Question 1

Q1 Why choose Methodism? Answer by selecting two characteristics (or common practices) of the Methodist church that are significant to Methodist identity and that form the basis for your choice of Methodism as your denomination.(400-500 words approx.)

It was difficult to try and just find two reasons for choosing Methodism, as there are many, but after many hours of thinking and reflection I think these two are the most important.

I have always believed that church should be a community that does not judge a person by how they look, sound or by what they believe, by their race, sex, age, sexuality or indeed for any other reason and for me Methodism is a denomination that truly tries to do this, recognizing that we are all in need of God’s grace.

“Methodists have always been clear that no-one is beyond the reach of God's love. Salvation is there for everyone who turns to God, and not just for a chosen few.” (Quote from Methodist Website)

This quote is the number one reason why I am a Methodist. I am a mother of four and have taught my children throughout their lives, that all human beings are equal, They live in 21^st century Britain they have friends and family who are of different faiths and no faith, black, white, homosexual I would not be able to answer their questions truthfully, if my church did not reflect what I had told them, it would compromise my faith and my beliefs.

I don’t believe that God discriminates about who needs to be shown his love, I don’t want my children to and I don’t believe that my church should either.

One of the other things, which attract me to Methodism, is the teaching of the Methodist Quadrilateral.

Methodists traditionally use a fourfold approach to learn about our Christian faith and apply it to contemporary issues and to our Christian practice: we are taught to reflect using scripture, reason, tradition and the experience of God in our lives.

As I have been studying pioneer ministry many of the issues I have faced do not have answers that can directly be found in the Bible and using the Quadrilateral has been very useful.

I believe that if we are to move Methodism successfully into the 21^st century there will be many more questions that society will expect us to answer and I think the quadrilateral is a good way of making sure that in every new decisions we make, every new fellowship that is started and every answer that we give, we hold true to scripture and tradition but use reason and our experiences of God, to show the world God’s way for our times and our place and also for the generations to come.