Quick viewing(Text Mode)

THE BOOK of DISCIPLINE of the UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CONS001936QK001.Qxp:QK001.Qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page Ii

CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page i

THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page ii

“The Book Editor, the Secretary of the General Conference, the Pub- lisher of The , and the Committee on Corre- lation and Editorial Revision shall be charged with editing the Book of Discipline. . . . The editors, in the exercise of their judgment, shall have the authority to make changes in wording as may be necessary to harmonize legislation without changing its substance. The editors, in consultation with the Judicial Council, shall also have authority to delete provisions of the Book of Discipline that have been ruled uncon- stitutional by the Judicial Council.”

—Plan of Organization and Rules of Order of the General Confer- ence, 2008

See Judicial Council Decision 96, which declares the Discipline to be a book of law.

Errata can be found at .com, word search for Errata.

L. Fitzgerald Reist Secretary of the General Conference

Neil M. Alexander Publisher and Book Editor of The United Methodist Church

Judith E. Smith Executive Editor

Marvin W. Cropsey Managing Editor

The Committee on Correlation and Editorial Revision Eradio Valverde, Chairperson Richard L. Evans, Vice Chairperson Annie Cato Haigler, Secretary Naomi G. Bartle CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page iii

THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2008

The United Methodist Publishing House Nashville, CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page iv

Copyright © 2008 The United Methodist Publishing House.

All rights reserved. United Methodist churches and other official United Methodist bodies may reproduce up to 1,000 words from this publication, provided the following notice appears with the excerpted material: “From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church—2008. Copyright © 2008 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.” Requests for quotations that exceed 1,000 words should be addressed to the Permissions Office, The United Methodist Publishing House, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202.

This book is printed on elemental, chlorine-free, acid-free paper.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the , copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian of the National Coun- cil of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

ISBN 978-0-687-64785-9

Leather Edition ISBN 978-0-687-64775-0 CD-Rom Edition (with Book of Resolutions) ISBN 978-0-687-64749-1 2-PACK Discipline and Resolutions ISBN 978-0-687-64795-8 Discipline eBook ISBN 978-0-687-65260-0 Korean Edition ISBN 978-0-687-65165-8 Spanish Edition ISBN 978-0-687-65185-6

08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 PRINTED IN THE OF AMERICA CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page v

EPISCOPAL GREETINGS

To all people and of United : “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Christ.” —1 Corinthians 1:3

The Discipline of The United Methodist Church is the product of over 200 years of the General Conferences of the denominations that now form The United Methodist Church. The Discipline as the instrument for setting forth the laws, plan, polity, and process by which United Methodists govern themselves remains constant. Each General Conference amends, perfects, clari- fies, and adds its own contribution to the Discipline. We do not see the Discipline as sacrosanct or infallible, but we do consider it a document suitable to our heritage. It is the most current statement of how United Methodists agree to live their lives together. It reflects our understanding of the Church and articulates the mission of The United Methodist Church: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The Discipline defines what is expected of its and as they seek to be effective witnesses in the world as a part of the whole body of Christ. This book of sets forth the theological grounding of The United Methodist Church in biblical faith, and affirms that we go for- ward as “loyal heirs to all that [is] best in the Christian past.” It makes clear that The United Methodist Church is an inclusive society without regard to ethnic origin, economic condition, gender, age, or the disabilities of its constituents. It asserts that all who are baptized v CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page vi

EPISCOPAL GREETINGS and confirmed are ministers of Jesus Christ. It affirms the conciliar principle and connectionalism as distinctive marks of United Methodist , makes clear the global character of the Church’s mission, and declares interdependence with other Christian bodies both in spirit and cooperation. It affirms with that solitary is invalid and that Christ lays claim upon the whole life of those who accept him as Lord and Savior. We therefore commend this Discipline to all in our constituency and to friends beyond our bounds who would seek to understand what it means to be a United Methodist. Communication is essential for understanding what the Church is and does. We expect the Disci- pline to be found in libraries of local churches, colleges, universities, and seminaries, as well as in the homes of ordained, diaconal, and licensed ministers and lay members of The United Methodist Church. We pray that it will enable all persons to celebrate God’s grace, exalt the meaning of faithful discipleship, align with the mission, and inspire on the part of many a deeper desire to be more effective wit- nesses for the Head of the Church, even Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Council of Gregory V. Palmer, President Larry Goodpaster, President Designate Robert E. Hayes, Jr., Secretary

vi CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page vii

CONTENTS

Note: The basic unit in The Book of Discipline is the paragraph ( ¶ ) rather than page, chapter, or section. The paragraphs are numbered consecutively within each chapter or section, but many numbers are skipped between parts, chapters, and sections in order to allow for future enactments and to fit with the following plan:

1– 99 The Constitution 101– 199 Doctrine, Doctrinal Statements, General Rules, The Ministry of All Christians, and Social Principles 201– 299 The Local Church 301– 399 The Ministry of the Ordained 401– 499 The Superintendency 501– 699 The Conferences 701–2499 Administrative Order 2501–2599 Church Property 2601–2799 Judicial Administration

Episcopal Greetings ...... page v United Methodist Bishops ...... page 1 Historical Statement...... page 9

PART I THE CONSTITUTION ¶¶ 1–61

Preamble ...... page 21 Division One—General (¶¶ 1–7)...... page 21 vii CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page viii

CONTENTS Division Two—Organization (¶¶ 8–44)...... page 23 I. Conferences (¶¶ 8–12) II. General Conference (¶¶ 13–16) III. Restrictive Rules (¶¶ 17–22) IV. Jurisdictional Conferences (¶¶ 23–27) V. Central Conferences (¶¶ 28–31) VI. (¶¶ 32–36) VII. Boundaries (¶¶ 37–41) VIII. District Conferences (¶ 42) IX. Charge Conferences (¶¶ 43–44) Division Three—Episcopal Supervision (¶¶ 45–54)...... page 35 Division Four—The Judiciary (¶¶ 55–58) ...... page 38 Division Five—Amendments (¶¶ 59–61)...... page 38

PART II DOCTRINAL STANDARDS AND OUR THEOLOGICAL TASK ¶¶ 101–104

I. Our Doctrinal Heritage (¶ 101) ...... page 41 II. Our Doctrinal History (¶ 102) ...... page 50 III. Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules: The Articles of Religion of The Methodist Church, the Confession of Faith of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, and The General Rules of the Methodist Church (¶ 103)...... page 59 IV. Our Theological Task (¶ 104) ...... page 74

PART III THE MINISTRY OF ALL CHRISTIANS ¶¶ 120–142

I. The Churches (¶¶ 120–124) ...... page 87 II. The Ministry of All Christians (¶¶ 125–131)...... page 89 III. Servant Ministry and Servant Leadership (¶¶ 132–133) page 91 IV. Servant Ministry (¶¶ 134–136) ...... page 91 V. Servant Leadership (¶¶ 137–138) ...... page 92 VI. Called to Inclusiveness (¶ 139)...... page 93 VII. The Fulfillment of Ministry Through The United Methodist Church (¶¶ 140–142)... page 94 viii CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page ix

CONTENTS PART IV SOCIAL PRINCIPLES ¶¶ 160–166

Preface...... page 97 Preamble...... page 97 I. The Natural World (¶ 160)...... page 98 II. The Nurturing Community (¶ 161)...... page 101 III. The Social Community (¶ 162)...... page 108 IV. The Economic Community (¶ 163)...... page 118 V. The Political Community (¶ 164)...... page 123 VI. The World Community (¶ 165)...... page 127 VII. Our (¶ 166) ...... page 129

PART V ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION ¶¶ 201–2719

Chapter One THE LOCAL CHURCH

I. The Church and Pastoral Charge (¶¶ 201–205) ...... page 133 II. Cooperative Parish (¶ 206)...... page 135 III. Ecumenical Shared Ministries (¶¶ 207–211)...... page 137 IV. Churches in Transitional Communities (¶¶ 212–213) page 139 V. Church Membership (¶¶ 214–242) ...... page 140 The Meaning of Membership (¶¶ 216–221) Admission into the Church (¶¶ 222–226) Affiliate and Associate Membership (¶ 227) Care of Members (¶¶ 228–229) Membership Records and Reports (¶¶ 230–234) Changes in Church Membership or Local Church Membership (¶¶ 235–242) VI. Organization and Administration (¶¶ 243–258)...... page 157 The Charge Conference (¶¶ 246–251) The Church Council (¶ 252) Specialized Ministries (¶¶ 253–257) Administrative Committees (¶ 258) VII. Method of Organizing a New Local Church (¶ 259).. page 187 VIII. Transfer of a Local Church (¶ 260) ...... page 189 IX. Protection of Rights of Congregations (¶ 261) ...... page 190 ix CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page x

CONTENTS VIIIX. Special Sundays (¶¶ 262–265) ...... page 190 Churchwide Special Sundays with Offerings (¶ 263) Special Sundays Without Churchwide Offerings (¶¶ 264–265) VIIXI. Lay Speaking Ministries (¶¶ 266–271) ...... page 197

Chapter Two THE MINISTRY OF THE ORDAINED

XVIII. The Meaning of and Conference Membership (¶¶ 301–304) ...... page 203 XVIII. Clergy Orders in The United Methodist Church (¶¶ 305–309)...... page 206 XVIII. Candidacy for Licensed and Ordained Ministry (¶¶ 310–314)...... page 209 XIIIV. License for Pastoral Ministry (¶¶ 315–320)...... page 213 XIIIV. Associate Membership (¶¶ 321–323)...... page 220 XIIVI. Provisional Membership (¶¶ 324–327) ...... page 223 XIVII. The Ordained in Full Connection (¶¶ 328–331)...... page 230 XVIII. The Ordained in Full Connection (¶¶ 332–336) . page 240 Admission and Continuance of Full Membership in the Annual Conference (¶¶ 336) VIIIX. Appointments to Various Ministries (¶¶ 337–342) .. page 247 VIIIX. Appointments to Extension Ministries (¶¶ 343–345) .. page 254 Provisions for Appointments to Ecumenical Shared Ministries (¶ 345) VIIXI. Clergy from Other Annual Conferences, Other Methodist and Christian Denominations (¶¶ 346–348)...... page 261 VIXII. Mentoring and Mentors (¶ 349)...... page 265 VXIII. Evaluation for Continuing Formation for Full Members and Local Pastors (¶¶ 350–352) ...... page 266 IIXIV. Changes of Conference Relationship (¶¶ 353–360).. page 269 IIIXV. Complaints (¶ 361)...... page 283 IIXVI. Administrative Complaints, Fair Process, Referral, and Disposition (¶¶ 362–363)...... page 285 IXVII. Readmission to Conference Relationship (¶¶ 364–368) . page 291 XVIII. General Provisions (¶ 369)...... page 293 x CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page xi

CONTENTS Chapter Three THE SUPERINTENDENCY I. The Nature of Superintendency (¶ 401)...... page 295 II. Offices of and District Superintendent (¶¶ 402–403)...... page 295 III. Election, Assignment, and Termination of Bishops (¶¶ 404–413)...... page 297 IV. Specific Responsibilities of Bishops (¶¶ 414–416) ...... page 309 V. Selection, Assignment, and Term of District Superintendents (¶¶ 417–418) ...... page 311 VI. Specific Responsibilities of District Superintendents (¶¶ 419–425)...... page 311 VII. Expressions of Superintendency (¶¶ 426–429) ...... page 316 VIII. Appointment-Making (¶¶ 430–435)...... page 318 Chapter Four THE CONFERENCES I. The General Conference (¶¶ 501–511) ...... page 325 II. The Jurisdictional Conference (¶¶ 512–537) ...... page 332 Jurisdictional Agencies (¶¶ 529–537) III. Central Conferences (¶¶ 540–548) ...... page 342 IV. Provisional Central Conferences (¶¶ 560–567)...... page 351 V. Autonomous Methodist Churches, Affiliated Autonomous Methodist Churches, Affiliated United Churches, Covenanting Churches, Concordat Churches (¶¶ 570–575) ...... page 352 Becoming an Autonomous Methodist, Affiliated Autonomous Methodist, or Affiliated United Church from Central Conferences (¶ 572) Becoming a Covenanting Church (¶ 573) Concordat Agreements (¶ 574) Joining The United Methodist Church (¶ 575) VI. Provisional Annual Conferences (¶¶ 580–583)...... page 359 VII. The Conference (¶¶ 585–588) ...... page 360 VIII. Mission (¶¶ 590–591)...... page 364 IX. The Annual Conference (¶¶ 601–656)...... page 366 Conference Agencies (¶ 610) The Conference Council on Finance and Administration (¶¶ 611–619) Pastoral Support (¶¶ 620–628) Other Conference Agencies (¶¶ 629–656) xi CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page xii

CONTENTS X. The District Conference (¶¶ 657–671) ...... page 460

Chapter Five ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER

I. General Provisions (¶¶ 701–723) ...... page 473 II. General Council on Finance and Administration (¶¶ 801–823)...... page 495 General Funds (¶¶ 810–816) The Episcopal Fund (¶ 817) Financial Appeals Beyond the General Funds (¶¶ 818–823) III. Connectional Table (¶¶ 901–907)...... page 534 IV. General Board of Church and Society (¶¶ 1001–1011)...... page 538 V. General Board of Discipleship (¶¶ 1101–1127)...... page 541 VI. Division on Ministries With Young People (¶¶ 1201–1212)...... page 567 VII. General Board of Global Ministries (¶¶ 1301–1327) ... page 575 Mission Program Areas (¶ 1313) Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner (¶¶ 1314–1317) Women’s Division (¶¶ 1318–1326) Health and Relief (¶ 1327) VIII. General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (¶¶ 1401–1423)...... page 599 Division of Higher Education (¶¶ 1410–1413) University Senate (¶¶ 1414–1418) United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (¶ 1419) Council of Presidents of the Black Colleges (¶ 1420) Division of Ordained Ministry (¶ 1421) Schools of of The United Methodist Church (¶¶ 1422–1423) IX. General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (¶¶ 1501–1509)...... page 626 General Administration (¶¶ 1501–1505) Annual Conference Administration (¶¶ 1506–1509) X. The United Methodist Publishing House (¶¶ 1601–1642)...... page 652 XI. General Commission on Archives and History (¶¶ 1701–1712)...... page 661 xii CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page xiii

CONTENTS XII. General Commission on Communication (¶¶ 1801–1808)...... page 669 XIII. General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (¶¶ 1901–1912)...... page 676 XIV. General Commission on Religion and Race (¶¶ 2001–2008)...... page 684 XV. General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (¶¶ 2101–2109) ...... page 688 XVI. Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters (¶ 2201) ...... page 692 XVII. General Commission on United Methodist Men (¶¶ 2301–2303)...... page 693 XVIII. Ecumenical Organizations (¶¶ 2401–2405)...... page 697 XIX. JUSTPEACE Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation (¶ 2406) ...... page 701 Chapter Six CHURCH PROPERTY I. All Titles—In Trust (¶¶ 2501–2505)...... page 703 II. Compliance with Law (¶¶ 2506–2510)...... page 706 III. Audits and Bonding of Church Officers (¶ 2511)..... page 708 IV. Annual Conference Property (¶¶ 2512–2516)...... page 708 V. District Property (¶¶ 2517–2523) ...... page 713 VI. Local Church Property (¶¶ 2524–2550)...... page 717 VII. Requirements—Trustees of Church Institutions (¶ 2551)...... page 741 Chapter Seven JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION I. The Judicial Council (¶¶ 2601–2612)...... page 743 II. Investigations, Trials, and Appeals (¶¶ 2701–2719)...... page 750 Fair Process in Judicial Proceedings (¶ 2701) Chargeable Offenses and the Statute of Limitations (¶ 2702) Procedures for Referral and Investigation of a Judicial Complaint (¶¶ 2703–2706) Trials (¶¶ 2707–2714) Appeals (¶¶ 2715–2718) Miscellaneous Provisions (¶ 2719) Index ...... page 783 xiii CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page xiv CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 1

UNITED METHODIST BISHOPS

A List Compiled for The Book of Discipline by the Council of Bishops

NAME ELECTED NAME ELECTED ...... 1784 Osman Cleander Baker ...... 1852 ...... 1784 Edward Raymond Ames ...... 1852 ...... 1800 Lewis Davis ...... 1853 Phillip William Otterbein ...... 1800 ...... 1854 ...... 1800 John Early...... 1854 ...... 1807 Hubbard Hinde Kavanaugh ..... 1854 William M’Kendree ...... 1808 ...... 1858 ...... 1813 William W. Orwig ...... 1859 ...... 1816 Jacob Markwood...... 1861 ...... 1816 Daniel Shuck...... 1861 Andrew Zeller...... 1817 John Jacob Esher ...... 1863 Joseph Hoffman ...... 1821 Davis Wasgatt Clark...... 1864 ...... 1824 Edward Thomson ...... 1864 ...... 1824 ...... 1864 Henry Kumler Sr...... 1825 Jonathan Weaver...... 1865 ...... 1832 William May Wightman ...... 1866 ...... 1832 Enoch Mather Marvin ...... 1866 Samuel Heistand...... 1833 David Seth Doggett ...... 1866 William Brown ...... 1833 Holland Nimmons McTyeire.... 1866 ...... 1836 John Wright Roberts...... 1866 Thomas Asbury Morris...... 1836 John Dickson ...... 1869 Jacob Erb ...... 1837 John Christian Keener...... 1870 ...... 1839 Reuben Yeakel...... 1871 Henry Kumler Jr...... 1841 Thomas Bowman ...... 1872 John Coons...... 1841 William Logan Harris ...... 1872 Joseph Long ...... 1843 ...... 1872 Leonidas Lent Hamline...... 1844 Isaac William Wiley...... 1872 Edmund Storer Janes...... 1844 Stephen Mason Merrill ...... 1872 John Russel ...... 1845 Edward Gayer Andrews...... 1872 Jacob John Glossbrenner...... 1845 Gilbert Haven...... 1872 William Hanby...... 1845 Jesse Truesdell Peck ...... 1872 William Capers...... 1846 Rudolph Dubs ...... 1875 Robert Paine ...... 1846 Thomas Bowman ...... 1875 David Edwards ...... 1849 Milton Wright...... 1877 Henry Bidleman Bascom ...... 1850 Nicholas Castle...... 1877 Levi Scott...... 1852 Henry White Warren...... 1880 ...... 1852 Cyrus David Foss...... 1880 1 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 2

UNITED METHODIST BISHOPS NAME ELECTED NAME ELECTED ...... 1880 Elijah Embree Hoss...... 1902 ...... 1880 Henry Burns Hartzler ...... 1902 Ezekiel Boring Kephart...... 1881 William Franklin Heil ...... 1902 Alpheus Waters Wilson ...... 1882 Joseph Flintoft Berry...... 1904 Linus Parker ...... 1882 Henry Spellmeyer...... 1904 John Cowper Granbery...... 1882 William Fraser McDowell...... 1904 Robert Kennon Hargrove ...... 1882 James Whitford Bashford ...... 1904 William Xavier Ninde ...... 1884 William Burt ...... 1904 John Morgan Walden...... 1884 Luther Barton Wilson...... 1904 Willard Francis Mallalieu ...... 1884 Thomas Benjamin Neely...... 1904 ...... 1884 Isaiah Benjamin Scott ...... 1904 ...... 1884 William Fitzjames Oldham...... 1904 Daniel Kumler Flickinger ...... 1885 John Edward Robinson...... 1904 William Wallace Duncan...... 1886 Merriman Colbert Harris...... 1904 Charles Betts Galloway...... 1886 William Marion Weekley...... 1905 Eugene Russell Hendrix ...... 1886 William Melvin Bell...... 1905 Joseph Stanton Key...... 1886 Thomas Coke Carter...... 1905 John Heyl Vincent...... 1888 John James Tigert III...... 1906 James Newbury FitzGerald...... 1888 Seth Ward ...... 1906 Isaac Wilson Joyce ...... 1888 James Atkins...... 1906 Newman...... 1888 Samuel P. Spreng ...... 1907 Daniel Ayres Goodsell ...... 1888 William Franklin Anderson ...... 1908 ...... 1888 John Louis Nuelsen ...... 1908 James W. Hott...... 1889 William Alfred Quayle...... 1908 ...... 1890 Charles William Smith...... 1908 Oscar Penn Fitzgerald...... 1890 Wilson Seeley Lewis...... 1908 Wesley Matthias Stanford ...... 1891 Edwin Holt Hughes...... 1908 Christian S. Haman ...... 1891 Robert McIntyre...... 1908 Sylvanus C. Breyfogel ...... 1891 Frank Milton Bristol ...... 1908 William Horn...... 1891 ...... 1910 Job S. Mills ...... 1893 John Carlisle Kilgo...... 1910 Charles Cardwell McCabe...... 1896 William Belton Murrah...... 1910 ...... 1896 Walter Russell Lambuth ...... 1910 ...... 1896 Richard Green Waterhouse ...... 1910 ...... 1898 Edwin DuBose Mouzon...... 1910 Henry Clay Morrison ...... 1898 James Henry McCoy ...... 1910 ...... 1900 William Hargrave Fouke ...... 1910 ...... 1900 Uriah Frantz Swengel...... 1910 Edwin Wallace Parker...... 1900 Homer Clyde Stuntz...... 1912 Francis Wesley Warne...... 1900 William Orville Shepard...... 1912 George Martin Mathews...... 1902 Theodore Sommers Alexander Coke Smith...... 1902 Henderson ...... 1912 2 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 3

UNITED METHODIST BISHOPS NAME ELECTED NAME ELECTED Naphtali Luccock...... 1912 Robert Elijah Jones...... 1920 Francis John McConnell...... 1912 Matthew Wesley Clair ...... 1920 Frederick DeLand Leete...... 1912 Arthur R. Clippinger...... 1921 Richard Joseph Cooke...... 1912 William Benjamin Beauchamp . 1922 Wilbur Patterson Thirkield ...... 1912 ...... 1922 John Wesley Robinson ...... 1912 Samuel Ross Hay ...... 1922 William Perry Eveland...... 1912 Hoyt McWhorter Dobbs ...... 1922 Henry Harness Fout ...... 1913 Hiram Abiff Boaz...... 1922 Cyrus Jeffries Kephart...... 1913 John Francis Dunlap...... 1922 Alfred Taylor Howard ...... 1913 George Amos Miller...... 1924 Gottlieb Heinmiller...... 1915 Titus Lowe ...... 1924 Lawrence Hoover Seager...... 1915 George Richmond Grose ...... 1924 Herbert Welch ...... 1916 Brenton Thoburn Badley ...... 1924 Thomas Nicholson...... 1916 Wallace Elias Brown...... 1924 Adna Wright Leonard...... 1916 Arthur Biggs Statton...... 1925 Matthew Simpson Hughes...... 1916 John S. Stamm ...... 1926 Charles Bayard Mitchell ...... 1916 Samuel J. Umbreit...... 1926 Franklin Elmer Ellsworth Raymond J. Wade ...... 1928 Hamilton ...... 1916 James Chamberlain Baker ...... 1928 Alexander Priestly Camphor .... 1916 Edwin Ferdinand Lee...... 1928 Eben Samuel Johnson...... 1916 Grant D. Batdorf ...... 1929 William H. Washinger ...... 1917 Ira David Warner...... 1929 John Monroe Moore ...... 1918 John W. Gowdy...... 1930 William Fletcher McMurry...... 1918 Chih Ping Wang...... 1930 Urban Valentine Williams Arthur James Moore...... 1930 Darlington...... 1918 Paul Bentley Kern ...... 1930 Horace Mellard DuBose...... 1918 Angie Frank Smith...... 1930 William Newman Ainsworth ... 1918 George Edward Epp...... 1930 James Cannon, Jr...... 1918 Joshwant Rao Chitamber...... 1930 Matthew T. Maze...... 1918 Juan Ermete Gattinoni...... 1932 Lauress John Birney...... 1920 Junius Ralph Magee ...... 1932 Frederick Bohn Fisher ...... 1920 Ralph Spaulding Cushman ...... 1932 Charles Edward Locke...... 1920 Elmer Wesley Praetorius ...... 1934 Ernest Lynn Waldorf...... 1920 Charles H. Stauffacher ...... 1934 Edgar Blake...... 1920 Jarrell Waskom Pickett...... 1935 Ernest Gladstone Richardson.... 1920 Roberto Valenzuela Elphick...... 1936 Burns ...... 1920 Wilbur Emery Hammaker...... 1936 Harry Lester Smith ...... 1920 Charles Wesley Flint...... 1936 George Harvey Bickley ...... 1920 Garfield Bromley Oxnam ...... 1936 Frederick Thomas Keeney...... 1920 Alexander Preston Shaw ...... 1936 Charles Larew Mead ...... 1920 John McKendree Springer ...... 1936 Anton Bast ...... 1920 F. H. Otto Melle...... 1936 3 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 4

UNITED METHODIST BISHOPS NAME ELECTED NAME ELECTED Ralph Ansel Ward ...... 1937 John Wesley Edward Bowen..... 1948 Victor Otterbein Weidler ...... 1938 Lloyd Christ Wicke...... 1948 Ivan Lee Holt...... 1938 John Wesley Lord ...... 1948 William Walter Peele...... 1938 Dana Dawson ...... 1948 Clare Purcell ...... 1938 Marvin Augustus Franklin...... 1948 Charles Claude Selecman ...... 1938 Roy Hunter Short...... 1948 John Lloyd Decell ...... 1938 Richard Campbell Raines ...... 1948 William Clyde Martin ...... 1938 Marshall Russell Reed...... 1948 William Turner Watkins...... 1938 Harry Clifford Northcott ...... 1948 James Henry Straughn...... 1939 Hazen Graff Werner...... 1948 John Calvin Broomfield ...... 1939 Glenn Randall Phillips ...... 1948 William Alfred Carroll Gerald Hamilton Kennedy...... 1948 Hughes ...... 1940 Donald Harvey Tippett...... 1948 Lorenzo King ...... 1940 Jose Labarrete Valencia...... 1948 Bruce Richard Baxter...... 1940 Sante Uberto Barbieri ...... 1949 Shot Kumar Mondol...... 1940 Raymond Leroy Archer ...... 1950 ...... 1941 David Thomas Gregory ...... 1950 Enrique Carlos Balloch...... 1941 Frederick Buckley Newell ...... 1952 Z. T. Kaung ...... 1941 Edgar Amos Love ...... 1952 Wen Yuan Chen ...... 1941 Matthew Wesley Clair Jr...... 1952 George Carleton Lacy...... 1941 John Warren Branscomb...... 1952 Fred L. Dennis...... 1941 Henry Bascom Watts...... 1952 Dionisio Deista Alejandro ...... 1944 D. Stanley Coors...... 1952 Fred Pierce Corson ...... 1944 Edwin Edgar Voigt...... 1952 Walter Earl Ledden ...... 1944 Francis Gerald Ensley ...... 1952 Lewis Oliver Hartman ...... 1944 Alsie Raymond Grant ...... 1952 Newell Snow Booth...... 1944 Julio Manuel Sabanes...... 1952 Willis Jefferson King...... 1944 Friedrich Wunderlich...... 1953 Robert Nathaniel Brooks ...... 1944 Odd Arthur Hagen...... 1953 Edward Wendall Kelly ...... 1944 Ferdinand Sigg...... 1954 William Angie Smith...... 1944 Reuben Herbert Mueller...... 1954 Paul Elliott Martin ...... 1944 Harold Rickel Heininger...... 1954 Costen Jordan Harrell ...... 1944 Lyle Lynden Baughman ...... 1954 Paul Neff Garber...... 1944 Prince Albert Taylor Jr...... 1956 Charles Wesley Brashares ...... 1944 Eugene Maxwell Frank ...... 1956 Schuyler Edward Garth ...... 1944 Nolan Bailey Harmon ...... 1956 Arthur Frederick Wesley ...... 1944 Bachman Gladstone Hodge...... 1956 John Abdus Subhan...... 1945 Hobart Baumann Amstutz ...... 1956 John Balmer Showers ...... 1945 Ralph Edward Dodge ...... 1956 August Theodor Arvidson ...... 1946 Mangal Singh ...... 1956 Johann Wilhelm Ernst Gabriel Sundaram...... 1956 Sommer ...... 1946 Paul E. V. Shannon ...... 1957 4 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 5

UNITED METHODIST BISHOPS NAME ELECTED NAME ELECTED John Gordon Howard ...... 1957 John Wesley Shungu ...... 1964 Hermann Walter Kaebnick...... 1958 Alfred Jacob Shaw ...... 1965 W. Maynard Sparks...... 1958 Prabhakar Christopher Paul Murray Herrick...... 1958 Benjamin Balaram...... 1965 Bowman Foster Stockwell ...... 1960 Stephen Trowen Nagbe ...... 1965 Fred Garrigus Holloway...... 1960 Franz Werner Schäfer...... 1966 William Vernon Middleton...... 1960 Benjamin I. Guansing...... 1967 William Ralph Ward Jr...... 1960 Lineunt Scott Allen...... 1967 James Kenneth Mathews ...... 1960 Paul Arthur Washburn ...... 1968 Oliver Eugene Slater...... 1960 Carl Ernst Sommer ...... 1968 William Kenneth Pope...... 1960 David Frederick Wertz...... 1968 Paul Vernon Galloway...... 1960 Alsie Henry Carleton ...... 1968 Aubrey Grey Walton...... 1960 Roy Calvin Nichols...... 1968 Kenneth Wilford Copeland...... 1960 Arthur James Armstrong...... 1968 Everett Walter Palmer...... 1960 William Ragsdale Cannon...... 1968 Ralph Taylor Alton...... 1960 Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa...... 1968 Edwin Ronald Garrison ...... 1960 Cornelio M. Ferrer ...... 1968 Torney Otto Nall Jr...... 1960 Paul Locke A. Granadosin...... 1968 Charles Franklin Golden...... 1960 Joseph R. Lance ...... 1968 Noah Watson Moore Jr...... 1960 Ram Dutt Joshi ...... 1968 Marquis LaFayette Harris...... 1960 Eric Algernon Mitchell...... 1969 James Walton Henley...... 1960 Federico Jose Pagura ...... 1969 Walter Clark Gum ...... 1960 Armin E. Härtel...... 1970 Paul Hardin Jr...... 1960 Ole Edvard Borgen ...... 1970 John Owen Smith...... 1960 Finis Alonzo Paul William Milhouse ...... 1960 Crutchfield Jr...... 1972 Pedro Ricardo Zottele ...... 1962 Joseph Hughes Yeakel ...... 1972 James Samuel Thomas ...... 1964 Robert E. Goodrich Jr...... 1972 William McFerrin Stowe...... 1964 Carl Julian Sanders ...... 1972 Walter Kenneth Goodson ...... 1964 Ernest T. Dixon Jr...... 1972 Dwight Ellsworth Loder...... 1964 Don Wendell Holter ...... 1972 Robert Marvin Stuart ...... 1964 Wayne K. Clymer...... 1972 Edward Julian Joel Duncan McDavid ...... 1972 Pendergrass Jr...... 1964 Edward Gonzalez Carroll...... 1972 Thomas Marion Pryor...... 1964 Jesse Robert DeWitt...... 1972 Homer Ellis Finger Jr...... 1964 James Mase Ault ...... 1972 Earl Gladstone Hunt Jr...... 1964 John B. Warman ...... 1972 Francis Enmer Kearns ...... 1964 Mack B. Stokes ...... 1972 Lance Webb ...... 1964 Jack Marvin Tuell...... 1972 Escrivao Anglaze Zunguze ...... 1964 Melvin E. Wheatley Jr...... 1972 Robert Fielden Lundy ...... 1964 Edward Lewis Tullis ...... 1972 Harry Peter Andreassen ...... 1964 Frank Lewis Robertson ...... 1972 5 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 6

UNITED METHODIST BISHOPS NAME ELECTED NAME ELECTED Wilbur Wong Yan Choy ...... 1972 Ernest A. Fitzgerald...... 1984 Robert McGrady Blackburn ...... 1972 R. Kern Eutsler ...... 1984 Emilio J. M. de Carvalho...... 1972 J. Woodrow Hearn...... 1984 Fama Onema ...... 1972 Walter L. Underwood ...... 1984 Mamidi Elia Peter ...... 1972 Richard B. Wilke ...... 1984 Bennie de Quency Warner ...... 1973 J. Lloyd Knox...... 1984 J. Kenneth Shamblin...... 1976 Neil L. Irons...... 1984 Alonzo Monk Bryan ...... 1976 Roy Isao Sano ...... 1984 Kenneth William Hicks...... 1976 Lewis Bevel Jones III ...... 1984 James Chess Lovern ...... 1976 Forrest C. Stith...... 1984 Leroy Charles Hodapp ...... 1976 Ernest W. Newman ...... 1984 Edsel Albert Ammons...... 1976 Woodie W. White...... 1984 C. Dale White ...... 1976 Robert Crawley Morgan ...... 1984 Ngoy Kimba Wakadilo ...... 1976 David J. Lawson...... 1984 Almeida Penicela ...... 1976 Elias Gabriel Galvan...... 1984 LaVerne D. Mercado ...... 1976 Rueben Philip Job ...... 1984 Hermann Ludwig Sticher...... 1977 Leontine T. Kelly...... 1984 Shantu Kumar A. Parmar...... 1979 Judith Craig ...... 1984 Thomas Syla Bangura ...... 1979 Rüdiger Rainer Minor...... 1986 John Alfred Ndoricimpa...... 1980 Jose Castro Gamboa Jr...... 1986 William Talbot Handy Jr...... 1980 Thomas Barber Stockton...... 1988 John Wesley Hardt ...... 1980 Harold Hasbrouck Benjamin Ray Oliphint...... 1980 Hughes Jr...... 1988 Louis Wesley Richard Carl Looney ...... 1988 Schowengerdt...... 1980 Robert Hitchcock Spain ...... 1988 Melvin George Talbert...... 1980 Susan Murch Morrison ...... 1988 Paul Andrews Duffey ...... 1980 R. Sheldon Duecker ...... 1988 Edwin Charles Boulton...... 1980 Joseph Benjamin Bethea...... 1988 John William Russell ...... 1980 William B. Oden...... 1988 Fitz Herbert Skeete ...... 1980 Bruce P. Blake...... 1988 George Willis Bashore...... 1980 Charles Wilbourne Roy Clyde Clark...... 1980 Hancock ...... 1988 William Boyd Grove...... 1980 Clay Foster Lee Jr...... 1988 Emerson Stephen Colaw...... 1980 Sharon A. Brown Marjorie Swank Matthews ...... 1980 Christopher...... 1988 Carlton Printess Dan E. Solomon...... 1988 Minnick Jr ...... 1980 William B. Lewis...... 1988 Calvin Dale McConnell...... 1980 William W. Dew Jr...... 1988 Kainda Katembo ...... 1980 Moises Domingos Fernandes.....1988 Emerito P. Nacpil...... 1980 Joao Somane Machado...... 1988 Arthur Flumo Kulah ...... 1980 Walter Klaiber ...... 1989 Felton Edwin May ...... 1984 Heinrich Bolleter...... 1989 6 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 7

UNITED METHODIST BISHOPS NAME ELECTED NAME ELECTED Hans Växby ...... 1989 Beverly J. Shamana...... 2000 Alfred Lloyd Norris...... 1992 Violet L. Fisher ...... 2000 Joe Allen Wilson ...... 1992 Gregory Vaughn Palmer...... 2000 Robert Eugene Fannin...... 1992 William W. Hutchinson ...... 2000 Amelia Ann B. Sherer...... 1992 B. Michael Watson ...... 2000 Albert Frederick Mutti ...... 1992 D. Max Whitfield ...... 2000 Raymond Harold Owen ...... 1992 Benjamin Roy Chamness ...... 2000 Joel Neftali Martinez ...... 1992 Linda Lee ...... 2000 Donald Arthur Ott...... 1992 James R. King ...... 2000 Kenneth Lee Carder ...... 1992 Bruce R. Ough ...... 2000 Hae Jong Kim ...... 1992 Warner H. Brown Jr...... 2000 William Wesley Morris ...... 1992 José Quipungo...... 2000 Marshall LeRoy Meadors Jr...... 1992 Gaspar Joao Domingos ...... 2000 Charles Wesley Jordan...... 1992 Leo A. Soriano...... 2000 Sharon Zimmerman Rader...... 1992 Benjamin A. Justo ...... 2000 S. Clifton Ives ...... 1992 John G. Innis ...... 2000 Mary Ann Swenson...... 1992 Øystein Olsen...... 2001 Done Peter Dabale ...... 1992 Timothy W. Whitaker ...... 2001 Joseph Humper ...... 1992 Solito K. Toquero ...... 2001 Christopher Jokomo ...... 1992 Marcus Matthews ...... 2004 Daniel C. Arichea Jr...... 1994 Sudarshana Devadhar...... 2004 Benjamin Gutierrez...... 1994 Jeremiah J. Park...... 2004 G. Lindsey Davis...... 1996 Hope Morgan Ward ...... 2004 Joseph E. Pennel Jr...... 1996 William H. Willimon...... 2004 Charlene Payne Kammerer ...... 1996 Alfred Johnson ...... 1996 James E. Swanson Sr...... 2004 Cornelius L. Henderson...... 1996 Hee-soo-Jung...... 2004 Susan Wolfe Hassinger ...... 1996 Robert E. Hayes Jr...... 2004 J. Lawrence McCleskey...... 1996 Alfred W. Gwinn Jr ...... 2004 Ernest S. Lyght ...... 1996 John R. Schol...... 2004 Janice Riggle Huie ...... 1996 Richard J. Wills Jr...... 2004 Marion M. Edwards ...... 1996 Robert C. Schnase ...... 2004 C. Joseph Sprague...... 1996 Deborah L. Kiesey...... 2004 Peter D. Weaver ...... 1996 Jane Allen Middleton ...... 2004 Jonathan D. Keaton...... 1996 Thomas J. Bickerton...... 2004 Ray W. Chamberlain, Jr...... 1996 Scott J. Jones...... 2004 John L. Hopkins ...... 1996 Charles N. Crutchfield ...... 2004 Michael J. Coyner...... 1996 Robert T. Hoshibata...... 2004 Edward W. Paup...... 1996 Mary Taylor ...... 2004 Ntambo Nkulu Ntanda...... 1996 Sally Dyck ...... 2004 Larry M. Goodpaster...... 2000 Minerva G. Carcaño ...... 2004 Rhymes H. Moncure Jr...... 2000 Eben K. Nhiwatiwa ...... 2004 7 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 8

UNITED METHODIST BISHOPS

Hans Växby ...... 2005 Wilbert Earl Bledsoe...... 2008 David K. Yemba...... 2005 Peggy A. Johnson...... 2008 Rosemarie J. Wenner ...... 2005 John Michael Lowry ...... 2008 Benjamin Boni ...... 2005 Julius Calvin Trimble ...... 2008 Patrick Ph. Streiff ...... 2005 Grant J. Hagiya...... 2008 Daniel A. Wandabula...... 2006 James E. Dorff...... 2008 Kefas K. Mavula...... 2007 Elaine J. W. Stanovsky ...... 2008 Paul Lee Leeland...... 2008 Joaquina Filipe Nhanala ...... 2008

8 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 9

HISTORICAL STATEMENT

On April 23, 1968, The United Methodist Church was created when Bishop Reuben H. Mueller, representing The Evangelical United Brethren Church, and Bishop Lloyd C. Wicke of The Methodist Church joined hands at the constituting General Confer- ence in Dallas, . With the words, “Lord of the Church, we are united in Thee, in Thy Church and now in The United Methodist Church,” the new denomination was given birth by two churches that had distinguished histories and influential ministries in various parts of the world. Theological traditions steeped in the Protestant Reformation and Wesleyanism, similar ecclesiastical structures, and relationships that dated back almost two hundred years facilitated the union. In the Evangelical United Brethren heritage, for example, , the principal founder of the United Brethren in Christ, assisted in the ordination of Francis Asbury to the superintendency of American Methodist work. Jacob Albright, through whose religious experience and leadership the was begun, was nurtured in a Methodist class meeting following his conversion.

Roots, 1736–1816 The United Methodist Church shares a common history and her- itage with other Methodist and Wesleyan bodies. The lives and min- istries of John Wesley (1703–1791) and of his brother, Charles (1707–1788), mark the origin of their common roots. Both John and Charles were Church of to the colony of , 9 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 10

HISTORICAL STATEMENT arriving in March 1736. It was their only occasion to visit America. Their mission was far from an unqualified success, and both returned to England disillusioned and discouraged, Charles in December 1736, and John in February 1738. Both of the Wesley brothers had transforming religious experi- ences in May 1738. John’s heart “was strangely warmed” at a meeting on Aldersgate Street in London. In the years following, the Wesleys succeeded in leading a lively renewal movement in the . As the Methodist movement grew, it became apparent that their ministry would spread to the American colonies as some Methodists made the exhausting and hazardous Atlantic voyage to the New World. Organized Methodism in America began as a lay movement. Among its earliest leaders were Robert Strawbridge, an immigrant farmer who organized work about 1760 in and Virginia, Philip Embury and his cousin, Barbara Heck, who began work in in 1766, and Captain Thomas Webb, whose labors were instrumental in Methodist beginnings in in 1767. participated actively in these groundbreaking and formational initiatives though much of that contribution was acknowledged without much biographical detail. To strengthen the Methodist work in the colonies, John Wesley sent two of his lay preachers, Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmore, to America in 1769. Two years later Richard Wright and Francis Asbury were also dispatched by Wesley to undergird the growing American Methodist societies. Francis Asbury became the most important figure in early American Methodism. His energetic devo- tion to the principles of , ministry, and organiza- tion shaped Methodism in America in a way unmatched by any other individual. In addition to the preachers sent by Wesley, some Methodists in the colonies also answered the call to become lay preachers in the movement. The first conference of Methodist preachers in the colonies was held in Philadelphia in 1773. The ten who attended took several important actions. They pledged allegiance to Wesley’s leadership and agreed that they would not administer the because they were laypersons. Their people were to receive the sacraments of and the Lord’s Supper at the local Anglican parish church. They emphasized strong discipline among the societies and preachers. A system of regular conferences of the preachers was inaugurated 10 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 11

HISTORICAL STATEMENT similar to those Wesley had instituted in England to conduct the business of the Methodist movement. The had a profound impact on Methodism. John Wesley’s Toryism and his writings against the revolutionary cause did not enhance the image of Methodism among many who supported independence. Furthermore, a number of Methodist preachers refused to bear arms to aid the patriots. When independence from England had been won, Wesley recog- nized that changes were necessary in American Methodism. He sent Thomas Coke to America to superintend the work with Asbury. Coke brought with him a prayer book titled The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America, prepared by Wesley and incorporating his revision of the Church of England’s Thirty-Nine Articles of Reli- gion. Two other preachers, Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey, whom Wesley had ordained, accompanied Coke. Wesley’s ordina- tions set a precedent that ultimately permitted Methodists in America to become an independent church. In December 1784, the famous of preachers was held in at Lovely Lane Chapel to chart the future course of the movement in America, a gathering that organized the movement as The Methodist Episcopal Church in America. Most of the American preachers attended, probably including two African Americans, and . The conference took a forceful stand against and made that witness a featured com- mitment in the new church’s Discipline. Regrettably the church steadily retreated from that courageous stand. In the years following the Christmas Conference, The Methodist Episcopal Church published its first Discipline (1785), adopted a qua- drennial General Conference, the first of which was held in 1792, drafted a Constitution in 1808, refined its structure, established a publishing house, and became an ardent proponent of revivalism and the . As The Methodist Episcopal Church was in its infancy, two other churches were being formed. In their earliest years they were com- posed almost entirely of German-speaking people. The first was founded by Philip William Otterbein (1726–1813) and Martin Boehm (1725–1812). Otterbein, a German Reformed , and Boehm, a Mennonite, preached an evangelical message and experience similar to the Methodists. In 1800 their followers formally organized the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. A second church, The 11 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 12

HISTORICAL STATEMENT Evangelical Association, was begun by Jacob Albright (1759–1808), a Lutheran farmer and tilemaker in eastern who had been converted and nurtured under Methodist teaching. The Evan- gelical Association was officially organized in 1803. These two churches were to unite with each other in 1946 and with The Methodist Church in 1968 to form The United Methodist Church. By the time of Asbury’s death in March 1816, Otterbein, Boehm, and Albright had also died. The churches they nurtured had survived the difficulties of early life and were beginning to expand numeri- cally and geographically.

The Churches Grow, 1817–1843 The was the dominant religious devel- opment among Protestants in America in the first half of the nine- teenth century. Through revivals and camp meetings sinners were brought to an experience of conversion. Circuit riding preachers and lay pastors knit them into a connection. This style of Christian faith and discipline was very agreeable to Methodists, United Brethren, and Evangelicals, who favored its emphasis on the experi- ential. The memberships of these churches increased dramatically during this period. The number of preachers serving them also multi- plied significantly. Lay members and preachers were expected to be seriously com- mitted to the faith. Preachers were not only to possess a sound con- version and divine calling but were also to demonstrate the gifts and skills requisite for an effective ministry. Their work was urgent and demanding. The financial benefits were meager. But, as they often reminded one another, there was no ore important work than theirs. The deep commitment of the general membership was exhibited in their willingness to adhere to the spiritual disciplines and stan- dards of conduct outlined by their churches. Methodists, for example, were to be strictly guided by a set of General Rules adopted at the Christmas Conference of 1784 and still printed in United Method- ism’s Book of Discipline. They were urged to avoid evil, to do good, and to use the means of grace supplied by God. Membership in the church was serious business. There was no place for those whom Wesley called the “almost Christians.” The structure of the Methodist, United Brethren, and Evangelical Association churches allowed them to function in ways to support, 12 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 13

HISTORICAL STATEMENT consolidate, and expand their ministries. General Conferences, meet- ing quadrennially, proved sufficient to set the main course for the church. Annual Conferences under episcopal leadership provided the mechanism for admitting and ordaining clergy, appointing itinerant preachers to their churches, and supplying them with mutual sup- port. Local churches and classes could spring up wherever a few women and men were gathered under the direction of a class leader and were visited regularly by the circuit preacher, one who had a cir- cuit of preaching placed under his care. This system effectively served the needs of city, town, village, or frontier outpost. The churches were able to go to the people wherever they settled. The earlier years of the nineteenth century were also marked by the spread of the Sunday school movement in America. By 1835 Sun- day schools were encouraged in every place where they could be started and maintained. The Sunday school became a principal source of prospective members for the church. The churches’ interest in education was also evident in their establishment of secondary schools and colleges. By 1845 Methodists, Evangelicals, and United Brethren had also instituted courses of study for their preachers to ensure that they had a basic knowledge of the Bible, theology, and pastoral ministry. To supply their members, preachers, and Sunday schools with Christian literature, the churches established publishing operations. The Methodist Book Concern, organized in 1789, was the first church publishing house in America. The Evangelical Association and United Brethren also authorized the formation of publishing agencies in the early nineteenth century. From the presses of their printing plants came a succession of hymnals, Disciplines, newspapers, maga- zines, Sunday school materials, and other literature to nurture their memberships. Profits were usually designated for the support and welfare of retired and indigent preachers and their families. The churches were also increasingly committed to missionary work. By 1841 each of them had started denominational missionary societies to develop strategies and provide funds for work in the United States and abroad. John Stewart’s mission to the Wyandots marked a beginning of the important presence of Native Americans in Methodism. The founding period was not without serious problems, espe- cially for the Methodists. Richard Allen (1760–1831), an emancipated slave and Methodist preacher who had been mistreated because of 13 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 14

HISTORICAL STATEMENT his race, left the church and in 1816 organized The African Methodist Episcopal Church. For similar reasons, The African Methodist Episco- pal Zion Church was begun in 1821. In 1830 another rupture occurred in The Methodist Episcopal Church. About 5,000 preachers and laypeople left the denomination because it would not grant represen- tation to the laity or permit the election of presiding elders (district superintendents). The new body was called The Methodist Protestant Church. It remained a strong church until 1939, when it united with The Methodist Episcopal Church and The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, to become The Methodist Church.

The Slavery Question and Civil War, 1844–1865 John Wesley was an ardent opponent of slavery. Many of the leaders of early American Methodism shared his hatred for this form of human bondage. The United Brethren in Christ took a strong stand against slavery, as church members could not sell a slave, and by 1837 ruled that slave owners could not continue as members. As the nineteenth century progressed, it became apparent that tensions were deepening in Methodism over the slavery question. In this matter, as in so many others, Methodism reflected a national ethos because it was a church with a membership that was not limited to a region, class, or race. Contention over slavery would ultimately split Methodism into separate northern and southern churches. The slavery issue was generally put aside by The Methodist Epis- copal Church until its General Conference in 1844, when the pro-slav- ery and anti-slavery factions clashed. Their most serious conflict con- cerned one of the church’s five bishops, James O. Andrew, who had acquired slaves through . After acrimonious debate the Gen- eral Conference voted to suspend Bishop Andrew from the exercise of his episcopal office so long as he could not, or would not, free his slaves. A few days later dissidents drafted a Plan of Separation, which permitted the annual conferences in slaveholding states to sep- arate from The Methodist Episcopal Church in order to organize their own ecclesiastical structure. The Plan of Separation was adopted, and the groundwork was prepared for the creation of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Delegates from the southern states met in Louisville, , in May 1845, to organize their new church. Their first General Confer- ence was held the following year in Petersburg, Virginia, where a 14 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 15

HISTORICAL STATEMENT Discipline and hymnbook were adopted. Bitterness between northern and southern Methodists intensified in the years leading to ’s election in 1860 and then through the carnage of the Civil War. Each church claimed divine sanction for its region and prayed fervently for God’s will to be accomplished in victory for its side.

Reconstruction, Prosperity, and New Issues, 1866–1913 The Civil War dealt an especially harsh blow to The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Its membership fell to two-thirds its pre- war strength. Many of its churches lay in ruins or were seriously damaged. A number of its clergy had been killed or wounded in the conflict. Its educational, publishing, and missionary programs had been disrupted. Yet new vitality stirred among southern Methodists, and over the next fifty years its membership grew fourfold to more than two million. The African American membership of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, had declined significantly during and after the war. In 1870 its General Conference voted to transfer all of its remaining African American constituency to a new church. The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (now called The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church) was the product of this decision. It was during this period that Alejo Hernandez became the first ordained Hispanic preacher in Methodism, although Benigno Carde- nas had preached the Methodist message in Spanish in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as early as 1853. The Methodist Episcopal Church did not suffer as harshly as southern Methodism did during the war. By the late 1860s it was on the verge of major gains in membership and new vigor in its pro- gram. Between 1865 and 1913 its membership also registered a 400 percent increase to about four million. Methodist Protestants, United Brethren, and Evangelicals experienced similar growth. Church prop- erty values soared, and affluence reflected generally prosperous times for the churches. Sunday schools remained strong and active. Publishing houses maintained ambitious programs to furnish their memberships with literature. Higher educational standards for the clergy were cultivated, and theological seminaries were founded. Mission work, both home and overseas, was high on the agendas of the churches. Home mission programs sought to Christianize the 15 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 16

HISTORICAL STATEMENT city as well as the Native American. Missionaries established schools for former slaves and their children. Missions overseas were effective in Asia, , , and Latin America. Women formed mission- aries societies that educated, recruited, and raised funds for these endeavors. Missionaries like , Susan Bauernfeind, and Harriett Brittan, and administrators like Bell Harris Bennett and Lucy Rider Meyer, motivated thousands of church women to support home and foreign missions. Significant Methodist ministries among Asian Americans were instituted during this period, especially among Chinese and Japanese immigrants. A Japanese layman, Kanichi Miyama, was ordained and given full clergy rights in California in 1887. Two critical issues that caused substantial debate in the churches during this period were lay representation and the role of women. First, should laity be given a voice in the General Conference and the annual conference? The Methodist Protestants had granted the laity representation from the time they organized in 1830. The clergy in The Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, The Evangelical Association, and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ were much slower in permitting the laity an offi- cial voice in their affairs. All finally granted lay people voting privi- leges in their General and annual conferences with the exception of The Methodist Episcopal Church, which did not grant this right in annual conference decisions before the 1939 union. Even more con- tentious was the question of women’s right to ordination and eligibil- ity for lay offices and representation in the church. The United Brethren General Conference of 1889 approved ordination for women, but The Methodist Episcopal Church and The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, did not grant full clergy rights until well after their reunion in 1939. The Evangelical Association never ordained women. Laity rights for women were also resisted. Women were not admitted as delegates to the General Conferences of The Methodist Protestant Church until 1892, the United Brethren until 1893, The Methodist Episcopal Church until 1904, and The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, until 1922. The period between the Civil War and World War I also was marked by other theological developments and controversies. The , the rise of liberal theology, and the Social movement were sources of considerable theological debate. The 16 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 17

HISTORICAL STATEMENT Methodist Episcopal Church demonstrated its regard for social issues by adopting a Social Creed at its 1908 General Conference. Social problems were also a spur in the movement toward and interchurch cooperation. Each of the denominations now included in The United Methodist Church became active in the Federal Council of Churches, the first major ecumenical venture among American Protestants. The era closed with the world on the threshold of a great and horrible war.

World War and More Change, 1914–1939 In the years immediately prior to World War I, there was much sympathy in the churches for negotiation and arbitration as visible alternatives to international armed conflict. Many church members and clergy openly professed pacifism. However, when the United States officially entered the war in 1917, pacifism faded. The antecedent churches of United Methodism were not unlike other American denominations in expressing their national loyalties. When the war ended, the churches were again free to expend their energies in other directions. One of their perennial concerns was temperance, and they were quick to recognize it among their highest priorities. They published and distributed large amounts of temper- ance literature. Members were asked to pledge that they would abstain from alcoholic beverages. The United Methodist Church still encourages such abstinence. There was significant theological ferment during this period. Lib- eral Protestant theology, an important school of thought in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was questioned. It was attacked by a militant fundamentalism and later by neo-orthodoxy, which accused it of undermining the very essence of the Christian message. Since all three of these theological parties—liberal, funda- mentalist, and neo-orthodox—were well represented in the forerun- ners of United Methodism, it is not surprising that heated doctrinal disputes were present in these churches. Despite the internal theological differences that the churches experienced, they continued to cooperate with other denominations and acted to heal schisms that had taken place earlier in their own histories. For example, a division that had occurred in The Evangeli- cal Association in 1894 was repaired in 1922, when two factions united as The Evangelical Church. A more important union, at least 17 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 18

HISTORICAL STATEMENT by statistical measurement, took place among three Methodist bodies— The Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Protestant Church, and The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Representatives of these churches began meeting in 1916 to forge a plan of union. By the 1930s their proposal included partitioning the united church into six administrative units called jurisdictions. Five of these were geograph- ical; the sixth, the Central Jurisdiction, was racial. It included African American churches and annual conferences wherever they were geographically located in the United States. African American Methodists and some others were troubled by this prospect and opposed the plan of a racially segregated jurisdiction. The majority of Methodist Protestants favored the union, although it meant accepting episcopal government, which they had not had since their church was organized in 1830. Following over- whelming approvals at the General Conferences and annual confer- ences of the three churches, they were united in April 1939, into The Methodist Church. At the time of its formation the new church included 7.7 million members.

Movement Toward Union, 1940–1967 Although Methodists, Evangelicals, and United Brethren each had published strong statements condemning war and advocating peaceful reconciliation among the nations, the strength of their posi- tions was largely lost with American involvement in the hostilities of World War II. Nevertheless, throughout the war many churches con- tinued to express their disdain for violence and their support for con- scientious objection. As the war ended, the churches actively worked to secure world peace and order. Many laypeople, pastors, bishops, and church agen- cies supported the establishment of a world organization to serve as a forum for the resolution of international social, economic, and politi- cal problems. In April 1945, their labors contributed to the founding of the United Nations. During this era, 1940–1967, there were at least three other impor- tant matters that occupied the attention of the churches that now compose United Methodism. First, they maintained their concern for ecumenicity and church union. On November 16, 1946, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, The Evangelical Church and The United Brethren Church were united into The Evangelical United Brethren Church, 18 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 19

HISTORICAL STATEMENT after twenty years of negotiation. At the time of union, the new church included about 700,000 members. The Methodist Church was also interested in closer ties with other Methodist and Wesleyan bod- ies. In 1951 it participated in the formation of the , successor to the Ecumenical Methodist Conferences that were begun in 1881. As expressions of their wider ecumenical com- mitment, Methodists and the Evangelical United Brethren became active members of the World Council of Churches, founded in 1948, and the National Council of Churches, founded in 1950. These assem- blies provided a means for their members to engage in cooperative mission and other ministries. The two churches also cooperated with seven other Protestant denominations in forming the Consultation on Church Union in 1960. Second, the churches demonstrated growing uneasiness with the problem of racism in both the nation and the church. Many Methodists were especially disturbed by the manner in which racial segregation was built into the fabric of their denominational struc- ture. The Central Jurisdiction was a constant reminder of racial dis- crimination. Proposals to eliminate the Central Jurisdiction were introduced at the General Conferences from 1956 to 1966. Finally, plans to abolish the Central Jurisdiction were agreed upon with the contemplated union with the Evangelical United Brethren in 1968, although a few African American annual conferences continued for a short time thereafter. Third, clergy rights for women were debated by the churches. The issue was especially critical in the creation of The Evangelical United Brethren Church. The Evangelical Church had never ordained women. The United Brethren had ordained them since 1889. In order to facilitate the union of these two churches, the United Brethren accepted the Evangelical practice, and women lost their right to ordi- nation. Methodists debated the issue for several years after their uni- fication in 1939. Full clergy rights for women were finally granted in 1956, but it took a decade more before the number of women in semi- naries and began to grow significantly. When Methodists and the Evangelical United Brethren united in 1968, the right of women to full clergy status was included in the plan of union. As this period ended, negotiations between The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church were proceed- ing toward their anticipated union into The United Methodist Church. 19 CONS001936QK001.qxp:QK001.qxd 11/10/08 8:05 AM Page 20

HISTORICAL STATEMENT Developments and Changes Since 1968 When The United Methodist Church was created in 1968, it had approximately 11 million members, making it one of the largest Protestant churches in the world. Since its birth, United Methodism has experienced a number of changes in its life and structure. It has become increasingly aware of itself as a world church with members and conferences in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States. While its membership in Europe and the United States has declined noticeably since 1968, member- ship in Africa and Asia has grown significantly. An increasing number of women have been admitted to the ordained ministry, appointed to the district superintendency, elected to positions of denominational leadership, and consecrated as bish- ops. In 1980 Marjorie Matthews was the first woman elected to the Church’s episcopacy. The Church has endeavored to become a community in which all persons, regardless of racial or ethnic background, can participate in every level of its connectional life and ministry. United Methodism has struggled with a number of critical issues. It has created and refined theological and mission statements. It has discussed and acted on matters of social importance such as nuclear power and world peace, human sexuality, the environment, abortion, AIDS, , and world mission. The Church has been concerned with the faithfulness and vitality of its worship. It published a hymnal in 1989, which included a new Psalter and revised liturgies for baptism, the Lord’s Supper, wed- dings, and funerals. Its 1992 General Conference authorized a new Book of Worship. A Spanish language hymnal, Mil Voces Para Celebrar, was published in 1996. A hymnal, Come, Let Us Worship: The Korean-English United Methodist Hymnal, was published in 2000. The United Methodist Church represents the confluence of three streams of tradition: Methodism, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and The Evangelical Association. With other churches that are also members of the body of Christ, it humbly and gratefully offers up its praise to God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for creating and sustaining grace. It seeks further grace as its minis- ters to the world.

20

Top View