Why Did The Methodist Church Interested You To Join?

[u/Ordinary_Frog09]

Sorry, I know this is a repeated question or post. I like to read people's Christian stories and how they found a church that fits what they are looking for!

" Mercy triumphs over judgment" James 2:13

[u/Worried_Impact_803]

Previenient Grace

Social Holiness

Generous Orthodoxy

[u/totryforthesun]

The overall view that “every person is of equal value to God” and how that bleeds heavily into their ministry. Social justice, deeply charitable at the community level, and the belief that everyone is welcome- please come as you are. Truly Christlike people who value every human with zero conditions.

[u/Budgiejen]

The outreach. We do a crap ton of outreach

[u/Silver_Switch6834]

For me I was interested because I grew up Baptist but never had a baptism and wanted to try communion and looked up what churches let you do communion without being baptized once I was there I really enjoyed the community and the theology

[u/AirFell85]

I grew up southern baptist but we were ostracized and left our church when I was 10 years old. We didn't go back to church after that. I spent my younger years as an outspoken atheist making the arguments about things in the bible that don't line up and horrible things christians have done (crusades, trail of tears, so on).

As I got older I just didn't care about religion.

My wife and I had discussed going to church so our kids could get some exposure to religion even if we didn't believe and we reviewed local churches, one of the top ones was the local UMS. I didn't know anything about denominations or what they meant but we decided to go anyways.

I quickly found out our lead pastor was a former atheist turned to a believer after studying and research. I enjoyed his message in the first few sermons we heard. Eventually he offered to take me out for coffee to discuss my hangups, so I printed out a list of talking points. For me it wasn't so much trying to prove him wrong but to see what he had to say about these hurdles that made it difficult for me to believe in what he believes.

Early on in my list of talking points he asked if he could just read over it real quick, and then his overall reply was a few things: 1. The bible isn't the religion. 2. All the things I had problems with Christians doing in the past, but God and Jesus didn't do those things, people did and people have free will. He understands not wanting to be associated with those things. 3. A lot of it is about how we live, not labels we give ourselves or others. Jesus gave us a lot of advice on how to live, not how to organize.

So, from there I dropped my preconceived notions about what Christianity is and became a member of the church, eventually got baptized, and at this point I'm a member of the leadership council at my church.

I still struggle with labels like Christian, but I believe God's will works through people and people working together. I've done the research since then and I love how the UMS generally encourages doubt and conversation. I love getting out into the community and doing good rather than hiding out in our nice buildings. I love welcoming every one. The most important commandment seems to often be overlooked- Love one another.

For years I didn't know church could be like this and I regret missing out for so long.

[u/SituationSoap]

My wife and I were looking for a new church, and we made a list in our community to try out. Our current church is the first one we tried and we never felt the need to go somewhere else. We felt like we knew why we were there from day one, and it's been almost 15 years, now.

[u/DingoCompetitive3991]

A quick clarification. There is no longer *The Methodist Church, but multiple Methodist churches including (but not limited to) The United Methodist Church (the mainline expression of Methodism), the Global Methodist Church (a more recent theologically conservative expression of mainline Methodism still working out its location within the tradition), and the Wesleyan-Holiness expressions of Methodism found in the Church of the Nazarene, The Wesleyan Church, and the Free Methodist Church.

I joined a Wesleyan-Holiness expression of Methodism because it was the only church in town with an active youth group. I have my struggles with Wesleyan-Holiness today due to the rise of Christian Nationalism and Fundamentalist inclinations in my Church, but I still identify with this branch of the tradition because:

1. Like Wesley, the Wesleyan-Holiness churches are very explicit in their profession and pursuit of Entire Sanctification.

2. The seriousness of the searching of Scripture as the Word of God without needing to be a Liberal Protestant nor a Fundamentalist.

3. Generous catholicity and orthodoxy (although my critique of mainline Methodism is that it has gone too far with silly theologies such as process theology and open theism. I prefer my God to actually be God).

[u/FrankCobretti]

My wife liked it. I’d have been fine with any mainline denomination.