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About the Wesleyan Church
Wesleyan Church
Holiness, Evangelical
Date Founded: 1968
Membership: 139,330 Number of Clergy: 3,772 Congregations: 1715 of 2010.
Headquarters: 13300 Olio Road,1968 Fishers, IN 46037
Core Beliefs: "Wesleyans believe in one God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the Savior of all who put their faith in Him alone for eternal life. We believe that those who are made new in Christ are called to be holy in character and conduct, and can only live this way by being filled with the Lord's Spirit. We believe in the Bible and its sufficiency to establish our faith and conduct. We believe God wills for people everywhere to know Him and be made new in Christ. We believe that the purpose of the Church is to worship God in spirit and in truth, and to reach a lost and fallen world with the gospel of Jesus Christ through its worship, witness, and loving deeds."
The church emphasizes sanctification and is part of both the holiness and Methodist movements.
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BIBLICAL AUTHORITY: The Bible is God’s holy Word. It uniquely and infallibly reveals God’s plan for His people and how to live out that plan, individually and corporately. Beliefs, practices, priorities, and our mission are to be anchored in clear biblical teachings.
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CHRISTLIKENESS: Jesus Christ is the defining feature of God’s will and relationship with all humankind. In Christ is found both newness of life and the highest and clearest example for godliness. People made new in Christ find Him to be the source of faith, hope, and love in both the inner life and in our outward actions engaging a world desperate for hope and life.
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DISCIPLE-MAKING: Making disciples is a clear mandate from Christ. This requires a strong missional focus on evangelism and training in spiritual growth and holy living. Done effectively, this will produce and promote growth and health in and among the churches.
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LOCAL CHURCH CENTERED: The denomination exists to help local congregations grow and multiply, be more healthy, and more authentically reflect God’s plan. Local churches are the most fundamental and strategic points of evangelism and discipleship. The challenge of the denomination is to keep finding the best ways to serve, strengthen, and multiply congregations.
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SERVANT LEADERSHIP: Wesleyans respect leadership that is placed over them, while realizing that the authority and effectiveness of spiritual leadership is not primarily bestowed, but earned, and is characterized by a loving and willing heart of obedience that serves God and mankind gladly. Wesleyans desire to be leaders in serving.
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UNITY IN DIVERSITY: There is intrinsic value in every person. Biblical unity becomes all the more important and beautiful in the light of the wide-ranging differences in personalities, cultures, races, languages, talents, and perspectives. Finding unity and mutual love in Christ eliminates devaluation and deprivation of life to one another.
Short History: Today's Wesleyan Church was created by the combination of Wesleyan Church in America (founded 1843 as a split from the Methodist Episcopal Church over the issue of slavery) and the Pilgrim Holiness Church (founded 1897). The early Wesleyan Church promoted women's rights and voting rights for free blacks.
Local Churches: Several Wesleyan Churches are in the Louisville/Southern IN area. The closest two are:
Atwood Wesleyan Church, 2201 Crittenden Drive, Louisville, KY 40217 US, and
Wellman Memorial Wesleyan Church, 3220 Bohannon Ave, Louisville KY 40215.
