The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a Methodist Christian denomination that is both mainline Protestant and Evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley within the Church of England. As such, the church's theological orientation is decidedly Wesleyan. It embraces both liturgical and evangelical elements.
In the United States, it ranks as the largest mainline denomination, the second largest Protestant church after the Southern Baptist Convention, and the third largest Christian denomination. As of 2009, worldwide membership was about 12 million: 7.7 million in the United States and Canada, and 4.4 million in Africa, Asia and Europe. It is a member of the World Council of Churches, the World Methodist Council, and other religious associations.
Read more about United Methodist Church: Beliefs, Worship and Liturgy, Education, Clergy, Laity, Ecumenical Relations, Membership Trends
Famous quotes containing the words united, methodist and/or church:
“Emblem: the carapace of the great crowned snail is painted with all the flags of the United Nations.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“When Methodist preachers come down
A-preaching that drinking is sinful,
I’ll wager the rascals a crown
They always preach best with a skinful.”
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730?–1774)
“Now folks, I hereby declare the first church of Tombstone, which ain’t got no name yet or no preacher either, officially dedicated. Now I don’t pretend to be no preacher, but I’ve read the Good Book from cover to cover and back again, and I nary found one word agin dancin’. So we’ll commence by havin’ a dad blasted good dance.”
—Samuel G. Engel (1904–1984)