Our Roots & Beliefs
“The world is my parish.” — John Wesley
The Origins of Methodism
The Methodist Society was begun in the middle of the eighteenth century by the Rev’d John Wesley MA, an Anglican priest and scholar (1703–1791). In concert with several others, priests and lay people, it began as an outcome of the Evangelical Revival of the eighteenth century. Initially, it was intended as a means by which the Church of England might bring faith back into the centre of people’s lives. However, for a variety of reasons, after Wesley’s death in 1791, the Methodist Society separated from the Church of England and became the Methodist Church, with its own organisation and its own ordained ministers.
A Faith for Everyone
Unlike George Whitefield, a contemporary who was a Calvinist, the Wesleys and their supporters believed – as Methodists do still today – that the wholeness offered by Christ is freely available to all who turn to him. This belief that all people can be brought into God’s Kingdom is still a core tenet of the Methodist Church today. It is at the heart of why the Wesleys and Whitefield went (amicably, it would seem) their separate ways.
The Social Gospel
John and Charles Wesley were believers not only in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but in the need for people – all people – to work out the demands of that gospel in their daily lives. For the Wesleys, a gospel which did not change the life of the believer, and give that believer the impetus to share that gospel with family, friends, and neighbours, was no gospel at all.
Our Promise of Welcome:
“Whoever you are, and whatever you may have made of your life, we believe that you are a valued, cherished, and unique child of God. It is upon that belief which the Methodist Church rests all its relationships both within and outside the Church.”
This leads to a strong emphasis on what is termed the ‘Social Gospel’, which is why Methodist Churches are just as likely to be located in areas of great deprivation as they are in areas of affluence.
The Four Alls
Methodist belief is often summed up in these four simple statements:
1. All need to be saved
2. All can be saved
3. All can know themselves to be saved
4. All can be saved to the uttermost
What is 'Salvation'?
We believe that ‘salvation’ is a concept which embraces wholeness of personhood, release from crippling guilt, forgiveness, acceptance, healing, and acknowledgement of each person’s unique relationship to the Creator of all things. This is God’s loving and complete life-gift to each and every one of his children who turns to him. We believe that in Jesus we may see God so truly and completely reflected that in his name we open our hearts in prayer to receive this gift, and in doing so become more like Jesus.
Discover More
Part of the joy of being part of the modern Methodist Church is that discovering what each of these statements means is not just an academic exercise, but is the task of every member. In that exploration, we find ourselves and our communities enriched.
What has been written here is by no means exhaustive. If you want to discover more about what it means to be a Christian in the Methodist tradition, please get in touch.