Baptist vs Methodist

[Fortran]

Hello all,

I was raised a Baptist, but have recently become disillusioned by the denomination (not trying to insult, and I realize Baptist are a diverse bunch). I have recently moved, and am debating about, if, and when, to start attending a formal church. I am also considering whether I should seek out another different denomination.

After reviewing the churches in my area and the 'typical' beliefs of denominations, the Methodist church does appeal to be. However, as one who is socially awkward anyway, I am a bit nervous about potentially venturing outside my comfort zone - not just into a new church, but a new denomination.

With this in mind, I have a few questions:

- How 'welcoming' are Methodist churches? Do they tend to (in general) find a new attendee a bit of an oddity? Should I contact the church first or wait for an invite?

- What dress is appropriate?

- What does a typical sermon usually entail? For example, in Baptist churches we typically sang a few hymns, shared 'testimonies', prayed, and then listened to the preacher preach a brief sermon. After that, everyone was dismissed, free to go.

- Any other pointers on appropriate behavior?

Thanks much for any guidance.

 

[Qyöt27]

- How 'welcoming' are Methodist churches? Do they tend to (in general) find a new attendee a bit of an oddity? Should I contact the church first or wait for an invite?

Probably depends on how small the congregation is and whether it would be immediately noticeable that you were new. But I'd be surprised if it was anything other than welcoming.

- What dress is appropriate?

Likely depends on whether you'd be going to a Traditional service or a Contemporary service. Contemporary will be a lot more casual (to the point of shorts and sandals in some cases), Traditional would be more stereotypically 'dressier', although you probably won't see women wearing wide-brimmed church hats. It's generally not that dressy.

- What does a typical sermon usually entail? For example, in Baptist churches we typically sang a few hymns, shared 'testimonies', prayed, and then listened to the preacher preach a brief sermon. After that, everyone was dismissed, free to go.

You probably won't see a testimonies part unless there's a special reason for it (like a baptism, or a guest speaker).

This is a fairly typical-looking bulletin with a similarly typical-looking order of worship in it:
http://ogumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/e_7-10-16.pdf

The sermon does usually occupy the last 15-20 minutes of the service, but the exact length really depends on the pastor. Topics may reflect the relevant part of the lectionary for that part of the year, or be more themed around a sermon series of topics or the need to address current events if it's pressing. You may (again, depending on the pastor's particular style) notice that there is more explanation or tying back of the precise Scripture readings to everyday circumstances than just throwing out tons of book:verse references in the sermon the way I've seen some Baptist preachers do.

- Any other pointers on appropriate behavior?

Not that I can think of.

 

[JCFantasy23]

All the Methodist churches I've been to have been very welcoming - it's one reason my mom likes the denomination so much when I introduced her to it. Members being welcoming on the initial visit influences her heavily on if to go back to a church.

It's usually business casual to casual attire for the ones I've visited.

 

[Fortran]

Just a little update. I did attend a local Methodist church today. Although the pastor was on vacation (and they had a substitute), I really enjoyed it. One thing I am curious about is how different the belief sets are across Methodist churches? For example, Baptist churches do not formally adhere to a set of well-defined beliefs; from my experience their beliefs seem to more strongly reflect regional and cultural values (more so than I would like to be honest). By contrast, I imagine that Roman Catholic Churches hold similar beliefs largely independent of geographic boundaries. I know there are some beliefs outlined by the 'official' (sorry if the term is inaccurate) Methodist church, but, in practice, would a Methodist service in the Southern United States be reasonably similar to one held in New England?

 

[Qyöt27]

The frequency of whether there's more churches doing Contemporary or Traditional services will probably vary a lot based on the area of the country, but the actual structure of the service within one of those two types will be largely the same.

As far as beliefs go, the clergy will likely be much more consistently reflective of the UMC's official positions (especially since pastors are appointed to a church rather than hired or elected by the congregation), while how closely the laity adhere to it can vary...sometimes wildly.