John Wesley, Methodist or Anglican?

[ltwin]

Excellent info! But the altar call may be regional. I never saw one in 60 years of attending Methodist churches!

Things may have changed in places. I formerly lived in an apartment right next to a UMC that called itself High Methodist. They even called a Scottish Episcopal priest as an associate minister. But this UMC had an ‘invitation, call to Christian Discipleship’ at the close of every service.

But I am agreeing with you on the regional nature of the altar call. This UMC was in Texas after all.

I have a good friend from college who went to, and graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary, those Asbury people are different for certain.

I believe it was once more common than it is now. American Methodists were much more inclined to revivalism in the past than they are today. According to the United Methodist Church’s official website, “altar call” is defined as:

The invitation offered by the pastor to come forward to the chancel rail or communion table in order to dedicate one’s life to Christ, to become a member of the congregation, or to offer prayer.

 

[EvangelCatholic]

I believe it was once more common than it is now. American Methodists were much more inclined to revivalism in the past than they are today. According to the United Methodist Church’s official website, “altar call” is defined as:

The invitation offered by the pastor to come forward to the chancel rail or communion table in order to dedicate one’s life to Christ, to become a member of the congregation, or to offer prayer.

I find the “altar call” a very appealing aspect of Methodism especially since it identifies the altar [rail] as a place for prayer and renewal of faith. The conection to the Eucharist is quite clear to me.

 

[TimothyH]

All excellent answers! Don’t forget, we now have the Southern Methodists too. I was a United Methodist, and am not familiar with the differences.

They split because of the US Civil War. Methodists in the north identified themselves as “United” while those in the south identified themselves as “Southern”.

The same is true of the Southern Baptists vs. Baptists and the Prebyterian Church USA (PCUSA) vs Presbyterian Church of America (PCA).

-Tim-

 

[ltwin]

They split because of the US Civil War. Methodists in the north identified themselves as “United” while those in the south identified themselves as “Southern”.

The same is true of the Southern Baptists vs. Baptists and the Prebyterian Church USA (PCUSA) vs Presbyterian Church of America (PCA).

-Tim-

Actually, no one called themselves “United Methodists” until 1968. Before that, the regional bodies were the Methodist Episcopal Church (the northern Methodists) and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (which split from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1844 over the slavery issue).

In 1939, the northern Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South reunited along with the Methodist Protestant Church (which had split from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1830 over the right of laity to be involved in the administration of the church). Together, these three churches merged to create The Methodist Church.

The United Methodist Church was founded in 1968 when The Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church (an historically German-speaking church with close ties to English-speaking Methodists).