Understanding Our United Methodist Heritage

Have you wondered about our heritage as United Methodists, what we believe, and what makes us distinctive? This class explores our DNA as Methodists. We will spend nine weeks on Wesley and our Wesleyan heritage from England, including our roots in the Church of England, our roots in the Evangelical Revival, the ministry of John Wesley and early Methodism, our claim to stand in the center stream of Christian tradition, Wesley’s approach to ‘religion of the heart,’ Wesley’s belief in ‘The Catholic Spirit,’ from which we get our ‘big tent’ approach to the faith, our distinctive approach to salvation, including prevenient grace, justification, and sanctification, and our distinctive Arminian view of salvation.

We will then follow this up by spending nine weeks exploring the story of Methodism in America, from our beginnings in colonial America, our becoming the first uniquely American church, the camp revivals, how we became the largest church in America, the holiness movement, our emphasis on issues of social justice, and the changes that led us to where we are today.

Noon–1 pm, Room 120 or Online
Led by: Rev. Walt Marcum
Cost: No charge, Lunch optional ($10). Please make a reservation at stanfordr@hpumc.org
Tuesdays, October 7–February 10