Editing Apostles' Creed (section)

===United Methodist Church===
The [[United Methodist Church|United Methodists]] in the USA commonly incorporate the Apostles' Creed into their worship services. The version which is most often used is located at No. 881 in the ''[[United Methodist Hymnal]]'', one of their most popular hymnals and one with a heritage to brothers [[John Wesley]] and [[Charles Wesley]], founders of [[Methodism]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://catalystresources.org/issues/272yee.html |title= Contemporary Evangelical Perspectives |publisher= Catalyst resources |access-date= May 19, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110518093223/http://catalystresources.org/issues/272yee.html |archive-date= May 18, 2011 |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://catalystresources.org/issues/312knight.html |title= Contemporary Evangelical Perspectives |publisher= Catalyst resources |access-date= May 19, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110518093227/http://catalystresources.org/issues/312knight.html |archive-date= May 18, 2011 |url-status= dead }}</ref> It is notable for omitting the line "he descended into hell", but is otherwise very similar to the Book of Common Prayer version. The 1989 Hymnal has both the traditional version and the 1988 ecumenical version,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/apostles-creed-traditional-ecumenical | title = Apostle's Creed Traditional and Ecumenical Versions | publisher = The United Methodist Church |access-date= July 15, 2015 }}</ref> which includes "he descended to the dead".

The Apostles' Creed as found in ''The Methodist Hymnal'' of 1939 also omits the line "he descended..."<ref>''The Methodist Hymnal'' (1939). Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House. p. 512.</ref> ''The Methodist Hymnal'' of 1966 has the same version of the creed, but with a note at the bottom of the page stating, "Traditional use of this creed includes these words: 'He descended into hell.{{'"}}<ref>''The United Methodist Hymnal'' (1966). Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House. #738.</ref>

However, when the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in the United States in 1784, John Wesley sent the new American Church a Sunday Service which included the phrase "he descended into hell" in the text of the Apostles' Creed.<ref>Wesley, John (1784). "The Sunday Service of the Methodists in North America with other Occasional Services", p. 12.</ref>

The ''United Methodist Hymnal'' of 1989 also contains (at #882) what it terms the "Ecumenical Version" of this creed which is the ecumenically accepted modern translation of the International Committee on English Texts (1975) as amended by the subsequent successor body, the English Language Liturgical Consultation (1987).<ref>{{Citation | chapter = The Worship Resources | title = United Methodist Hymnal | editor-first = Hoyt | editor-last = Hickman | year = 1989 | page = 200}}.</ref> This form of the Apostles' Creed can be found incorporated into the Eucharistic and Baptismal Liturgies in the Hymnal and in ''The United Methodist Book of Worship'', and hence it is growing in popularity and use. The word ''catholic'' is intentionally left lowercase in the sense that the word ''catholic'' applies to the universal and ecumenical Christian church.

{{poemquote|I believe in God the Father Almighty,
::maker of heaven and earth;<!-- NB: leading colons are not deflist markup within a poem block. Don't remove them as invalid because they're not -->

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, 
::who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, 
::born of the Virgin Mary, 
::suffered under Pontius Pilate, 
::was crucified, died, and was buried;
::he descended to the dead.
::On the third day he rose again; 
::he ascended into heaven, 
::is seated at the right hand of the Father, 
::and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
::the holy catholic church,
::the communion of saints,
::the forgiveness of sins,
::the resurrection of the body 
::and the life everlasting. Amen.<ref>''The United Methodist Hymnal Book of United Methodist Worship''. The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989</ref>}}