Part of the series on Methodism

John Wesley

Background Christianity Protestantism Pietism Anglicanism Arminianism The Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Arminianism Methodism United Methodist Church George Whitefield John Wesley Francis Asbury Charles Wesley Pietism African Methodist Episcopal Church Thomas Coke (Methodist) Prevenient Grace Christian perfection Atonement (Governmental view) List of Methodist theologians Imparted righteousness World Methodist Council Template:Methodism Methodist Church... John Wesley (June 17, 1703–March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the New Testament. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing the splitting away from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late Renaissance in Europe—a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late-17th century to the mid-18th century. ... The term Anglican (from Anglia, the Latin name for England) describes the people and churches that follow the religious traditions developed by the established Church of England. ... // For the Armenian nationality, see Armenia or the Armenian language. ...

Doctrinal distinctives Articles of Religion Prevenient Grace Governmental Atonement Imparted righteousness Christian perfection The Articles of Religion are an official doctrinal statement of American Methodism. ... Prevenient Grace is a Christian theological concept embraced primarily by Arminian Christians who are influenced by the theology of John Wesley and who are part of the Methodist movement. ... The Governmental view of the atonement (also known as the moral government theory) is a doctrine in Christian theology related to the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Arminian circles. ... Imputed righteousness, in Methodist theology, is that gracious gift of God given at the moment of the new birth which enables a Christian disciple to strive for holiness and sanctification. ... Christian Perfection is a Christian doctrine which maintains that after conversion but before death a Christians soul may be cleansed from the stain of original sin. ...

People Richard Allen Francis Asbury Thomas Coke Albert C. Outler Charles Wesley George Whitefield Bishops · Theologians Richard Allen (14 February 1760 - 26 March 1831) was born a slave of Benjamin Chew at Germantown, Pennsylvania (now a part of Philadelphia), but his family was soon sold to Stockley Sturgis whose plantation was near Dover, Delaware. ... Francis Asbury (1745-1816) was born at Handsworth, near Birmingham, England of Methodist parents. ... Thomas Coke (1747–1814) was born in the Welsh town of Brecon, the son of a wealthy apothecary. ... Albert Cook Outler (1908-1989) was a 20th century American Methodist theologian and philosopher. ... Charles Wesley (12 December 1707 - 29 March 1788) was a leader of the Methodist movement, the younger brother of John Wesley. ... George Whitefield (December 16, 1714 - September 30, 1770), was a minister in the Church of England and one of the leaders of the Methodist movement. ...

Largest groups World Methodist Council United Methodist Church AME Church British Methodist Church The World Methodist Council is a group composed of most of the worlds Wesleyan / Methodist denominations, working toward mission and unity. ... The Bitchy Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church, is a Christian denomination founded by Bishop Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816. ... The Methodist Church of Great Britain or British Methodist Church is the largest Wesleyan / Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain and the Isle of Man. ...

Related movements Holiness movement Salvation Army Personalism Pentecostalism The Holiness movement is composed of people who believe and propagate the belief that the carnal nature of man can be cleansed through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit if one has had his sins forgiven through faith in Jesus. ... The Salvation Army is a Evangelist Christian denomination, a charity and a social services organization. ... Personalism is the school of thought that consists of three main principles: Only persons are real (in the ontological sense), Only persons have value, and Only persons have free will. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. ...

The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist, the largest mainline, and, after the Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States. In 2004 worldwide membership was about 11 million members: 8.6 million in the United States, 2.4 million in Africa, Asia and Europe. The Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Mainline is also rail terminology for the main and often most transited portion of a railroad, which is usually double- or more track. ... The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based cooperative ministry agency serving Baptist churches around the world. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing the splitting away from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late Renaissance in Europe—a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... A denomination, in the Christian sense of the word, is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ...

The United Methodist Church (UMC) was formed in 1968 as a result of a merger between the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Church which were themselves the results of mergers. The Methodist Church was formed in 1939 as the result of a merger of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Protestant Church. 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The Evangelical United Brethren was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Association with the United Brethren in Christ. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784. ... The Methodist Episcopal Church, South was the so-called Southern Methodist Church resulting from the split in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference held in Louisville, Kentucky in 1845. ... The Methodist Protestant Church was officially formed in 1828 as a church that was Wesleyan in doctrine, but rejected the episcopacy. ...

Organization

®
Used with permission*.

The United Methodist Church is organized into conferences. The highest level is called the General Conference and is the only organization which may speak officially for the church. The General Conference meets every four years (quadrennium). Legislative changes are recorded in The Book of Discipline which is revised after each General Conference. Non-legislative resolutions are recorded in The Book of Resolutions, which is published after each General Conference, and expire after eight years unless passed again by a subsequent session of General Conference. The last General Conference was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2004. The next General Conference is scheduled to be held in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2008. Bishops, Councils, Committees, Boards, Elders, etc., are not permitted to speak on behalf of the United Methodist Church as this authority is reserved solely for the General Conference in accordance with the Book of Discipline. Image File history File links Umclogo. ... Pittsburgh as viewed from Mount Washington Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Cowtown Motto: Official website: ci. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Beneath the General Conference are Jurisdictional and Central Conferences which also meet every four years. The United States is divided into five jurisdictions: Northeastern, Southeastern, North Central, South Central and Western. Outside the United States the church is divided into seven central conferences: Africa, Congo, West Africa, Central & Southern Europe, Germany, Northern Europe and Philippines. The main purpose of the jurisdictions and central conferences is to elect and appoint bishops, the chief administrators of the church. Bishops thus elected serve Episcopal Areas, which consist of one or more Annual Conferences.

The Annual Conference, roughly the equivalent of a diocese in the Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church or a synod in some Lutheran denominations such as the ELCA, is the basic unit of organization within the UMC. The term Annual Conference is often used to refer to the geographical area it covers as well as the frequency of meeting. Clergy are members of their annual conference rather than of any local congregation, and are appointed to a local church or other charge annually by the conference's resident bishop at the meeting of the annual conference. In many ways, the UMC operates as a confederation of the annual conferences, and interpretations of the Book of Discipline by one conference are not binding upon another. Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Washington DC is the National Cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catholicism. ... A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or ELCA is a mainline Protestant denomination headquarted in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Annual conferences are further divided into Districts, each served by a District Superintendent. The district superintendents are also appointed annually from the ordained elders of the annual conference by the Bishop. District superintendents are not superior in ordination to other elders; upon completion of their service as superintendent they routinely return to serving local congregations. The annual conference cabinet is composed of the resident bishop and the district superintendents. This article is about the sacrament. ... A religious elder (in Greek, πρεσβυτερος [presbyteros]) is valued for his or her wisdom, in part for their age, on the grounds that the older one is then the more one is likely to know. ...

While the General Conference is the only organization that can officially speak for the United Methodist Church as a whole, there are several councils, boards, commissions, and agencies that the church operates on the denomination level. These organizations address specific topic areas of denomination-wide concern.

• General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA)
• General Boards of Pension and Health Benefits (GBOPHB)
• General Board of Church and Society (GBCS)
• General Board of Discipleship (GBOD)
• General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM)
• General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM)
• General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH)
• General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (GCUIC)
• General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR)
• General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW)
• General Commission on United Methodist Men (GCUMM)
• United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH)
• United Methodist Communications (UMCom)
• United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)

The United Methodist Committee on Relief, often referred to as UMCOR, is one of the most prominent emergency relief agencies in the world. ...

Clergy

The first Methodist clergy were ordained by John Wesley, a priest in the Church of England, because of the crisis caused by the American Revolution which cut the Methodists in the States off from the Church of England and its sacraments. Today, the clergy includes men and women who are ordained by Bishops as Elders and Deacons and are appointed to various ministries. Elders in the UMC are part of what is called the itinerating ministry and are subject to the authority and appointment of their bishops. They generally serve as pastors at local congregations. Deacons make up a serving ministry and may serve as musicians, educators, business administrators, and a number of other ministries. Elders and deacons are required to obtain master's degrees before ordination. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... The American Revolution was a revolution that ended two centuries of rule in Thirteen Colonies of North America by the British Empire and created the modern United States of America. ... This article is about the sacrament. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... A religious elder (in Greek, πρεσβυτερος [presbyteros]) is valued for his or her wisdom, in part for their age, on the grounds that the older one is then the more one is likely to know. ... Deacon is a role in the Christian Church which is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. ... Ordination is the process in which clergy become authorized by their religious denomination and/or seminary to perform religious rituals and ceremonies. ...

There is also another clerical order called local pastors. Elders may serve in and perform sacraments in any church while local pastors may only serve in and perform sacraments in the specific church that they were appointed to by their bishop. Local pastors are not required to have advanced degrees but are required to take yearly classes. A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace—a holy mystery. ...

All clergy appointments are made annually. Until the Bishop has read the appointments at the session of the Annual Conference, no appointments are fixed. Only under special circumstances will an appointment be changed between sessions of Annual Conference. While an appointment is made one year at a time, it is most common for an appointment to be continued for multiple years. One recent survey concluded that small church appointments currently average three to four years, while large church appointments average seven to nine years.

Laity

There are two classes of lay membership in the UMC: Baptized Members and Professing Members.

The UMC practices infant and adult baptism. Baptized Members are those who have been baptized as an infant or child, but who have not subsequently professed their own faith. Baptized Members become Professing Members through confirmation and profession of faith. New members who were not previously baptized are baptized as part of their profession of faith, becoming Professing Members. Confirmation can refer to: Confirmation (sacrament) Confirmation (epistemology) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Baptism is a sacrament in the UMC, but confirmation and profession of faith are not, although many churches still hold confirmation classes for members, usually younger ones. This is where lay members learn about Church and the Christian theological tradition in order to profess their ultimate faith in Christ. Confirmation can refer to: Confirmation (sacrament) Confirmation (epistemology) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The lay members of the church are extremely important in the UMC. The Professing Members are part of all major decisions in the church. General, Jurisdictional, Central, and Annual Conferences are all required to have an equal number of laity and clergy.

In a local church, all decisions are made by an administrative board or council. This council is made up of laity representing various other organizations within the local church. The elder or local pastor sits on the council but only as a non-voting member.

Beliefs

United Methodist beliefs are similar to many mainline Protestant denominations. Although United Methodist beliefs have evolved over time, these beliefs can be traced to the writings of the church's founders, John Wesley and Charles Wesley (Methodist), Philip William Otterbein and Martin Boehm (United Brethren), and Jacob Albright (Evangelical). With the formation of the United Methodist Church in 1968, theologian Albert C. Outler led the team which systematized denominational doctrine. Outler's work proved pivotal in the work of union, and he is largely considered the first United Methodist theologian. Mainline is also rail terminology for the main and often most transited portion of a railroad, which is usually double- or more track. ... John Wesley (June 17, 1703–March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... Charles Wesley (12 December 1707 - 29 March 1788) was a leader of the Methodist movement, the younger brother of John Wesley. ... Philip William Otterbein (1726 - 1813) was a German-American clergyman, who founded the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. ... Rev. ... Jacob Albright (1759-1808) was an American Christian leader, founder of the Evangelical Association (later the Evangelical Church), born near Pottstown, PA. A German Lutheran in his heritage, he was converted in about 1790 to Methodism. ... Albert Cook Outler (1908-1989) was a 20th century American Methodist theologian and philosopher. ...

The officially established Doctrinal Standards of United Methodism are:

• the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church;
• the Confession of Faith (United Methodist) of the Evangelical United Brethren Church;
• the General Rules of the Methodist Societies;
• the Standard Sermons of John Wesley;
• and John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the New Testament.

These Doctrinal Standards are constitutionally protected and nearly impossible to change or remove. The Articles of Religion are an official doctrinal statement of American Methodism. ... This Confession of faith forms part of the established Doctrinal Standards of the United Methodist Church along with the Articles of Religion and the Standard Sermons of John Wesley. ...

The basic beliefs of the United Methodist Church include:

• Triune God. God is one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Scripture. The writings in the Old Testament and New Testament are the inspired word of God.
• Sacraments. The UMC recognizes two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. The Church generally practices infant baptism and recognizes baptisms from other denominations, and also practices open communion.
• Inclusivity. The UMC includes and welcomes people of all races, cultures, and ages.
• Free will. The UMC believes that people, while corrupted by sin, are free to make their own choices because of God's divine grace.
• Grace. The UMC believes that God gives unmerited favor freely to all people.

For other uses, see Trinity (disambiguation). ... Image:Http://www. ... The term God is used to designate a Supreme Being, however, there are countless definitions of God. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost; in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh) is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ... Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh, but not Old Testament, because it does not recognize the concept of a New Testament. ... See New Covenant for the concept translated as New Testament in the KJV. The New Testament (Καινή Διαθήκη), sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures, and sometimes also New Covenant, is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written by various authors c. ... A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace—a holy mystery. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... The Eucharist is either the Christian sacrament of consecrated bread and wine or the ritual surrounding it. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Open communion refers to Christian churches that allow individuals other than members of that church to receive communion (also called the Eucharist or the Lords Supper). ... For other uses, see Race (disambiguation). ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Free will is the philosophical doctrine that holds that our choices are ultimately up to ourselves. ... SiN is a computer game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in late 1998. ... Divine grace is believed by Christians to be the sovereign favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who do not merit them. ... Divine grace is believed by Christians to be the sovereign favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who do not merit them. ...

Distinctive Wesleyan Emphases

The key emphasis of Wesley's theology relates to how Divine grace operates within the individual. Wesley defined the Way of Salvation as the operation of grace in three parts: Prevenient Grace, Justifying Grace, and Sanctifying Grace. Divine grace is believed by Christians to be the sovereign favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who do not merit them. ... Prevenient Grace is a Christian theological concept embraced primarily by Arminian Christians who are influenced by the theology of John Wesley and who are part of the Methodist movement. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Sanctification or in its verb form, sanctify, literally means to set apart for special use or purpose, that is to make holy or sacred (compare Latin sanctus holy). Therefore sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i. ...

Prevenient grace, given to all people, is that power which enables us to love and that which motivates us to seek a closer relationship to God. This grace effects a partial restoring of our sin-corrupted human nature so that we might sense both our sinfulness before God and God’s offer of salvation. Prevenient grace allows those tainted by sin to nevertheless make a truly free choice to accept or reject God's salvation in Christ.

Justifying grace is that grace, offered by God to all people that we receive or accept by faith and trust in Christ, through which God pardons the believer of sin. It is justifying grace that, in spite of our sin, enables God to receive us and, through Christ, to forgive us. The justifying grace cancels our guilt and empowers us to resist the power of sin and to fully love God and neighbor.

Sanctifying grace is that grace which sustains the believers in the journey toward "perfection of love": a genuine love of God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and a genuine love of our neighbors as ourselves. Sanctifying grace enables us to respond to God, once justified, by leading a Spirit-filled and Christ-like life aimed toward love. Wesleyan theology maintains that salvation is the act of God's grace entirely, from invitation, to pardon, to growth in holiness.

For Wesley, good works were the fruit of one's salvation, not the way in which that salvation was earned. Faith and good works go hand in hand in Methodist theology.

A key outgrowth of this theology is the United Methodist dedication not only to the Evangelical Gospel of repentance and a personal relationship with God, but also to the Social Gospel and a commitment to social justice issues that have included abolition, women's suffrage, labor rights, civil rights, and others. Thus, Wesleyan theology is sometimes characterized as "progressive evangelical".

Characterization of Wesleyan Theology

Wesleyan theology stands at a unique cross-roads between evangelical and sacramental, between liturgical and charismatic, and between Anglo-Catholic and Reformed theology and practice. It has been characterized by Arminian theology with an emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit to bring holiness into the life of the participating believer. United Methodists see the Bible as the primary authority in the Church and use tradition, reason, and experience to interpret it, with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Today, the UMC is generally considered one of the more moderate and tolerant denominations with respect to race, gender, and ideology though the denomination itself actually includes a very wide spectrum of attitudes. The term evangelical has several distinct meanings: In its original sense, it means belonging or related to the Gospel (Greek: euangelion - good news) of the New Testament. ... The charismatic movement began with the adoption of certain Pentecostal beliefs—specifically what are known as the biblical charisms of Christianity: speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. ... ... The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Zwinglian or Calvinist system of doctrine but organizationally independent. ... Arminianism is a Protestant Christian theology founded by the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius. ... In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who holds an intermediate position between two extreme or radical viewpoints. ... The cross of the war memorial and a menorah for Hanukkah coexist in Oxford. ... The word gender describes the state of being male, female, or neither. ... An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ...

Diversity Within Methodist Beliefs

In making an appeal to a toleration of diversity of theological opinion, John Wesley said, "Though we may not think alike, may we not all love alike?" The phrase "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity" has also become a maxim among Methodists, who have always maintained a great diversity of opinion on many matters within the Church.

The United Methodist Church allows for a wide range of theological and political beliefs. For example, Republican President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are practicing United Methodists as are Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton and former Senator John Edwards. This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. ... The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941) is the 46th Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947), was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton. ... This article is about the American attorney and politican. ...

One source of considerable controversy within the church (as in much of mainline Protestantism) is its official positions on homosexuality. Since 1972, the Book of Discipline has declared "homosexual practice" to be "incompatible with Christian teaching." Following the 1972 incompatibility clause other restrictions have been added at subsequent General Conferences. Currently the Book of Discipline prohibits the ordination of "practicing, self-avowed homosexuals," forbids clergy from blessing or presiding over same-sex unions, forbids the use of UMC facilities for same-sex union ceremonies and prohibits the use of Church funds for "gay caucuses" or other groups that "promote the acceptance of homosexuality." The word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings over time. ...

Despite this language, not all members of the Church are of one mind on this issue. Preceding the incompatibility clause the Book of Discipline clearly states that "homosexual persons, no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth." Some believe that this "sacred worth" clause stands in contradiction to the following statement regarding the incompatibility of homosexual practice with Christian teaching. Others, because the issue focuses on practice and not orientation or desire as such, see no such contradiction. The Book of Discipline affirms that all persons, both heterosexual and homosexual, are included in the ministry of the church and can receive the gift of God's grace. While the Book of Discipline supports the civil rights of homosexual persons and rejects the abuse of homosexuals by families and churches, it also calls for laws defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

Disagreement over the Church's official stance on homosexuality has led to intense debate within the denomination. Failed efforts have been made to liberalize the church's position at every General Conference since the introduction of the incompatibility clause in 1972; delegates from annual conferences in the Northeast and on the West Coast typically vote to do so, but are outnumbered by those from the South, Midwest, and Africa. Because the margin of defeat for these liberalizing measures has (for the most part) been steadily increasing for several General Conferences some observers claim to see a "conservative drift" in the denomination as a whole, though, of course, observers disagree on whether or not any supposed "drift" is a good or bad thing.

Other divisive issues that generally receive less attention include: abortion, "just war," the death penalty, and certain theological issues.

At the 2004 General Conference, a memo from a private meeting was circulated publically suggesting an "Amicable" Separation, allowing those who disapprove of Church policy to leave the denomination without losing their Church properties. Though this idea never came to the floor as a piece of legislation, the Delegates voted nearly unanimously to enact a resolution reaffirming a commitment to unity within the denomination.

Ecumenical relations

According to the United Methodist Book of Discipline, the United Methodist Church is just one branch of the universal Christian church. Therefore, the United Methodist Church is active in ecumenical relations with other denominations. It is a member of both the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches as well as Churches Uniting in Christ. It is also a member of Christian Churches Together, a more inclusive ecumenical organization including Evangelicals and Catholics. Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ... The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (usually identified as National Council of Churches, or NCC) is a religious organization currently (2006) consisting of 35 Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, African-American and historic peace Christian denominations in the United States, and is widely regarded as a leading... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the principal international Christian ecumenical organization. ... Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) brings together nine mainline American denominations (including both predominantly white and predominantly black churches), and was inaugurated on January 20, 2002. ... Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT) is a new ecumenical group growing out of a deeply felt need to broaden and expand fellowship, unity and witness among the diverse expressions of Christian faith today. CCT is envisioned as a place where people of widely differing Christian backgrounds can come...

In April 2005, the United Methodist Council of Bishops approved "A Proposal for Interim Eucharistic Sharing." This document is the first step toward full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which the UMC bishops hope will happen by 2008. The ELCA approved this same document in August 2005. [1] The church is also in dialogue with the Episcopal Church for full communion by 2012. [2] The two denominations are working on a document called "Confessing Our Faith Together." Full communion is completeness of that relationship between Christian individuals and groups which is known as communion. ... The ELCA The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Washington DC is the National Cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The United Methodist Church is in full communion with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Moravian Church. The Bitchy Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church, is a Christian denomination founded by Bishop Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816. ... History The African Methodist Episcopal Zion church, or AME Zion Church, was officially formed in 1848, but operated for a number years before then. ... The Christian Methodist Epsicopal Church is a historically black denomination within the broader context of Methodism. ... The Moravian churches form a modern, mainline Protestant denomination with a religious heritage that began in 15th-century Bohemia, Czech Republic. ...

See also

• Category:Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Methodist Church
• Category:Bishops of the United Methodist Church
• Connectionalism
• List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church
• List of Methodist theologians
• Lay speaker
• Order of St. Luke
• Social Creed (Methodist)
• UMCOR
• The Upper Room (Christianity)
• Wesley Foundation

Connectionalism is the theological understanding and foundation of Methodist polity. ... Bishops of the United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations, in order of their election to the Episcopacy, both living and dead. ... Proto-Methodist theologians Jacobus Arminius Hugo Grotius 18th century John Wesley Charles Wesley John Fletcher 19th century Adam Clarke Richard Watson Wilbur Fisk Nathan Bangs Hugh Price Hughes William Burt Pope John Miley Borden Parker Bowne 20th century Edgar S. Brightman E. Stanley Jones Albert C. Knudson Edwin Lewis H... A lay speaker is a position in the United Methodist Church for the laity. ... The Order of Saint Luke is a religious order in the United Methodist Church dedicated to sacramental and liturgical scholarship, education, and practice. ... The American Methodist Episcopal Church was the first denomination in Christendom to adopt an official Social Creed. ... The United Methodist Committee on Relief, often referred to as UMCOR, is one of the most prominent emergency relief agencies in the world. ... This refers to the arm of the United Methodist Church. ... A Wesley Foundation is a campus ministry sponsored in full or in part by the United Methodist Church on a non-church owned and operated campus. ...

External links

• Official website
• General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA)
• The General Board of Church and Society (GBCS)
• General Board of Discipleship (GBOD)
• Division on Ministries with Young People (DMYP
• The Upper Room
• The General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM)
• The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
• Women's Division
• United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM)
• General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM)
• General Commission on United Methodist Men (GCUMM)
• National Association of United Methodist Scouters
• General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR)
• General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (GCCUIC)
• General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW)
• United Methodist Communications (UMCom)

* "The Cross and Flame [insignia] is used with permission. The Cross and Flame is a registered trademark and the use is supervised by the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church. Permission to use the Cross and Flame must be obtained from the GCFA, Legal Department, 1200 Davis Street, Evanston, Illinois 60201." (See the original e-mail.) Image File history File links Umclogo. ... The Bass Red Triangle, was the first trademark registered in Britain in 1876. ... Incorporated City in 1872. ... Image File history File links Umclogo. ...