Why am I in the United Methodist Church?

In the summer of ’94 we moved to Nashville Tennessee. I joined Dodson Chapel UMC in Hermitage. Several factors were involved in this decision; these are not listed in order or priority as I consider them all aspects of God’s leading us.

1. My wife grew up Baptist, I grew up Episcopalian, the worship style of most UM Churches are right in between.
2. The United Methodist Church has provisions for “local pastors”. A Masters of Divinity is not required to pastor a church as a local pastor. At the time, we thought we would have to wait until my wife retired from the Army before I could go to seminary.
3. The UMC has full time Evangelists, which I see as my calling after I am prepared through pastoral ministry.
4. The theological jump from Episcopalian (Anglican) to Methodist is short. (John Wesley died as an Anglican priest.)
5. The hierarchy of the church provided a “one stop” employment source as my wife gets transferred from post to post.
6. Within the roots of Methodism, there is a focus on sanctification: being changed from the old self to a new self, into the image of Christ. When I had learned of this possibility (’90) of real change in my life, my heart sang. Sanctification is what was saving my life (I was a mess before God began to change me). I believe the message of sanctification, when lived out by the grace of God is the “cure” for the social ills of the world.