| In its heyday, the United Methodist movement within the United States was an unstoppable force. Although originating in England, the denomination developed in America alongside the country. Methodists had migrated from England even before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. With the famed Christmas Conference of 1784, Methodism in American was organized. As the United States spread westward over the ensuing years, so did the various strands of Methodism. Even through various splits in the nineteenth century and eventual reunification in the twentieth century, the Methodist movement continued to thrive despite these ups and downs. In relationship to the number of churches and members, the denomination was strong in 1968 when The Methodist Church merged with The Evangelical United Brethren Church to form The United Methodist Church.;However, that strength was short-lived as The United Methodist Church began to suffer a decline in membership and consequently a decline in the number of churches, which has continued over the next forty-two years. I believe a significant contributor to this decline is a loss of key concepts within the theology of Methodism's founder John Wesley, which had once propelled the denomination to greatness within the Christian faith. With little emphasis placed on covenant and sanctification, the denomination lost some of the ethos that made it relevant.;This struggle within the greater denomination affects First United Methodist Church, Durant as the congregation has struggled to live out our membership vow as a covenant with God and has not placed great priority on growing in faith as we continue our journey with God. Like other United Methodists, we have forgotten who are as a Christian people. But the current state of affairs within the denomination begs the questions for the local church: Can we once again experience the rampant spiritual growth of the early Methodist movement by reclaiming our Wesleyan roots of covenant and sanctification?... |
