Evangelical Methodist Church … United Methodist Church …

What’s the difference …?    

J. Vernon Conner, Mid-States Conference Superintendent of the Evangelical Methodist Church offers an answer:

History shows that both denominations share their roots in the 18th century English Methodist movement of John Wesley’s day, as well as in the later U.S. Methodism of Francis Asbury, Thomas Coke and the tireless circuit riders of the 1800’s. The “old – time” Methodism grew rapidly, largely because of its Bible-based emphasis on “free will” and individual personal responsibility before God.  The early “camp meetings” and missions emphasis gave it strength and vitality.

 In the 20th century, things began to change. Slowly the revival fire that had driven the robust expansion of U. S. Methodism began to die out. Methodist educational institutions, leadership, and literature became increasingly liberal and humanistic. The message was no longer a consistent, denomination-wide declaration of the infallible authority of the Bible and the Bible-based doctrines of Christ.  The imperative of a personal religious experience, including the “regeneration” [the new birth] and “sanctification” [the Spirit filled life], was quietly dropped.   Consequently the Methodist Church in the USA stagnated and ceased to grow.       

In such a dismal spiritual climate, the Evangelical Methodist Church, an authentic Methodist movement, was born in 1946. Most of our early leaders were from the Methodist Church; and for their insistence the proclamation of an authentic Biblical and Wesleyan message, they paid with their pulpits, pensions and church property. The EMC preaches the Biblical imperatives of true Methodism, including the beliefs summarized above and more.

The EMC’s distinctives include a “congregational” form of church government which affords a great degree of freedom for local churches without any coercive hierarchical pressures.  The denomination is also “connectional” in government, meaning local churches join together under a common order to co-operate with one heart and mind in Kingdom ministry.

Biblical and professional standards of ministry are carefully maintained so that every EMC pastor can be counted on to believe and preach the timeless Bible- based truths of early Methodism - a truly Biblical view of God, man, sin and salvation. People who consider themselves true to historic Methodism, trusting the Bible as the basis of faith and practice, have a heart for world evangelization,  and a passion to participate in the harvest will find a welcome haven in their local Evangelical Methodist Church.