Contemporary Methodism does hold that Mary was a virgin before, during, and immediately after the birth of Christ. A small number of Methodists hold the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary as a pious opinion. Martyrs of the faith The title is used to refer to historical martyrs, especially dating before the Reformation. The General Conferences of the United Methodist Church voted to officially recognize Dietrich Bonhoeffer in 2008 and Martin Luther King Jr. in 2012 as modern-day 'martyrs'. The vote recognized people who died for their faith and stand as Christian role models. See also List of saints List of martyrs Saints in Anglicanism References Methodism Christian saints by denomination