Many of the points on these lists were similar, since they could all trace their traditions back to the apostles. After church leaders discussed the lists, the differences were eliminated and a more or less standard statement was created. In the fourth century, Christianity became legal, and it was easier to hold meetings regarding the basic statements of faith and the books to include in the New Testament. It was during this century that the Apostles' Creed appeared in its standardized form. Relevance for United Methodist Church

United Methodist Christians today face similar challenges that the early church did, regarding identifying the truth among a myriad of...

The matter is complicated by the many different church denominations existing today. The function of the Apostles' Creed in the United Methodist Church today can be seen as one to unify not only church members, but also to unify United Methodist Church members with other Christians across the world. There can be no doubt that those who believe the basic statements in the Creed are Christians (Morrison, 2012).
References

The Apostles' Creed (n.d.) Retrieved from: http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/apcreed.html

Morrison, M. (2012). The Apostles' Creed. Grace Communion International. Retrieved from: http://www.gci.org/history/apostles