Am I a Methodist?
Jorge at Methodist Central Hall Westminster in London (2018)
From 1978 to 2023, for 45 years, I was a member of the United Methodist Church. In 1986, I was ordained as a Deacon and in 1990 I was ordained an Elder in this same denomination. For 39 years, I served at four United Methodist Churches in Youth, Associate, Executive and Lead Pastor roles. In that time, I also served on District, Conference, Jurisdictional and General Conference positions. Sadly, in July of 2023, after much prayer and discernment, I surrendered my membership in the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist. My four and a half decades of deep, heartfelt, and passionate engagement in the movement of Jesus through the United Methodist Church ended.
During this long, painful journey of personal discernment about my denominational relationship, I have been told by well-intentioned friends, “So Jorge, you’re no longer a Methodist.” To which, I respond, “Oh no. You are mistaken. I am still a Methodist.” “But wait Jorge, didn’t you leave the United Methodist Church?” they would retort. And they are correct. I left a denomination, but I did not leave my heritage. Here’s what I mean by this.
I think that historically, you can argue that the term “Methodist” does not so much describe a polity or a denomination, but rather “Methodist” describes a way of being Christian. Put simply, Mr. Wesley never meant for Methodists to be a denomination but rather a movement! Being a Methodist according to Mr. Wesley was following Jesus while holding together the personal and social dynamics of the Gospel. Being a Methodist was having a developmental approach to faith in community. It was walking with others through the discovery and experience of prevenient, justifying and sanctifying grace that ends (really begins!) with glorifying grace. My Wesley declared, “There is no holiness but social holiness.” By this he meant that one cannot walk with God alone. We need each other. So, he championed that Methodists “Watch over one another in love.” United Society, Classes and Bands became the people, places and processes for ordinary people in both England and emerging America to grow in grace. By his death in 1791, these Methodist followers of Jesus numbered more than 70,000 in England and more than 40,000 in newly-founded America. It was a movement with an ever-evolving structure to insure focus and alignment around making more and maturing disciples of Jesus.
In John Wesley’s 1741 sermon and influential tract, “Character of a Methodist,” Wesley responsed to the question, “What is a Methodist?” Wesley summarizes,
“A Methodist is one who has ‘the love of God shed abroad in his heart, by the Holy Ghost given unto him;’ one who ‘loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength.’ God is the joy of his heart, and the desire of his soul; which is constantly crying out – ‘Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none upon Earth that I desire beside thee! My God and my all! Though art the strength of my heart and my portion for ever!’”
Notice that Mr. Wesley never mentions anything about organizational structures, but rather emphasizes ones relationship with God. Structure only served the purpose of helping people grow in their experience of the love of God. The Methodist organization, if you will, was the trellis for the movement while growth in grace was the fruit bearing vine. Mr. Wesley was vigilant for the fruit of the movement.
In the 1700’s, the people called Methodists, these strange women and men from every social strata of England and America, were observed by the culture as odd. They were one’s Peter and the King James Version of the Bible describe as “a peculiar people” (2 Peter 2:9). Three terms of derision were associated with these strange followers of Jesus. They were called “Methodists” because of their careful and methodical way of following Jesus. They were also called ”Bible moths” because of their love and passion for the Bible. And they were called ”Enthusiasts” because of their Pentecostal experience with the Holy Spirit. Later, they were called “Shouting Methodists” because of their joyful, heartfelt singing. Each of these terms has to do with “how” these strange Christ followers lived out their faith.
“Jorge, are you a Methodist anymore?” someone might ask. “You bet I am. I’m in the Methodist stream of intentional Christ-followers who long for more of God’s love for myself and for others that is grounded in sacred scripture and expressed through a heart felt life of worship and Holy Spirit inspired ministry for the sake of others. I’m this kind of Methodist!”
Can I encourage you to consider what your “way of being a Christian” is? Regardless of your denominational or non-denominational affiliation, what kind of Christian are you?
Cheryl and Jorge holding the Wesley chalice at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Epworth, England (2014)