41 Facts About Methodists

1.

Scripture is considered as a primary authority, but Methodists look to Christian tradition, including the historic creeds.

FactSnippet No. 986,017
2.

Methodists are historically known for their adherence to the doctrine of nonconformity to the world, reflected by their traditional standards of a commitment to teetotalism, proscription of gambling, regular attendance at class meetings, and weekly observance of the Friday fast.

FactSnippet No. 986,018
3.

Early Methodists were drawn from all levels of society, including the aristocracy, but the Methodist preachers took the message to labourers and criminals who tended to be left outside organized religion at that time.

FactSnippet No. 986,019
4.

Accordingly, many Methodist converts were those disconnected from the Church of England; Wesley remained a cleric of the Established Church and insisted that Methodists attend their local parish church as well as Methodist meetings because only an ordained minister could perform the sacraments of baptism and communion.

FactSnippet No. 986,020
5.

The Methodists responded vigorously to their critics and thrived despite the attacks against them.

FactSnippet No. 986,021
6.

In light of this, Methodists traditionally promote the motto "Holiness unto the Lord".

FactSnippet No. 986,022
7.

Methodists generally accept the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed as declarations of shared Christian faith.

FactSnippet No. 986,023
8.

Wesleyan Methodists identify with the Arminian conception of free will, as opposed to the theological determinism of absolute predestination.

FactSnippet No. 986,024
9.

Methodists interpret Scripture as teaching that the saving work of Jesus Christ is for all people but effective only to those who respond and believe, in accordance with the Reformation principles of sola gratia and sola fide .

FactSnippet No. 986,025
10.

Methodists believe in the second work of grace—Christian perfection, known as entire sanctification, which removes original sin and makes the believer holy.

FactSnippet No. 986,026
11.

Methodists hold that sacraments are sacred acts of divine institution.

FactSnippet No. 986,027
12.

In common with most Protestants, Methodists recognize two sacraments as being instituted by Christ: Baptism and Holy Communion .

FactSnippet No. 986,028
13.

Traditionally, Methodists declare the Bible to be the only divinely inspired Scripture and the primary source of authority for Christians.

FactSnippet No. 986,029
14.

Methodists make use of tradition, drawing primarily from the teachings of the Church Fathers, as a source of authority.

FactSnippet No. 986,030
15.

Methodists traditionally celebrate the Covenant Renewal Service as the watchnight service annually on New Year's Eve, in which members renew their covenant with God and the Church.

FactSnippet No. 986,031
16.

Early Methodists wore plain dress, with Methodist clergy condemning "high headdresses, ruffles, laces, gold, and 'costly apparel' in general".

FactSnippet No. 986,032
17.

John Wesley recommended that Methodists annually read his thoughts On Dress; in that sermon, Wesley expressed his desire for Methodists: "Let me see, before I die, a Methodist congregation, full as plain dressed as a Quaker congregation".

FactSnippet No. 986,033
18.

Peter Cartwright, a Methodist revivalist, stated that in addition to wearing plain dress, the early Methodists distinguished themselves from other members of society by fasting once a week, abstaining from alcohol, and devoutly observing the Sabbath.

FactSnippet No. 986,034
19.

The early Methodists did not participate in, and condemned, "worldly habits" including "playing cards, racing horses, gambling, attending the theater, dancing, and cockfighting".

FactSnippet No. 986,035
20.

The largest of these were the Primitive Methodists, deriving from a revival at Mow Cop in Staffordshire, the Bible Christians, and the Methodist New Connexion.

FactSnippet No. 986,036
21.

Methodists saw alcoholic beverages, and alcoholism, as the root of many social ills and tried to persuade people to abstain from these.

FactSnippet No. 986,037
22.

Methodists was one of the group of Protestant churchmen who met with Provisional IRA officers in Feakle, County Clare to try to broker peace.

FactSnippet No. 986,038
23.

Methodists began their work in the west among Swedish immigrants in 1881 and started their work in the east in 1910.

FactSnippet No. 986,039
24.

On 26 June 2009, Methodists celebrated the 120th year since Methodism arrived in Czarist Russia by erecting a new Methodist centre in Saint Petersburg.

FactSnippet No. 986,040
25.

Methodists returned to the Caribbean that same year and on his subsequent return began to preach to his slaves in Antigua.

FactSnippet No. 986,041
26.

Methodists began preaching and meeting with the Methodist leaders, and within a year the Methodist community had grown to 600 persons.

FactSnippet No. 986,042
27.

Methodists was later freed and admitted to the Methodist Ministry to serve in Antigua and Jamaica.

FactSnippet No. 986,043
28.

Methodists was later appointed to the Legislative Council of Barbados, and fought for the rights of pensioners.

FactSnippet No. 986,044
29.

Methodists had come in response to the request for missionaries by the ex-slaves who returned to Nigeria from Sierra Leone.

FactSnippet No. 986,045
30.

Methodists established Methodist Societies in Badagry and AbeoKuta in Nigeria with the assistance of William De-Graft.

FactSnippet No. 986,046
31.

Methodists was Canada's first saddlebag preacher and travelled from Lake Ontario to Detroit for 50 years preaching the gospel.

FactSnippet No. 986,047
32.

In 1828, Upper Canadian Methodists were permitted by the General Conference in the United States to form an independent Canadian Conference and, in 1833, the Canadian Conference merged with the British Wesleyans to form the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada.

FactSnippet No. 986,048
33.

In 1884, most Canadian Methodists were brought under the umbrella of the Methodist Church, Canada.

FactSnippet No. 986,049
34.

The Wesleyan Methodist Connexion and the Free Methodist Churches were formed by staunch abolitionists, and the Free Methodists were especially active in the Underground Railroad, which helped to free the slaves.

FactSnippet No. 986,050
35.

Methodists were often involved in the Missionary Awakening and the Social Gospel Movement.

FactSnippet No. 986,051
36.

When war came in 1941, the vast majority of Methodists strongly supported the national war effort, but there were a few conscientious objectors.

FactSnippet No. 986,052
37.

In 2020, United Methodists announced a plan to split the denomination over the issue of same-sex marriage.

FactSnippet No. 986,053
38.

Many Methodists have been involved in the ecumenical movement, which has sought to unite the fractured denominations of Christianity.

FactSnippet No. 986,054
39.

Certainly, Methodists have been deeply involved in early examples of church union, especially the United Church of Canada and the Church of South India.

FactSnippet No. 986,055
40.

In May 2006, the International Methodist–Catholic Dialogue Commission completed its most recent report, entitled "The Grace Given You in Christ: Catholics and Methodists Reflect Further on the Church, " and submitted the text to Methodist and Catholic authorities.

FactSnippet No. 986,056
41.

In many towns and villages Methodists are involved in LEPs which are sometimes with Anglican or Baptist churches, but most commonly Methodist and United Reformed Church.

FactSnippet No. 986,057