who had experienced such joy and significance as students, for Methodists, discipline, i.e., discipleship, is essential. Discipleship means, literally, “to be one who learns” from Christ. Scripture, tradition, reason and experience is the way to learn, experience and discern the will and ways of God – and thus be faithful to the love that God seeks to give to all. It is reasonable that Methodists are a people who have a Book of Discipline that gives instruction and structure to the individual practice of faith and guidelines and structures by which to give witness and proclamation to God’s “good news.”

Methodism as an “Avant-garde”

“Behold! I am making all things new.” said God to an early Christian who was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. While Methodism celebrates its traditions, as a faithful people Methodists are always on the move to create a new future with hope and blessing for all. Methodism is an extraordinary saga of trials, tribulations and triumphs. While Methodism does not always get everything correct or always do that which is right, it is a people who are “going on to perfection.” (Matthew 5:48) In recent years, the United Methodist Church has explored ecumenical connections with other Christian “confessions,” e.g., the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Churches. The United Methodist Church, also, has entered into exploratory and meaningful discussions with other interfaith communities, e.g., Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. These conversations have opened new opportunities to strengthen faith and provide a witness that offers hope and reconciliation among the world’s diverse peoples and to create common vision and strategy by which to address the critical issues that face all of earth’s peoples, communities and nations at this time. It's an exciting sojourn.

For further reference: The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church - A Brief History of the United Methodist Church

  • Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules

  • Our Theological Task

  • The Ministry and Mission of the Church

  • Social Principles

  • Preamble

  • The Natural World

  • The Nurturing Community

  • The Social Community

  • The Economic Community

  • The Political Community

  • The World Community

  • Our Social Creed (often used in Sunday Worship)

  • The Book of Resolutions (responses to frame and address

  • specific social issues and ecclesiastical practices)