United Methodist Church and Babtism and Being Born Again

United Methodist Church

United Methodist Church logo Cross and flame
Classification	Protestant
Orientation	Mainline[ane] [2] [3]
Polity	Episcopal (Connectionalism)
Associations	Churches Uniting in Christ, Christian Churches Together, National Council of Churches, World Quango of Churches, World Methodist Council
Geographical expanse	Worldwide: divided into 122 Almanac/Central Conferences,[four] and 69 Episcopal Areas[4]
Origin	1968 Dallas, Texas
Merge of	The Methodist Church building and the Evangelical United Brethren Church
Congregations	41,826[4]
Members	worldwide: 12 million (8.0 million in the United States;[4] iii.5 1000000 in Africa, Asia, and Europe)[4]
Official Website	umc.org

The United Methodist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination. Its theological traditions are richly steeped in Wesleyanism ^[5] and Anglicanism. The founder, John Wesley, and several others who joined him in forming Methodism were Anglican clergymen.

The UMC is a global church building with a presence in most 130 countries.^[6] Every bit of 2007, worldwide membership was about 12 million members: 8.0 million in the United States,^[7] 3.5 million in Africa, Asia, and Europe.^[8] In the Us, it ranks as the largest mainline church building, 2d largest Protestant church building (after the Southern Baptist Convention), and third largest Christian Church overall. The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist denomination in the earth. It has both mainline and evangelical elements.^{[ii] [ix]} Information technology is a member church building of the Globe Council of Churches, the Globe Methodist Council, and other religious associations.

Contents

• one Origins and history
• 2 Beliefs
  • ii.ane Distinctive Wesleyan emphases
  • 2.2 Characterization of Wesleyan theology
  • 2.3 Saints in the United Methodist Church
  • 2.four Diverseness within Methodist beliefs
  • ii.five Social bug
    • two.5.i Ballgame
    • two.5.two Alcohol
    • ii.5.three Majuscule punishment
    • ii.5.iv Gambling
    • 2.5.5 Homosexuality
    • two.5.half dozen Armed forces service
    • 2.5.7 State of war
• 3 Worship and liturgy
• 4 Arrangement
  • iv.one Governance
  • 4.two General Briefing
  • 4.three Jurisdictional and Key Conferences
  • 4.4 Judicial Council
  • 4.5 Annual Conference
  • 4.six Districts
  • iv.7 Authoritative offices
• 5 Clergy
• half dozen Laity
• seven Ecumenical relations
• 8 References
• ix See also
• 10 External links

Origins and history

The Methodist Church began in the mid-1700'south equally a motion within the Church building of England. A small group of students formed a group on the Oxford Academy campus. The group included John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield and focused on Bible study, methodical study of scripture and living a holy life. Other students mocked the group by calling information technology the "Holy Club." They besides mocked them past calling them "the Methodists" for existence overly legalistic and exceptionally detailed with their Bible written report, opinions, and lifestyle. Eventually the Methodists started individual societies or classes for members of the Church of England that wanted to live a more sacred life.

In 1735, the Wesley brothers went to the US to preach the gospel to the Indians in Georgia. Inside two years the "Holy Club" had disbanded. Wesley returned to England and met with a core grouping of preachers whom he held in high regard. He wrote that "they appeared to be of one center, as well as of one judgment, resolved to exist Bible-Christians at all events; and, wherever they were, to preach with all their might patently, sometime, Bible Christianity." These ministers connected their affiliation with the Church of England. Concurrently, they began to be convinced of biblical truths that were not then pop among Anglicans. Some of their convictions became that "past grace nosotros are saved through faith, and that justification past faith was the doctrine of the Church likewise every bit of the Bible. As soon as they came to these conclusions, they preached them. Salvation by faith became their standing topic and implied to them three things which they saw as foundational to Christian religion:

1. That men are all, by nature, "expressionless in sin," and, consequently, "children of wrath."
2. That they are "justified past faith lone."
3. That faith produces inward and outward holiness: And these points they insisted on day and night. In a short time they became pop Preachers. The congregations were large wherever they preached. The former name was then revived; and all these gentlemen, with their followers, were entitled Methodists. ^[10]

The first official organization in the United States occurred in Baltimore, Maryland in 1784 with the formation of the Methodist Episcopal Church at the Christmas Conference, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke every bit the leaders.^{[11] [12]}

Though John Wesley originally wanted the Methodists to stay inside the Church of England, the American Revolution decisively separated the Methodists in the Colonies from the life and sacraments of the English state Church. After unsuccessful attempts to have a bishop sent by the Church of England to start a new church in the colonies, Wesley took the extraordinary pace of setting bated fellow priest Thomas Coke as a superintendent (bishop) to organize a separate Methodist Church building in 1784. Along with Coke, Wesley sent a revision of the Anglican Prayerbook and Articles of Religion, all of which were received past the Baltimore Christmas Conference of 1784, which established the new church.

The Lovely Lane Methodist Church is considered the Mother Church of American Methodism.^[13] Information technology grew chop-chop in the immature land every bit information technology employed circuit riders, many of whom were laymen, to travel the mostly rural nation by horseback to preach the Gospel and to plant churches until in that location was scarcely any village in the United States without a Methodist presence. The Methodist Episcopal Church rapidly became the largest Protestant denomination in the state, with 4000 circuit riders by 1844.

In the more than 220 years since 1784, the Methodist Episcopal Church, similar many other Protestant denominations, has seen a number of divisions and mergers. In 1830, the Methodist Protestant Church split up from the Methodist Episcopal Church over the issue of laity having a voice and vote in the administration of the church, insisting that clergy should not be the just ones to take any determination in how the church was to be operated. In 1844, the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church building split into two conferences because of tensions over slavery and the ability of bishops in the denomination.

The ii General Conferences, Methodist Episcopal Church (or northern section) and Methodist Episcopal Church, South remained separate until the 1939 merger of these ii denominations plus a third, the Methodist Protestant Church, the resulting church building being known as The Methodist Church. This uniting conference took place at Showtime Methodist Church of Marion, Indiana. The church edifice is currently the home of Beginning United Methodist Church of Marion, Indiana.

On April 23, 1968, The United Methodist Church was created when The Evangelical United Brethren Church (represented by Bishop Reuben H. Mueller) and The Methodist Church (represented by Bishop Lloyd Christ Wicke) joined hands at the constituting General Conference in Dallas, Texas. With the words,

"Lord of the Church building, nosotros are united in Thee, in Thy Church and at present in The United Methodist Church,"

the new denomination was given birth by the two churches that had distinguished histories and influential ministries in diverse parts of the world.

Combining the personal holiness accent of the evangelical influence in the church with the outreach emphasis from the social gospel proponents has created a combination of practices within The United Methodist Church.

Beliefs

The United Methodist Church seeks to create disciples for Christ through outreach, evangelism, and through seeking holiness through the process of sanctification. With a focus on triune worship, United Methodists seek to bring honor to God by following the model of Jesus Christ, which is made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. The flame in the church logo represents the work of the Holy Spirit in the world, which is seen in believers through spiritual gifts. The two parts of the flame represent the predecessor denominations, the Methodist Church building and the Evangelical United Brethren, and are united at the base of operations symbolizing the 1968 merger.

While many United Methodist congregations operate in the evangelical tradition, others are similar to many mainline Protestant denominations. Although United Methodist beliefs accept evolved over fourth dimension, these beliefs can be traced to the writings of the church's founders, John Wesley and Charles Wesley (Anglican Priests), 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 commencement United Methodist theologian.

The officially established Doctrinal Standards of United Methodism are:

• The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church;^[14]
• The Confession of Faith (United Methodist) of the Evangelical United Brethren Church;^[14]
• The Full general Rules of the Methodist Societies;^[fifteen]
• The Standard Sermons of John Wesley;^[14]
• And John Wesley'due south Explanatory Notes on the New Testament.^[14]

These Doctrinal Standards are constitutionally protected and virtually incommunicable to change or remove.^[14] Other doctrines of the United Methodist Church are found in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church .

The basic beliefs of The United Methodist Church building include:

• Triune God. God is one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).^[16]
• Scripture. The writings in the Old Testament and New Attestation are the inspired word of God.
• Sin. While human being beings were intended to conduct the image of God, all humans are sinners for whom that prototype is distorted. Sin estranges us from God and corrupts human nature such that we cannot heal or salvage ourselves.^[17]
• Salvation through Jesus Christ. God's redeeming love is active to relieve sinners through Jesus' incarnate life and teachings, through his atoning death, his resurrection, his sovereign presence through history, and his promised return.^[eighteen]
• Sacraments. The UMC recognizes merely two sacraments: Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. Other rites such equally Confirmation, Ordination, Holy Union, Funerals, and Anointing of the Sick are performed but are non considered sacraments. In Holy Baptism, the Church building believes that "Baptism is non only a sign of profession and mark of deviation whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; only it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth.^[19] It believes that Baptism is a sacrament in which God initiates a covenant with individuals,^[20] people become a part of the Church,^[20] is non to exist repeated,^[20] and is a means of grace.^[21] The United Methodist Church generally practices Baptism by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion^[22] and recognizes Trinitarian formula ^[23] baptisms from other Christian denominations in skilful standing.^[24] The United Methodist Church building affirms the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion,^[25] (the bread is an effectual sign of His body crucified on the cross and the cup is an effectual sign of His claret shed for humanity),^[26] believes that the celebration is an anamnesis of Jesus' decease,^[27] believes the sacrament to be a means of grace,^[28] and practices open communion.^[29]

• Inclusivity. The UMC includes and welcomes people of all races, cultures, and ages.
• Free volition. The UMC believes that people, while corrupted by sin, are gratuitous to brand their ain choices because of God's divine grace.
• Grace. The UMC believes that God gives unmerited favor freely to all people, though information technology may be resisted.

The United Methodist Church recognizes the historic ecumenical creeds,^[xxx] the Campaigner's Creed ^[31] and the Nicene Creed;^[32] they are used frequently in services of worship.^[33] The Volume of Discipline also recognizes the importance of the Chalcedonian Creed of the Council of Chalcedon.^[34]

Distinctive Wesleyan emphases

File:Church building in 1999.jpg

Photograph of Start United Methodist Church building in Tahlequah, Oklahoma (1999)

The key emphasis of Wesley's theology relates to how Divine grace operates inside the individual. Wesley divers the Way of Salvation as the performance of grace in at least iii parts: Prevenient Grace, Justifying Grace, and Sanctifying Grace.

Prevenient grace, or the grace that "goes before" us, is given to all people. It is that power which enables us to love and motivates u.s. to seek a human relationship with God through Jesus Christ.^[35] This grace is the present piece of work of God to turn us from our sin-corrupted human volition to the loving will of the Male parent. In this piece of work, God desires that we might sense both our sinfulness earlier God and God'southward offering of salvation. Prevenient grace allows those tainted by sin to nevertheless make a truly free choice to accept or reject God'due south salvation in Christ.^[35]

Justifying Grace or Accepting Grace^[35] is that grace, offered by God to all people, that we receive by religion and trust in Christ, through which God pardons the believer of sin. It is in justifying grace nosotros are received past God, in spite of our sin. In this reception, nosotros are forgiven through the apologetic work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The justifying grace cancels our guilt and empowers united states of america to resist the power of sin and to fully love God and neighbor. Today, justifying grace is also known every bit conversion, "accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior," or beingness "born once again."^{[35] [36]} John Wesley originally chosen this experience the New Birth.^[37] This feel can occur in dissimilar means; it can be 1 transforming moment, such every bit an altar phone call experience,^[38] or it may involve a series of decisions across a period of time.^[39]

Sanctifying Grace is that grace of God which sustains the believers in the journey toward Christian Perfection: a genuine love of God with heart, soul, heed, and strength, and a 18-carat dearest of our neighbors equally ourselves. Sanctifying grace enables us to respond to God past 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. Furthermore, God's prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace interact dynamically in the lives of Christians from birth to death.

For Wesley, good works were the fruit of one's salvation, not the way in which that salvation was earned. Faith and expert works go hand in manus in Methodist theology: a living tree naturally and inevitably bears fruit. Wesleyan theology rejects the doctrine of eternal security, believing that conservancy can be rejected.^[40] Wesley emphasized that believers must continue to grow in their relationship with Christ, through the process of Sanctification.

A key outgrowth of this theology is the United Methodist dedication non only to the Evangelical Gospel of repentance and a personal relationship with God, just also to the Social Gospel and a commitment to social justice issues that accept included abolition, women's suffrage, labor rights, civil rights, and ministry to the poor. Thus, Wesleyan theology is sometimes characterized every bit "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 do. It has been characterized by Arminian theology with an accent on the work of the Holy Spirit to bring holiness into the life of the participating believer. The United Methodist Church believes in prima scriptura, seeing the Holy Bible every bit the main authority in the Church and using tradition, reason, and experience to interpret information technology, with the aid of the Holy Spirit (see Wesleyan Quadrilateral).^[41] Today, the UMC is by and large considered i 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.

Saints in the United Methodist Church

The United Methodist Church believes that "saints" are those who accept lived a life of Christian faith and example and have gone on to become a office of the church building triumphant or "Cloud of Witnesses."

The Church of England, an historical predecessor to the United Methodist Church, believes that a "Saint" can be a martyr, confessor, evangelist, or an of import biblical figure whose life is to be imitated (meet 1 Cor. xi:1). Methodists practice not take a process for canonizing Saints and do non practice the veneration or patronage of Saints. Article XIV of The United Methodist Manufactures of Religion yields further insight on the denominational stance of Saints,

"

"--Of Purgatory-- The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshiping, and admiration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond affair, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God.[42]"

"

Diverseness inside Methodist beliefs

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

The United Methodist Church allows for a wide range of theological and political behavior. For example, Republican onetime President George W. Bush-league is United Methodist and Republican erstwhile Vice President Dick Cheney attends a United Methodist Church building. In addition, Democratic Secretary of Land Hillary Clinton and former Senator Max Cleland are also United Methodists. Many practicing United Methodists believe this flexibility is one of the UMC's strongest qualities.

Part of a serial on Methodism
John Wesley	George Whitefield
Background Christianity Protestantism Pietism Anglicanism Arminianism Calvinism	Doctrinal distinctives Manufactures of Religion Prevenient Grace Governmental Atonement Imparted righteousness Christian perfection
People Richard Allen Francis Asbury Thomas Coke Albert C. Outler James Varick Charles Wesley Bishops Theologians	Largest groups Earth Methodist Quango United Methodist Church AME Church AME Zion Church Church building of the Nazarene British Methodist Church building CME Church Uniting Church building in Commonwealth of australia
Related movements Holiness motion Salvation Army Personalism Pentecostalism	This box: view talk edit

Abortion

Primary article: Christianity and abortion#Methodist_Church

The United Methodist Church upholds the sanctity of unborn human life and is reluctant to assert ballgame as an acceptable practice, except when the life of the female parent is threatened. Farther, the UMC condemns the use of belatedly-term or partial nascency ballgame, except if the life of the mother is in jeopardy.^[43] In addition, it is committed to "assist the ministry building of crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women find feasible alternatives to abortion;"^[44] however, the Church recognizes the right of the mother to choose later proper consideration of all options with medical, pastoral and other counsel.^[43]

Booze

Historically, the Methodist Church has supported the temperance movement.^[45] John Wesley warned confronting the dangers of drinking in his famous sermon "The Utilise of Money"^[46] and in his letter to an alcoholic.^[47] At one time, Methodist ministers had to take a pledge non to drink and encouraged their congregations to practice the same.^[48] Today, the United Methodist Church states that information technology "affirms our long-standing support of abstinence from booze equally a faithful witness to God's liberating and redeeming honey for persons."^[49] In fact, the United Methodist Church uses unfermented grape juice in the sacrament of Holy Communion, thus "expressing pastoral concern for recovering alcoholics, enabling the participation of children and youth, and supporting the church building'southward witness of abstinence."^[l]

Majuscule punishment

The United Methodist Church, along with other Methodist churches, also condemns capital punishment, saying that information technology cannot accept retribution or social vengeance equally a reason for taking homo life.^[51] The Church building also holds that the capital punishment falls unfairly and unequally upon marginalized persons including the poor, the uneducated, indigenous and religious minorities, and persons with mental and emotional illnesses.^[52] The United Methodist Church too believes that Jesus explicitly repudiated the lex talionis in Matthew 5:38-39 and abolished the death penalty in John eight:7.^[51] The General Conference of the United Methodist Church calls for its bishops to uphold opposition to capital punishment and for governments to enact an immediate moratorium on carrying out the expiry penalty sentence.

Gambling

The United Methodist Church building opposes gambling, believing that it is a sin which feeds on human greed and invites people to identify their trust in possessions, rather than in God, who Christians should "love ... with all your centre" (Mark 12:29-30).^[53] It quotes the Apostle Paul who states that:

"

9But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy vi:9-10a NRSV)[54]

"

The United Methodist Church therefore holds that:

• Gambling is a menace to society, mortiferous to the best interests of moral, social, economical, and spiritual life, and subversive of skilful government. As an human activity of faith and business, Christians should abstain from gambling and should strive to minister to those victimized past the do.^[53]
• Where gambling has become addictive, the Church building will encourage such individuals to receive therapeutic help so that the individual's energies may be redirected into positive and constructive ends.^[53]
• The Church should promote standards and personal lifestyles that would brand unnecessary and undesirable the resort to commercial gambling—including public lotteries—equally a recreation, as an escape, or every bit a means of producing public revenue or funds for support of charities or government.^[53]

Homosexuality

Principal article: Homosexuality and Methodism

Run into also: List of Christian denominational positions on homosexuality#Methodism

The United Methodist Church building maintains that "all persons are individuals of sacred worth...," and encourages United Methodists to be in ministry building with and for all people.^[55]

In accordance with its view of Scripture,^[56] the Church officially considers, "the practice of homosexuality (to be) incompatible with Christian teaching." Information technology states that "cocky-avowed practicing homosexuals" cannot be ordained as ministers, and supports "…laws in civil social club that define marriage as the spousal relationship of one man and one woman."^{[55] [57]}

In addition, the United Methodist Church prohibits the celebration of aforementioned-sex activity unions ^[55]. Rev. Jimmy Creech was defrocked afterwards a highly publicized church trial in 1999 in response to his participation in same-sex union ceremonies.^[58]. It forbids any United Methodist board, agency, committee, commission, or council to give United Methodist funds to whatever gay organisation or grouping, or otherwise utilize such funds to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.^[55]

In 1987, a United Methodist church court in New Hampshire defrocked Methodist minister Rose Mary Denman for being openly gay.^[59] In 2005, clergy credentials were removed from Irene Elizabeth Stroud later on she was convicted in a church trial of violating Church building law by engaging in a lesbian relationship; this confidence was later upheld by the Church building Judicial Council, the highest court in the denomination.^[60] The Judicial Council also affirmed that a Virginia pastor had the right to deny local church membership to an openly gay man. This affirmation, still, was based upon a senior pastor's right to guess the readiness of a congregant to bring together as a full fellow member of the church. ^[61]

Military service

According to The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church building,

"

"The United Methodist Church calls upon all who choose to accept up artillery or who gild others to practise so to evaluate their actions in accordance with historic church teaching limiting resort to war, including questions of proportionality, legal authority, discrimination betwixt combatants and noncombatants, just cause, and probability of success....[62]

"

The United Methodist Church opposes conscription equally incompatible with the Gospel message.^[63] Therefore, the Church supports and extends its ministry to those persons who conscientiously oppose all war, or whatsoever detail war, and who therefore refuse to serve in the armed forces or to cooperate with systems of military conscription. Still, the United Methodist Church also supports and extends its ministry to those persons who conscientiously choose to serve in the armed forces or to accept culling service. The church also states that "every bit Christians they are enlightened that neither the way of military action, nor the mode of inaction is always righteous before God."^[63]

War

The United Methodist Church building believes state of war is incompatible with the teachings of Christ. Therefore, the Church building rejects state of war as an instrument of national foreign policy, to be employed simply as a last resort in the prevention of such evils every bit genocide, brutal suppression of human rights, and unprovoked international aggression.^[64] It insists that the outset moral duty of all nations is to resolve by peaceful ways every dispute that arises between or among them; that man values must outweigh war machine claims as governments determine their priorities; that the militarization of society must exist challenged and stopped; that the manufacture, sale, and deployment of armaments must be reduced and controlled; and that the production, possession, or use of nuclear weapons be condemned. Consequently, The United Methodist Church endorses general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.^[64]

Worship and liturgy

The United Methodist Church building includes a diverseness of approaches to public worship. John Wesley wrote that

"

"at that place is no Liturgy in the world, either in aboriginal or modernistic language, which breathes more of a solid, scriptural, rational piety, than the Mutual Prayer of the Church building of England."[65]

"

When the Methodists in America were separated from the Church of England, John Wesley himself provided a revised version of The Volume of Common Prayer called the Sunday Service of the Methodists in the United States of America. Wesley'southward Sunday Service has shaped the official liturgies of the Methodists e'er since.

Today, The United Methodist Church has official liturgies for services of Holy Communion, baptism, weddings, funerals, ordination, anointing of the sick, and daily office prayer services, as well as special services for holy days such as All Saints Solar day, Ash Midweek, Maundy Th, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil. These services (traditionally called "the ritual") are independent in The United Methodist Hymnal and The United Methodist Volume of Worship.^[66] In virtually cases these liturgies are derived from the Anglican tradition's Volume of Mutual Prayer. Many congregations are highly liturgical and follow these official services quite closely. However the United Methodist Church does let flexibility in the use of the official services and many Churches utilise only parts of them in their regular worship activities and some congregations rarely use them at all. In most cases, congregations also use other elements ordinarily associated with liturgical worship such every bit candles, a pulpit robe or other vestments on the minister, paraments on the altar-table, banners, liturgical art, the Apostles' Creed, and post-obit the Christian Calendar. Like the Anglicans, the United Methodist Church also believes in rememebering the saints.

Since the days of Charles Wesley, the great hymn-author and early Methodist leader, lively singing has been, and remains, an important aspect of United Methodist worship.

Many United Methodist Congregations have adopted more contemporary styles of music and audio-visual applied science into their worship services as well, though virtually of these churches also offer more than traditional styles, or experiment with ways of incorporating both ancient and gimmicky elements into their worship. Some churches, for example, use contemporary musical styles in what is otherwise a very traditional liturgy.

Listening to the reading of Scripture and a sermon based upon the Biblical text is most e'er included in United Methodist worship. Many United Methodist churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary for their Sunday Bible readings.

Many churches include a fourth dimension or response or a prayer time in which people may share concerns or pray with ministers. This fourth dimension of response may include celebrations of baptism or confirmation or profession of religion.^[67]

Many congregations also celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion on a weekly basis, as John Wesley himself encouraged his followers to practice,^[68] though a number of congregations celebrate the sacrament only monthly. In adopting the statement on Holy Communion entitled This Holy Mystery in 2004, the General Conference of the Church building urged congregations to move toward weekly celebration of communion and to use the official liturgies of the church when doing so.^[69]

Organisation

Part of a series on United Methodism

John Wesley

Background Christianity · Protestantism Anglicanism · Wesleyanism · Methodism Evangelicalism · Pietism · Arminianism Reformed · Brethren · Mennonite

Doctrinal distinctives Manufactures of Religion Prevenient grace Governmental Atonement Imparted righteousness Christian perfection Conditional preservation of the saints

People John Wesley · Charles Wesley Francis Asbury · Thomas Coke Jacob Albright · Philip Otterbein Martin Boehm · Albert Outler Bishops · Theologians

Predecessor groups The Methodist Church Evangelical United Brethren Church Methodist Episcopal Church Methodist Episcopal Church, South Methodist Protestant Church building Evangelical Association Church of the United Brethren in Christ

Leadership local pastors · deacons · elders district superintendents · bishops General conference Legislative Committees

Related movements Holiness movement Conservancy Army Personalism Pentecostalism

Governance

The church is decentralized with the General Conference being the official governing torso. However, administratively the church has a governing construction that is similar to that of the United States government:

• General Briefing - The legislative branch that makes all decisions equally to doctrine and polity.
• Council of Bishops - The executive branch consisting of all active and retired bishops that meets twice a year. According to the Volume of Subject 2000, "The Church expects the Quango of Bishops to speak to the Church building and from the Church to the world, and to give leadership in the quest for Christian unity and interreligious relationships."^[lxx] The council is presided over by a President who serves a 2-year term. The President has no official authority across presiding. Administrative work is handled by the secretary of the council.^[71]
• Judicial Council - The judicial co-operative consisting of 9 persons elected by the General Briefing to rule on questions of constitutionality in church building law and practice.^[72]

General Conference

The United Methodist Church is organized into conferences. The highest level is called the Full general Briefing and is the only organization which may speak officially for the church. The General Briefing meets every four years (quadrennium). Legislative changes are recorded in The Book of Subject area which is revised later each General Briefing. Non-legislative resolutions are recorded in the Volume of Resolutions, which is published subsequently each General Conference, and expire afterward viii years unless passed once again by a subsequent session of General Briefing. The last General Conference was held in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2008. The side by side General Conference will exist April 25-May four, 2012 in Tampa, Florida.^[73] The event is currently rotated between the U.S. jurisdictions of the church building. If the system is not inverse beforehand, the 2016 General Conference would be in the W, which has non hosted since Denver, Colorado in 1996. Bishops, Councils, Committees, Boards, Elders, etc., are non permitted to speak on behalf of The United Methodist Church as this authority is reserved solely for the Full general Conference in accordance with the Book of Discipline.

The plenary session is presided over past an active bishop who has been selected past committee of delegates to the Conference. It is not uncommon for unlike bishops to preside on dissimilar days. The presiding officer normally is accompanied by parliamentarians. ^[74]

Jurisdictional and Central Conferences

Subordinate to the General Conference are Jurisdictional and Key Conferences which also meet every four years. The U.s. is divided into v jurisdictions: Northeastern, Southeastern, North Central, Due south Key and Western. Outside the United States the church is divided into seven central conferences: Africa, Congo, Westward Africa, Key & Southern Europe, Deutschland, 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 .

Decisions in between the iv-yr meetings are made by the Mission Council (usually consisting of church bishops). One of the most high profile decisions in contempo years by one of the Councils was a decision by the Mission Quango of the South Fundamental Jurisdiction which in March 2007 canonical a 99-year lease of 36 acres (150,000 grand²) at Southern Methodist Academy for the George Westward. Bush Presidential Library. The decision generated controversy in light of the Bush-league's support of the Iraq State of war which the church building bishops have criticized.^[75] A fence over whether the decision should or could exist submitted for approval past the Southern Jurisdictional Briefing at its July 2008 meeting in Dallas, Texas remains unresolved.^[76]

Judicial Council

The Judicial Council is the highest courtroom in the denomination. It consists of nine members, both laity and clergy, elected by the Full general Conference for an eight year term. The ratio of laity to clergy alternates every iv years.^[77] The Judicial Council interprets the Book of Field of study between sessions of Full general Conference, and during General Conference, the Judicial Quango rules on the constitutionality of laws passed by Full general Conference. The Council also determines whether actions of local churches, annual conferences, church building agencies, and bishops are in accord with church law. The Council reviews all decisions of law fabricated by bishops^[78] The Judicial Council cannot create whatsoever legislation; it can only translate existing legislation. The Council meets twice a year at various locations throughout the world. The Judicial Council also hears appeals from those who have been accused of chargeable offenses that can result in defrocking or revocation of membership.

Annual Conference

The Annual Briefing , roughly the equivalent of a diocese in the Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church building or a synod in some Lutheran denominations such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is the basic unit of organization within the UMC. The term Annual Conference is often used to refer to the geographical area it covers likewise as the frequency of coming together. Clergy are members of their Almanac Conference rather than of any local congregation, and are appointed to a local church or other charge annually by the briefing'southward Resident Bishop at the meeting of the Almanac Briefing. In many ways, the United Methodist Church operates in a connectional system of the Annual Conferences, and deportment taken by one briefing are non binding upon another.

Districts

Annual conferences are further divided into Districts, each served past a District Superintendent . The district superintendents are also appointed annually from the ordained elders of the Annual Briefing past the bishop. District superintendents, upon completion of their service every bit superintendent, routinely render to serving local congregations. The Annual Conference cabinet is composed of the resident bishop and the district superintendents.

Administrative offices

Interchurch Center in New York City, headquarters of the GBGM, GCCUIC and UMCOR

There is no official headquarters of church although many of its biggest administrative offices are in Nashville, Tennessee and are physically located near Vanderbilt University (which has historic Methodist ties simply is no longer associated with the church).

While the Full general Briefing is the only organisation that can officially speak for The United Methodist Church as a whole, there are 13 agencies, boards and commissions of the general church. These organizations accost specific topic areas of denomination-wide concern with administrative offices throughout the United States.^[79]

• General Council on Finance and Assistants (Nashville) (GCFA)
• General Boards of Alimony and Wellness Benefits (Evanston, Illinois) (GBOPHB)
• General Lath of Church and Lodge (Washington, DC) (GBCS)
• Full general Board of Discipleship (Nashville) (GBOD)
• General Lath of Global Ministries (New York City) (GBGM)
• General Board of Higher Didactics and Ministry (Nashville) (GBHEM)
• General Commission on Archives and History (Madison, New Bailiwick of jersey) (GCAH)
• General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (New York City) (GCCUIC)
• General Commission on Organized religion and Race (Washington, DC) (GCORR)
• General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (Chicago) (GCSRW)
• General Commission on United Methodist Men (Nashville) (GCUMM)
• United Methodist Communications (Nashville) (UMCom)
• United Methodist Publishing House (Nashville) (UMPH)

Clergy

The beginning Methodist clergy were ordained by John Wesley, a minister in the Church of England, because of the crisis caused by the American Revolution which isolated the Methodists in the states from the Church of England and its sacraments. Today, the clergy includes men and women who are ordained past Bishops as Elders and Deacons and are appointed to various ministries. Elders in the United Methodist Church (UMC) are function of what is chosen the itinerating ministry and are subject field to the say-so and appointment of their bishops. They generally serve equally pastors at local congregations. Deacons brand up a serving ministry and may serve as musicians, liturgists, educators, business administrators, and a number of other ministries. Elders and deacons are required to obtain master'due south degrees (generally an Yard.Div.), or other equivalent degrees, before commissioning then ultimately ordination. Elders in full connection are each a member of their Almanac Briefing Club of Elders. Likewise each Deacon in total connection is a member of their Annual Briefing Club of Deacons. ^[80]

The primary departure betwixt elders and deacons is that elders, in a priestly function, connect the people to God, while deacons, in a retainer leadership part, connect the people of God to service in the earth. In the priestly office, the elder has the authority to preside over the ii sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, while deacons are to assist in the leadership of these sacraments. Elders are itinerant; they are appointed to a identify of leadership at the decision of their bishop. Deacons are likewise appointed to a place of service past the bishop, only they are non itinerant. Deacons cull a place of service and request date from the bishop. Deacons whose main appointment is beyond the local church also have a secondary appointment to a worshiping congregation. (The United Methodist Book of Bailiwick spells out these distinctions.)

The Methodist Church building has immune ordination of women with total rights of clergy since 1956,^[81] based on Galatians 3:28 NRSV:^[82] "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or gratuitous, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."^[54]. The United Methodist Church, forth with other Protestant Churches, holds that when the historical contexts involved are understood a coherent Biblical argument tin be made in favor of women's ordination.^[83]

At the 1996 Full general Conference the ordination gild of transitional deacon was abolished. This created a new club known equally the "commissioned elder." The commissioned elder is a recent seminary graduate who serves three years in a full-time appointment. During this three-twelvemonth probationary period, the commissioned elder is granted sacramental ministry in their local date. This was a change in its theology of ministry building for the United Methodist Church building in the ordering of its ministry. For the first fourth dimension in its history non-ordained pastors became a normal expectation, rather than an extraordinary provision for ministry building.

There is also another clerical nomenclature called the Fellowship of Local Pastors . Elders may minister and celebrate the sacraments in whatever church or any other setting (where invited), while local pastors may but serve in ministry and administer the sacraments in the specific church building to which they are appointed by their bishop; as such, their ministry is oftentimes understood as a direct extension of the ministry of the bishop, for its authority is directly and inseparably linked to it. Local pastors are non required to have advanced degrees but are required to pass licensing courses and examinations before the District Commission on Ministry, and are further required to take yearly classes, which if completed earlier retirement may also lead to ordination equally an Elder. Local Pastors are not ordained. Local Pastors preside over the sacraments in their local appointments.

Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester, Minnesota

All clergy appointments are made and fixed annually by the Resident Bishop on the advice of the Annual Conference Cabinet, which is composed of the Expanse Provost/Dean (if one is appointed) and the several District Superintendents of the Districts of the Annual Briefing. Until the Bishop has read the appointments at the session of the Annual Conference, no appointments are officially fixed. Many Annual Conferences try to avoid making appointment changes 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. Ane contempo survey ended that small church appointments currently average 3 to 4 years, while large church appointments average seven to nine years. Date tenures in extension ministries, such as Campus Ministry building, Missions, Higher Education and other ministries beyond the local church building are often even longer. Across the denomination, longer tenures are becoming more than common.

Another position in the United Methodist Church is that of the lay speaker. Although non considered clergy, lay speakers often preach during services of worship when an ordained elder or deacon is unavailable.^{[84] [85]} At that place are two categories of lay speakers: local church lay speakers,^[86] who serve in and through their local churches, and certified lay speakers, who serve in their ain churches, in other churches, and through district or conference projects and programs.^[86] To be recognized every bit local church lay speakers, they must be recommended by their pastor and Church Council or Charge Conference, and complete the basic course for lay speaking. Each year they must reapply, reporting how they take served and connected to learn during that year.^[86] To be recognized as certified lay speakers, they must be recommended by their pastor and Church Quango or Charge Conference, complete the basic course and ane advanced lay speaking course, and be interviewed past the District or Conference Committee on Lay Speaking. They must report and reapply annually; and they must complete at least 1 advanced course every three years.^[86]

The 2004 General Conference created another class of ministry, the Certified Lay Minister (CLM). CLMs are not considered clergy but instead remain lay members of the United Methodist Church building. They must complete coursework beyond that of Certified Lay Speaker and then tin be assigned to provide pastoral leadership to a church building by the District Superintendent. They exercise not take sacramental say-so; Certified Lay Ministers serve under the supervision of an ordained clergy person who is expected to provide the sacraments to those churches. ^[87]

Laity

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

The United Methodist Church (UMC) practices baby and adult baptism. Baptized Members are those who have been baptized equally an infant or child, only who have non subsequently professed their own organized religion. These Baptized Members go Professing Members through confirmation and sometimes the profession of faith. Individuals who were non previously baptized are baptized every bit role of their profession of organized religion and thus become Professing Members in this manner. Individuals may also become a Professing Member through transfer from another Christian denomination.^[88]

Baptism is a sacrament in the UMC, (while confirmation and profession of faith are not). The Book of Subject area of the United Methodist Church directs the local church to offer membership preparation or confirmation classes to all people, including adults.^[89] The term confirmation is generally reserved for youth, while some variation on membership class is more often than not used for adults wishing to join the church. The Volume of Discipline commonly allows any youth at least completing sixth course to participate, although the pastor has discretionary authority to permit a younger person to participate. In confirmation and membership training classes, students learn about Church and the Methodist-Christian theological tradition in club to profess their ultimate faith in Christ.

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

In a local church, many decisions are made past an administrative board or quango. This council is fabricated up of laity representing diverse other organizations inside the local church building. The elderberry or local pastor sits on the council every bit a voting member.^[90]

Ecumenical relations

According to the United Methodist Book of Subject area, The United Methodist Church is just 1 branch of the Holy Catholic Church. Therefore, The United Methodist Church is agile in ecumenical relations with other denominations, such every bit the Roman Cosmic Church. It is a fellow member of the National Quango of Churches, the World Council of Churches, Churches Uniting in Christ, and Christian Churches Together.

In Apr 2005, the United Methodist Quango of Bishops approved "A Proposal for Interim Eucharistic Sharing." This document is the first footstep toward total communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which the UMC bishops hope volition happen past 2008. The ELCA approved this same document in August 2005.^[91] At the 2008 General Briefing, the United Methodist Church building approved full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.^[92] The ELCA will vote on the event in August 2009.^[93]

The Church is also in dialogue with the Episcopal Church for full communion by 2012.^[94] The two denominations are working on a document chosen "Confessing Our Religion Together."

The United Methodist Church has since 1985 been exploring a possible merger with three historically African-American Methodist denominations: the African Methodist Episcopal Church building, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church building, and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.^[4] A Commission on Pan Methodist Cooperation and Union formed in 2000 to carry out work on such a merger.^[95]

There are also a number of churches such as the Methodist Church in Republic of india (MCI), that are "autonomous affiliated" churches in relation to the United Methodist Church building.^{[96] [97]}

The United Methodist Church (UMC) is besides agile in the World Methodist Council, an interdenominational group composed of various churches in the tradition of John Wesley to promote the Gospel throughout the globe. On July xviii, 2006, delegates to the World Methodist Council voted unanimously to adopt the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification," which was canonical in 1999 by the Vatican and the Lutheran Earth Federation.^{[98] [99]}

References

1. ↑ "Mainline Denominations". The Association of Religion Data Archives. http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/mainline.asp . Retrieved 2007–08–01.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "Is the concept "saved, born-again" unique to evangelicals?". The United Methodist Church. http://www.umc.org/site/apps/ka/ct/contactcustom.asp?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2068577# . Retrieved 2007–03–25. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "UMC-Evangelical" defined multiple times with different content
3. ↑ United Methodists are.... United Methodist Communications. "The United Methodist Church continues its strong evangelical heritage. Inside each congregation is a vital center of biblical study and evangelism - a blending of personal piety and discipleship."
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 iv.2 four.iii 4.4 4.v} "Quick Facts". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=six&mid=2119 . Retrieved 2007–08–01.
5. ↑ United Methodist Church building Spider web site
6. ↑ http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2028601/m.2221/Global_Map.htm
7. ↑ "2007 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches". The National Council of Churches. http://world wide web.ncccusa.org/news/070305yearbook2007.html . Retrieved 2007–08–07.
8. ↑ "Boom in Christianity Reshapes United Methodists". The Christian Post. http://www.christianpost.com/commodity/20070424/27070_Boom_in_Christianity_Reshapes_United_Methodists.htm . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
9. ↑ "Understanding American Evangelicals". Ethics and Public Policy Centre. http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.1943/pub_detail.asp . Retrieved 2007–08–02.
10. ↑ Wesley, John. A Short History of Methodism. Online: http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/Wesley/shorthistory.stm. Accessed 1 May 2009.
11. ↑ "Methodists". The American Religious Experience (West Virginia University). http://are.as.wvu.edu/christv.htm . Retrieved 2007–12–24.
12. ↑ "Origins: Christmas Briefing". Greensboro College. http://www.gborocollege.edu/prescorner/christmas.html . Retrieved 2007–12–24.
13. ↑ "Maryland Historical Trust". Lovely Lane Methodist Church, Baltimore City. Maryland Historical Trust. 2008-11-21. http://world wide web.marylandhistoricaltrust.net/nr/NRDetail.aspx?HDID=171&County=Baltimore%20City&FROM=NRCountyList.aspx?COUNTY=Baltimore%20City.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.ane 14.2 14.3 14.4} "Doctrinal Standards in The United Methodist Church". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1647 . Retrieved 2007–07–05.
15. ↑ "The General Rules of the Methodist Church". The United Methodist Church building. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1658 . Retrieved 2007–07–05.
16. ↑ "The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church: Commodity I—Of Religion in the Holy Trinity". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1817 . Retrieved 2007–08–31.
17. ↑ 2008 Volume of Discipline, paragraph 101, page 43.
18. ↑ 2008 Book of Discipline, paragraph 101, page 43.
19. ↑ "The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church building: Article XVII—Of Baptism". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1651 . Retrieved 2007–08–fifteen.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.one 20.two} "A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism". The United Methodist Church. http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1697379/k.9027/Baptism_Overview.htm . Retrieved 2007–08–15.
21. ↑ "What does The United Methodist Church believe about baptism?". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=ane&mid=1252 . Retrieved 2007–08–15.
22. ↑ "Baptism". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=258&GID=63&GMOD=VWD&GCAT=B . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
23. ↑ "The Sacraments". Thousand Ledge First United Methodist Church. http://www.gbgm-umc.org/glfumc/worship.html . Retrieved 2007–08–15.
24. ↑ "By Water & The Spirit". The United Methodist Church building GBOD. http://www.gbod.org/worship/articles/water_spirit/ . Retrieved 2007–08–xv.
25. ↑ "This Holy Mystery". The United Methodist Church GBOD. http://www.gbod.org/worship/thisholymystery/theologyofsacraments.html . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
26. ↑ "Luke 22:xiv-23 (The Institution of the Lord's Supper)". National Quango of the Churches of Christ in the U.s.. http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=51484279 . Retrieved 2007–08–15.
27. ↑ "Communion: Overview". The United Methodist Church building. http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2247711/k.C611/Communion_Overview.htm . Retrieved 2007–08–fifteen.
28. ↑ "The Means of Grace past John Wesley". The United Methodist Church building GBOD. http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/serm-016.stm . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
29. ↑ "Our Christian Roots". The United Methodist Church. http://world wide web.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2299859/g.13B7/Our_Christian_Roots.htm . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
30. ↑ "Our Common Heritage as Christians". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1806 . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
31. ↑ "The Apostles' Creed". The United Methodist Church building GBGM. http://gbgm-umc.org/UMW/bible/apcreed.html . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
32. ↑ "The Nicene Creed". The United Methodist Church GBGM. http://gbgm-umc.org/UMW/BIBLE/ncreed.html . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
33. ↑ "Is the United Methodist Church building a Creedal Church building? past Thousand. Richard Jansen". Colorado State Academy. http://lamar.colostate.edu/~grjan/methodist_creedal_church.html . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
34. ↑ 2008 Book of Discipline para. 101, page 42
35. ↑ ^{35.0 35.1 35.ii 35.3} "God's Preparing, Accepting, and Sustaining Grace". The United Methodist Church GBGM. http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/walk.stm . Retrieved 2007–08–02.
36. ↑ "Statement of Conventionalities". Cambridge Christ United Methodist Church. http://www.cambridgechristumc.com/statementofbelief.htm . Retrieved 2007–08–02.
37. ↑ "The New Birth past John Wesley (Sermon 45)". The United Methodist Church GBGM. http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/45/ . Retrieved 2007–08–02.
38. ↑ "Altar Call". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=258&GID=349&GMOD=VWD&GCAT=A . Retrieved 2007–08–02.
39. ↑ "Quotes by various Methodist Bishops and Leaders of the Past". The Independent Methodist Arminian Resource Eye. http://www.imarc.cc/buletins/methodistq.html . Retrieved 2007–08–02.
40. ↑ "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism". Routledge. http://books.google.com/books?id=h_OvkrxWzFUC&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=salvation+can+be+lost+methodist&source=web&ots=JAi_Dw5UE-&sig=PvKcDnmSU_QuB4tuKTMn54Foh7A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result . Retrieved 2009–01–04.
41. ↑ "Wesleyan Quadrilateral". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=258&GID=312&GMOD=VWD&GCAT=W . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
42. ↑ The United Methodist volume of Discipline, 2008.
43. ↑ ^{43.0 43.1} "Abortion". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1732 . Retrieved 2007–06–08. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "UMC - Ballgame" defined multiple times with different content
44. ↑ "United Methodist Church building Continues to Become More than Pro-Life". National Right to Life. http://www.nrlc.org/news/2008/NRL06/Methodists.html . Retrieved 2009–01–04.
45. ↑ "200 Years of United Methodism: An Illustrated History". Drew Academy. http://oldwww.drew.edu/books/200Years/part2/033.htm . Retrieved 2007–07–07.
46. ↑ "The Use of Money by John Wesley". The United Methodist Church building GBGM. http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/fifty/ . Retrieved 2007–07–07.
47. ↑ "John Wesley and His Challenge to Alcoholism" (PDF). Wesley Heritage Foundation. http://www.wesleyheritagefoundation.org/manufactures/Alcoholism.pdf . Retrieved 2007–07–07.
48. ↑ "The Methodist Church: Alcohol and gambling". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/methodist_3.shtml . Retrieved 2007–07–07.
49. ↑ "Alcohol and Other Drugs". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1755 . Retrieved 2007–07–07.
50. ↑ "Why do most Methodist churches serve grape juice instead of wine for Holy Communion?". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=one&mid=1339 . Retrieved 2007–07–07.
51. ↑ ^{51.0 51.1} "Capital punishment". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior_print.asp?ptid=four&mid=1070 . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
52. ↑ "Official church statements on death sentence". The United Methodist Church building. http://athenaeum.umc.org/umns/news_archive2003.asp?story=%7B6C69E3F8-5173-4737-A8D2-AC0EF8564777%7D&mid=2406 . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
53. ↑ ^{53.0 53.ane 53.two 53.3} "Gambling". The United Methodist Church. http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1691605/chiliad.A8EB/Gambling_Overview.htm . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
54. ↑ ^{54.0 54.1} "i Timothy half-dozen:9-10a". National Council of the Churches of Christ in the Usa of America. http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=49718087 . Retrieved 2007–06–24. Cite fault: Invalid <ref> tag; proper noun "Oremus Bible Browser" defined multiple times with different content
55. ↑ ^{55.0 55.1 55.ii 55.3} "What is the denomination'due south position on homosexuality?". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1324 . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
56. ↑ "Romans 1:26-27". National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.s.a.. http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=65483805 . Retrieved 2007–12–24.
57. ↑ Book of Discipline 2004, "Social Principles"
58. ↑ Jimmy Creech and Covenant Services in the United Methodist Church building
59. ↑ "United Methodists Move to Defrock Lesbian". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/03/national/03trial.html?ex=1259730000&en=2bf3ceb5ddafc10e&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland . Retrieved 2007–07–12.
60. ↑ "United Methodist Church building (UMC): The trial of Irene Elizabeth Stroud". Religious Tolerance. http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_umc10.htm . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
61. ↑ "Judicial Council denies reconsideration of ii decisions". The United Methodist News Service (UMNS). http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.1613597/grand.C9D6/Judicial_Council_denies_reconsideration_of_two_decisions.htm . Retrieved 2007–12–24.
62. ↑ "What is The United Methodist Church's position on just war?". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1410 . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
63. ↑ ^{63.0 63.ane} "Military Service". The United Methodist Church. http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=one&mid=1830 . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
64. ↑ ^{64.0 64.1} "State of war and Peace". The United Methodist Church. http://karchives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1834 . Retrieved 2007–06–24.
65. ↑ Works of John Wesley, vol. Xvi, folio 304
66. ↑ 2008 Book of Subject field paragraph 1114.3
67. ↑ The United Methodist Hymnal page 7
68. ↑ in his sermon "The Duty of Constant Communion" online at http://wesley.nnu.edu/john_wesley/sermons/101.htm retrieved Jan 21, 2009
69. ↑ "This Holy Mystery" online at http://archives.umc.org/frames.asp?url=http%3A//gbod.org/worship/thisholymystery/default.html retrieved on Jan 21st, 2009
70. ↑ Council of Bishops - umc.or - Retrieved Feb 3, 2008
71. ↑ Introduction to the Quango of Bishops - umc.org - Retrieved February 3, 2008
72. ↑ Judicial Council- umc.org - Retrieved February 3, 2008
73. ↑ 2012 United Methodist Full general Conference moved to Tampa
74. ↑ General Briefing 101: All y'all ever wanted to know - umc.org - Retrieved Feb 3, 2008
75. ↑ Bishop criticizes printing, White House on Iraq - bishops.umc.org - Retrieved February 3, 2008
76. ↑ Bush-league library opponents question process for approval - wfn.org - February one, 2008
77. ↑ First United Methodist Church building
78. ↑ Rules of Practice and Process
79. ↑ General Agencies - umc.org - Retrieved Feb 3, 2008
80. ↑ The United Methodist Book of Discipline, 2008
81. ↑ "Women as clergy". Religious Tolerance. http://world wide web.religioustolerance.org/femclrg13.htm . Retrieved 2007–03–19.
82. ↑ "Why Do United Methodists Ordain Women When the Bible Specifically Prohibits it?". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1090 . Retrieved 2007–03–xix.
83. ↑ http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Women_Service_Church.htm
84. ↑ "Lay Speaking Ministries and The Book of Discipline". The United Methodist Church building LSM. http://www.layspeakingministries.org/BOD.html . Retrieved 2007–08–01.
85. ↑ "A History of the Function of Lay Speaker in United Methodism" (PDF). The United Methodist Church building GBOD. http://www.gbod.org/laity/lay_speaking/history/lshist.pdf . Retrieved 2007–08–01.
86. ↑ ^{86.0 86.1 86.2 86.3} "Lay Speaking Ministry in the United Methodist Church" (PDF). The United Methodist Church GBOD. http://www.gbod.org/laity/lay_speaking/lsm03.pdf . Retrieved 2007–08–01.
87. ↑ "The Certified Lay Minister" (PDF). The United Methodist Church GBOD. http://world wide web.gbod.org/laity/certlaymin.pdf . Retrieved 2008–04–29.
88. ↑ The United Methodist Volume of Field of study, 2004 para. 225.
89. ↑ The United Methodist Book of Discipline, 2004 para. 216a&b.
90. ↑ The United Methodist Book of Discipline, 2004, para. 252k.
91. ↑ "Lutheran - United Methodist Dialogue". Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. http://www.elca.org/ecumenical/ecumenicaldialogue/unitedmethodist/index.html . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
92. ↑ "Methodists yes to full communion with Lutherans; no on gay change". Ecumenical News International. http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=1867 . Retrieved 2007–05–16.
93. ↑ "UMC, ELCA conclude dialogue, look toward votes". The United Methodist Church. http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2072519&ct=4945313 . Retrieved 2007–05–16.
94. ↑ "Quango approves interim pacts with Episcopalians, Lutherans". The United Methodist Church. http://athenaeum.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=7664 . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
95. ↑ "Mission". Committee on Pan-Methodist Cooperation & Union. http://www.panmethodist.org/panmeth/mission.htm . Retrieved 2007–08–01.
96. ↑ "The Methodist Church in India: Bangalore Episcopal Area". The United Methodist Church GBGM. http://gbgm-umc.org/global_news/full_article.cfm?articleid=3174 . Retrieved 2007–10–18.
97. ↑ "India Methodists celebrate 150 years of ministry". The United Methodist Church. http://world wide web.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.2213807/k.A1A1/Indias_Methodists_celebrate_150_years_of_ministry.htm . Retrieved 2007–10–18.
98. ↑ "World Methodists approve further ecumenical dialogue". The United Methodist Church. http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.1863123/k.FF49/World_Methodists_approve_further_ecumenical_dialogue.htm . Retrieved 2007–06–08.
99. ↑ "Methodists adopt Catholic-Lutheran announcement on justification". Catholic News Service (CNS). http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0604186.htm . Retrieved 2007–06–08.

Run into too

• Conferences of the United Methodist Church
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• Connectionalism
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• Social Creed
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External links

• Official website
• United Methodist News Service
• The Confessing Movement inside the United Methodist Church
• Good News Magazine: Renewal Movement within the United Methodist Church
• The Methodist Church building: Website concerning problems facing the UMC today
• Wesley Report: United Methodist magazine and blog
• Lifewatch (United Methodist)
• The Mission Guild (United Methodist)
• The Foundation for Evangelism: an chapter of the GBOD
• The Reconciling Ministries Network
• General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA)
• The General Board of Church building and Society (GBCS)
• General Board of Discipleship (GBOD)
• The Upper Room
• United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH)
• The General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM)
• General Board of Higher Teaching and Ministry building (GBHEM)
• General Committee on United Methodist Men (GCUMM)
• National Association of United Methodist Scouters
• General Committee on Faith and Race (GCORR)
• General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (GCCUIC)
• General Committee on the Condition and Function of Women (GCSRW)
• United Methodist Communications (UMCom)
• Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA)
• Board of Child Care of The United Methodist Church building previously known as Kelso Home

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Source: https://religion.fandom.com/wiki/United_Methodist_Church

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