United Methodist Chruch (UMC)

https://youtu.be/79Zx7xVw14I

https://youtu.be/3-98SNafMMQ

Organization

So the UMC are a little bit more officially organized than the SBC.

SBC Organization

Our churches are fully autonomous. In a sense independent. Our churches are part of associations, but the association has no power over the church. Associations allow for some county wide ministries and for ministers to be ministered to. We have state conventions, that allow for different state wide ministers to happen. The SBC convention only technically exist a few days a year and they make recommendations.

Our churches are autonomous. The SBC is more like a fellowship. We have 47,000+ churches and roughly 13.5 million members in the US. At least 20,000 churches have been planted in other countries

UMC Organization

Methodist are between us and the organization of Catholics.

They have annual conferences. These are decided by geographical location. They meet once a year to handle church business in there area. A pastors membership is not in his local church but in his annual conference. These conferences also assign pastors to their church.

The Bishop is over the annual conference. So he is over several districts,

Annual conferences are broke into districts. These districts have superintendents. The superintendent oversees their area throughout the year.

Methodist churches don’t have autonomy. The conferences have control.

Also Methodist allow women preachers. Baptist do not because of Scripture, 1 Timothy 2:12, 3:2, and Ephesians 5:21-24.

As of right now their are about 7 million Methodist in the states and 5 million Methodist in other countries. These 3 million people from 44,000 churches around the world.

Sacraments

SBC Sacraments

We do baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Explain

UMC Sacraments

They do baptism and the Lord’s Supper also, but they have some differing views

Baptism they believe in infant baptism of the babies of believers. They believe baptism can be my immersion or sprinkling or pouring.

Lord’s Supper as far as I can tell they believe the same as us officially. But I have been in Methodist churches where they get all to partake, not just the believers.

UMC Split

Show Video: (61) Why are Churches Leaving the United Methodist Church (UMC)? - YouTube

Many Methodist churches are leaving the denomination over the UMC beginning to ordain lgbt clergy and openly supporting the lgbt community. Their doctrine forbids it but leadership ahs choose to ignore it.

To leave the Methodist church it can cost a church from the 10,000s to the millions.

THe churches leaving are forming the Global Methodist Church.

Other Beliefs / Facts

They oppose the death penalty.

Strong advocate for strict gun control.

The UMC is very social work minded.

Do not believe in once saved always saved.

Charles Wesley wrote 6,000 hymns (Hark the Herald Angels being one)

Methodist Protestants believe very similar to UMC but are autonomous and are Located in Alabama, Mississippi, Lousiana, and Belize.

Conclusion

Major things that differ us from them is: baptism, woman clergy, lgbt, and church government.