Our Heritage

I don't know anybody who loves The United Methodist Church more than she does.  When her grandchildren came to visit her, the first place she took them was on a tour of her church.  I walked in just as her eight-year-old granddaughter asked: "Grandma, can I ask you something?  What's so great about being a Methodist?"  The little girl's tone was not cynical or sarcastic or mocking, it was curious and genuine.  And the truth is -- it's a very good question.

I immediately began to think about how I would have answered that, and so -- with appologies to David Letterman -- I jotted down the top ten reasons why it's great to be a United Methodist:

Number 10  We are a church that encourages a strong pulpit.  The people come expecting to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed powerfully.

Number 9  We are a church that encourages a strong, warm-hearted personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Jesus Christ is at the heart of everything we do.

Number 8  We are a worldwide church.  You can find a United Methodist church, mission, school, hospital, or clinic in many villages, hamlets, towns, and cities around the world.

Number 7  We are an open, inclusive church.  Our members come from every culture and every socioeconomic group, and all are embraced.  We have more Asian American and Native American members than any other denomination.  We are second in number of Hispanic American members.  We have more African American members than several other denominations combined.  In addition, we have been at the forefront in encouraging women to give strong leadership in the church, and therefore we have more women clergy than any other denomination.

Number 6  We are a giving church.  Persons who join The United Methodist Church promise to serve God and support the church with their prayers, their presence, their gifts and their service; and that pledge of loyalty enables us to give generously to benevolences and mission efforts.

Number 5  We are a church with a family spirit.  That family spirit enables us to be there for each other in our joys and sorrows from the cradle to the grave.

Number 4  We are a church that owns and operates many colleges, hospitals, children's homes, and homes for the elderly.  We also operate the oldest church-owned publishing house in the world.

Number 3  We are a church that reaches out with deep compassion to help hurting people.  Our UM Committee on Relief is quickly on the scene all over the world to provide aid, love, and care to victims of natural disasters, ethnic violence, and warfare.  We feed more than a million children every day.

Number 2  We are a church with a great social creed that has been an inspiration to all in Christendom.

Number 1  We continue Christ's ministry of preaching, teaching, healing, and caring.