This book will enable readers to trace the main contours of the long series of debates within American Methodism about issues related to orders of ministry and administration of the sacraments, thereby providing a richer appreciation and deeper understanding of the context of contemporary discussion of these issues.

While sacramental authority is and has been misunderstood and misused, it remains interwoven into United Methodism and is a significant element of the history of Christian ecumenical conversations about ministry. This book traces the changing provisions relating to ministerial orders and sacramental authority in American Methodism, from the formation of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1784 to the current position of The United Methodist Church.