to the Methodist Church in Scotland!
The Methodist Church is Britain’s fourth largest Christian denomination, and part of the worldwide Methodist family representing over 80 million members and adherents in 138 countries. As of 31 October 2018, there are just below 173,000 people who have made and sustained a commitment to Christian discipleship within the Methodist Church of Great Britain and are active members of a local Methodist church.
Here in Scotland Methodists make up a relatively small number of scattered churches, members and adherents. We can trace our history in Scotland back to the 1750s. Currently you’ll find us in a mix of our own church and community centres, in partnership with other Christian denominations and even in some places existing simply as ‘class meetings’ (fellowship groups) in a borrowed space. From city centre contexts and suburbs to rural and coastal locations. Caring for the elderly with ‘Methodist Homes for the Aged’ and the young through ‘Action For Children’.A Methodist expression of Christian faith seeks to reach out to include everyone. The little three letter word ‘all’ is found in much Methodist doctrine and policy. We desire and offer personal life-changing encounter with the saving love of God in and through Jesus. We heed a call to holy living, empowered by the Holy Spirit – not a separatist piety but a commitment together to worship, prayer, bible study, Christian spirituality, vocational exploration and social justice. Methodism celebrates its grass-roots movement reliant on many lay members and volunteers discovering their vocation in the life of the Church and their communities. Our worship is straight forward and enthusiastic where we value singing, relevant preaching and an open Communion Table. We recognise that Christian faith is a communal practice which thrives through honest, trustworthy small groups of Jesus-followers growing together whilst remaining united and connected to the life and discipline of the wider Church.
We hope that you’ll find our places of worship and mission offer a good welcome into a safe space for all, whether you are looking for a more traditional approach to worship or the creative participation of ‘Messy Church’ or just a cuppa and listening ear. You might discover us serving our communities and following our founder John Wesley’s wisdom “Don’t go to those who need you. Go to those who need you most”, through such activities as food banks; support for the homeless, addicted, unemployed, isolated, lonely, refugees; work with children and young people as well as the elderly.
We hope this website gives you an insight into some of the things we are and do and where you will find us, as well as giving other useful links to resources, ideas and contacts, including the website of the Methodist Church in Britain.
Revd. Mark Slaney
Chair of the Synod of the Methodist Church in Scotland.
More about Methodist distinctiveness.