DO I HAVE TO LEAVE MY BELIEFS BEHIND ? I'm grateful that United Methodism has a tradition of respecting people and their faith. We don't ask you to abandon beliefs and practices that you still treasure from your childhood. They make the rest of us richer for being with you. We only ask that you continue to examine them as you grow. Let me use a little history to explain. United Methodism began within the Church of England (Anglican, Episcopal). When it left its Catholic house, our church did not slam the door behind it, so to speak There were numerous, valued traditions carried over. JOHN WESLEY the founder of the Methodist movement, was an Anglican priest, never wishing to break away. American Methodism broke away only after the Revolutionary War and British Methodism broke away only after Wesley died.

WHERE DO METHODISTS FIT IN WITH OTHER DENOMINATIONS? During his lifetime, Wesley was accused of being "too Catholic" AND "too evangelical". Indeed, Methodists are frequently considered evangelical Catholics or catholic evangelicals. Wesley strove to combine the best of both. He was evangelical in his loyalty to scripture and insistence on salvation by grace through faith; and he was catholic in his respect for tradition and the need for works as a response to salvation.

Methodists hold to a few core beliefs about our relationship with God through Christ - about which many, if not most, Christians would agree. But we refuse to be dragged into divisive fights over "opinions" that do not cut to the heart of the gospel.

WHAT ABOUT THE BIBLE? We do draw the line in the sand when we ask that none teach, as necessary to believe, something which is not found in the Bible. For instance, the United Methodist Church doesn't teach the immaculate conception of Mary (the belief that Mary was conceived by her mother without the taint of original sin) nor the assumption of Mary (that she was brought to heaven without the "corruption of the grave") because those beliefs are not found in the Bible. The Church created the scriptures and continues to aid us in interpreting them. But no part of the Church (the pope, for example) is equal to the Bible or is the final interpreter of it when it comes to faith and practice. Indeed the Bible has proven to be a powerful source of critique and reform for the church. We confess that even though Methodists have been emphasizing Bible study for generations and even though we read large portions of it in our worship services, many Methodists are dissatisfied with the level of their understanding and knowledge of the scriptures.

HOW IS THE CHURCH RUN? United Methodists and Catholics differ on organization, perhaps reflecting the culture into which they were born. The Roman Catholic Church began, of course. when the Roman Empire was the model of efficiency and authority. Therefore, it is not surprising that in interpreting the New Testament, they have an emperor (pope), governors (bishops), a bureaucracy (curia) and later a senate (cardinals). American Methodism reflects its culture by having a legislative branch (General Conference), a judicial branch (Judicial Council), and an administrative branch (bishops). Once every four years, laity and clergy representatives come together to determine theology, social stances, policies, etc. At those meetings the bishops do not have a vote.

WE HAVE DISCOVERED that the Holy Spirit works as often as not through popular movements as through the top down. There is a Catholic confidence that God will not allow the whole Church to be led astray in its teachings, and we agree. But the faithful remnant may just as easily be those who are protesting the current Church leadership. Reform sometimes comes from those on the inside of power like with John XXIII and sometimes from those on the outside like Martin Luther. And yet we are not individual congregations going our own way. We are connected and are accountable to one another. For instance, our bishops appoint pastors to the congregations after consulting with the people involved.

WHAT ABOUT THE SACRAMENTS? Methodist churches vary greatly in worship styles; we have "high" and "low" churches. Our worship at Aldersgate would probably be considered more liturgical and yet more informal than many Methodist churches. Many denominations followed Vatican II in altering their worship styles, harking back to the simpler ways of the early church and the Bible. So some of our newer services will seem familiar to Catholics.

Like Catholics, Methodists view the sacraments as means of grace, that is, a way of receiving a gift from God. We believe that God does something to us and for us and in us through Baptism and the Lord's Supper - the two sacraments we recognize as given by Christ.

WE HONOR YOUR BAPTISM at whatever age and in whatever form you received it If God has adopted us into the Body of Christ, we do not ask God to repeat that grace as if it did not "take" the first time.

We see Christ as the host of the Lord's Supper but do not locate that in the person of the priest (Especially in any physical way: we are convinced that women should be ordained because of their gifts and "spiritual resemblance" to Christ.) We believe that Christ is present in the meal as any Giver is present in the Gift. We don't find the idea of "transubstantiation" to be needed or helpful. A more recent term used by some Catholics, "transignification," comes closer to our view. We also locate the "Body of Christ" primarily in the gathered congregation. Therefore we have neither private baptisms nor private communion services.

Finally we believe that this is Christ's table, not a Methodist table. So we welcome all who are called by Jesus including children. Children may not fully understand what is going on. (I don't know if I do!) But they do understand being included or excluded. And they will learn by doing. And, of course, we baptize children as well. In many ways, children have a lot to teach (is about receiving gifts. We respect other sacred acts such as anointing the sick, marriage, and ordination, but we do not consider them as sacraments. Private confession is rarely done in any formal way to a priest More frequently it happens between Christian brothers and sisters in prayer groups and the like. Anyone can forgive in God's name.