Comparing the Modern and Traditional Methodist Church

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Recommended: John Wesley's theological essays

In order to gain a full understanding of the United Methodist Church’s practices and doctrines, it is important to compare and contrast the modern tradition of the Methodist Church to Wesley’s original tradition; by considering Wesleyan-influenced worship specifically relating to Methodist preaching, the Methodist sacraments, order of worship, significance and meaning of various baptism ceremonies, open communion, and the nature of the early Methodist worship service. The Methodist tradition and it’s future has been significantly transformed from its original theology because of controversial challenges, such as: interpretation of scripture, abortion, evolutionary theory, sexism, racial issues, and homosexuality.
As the founder of the Methodist movement, and later the Methodist Church, it is important to examine John Wesley’s influence and worship within the church. Before the establishment of the Methodist Church, John Wesley frequented the scholars of his local university and realized there was more to Christianity than what he was receiving through the Anglican Church. He pondered what worship meant to him, what he believed, and in what capacity those two things should be undertaken.
Methodism is based on three pillars, including: devotion in studies, prayer, and helping the underprivileged. Methodism was first considered a movement that centered on old Christian tradition. Therefore, modern Methodism is still comprised of Anglican beliefs. Although the Methodist Church has changed in its doctrine and practice, the future of the Methodist Church should never forget Wesley’s theology. Sweet state’s, “Methodism arose out of two great urges: the first was the religious experience of John Wesley; the second was the vast spiritual...

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... for the future. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama Press, 2008.
Heitzenrator, Richard. John Wesley’s Principles and Practice of Preaching in Methodist History 1999.
Hempton, David. Methodism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.
Marsh, Clive. Methodist theology today. London: Continuum, 2006.
McEllhenney, John. United Methodism in America. Nashville, Tenn.: Abington Press, 1992.
Smith, Horace G. The Itinerant System in Methodism. Dallas: The Methodist Publishing House.
Southey, Robert. The life of Wesley and the rise and progress of Methodism. London: Oxford University press, 1925.
Sweet, William. Methodism in American History. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1961.
The book of discipline of the United Methodist Church. Nashville, Tenn.: United Methodist Pub. House, 2004.
Westerfield, Tucker. American Methodist Worship. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

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