Methodist theology affirms the eternal pre-existence of the Son of God, consistent with Nicene orthodoxy and the Articles of Religion. The Nicene Creed confesses the Son as 'begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made,' which implies pre-existence before all creation. The Methodist Articles affirm the eternal Son who 'took man's nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin,' implying a prior divine existence before the Incarnation.

Wesley's Christological hymns — many written by his brother Charles — repeatedly celebrate the mystery of the eternal Son condescending to take on human flesh. This theological richness on the Incarnation is one of the most celebrated aspects of the Wesleyan heritage. The pre-existence of Christ is foundational to the Methodist understanding of salvation: the eternal Son of God was not a creature who became divine, but the divine Son who became human for our salvation.