Methodism 101: Basic Writings - Statements of Belief and Action

The Articles of Religion

When the Methodist movement in America became a church in 1784, John Wesley provided the American Methodists with a liturgy and a doctrinal statement, which contained twenty-four "Articles of Religion" or basic statements of belief. These Articles of Religion were taken from the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England—the church out of which the Methodist movement began—and had been the standards for preaching within the Methodist movement. When these articles were voted on by the American conference, an additional article was added regarding the American context, bringing the total number of articles to 25.

These articles became the basic standards for Christian belief in the Methodist church in North America. First published in the church's Book of Discipline in 1790, the Articles of Religion have continued to be part of the church's official statement of belief.

See this link for a full explanation of the Articles of Religion:

Article I — Of Faith in the Holy Trinity                                                                              

Article II — Of the Word, or Son of God, Who Was Made Very Man                                       

Article III — Of the Resurrection of Christ                                                               

Article IV — Of the Holy Ghost 

Article V — Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation

Article VI — Of the Old Testament                                                                                             

Article VII — Of Original or Birth Sin                                                                                            

Article VIII — Of Free Will                                                                                                          

 Article IX — Of the Justification of Man                                                                                    

Article X — Of Good Works                                                                                                              

Article XI — Of Works of Supererogation                                                                                

Article XII — Of Sin After Justification

Article XIII — Of the Church                                                                                               

Article XIV — Of Purgatory 

Article XV — Of Speaking in the Congregation in Such a Tongue as the People Understand

Article XVI — Of the Sacraments

Article XVII — Of Baptism

Article XVIII — Of the Lord's Supper

Article XIX — Of Both Kinds 

Article XX — Of the One Oblation of Christ, Finished upon the Cross

Article XXI — Of the Marriage of Ministers

Article XXII — Of the Rites and Ceremonies of Churches 

Article XXIII — Of the Rulers of the United States of America

Article XXIV — Of a Christian Men's Goods

Article XXV — Of a Christian Man's Oath

From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church — 2016. Copyright 2016 by The United Methodist Publishing House.