Which United Methodist Church's have a Charismatic Services?

[Holyroller125]

Greetings in the Name of the Lord,

I'm an ordained classical pentecostal minister.

I have been researching the charismatic movement. According to Vinsan Synan (The Century of the Holy Spirit), hundreds of pentecostals and holiness pastors have become Charismatic UMC pastors. For this reason, I am wondering why hundreds have become charismatic methodist pastors in the UMC. I am wondering if these pastors that left their pentecostal and holiness denomination like it how the UMC handles holiness, conversion, love for God and neighbor, and less organization controls on thier ministry (i.e. corporate worship without mandatory clothing standard).

I would like to see the charismatic movement in the UMC myself rather than just listen to outside critiques. I know that 18% of the UMC is into the charismatic movement. Charismatic meeting as in the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with speaking in tongues, gifts of the Spirit, laying on of hands, healings, and altar ministry. Charismatic is not just a Sunday corporate "worship" style. Charismatic is a move of the Holy Ghost in any person's life, congregation, or ministry. Specifically, I would like to see a "local" church that has a charismatic service in operation and not a "conference," "district," or "ministers workshop." I already know about Aldersgate Ministries (UMRSF). Therefore, please steer me towards the charismatic movement at the "local" level.

Therefore, which local church's in the UMC are most known to have charismatic meetings?

Someone also told me that used to be UMC that most of the churches that have a charismatic service are mainly the inner-city churches. Are there any UMC churches around Saint Louis Missouri that have charismatic services?

God bless you for your help,

Greg Norton

[GraceSeeker]

Are there any UMC churches around Saint Louis Missouri that have charismatic services?




Exactly how charismatic are you wanting the service to be and how far are you willing to drive to participate in it?

[Redheadedstepchild]

I don't know of any charismatic UMC services around here. I'd go if there was such a thing. Maybe at some point you could campaign to start one at your local UMC...though you couldn't preach oneness.

[contriteheart]

I know of one in Texas.

[sinner/SAVED]

I have been researching the charismatic movement. According to Vinsan Synan (The Century of the Holy Spirit), hundreds of pentecostals and holiness pastors have become Charismatic UMC pastors.

Read a little furthur into the history of the early holiness movement and you will find that it started mostly at Methodist Camp Meetings.

It started with the Methodists and then branched off on it's own. It didn't start holiness and then come back to the Methodists. It has always been here.

Holiness theology/practice is Methodist/Wesleyan theology/practice.

[Holyroller125]

Exactly how charismatic are you wanting the service to be and how far are you willing to drive to participate in it?
Thank You for your response.

A. How far do I want to drive? First, up to 40 minutes if I have to around St. Louis Missouri. I would like to see a charismatic service in the UMC for myself rather than what outsiders have to say. Second, I was planning, later when I am done with M.Div., to travel out of state and visit UMC churches and pastors that are charismatic, even maybe talke with the charismatic UMC pastor while their for awhile.

B. How charismatic am I looking for? When it comes to the Spirit, no two services are the same. Their is a continuum of the work of the Spirit in a "charismatic" service, you can go to a format that people are used to all the way to where the Spirit interupts, takes over, the Spirit ministers and does all the work, and the designated preacher that day does not even speak because the leadership and the church were in the Spirit enough to let the Spirit take over when God wanted to. Likewise, I am not looking for charismatic as in just a service; I am looking for a UMC pastor and congregation that allows the Spirit to minister, baptism of the Holy GHost and speaking in tongues, operation of gifts, and strong alter call of laying on of hands. It does not have to be all of these things. However, the congregation should have a designated "charismatic" service for people to seek the Baptism of the Holy GHost, to speak in tongues, and have the altar calls.

Thank You,
Greg

[Holyroller125]

Read a little furthur into the history of the early holiness movement and you will find that it started mostly at Methodist Camp Meetings.

It started with the Methodists and then branched off on it's own. It didn't start holiness and then come back to the Methodists. It has always been here.

Holiness theology/practice is Methodist/Wesleyan theology/practice.
I strongly concur.

I read Vynson Synan's book and I read Theological Roots of Pentecostalism by Donald Dayton. In Theological Roots, he highlights the Methodist roots very well. And, Dayton also states how Wesley was the theologian of the Spirit. And, he highlighted how the methodists had camp meetings where people did get the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues and had other spiritual gifts as well.

Your point where you said: "It didn't start holiness and then come back to the Methodists. It has always been here." This is very valid. First, people who are in "holiness" churches today have minimized what true authentic holiness really is. Second, people in many churches outside of the UMC have misread and misinterpreted Wesley's theology. You have to know "which Wesley are you reading" before you really get a grasp of what Wesleyan Theology really is. I believe many "holiness" and "pentecostals" have misread and misinterpreted Wesley. This is all the reason why I am interested in looking into the UMC charismatic movement myself rather than listen to individuals outside who really do not know what they are talking about say. I want a real authority on Wesley rather than the dogmatic scaffolding that the academy has done.

Anyway, God Bless and thank you for your help, direction, and responses to me.

Please, what is a real good Wesleyan Theology that I could read to get a grasp on the real Wesley rather than the dressed up or interpolated Wesley that many holiness or pentecostal ministers are speaking of today?

All The Best,

Gregory Paul Norton

[Holyroller125]

I know of one in Texas.

Thank You for all the replies.

I have found one in Pickerington, Ohio. It is called Trinity Family Life Center (TFLC) and is a UMC charismatic church. I talked to Aldersgate Renewal Ministries, and the staff refered me to this church. I talked with the staff at TFLC, and they told me how the Holy Ghost disrupts everyone of their services, they have altar calls for salvation, altar calls for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and tongues. They are heavily into this, and I am going to be visiting shortly. I cannot wait and see for myself what a charismatic, spirit-filled, tongue-talking UMC church looks like for myself rather than listen to outsiders and some "classical pentecostals" scorning at the UMC just because they are *liberal* according to their standard. I disagree with this attitude, and I am going to see it for myself.

All The Best,

Greg Norton

[Redheadedstepchild]

I am very excited for you!