This is Episode II of a modern animated series which features the brothers who founded Methodism talking about some of the statistics and the spirit of what is now The United Methodist Church.
We hope you will watch and share these clips, whether with your confirmation class, new member class, Sunday school group or in other settings. We've even provided some talking points after each script to get you started.
Learn more about the history of The United Methodist Church. Watch Episode I and Episode III.
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Transcript:
JW looks up: Hey brother, let's see how smart this phone is. I was plucked from the burning and here's my burning question: Susanna…tell me about The United Methodist Church today.
ROBOT VOICE: The United Methodist Church has nearly 7 million members in the U.S., and more than 5 million members in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
CW: Nice. Hosanna, how many United Methodist churches are there worldwide?
ROBOT: In 2016, there were more than 44,000 churches across the globe.
JW: Okay, let's really stump her. Rihanna, what does the cross and flame mean on all those church signs?
ROBOT: The flame is a reminder of Pentecost. The two tongues represent the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church which formed The United Methodist Church In 1968.
CW: I've got one. Mariah, what Methodist made history in music?
ROBOT: Charles Wesley wrote more than 6,000 hymns, among them "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" and "Christ the Lord is Risen Today."
CW: Arianna, could you sing a bit of it?"
ROBOT: (Voice sings "Christ the Lord is Risen Today")
Suggested discussion questions:
Do you know the story of John Wesley being "plucked from the burning"? What other stories do you know about his early life?
What do you think when you see the cross and flame symbol?
Have you sung other Charles Wesley hymns?
Find more discussion questions and helps here.
Tag:
These videos were produced as a 21st century follow up to the popular clip known as "Clayride: A Gallop Through United Methodist History." Find out more about the making of "Clayride" from the artists who created that 1984 classic.
This video was produced by United Methodist Communications in Nashville, TN.
Media contact is Fran Walsh, 615-742-5458.
This video was first posted on April 20, 2018.
