Really? I've barely heard of "United Methodist". Had to look up if there is a church in my town -- turns out there is but they sure are invisible.
One standout from the Mainline implosion is the United Methodist Church. It has lost over 3 million U.S. members since the 1960s, more than any other U.S. church. But, almost uniquely among U.S. denominations, its membership is international, and it now has more than 4.4 million members overseas, mostly in Africa. The church’s global membership just surpassed 12 million for the first time in its history. Just released data shows the U.S. church lost more than 300,000 members just across four recent years, while the African churches gained almost 1 million. The denomination’s most liberal U.S. regions, on the West Coast and in the Northeast, were the fastest declining, while the relatively more moderate Southeast remained almost steady.
http://spectator.org/articles/38044/thriving-christianity
UMC formed when the Methodist Church and a group of weird pacifists called the United Brethern, linked arms in the 50’s. Since then, the UMC has been officially a pacfist church.
There’s a UMC in every wide spot in the road here in Texas. Methodist preachers were the first circuit riders. The Methodist church started its downhill slide when it merged with the United Brethren to create the United Methodist Church. I am a solid Wesley Methodist and there are many of us still fighting for the heart of the UMC. The people in the pews are MUCH more conservative than the “leadership”.
I think there are 3 United Methodist Churches in my town... I have never seen so many Methodists in one place.
“Methodists are Baptists that can read”.