What Do You Think of Methodism?

I am not sure about how it is in England...but in my experience, a United Methodist service can be very comparable to a broad church Anglican service or it can be extremely low church, resembling what you would think of as typical non-denominational or Evangelical. The style of worship often depends on numerous factor, but as many will attest, Southern parishes tend to be more conservative and tend to resemble Evangelical Baptist/non-denominational churches and Midwest/Northern parishes have a lot more liturgical parishes. With that said, worship style varies wildly in my opinion and experience.

The Chicago Temple, which is the oldest church in Chicago by the way, is a beautiful church and has a great liturgical tradition, albeit less formal than the High Church services in many local Episcopal churches.

 

I am Methodist and am currently looking for a church home. I have visited multiple local churches and realize that every one is different. In an attempt to bring the "young" people back into the church, there are many contemporary services and blended service these days. Although I am still kinda young, 33 (today), I am drawn toward the traditional service. Although this may be considered low church to some, it is high church for me, compared to a contemporary service. I am embracing new things into my faith to get a deeper and stronger faith. There are physical things that I am doing that I have taken from the Anglican faith, after all Wesly was Anglican. Crossing myself in prayer, praying the Teisagion and Jesus Prayer with beads. These are not always common in the Methodist faith, but are not restricted and are even encouraged by some. I see many things similar between us, by as for the services, I don't know what the difference would be. I am coming back into my faith and alot of this is new to me.

 

Hi Chris,
First of all, welcome to the forum and I appreciate you weighing in. I can definitely sympathize with your position about contemporary services. In many ways, I love orthodox Methodism (the John Wesley form of it). I do have some disagreements with it too (such as I believe asking saints to pray for you is completely acceptable and is an ancient church practice and his conception of "the Church"), but I do admire what Wesley did and tried to do. Theologically, it sounds like we are a lot alike. I would be very interested in joining a highly liturgical and traditional Methodist church, but those kinds of churches are not too common in modern Methodism, which has really tried to embrace the more contemporary style of worship. Like you, I am relatively young (25), and I find it interesting that the very demographic the UMC is trying to bring in (people like us) are turned off by these more contemporary worship styles. I don't have a problem with it if that's what a congregation wants to do, but the idea that the overwhelming majority of people want this in their religious services just isn't accurate. Although it may not seem like it in America, the overwhelming majority of the world's Christians are highly liturgical.

I wish you the best in your search. I am not sure where you live (and you certainly don't have to tell me), but where I live now (in Chicago), there are several highly liturgical and traditional Methodist churches. In fact, the most popular (and oldest) church in the city is very traditional (in terms of worship style) compared to the more theologically conservative parishes in the suburbs. It is true though that in the South, where Methodism is more popular, worship styles tend to be less liturgical and more like Baptist or non-denominational churches. With that said, these kinds of things run in cycles, and it won't be long (in my opinion) before churches in the U.S. once again adopt a different new and popular worship style.

 

Hey, thanks for the response. I am in Arkansas, and though there are some MC's that are highly liturgical, I have not found any in my area. I'm still on the hunt. I am trying one this weekend with the hopes of filling the void. There is one Anglican church in my area, and I have thought to try it, but I am still a little "sacred"(not sure that's the right word) to leave the church that I have know all my life. But, it is not outside the realm of possibility. All I know is that I want a deeper faith than what I see as the norm around here. I don't like to worship and feel like I'm at a concert. And that has led me to consider a more liturigal church, but if I can find a MC that is close enough to my needs, then I will stay. I have also looked at Lutheran and Episcopal, but not sure where they stand on things. Sometimes the internet seems to be be wrong and it is hard to find the true beliefs on these churchs. In the end, know I will find a church home. As long as the focus is on the Lord, I am happy.

 

There are practically no Methodists in Canada, so I am very much unfamiliar with them. The Methodist Church in Canada, as far as I have known, merged into the larger United Church of Canada, the largest Protestant denomination in our country.

 

Chris,
As you may have seen above, my story is much like yours only I faced my "moment" with Methodism after being a Methodist PK, and a church member until I was in my mid-50's. My concerns were much the same as yours. I struggled for years with my guilt over whether to leave Methodism and all of my friends in my church. Once I did it and fell in love with my new church I had regret that I hesitated so long and had not done it sooner. I wish you the best on your journey of discernment. I envy you for being young as you face this. You will have many years to enjoy whatever you decide!

 

Personally, I totally agree with you about the worship style. Modern worship for me just feels...awkward. But to each his own is my view on it! I can definitely understand the problem of finding accurate information about the various denominations. I have spent the last two years looking very hard into every Christian denomination, and in my opinion, the very best thing you can do is go to the official denomination (not church) web pages, use Wikipedia (which is relatively accurate on this topic), and read the spiritual fathers of that particular denomination. For instance, Wesley for Methodism, Calvin for Presbyterians, Luther for Lutherans, etc. It takes time, but in the end, you will get a good grasp of the major differences between them. I will pray for you to find a good faith home!

Justin

 

Very interesting...I can't imagine why that would be. Canada would make a lot of sense given its history as a part of the British Empire.

 

I think the Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists in our country kind of subsumed themselves into the 'United Church' denomination back before I was born, maybe the early 1900's. Otherwise the Christian denominations rank primarily of Roman Catholicism, and then United Church, and then Anglicanism.

I went to a United parish once which had Methodist roots, and it was absolutely beautiful, with stone slabs and glass windows depicting various scenes in the Bible. I would have assumed it to be more Anglican, but the lack of the altar gave that away. United churches tend to range from a more traditional, 'liturgical-lite' modern worship (as I would assume with churches of a former Methodist background), to Jesus-centred, more evangelical-based worship; and I have experienced a few United Church services in my life!

I suppose I just could never be a Protestant, but as a religious progressive, the United Church of Canada is very much right up my alley! I just began to fall in love with Anglican culture and its peculiarities, as well as dignified Liturgical worship and Apostolic Succession.

 

Thank you for this. Naturally, as an American, I know very little about religion in Canada. I had honestly never heard of the history or background you mentioned in the United Church of Canada. I am a real sucker for the history behind religious movements (and all social movements for that matter) so I find all of this very fascinating!

 

Its actually it a pretty easy transition from a Wesleyan church even holiness church tothe Anglican community.

 

I concure on the fact of Southern United States. The problem there seems to be the influence of Southern Baptist. For some reason churches that have developed their tend to giravitate towards some of the ideology. It happened in the denomination I grew yup in, The Church of the Nazarene.

 

Not sure what you mean. What happened in the Church of the Nazarene?

 

what does the SBC have to do with the views of the southern UMC, a church that I grew up in? Georgian Methodists are especially guarded about their Wesleyan heritage, given tha GA was the only state (or colony, more accurately) Wesley ever came to. I'm interested in learning about these southern baptist accretions that have sneaked into the UMC. I think Pentecostalism is the bigger threat.

 

Most Churches I have seen in the south seem to have adopted some of the ideology. Meaning the stricter view on scripture a dismissal of science and a closer theology to Calvin with Arminian thrown in. Although it is on a church to church basis I have learned. And yes Pentecostalism does have a good following in the south as well. The Church of the Nazerene had to drop pentacostal from its name due to charismatic rise in the pentecostal churches.

The Church of the Nazerene is a young denomitation and seems to have developed growing pains (that is what I call it). There has been some small groups pushing to change the stances on their Articles of Faith. They are wanting to move more toward a reformed theology closer Calvin which the Nazarene church has not fully supported. Here is a web site with some of those who disapprove of the church:. http://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/ They seemed to have gotten some of the laity believing most of the stuff they talk about. Their also has developed some tension between laity and leadership especially at the University level. Even though the Church choose to go with liberal arts universities. There also seems to be some rejection to Wesleyanism which is what the church started out as and built its doctrine around.

 

I was pretty active in the umc, even went to a methodist college. I've met all kinds of methodists but I've never met a Calvinist one. This is all news to me.

 

I have never meet a full Calvinist but I have meet hybrids. I doubt there are those who would call themselves that but would with out knowning have some calvinist theology. It seems more prevelent in laity than clergy.

 

Actually, George Whitefield was a Calvinistic Methodist. And the Presbyterian Church of Wales is composed of Calvinistic Methodists.