Do United Methodists believe the communion elements actually become the body and blood of Christ?
No, we believe that the change is spiritual. They signify the body and blood of Christ for us, helping us to be Christs body in the world today, redeemed by Christs blood. We pray over the bread and cup that they may make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in service to all the world. (United Methodists and Communion brochure) Indeed, churches rooted in the Protestant Reformation, like United Methodism, have consistently rejected the doctrine of transubstantiation…United Methodists believe that the Communion elements remain bread and wine…In the Lords supper, God uses common bread and wine for a higher purpose, to be the body and blood of Christ, to communicate the presence of the Christ to the church…bread and wine remain bread and wine, but they are raised to a higher destiny. (Sacraments and Discipleship: Understanding Baptism and the Lords Supper in a United Methodist Context by Mark W.
