Our Faith
United Methodists share a common heritage with all Christians worldwide. Our foundational statement of beliefs in The Book of Discipline, says we share the following basic affirmations in common with all Christian communities:
Trinity
We describe God in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature of God. Jesus told the disciples to go into all the nations, teaching and baptizing "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
God
- We believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it.
- We believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe.
- We believe that God is loving. We can experience God's love and grace.
Jesus
- We believe that Jesus was human. He lived as a man and died when he was crucified.
- We believe that Jesus is divine. He is the Son of God.
- We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today. (Christ and messiah mean the same thing)
- We believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins.
- We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to
pattern our lives after his.
The Holy Spirit
- We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God's will and
empowers us to live obediently.
Human Beings
- We believe that God created human beings in God's image.
- We believe that humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God.
- We believe that all humans need to be in relationship with God
in order to be fully human. As the
Westminster Catechism puts it, "Man's chief end is to glorify
God and enjoy Him forever."
The Church
- We believe that the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ's life and ministry in the world today.
- We believe that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
- We believe that the church is also the communion of saints, and a community made up of all past, present, and future disciples of Christ.
- We believe that the church is called to worship God and to
support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith.
The Bible
- We believe that the Bible is God's Word.
- We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
- We believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures).
- We practice our beliefs about the Bible through the reading of
multiple Scriptures on Sunday morning and regular Bible study
opportunities offered throughout the year, generally on Wednesdays
(afternoon and evening sessions).
The Reign of God
- We believe that the kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope.
- We believe that wherever God's will is done, the kingdom or reign of God is present. It was present in Jesus' ministry, and it is also present in our world whenever persons and communities experience reconciliation, restoration, and healing.
- We believe that although the fulfillment of God's kingdom--the complete restoration of creation--is still to come.
- We believe that the church is called to be both witness to the vision of what God's kingdom will be like and a participant in helping to bring it to completion.
- We believe that the reign of God is both personal and social.
Personally, we display the kingdom of God as our hearts and minds
are transformed and we become more Christ-like. Socially, God's
vision for the kingdom includes the restoration and transformation
of all of creation.
Sacraments
With many other Protestants, we recognize the two sacraments in
which Christ himself participated: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Baptism
- Through baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere.
- Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God's love and forgiveness of our sins.
- Persons of any age can be baptized.
- We baptize by sprinkling, immersion or pouring.
- A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life, because we believe that baptism is a promise that God makes with us, and God does not go back on His promises!
The Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist)
- The Lord's Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ.
- The Lord's Supper recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God's family.
- By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ's sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and ministry.
- We practice "open Communion," welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another.
- We typically serve Communion the first Sunday of each month, and
also at other special worship services throughout the year.
The Apostle's Creed is an excellent summary of the beliefs
that we hold in common with Christians across time and around the
globe. We will often recite this in worship, and it is found in the
United Methodist Hymnal #881:
- I believe in God the Father Almighty,
- maker of heaven and earth;
- And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
- who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
- born of the Virgin Mary,
- suffered under Pontius Pilate,
- was crucified, dead, and buried;
- the third day he rose from the dead;
- he ascended into heaven,
- and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
- from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
- I believe in the Holy Spirit,
- the holy catholic church,
- the communion of saints,
- the forgiveness of sins,
- the resurrection of the body,
- and the life everlasting. Amen.
Distinctive Emphases - What Makes Us Methodists?
Wesley and the early Methodists were particularly concerned about
inviting people to experience God's€™s grace and to grow in their
knowledge and love of God through disciplined Christian living. They
placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and
love into action. This emphasis on what Wesley referred to as
"practical divinity" has continued to be a hallmark of United
Methodism today.
The distinctive shape of our theological heritage can be seen not
only in this emphasis on Christian living, but also in Wesley's
distinctive understanding of God's saving grace. Although Wesley
shared with many other Christians a belief in salvation by grace, he
combined them in a powerful way to create distinctive emphases for
living the full Christian life.
Grace - the best news of all!
Grace is central to our understanding of Christian
faith and life. Grace can be defined as the love and mercy given to
us by God because God wants us to have it, not because of anything
we have done to earn it. We read in the Letter to the Ephesians:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so
that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Our United Methodist
heritage is rooted in a deep and profound understanding of God's
grace. This incredible grace flows from God's great love for us . .
. . . and we are blessed to share the good news of God's grace with
the world!
Adapted from
"Our Christians Roots" and "Our Wesleyan
Heritage"
