Scripture is primary.
The history of the United Methodist Church begins with the lives and ministries of the brothers John and Charles Wesley. The two were missionaries for the Church of England in the colony of Georgia in the mid-1730s, but returned to England within two years. In May of 1738, John and Charles Wesley simultaneously experienced a religious transformation, after which they undertook a lively renewal movement within the Church of England. Throughout history, the United Methodist Church has been a church on the move. It seeks further grace as it ministers to the world.