Methodists

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SAVINGRACE

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What is your teaching on abortion and same sex marriage? Do you believe in the Holy Trinity?

Thank you.
 
They are Trinitarian.

Officially I think they are still Orthodox in doctrine, but practically speaking, they are leaning more liberal. They are an off shoot of Anglicanism.
 
SAVINGRACE said:
What is your teaching on abortion and same sex marriage? Do you believe in the Holy Trinity?

Thank you.
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Yes, indeed, United Methodists in the US are a mainline Church, very Trinitarian. There are very few Christian denominations who don’t believe in the Trinity.

The social statements are on their national website.

umc.org/what-we-believe/faqs-social-issues

They don’t perform same sex marriages yet, but their governing body meets shortly and that may well be one of the issues before them.

Abortion is left to the conscience of the mother.

Remember that social issues such as the two you mentioned are guidelines that the Methodist Church has tried to work through. They are not teaching doctrines or belief statements of the US Church.

That is generally the same for many of non-RCC Churches. Guidelines and statements are very different from Catholic teachings that some things are sinful and put you in way of salvation. Very different.
 
SAVINGRACE said:
What is your teaching on abortion and same sex marriage? Do you believe in the Holy Trinity?

Thank you.
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I’m sorry; I just saw that you are from Australia. Did you want information on Methodists or Wesleyans in another country besides the US?
 
Methodists definitely believe in the Holy Trinity. That one is easy. In case you weren’t aware, Methodism took its roots from the Church of England in the mid 1700’s, I think. John and Charles Wesley are two key people in the history of Methodism. They were prolific hymn writers and some of the more famous hymns sung in Christian churches to this day were penned by the Wesley brothers.

The other two topics aren’t as clear cut from the denominational standpoint. I wish they were because I am personally pro-life and pro traditional marriage.

Same Sex marriage:
From umc.org/what-we-believe/what-does-the-united-methodist-church-say-about-same-sex-marriage

An excerpt:
*United Methodists are not of one mind regarding homosexuality and gay marriage. We understand that faithful people can have differing views on this. Some members, based on their understanding of scripture, feel strongly that the church should uphold its current laws regarding same gender marriage. Others feel just as strongly that the church should be fully inclusive, based on their understanding of scripture, including marriage equality. These different viewpoints are mirrored across most of the Christian world to varying degrees.

The United Methodist Church currently prohibits pastors from performing gay marriage ceremonies and churches from hosting such ceremonies.*

On abortion:
umc.org/what-we-believe/what-is-the-united-methodist-position-on-abortion

I think Methodists are allowed to be Pro-choice or Pro-life. One of the Methodist women’s groups is pro-choice but no church funds go to any Pro-choice groups. You can agree or disagree with the church leadership on abortion and be in good standing with the Methodist Church, according to the denominational leadership.

Personally, this position comes across to me as a little wishy-washy and I’m Methodist.
 
Tommy999 said:
I think Methodists are allowed to be Pro-choice or Pro-life. One of the Methodist women’s groups is pro-choice but no church funds go to any Pro-choice groups. You can agree or disagree with the church leadership on abortion and be in good standing with the Methodist Church, according to the denominational leadership.

Personally, this position comes across to me as a little wishy-washy and I’m Methodist.
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I think it is true for many other denominations - Episcopalian, Presbyterian, UCC, American Baptist, etc.

The national churches tend to release statements rather than tell members that they must believe this or believe that. It’s what makes it very different from the RCC. There is trust that you think for yourself and, along with your relationship with God and the worshipping body, your conscience guides you. If you have been a practicing Christian, you believe in how God is speaking to you.

I don’t think it is wishy-washy. There is room for you and there is room for me. The Church is not going to tell you that you will go to hell for what you believe or practice in social decisions.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
…I don’t think it is wishy-washy. There is room for you and there is room for me. The Church is not going to tell you that you will go to hell for what you believe or practice in social decisions.
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To me, it’s the equivalent of saying back around 1860 that we don’t want to take a position on slavery because there were strong and differing viewpoints on the subject held by different parishioners in the Southern US states. After all, slavery was legal there.

Something like abortion is either wrong or it’s right, in my opinion. Otherwise it comes across as lukewarm, and we know what the Lord does with lukewarm.

That doesn’t mean that the Lord can’t and won’t forgive. But to call abortion just a 'social decision" is not doing justice to all the little innocent aborted babies whose lives were taken in their mother’s womb. I’ll stop now before I get too revved up.
 
Beside the large United Methodist Church, there are smaller Methodist churches which predate the creation of the UMC. I grew up in, and remain a member of, an Evangelical Methodist church. We’re strongly pro life and support traditional marriage.
 
I have been a member of the United Methodist Church for almost 50 years. It is****** my****** opinion that the UMC will never officially approve of or allow same sex marriage. The reason is one primarily of numbers. The UMC would lose so many members (especially in the Southern States), that it would become unsustainable. If it ever happened I believe that there would be a division of the denomination into two. Although the denomination is presently seen as liberal, I don’t believe it is ready to risk such a division. Fortunately, the congregation that I belong to is quite conservative theologically.
 
Agape_Thom said:
I have been a member of the United Methodist Church for almost 50 years. It is****** my****** opinion that the UMC will never officially approve of or allow same sex marriage. The reason is one primarily of numbers. The UMC would lose so many members (especially in the Southern States), that it would become unsustainable. If it ever happened I believe that there would be a division of the denomination into two. Although the denomination is presently seen as liberal, I don’t believe it is ready to risk such a division. Fortunately, the congregation that I belong to is quite conservative theologically.
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The General Conference starts next week, so you should find out soon. My understanding is that it is on the agenda to consider, so the possibility is real. If not this year, then certainly the next General Conference.

I am sure there will be provisions for clergy and congregations that do not choose to host or perform same gender marriages (although quite honestly, there have been a number already, against church policy). It will probably be that way for some time. I haven’t heard anything about a division in the church, but you never know what will happen.
 
I googled “United Methodist Church,” and the first thing that popped up was a same sex marriage ceremony. Apparently it happened this past Saturday at a UMC church in NC.
 
ComplineSanFran said:
I’m sorry; I just saw that you are from Australia. Did you want information on Methodists or Wesleyans in another country besides the US?
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Aren’t Methodist teachings applicable the same worldwide?

Thank you for your informative answers, having a look on that site now.
 
SAVINGRACE said:
Aren’t Methodist teachings applicable the same worldwide?
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In Australia, most Methodist congregations joined the Uniting Church in Australia (a merger of Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Methodists) in 1977. So, there really isn’t any “historic” Australian Methodist church analogous to the UMC in the states.

The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia actually originates in the 1940s as the Australian branch of what is known as “the Wesleyan Church” in the US. Their website is here-http://wesleyan.org.au/
 
AbideWithMe said:
Beside the large United Methodist Church, there are smaller Methodist churches which predate the creation of the UMC. I grew up in, and remain a member of, an Evangelical Methodist church. We’re strongly pro life and support traditional marriage.
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I was brought up in The Church of the Nazarene. I think it is related to the Evangelical Methodist church.
 
andrewstx said:
I was brought up in The Church of the Nazarene. I think it is related to the Evangelical Methodist church.
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Yes, it is. There are a number of Evangelical Methodist churches (with names that don’t always have “Methodist” in them) which for one reason or another did not get funneled into the series of mergers that created the United Methodist Church.
 
Erich said:
Strictly speaking the ones who don’t (JW, etc.) don’t meet the definition of “Christian denomination”
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Yes, I understand. However, those who are not Trinitarian (JWs, LDS) DO self-identity as Christian. Various faith communities may disagree and not accept baptisms, but bottom line, they get to decide for themselves.
 
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