A Brief History of the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a mainline Protestant denomination that traces its roots back to John Wesley, an Anglican priest who started the worldwide evangelical movement in the 18th century. John and his brother, Charles, intended to revitalize the Church of England in the 1700s by forming societies of “Methodists”– so-called because the members followed a daily routine of religious observance and social work. Methodism first spread to Ireland and then to America.
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 Conference in Dallas, Texas. 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 and relationships that dated back almost two hundred years facilitated the union. Today, United Methodist membership stands at nearly 13 million worldwide with more than 45,000 local congregations.