| Southern Methodist Church | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Methodist |
| Orientation | Holiness movement |
| Theology | Wesleyan |
| Origin | 1940 |
| Separated from | Methodist Episcopal Church, South (1940) |
| Congregations | 73 |
| Members | 3,200 |
| Official website | thesmc |
TheSouthern Methodist Church is aMethodist denomination ofProtestantChristianity. The church maintains headquarters inOrangeburg, South Carolina.
The church was formed in 1940 by conservative members of the formerMethodist Episcopal Church, South, which in 1939 had reunited with theMethodist Episcopal Church to form theMethodist Church.
In 2017, the Southern Methodist Church had approximately 85 churches and 3,200 members.[1][2] Over 50% of the churches (47) are located in South Carolina.[3] The denomination describes itself as seeking "to continue the doctrinal heritage of theMethodist Episcopal Church, South and to spread the message of salvation and Biblical holiness thatJohn Wesley preached."[4]
The denomination maintainsSouthern Methodist College, a four-year Bible college with a Christian liberal arts and ministerial program, in Orangeburg, South Carolina, near the church's headquarters.[5] The denomination also supports foreign missionaries. The Woman's Missionary Society (WMS), the Epworth League children and youth program, and the Cartwright Men's Fellowship serve as specialized ministry and training efforts within the local churches and on the district and conference levels.
