What do Wesleyans believe about speaking in tongues?

[JCFantasy23]

What do the Wesleyan denominations, such as the Methodists and the Nazarenes (and their divisions), believe about the charismatic spiritual gifts? Where do they stand on the cessationist and continuationist view of things?

I do not believe most are cessationists - I haven't seen tongues at any the United Methodist Churches I've been. It was a gift I never thought of/considered much, and I never thought I would do it myself, but as a surprise I did end up speaking in tongues once in church service on a special occasion. Due to that, I'm definitely not a cessationist, although I do think the spiritual gift is abused/faked in some circles.

 

[Dave-W]

What do the Wesleyan denominations, such as the Methodists and the Nazarenes (and their divisions), believe about the charismatic spiritual gifts?

My dad was ordained to the pastorate in the Wesleyan Methodist denom circa 1950, and was EXTREMELY cessationist. He considered pentecostalism to be the "great apostasy."

 

[JCFantasy23]

I'm sure the church is made up of people with varying beliefs on this. One thing I like about the Methodist church is how accepting we are of individuals despite some small differences of opinions on certain theological matters.

 

[Albion]

I do not believe most are cessationists - I haven't seen tongues at any the United Methodist Churches I've been. It was a gift I never thought of/considered much, and I never thought I would do it myself, but as a surprise I did end up speaking in tongues once in church service on a special occasion. Due to that, I'm definitely not a cessationist, although I do think the spiritual gift is abused/faked in some circles.

I cannot disagree with your comments here, but if the question is asked a little differently--'Are Wesleyans/Methodists charismatic?'--we would have to answer, 'Not very many of them are.'

Isn't that correct to say?

 

[W Johnson]

I cannot disagree with your comments here, but if the question is asked a little differently--'Are Wesleyans/Methodists charismatic?'--we would have to answer, 'Not very many of them are.'

Isn't that correct to say?

I would say that.

 

[JCFantasy23]

I cannot disagree with your comments here, but if the question is asked a little differently--'Are Wesleyans/Methodists charismatic?'--we would have to answer, 'Not very many of them are.'

Isn't that correct to say?

Yes, would have to agree with that. We're a bit reserved with worship. As I said, I spoke in tongues once during an event, but I don't consider myself a charismatic style worshipper.

 

[Spirit of Pentecost]

My dad was ordained to the pastorate in the Wesleyan Methodist denom circa 1950, and was EXTREMELY cessationist. He considered pentecostalism to be the "great apostasy."

My question, though, was are all Wesleyan adherents traditionally or mostly cessationist.

 

[JCFantasy23]

My question, though, was are all Wesleyan adherents traditionally or mostly cessationist.

I don't think most are cessationists. Methodists are pretty open minded to personal experience so I'd think most would be open to the possibility some could speak in tongues, but I never heard a pastor mention it in a sermon at all, and I didn't have conversations with other Methodists about it outside these forums. I'd still be surprised if most were cessationists though.

 

[Spirit of Pentecost]

Weren't tongues found among the early converts of John Wesley? Early Quakers and Holiness groups, too?

 

[Dave-W]

My question, though, was are all Wesleyan adherents traditionally or mostly cessationist.

Historically, cessationist.

 

[Dave-W]

but I never heard a pastor mention it in a sermon at all,

After my mom and dad broke up in 1962, my mom and I went to a Nazarene congregation. Every other week the pastor brought up how tongues were from the devil, whether it fit with the rest of the sermon or not.

 

[Spirit of Pentecost]

After my mom and dad broke up in 1962, my mom and I went to a Nazarene congregation. Every other week the pastor brought up how tongues were from the devil, whether it fit with the rest of the sermon or not.

The Nazarene church I attended during my youth seemed to have been on the fence about tongues and the other spiritual gifts. The pastor felt that Christians could and would still speak in tongues, but he felt there must be an interpreter, whether or not the tongues were in private prayer or not.

Most people do confuse the different tongues, too.

 

[Spirit of Pentecost]

Weren't tongues found among the early converts of John Wesley? Early Quakers and Holiness groups, too?

I know of an evangelist named Mariah Woodworth-Etter, known as "Mother Etter" and the "Grandmother of (modern) Pentecostalism". She received the infilling of the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues while attending a Quaker church some time around the late 1860s. She had been raised in the Disciples of Christ, but its cessationist and no-female-preacher stance led her to find a "home church" elsewhere. Pushing seventy years old, she was a co-founder of the Assemblies of God fellowship in 1914.

 

[actionsub]

What do the Wesleyan denominations, such as the Methodists and the Nazarenes (and their divisions), believe about the charismatic spiritual gifts? Where do they stand on the cessationist and continuationist view of things?

As far as the UMC, they decidedly avoided taking a firm stance:
Guidelines: The UMC and the Charismatic Movement - The United Methodist Church

As for the Nazarenes, a little story might explain. When Phineas Bresee left the Methodist Episcopal Church and started the Nazarene movement, the original name was "Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene". Post-Azusa Street and the rise of modern Pentecostalism, Bresee and the Nazarenes dropped "Pentecostal" from their name to avoid any association!

Other Wesleyan groups (Free Methodist, Church of God-Anderson, etc.) are decidedly cessationist.

 

[Dave-W]

When Phineas Bresee left the Methodist Episcopal Church and started the Nazarene movement, the original name was "Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene". Post-Azusa Street and the rise of modern Pentecostalism, Bresee and the Nazarenes dropped "Pentecostal" from their name to avoid any association!

Yes - I was aware of that, and find it rather amusing. Especially now that there are charismatic Nazarene congregations. (not many, but a few)

 

[Dave-W]

Other Wesleyan groups (Free Methodist, Church of God-Anderson, etc.) are decidedly cessationist.

One of my dad's best friends from seminary pastored a Free Methodist church, and was miraculously healed of cancer. It kind of shook up that community and they became much less cessationist.

 

[Spirit of Pentecost]

As far as the UMC, they decidedly avoided taking a firm stance:
Guidelines: The UMC and the Charismatic Movement - The United Methodist Church

As for the Nazarenes, a little story might explain. When Phineas Bresee left the Methodist Episcopal Church and started the Nazarene movement, the original name was "Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene". Post-Azusa Street and the rise of modern Pentecostalism, Bresee and the Nazarenes dropped "Pentecostal" from their name to avoid any association!

Other Wesleyan groups (Free Methodist, Church of God-Anderson, etc.) are decidedly cessationist.

Yes - I was aware of that, and find it rather amusing. Especially now that there are charismatic Nazarene congregations. (not many, but a few)

I knew there were some Wesleyan congregations that held some of the Pentecostal doctrines, although they prefer the term Charismatic. Most Methodist and Nazarene churches in my area I would say are predominantly cessationist, or at least "hesitant" to the gifts operating in the modern-day Church.

I know there are some Full Gospel Methodists or Independent Methodists (self-identifying as "Wesleyan Methodists") that are, for the lack of a better term, Methocostal.

 

[Dave-W]

I know there are some Full Gospel Methodists or Independent Methodists (self-identifying as "Wesleyan Methodists")

My dad would roll over in his grave to hear that. He was ordained in the Wesleyan Methodist denom (now known simply as "Wesleyan") and they were VERY cessationist 50-60 years ago.

that are, for the lack of a better term, Methocostal.

LOL!! I like that term.

All of the original Pentecostals in the first decade of the 20th century were from Methodist stock.

 

[JCFantasy23]

Methocostal

Ha, that word is adorable

Though it reminds me a little too much of how it starts with "Meth"

Again one thing I like about the Methodist church is they aren't so restrictive that one has to agree with every little thing officially as a defining factor on if you can be considered in the denomination.

I haven't seen the gifts spoken of at a Methodist church yet, so it seems from my experience its mainly an ignored thing they don't pay much attention to?

 

[Spirit of Pentecost]

Ha, that word is adorable

Though it reminds me a little too much of how it starts with "Meth"

Again one thing I like about the Methodist church is they aren't so restrictive that one has to agree with every little thing officially as a defining factor on if you can be considered in the denomination.

I haven't seen the gifts spoken of at a Methodist church yet, so it seems from my experience its mainly an ignored thing they don't pay much attention to?

I don't think all of them "ignore" the gifts. Every church varies. For instance, I know of some Baptists that are borderline Bapticostal, while other Baptists are strongly cessastionist. It just depends on the pastor/congregation I guess.