Confirmation Part 5/10: Foundational Methodist Teachings
This is part of a series of mix-and-match curriculum resource for UMC Confirmation Classes and Teachers
Also available in paperback and ebook
Foundational Teachings in Methodism
What Do Methodists Believe?
This isn't a simple question. Methodists don't agree on all aspects of doctrine. In general, though, Methodists tend to agree on major Christian teachings.
(Where do these teachings come from? The Bible, Wesley's writings, the Articles of Religion, the Confession of Faith, the Book of Discipline, the United Methodist Hymnal, and the work of theologians and educators across the centuries.)
United Methodists share a common heritage with other Christians:
Conviction that God has mercy and love for all people
Belief in the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Faith in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ
Celebration of the Sacraments
Some Foundational Methodist Teachings
Primacy of Grace: If there's one thing that makes Methodism Methodist, it's grace. God, revealed through Jesus Christ, loves human beings and all creation. Grace is God's loving action in human existence through the Holy Spirit — and for Methodists, grace comes first, before anything we do or believe.
Holiness: Christians are called to allow the Holy Spirit to shape them more and more into the image of Christ. This isn't about being perfect — it's about growing. Faithful disciples work for a world of reconciliation, peace, justice, and love.
Human Worth: Even though all human beings are sinners, God endows each person with worth and moral responsibility. Reconciliation between humans and God is chief among God's purposes. The full splendor of true humanity is seen in Jesus Christ.
Conversion and New Birth: God forgives sins and changes the human heart when persons repent and trust in Christ. Not all Christians experience the workings of divine grace in the same way — and that's okay. Wesley himself emphasized that God meets people where they are.
Faith and Good Works: For Methodists, these belong together. You can't separate what you believe from how you live. Personal salvation leads to involvement in Christian mission in the world. Personal religion and Christian social action are mutually reinforcing.
Room at the Table: United Methodism draws from many heritages, and different theological positions grow out of different circumstances and experiences. This isn't just tolerance — it's the conviction that the church is enriched by the diversity of its members. The church makes room for different points of view, even within the same community of believers.
A Vision of Life for All Humanity: Methodist concern doesn't stop at the church door. The nurturing community, the economic community, the natural world, the social community, the world community, and the political community — all are within the scope of Christian concern, including the protection of freedom and the guarantee of rights to adequate food, clothing, education, and more.
Our Social Creed
For United Methodists, social consciousness has always gone hand in hand with faith. Early Methodists opposed slavery, alcohol abuse, gambling, industrial exploitation, and war.
From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church — 2020/2024:
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 the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the rights and dignity of all persons.
We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so doing; in the rights to property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and responsible consumption; and in the elimination of economic and social distress. We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people of the world.
We believe in the present and final triumph of God's Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world. Amen.
This is part of a series of mix-and-match curriculum resource for UMC Confirmation Classes and Teachers
