UMC believes in the works of piety

Piety means sincere devotion to God. It also means the way of life that shows this devotion. Piety is the practice of worshiping God and Serving people in Love.

That all United Methodist are called to be Christians of the Wesleyan heritage, which means to participate in works of piety such as:- 1Tim 2:2, 3:16, 4:7-8, 6:6,11; Titus 1:1; 2Peter 1:3,7

• private and public prayer,Act1:13-14, 20:7, Mark 1:35,Ezra 10:1
• worship, Gen 12:8,John 4:19-24
• the sacraments, Acts 20:7,1st Cor 10:16-17,1st Cor 11:24,26
• study, 2nd Tim2:15-16, Ezra 7:10,
• Confirmation / Catechist vows Acts 10: 2-5, 25-33 - Confirmation is both a human act of commitment and the gracious action of the Holy Spirit strengthening and empowering discipleship.

Membership reception service –  one must have been received into a United Methodist membership service ceremony. Acts 8: 14-17, 38,

United Methodist Church Membership

Definition of Membership in a local UMC includes:

• Having been baptized in one Baptism- in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:5
• Professing their faith in Christ Jesus. Romans 10:9
• all people who have received Christian baptism in the local congregation or elsewhere, or Mark 9:38-40, Luke 9:49-50
• all people transferred to the local United Methodist church subsequent to baptism in some other congregation. Act 8:14-17
• For statistical purposes, all professing church members’ in a local UMC are equated to membership.

To become a professing members of a Local UMC

Therefore, One MUST have been:-

• Be able to renounce the Spiritual forces of wickedness, reject devil powers of the world and respond to their sins. James 4:7
• Accept the freedom and power of God that makes you to resist evil, injustice and oppression , Colossians 1:13-14
• Baptized either as an Infant /a Child or as an Adult- Gen 17:12-13, Act 16:15, 33, Acts18:8, 10:14-48,1Corr 1:16, Ps 51:5, Ps 119:103, Deut 6:6-9, Mtt 28:19.
• And if already baptized in another Christian church then be received into a UMC Membership. Acts 8:14-17
• Be Catechized- Mtt 28:20 (which is a period of instruction and nurtured in the meaning of the faith, UMC Doctrines, History ,Organization& Administration of a Local Church using material approved by UMC- Mtt 10:31-33)
• then be able to receive the Lords Table- Act 20:7, Act 2:46

And One MUST commit themselves to a life of discipleship, and be confirmed.

Methodist participates in the works of Mercy

As United Methodist are called to be Christians of the Wesleyan Heritage to participate in Works of Mercy. So the Bible says in James 2:17 that “so faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. NRSV”

Examples of works of Mercy

• Allowing women to exhort Christians and also preach the word of God.
• Founding orphanages
• Starting and operating schools
• Lobbying Parliament to pass laws which are not against human rights-(slavery).
• Visiting prisoners in prison and before hanging
• Rejecting all forms of war
• Condemning distillers of alcohol who sold to poor people

According to Philip Watson;

A British theologian summarizes Wesley’s message of God’s grace as follows:

• All men need to be saved. Romans3:22-23, Mark 16:15-16
• All men can be saved, John 3:16, Heb 7:25
• All men can know that they are saved, 2Corr 5:14-15
• All men can be saved to the uttermost, Ephesians 2:8, 1^st Timothy 2:3-4

Thus, Wesley adopted a pragmatic organizational structure for nurture with these features:

The Methodist Societies

Wesley built up a structure that would sustain Methodism preaching ministry. The first Society was developed in Bristol. They were initially small groups who met weekly for:

• Worship,
• fellowship,
• prayer and
• instruction

It composed of members who had “the desire to flee away from the wrath to come” (Mtt3:7-8, Luke 3:7). The Methodist societies served as an rena for proclamation of the Gospel   and    the people to commit themselves as selves as followers of Christ.