What do United Methodists really believe?

UMNews.org ^ | February 12, 2019 | Sam Hodges

[Condor 63]

The United Methodist Church is a big tent theologically, and people with conservative or traditional religious beliefs make up the largest group under that spreading canvas. Those are two key findings from a new United Methodist Communications survey of United Methodists in the United States.

The survey dug into views on various theology-related subjects, including the Bible, Jesus, salvation, the Resurrection and the afterlife. The goal was to shed light on the beliefs of people in the pews of United Methodist churches.

Of those contacted, 44 percent identified themselves as conservative/traditional in religious beliefs, 28 percent as moderate/centrist and 20 percent as progressive/liberal. These terms were used to describe theological views only and do not necessarily reflect social or political views.

[Captain Peter Blood]

Thanks for the information.

[Albion Wilde]

Methodist / former Methodist ping!

It looks bad for the traditionalists as of today, but keep praying!

[Captain Peter Blood]

You describe what I did as a kid growing up in the Episcopal Church. My brother and I had perfect attendance in Sunday School, then went to church, I was an Altar boy, then came back at night and we had a christian fellowship. My Sunday’s were pretty full and that foundation I got has helped me all my life.

[fungoking]

Seems like Biblically, not much.

[MacNaughton]

7 The Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. will all probably be taken over as was the Episcopal Church and destroy themselves.

??? 2/23-25/2019

2/21/2019 - “MEXIT”: Methodists, Anglicans and the Limits of Disagreement
"...One wonders whether when the dust settles from the current church battles, there might be a genuine ecumenical koinonia, if not formal union, of Methodists (orthodox) and Anglicans (not Episcopalians) -- and, for that matter, Presbyterians (all of the other flavors but not PCUSA) and Lutherans (all of the other flavors but not the ELCA), as a part of the one holy, catholic and apostolic church. By that time (who knows?) perhaps Roman Catholicism will have gone through the refiner's fire and be looking quite different. Maybe, just maybe, as C.S. Lewis imagined, Aslan is on the move."

Once upon a time the Episcopal Church was one of the most conservative churches in America. I grew up in that church and when I was a kid I loved it, was altar boy, the whole nine yards. Now I won’t claim them at all. The last 35 plus years the church has moved so far left I can’t recognize it. The last three or four presiding Bishops have destroyed this fine church.

Very similar story for me. I left ECUSA in NOV 2003 when the Presiding Bishop consecrated the newly-elected bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire, an open-homosexual who had left his wife (with 2 grown daughters) and married his homosexual partner.

I am at the point I just pray at home.

If there is an Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod parish close-by, you might consider visiting it. I did and felt very comfortable with its liturgical order of service and its retention of orthodox Christianity.

I also supplement my church attendance with 2 evangelical TV shows (presented below) which also post videos of their sermons/ messages online. Both shows are broadcast on DayStar and Trinity Broadcast Network.

The Hal Lindsey Report
Hal Lindsey is strong on end times prophecies, but he does present a core message of salvation. And his review of current events is usually very interesting.

Michael Youssef - Church of the Apostles, Atlanta, GA
Born and raised a Christian in Egypt. He immigrated to Australia (I think he was ordained as an Anglican there - He has since left that denomination.) and later the U.S. where he furthered his formal Christian education and settled in Atlanta, GA. He ties his sermons directly to scripture. He reads (and probably speaks) Arabic and is very informed on the danger of Islam. His worldwide broadcast ministry especially focuses on Christians in the Middle East.

[Mom MD]

Try the Lutheran church Missouri synod Conservative and with a beautiful liturgy at the traditional services. It is not good to be without Christian fellowship and the Lords Supper

[AppyPappy]

Oddly I know people who were told to "find another church" when they disagreed with the LGBT policy

[imardmd1]

With Methodists like this, who needs enemues?

[Eccl 10:2]

What do you get when you cross a United Methodist with a Jehovah’s Witness?

Someone who knocks on your door for no reason.

[fortes fortuna juvat]

I am at the point I just pray at home.
.....................................

If you ever decide to look around for a Christian faith community that has retained its orthodox beliefs for a millennium or longer, check out either (1) a Catholic Tridentine Latin Mass Church, or (2) a Catholic Ukrainian Orthodox Church, or (3) any Greek or Russian Orthodox Church. The faithful who are members of these churches tend to be theologically and politically conservative.

[MissEdie]

I grew up in a First United Methodist Church in a small town in SC. When I was 8-9 our preacher got indicted for stealing money from our church’s accounts. This church had been in existence since the late 1800’s and families- such as mine- had put money into it for years. This pot of money was used for maintenance and other things the church needed to do its job. Well, this was way back during Magnum, PI’s popularity. The preacher wanted a red Ferrari like Magnum’s and knew there was more than enough in those old accounts to pay for one. The leaders of the church tried telling him no preacher needed to be zipping around in an expensive sports car. They offered- and he initially accepted- a car made from the same company that makes Ferraris. These men and women had the foresight to keep a close eye on the church’s accounts. Soon after they purchased him that car, they noticed money from the accounts was getting drained. Bad part about it was he was an excellent pastor-everyone in the church loved him dearly. Unfortunately for all involved, his greed got the better of him.

[lizma2]

I may end up in a LCMS pew yet but I recently met the warmest, most vivacious man I ever met who turns out is a Catholic priest at a parish a few towns over.

Watched my own Catholic parish lurch left over the past 10 years, gonna check out this one.

[xzins]

UMCom contracted with the firm Research NOW, which obtained online questionnaire responses from 541 U.S. residents last fall. 

The above renders this useless since about a third of the UMC is in Africa and is conservative.

The hierarchy is liberal, proving again that liberal gravitate to bureaucracies and entrench themselves

[MacNaughton]

That is a wicked-good’un.

[DakotaGator]

Indeed. I think of this type of person as a “but” person: “He's a good _______, but...” It means he's not a good anything.

For a man of the cloth to steal from his congregation is beyond the pale. Shows he is not a man of God but a charlatan, no matter how he dressed it up. Someone like that can repent and find redemption in prison.

Since the latter 1960’s American churches have been betraying their congregations, country, and God. Quite distressing. And right out of the Communist play book.

[daniel1212]

The new survey did not ask about homosexuality or any other social issues,

What kind of survey is that as defining conservative or liberal?! I have been a poster on so-called Christian forums which requires those who I.D. as Christian to signify assent to the Nicene Creed (with a couple asterisks), and the majority of which are liberal. One of the snowflake mods is a female prohomosexual priest, and another "Christian" poster is some sort of Lutheran in a "legal (other) marriage."

[jagusafr]

First poll at GC yesterday was that 55% favored the Traditional Plan - that actually sounds pretty positive.

[daniel1212]

First poll at GC yesterday was that 55% favored the Traditional Plan - that actually sounds pretty positive.

Positive? Maybe for an election, but a cause for mourning if is supposed to be part of a body of Christ.

And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary . Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. (Ezekiel 9:3-7)

Lord have mercy on me and us.

[Elsie]

 The goal was to shed light on the beliefs of people in the pews of United Methodist churches.

 

 

...of those contacted...   541 folks

 

https://umc-prod-umnews.azureedge.net/-/media/umc-media/2019/02/12/15/24/2018-theological-report-member-perspectives.ashx

[Elsie]

...before I say any more and get banned,...

banned from WHERE? ;^)