CHRISTENDOM Series: Wesleyan

WESLEYAN

(Mainline Protestant)

And rend your heart, and not your garments,
and turn unto the LORD your God:
Joel 2:13 Wesley was right


The Wesleyan movement was started as a movement to reform the Church of England (Anglican) from within by John Wesley. Especially in colonial America, it separated itself from the mother church and is different from Anglicanism in a major way--Wesleyan theology is Arminian (Free Will heavy emphasis) vs. the sacramentalism of the Anglicans in England.
The Reformation focused heavily on Justification by Faith (not by the sacraments of the Church) - Wesley took it to the next level - Sanctification has to follow Justification - for Justification doesn't exclude you from your path of Sanctification (changing your ways because

your heart is right with God).
From out of the Reformation sprung Christian piety (living a strict, organized lifestyle). This was especially pushed by Calvin (mostly because one could see what would happen if you believed in predestination-if you joined the Church, hence you were meant to be saved, then one might live however they pleased. So Calvin pushed piety to counter it). But Wesley pushed Christian Holiness (The idea of living a Christian lifestyle because your heart is right with God-in other words, becoming truly Sanctified on the inside-thereby reflected on the outside.
They engage in infant baptism & baptism by sprinkling in general.

---Main Church---

United Methodist Church (UMC) - 1968, a merger of the Methodist Church & the Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB). (The EUB had it's roots in the 1760's during a revival meeting held in a barn of Mennonites & German Reformed. It spread as a unity movement of a church among German immigrants). The UMC is theologically divided. While many in the pews may be conservative, especially in rural congregations, many of the leaders are theologically liberal. They do allow women ordination--but oppose gay marriage, but the gay issue is bubbling up to the point of breaking the Church apart. The UMC generally don't have official eschatology. Some are Amillennial, historic pre-millennial, post-millennial, but very few are dispensational pre-millennial (secret rapture). The church generally has an Amillennial bent at the top, and considers millennialism to be for "fanatics". The UMC did vote a few years ago to adopt theistic evolution. About 7,700,000 members.

---Others---

African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church and Connection, usually called "the A.U.M.P. Church - 1813, started as a Methodist Church for free blacks in Delaware then spread out.
Union American Methodist Episcopal Church, which is usually called the U.A.M.E. Church - 1865, split from A.U.M.P. Together with A.U.MP., they are know as the "Spencer Churches" tracing back to their founder.
African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church - 1816 About 7,500,000 members.
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or the AME Zion

Church or AMEZ - 1821, started by blacks who split form white churches in the north who felt discriminated against.
Free Methodist Church - 1860, split from Methodist over lax personal standards. Although initially it opposed musical instruments in church, but today allows it including drums, etc. It considered itself the more conservative (based in Biblical hermeneutics), but began ordaining women. More stress on the role of the Holy Spirit. About 77,000 members.
Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) - 1866, started by white Methodists after the civil war for freed blacks in the south so as to have their own Church. About 800,000 members.

First Congregational Methodist Church - 1855, split in the south from the wider Methodist body.
Southern Methodist Church - 1940, split in the south from the wider Methodist body of the time over it's drift into theological liberalism. About 6,000 members.
Fundamental Methodist Conference, Inc. - 1942, splinter group of Methodists who oppose infant baptism. About 800 members.
Evangelical Methodist Church (EMC) - 1946, a conservative splinter group from the larger Methodist body at the time. Headquartered in Indianapolis. About 16,000 members.

CHRISTENDOM Series Outline Link:

http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2015/06/christendom-series-outline.html