What is the difference between Methodists and congregationalists?

Answer 1

• There is no great difference in their beliefs.

• Methodists do not have parochial schools.

• Methodist do not drink alcoholic wine at communion.

• Methodists say " forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" when reciting the Lord's prayer. Lutherans say "debts" and "debtors"

I am guessing that the order of worship may be more controlled in the Lutheran church, but that may not be true.

Addition: Methodists are allowed to change up the order of worship a little bit, especially contemporary services, but Methodists general cling to the traditional "method" of worshiping. Many people brought up Methodist are very appreciative and aware of having a printed or posted order of worship for reference, especially when things are changed around.

There are many many differences, between the two bodies. I was raised in the Methodist and Presbyterian church , which are much more similar de to the roots of the denominatons.

Lutheranism was patterned from Reformer Martin Luther a Roman Catholic priest. Although his 95 thesis was posted on the fdoor the Lutheran Church has remained the closest of the Protestant bodies to Catholic in doctrine and liturgy. Although Anglican is also similar to Catholic, there are many points of differences in doctrin which Anglican has more in common with the Reformed faith.

Methodism which came from the word Methodical traces its roots to John Wesley an Anglican priest. The Methodist church became more of an evangelical holliness and revivalist denomiation. Some churches will vary in style. While still having some similarities to Anglican, they still retain close resemblance to the Presbyterian church as well. Methodist are much less liturgical than Lutherans and have differences in doctrine regarding the sacraments of communion and baptism.

Lutherans believe in consubstantiation ( similar to Catholics) with regards to Communion while Methodist hold a spiritual significance, much different.

Methodist services can resemble a low episcopal or Presbyterian or Congregational church, but not a Lutheran liturgy at all, which again is much more similar to Roman Catholic.

I would like to take issue with the above answer. The United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church are now in full communion with each since 2008. Both are liberal, mainline Protestant denominations that celebrate the Holy Eucharist and Baptism as sacraments. The Roman Catholic Church believes in transubstantian not consubstantian. The UMC believe in the living presence of christ while celebrating Holy Communion-like the Episcopal Church.

Both share a belief in the Apostolic Succession and both have deacons, elders and Bishops. The Lutherans are more apt to be more formal in their worship and be more "Episcopalian" than an average UMC service. But both celebrate the Christian year and festivals and both have prayer books. The UMC prayer book is very similar to the Book of Common Prayer found in the Anglican Communion. John Wesly was a "high church" Anglican Priest and stayed that way till his death. Because of this, the UMC is predominately Anglican in doctrine and theology and in its liturgy. The Lutherans have much in common with the Episcopal Church and both have been in full communion since 2002.

Answer 2

A major difference between Methodists and Congregationalists is the fact that the Methodist church has bishops while the Congregationalists elect their deacons in the church. The Methodist church also has creeds and the lectionary that are similar to the Church of England.

Answer 3

Very little.

And the only major differences are in how the churches are administered.

Methodists have 'ministers' rather than 'priests', and have more services that are 'services of the Word' (ie hymns, prayers, bible readings and a sermon) than sacramental worship (eg Holy Communion) but they still have Holy Communion but less frequently than Anglicans. At the Communion in Methodism, the wine is non-alcoholic and is administered in small glasses rather than a shared cup. Methodist churches are organised into 'circuits' consisting of a group of churches under a superintendent minister. A group of circuits is termed a district, under the administration of a Chairman of District.

The Anglican Church is much wider in tradition. At one extreme is the charismatic wing of the church - where almost pentecostal worship is the norm. At the other extreme is the Anglo-Catholic wing of the church where worship is very similar to that of a Roman Catholic church in that it is elaborate, with incense and so on. Between the two is a wide spectrum of tradition much of which is very similar to the Methodist Church. Anglican churches are grouped into deaneries overseen by a rural (or urban) dean. Groups of deaneries make up a diocese under the pastoral leadership of a bishop.

Therefore the differences are very minor. There are absolutely no differences in belief or theology between the churches (except for, perhaps, a few in the Catholic wing of the Anglican Church where belief, especially surrounding Mary, is more Catholic). The two churches are so similar in their outlook and so identical in belief, that the Methodists and Anglicans have signed a covenant to work even more closely together, and many churches (as was my church before I moved last year) are becoming jointly Methodist AND Anglican, where the best of both traditions is upheld and enjoyed.

Answer 4

Baptists believe that once you profess and accept Jesus as your personal Savior that there is nothing that can separate you from His salvation.
Methodists are more pragmatic about this. If you can profess your allegiance to Jesus and accept the Savior then you can also reject Him after that so there is not a permanence guaranteed.
Baptist emphasize the salvation of the personal believer while Methodists also embrace the need for corporate salvation of the body of believers. This is why you will see more involvement as a church in politics of the Methodists.
This next statement is generalized, generalizations are always dangerous.
Methodists are more tolerant of fringe beliefs than baptists. An example is that a divorced and remarried man can be a trustee of the Methodist church yet can not be a deacon in the baptist church.