Expert: The Rev. William E. Olewiler - 11/4/2009

Question
Dear Pastor,
I am a non-practicing Catholic and my husband is a non-practicing Methodist. We are in agreement to have our son baptized. We are planning on attending and becoming members of a local Methodist church. I've done some research on the differences in faith and have a general idea. However,I am wondering if Methodists believe in Mary as the Virgin Mother of God. I can;t seem to find this anywhere!

Answer
Dear Jeanette:

    United Methodism has no official creed that states a belief about Mary. However, most United Methodist churches say the Apostles' Creed (". . . and in Jesus Christ his only son, our Lord, born of the Virgin Mary. . ."). This is a basic belief held by an overwhelming majority.

   I wonder if my outline of Catholic/United Methodist similarities and differences might help:

    United Methodism shares with Catholicism the basics of Christianity. We believe in the one God who comes to us in a Trinity of Father, Son, Spirit. Jesus the Christ is the Word of God enfleshed. He lived, was crucified, was risen. We read the Bible (although with fewer books, since we are Protestants) and find it it a sufficient guide to God's will for us. We have bishops who appoint pastors to the churches. We believe in life after death.
    Our tradition asserts the real, personal, living presence of Jesus Christ. We understand the divine presence in temporal and relational terms. In the Holy Meal of the church, the past, present, and future of the living Christ come together.
    Differences with the Catholic Church: We agree with other Protestants in affirming only two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper/Eucharist. These are the Sacraments actually commanded by Jesus. We say that God in Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, but we do not affirm "transsubstantiation." We do not recognize the authority of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. We usually baptize by sprinkling, but we may pour or immerse as the candidate prefers. We accept birth control and abortion, after prayerful consideration.
    We do not kneel at worship except at the Lord's Table. Our pastors are much more free to innovate in the order of worship and to follow the lectionary readings or to choose their own.

Peace and grace,

Bill Olewiler
United Methodist pastor, retired
Florida