The Salvation of The United Methodist Church

ABSTRACT In the aftermath of the major conflicts leading up to the United Methodist Church’s (UMC) 2020/2024 General Conference and the significant policy changes that were passed and implemented in 2024 and 2025, this article discusses the current state of the denomination using a Wesleyan concept of the path to salvation as well as modern understandings of trauma recovery, reconciliation, and healing as lenses through which to reflect with hope—and offer words of caution—on what comes next for The UMC in the United States of America. This article also responds to the narratives surrounding The UMC’s declining membership numbers in the U.S., the corresponding reductions in financial strength, and premature pronouncements of its death.