At the Decker Prairie church of Christ, we share with our Methodist neighbors a real love for Jesus and a high regard for the Bible, but we do differ from them in a few clear ways: where final authority rests, how the church is organized, how and why baptism is done, whether instruments are used in worship, and how often the Lord’s Supper is observed. None of this is a swipe at Methodists, who do a great deal of good. We only want to set the differences out plainly so you can hold them up against Scripture.
We also come from different beginnings. Methodism grew out of the work of John and Charles Wesley in the 1700s. Here, we aim to be simply the church Jesus said He would build (), organized only the way the New Testament describes, with nothing added since.
Where Does Final Authority Rest?
This is the root difference, and most of the others grow out of it. Methodist churches lean on a body of teaching beyond the Bible: Articles of Religion, a Book of Discipline, and the Wesleyan tradition, all read alongside Scripture. These are meant as helps, not replacements for the Bible, but in practice they carry real weight.
In our congregation, we try to let the Bible stand alone as the standard, with no creed, catechism, or discipline book set beside it. We want to speak where the Bible speaks and stay quiet where it is quiet, treating the Scriptures as enough for what we believe and do: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (). When the Bible is the only rulebook, we don’t need a second one.
How Is the Church Organized?
Methodism uses a connectional structure. Bishops oversee regions, clergy are appointed through conferences, and congregations answer upward through that system.
We have no such ladder here. Our congregation governs itself, led by its own elders, men who meet the qualifications the New Testament lists (; ). Peter told elders like ours to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (), each caring for the local church, not for churches somewhere else. We answer to no headquarters and to no office above our own congregation. Christ alone is the head of the whole church ().
What About Baptism?
Here the difference is easy to see on a Sunday. Methodist churches baptize infants as well as adults and accept sprinkling or pouring, understanding baptism mainly as a sign of God’s grace.
At Decker Prairie we baptize only those old enough to believe and repent, and only by immersion, because we understand it as the point where a penitent believer’s sins are washed away. Peter’s instruction was, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (). Paul describes the act itself as a burial: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (). A burial calls for immersion, and a burial with Christ calls for a faith the person already holds.
What Is Worship Like?
Most Methodist services include instrumental music, choirs, and a set liturgy, and the Lord’s Supper is often observed monthly or quarterly.
Our worship is a cappella, sung by the whole congregation without instruments, following the New Testament’s own description: “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (). And we observe the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week, the pattern of the early church: “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them” (). “To break bread” there most likely refers to the Lord’s Supper. Historical records also reveal that weekly Lord’s Supper is part of why they gathered. “…on the day called Sunday all…gather together in one place….Then the Eucharist is distributed to everyone…” (Justin Martyr, First Apology, 67, c. 160 AD).
So Which One Should You Look Into?
Setting out differences like these can make it sound like the goal is to win a debate. That isn’t it. We want you to read the New Testament for yourself and ask one plain question: what did the first Christians actually believe and do? And we’ll be honest about the limits of our voice. Our congregation answers to no headquarters or governing body, so we can only speak for the Decker Prairie church.
Keep Studying
The best way to compare any two churches isn’t to weigh their traditions against each other but to set both beside the Bible. Open the New Testament, read how the earliest church worshiped, organized, and came to Christ, and measure everything, us included, against what you find. Take your time, and don’t settle for less than what the text actually says.
Come Study the Bible With Us
You were made for a life of real purpose, and at the Decker Prairie church of Christ we would count it a joy to open the Scriptures with you and work through questions like these, right alongside a church family that’s glad you came. There’s no pressure here, just people happy to study with you.
Plan your visit, and you’ll be right at home.
Want to know what the Bible says about being saved? Start here.
When we meet:
- Sunday: Worship 10:00 am · Bible Class 5:00 pm
- Wednesday: Bible Class 7:30 pm
