FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I have heard that United Methodists were kind of lax theologically, and that you can pretty much believe what you want in the United Methodist church. Is that true?
United Methodist theology is rigorous, but not rigid! For instance, to ensure that scripture retains its primary, living, and authoritative voice in the life of faith, United Methodists draw from 1) the Tradition and wisdom of the whole church, past and present; 2) from Reason, and 3) from Experience. We sometimes call this four-fold emphasis (Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience) ‘The Weslyan Quadrilateral,’ although John Wesley himself never used this term and always considered Scripture to be the primary source of faith. Failure to listen to the witnesses of Tradition, Reason, and Experience when listening to the witness of Scripture is, United Methodists believe, the recipe for lax theology.

The purpose of the freedom we have as United Methodists to ask any question, explore any topic, question any belief, verse of scripture, or statement of faith, is to draw us closer in our own living to the life of Christ. The fellowship in United Methodism, therefore, is not based on agreement in beliefs but on the desire of the heart to live the life of God that Jesus lived. A saying of John Wesley, who was no slouch as a theologian, is appropriate here; he would often say: ‘If your heart is like my heart, give me your hand!’

You should actually expect to find in the United Methodist Church persons with very different beliefs gladly joining together around Christ’s table.

On the note of communion, who is welcome at the United Methodist table?
There is no such thing as a United Methodist table. The tables you see in the front of United Methodist sanctuaries belong to God; and Jesus does the welcoming. Anyone who desires to come and commune with Jesus, no matter what their status, belief, or religious persuasion, is welcomed by Jesus, and, therefore, also by us. There is no religious ‘in crowd’ in United Methodism. You are welcome at his table!

Who speaks for the United Methodist Church?
The only body that can speak officially for the United Methodist Church is the General Conference, which is a representative meeting of the denomination that meets every four years. The stance of the denomination on various issues can be found in the Book of Resolutions and the Book of Discipline, and also through the denomination’s website, at www.umc.org.