Page "Apostolic succession" Paragraph 38

However, most Methodists view apostolic succession outside its high church sense.

This is because John Wesley believed that bishops and presbyters constituted one order, citing an ancient opinion from the Church of Alexandria.

John Wesley held that, as a presbyter, though not a bishop, he had the power to transmit apostolic succession to others and himself ordained ministers for the United States.

Since the Bishop of London refused to ordain ministers in the British American colonies, this constituted an emergency, and as a result, on 2 September 1784, Rev.

John Wesley, along with a priest from the Anglican Church and two other elders, operating under the ancient Alexandrian custom, ordained Thomas Coke a " superintendent ", although Coke embraced the title " bishop ".

Today, Methodism follows this ancient Alexandrian practice as bishops are elected from and by the order of the presbyterate: the Discipline of the Methodist Church, in ¶ 303, affirms that " ordination to this ministry is a gift from God to the Church.

In ordination, the Church affirms and continues the apostolic ministry through persons empowered by the Holy Spirit.

" It also uses sacred scripture in support of this practice, namely,, which states: " Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.