What is a Methodist?

[Fellowship]

I go to a Methodist Church, and I'm not even sure who Wesley is, or have I heard his name mentioned. I am glad that the church would focus on Christ and not it's own history or beliefs; but, I'm left baffled as to what Methodists are historically and what exactly do they believe on specific doctines and dogmas.

 

[Linnis]

I have a link to answer the question Who are Free Methodists.

http://freemethodistchurch.org/Sections/About Us/Basic Info/FAQs/What's A Free Methodist.htm

The simple answer is Methodists are people who are Protestant and follow the teaching or thology of John Wesley. If you have access to a computer I'm sure you can Google him and find loads of stuff on him.

Like this: http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/

Or I even found the "official" John Wesley site.

http://www.john-wesley.com/index.shtml

Find a search engine you like and make it your new best friend.

 

[Diane_Windsor]

Fellowship,

Founders of the Methodist movement:
John Wesley
Charles Wesley

John and especially Charles were also prolific hymn writers.

Methodism

Diane

 

[Try]

This is what John Wesley said:

The Methodists alone do not insist on your holding this or that opinion; but they think and let think. Neither do they impose any particular mode of worship; but you may continue to worship in your former manner, be it what it may. Now I do not know of any other religious society, either ancient or modern, wherein such liberty of conscience is now allowed or has been allowed, since the age of the Apostles. Here is our glorying; and a glorying peculiar to us. What society shares it with us?

This Page provided the quote, which is fairly famous.

WesleyBlog is the best conservative Methodist blog available
untiedmethodist.com is the best progressive Methodist blog on the net
Locusts and Wild Honey provides a weekly rundown of other Methodist blogs

As someone else has allready said, google is your friend- you can find lots of info on the net.

 

[Artos]

This is what John Wesley said:


This Page provided the quote, which is fairly famous.


.

While Wesley did say that we share with other Christians most of our beliefs, there was one thing that stood out. Wesley did say that the reason why God raised the Methodists was to 'spread scriptural holiness throughout the land'.

So if (as popularly perceived) the 'distinctive feature' of the Salvation Army is social work/commitment, and the Pentecostals is baptism in the Holy Spirit/tongues .....the distinctive feature of Methodism is that we emphasise on growth in HOLINESS IN HEART AND LIFE.

Many Christians tend to think that the flow is this:
"Sin- accept Christ- forgiven- justified- heaven:"

Wesleys emphasised that the flow is more like this:
"Sin- receive Christ- experience forgiveness- justified- GROWING IN SANCTIFICATION/HOLINESS/CHRISTIAN PERFECTION....before glorification..(heaven)...

We need to grow in holiness...and we teach holiness.

 

[Qyöt27]

The simple answer is Methodists are people who are Protestant and follow the teaching or thology of John Wesley. If you have access to a computer I'm sure you can Google him and find loads of stuff on him.

Funny enough, in a thread in the Teens section a while back, one of the Anglican members said that technically, Methodists aren't necessarily Protestant because they aren't products of the [presumably initial] Reformation (#and certainly not out of protest, but inconvenience and - is 'schism' really the right word?#), and didn't spring out of the Catholic Church or the general said environment like Anabaptists and Lutherans did.

The problematic area in that, however, is that on the surface, Methodists do seem to have more in common with groups traditionally identified as Protestant, even though much of the core theology was lifted from the Thirty-Nine Articles of Anglicanism (24 of the points, IIRC); likely the surface appearance is due to having accepted the Articles with more Protestant overtones. Of course, the use of the word 'Protestant' to mean anybody who isn't Catholic or Orthodox (and depending on who you ask, Anglican) does still apply.


#my own comments#

 

[Artos]

Funny enough, in a thread in the Teens section a while back, one of the Anglican members said that technically, Methodists aren't necessarily Protestant because they aren't products of the [presumably initial] Reformation (#and certainly not out of protest, but inconvenience and - is 'schism' really the right word?#), and didn't spring out of the Catholic Church or the general said environment like Anabaptists and Lutherans did.

The problematic area in that, however, is that on the surface, Methodists do seem to have more in common with groups traditionally identified as Protestant, even though much of the core theology was lifted from the Thirty-Nine Articles of Anglicanism (24 of the points, IIRC); likely the surface appearance is due to having accepted the Articles with more Protestant overtones. Of course, the use of the word 'Protestant' to mean anybody who isn't Catholic or Orthodox (and depending on who you ask, Anglican) does still apply.


#my own comments#

The Anglican was wrong. Methodists are Protestants.

Some Anglicans however are not sure that they (Anglicans) are Protestant (more the Anglo Catholic group) so some of them (Anglicans) will not wear the badge 'Protestant'.

 

[Qyöt27]

The Anglican was wrong. Methodists are Protestants.

Some Anglicans however are not sure that they (Anglicans) are Protestant (more the Anglo Catholic group) so some of them (Anglicans) will not wear the badge 'Protestant'.

Oh, I know that Anglo-Catholics don't like the Protestant moniker. I was offering that as an anecdote, not an assertion.

 

[Strong in Him]

Or I even found the "official" John Wesley site.

http://www.john-wesley.com/index.shtml

Ummm, this actually appears to be the homepage of a guitarist/vocalist called John Wesley.
I don't think the founder of Methodism is going on tour this year, is he?

 

[Artos]

Not unless he's riding one of his horses (the unsung heros of Methodism....)...heh heh...

 

[Fellowship]

Ummm, this actually appears to be the homepage of a guitarist/vocalist called John Wesley.
I don't think the founder of Methodism is going on tour this year, is he?

I noticed that too. That had me confused at first.

 

[Linnis]

Ummm, this actually appears to be the homepage of a guitarist/vocalist called John Wesley.
I don't think the founder of Methodism is going on tour this year, is he?

That's why "offical" was in quotes. The guy playing on his name to get people to see his site. I was pointing out how sometimes things arn't what they seem...ok ignore me now.

 

[ceedaisy]

It's okay Linnis! I knew what you were doing!! I will never ignore you!

 

[Strong in Him]

Ok, sorry. I thought you might have just posted a link without checking it out - wasn't thinking.

 

[Fellowship]

That's why "offical" was in quotes. The guy playing on his name to get people to see his site. I was pointing out how sometimes things arn't what they seem...ok ignore me now.

No, go on I'm confused all over again. What about the other links?

 

[Linnis]

I was trying to point out to check out websites that google finds before taking them at their word. Google finds sites by keywords, so for example if you look up "Blue" it will not only look up sites on the color, but anyone with the surname blue, or blue's clues and probably find some sites on Blue Grass or blues music...it may even find sites on The blues as in depression...so if you type in Methodist or John Wesley, be careful and read sites through before deciding if they are worth while. You must also look out for sites that promote ideas which are not what John Wesley was thinking or what the Methodist church supports because anyone can make a website.

You can also look into filters or "safe site" on with certain search engines which will filter out a lot of the unwanted sites.

Do you understand me now?

 

[Fellowship]

I was trying to point out to check out websites that google finds before taking them at their word. Google finds sites by keywords, so for example if you look up "Blue" it will not only look up sites on the color, but anyone with the surname blue, or blue's clues and probably find some sites on Blue Grass or blues music...it may even find sites on The blues as in depression...so if you type in Methodist or John Wesley, be careful and read sites through before deciding if they are worth while. You must also look out for sites that promote ideas which are not what John Wesley was thinking or what the Methodist church supports because anyone can make a website.

You can also look into filters or "safe site" on with certain search engines which will filter out a lot of the unwanted sites.

Do you understand me now?

I guess, but wouldn't just asking Methodists questions about the church in say, a Methodist forum be easier?

 

[Linnis]

Yeah, but answers from use will be opinons, if you want facts, go to a fact source.

If you want my opinon, being a Methodist is great, it's allowed me the freedom to finally find my savoir and worship him in a way I can instead of being forced into a way that didn't work for me. All the people I've met in my church and through UMC and the FMC have been kind, welcoming, warm and always willing to explain something to me.

I think the greatest thing is, the pastors like that I never stop asking questions. I do not feel like I'll get in trouble for asking, or looked down apon because I don't know something or don't get it.

That's my two cents.

 

[Fellowship]

Yeah, but answers from use will be opinons, if you want facts, go to a fact source.

If you want my opinon, being a Methodist is great, it's allowed me the freedom to finally find my savoir and worship him in a way I can instead of being forced into a way that didn't work for me. All the people I've met in my church and through UMC and the FMC have been kind, welcoming, warm and always willing to explain something to me.

I think the greatest thing is, the pastors like that I never stop asking questions. I do not feel like I'll get in trouble for asking, or looked down apon because I don't know something or don't get it.

That's my two cents.

I think I know, at least somewhat, what you mean. I finally got the chance to actually sit down and ask questions to my pastor about the church this Sunday.

It can be hard, because she preaches at three churches, and we got stuck with the middle time slot.

It was great that our church met later that Sunday.

 

[sinner/SAVED]

What is a Methodist?


Fellowship: "I am a Methodist"

Linnis: "I am a Methodist"

Dianne Windsor: "I am a Methodist"

Try: "I am a methodist"

Artos: "I am a Methodist"

Qyöt27: "I am a Methodist"

Strong in Him: "I am a Methodist"

CeeDaisy: "I am a Wesleyan"

sinner/SAVED: "I am a Methodist"

(fill in the blank): "I am a Methodist"


We could do our own Igniting Ministries ad right here.