BELIEFS & COMMUNITY
United Methodist Church: grace, sacraments and connection
Religious Values guide · Updated
The United Methodist Church combines the heritage of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, which united in 1968. Its theology draws on the Wesleyan emphasis on grace and growth in love. Worship and service are supported by a connectional system linking congregations with conferences and bishops.
United Methodist is a specific affiliation. A church with Methodist history may now belong to another body, so check its current name and connection.
Grace that forgives and transforms
United Methodists describe God's grace as active before conscious faith, in reconciliation with God and throughout Christian growth. These are often called prevenient, justifying and sanctifying grace. The emphasis on holiness connects inward faith with love in action. Prayer, study, mutual encouragement and service are ways that a congregation helps people live out this understanding over time.[1]
Worship and the sacraments
Baptism and the Lord's Supper have a central place in United Methodist life. Baptism includes infants as well as older converts, and the church's sacramental teaching differs from churches that restrict baptism to a personal profession of faith. Congregations may use traditional or contemporary services. Ask how Communion, instruction and opportunities for prayer fit into the actual rhythm of the congregation.[1]
Why united and connectional matter
The 1968 union brought two earlier denominational histories together. Today a congregation belongs to a wider connection rather than functioning as a wholly independent church. Conferences and bishops have responsibilities for shared mission and ministry. For someone considering membership, it is useful to ask how clergy appointments work, how lay members participate and which denominational rules shape local decisions.[1][2]
Common questions
Are all Methodist churches United Methodist?
No. Methodist and Wesleyan history includes several denominations. Similar names do not establish the same affiliation or current policies. Ask the congregation which body it belongs to and consult that body's own teaching documents.[1][2]
What should I look for beyond the Sunday service?
Ask about small groups, learning, pastoral care and opportunities for service. The Wesleyan emphasis on growth in faith is best understood through these continuing relationships, not only through a single sermon or the choice of hymns.[1]
Sources & further reading
The sources below explain the beliefs and practices discussed here. Where a guide describes a broad movement, a named organization illustrates its own approach.
- 1.United Methodist Church: What we believe
United Methodist doctrine, sacramental teaching and Wesleyan emphases.
- 2.United Methodist Church: Formation in 1968
The church's account of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren union.