The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelicalism. The present denomination was founded in 1968 in Dallas, Texas, by union of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley in England, as well as the Great Awakening in the United States. As such, the church's theological orientation is decidedly Wesleyan. It embraces liturgical worship, holiness, and evangelical elements.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement on this issue had been increasing in strength for decades between churches of the Northern and Southern United States; in 1845 it resulted in a schism at the General Conference of the MEC held in Louisville, Kentucky.
Suncreek United Methodist Church is a United Methodist Church in Allen, Texas, part of the North Texas Conference of the UMC. In June 1995, Rev. Burt Palmer was appointed to begin a new United Methodist Church in Allen. By September of that year, three families were gathering to worship at the parsonage. The group grew, and by the end of that year, Sunday morning worship moved to Green Elementary School. Then, on September 22, 1996, Suncreek was officially constituted as a United Methodist Church. In early 1999, the church began to build on property at Suncreek and McDermott Drives. This involved renovating a home that was on the site and adding additional rooms for a Sanctuary and classes. In September 1999, the church left Green Elementary and began meeting in the new buildings. Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball was appointed Senior Pastor of Suncreek in June 2001. The following May, the church gathered for a Sunday morning worship service under a large tent to kickoff a capital campaign that would purchase land, renovate the existing building, erect a new building and Sanctuary, and add parking. One year later, the church broke ground on this phase of its development. The new building was completed in April 2004 and consecrated by Bishop William B. Oden on May 23, 2004. In early 2007, Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the challenges of her illness and treatment, she continued to lead, serve and love the congregation until her death on December 2, 2008. One of Kathleen's favorite ministerial duties was performing baptisms. We desire to remember her with the beautiful Garden in our esplanade just south of the breezeway connecting the sanctuary with the children's area. Rev. Dr. Thomas O. Palmer was appointed as Senior Pastor in June, 2009 and served until June, 2013. He now serves as Senior Pastor of Coppell United Methodist Church. Rev. Dr. Keith Payne Boone was appointed as Senior Pastor in June, 2013 and served until June, 2016. He now serves as Senior Pastor of University Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. Rev. Dr. Barry Hughes was appointed as Senior Pastor in June, 2016.
The Black church is the faith and body of Christian denominations and congregations in the United States that predominantly minister to, and are also led by African Americans, as well as these churches' collective traditions and members.
Prestonwood Baptist Church is a Baptist multi-site megachurch based in Plano, Texas. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. It is one of the largest churches in America, with a membership of over 45,000 and a weekly attendance of around 17,000.
The Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) is an organization seeking the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in both the policy and practices of United Methodist Church. It is one of many Welcoming Congregation organizations to emerge in American Christianity in the 1980s. The ministry has over 1100 affiliated congregations and 42,000 affiliated individuals.
An episcopal area in the United Methodist Church (UMC) is a basic unit of this denomination. It is a region presided over by a resident bishop that is similar to a diocese in other Christian denominations. Each annual conference in the UMC is within a single episcopal area; some episcopal areas include more than one annual conference. Episcopal areas are found in the United States as well as internationally. In some cases, such as the Western Jurisdiction of the US as well as some places internationally, an episcopal area covers a very large territory.
Kathleen Baskin-Ball was an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. She was ordained as deacon and probationary member of the North Texas Conference in 1983 and as elder and full member of the North Texas Conference in 1988. She received national recognition for her preaching, especially to youth. She was a keynote speaker at Youth2007, the international youth conference of the UMC. She was also recognized regionally as the first female minister in North Texas to demonstrate high membership and worship attendance growth while serving as senior pastor of a large church. She had a notable career record of growth in membership, worship attendance, and people joining by profession of faith. Baskin-Ball died on December 2, 2008, after two years' illness with cancer.
St. Paul United Methodist Church is located in the historic Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. For a time in the early 1900s, St. Paul had the largest Methodist congregation in the Southeastern United States. The church organ was acquired at the Cotton States Exhibition in 1887. St. Paul's stained glass windows, which date back to 1907, are being refurbished. St. Paul is a main stop on tours of the Grant Park neighborhood given by the Atlanta Preservation Center. St. Paul is also home to the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool. St. Paul, the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool and the Grant Park Parent Network host the annual Grant Park Candlelight Tour of Homes, which also includes an artist marketplace and a Winter Wonderland for children. The Candlelight Tour of Homes begins at St. Paul.
Methodist viewpoints concerning homosexuality are diverse because there is no one denomination which represents all Methodists. The World Methodist Council, which represents most Methodist denominations, has no official statements regarding sexuality. Various Methodist denominations themselves take different stances on the issue of homosexuality, with many denominations holding homosexual practice to be sinful, while other denominations ordain LGBT clergy and marry same-sex couples. The positions of the various Methodist denominations around the globe are outlined in this article.
Resurrection, A United Methodist Church also known as The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, or simply Church of the Resurrection, is a multi-site, United Methodist megachurch in Kansas City metropolitan area. The original campus is located in Leawood, Kansas, with additional locations in Olathe, Kansas, downtown Kansas City, Missouri, Blue Springs, Missouri, Overland Park, Kansas, Brookside, Kansas City, Missouri. It is one of the largest United Methodist congregations in the world and reported a membership of 15,359 in 2020. The United Methodist Saint Paul School of Theology moved its facilities from Kansas City, Missouri, to the Church of the Resurrection in fall of 2013.
Frazer Church is a Free Methodist megachurch located at 6000 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, Alabama. It has 4,055 members with a mission to "Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the hope of the world".
Ginghamsburg Church is a multi-site United Methodist church located in Tipp City, Ohio, thirteen miles north of Dayton, Ohio.
Peachtree Presbyterian Church is a megachurch located in Atlanta, Georgia, and a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Peachtree averages about 3200 in weekly worship in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, and is one of the largest Presbyterian congregations in the United States of America.
The Windsor Village Church Family is a United Methodist megachurch in Windsor Village in far Southwest Houston, Texas. As of March 2020, the church's senior pastor is Suzette Caldwell. Prior to 2020, Kirbyjon Caldwell, who continues to maintain a visionary role at the church, was its senior pastor for over thirty-eight years. In 2013, the church had 17,045 members, making it one of the largest Methodist churches in the United States. The church membership is mostly black; as of 2001, the church is one of six mostly black Methodist churches in the U.S. with a membership of over 3,000 members, and one of 94 churches total with a membership of over 3,000. In 2006, it was also one of the largest black churches in the US. It reported an average weekly worship service attendance of 2,600 in 2020.
The history of Methodism in the United States dates back to the mid-18th century with the ministries of early Methodist preachers such as Laurence Coughlan and Robert Strawbridge. Following the American Revolution most of the Anglican clergy who had been in America came back to England. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, sent Thomas Coke to America where he and Francis Asbury founded the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was to later establish itself as the largest denomination in America during the 19th century.
Highland Park Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian church in University Park, Texas, with a Dallas post office address. In 2013, HP Pres voted to change its affiliation from Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
Sharma D. Lewis is an American bishop in the United Methodist Church. She was consecrated in 2016 and is the resident bishop of the Mississippi episcopal area. She is the first African American woman to be elected as bishop in the UMC's Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference.
Cynthia Fierro Harvey is an American bishop in the United Methodist Church and served as president of its Council of Bishops. She is the first Hispanic woman to lead the Council of Bishops. Harvey is the Resident Bishop of the Texas Annual Conference.
