Questions being asked at the

Wesley

Here a few questions being asked: 

Q: A student from Ethiopia:  “Why do you provide a free meal?” 

A: Hospitality is a core tenant of the historic Abrahamic faiths.  To offer hospitality as God offers hospitality is to be participating in the love of God.  Offering a free meal is an important way for us as United Methodist to say “All are welcome at God’s table”.  As we eat together, we share, learn and grow together and we become more ‘human’ to each other as we feast around a table.  From a more basic element, we offer food so that those who may not be able to afford food may eat – our faith calls us to serve and reach out.

 

Q: A United Methodist student whom I met at UTA asked me "Can I be Baptized?" 

A: The United Methodist Church recognizes any form of baptism for other Christian denominations.  So, if someone has not been baptized, they can be baptized by the United Methodist Campus Minister at the Wesley Foundation.  (The United Methodist Church does not “re-baptized”—if you have been baptized then we accept that, yet, if someone wants to recommit themselves, the United Methodist Church has a service of for “Re-Affirmation of you baptismal vows” and that can be planned by the campus minister and the community of faith at the campus ministry—which can be a very meaningful experience for the whole group).

  If a student involved in a Wesley Foundation wants to be baptized and be part of the United Methodist Church, the Director can receive them into membership into the “United Methodist Church”.  Their name would be recorded in the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville until which time they would join a local UM congregation and their membership would then be transferred to their new local church.  This is a way the church can support students who are active in a campus ministry while in college and it is a way to keep them connected to the church.

  Baptism is a symbol of God’s grace and that God’s love is given to everyone—even if we don’t know it or recognize it.  It is a symbol of God’s connection and love for us.