It was formed from numerous mergers of American churches dating back to the 18th century. Because of the abolitionist controversy, the Methodist Episcopal Church suffered the withdrawal of members who founded the Wesleyan Methodist Church and the [[Free Methodist Church]] shortly before the Civil War and, in addition, the church split North and South in 1844 over the slavery issue. That split was ended when the Northern and Southern branches reunited in 1939 (along with most of the small Methodist Protestant Church) to form the "The Methodist Church (USA)." In 1968 it merged with the historically-German Evangelical United Brethren Church to form the United Methodist Church. | It was formed from numerous mergers of American churches dating back to the 18th century. Because of the abolitionist controversy, the Methodist Episcopal Church suffered the withdrawal of members who founded the Wesleyan Methodist Church and the [[Free Methodist Church]] shortly before the Civil War and, in addition, the church split North and South in 1844 over the slavery issue. That split was ended when the Northern and Southern branches reunited in 1939 (along with most of the small Methodist Protestant Church) to form the "The Methodist Church (USA)." In 1968 it merged with the historically-German Evangelical United Brethren Church to form the United Methodist Church. |