Click for a brief history of the formation of the UM Church

THE HISTORY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Most people have no idea how today's United Methodist Church formed.  It wasn't till 1968 that today's UM Church came into being.  In the UM Church, Heritage Sunday is observed on the Third Sunday of May (to correspond with Aldersgate Day).  This day calls the United Methodist Church to honor its heritage by committing itself to the continuing call of God, known and spread by John Wesley, along with others the early Methodist movement reached, and with whose denominations we are all joined as The United Methodist Church.

The Methodist Episcopal Church [1784] Founders included John Wesley, Thomas Coke, and Francis Asbury

The United Brethren in Christ Church [1800] Founders included Martin Boehm, Philip William Otterbein, and Bishop Milton Wright (father of the Wright brothers)

The Evangelical Association [1803] Founders included Jacob Albright

The Methodist Protestant Church [1828] A spinoff from the Methodist Episcopal Church

The United Evangelical Church [1891] A spinoff from the Evangelical Association

1922 – The Evangelical Association [1803] and The United Evangelical Church [1894] merged to become The Evangelical Church

1939 – The Methodist Episcopal Church [1784] and The Methodist Protestant Church [1828] merged to become The Methodist Church

1946 - The Evangelical Church and The United Brethren in Christ Church [1800] merged to become The Evangelical United Brethren Church

1968 – The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to become The United Methodist Church