About The United Methodist Church
Holy Trinity United Methodist Church is a local congregation of the United Methodist Church. We are an 11 millionstrong global church that opens hearts, opens doors, and opens minds through active engagement with our world.
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We are doers, committed to social justice, ending hunger, eradicating diseases of poverty, and being the healing
faith community as God calls us to be.
We accept you for who you are, and guide others searching for deeper meaning. We respect other religions and
welcome diverse opinions.
We offer thousands of ways to experience church so you can find a journey you can call your own. We aren't
striving to be all the same, but we are striving to work together to make a significant difference in the world.
The United Methodist Church is a church in the Wesleyan tradition (founded by John Wesley) that was formed by the
merger in 1939 of three Methodist bodies (Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal South, and Methodist Protestant),
and a 1968 union of the Evangelical United Brethren and The Methodist churches.
John Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified
in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. As a church in the Wesleyan tradition, the United Methodist Church
holds these principles as fundamental. We believe in:
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God's Grace as the undeserved and unmerited favor of God through which we can be brought to salvation;
Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ alone;
Sanctification and Perfection as the work of God's grace through the Word and Spirit to cleanse us from sin; and,
Good Works, not to remove our sins or avert divine judgment, but as an evidence of our faith.
We have basic beliefs about the social world, which is summed up in our Social Creed:
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We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy
Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous
ends.
We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and
faithful use by humankind. We joyfully receive for ourselves and others the blessings of community, sexuality,
marriage, and the family.
We commit ourselves to:
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the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and people with disabilities;
improvement of the quality of life; and
the rights and dignity of racial, ethnic, religious minorities.
The History of Our Church
On April 23, 1968, The United Methodist Church was created when Bishop Reuben H. Mueller,
representing The Evangelical United Brethren Church, and Bishop Lloyd C. Wicke of The Methodist
Church joined hands at the constituting General Conference in Dallas, Texas. With the words, "Lord of the
Church, we are united in Thee, in Thy Church and now in The United Methodist Church," the new
denomination was given birth by two churches that had distinguished histories and influential ministries in
various parts of the world.
Theological traditions steeped in the Protestant Reformation and Wesleyanism, similar ecclesiastical
structures, and relationships that dated back almost two hundred years facilitated the union. In the
Evangelical United Brethren heritage, for example, Philip William Otterbein, the principal founder of the
United Brethren in Christ, assisted in the ordination of Francis Asbury to the superintendency of American
Methodist work. Jacob Albright, through whose religious experience and leadership the Evangelical
Association was begun, was nurtured in a Methodist class meeting following his conversion.
Roots, 1736-1816
The United Methodist Church shares a common history and heritage with other Methodist and Wesleyan
bodies. The lives and ministries of John Wesley (1703–1791) and of his brother, Charles (1707–1788), mark
the origin of their common roots. Both John and Charles were Church of England missionaries to the colony
of Georgia, arriving in March 1736. It was their only occasion to visit America. Their mission was far from
an unqualified success, and both returned to England disillusioned and discouraged, Charles in December
1736, and John in February 1738.
Both of the Wesley brothers had transforming religious experiences in May 1738. John’s heart “was
strangely warmed” at a prayer meeting on Aldersgate Street in London. In the years following, the Wesleys
succeeded in leading a lively renewal movement in the Church of England. As the Methodist movement
grew, it became apparent that their ministry would spread to the American colonies as some Methodists
made the exhausting and hazardous Atlantic voyage to the New World.
Organized Methodism in America began as a lay movement. Among its earliest leaders were Robert
Strawbridge, an immigrant farmer who organized work about 1760 in Maryland and Virginia, Philip
Embury and his cousin, Barbara Heck, who began work in New York in 1766, and Captain Thomas Webb,
whose labors were instrumental in Methodist beginnings in Philadelphia in 1767. African Americans
participated actively in these groundbreaking and formational initiatives though much of that contribution
was acknowledged without much biographical detail.
To strengthen the Methodist work in the colonies, John Wesley sent two of his lay preachers, Richard
Boardman and Joseph Pilmore, to America in 1769. Two years later Richard Wright and Francis Asbury
were also dispatched by Wesley to undergird the growing American Methodist societies. Francis Asbury
became the most important figure in early American Methodism. His energetic devotion to the principles of
Wesleyan theology, ministry, and organization shaped Methodism in America in a way unmatched by any
other individual. In addition to the preachers sent by Wesley, some Methodists in the colonies also answered
the call to become lay preachers in the movement.
The first conference of Methodist preachers in the colonies was held in Philadelphia in 1773. The ten who
attended took several important actions. They pledged allegiance to Wesley’s leadership and agreed that
they would not administer the sacraments because they were laypersons. Their people were to receive the
sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper at the local Anglican parish church. They emphasized strong
discipline among the societies and preachers. A system of regular conferences of the preachers was
inaugurated similar to those Wesley had instituted in England to conduct the business of the Methodist
movement.
The American Revolution had a profound impact on Methodism. John Wesley’s Toryism and his writings
against the revolutionary cause did not enhance the image of Methodism among many who supported
independence. Furthermore, a number of Methodist preachers refused to bear arms to aid the patriots.
When independence from England had been won, Wesley recognized that changes were necessary in
American Methodism. He sent Thomas Coke to America to superintend the work with Asbury. Coke
brought with him a prayer book titled The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America, prepared by
Wesley and incorporating his revision of the Church of England’s Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. Two
other preachers, Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey, whom Wesley had ordained, accompanied Coke.
Wesley’s ordinations set a precedent that ultimately permitted Methodists in America to become an
independent church.
In December 1784, the famous Christmas Conference of preachers was held in Baltimore at Lovely Lane
Chapel to chart the future course of the movement in America. Most of the American preachers attended,
probably including two African Americans, Harry Hosier and Richard Allen. It was at this gathering that the
movement became organized as The Methodist Episcopal Church in America.
In the years following the Christmas Conference, The Methodist Episcopal Church published its first
Discipline (1785), adopted a quadrennial General Conference, the first of which was held in 1792, drafted a
Constitution in 1808, refined its structure, established a publishing house, and became an ardent proponent
of revivalism and the camp meeting.
As The Methodist Episcopal Church was in its infancy, two other churches were being formed. In their
earliest years they were composed almost entirely of German-speaking people. The first was founded by
Philip William Otterbein (1726–1813) and Martin Boehm (1725–1812). Otterbein, a German Reformed
pastor, and Boehm, a Mennonite, preached an evangelical message and experience similar to the
Methodists. In 1800 their followers formally organized the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. A
second church, The Evangelical Association, was begun by Jacob Albright (1759–1808), a Lutheran farmer
and tilemaker in eastern Pennsylvania who had been converted and nurtured under Methodist teaching. The
Evangelical Association was officially organized in 1803. These two churches were to unite with each other
in 1946 and with The Methodist Church in 1968 to form The United Methodist Church.
By the time of Asbury’s death in March 1816, Otterbein, Boehm, and Albright had also died. The churches
they nurtured had survived the difficulties of early life and were beginning to expand numerically and
geographically.
The Churches Grow, 1817-1843
The Second Great Awakening was the dominant religious development among Protestants in America in the
first half of the nineteenth century. Through revivals and camp meetings sinners were brought to an
experience of conversion. Circuit riding preachers and lay pastors knit them into a connection. This style of
Christian faith and discipline was very agreeable to Methodists, United Brethren, and Evangelicals, who
favored its emphasis on the experiential. The memberships of these churches increased dramatically during
this period. The number of preachers serving them also multiplied significantly.
Lay members and preachers were expected to be seriously committed to the faith. Preachers were not only
to possess a sound conversion and divine calling but were also to demonstrate the gifts and skills requisite
for an effective ministry. Their work was urgent and demanding. The financial benefits were meager. But,
as they often reminded one another, there was no ore important work than theirs.
The deep commitment of the general membership was exhibited in their willingness to adhere to the
spiritual disciplines and standards of conduct outlined by their churches. Methodists, for example, were to
be strictly guided by a set of General Rules adopted at the Christmas Conference of 1784 and still printed in
United Methodism’s Book of Discipline. They were urged to avoid evil, to do good, and to use the means of
grace supplied by God. Membership in the church was serious business. There was no place for those whom
Wesley called the “almost Christians.”
The structure of the Methodist, United Brethren, and Evangelical Association churches allowed them to
function in ways to support, consolidate, and expand their ministries. General Conferences, meeting
quadrennially, proved sufficient to set the main course for the church. Annual Conferences under episcopal
leadership provided the mechanism for admitting and ordaining clergy, appointing itinerant preachers to
their churches, and supplying them with mutual support. Local churches and classes could spring up
wherever a few women and men were gathered under the direction of a class leader and were visited
regularly by the circuit preacher, one who had a circuit of preaching placed under his care. This system
effectively served the needs of city, town, village, or frontier outpost. The churches were able to go to the
people wherever they settled.
The earlier years of the nineteenth century were also marked by the spread of the Sunday school movement
in America. By 1835 Sunday schools were encouraged in every place where they could be started and
maintained. The Sunday school became a principal source of prospective members for the church.
The churches’ interest in education was also evident in their establishment of secondary schools and
colleges. By 1845 Methodists, Evangelicals, and United Brethren had also instituted courses of study for
their preachers to ensure that they had a basic knowledge of the Bible, theology, and pastoral ministry.
To supply their members, preachers, and Sunday schools with Christian literature, the churches established
publishing operations. The Methodist Book Concern, organized in 1789, was the first church publishing
house in America. The Evangelical Association and United Brethren also authorized the formation of
publishing agencies in the early nineteenth century. From the presses of their printing plants came a
succession of hymnals, Disciplines, newspapers, magazines, Sunday school materials, and other literature to
nurture their memberships. Profits were usually designated for the support and welfare of retired and
indigent preachers and their families.
The churches were also increasingly committed to missionary work. By 1841 each of them had started
denominational missionary societies to develop strategies and provide funds for work in the United States
and abroad. John Stewart’s mission to the Wyandots marked a beginning of the important presence of
Native Americans in Methodism.
The founding period was not without serious problems, especially for the Methodists. Richard Allen (1760–
1831), an emancipated slave and Methodist preacher who had been mistreated because of his race, left the
church and in 1816 organized The African Methodist Episcopal Church. For similar reasons, The African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was begun in 1821. In 1830 another rupture occurred in The Methodist
Episcopal Church. About 5,000 preachers and laypeople left the denomination because it would not grant
representation to the laity or permit the election of presiding elders (district superintendents). The new body
was called The Methodist Protestant Church. It remained a strong church until 1939, when it united with
The Methodist Episcopal Church and The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, to become The Methodist
Church.
A Slavery Question and Civil War, 1844-1865
John Wesley was an ardent opponent of slavery. Many of the leaders of early American Methodism shared
his hatred for this form of human bondage. The United Brethren in Christ took a strong stand against
slavery, as church members could not sell a slave, and by 1837 ruled that slave owners could not continue as
members. As the nineteenth century progressed, it became apparent that tensions were deepening in
Methodism over the slavery question. In this matter, as in so many others, Methodism reflected a national
ethos because it was a church with a membership that was not limited to a region, class, or race. Contention
over slavery would ultimately split Methodism into separate northern and southern churches.
The slavery issue was generally put aside by The Methodist Episcopal Church until its General Conference
in 1844, when the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions clashed. Their most serious conflict concerned one
of the church’s five bishops, James O. Andrew, who had acquired slaves through marriage. After
acrimonious debate the General Conference voted to suspend Bishop Andrew from the exercise of his
episcopal office so long as he could not, or would not, free his slaves. A few days later dissidents drafted a
Plan of Separation, which permitted the annual conferences in slaveholding states to separate from The
Methodist Episcopal Church in order to organize their own ecclesiastical structure. The Plan of Separation
was adopted, and the groundwork was prepared for the creation of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
Delegates from the southern states met in Louisville, Kentucky, in May 1845, to organize their new church.
Their first General Conference was held the following year in Petersburg, Virginia, where a Discipline and
hymnbook were adopted. Bitterness between northern and southern Methodists intensified in the years
leading to Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860 and then through the carnage of the Civil War. Each church
claimed divine sanction for its region and prayed fervently for God’s will to be accomplished in victory for
its side.
Reconstruction, Prosperity, and New Issues, 1866-1913
The Civil War dealt an especially harsh blow to The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Its membership
fell to two-thirds its pre-war strength. Many of its churches lay in ruins or were seriously damaged. A
number of its clergy had been killed or wounded in the conflict. Its educational, publishing, and missionary
programs had been disrupted. Yet new vitality stirred among southern Methodists, and over the next fifty
years its membership grew fourfold to more than two million.
The African American membership of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, had declined significantly
during and after the war. In 1870 its General Conference voted to transfer all of its remaining African
American constituency to a new church. The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (now called The
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church) was the product of this decision.
It was during this period that Alejo Hernandez became the first ordained Hispanic preacher in Methodism,
although Benigno Cardenas had preached the Methodist message in Spanish in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as
early as 1853.
The Methodist Episcopal Church did not suffer as harshly as southern Methodism did during the war. By the
late 1860s it was on the verge of major gains in membership and new vigor in its program. Between 1865
and 1913 its membership also registered a 400 percent increase to about four million. Methodist Protestants,
United Brethren, and Evangelicals experienced similar growth. Church property values soared, and
affluence reflected generally prosperous times for the churches. Sunday schools remained strong and active.
Publishing houses maintained ambitious programs to furnish their memberships with literature. Higher
educational standards for the clergy were cultivated, and theological seminaries were founded.
Mission work, both home and overseas, was high on the agendas of the churches. Home mission programs
sought to Christianize the city as well as the Native American. Missionaries established schools for former
slaves and their children. Missions overseas were effective in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
Women formed missionaries societies that educated, recruited, and raised funds for these endeavors.
Missionaries like Isabella Thoburn, Susan Bauernfeind, and Harriett Brittan, and administrators like Bell
Harris Bennett and Lucy Rider Meyer, motivated thousands of church women to support home and foreign
missions.
Significant Methodist ministries among Asian Americans were instituted during this period, especially
among Chinese and Japanese immigrants. A Japanese layman, Kanichi Miyama, was ordained and given
full clergy rights in California in 1887.
Two critical issues that caused substantial debate in the churches during this period were lay representation
and the role of women. First, should laity be given a voice in the General Conference and the annual
conference? The Methodist Protestants had granted the laity representation from the time they organized in
1830. The clergy in The Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, The
Evangelical Association, and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ were much slower in permitting
the laity an official voice in their affairs. All finally granted lay people voting privileges in their General and
annual conferences with the exception of The Methodist Episcopal Church, which did not grant this right in
annual conference decisions before the 1939 union. Even more contentious was the question of women’s
right to ordination and eligibility for lay offices and representation in the church. The United Brethren
General Conference of 1889 approved ordination for women, but The Methodist Episcopal Church and The
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, did not grant full clergy rights until well after their reunion in 1939.
The Evangelical Association never ordained women. Laity rights for women were also resisted. Women
were not admitted as delegates to the General Conferences of The Methodist Protestant Church until 1892,
the United Brethren until 1893, The Methodist Episcopal Church until 1904, and The Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, until 1922.
The period between the Civil War and World War I also was marked by other theological developments and
controversies. The holiness movement, the rise of liberal theology, and the Social Gospel movement were
sources of considerable theological debate. The Methodist Episcopal Church demonstrated its regard for
social issues by adopting a Social Creed at its 1908 General Conference. Social problems were also a spur in
the movement toward ecumenism and interchurch cooperation. Each of the denominations now included in
The United Methodist Church became active in the Federal Council of Churches, the first major ecumenical
venture among American Protestants. The era closed with the world on the threshold of a great and horrible
war.
World War and More Change, 1914-1939
In the years immediately prior to World War I, there was much sympathy in the churches for negotiation
and arbitration as visible alternatives to international armed conflict. Many church members and clergy
openly professed pacifism. However, when the United States officially entered the war in 1917, pacifism
faded. The antecedent churches of United Methodism were not unlike other American denominations in
expressing their national loyalties.
When the war ended, the churches were again free to expend their energies in other directions. One of their
perennial concerns was temperance, and they were quick to recognize it among their highest priorities. They
published and distributed large amounts of temperance literature. Members were asked to pledge that they
would abstain from alcoholic beverages. The United Methodist Church still encourages such abstinence.
There was significant theological ferment during this period. Liberal Protestant theology, an important
school of thought in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was questioned. It was attacked by a
militant fundamentalism and later by neo-orthodoxy, which accused it of undermining the very essence of
the Christian message. Since all three of these theological parties—liberal, fundamentalist, and neoorthodox—were well represented in the forerunners of United Methodism, it is not surprising that heated
doctrinal disputes were present in these churches.
Despite the internal theological differences that the churches experienced, they continued to cooperate with
other denominations and acted to heal schisms that had taken place earlier in their own histories. For
example, a division that had occurred in The Evangelical Association in 1894 was repaired in 1922, when
two factions united as The Evangelical Church. A more important union, at least by statistical measurement,
took place among three Methodist bodies—The Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Protestant
Church, and The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Representatives of these churches began meeting in
1916 to forge a plan of union. By the 1930s their proposal included partitioning the united church into six
administrative units called jurisdictions. Five of these were geographical; the sixth, the Central Jurisdiction,
was racial. It included African American churches and annual conferences wherever they were
geographically located in the United States. African American Methodists and some others were troubled by
this prospect and opposed the plan of a racially segregated jurisdiction.
The majority of Methodist Protestants favored the union, although it meant accepting episcopal government,
which they had not had since their church was organized in 1830. Following overwhelming approvals at the
General Conferences and annual conferences of the three churches, they were united in April 1939, into The
Methodist Church. At the time of its formation the new church included 7.7 million members.
Movement Toward Union, 1940-1967
Although Methodists, Evangelicals, and United Brethren each had published strong statements condemning
war and advocating peaceful reconciliation among the nations, the strength of their positions was largely
lost with American involvement in the hostilities of World War II. Nevertheless, throughout the war many
churches continued to express their disdain for violence and their support for conscientious objection.
As the war ended, the churches actively worked to secure world peace and order. Many laypeople, pastors,
bishops, and church agencies supported the establishment of a world organization to serve as a forum for the
resolution of international social, economic, and political problems. In April 1945, their labors contributed
to the founding of the United Nations.
During this era, 1940–1967, there were at least three other important matters that occupied the attention of
the churches that now compose United Methodism. First, they maintained their concern for ecumenicity and
church union. On November 16, 1946, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, The Evangelical Church and The
United Brethren Church were united into The Evangelical United Brethren Church, after twenty years of
negotiation. At the time of union, the new church included about 700,000 members. The Methodist Church
was also interested in closer ties with other Methodist and Wesleyan bodies. In 1951 it participated in the
formation of the World Methodist Council, successor to the Ecumenical Methodist Conferences that were
begun in 1881. As expressions of their wider ecumenical commitment, Methodists and the Evangelical
United Brethren became active members of the World Council of Churches, founded in 1948, and the
National Council of Churches, founded in 1950. These assemblies provided a means for their members to
engage in cooperative mission and other ministries. The two churches also cooperated with seven other
Protestant denominations in forming the Consultation on Church Union in 1960.
Second, the churches demonstrated growing uneasiness with the problem of racism in both the nation and
the church. Many Methodists were especially disturbed by the manner in which racial segregation was built
into the fabric of their denominational structure. The Central Jurisdiction was a constant reminder of racial
discrimination. Proposals to eliminate the Central Jurisdiction were introduced at the General Conferences
from 1956 to 1966. Finally, plans to abolish the Central Jurisdiction were agreed upon with the
contemplated union with the Evangelical United Brethren in 1968, although a few African American annual
conferences continued for a short time thereafter.
Third, clergy rights for women were debated by the churches. The issue was especially critical in the
creation of The Evangelical United Brethren Church. The Evangelical Church had never ordained women.
The United Brethren had ordained them since 1889. In order to facilitate the union of these two churches,
the United Brethren accepted the Evangelical practice, and women lost their right to ordination. Methodists
debated the issue for several years after their unification in 1939. Full clergy rights for women were finally
granted in 1956, but it took a decade more before the number of women in seminaries and pulpits began to
grow significantly. When Methodists and the Evangelical United Brethren united in 1968, the right of
women to full clergy status was included in the plan of union.
As this period ended, negotiations between The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren
Church were proceeding toward their anticipated union into The United Methodist Church.
Developments and Changes Since 1968
When The United Methodist Church was created in 1968, it had approximately 11 million members, making
it one of the largest Protestant churches in the world.
Since its birth, United Methodism has experienced a number of changes in its life and structure. It has
become increasingly aware of itself as a world church with members and conferences in Africa, Asia,
Europe, and the United States. While its membership in Europe and the United States has declined
noticeably since 1968, membership in Africa and Asia has grown significantly.
An increasing number of women have been admitted to the ordained ministry, appointed to the district
superintendency, elected to positions of denominational leadership, and consecrated as bishops. In 1980
Marjorie Matthews was the first woman elected to the Church’s episcopacy.
The Church has endeavored to become a community in which all persons, regardless of racial or ethnic
background, can participate in every level of its connectional life and ministry.
United Methodism has struggled with a number of critical issues. It has created and refined theological and
mission statements. It has discussed and acted on matters of social importance such as nuclear power and
world peace, human sexuality, the environment, abortion, AIDS, evangelism, and world mission.
The Church has been concerned with the faithfulness and vitality of its worship. It published a hymnal in
1989, which included a new Psalter and revised liturgies for baptism, the Lord’s Supper, weddings, and
funerals. Its 1992 General Conference authorized a new Book of Worship. A Spanish language hymnal, Mil
Voces Para Celebrar, was published in 1996. A Korean language hymnal, Come, let Us Worship: The
Korean-English United Methodist Hymnal, was published in 2000.
The United Methodist Church represents the confluence of three streams of tradition: Methodism, the
Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and The Evangelical Association. With other churches that are also
members of the body of Christ, it humbly and gratefully offers up its praise to God through Jesus Christ and
the Holy Spirit for creating and sustaining grace. It seeks further grace as its ministers to the world.
From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church - 2008. Copyright 2008 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.
Reflecting on Our Faith
There are two kinds of believing, and both are essential for Christian life. They’re closely related and
influence each other, but they’re different. One is belief and the other, beliefs. One is faith and the other,
doctrine or theology.
Faith
Faith is the basic orientation and commitment of our whole being—a matter of heart and soul. Christian
faith is grounding our lives in the living God as revealed especially in Jesus Christ. It’s both a gift we
receive within the Christian community and a choice we make. It’s trusting in God and relying on God as
the source and destiny of our lives. Faith is believing in God, giving God our devoted loyalty and allegiance.
Faith is following Jesus, answering the call to be his disciples in the world. Faith is hoping for God’s future,
leaning into the coming kingdom that God has promised. Faith-as-belief is active; it involves trusting,
believing, following, hoping.
Theology
Theology or doctrine is more a matter of the head. It’s thinking together in the community of believers
about faith and discipleship. It’s reflecting on the gospel. It’s examining the various beliefs we hold as a
church. Some may say that theology is only for professional theologians. This is not true. All of us, young
and old, lay and clergy, need to work at this theological task so that our beliefs will actually guide our dayby-day actions and so that we can communicate our belief to an unbelieving world.
Our Theological Journey
Theology is thinking together about our faith and discipleship. It’s reflecting with others in the Christian
community about the good news of God’s love in Christ.
Both laypeople and clergy are needed in “our theological task.” The laypeople bring understandings from
their ongoing effort to live as Christians in the complexities of a secular world; clergy bring special tools
and experience acquired through intensive biblical and theological study. We need one another.
But how shall we go about our theological task so that our beliefs are true to the gospel and helpful in our
lives? In John Wesley’s balanced and rigorous ways for thinking through Christian doctrine, we find four
major sources or criteria, each interrelated. These we often call our “theological guidelines”: Scripture,
tradition, experience, and reason. (See The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church—2008, pp.
76-83.) Let’s look at each of these.
Scripture
In thinking about our faith, we put primary reliance on the Bible. It’s the unique testimony to God’s selfdisclosure in the life of Israel; in the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ; and in the Spirit’s
work in the early church. It’s our sacred canon and, thus, the decisive source of our Christian witness and
the authoritative measure of the truth in our beliefs.
In our theological journey we study the Bible within the believing community. Even when we study it alone,
we’re guided and corrected through dialogue with other Christians. We interpret individual texts in light of
their place in the Bible as a whole. We use concordances, commentaries, and other aids prepared by the
scholars. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we try to discern both the original intention of the text and its
meaning for our own faith and life.
Tradition
Between the New Testament age and our own era stand countless witnesses on whom we rely in our
theological journey. Through their words in creed, hymn, discourse, and prayer, through their music and art,
through their courageous deeds, we discover Christian insight by which our study of the Bible is
illuminated. This living tradition comes from many ages and many cultures. Even today Christians living in
far different circumstances from our own—in Africa, in Latin America, in Asia—are helping us discover
fresh understanding of the Gospel’s power.
Experience
A third source and criterion of our theology is our experience. By experience we mean especially the “new
life in Christ,” which is ours as a gift of God’s grace; such rebirth and personal assurance gives us new eyes
to see the living truth in Scripture. But we mean also the broader experience of all the life we live, its joys,
its hurts, its yearnings. So we interpret the Bible in light of our cumulative experiences. We interpret our
life’s experience in light of the biblical message. We do so not only for our experience individually but also
for the experience of the whole human family.
Reason
Finally, our own careful use of reason, though not exactly a direct source of Christian belief, is a necessary
tool. We use our reason in reading and interpreting the Scripture. We use it in relating the Scripture and
tradition to our experience and in organizing our theological witness in a way that’s internally coherent. We
use our reason in relating our beliefs to the full range of human knowledge and in expressing our faith to
others in clear and appealing ways.
Mission and Ministry
We Have a Mission
Why does the church exist? According to Matthew’s Gospel, the risen Christ made it clear: “Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (28:19-20).
Based on this “Great Commission,” our United Methodist Church has stated its purpose: “The mission of
the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide
the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs” (From The Book of Discipline of The
United Methodist Church—2008, p. 87. Copyright © 2008 by The United Methodist Publishing House.
Used by permission).
So the mission of our congregation is to make disciples. This is a four-fold task….We could abbreviate our
mission as one of welcoming-worshiping-nurturing-sending. (See The Book of Discipline of The United
Methodist Church—2008, p. 88, and Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation, 2005-2008.
We reach out to people and welcome them into the church
We have a direct responsibility for people of the “world” around our church, the community in which we
and others study, work, shop, play, and so forth. In this world are people with many hurts, doubts, and
questions. There are some who are new in the community and feel a little lost, some who are proudly selfsufficient, and others who are in desperate circumstances. Our mission is to reach out to them, listen to
them, accept them, share the gospel in word and deed, invite them into the family of faith, and joyfully
receive all who will respond.
We relate people to God and help them deepen their relationship with God
The second task in making disciples is to offer people opportunities for growing closer to God. Whether
they are visitors or old-time members, just beginning the journey of faith or well along the road—all are in
need of God’s love in Christ. Through worship, prayer, study, and honest sharing, we help one another
discover that the Holy Spirit is not far off but present with us, wanting an open and loving friendship with
each of us—not only friendship but commitment as well. Through our congregation’s various ministries we
encourage one another to give our selves to Christ, to ground our lives in the living God.
We nurture people in Christian living
Third, our congregation’s mission is to nurture people of all ages in the Christian faith and to help them
practice the disciplines of discipleship. The church exists not to serve itself but to serve the world. We come
to church not only for our own personal enrichment but also to prepare ourselves to do the work of love and
to get ready to be Christ’s disciples in the community. Through worship, baptism, Communion, Bible study,
prayer, and other means of grace, we’re strengthened for ministry.
We support people in their ministry
As members of the congregation, we’re sent into the community to serve those in need and to make our
community more loving and just. We believe that the Holy Spirit empowers and guides us in these
ministries and that wherever there’s need and suffering, we meet Christ, already at work. But still, we
cannot be effective in ministry on our own. So the congregation exists, in part, to surround and support each
member in his or her ministry. We do not always succeed in our efforts to be faithful disciples in the world.
But with the loving support of the community of faith, we can continue to grow.
Methodists in Mission
The United Methodist faith is deeply rooted in the Scripture and in the basic beliefs of all Christians. Out of
that theology and the faith have grown some specific actions that mark United Methodists as Christians
engaged in ministry to the world. The early members of the groups that eventually became The United
Methodist Church
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took strong stands on issues such as slavery, smuggling, and humane treatment of prisoners;
established institutions for higher learning;
started hospitals and shelters for children and the elderly;
founded Goodwill Industries in 1902;
became actively involved in efforts for world peace;
adopted a Social Creed and Social Principles to guide them as they relate to God’s world and God’s
people;
participated with other religious groups in ecumenical efforts to be in mission.
The Ministry of All Christians
All Christians are called by God, through their baptism, to be in ministry in the world. Therefore, the term
minister is appropriately used to describe any Christian who responds to God's call to reach out to the world
and its people through loving acts of service. The ministers of the church are called to serve in a variety of
ways.
As Laity—From its earliest days, Methodism has been a lay movement. The term laity comes from laos,
which means of the people. The laity are the whole people of God, who serve as ministers witnessing to the
work of God in individual lives and in the world.
As Clergy—Within the body of all Christian ministers, though, some are called to fulfill a specific ministry
through the church.
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Deacons—ordained ministers appointed to focus on servanthood. A deacon models the relationship
between worship in the community of faith and service to God in the world. Deacons serve in a
variety of ministry settings, both in the church and in the world.
Elders—ordained ministers appointed to lead congregations oc Christians in the celebration of the
sacraments and to guide and care for the life of the community. Some elders may also serve in
extension ministries beyond the local church.
Local pastors—licensed ministers appointed to perform the duties of a pastor in a specific church or
charge.
We Are All Called to Minister
Though our gifts vary widely, we’re all called to and engaged in the one ministry of Jesus Christ. Some
aspects of our ministry are easy and come naturally. Some are difficult, involving long hours, tough work,
perhaps with conflict, perhaps with disappointing results. What drives us? What keeps us going? The list
includes at least these three things:
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the memory of Jesus’ life of service to others, which inspires us to follow him in ministry;
the assurance of God’s gracious love for us, which empowers us to love others;
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the promise of God’s coming reign on earth, which draws us into action directed toward this vision.
Let’s be more specific. Where does ministry happen?
It happens in our daily activity
For those who are alert to the needs of others, each day abounds with opportunities to serve. We minister
with our families as we inquire about one another’s lives, as we listen and respond with care, as we touch, as
we smile and offer a kind word, and as we decide questions and reconcile conflicts. We take time to listen to
a friend in need and we respond; this is often the greatest gift we can offer. We minister at work, to both coworkers and those we serve. We minister in the neighborhood or the shops as we go about the day’s work.
It happens through new initiatives
We also go out of our way to minister. We hear of a need, read of a crisis, or see an opportunity to share
God’s love. It may be with someone across town, someone of another racial or economic group, a person
with a disability, or a person of another nation or culture. We take time to call, to visit, to write, and to ask
how we can help. We also take the time to respond.
It happens through groups and institutions
Many needs are best met by joining forces with others. We take part in community groups that are trying to
serve human need or trying to change social forces that cause suffering. We give our time, our energy, and
our money. Though others in these organizations may not think of it this way, for us it’s Christ’s ministry.
It happens through the church
Through our support and our contributions, we participate in the far-flung ministries of The United
Methodist Church—in our district and annual conference, across the nation, and around the world. Here in
our congregation we take part in service groups, we sign up for special action projects, we visit, we
telephone, we lead, and we teach. And we minister face-to-face in all kinds of ways, both when we gather
and in our informal contacts.
Inspired by the example of Jesus and empowered by God’s love for us, we all carry out our ministry, both
individually and together with others.
Church and Society
We Act in Society
Taking an active stance in society is nothing new for followers of John Wesley. He set the example for us to
combine personal and social piety. Ever since predecessor churches to United Methodism flourished in the
United States, we have been known as a denomination involved with people's lives, with political and social
struggles, having local to international mission implications. Such involvement is an expression of the
personal change we experience in our baptism and conversion.
The United Methodist Church believes God's love for the world is an active and engaged love, a love
seeking justice and liberty. We cannot just be observers. So we care enough about people's lives to risk
interpreting God's love, to take a stand, to call each of us into a response, no matter how controversial or
complex. The church helps us think and act out a faith perspective, not just responding to all the other
"mind-makers-up" that exist in our society.
Excerpt from The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church 2008. Copyright © 2008 by The
United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.
To help guide our thinking and acting about how we live in and are in engaged in ministry in the world, The
United Methodist Church has created statements to guide the church in its efforts to create a world of
justice.
"Our Social Creed" is a basic statement of our convictions about the fundamental relationships between
God, God's creation and humanity. This basic statement is expanded in a more lengthy statement called the
"Social Principles." This statement explains more fully how United Methodists are called to live in the
world. Part of our Book of Discipline , the "Social Principles" serve as a guide to official church action and
our individual witness.
Preface
The Social Principles are a prayerful and thoughtful effort on the part of the General Conference to speak to
the human issues in the contemporary world from a sound biblical and theological foundation as historically
demonstrated in United Methodist traditions.
Preamble
We, the people called United Methodists, affirm our faith in God our Creator and Father, in Jesus Christ our
Savior, and in the Holy Spirit, our Guide and Guard.
The Natural World
We affirm that we're responsible for the way we use the Lord's creation. We support social policies that
promote the wise use of water, air, soil, minerals, and plants. We support the conservation of energy and
oppose energy-using technologies that threaten human health. We're concerned for the humane treatment of
animals and the respectful use of space.
The Nurturing Community
We affirm the family and work to strengthen its relationships. We affirm the sanctity of marriage and shared
fidelity between a man and a woman. We recognize divorce as regrettable and intend to minister to the
members of divorced families. We affirm the integrity of single persons. We recognize that sexuality is a
good gift of God and that sex between a man and woman is only to be clearly affirmed in the marriage bond.
We recognize the tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion and urge prayerful consideration
by all parties involved. We assert the right of every person to die with dignity.
The Social Community
We affirm all persons as equally valuable in God's sight. We reject racism and assert the rights of racial
minorities to equal opportunities in employment, education, voting, housing, and leadership. We urge social
practices that will uphold the rights of religious minorities, of children, youth, young adults, and the aging,
of women, and of disabled persons. We affirm our long-standing support of abstinence from alcohol and
illegal drugs, and we support the rehabilitation of drug-dependent persons.
The Economic Community
All economic systems are under the judgment of God. We believe the private ownership of property is a
trusteeship under God and must be responsibly managed. We support the right of employees and employers
to organize for collective bargaining. We affirm the right of safe and meaningful work and creative leisure.
We support efforts to ensure truth in pricing, packaging, lending, and advertising; and we urge people to
evaluate their consumption of goods in the light of the quality of life. We call on Christians to abstain from
gambling and to be in ministry with persons who are the victims of this societal menace.
The Political Community
We hold governments responsible for the protection of people's basic freedoms. We believe that neither
church nor state should attempt to dominate the other. We call for freedom of information and quality
education. We defend the right of individuals to practice conscientious, non-violent civil disobedience. We
support government measures to reduce crimes consistent with the basic freedoms of persons; and we urge
the creation of new systems of rehabilitation.
The World Community
God's world is one world. We hold nations accountable for unjust treatment of their citizens. We affirm the
right of people in developing nations to shape their own destiny; and we applaud efforts to establish a more
just international economic order. We believe war is incompatible with the teachings of Christ, and we
claim that it is the primary moral duty of every nation to resolve disputes peacefully. We endorse the United
Nations and commend all who pursue world peace through law.
Our Social Creed
We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the
Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to
idolatrous ends.
A Theology of Discipleship
Theology is not just about God. It is also about us. We live out of our understanding of who we are in
relationship to God, to one another, and to the world. The Christian faith is grounded in the love and grace
of God, experienced through Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is our
response to God’s love and grace.
The church calls our response to God Christian discipleship. Discipleship focuses on actively following in
the footsteps of Jesus. As Christian disciples, we are not passive spectators but energetic participants in
God’s activity in the world. Because of what God has done for us, we offer our lives back to God. We order
our lives in ways that embody Christ’s ministry in our families, workplaces, communities, and the world.
Loving God
When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, his response was: “You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and
first commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38. See Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; and Luke 10:25-28.)
Discipleship is about loving God….It is more than an acknowledgement of God’s existence or a statement
of belief regarding God. It is total devotion, head-over-heals-in-love-with adoration. It is the deep desire to
know God, to be one with God, and to worship God.
There are a variety of ways that we can develop our knowledge of and love of God. These include
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Prayer
Bible study
Worship
Fasting
Conversation with other Christians
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, called these practices means of grace. They are means
for developing our relationship with God and for experiencing God’s presence in our lives. These practices
help us spend time with God, a significant factor in loving God.
Loving Neighbor
Jesus responded to questions about the most important commandment by quoting the Hebrew Scripture’s
admonition to love God with our whole being. (See Deut. 6:4-9 as well as gospel passages listed in the
above section.) Then immediately he broadened the meaning of this admonition: “The second is this, ‘You
shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:31).
These verses about loving God and loving neighbor as ourselves are known as the Great Commandment.
Again and again, the Bible teaches us that loving God and loving neighbor are two sides of the same coin.
We cannot do one without the other. Check out some of these passages for a glimpse at how prevalent this
understanding of Christian discipleship is:
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Matthew 5:43-48
Matthew 25:31-46
Luke 10:25-37
John 15:12-17
Romans 12:9-18
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1 Corinthians 13
1 John 4:19-21
From these passages and others we can draw several conclusions about what it means to love our neighbors.
First of all, loving our neighbors means responding to specific needs—hunger, illness, imprisonment,
loneliness, and so forth. Love is more than a feeling; it is behavior. It is practical and concrete.
Secondly, our neighbors include many people. Within the context of the Christian community, our
neighbors are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Neighbors may also refer to the contemporary
understanding of those who live near us. However, from a biblical perspective, neighbors often include
people whom we might not normally consider:
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strangers;
prisoners;
people who mistreat us (who are our enemies);
people from other cultural and ethnic backgrounds;
people from different religious traditions;
people who irritate us and push the boundaries of our patience.
Therefore, loving our neighbors requires attention and sacrifice. We have to pay attention to what is
happening around us in order to see our neighbors and to recognize their needs. We must also consider their
needs to be as important as our own in order to live faithfully. Loving neighbor is more than random acts of
kindness. It takes time, energy, and commitment. It is a lifestyle carefully cultivated in response to God.
Finally, these passages emphasize that loving our neighbors is not optional; it is mandatory. It is what
Christians do and what Christians are. Our lives are a testimony to our love—our love for God and our love
for neighbor.
Structure & Organization: Overview
Background
United Methodists often joke about the many organizational layers of church life, but, as members of other
denominations have been heard to say: “If you want something done, get the Methodists to do it.” Followers
of the Wesleys are indeed “methodical” about the ways they approach mission and ministry.
One reason United Methodists are able to accomplish great things is the church’s emphasis on
“connectionalism.” It is common to hear United Methodist leaders speak of the denomination as “the
connection.” This concept has been central to Methodism from its beginning.
The United Methodist Church, which began as a movement and a loose network of local societies with a
mission, has grown into one of the most carefully organized and largest denominations in the world. The
United Methodist structure and organization began as a means of accomplishing the mission of spreading
Scriptural Holiness over the land. John Wesley recognized the need for an organized system of
communication and accountability and developed what he called the “connexion,” which was an
interlocking system of classes, societies, and annual conferences. (UM Member’s Handbook, p 24)
No local church is the total body of Christ. Therefore, local United Methodist churches are bound together
by a common mission and common governance that accomplish reaching out into the world. United
Methodist churches and organizations join in mission with each other and with other denominations.
Connectionalism shows through the clergy appointment system, through the developing of mission and
ministry that United Methodists do together, and through giving.
An example of connectionalism: Mission work around the world, whether it be a new university in Africa or
bicycles for Cuban pastors, is the work of “the connection,” as opposed to the work of a single
congregation.
Governance
United Methodists are sometimes asked where their church is headquartered, or what officer is "in charge."
Deliberately, The United Methodist Church has no single central office, no archbishop, no pope. This
reflects the representative nature of the church's organization - which also provides a system of checks and
balances.
The church created a system that in some ways parallels that of the U.S. government when it came to
America. The church has a General Conference, its legislative branch; a Council of Bishops, somewhat like
an executive branch; and a nine-member Judicial Council, the judicial branch.
It's helpful to recognize the structure of the church, but it is the mission, ministry and love of God through
Jesus Christ that is of primary importance.
General Conference
Who makes decisions for The United Methodist Church if there is no one person in charge? Good question.
The only body that can set official policy and speak for the denomination is the General Conference.
The General Conference is an international body of nearly 1,000 delegates that meets every four years. The
delegates are elected by annual conferences (at annual conference sessions) to attend General Conference.
They represent all annual conferences around the world. Half of the delegates are laity (non-clergy
members), half are clergy.
Bishops attend the General Conference but cannot vote. Different bishops serve as presiding officers during
the conference. Other bishops cannot speak unless permission is specifically granted by the delegates.
During General Conference, delegates discuss and vote on petitions and resolutions proposed by
individuals, agencies, annual conferences, and other groups within the denomination. These actions result in
a revision of the Book of Discipline, the denomination's book of law, and Book of Resolutions, policies of
the denomination on current social issues.
It is at General Conference where delegates wrestle with today's issues in light of scriptural teachings and
the church's understanding of that teaching. Here is where the church's official stands and church policies
are made regarding such issues as human sexuality, abortion, war and peace, as well as determination of
ministries and funding.
General Conferences are held in years divisible by 4, such as 2000, 2004, etc.
Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church uses an episcopal system of governance, which means bishops provide the
top leadership.
All bishops (active and retired) are members of the Council of Bishops, which is required to meet at least
once a year.
Bishops are directed to provide oversight of the entire church but have specific leadership responsibilities in
a geographical area, called an episcopal area. An episcopal area is comprised of one or more annual
conferences. There are 50 episcopal areas in the U.S. and 18 episcopal areas in the central conferences.
Both men and women can be elected bishop. The only requirement to be elected bishop is that the person is
an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church. Bishops in the U.S. generally serve one area for eight
years (two four-year terms) before they are assigned to another area.
The Executive Secretary (a retired bishop serving a four-year term) is the chief operating officer for the
council in their permanent, staffed office in Washington, D.C.
Judicial Council
The Judicial Council is the highest judicial body or "court" of The United Methodist Church. Its nine
members, comprised of both clergy and lay members, are elected by the General Conference for eight-year
terms and receive no pay for their work. The five-to-four ratio of membership alternates every eight years
between having a majority of clergy member and a majority of lay members.
The Judicial Council determines the constitutionality of acts or proposed acts of the General, Jurisdictional,
Central, and Annual Conferences. It acts on these either on appeal of lower rulings or through requests for
declaratory decisions. It also rules on whether acts of other official bodies of the denomination conform to
The Book of Discipline. This is done in accordance with procedures established in The Book of Discipline.
When the Judicial Council makes its decision, it is final.
Connectional Table
In 2004, the General Conference created a new structure called the Connectional Table to guide the work of
the church. The Connectional Table, a place for collaboration, conversation and decision, is the first
significant restructure for The United Methodist church since 1972. This body oversees the coordination of
mission, ministries and resources across the denomination.
The 47 member body consists of equal numbers of lay persons and clergy; female and male, including at
least 10 percent youth and young adults; at least 30 percent members of racial-ethnic minority groups, and
no fewer than seven members from The United Methodist Church in Europe, Africa and Asia. It also
includes bishops and staff executives and officers of denominational agencies. Top executives of the general
boards and agencies have the right to speak, but cannot vote.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Organization
It is the organization of The United Methodist Church that creates a structure for connectionalism. The
United Methodist Church is intentionally decentralized and democratic. Clergy and laity alike help
determine the ministry and workings of The United Methodist Church through their actions in their local
churches, annual conferences, general agencies and through petitions and resolutions they send to General
Conference, and through the voting delegates who go to General Conference, the only body that can set
official policy for the church. It is individuals, the people called United Methodists, who make possible the
connection of hearts, minds, hands and lives as the body of Christ around the world.
Local church
It is primarily at the level of the charge consisting of one or more local churches that the church encounters
the world. The local church is a strategic base from which Christians move out to the structures of
society…Therefore, the local church is to minister to persons in the community where the church is
located…to cooperate in ministry with other local churches…and to participate in the worldwide mission of
the church... (2008 Book of Discipline)
Most individuals have their initial contact with the denomination in the local church. Some local church
members don't realize that they are part of a bigger whole-the connection: an annual conference, a
jurisdiction, the General Church, and churches and annual conferences around the world.
The Book of Discipline outlines rules and organization that local churches must follow but there is also
room for a local church to express its ministry according to the community and its congregation.
Districts
Groups of churches in a geographic area are organized to form a district, somewhat similar to the way cities
and towns are organized into counties. Often, churches in a district will work together to provide training
and mission opportunities.1
Each district is led by a district superintendent (“DS”), an elder appointed by the bishop, usually for a sixyear term. The DS oversees the ministry of the district’s clergy and churches, provides spiritual and
pastoral leadership, works with the bishop and others in the appointment of ordained ministers to serve the
district’s churches, presides at meetings of the charge conference, and oversees programs within the
district.2
1
From United Methodist Member’s Handbook by George Kohler (Discipleship Resources, 1997), p. 24.
2
From What Every Teacher Needs to Know about The United Methodist Church (Discipleship Resources,
2002), p. 30.
Annual Conferences
When you hear the term "annual conference," it could be referring to any one of three things. The annual
conference is a regional body, an organizational unit AND a yearly meeting.
Regional body
The annual (sometimes referred to as 'regional') conference is described by the church's Book of Discipline
as the "basic unit" of the church.
An annual conference may cover an entire state, only part of the state, or even parts of two or more states.
There are also three missionary conferences in the United States, which rely upon the denomination as a
whole for funding.
The United States has 63 annual conferences, supervised by 50 bishops. There are 59 annual conferences in
Africa, Europe, and the Philippines, which are supervised by 18 bishops.
Organizational body
The annual conference has a central office and professional staff that coordinate and conduct ministry and
the business of the conference. It likely has a director of connectional ministries, treasurer, directors of
program areas (such as camping), communications director, and other staff as deemed appropriate for the
annual conference and as required by the Book of Discipline. Clergy and laypersons may also serve on
conference boards, commissions and committees.
Annual Conference sessions
Each year—usually in May or June—all clergy members and an equal number of lay members selected
from the local churches attend their conference’s Annual Conference sessionmeet together to worship,
fellowship, and conduct the business of the conference, which may last 3-5 days. During these sessions,
members of the conference hear reports of past and ongoing work; adopt future goals, programs and
budgets; ordain clergy members as deacons and elders; and elect delegates to Jurisdictional and General
Jurisdictional / Central Conferences
In the United States of America, The United Methodist Church is divided into five areas known as
jurisdictions: Northeastern, Southeastern, North Central, South Central and Western. These provide some
program and leadership training events to support the annual conferences. Every four years the
jurisdictional conferences meet to elect new bishops and select members of general boards and agencies.
From United Methodist Member's Handbook, p. 25.
Annual conferences located outside the United States are organized into central conferences, much like
jurisdictions. There are seven central conferences: Africa, Central and Southern Europe, Congo, Germany,
Northern Europe, Philippines, and West Africa.
General Agencies
United Methodist general agencies (boards, council, and commissions) are created by and responsible to the
General Conference. The purpose of the general agencies is to provide resources and services that will
enable individual congregations to serve God effectively in the world. Through the work of these agencies,
The United Methodist Church is able to maintain a common vision, mission, and ministry throughout the
worldwide connectional system.
Each general agency has its own governing board of lay and clergy members. Members of these boards are
selected from individuals nominated by annual conferences and other groups. In addition to board members,
there are staff members who coordinate and carry out the day-to-day ministry work of each agency.
The purposes of each agency are outlined in the Book of Discipline.
For example, the General Council on Finance and Administration oversees funds of the church. The
General Commission on Religion and Race reviews and monitors the practices of the entire church to
ensure racial inclusiveness.