Anabaptism and Other Denominations
On this 500th anniversary of the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement, Rosedale Bible College’s Beacon articles will look at a wide variety of denominations within the household of faith, highlighting a different denomination each month. We hope to foster a humble, rooted appreciation for how the gospel has come to us and to consider how Jesus might be calling us forward.
I first encountered the United Methodist Church in 2012 through my wife’s grandparents, who had been part of a small congregation on the west side of Columbus since the 1980s. Not long after my wife and I turned our lives over to the Lord, her grandmother invited us to visit. We were warmly welcomed by a congregation that truly lived up to its nickname: “The Friendly Church.” Their hospitality and joy at our presence made a lasting impression.
As I spent more time there, I began to learn about the distinctives of Methodism. I discovered their commitment to inclusion, particularly the historic acceptance of women in leadership roles, including preaching and pastoring. I also learned about Methodism’s roots in social justice, especially their early stance of welcoming both enslaved and free Black people into their congregations in the 1700s and 1800s. These values of dignity, equality, and compassion were lived out in meaningful ways.
At its best, Methodism communicates a deep belief that all people are created in the image of God, worthy of fellowship, service, and the gospel. Over time, I became more involved—leading youth, teaching Bible studies, serving on the church board, and eventually preaching at a Saturday service I helped launch. I even served as a conference delegate. Those were formative years for me, and I am deeply grateful for them.
Yet, even in that community, I began to wrestle with tensions like infant baptism, nonviolence ethics, and especially the growing disconnect between inclusion and transformation. I felt that the line between loving people and affirming all behaviors had begun to blur. The commitment to welcoming everyone seemed, at times, to come at the expense of biblical discipleship. I heard pastors advocate for updated Bibles to reflect modern values, rather than challenging hearts to align with Scripture. I heard less of Jesus saying, “Pick up your cross,” and more of a Jesus who simply carries our burdens so we don’t have to change.
I was particularly troubled by the denomination’s trajectory on sexual ethics, including the ordination of openly gay and lesbian pastors and the growing push to redefine long-held doctrines. These shifts didn’t seem to reflect new insight into Scripture so much as a move away from it. While Methodism had once called people to holiness and sanctification, as John and Charles Wesley emphasized, I sensed a fading of that call.
I tend to be wary of claiming to know the only “right” way to follow Christ.
Before I left, I warned close friends that a schism was coming. While many individuals within the church remained committed to Scripture and faithful obedience, I believed the denomination’s low expectations for transformation at the governing level would eventually fracture its unity. Two years after I stepped away, that split occurred, resulting in the formation of the Global Methodist Church, which returned to more conservative views of Scripture.
Around that time, I found myself drawn to Rosedale Bible College (RBC), wrestling with questions about nonviolence, infant baptism, and the separation of church and state. I was increasingly uncomfortable within a system that had shifted so far from the plain reading of Scripture. At RBC, my convictions solidified. I came to see that what had stirred in me for years wasn’t just disagreement with one denomination, but a calling into a different theological tradition. I didn’t just leave Methodism; I embraced Anabaptism. My convictions, helped along by the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer on cheap grace, became solidified. Though Bonhoeffer wasn’t an Anabaptist, his convictions aligned closely with what was drawing me in through the RBC community.
I now identify deeply with Anabaptist distinctives: believer’s baptism, radical discipleship, a peaceable ethic rooted in Jesus’ teachings, and a church that’s distinct from political power. Though I appreciate much of what I learned among the Methodists, I’m persuaded that the Anabaptist emphasis on obedience, accountability, and transformative faith is more aligned with Scripture.
I tend to be wary of claiming to know the only “right” way to follow Christ. I believe His arms are open wide to all who would come to Him. Unconditional love is shown most clearly on the cross—that whoever comes to Him will not perish, but have eternal life. That may be the most lasting gift I received from my time in the United Methodist Church: a deep understanding that grace abounds and that Christ receives the sinner with joy.
But what I’ve come to believe more deeply through the Anabaptist tradition is that this grace, while freely offered, is not cheaply given. Jesus also says, “Pick up your cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). In that, we find conditional acceptance—not in the sense that we must earn His love, but in the reality that discipleship demands surrender, transformation, and obedience. His love is unconditional, yes… but His acceptance is conditional. For me, that call has led to a home in Anabaptism.
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4 Responses
Thanks Steve, for sharing your journey. May the Lord strengthen many to walk in peace, love, and surrendered transformation. The American church needs that banner lifted high.
Good article. I find that God’s unconditional love and personal transformation is blurred, increasingly in today’s church. Very much appreciated your statement “God’s love is unconditional, yes…. put his acceptance is conditional”
For me there is much to admire and grieve with Methodism. I like how you framed: “the growing disconnect between inclusion and transformation.” That tension exhibits itself in so many ways! Nice article, Steve.
Thank you, Reuben! It was an honor to write. I hope to catch up with you soon!