What People Think We Do/What We Really Do

As one might also accuse Methodists of today, it seems that there is a large gap between what the church officially says that it does and what it actually does (we should make one of those memes as a diagram). As described in the Women in Seminary and in the Pulpit excerpt, women were getting seminary degrees, preaching, founding and leading churches (Richey, 118). Meanwhile, they were sending petitions to bishops asking to be officially recognized for the things they were already doing, which were denied. Methodists took on the loving mission work of stripping indigenous people of their heritage and land- officially- but also aided Union troops in massacring them (Richey, 121). Upon finally reaching a place where some Methodist denominations were ordaining black clergy, the same ones were also recognizing petitions to segregate local churches (Richey, 121-122). I’m wondering if this incoherency comes from mere ridiculousness (i.e. racism, sexism) entirely, or if is due in part to the sheer number of denominations that existed- AME, AMEZ, UBC, EA, MPC, MECS- am I missing any? When we look back at a “Methodist” history, what do we actually claim as Methodist? Who decides?