Wesleyan, Nazarene, and UMC = Premilennial and Pretribulation?

[DiscipleOfIAm]

What is the stance on each of the denominations on the above? I snooped around the Wesleyan and UMC websites, but couldn't find anything about their stances on these.

I attended Indiana Wesleyan University and my best friend in High School, his dad is a Wesleyan Pastor, but I don't recall every hearing anything about this. I was probably not aware of their meanings at that time in my life anyway.

Thanks and God Bless

 

[HeatherJay]

As a member of the CotN, I believe that there is no official stance on anything regarding the 'rapture' beyond the fact that we believe that Jesus Christ will come again. There are, of course, individual members who have their own thoughts on the subject, but as far as doctrine goes, there's really nothing there beyond believing that there will be a second coming.

 

[ClementofRome]

Again, from a UMC position, I am pretty sure that there is not an official statement. However, I believe that you will find most UMC's to be amillennial (which, technically speaking, is also a posttribulational perspective....but not in Dispensational terms). On the other hand, the Left Behind series has taken its toll amongst the laity as well.

 

[WesleyJohn]

.

 

[wvmtnkid]

This is taken from the UMC website and the UMC "official position" on end times:

Where does the "Rapture" fit into the United Methodist realm of beliefs?
Methodism has a lot of diverse viewpoints among its churches and members, and so I have no doubts that many pastors and churches are tuning in to this speculative phenomenon. However, it is not central to our approach to discipleship and our theological framework.

Wesley and his spiritual children are not into the future in the kind of rapture/left behind approach. He and we are into the present--living in love toward God and neighbor. Our doctrine focuses on the order of salvation--prevenient grace, justifying grace, sanctifying grace and the assurance of salvation that God gives in trust.

See our Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules in the Book of Discipline. Go on line and read the sermons of John Wesley. Read especially Wesley's sermon on the Great Assize. This will get you as close as Wesley gets to this type of thinking. But notice that almost all of his sermons have to do with how we live our lives now and how we accept the gift of salvation and live accountably for the grace we have received.

Rev. Dan Benedict
Director of Worship Resources
General Board of Discipleship

http://www.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1391

Basically our teachings can be summed up in two words: "God wins." I am sure that their are many UM's who have their interpretations on how that happens, but for the most part, end times and the events of end times are not stressed. We are more concerned with living in this day and age and winning people for Christ.

As a side note, I had never heard of the "rapture" until my best friend in college (who was an Independent Baptist) told me she always prayed for the rapture to occur right before a big exam she didn't feel she was prepared for! I know I say that sorta tongue in cheek-but it is mostly to highlight the fact that the term "rapture" is rarely discussed at the UMC's I have attended.

 

[HeatherJay]

This is taken from the UMC website and the UMC "official position" on end times:

http://www.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1391

Basically our teachings can be summed up in two words: "God wins." I am sure that their are many UM's who have their interpretations on how that happens, but for the most part, end times and the events of end times are not stressed. We are more concerned with living in this day and age and winning people for Christ.

As a side note, I had never heard of the "rapture" until my best friend in college (who was an Independent Baptist) told me she always prayed for the rapture to occur right before a big exam she didn't feel she was prepared for! I know I say that sorta tongue in cheek-but it is mostly to highlight the fact that the term "rapture" is rarely discussed at the UMC's I have attended.

Yes, my experience has been similar. The only time I've heard the 'rapture' discussed in a church setting is in regards to the beliefs of others about it. We talk about Christ's return, sure, but never in a way that indicates that we've got the market cornered on when and how it will be. And yes, we always talks about it the "God wins" context, too.

 

[sinner/SAVED]

I have found in my reading that the word "rapture" never occurs in the Bible and never occurs in any Christian writings until the 1830's and did not become popular until the 1970's. My view of Revelation is that it calls for a response today. Too much emphasis is placed by some on predictions and prophecies.

Revelation:
Offers comfort and encouragement to Christians whose values clash with those of the society in which they live.

Acknowledges the existence of evil in the world.

Proclaims that God is always in charge.

Because of God’s absolute victory, we can live in confidence.

Some Christians tend to be too heavenly minded to be any earthly good.

This is not the UMC stance, just mine, a mere layperson.

 

[Joshua Howard]

My Church denomination (BMC) is Pre-Trib.

 

[John914]

What is the stance on each of the denominations on the above? I snooped around the Wesleyan and UMC websites, but couldn't find anything about their stances on these.

I attended Indiana Wesleyan University and my best friend in High School, his dad is a Wesleyan Pastor, but I don't recall every hearing anything about this. I was probably not aware of their meanings at that time in my life anyway.

Thanks and God Bless

Hi DiscipleOfIAm, What is sad here is the many response to the question.
It was "what we believe", or What was taught or not taught.
What do YOU believe is what is important, or am i wrong?? Why would you or any one have to go to a web site to find out what you believe. My girl friend goes to a UMC church and can not tell me what they believe either.
It scares me to death that i would trust in a man or church and not Jesus and His word. Hos. 6:6

In His Love
John914
II Tim 2:2

 

[sinner/SAVED]

As a side note, I had never heard of the "rapture" until my best friend in college (who was an Independent Baptist) told me she always prayed for the rapture to occur right before a big exam she didn't feel she was prepared for! I know I say that sorta tongue in cheek-but it is mostly to highlight the fact that the term "rapture" is rarely discussed at the UMC's I have attended.

That's ok. The term "rapture" is NEVER discussed in the Bible.

 

[actionsub]

Hi DiscipleOfIAm, What is sad here is the many response to the question.
It was "what we believe", or What was taught or not taught.
What do YOU believe is what is important, or am i wrong?? Why would you or any one have to go to a web site to find out what you believe. My girl friend goes to a UMC church and can not tell me what they believe either.
It scares me to death that i would trust in a man or church and not Jesus and His word. Hos. 6:6

In His Love
John914
II Tim 2:2

Generally, United Methodists don't get into Revelation all that much, so a Methodist doesn't hear it taught. The UMC did put out a line of Sunday School-type commentaries on the individual books of the Bible, and the one on Revelation approached it from the amillenial side.

But the UMC really tries not to come down on points of doctrine like this, in practice.

The Wesleyans and Nazarenes (as are most groups with Wesleyan theology) are predominantly amillenial. Some, like the Church of God (Anderson, IN) are officially amil.