The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968 from the merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church.
With its roots in the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley and the Great Awakening, led by George Whitefield, in the United States, the church's theology is Wesleyan. Some UMC congregations operate in the evangelical tradition, while others more closely resemble mainline Protestant traditions. The practices and beliefs of the denomination have changed over time, but they can be traced back to its Anglican heritage in John and Charles Wesley, the United Brethren traditions of Philip William Otterbein and Martin Boehm, and Jacob Albright, founder of the Evangelical Association, which had become joined the Evangelical United Brethren before that body formed part of the UMC.
Officially, the doctrinal standards of the UMC are the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church, the Confessions of Faith of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the General Rules of the Methodist Societies, the Standard Sermons of John Wesley, and Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the New Testament. Other doctrines of the United Methodist Church are listed in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.
Like most Christian denominations, the UMC holds that God is one God in three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There is a division within the UMC as to the nature of the Bible. Some believe that the Bible was inspired by God when written, and is today always true and inerrant, while others hold that the Bible is inspired when read by a Christian, and its meaning dependent upon the interaction with the reader. In the latter case then, the Bible is open to modern interpretation.
Human beings were created in the image of God, but that image has been distorted by sin. Salvation is provided through the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Christ.
The UMC recognizes two sacraments, Holy Baptism and the Holy Communion. Other rites, including confirmation, ordination, marriage, funerals, and the anointing of the sick, are performed within the church but are not sacraments.
People are able to make choices, for which they will be held accountable before God.
United Methodists understand themselves to be the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, to which one becomes a member through baptism.
In recent years, the UMC has become more involved with social justice issues. The church opposes such things as slavery, capital punishment, child labor, racism, and inequality. It also works to improve prison conditions and to improve economic conditions for the disadvantaged. The UMC has called for strict gun control measures in the United States and for outright bans in other nations.
The traditional position of the United Methodist Church is that war is incompatible with Christ's teachings, opposes military conscription, and encourages conscientious opposition to military service.
The UMC has allowed ordination of women since 1956.
The UMC has become more conservative in other areas. The 2016 General Conference of the UMC voted to withdraw from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and to delete a statement from its Book of Resolutions that affirmed the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision on the legality of abortion. A new resolution was adopted which did not adopt a full pro-life stance, but decried gender-selective abortions, described abortion as violent, and opposed abortion done for trivial reasons. Nevertheless, the UMC supports a woman's need for access to safe, legal abortions. A segment of the UMC who identify with the pro-life position have organized into the Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality.
The UMC does not condemn, but encourages abstinence from alcohol, and teaches that gambling is a sin.
The UMC prohibits same-sex unions and does not ordain practicing homosexuals are ministers, practices for which there is much opposition within the denomination, including among its leadership.
As with many other Protestant denominations in the United States, the UMC has experienced a decline in membership over the past few decades. Currently, its membership is strongest in the South and Midwest, with Texas having the largest number of members, followed by Oklahoma, Iowa, Mississippi, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Overseas, its membership is growing in Africa and the Philippines. Approximately forty percent of its delegates are from outside the United States.
The UMC is a member of the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, Churches Uniting in Christ, Christian Churches Together, the Wesleyan Holiness Consortium, and the World Methodist Council.
Recommended Resources
Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church
The General Board of Global Ministries is the worldwide missions agency of the United Methodist Church, its conferences, and local congregations. Its purpose, mission goals, theology, and policies are outlined, and its board of directors, program areas, and career opportunities are included. Other resources include a calendar of events, and a map showing the locations of its programs, partners, and campaigns.
https://www.umcmission.org/
The official online ministry of the United Methodist Church offers general information about the denomination, its beliefs, and practices, along with a directory of local churches, districts, conferences, jurisdictions, and other UMC organizations. Its history, organizational structure, and the basics of UMC faith are presented, along with a glossary of terms, photographs, video, audio, and downloadable documents and reports.
http://www.umc.org/
United Methodist Committee on Relief
UMCOR is the non-profit, humanitarian relief and development company for the United Methodist Church. Operated through the authority of the General Board of Global Ministries, UMCOR was founded in 1940. Its history, mandate, and purpose are posted to the site, along with a review of its programs, grants, and staff contacts. Relief supplies, including cleaning, hygiene, and school kits, instructional videos, and shipping instructions are included.
https://www.umcor.org/
In publication since 1847, the UMR shares news from the United Methodist Churches, originally in print and now online. A subsidiary of CircuitWriter Media since 2013, UMR is owned and operated by a partnership of UMC clergy and lay people, and is not an official organization of the UMC. News related to the denomination and its ministries are put forth, along with opinion columns, commentary, and other features.
http://unitedmethodistreporter.com/
Serving United Methodist Church congregations in Arkansas, the Arkansas Conference is focused on developing principled Christian leaders, facilitating new congregations and renewing existing ones, engaging in ministries to the poor, and continuing the church’s healthcare ministries. Administrative and leadership contacts, district offices, and affiliations are acknowledged, along with a press kit, daily devotionals, and a calendar of events.
http://arumc.org/
