United Methodist Church - Cross and Flame

Known informally as the cross and flame logo but formally as the United Methodist Church’s insignia, it has been in use nearly two decades. It is seen in cities, towns and rural areas at every point of the compass.

History

Creation of the United Methodist insignia began in 1968. The Uniting Conference directed the Division of Interpretation of the former Program Council to “design and supervise the use of an official insignia.”

Assigned to create such a mark was Edward J. Mikula, the division’s art director. Working with him – in research on symbolic aspects – was Edwin H. Maynard, then editorial director. Both men were determined that, whatever the insignia’s form, some expr4ession of warmth would be conveyed – a warmth such as John Wesley had experienced on a long-ago spring evening in Aldersgate Street.

Following some two dozen conceptualizations, a traditional symbol – the cross – was linked with a single but dual flame. The insignia thereby relates our church to God by way of the second and third persons of the Trinity: the Christ (cross) and the Holy Spirit (flame).

Apart from Wesleyan Trinitarian theology and warmth, the flame has two other connotations. The flame suggests Pentecost when witnesses saw “tongues as of fire.” And the duality of the flame was meant to represent the merger in 1968 of two denominations: The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

The insignia was formally adopted, and in 1971 was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a service mark and collective membership mark. That registration – officially No. 917,433 – is current today.

Its Use

The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) is authorized by the General Conference to supervise the use of the Cross and Flame.  Questions have arisen as to how it may be used on the Internet.

The relevant provisions of the Book of Discipline provide that the Cross and Flame may be used by official United Methodist agencies, including local churches, to identify United Methodist work, programs and materials.

The Cross and Flame is a registered trademark and its use is supervised by the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church.  Permission to use the Cross and Flame must be obtained from the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church - Legal Department, 1200 Davis Street, Evanston, IL 60201, phone: 847-425-6532, fax: 847-425-6568.