What Is A Wesleyan

Every church group has its "distinctives", the practices and beliefs that set it apart from other groups. This may seem confusing. Perhaps you've wondered: "If the Bible is true and Jesus was who he claimed to be, why are there so many different churches with so many different beliefs?" Some people say the existence of the different denominations is nothing more than evidence of the Church's failures. We prefer to accept the fact we aren't all the same and to see it in a more positive way. We would rather believe the different traditions show the beautiful diversity of the Church. This is a strength not a weakness. We also believe that when you step back and look at the Church as a whole, you get a fuller, clearer picture of the depth and breadth of God's family. We're even optimistic enough to believe that with all the diversity in belief and practice, we all still agree on most of the Christian teaching. What we do not agree on falls into this category of "distinctives." So, what is a Wesleyan? Well, . . ..We are not Catholics, but like the Catholics we believe in the seriousness of sin and in the need of a Savior.We are not Lutherans, but like the Lutherans we believe in the sole authority of Scripture, in salvation by faith alone and in salvation as a gift of God's grace alone. We are not Presbyterians, but like the Presbyterians we believe in the power of proclaiming God's Word -- the Bible -- to bring change in people's lives. We are not Episcopalians, but like the Episcopalians we take worship seriously. We simply choose to be a little less "formal" in our worship. We are not Baptists, but like the Baptists we believe in calling people to repentance and in witnessing to the new life Christ gives through public baptism. We are not Charismatics. We do not "speak in tongues" in our services. But like the Charismatics we believe the Holy Spirit gives people the power to live a Christ-like life and to make a real difference in their world. We are not Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses or any other cult. We are solidly orthodox and evangelical in our beliefs about God, His Son, His Word and His Work in our world. And, finally, we are not United Methodists, although we have our roots in the Methodist tradition that sprang out of John Wesley's Revival Movement in England, during the 1700s. We believe there is a place for the Wesleyan Church to fill, with its "distinctives," in the worldwide Church. As surprising as it may sound, we do not believe everyone in the world--or even Bay County--needs to be a Wesleyan.
JUST YOU!
Why not worship with us next Sunday?