United Methodist Communications
Office of Public Information
For Immediate Release
June 15, 2021
Death and resurrection top list of United Methodist queries
Nashville, Tennessee – What happens when we die? Is there life after our lives here on Earth, and what will it be like? Many have written to Ask The UMC, the official information service for the denomination provided by United Methodist Communications, over the years asking how United Methodists answer these and other questions about death, resurrection and life in the new creation. The new Death and Resurrection Series gathers responses to these oft-repeated questions in one place for easy reference.
“We thought it would be helpful to gather our responses to the various questions we regularly receive on this topic in one place, so people could more easily find answers,” said Vicki Wallace, Ask The UMC Team Director.
The series also provides discussion questions, which may be used for personal or group reflection.
Ask The UMC is the trusted place where church members and seekers can ask any question about The United Methodist Church. Those reaching out receive person-to-person service with knowledgeable experts. Questions can be submitted by email, an online form or in real time via their live chat feature. Inquiries related to death and what happens next are consistently among the top five theological questions they receive multiple times a month.
According to the Rev. Taylor W. Burton Edwards who works with the Ask The UMC team, inquiries about death and resurrection make up one-third of all questions received. “The FAQ about what happens after death is consistently the most viewed article,” said Burton-Edwards. “So far this year, it has been viewed over 50,000 times.”
United Methodists and those who are sick or elderly are not alone in their search for answers surrounding death. In fact, previous Barna Group surveys of American teenagers indicated that most have already formed beliefs on the topic of souls and the existence of heaven.
Ask The UMC’s online content offers access to an abundance of important topics and issues, including death and resurrection. Subject matter has been crafted to meet the needs of the public based on commonly asked questions posed to the team. Those wishing to submit questions or explore available answers can do so at: https://umc.org/asktheumc.
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