The United Methodist Church
The Methodical Way
The United Methodist Church is a part of a Wesleyan movement that now claims approximately 18 million members of various Methodist Churches around the world.
In 1729 England, a small group of Oxford University students were ridiculed as "Bible Bigots", the "Holy Club" and "Methodists" because they spent so much time in methodical prayer and Bible reading. Led by John and Charles Wesley, the students held their ground against jeering students and went out to preach and pray with those considered being the underbelly of English society.
The United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is the result of a 1939 merger of three Methodist bodies (Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal South, and Methodist Protestant churches), and the 1968 union of the Evangelical United Brethren and the United Methodist churches.
The United Methodist Church is part of the Church Universal. All persons, regardless of race, color, national origin, status, or economic condition are welcome to attend it services, receive Holy Communion, and after taking vows, be baptized and admitted into membership.
Denominational practices and standards are set by General Conferences that meet once every four years. Delegates to that conference are elected by clergy and lay representatives from local Churches gathered in regional annual conferences.
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Visit www.umc.org for more information.
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