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Our People

Parishioners of predominantly white Foundry United Methodist Church and predominantly black Asbury United Methodist Church in Washington greet each other during a 'service of confession and repentance.' A UMNS photo © Jay Mallin.

As one of our hymns states, "The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people" ("We Are the Church" United Methodist Hymnal #558).

The United Methodist Church connects more than 12 million members on four continents, and engages in ministry all around the world. We speak many languages, come from various cultures, and span generations. Yet, we are united in our faith in Jesus Christ. 

Learn more about the amazing people called United Methodists. 

An image of the Wesleys' "Holy Club" meeting at Oxford, based on a 19th century lithograph. Used with permission from the Methodist Collection of Drew University.
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Who We Are

Why the Wesleys, and others, came to be called Methodists

Early members of the movement had nicknames like Holy Club, Bible Moths, Sacramentarians, and Enthusiasts. Learn why one name stuck.

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Sean Santellan, a member of Napa Methodist Church in Napa, California, turned "trash to toilets" when the 6-year-old joined in his church's capital campaign for renovations by collecting recyclables. Photo courtesy of Napa Methodist Church
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Who We Are

Amazing Kids of The United Methodist Church

Our children are doing amazing things - raising funds to build wells, selling lemonade to assist others, and offering free bike helmets to keep kids safe.

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Modern United Methodists

  • Pacific Islanders in DC for a leadership conference sing on Sunday morning at Foundry United Methodist Church.

    Who We Are

    Pacific Islanders Spread Love Through Music
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  • United Methodist deaconess Clara Ester serves as national vice president of United Methodist Women. File photo by Mike DuBose, United Methodist Communications.

    Who We Are

    Inspired by MLK to make a difference through love: Clara Ester
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  • The Rev. James Lawson (left) joins Martin Luther King and Ralph Jackson at a March 1968 press conference. Photo used with permission from the SCLC of California.

    Who We Are

    James Lawson: Reflections on Life, Nonviolence, Civil Rights, MLK
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  • God’s call to ‘feed My sheep’ spurs man, two South Carolina churches to cook for hungry.

    How We Serve

    Church heeds call to 'feed My sheep' with food ministry
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  • United Methodist bishop trained as a counselor before entering ministry. Photo via United Methodist Council of Bishops.

    Podcasts

    Meet Bishop Paul Leeland: Get Your Spirit in Shape
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  • United Methodists are on the move all over the globe. File photo by Sam Pile.

    Who We Are

    United Methodism today: Wesley's movement continues
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  • Bishop Hee-Soo Jung is passionate about bringing people together. Photo by Mike DuBose, United Methodist Communications.

    Podcasts

    Meet Bishop Hee-Soo Jung: Get Your Spirit in Shape
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  • Bishop Ken Carter is president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. Photo courtesy United Methodist Council of Bishops.

    Podcasts

    Meet Bishop Kenneth Carter: Get Your Spirit in Shape
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Inspiring Historic Figures

  • Photo of Methodist circuit rider Peter Cartwright. Image in the public domain.

    Who We Are

    Peter Cartwright: Memorable Methodist Circuit Rider
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  • Otterbein is an important figure in United Methodist history. Otterbein image courtesy United Brethren Historical Center. Isaac Long's Barn, courtesy United Methodist Archives and History.

    Who We Are

    A Founding Brethren: Facts for United Methodists about Otterbein
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  • Historic photo of Susan Angeline Collins, taken in Los Angeles, California. Collins served as a Methodist missionary in Africa for 31 years. Image courtesy of the General Commission on Archives and History.

    Who We Are

    African American Woman's Incredible Life as a Methodist Missionary
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  • Hymn writer Fanny Crosby, circa 1915. Image in the public domain.

    Who We Are

    Fanny Crosby: Legendary Methodist Hymn Writer
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Related

  • An image of Susanna Wesley is placed next to a scene from the dining room of the Old Rectory in Epworth, England where Samuel and Susanna Wesley brought up their family. Image courtesy of United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History. Photo of dining room by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications

    Who We Are

    Susanna Wesley Quiz: The Mother of Methodism
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  • This Enoch Wood bust of the Rev. John Wesley (1703-1791) is one of several copies in the Ezra Squier Tipple Collection of Drew University, Madison, New Jersey. Wesley sat for Enoch Wood (1759-1840), the noted Staffordshire potter, at Burslem in 1784 at the age of 81. Courtesy of the General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

    Who We Are

    Are you smarter than the average United Methodist? John Wesley Edition
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  • Who We Are

    Courage and conviction: A woman's leadership through a difficult time
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  • Several U.S. presidents had ties to what is now The United Methodist Church. Photo illustration by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

    Who We Are

    Many US presidents have Methodist ties
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  • John Wesley expanded his work of gathering Methodists into societies and classes at the New Room in Bristol, England. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

    Who We Are

    The method of Methodism expands: Societies and the New Room
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  • A room at Lincoln College, Oxford, is decorated as John Wesley would have had it. Wesley served as a fellow at Lincoln College from 1726 until his marriage in 1751. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications

    Who We Are

    The method of early Methodism: The Oxford Holy Club
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