What We Believe

As United Methodists we believe in the one and only Triune God:

God the Father Almighty, Maker and Preserver of all things

Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who is one with the Father

Jesus lived, died, was buried and rose

again for the salvation of the world.

He ascended back heaven and He will come again in glory

The Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is of one

substance, majesty, glory with the Father and the Son.

“He convinces the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.  He leads human beings through faithful response to the gospel into the fellowship of the Church.  He comforts, sustains, and empowers the faithful and guides them into all truth.”* 

We believe that God forgives sin and changes the human heart when persons repent and trust in Christ. We believe that God, who is revealed through Jesus Christ, loves all people and all creation.

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God.

“It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice...”* 

We believe that it is by God grace and God’s grace alone that we are saved through Christ.

We believe that we should put our faith into practice in works and deeds of mercy to help those who are in need. Faith and good works go together for the Christian.

As United Methodists we recognize only these sacraments in which Jesus Christ Himself participated in: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion)

John Wesley’s (the founder of Methodism) teachings still carry special meaning for United Methodists:

Goal—of being faithful disciples of Jesus Christ

Example—of sharing God through missions

Belief—in the grace and forgiveness of God’s love

He also taught that these things help us grow in understanding and faith, otherwise known as the Quadrilateral:

Scripture

Tradition

Experience

Reason

John Wesley also encouraged Works of Piety, which are practices that help Christians attend to their relationship with God. They are how we grow and mature in loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength:

Prayer

Public Worship

The Lord’s Supper

Reading and Studying Scripture

Christian Conferencing (meeting in small groups)

Fasting or Abstinence

Works of Mercy are basic practices Jesus taught His disciples for expressing their love for God in the world through acts of compassion and justice for their neighbors:

Feeding the hungry

Clothing the naked

Caring for the sick

Visiting the jails and prisons

Sheltering the homeless

Welcoming the stranger

Peacemaking

Acting for the Common Good

In the words of John Wesley,

"A Methodist is…one who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength.”

The United Methodist Church is grounded in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

*Quotes from The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church