What are the main differences between Methodist and Pentecostal?

Question

I am methadist, and I am dating a guy who is Pentecostal. I really like him but I don't want to end up not cutting my hair and not wearing make up. Thanks for all of the help!

Answer 1

It all depends on the type of pentecostal church you are talking about...just like the Methodist churches are vastly different.

Churches like Church of God In Christ (COGIC) and Assembly of God (AOG) are VASTLY different. COGIC has teachings that women should not cut their hair and should wear dresses. AOG is more liberal and leaves that up to the discretion of the people.

Doctrinally, baptism will differ between Pentecostal and United Methodist (UM). In UM chuches, God baptises you (symbolically speaking) and is mainly done as an infant. In a Pentecostal church, the person chooses to be baptised and a baby is dedicated unto God. Also in a Pentecostal church you make a decision to follow Jesus and then be baptised. Finally a big difference is in their beliefs on the "sign gifts" such as speaking in tongues, etc. Just so you know, not everyone gets those gifts from God. Three things have to happen for those gifts: 1) You are given that gift from God and it is God's power, never your ability, 2) God shows you the time when it is to be used, and 3) You have to be willing to let God use you for his Glory in that specific instance.

The most positive thing about a Pentecostal church is their belief in prayer. They strongly believe that in developing a one on one relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will grow in your walk with God. And that is the greatest thing about those churches - you do learn to love God and as a result, you will learn how to apply his teachings to everyday life. Not to be a hellfire and brimstone person, but to develop a walk where Jesus helps you with everyday issues as your counselor guide and friend.

So, if you really like this guy who is pentecostal, try out the church. One time. If you don't like it because they are too restrictive, see if he is willing to find a more liberal church, such as an Assembly of God. This will be an important issue for both of you to work out. Most importantly pray about the decision so that if things are meant for the two of you, God will show you.

Answer 2

There are a number of Pentecostal groups, and they differ one from another. However, The main difference is in the use of the so called "Gifts of the Spirit." I'm not Methodist, but as a Baptist, I wouldn't get within 100 yards of anything called "Pentecostal." Just my opinion.

Answer 3

Most Pentecostals are not like that, except the Holiness Churches. They are like that.
Pentecostals believe in the "Gifts of the Spirit", speaking in tongues, baptism of the spirit, etc. There are a lot of websites out there that talk about that.
Theologically, they are not much different than other denominations (very close to Baptist in several areas) except for the belief in and use of the gifts of the spirit, whereas other denominations either don't believe they are real, was only for the early church, or think that it means something different from what the Pentecostals say it means.

Answer 4

Methodists are a mainline somewhat on the liberal side Protestant denomination, that deemphasized the "high church" style liturgy found amongst the Eiscopalians/Anglicans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodism

Pentecostals are a subset of the evangelical movement, who emphasize "charisms" (the gifts of God) such as speaking in tongues, etc. In fact, most Pentecostals believe a believer must show these abilities as a sign of being "baptized in the spirit." They are actually descended from the Methodist "holiness movement" interestingly enough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecostalism

Answer 5

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, attempted to apply a partuclar methodology to religion (hence "Methodism"). His congregants followed a strict regimen of prayer, Bible-reading, fasting, and phanthropy.

Wesley welcomed the emancipation of faith from reason (like Kant), and declared that religion was not a "doctrine in the head, but a light in the heart". In his view, it could even be considered a blessing that the historical "evidence" previously accepted by Christians as proof of the religion's validity had become "clogged and encumbered". He preached that free men and women should "look into themselves and attend to the light shining in their hearts". Wesley believed firmly that the light of truth was in every person, man and woman and child, laity as well as clergy, and that the most meningful messages of Christianity were to be found in the human experience of prayer and scripture reading, purification and charity.

There are very liberal Methodist churches, and very conservative Methodist churches. This is completely in keeping with Wesley's message of individual understanding of scripture, and the ability of any person to find the truth of their faith.

Pentecostals http://pewforum.org/surveys/pentecostal/?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=pentecostal%2Bchurches&utm_campaign=spirit%2Band%2Bpower

Answer 6

Originally, there were none. The Methodist movement came out of the Pentecostal church in England. Read the sermons of John Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist church, and you will see fundamental teaching of the Bible. Today, they are light years apart, the Methodist church moving to the liberal side and the Pentecostal church moving into the absurd.

Answer 7

As you probablyalready know The Pentecostal movement within Evangelical Christianity places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. Pentecostalism is similar to the Charismatic movement, but developed earlier and separated from the mainstream church. Charismatic Christians, at least in the early days of the movement, tended to remain in their respective denominations.

Pentecostals believe that one must be saved by believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins and to be made acceptable to God. Being descended from Methodism and the Methodist Holiness Movement, Pentecostal soteriology is thoroughly Arminian rather than Calvinist, believing that the ability to believe in Jesus is a power of the human free will.

This is in fact one of the distinctions which seperates Pentecostal traditions from those of the Second Wave Charismatic and Evangelical Churches which tend toward a calvinistic soteriology. One of the main points of division is the definition of eternal security which is thoroughly Calvinist in the later Evangelical denominations and follows the Arminian tract in Pentecostal churches and denominations. This is most clearly illustrated by the belief, held in Pentecostal groups, that crediting the charismatic gifts and expressions to demonic or carnal motives and spirits, qualifies as an unpardonable sin (Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit). In Charismatic and Evangelical churches this view is marginalized or replaced with the belief that refusing to convert to Christianity before death is the only unpardonable sin.[citation needed]

Pentecostals believe in water baptism as an outward sign of conversion, and that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct spiritual experience that all who have believed in Jesus should receive. Most classical Pentecostals believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is always accompanied initially by the outward evidence of speaking in tongues. It is considered a liberalizing tendency to teach contrary to this historic position. This is another major difference between Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians, who believe that a Christian who is baptized in the Holy Spirit may exhibit certain supernatural signs, which may include speaking in tongues, "being slain in the spirit" (where people fall to the ground as if asleep or in convulsions), prophecy (i.e. a vision or a word of God, spoken or felt in the spirit), miraculous healings, miraculous signs, etc.

Most major Pentecostal denominations reject any connection between personal salvation or conversion and the baptism in the Holy Spirit and teach that it is not necessary for salvation, but a gift from God available to all Christians regardless of denominational affiliation. This doctrine was a development of the teachings of Stephen Galbraith regarding what he called the Third Moment of Grace and as such is linked to soteriology. Many early Pentecostals believed that the revival of the gifts of the Spirit were a sign from God of the latter rain, a period of restoration before the end of the age and the coming millenial reign of Christ. Traditional Protestants believe that one is baptized with or in the Holy Spirit upon Regeneration, the work of the Holy Spirit that enables faith and belief in the unbelieving heart. Pentecostals would not deny that regeneration is an activity of the Holy Spirit or that it results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer. Instead they distinguish this indwelling from a subsequent more intense relationship with the Holy Spirit.

They most often reject such concepts as a "second grace" though not rejecting the idea of periodic or even weekly renewal through repentance and the ordinances of the church. Pentecostals also typically believe, like most other evangelicals, that the Bible has definitive authority in matters of faith.

Classical Pentecostals, unlike their Charismatic or evangelical counterparts, hold a peculiar form of sacerdotalism. For this reason many will not use the term Sacrement preferring the term sacerdotal function or ordinance. This belief invests the efficacy of the ordinance in the obedience and participation of the believer and the witness of the celebrant and the congregation. This view stems from a highly developed concept of the priesthood of the individual believer. The activity of the ordinance takes on a sacerdotal rather than sacremental role in that it is a sacrificial act offered by the believer on his or her own behalf, rather than a ritual which has an inherent power of its own.

However, in my opinion, as the two of you are Christians and believe in the same GOD, I do not see why each one of you should simply forget the differences and consider, instead, the many coincidences, amongst which, what you feel for each other.

Curious98

Answer 8

The Pentecostals are fanatics who role around on the floor speaking in gibberish. They preach hate and bigotry from the pulpit, They say that if you don't believe like they do and pray what they tell you to pray, than you are going to hell. That is total crap! If you date one of them, you will probably not get laid until you get married.

Answer 9

Methodists don't believe in snake handling to prove God's love.

Answer 10

o me...darkness and daylight.