Ask The UMC

A portrait of John Wesley standing in a graveyard is on display at the Museum of Methodism located beneath Wesley's Chapel in London. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

Ask The UMC: What would John Wesley think about the critical issues of our time?

The Rev. Glenn Wagner (Michigan Conference) ponders the advice Methodism's founder might offer about the serious challenges of our time - a deadly pandemic, racism, violence and profound division.

Aerial view of the Duke University Chapel in the center of the Duke campus in Durham, N.C. Completed in 1932, this gothic-style chapel seats over 1,800 people and stands 210 feet, making it one of the tallest buildings in Durham County. Photo by Estlin Haiss Photography. Haiss is a graduate of Duke University.

Ask The UMC: Where do church terms like narthex and nave come from?

Many church architecture terms come from Latin and Greek origins.

Theology and Education

National Child Labor Committee collection by Lewis Wickes-Hine, courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress.

Ask The UMC: Why do we have Social Principles? Where did they come from?

The Methodist Social Creed, predecessor to the Social Principles, originated over a century ago to express concern over the exploitation of millions of workers.

Mission and Ministry

The Old Rectory in Epworth, England was built in 1709 following the "Great Fire" and was the home of John and Charles Wesley along with their parents and siblings. Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

Ask the UMC: Where is John Wesley's birthplace?

John Wesley was born in a small town in northeast England. His family's home still stands there.

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