What we believe as United Methodists
United Methodists profess the historic Christian faith in God as Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We experience God as Creator/Provider, Redeemer/Savior, Sustainer/Comforter. We affirm that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the Lord of all.
The Mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by proclaiming the good news of God's grace and by exemplifying Jesus' command to love God and our neighbor in all that we do. In carrying out this mission, we are seeking the fulfillment of God's reign in the world.
We make disciples as we:
As United Methodists, we believe it is critical not only to believe, but to live out our faith in our personal lives, our communities and the world. In order to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, we believe we must reflect critically on our biblical and theological inheritance, striving to express faithfully the witness we make in our own time.
The way we reflect critically on matters of faith is somewhat unique. Our primary source for encountering God and understanding faith is Scripture. If our beliefs or understandings of God's activity in the world run counter to Scripture, they cannot be sustained. Although Scripture is primary and authoritative, it is not the only way to encounter God or to come to an understanding of faith. We begin with Scripture and also use the Christian tradition (creeds, affirmations of faith, belief statements, hymns), our own experience (personal and collective) as well as our ability to reason (think). All of these sources work together to help us decide matters of faith.
Scripture, tradition, reason and experience also serve as ways we can encounter and know the living God. Through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, we can encounter the Risen Christ in so many ways - worship, the sacraments, bible study, prayer and Christian fellowship, to name a few.
Grace pervades our understanding of Christian faith and life. By grace we mean the free, undeserved, unmerited gift of God's love for us in Jesus Christ. In that gift of gracious love we are forgiven for our sins, reconciled to God and empowered to live free from domination of sin and fear of death.
United Methodists believe that we are saved by God's grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is both a moment and a process. We are saved from our sins and given the assurance of eternal life when we profess our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. This moment begins a lifetime of growing more Christ-like and becoming more and more able to truly love God with our heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as we love ourselves.
The Sacraments
Like most other Protestants, United Methodists recognize only those sacraments which Jesus Christ specifically instituted through his own actions. These two sacraments are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Of course we also recognize and share in a number of highly sacred moments in life such as marriage, healing, prayer, reconciliation, confirmation, and ordination. Although most of the major denominations of Protestant Christianity share the basic theological doctrines of the faith, there are differences in the ways we share in the sacraments.
Baptism, is the sacrament of initiation that joins us with the church and with Christians (the Body of Christ) everywhere in the world. United Methodists understand it as a symbol of new life, a promise of God’s saving love, and a sign of God’s forgiveness for our sins. Because we believe this celebration is an act of God reaching out to bring people into a life of faith, infants, children, and adults can be baptized. Also, because we believe that baptism occurs at God’s instigation, a person receives this sacrament only once in his or her life. Water is used as the symbol of this sacrament and we are allowed to baptize by sprinkling, immersion, or pouring water over a person in a symbolic way.
Holy Communion or the The Lord’s Supper recalls the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God’s family. It is a holy meal of bread and wine (or grape juice) that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ. By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins and receive grace to empower us to move forward in our Christian living. Like Baptism, we believe that the Lord’s Supper offers an invitation from God to come into a closer relationship with our Creator through Jesus Christ. Therefore, the table is open to all who wish to come and share, regardless of age or church membership.
A Common Vision
United Methodist also share a vision of life for all humanity. We believe that the role of the family is to nurture people in mutual love, respect, and fidelity. We believe that God’s world is one world and that war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Jesus. We believe we are called to work toward a society where each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened. We believe that human beings are the stewards of the earth and are called to protect its natural resources. For United Methodists social consciousness has always gone hand in hand with faith. Methodists have been at the forefront of every major social movement to advocate for basic human rights. These included working against slavery, illegal traffic of liquor, gambling, industrial exploitation, and the exploitation of women and children. We continue to work for the rights of men, women, children, youth, the aging, and persons with disabilities; for the improvement of the quality of life; and for the rights and dignity of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities. We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people in the world.
For more details on the specific beliefs of Methodism, click here.
The Mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by proclaiming the good news of God's grace and by exemplifying Jesus' command to love God and our neighbor in all that we do. In carrying out this mission, we are seeking the fulfillment of God's reign in the world.
We make disciples as we:
- proclaim the gospel, seek, welcome and gather persons into the body of Christ;
- lead persons to commit their lives to God through baptism by water and the spirit and profession of faith in Jesus Christ;
- nurture persons in faith and Christian living through worship, the sacraments, spiritual disciplines, and other means of grace, like Christian fellowship, study and prayer
- send persons into the world to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ
As United Methodists, we believe it is critical not only to believe, but to live out our faith in our personal lives, our communities and the world. In order to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, we believe we must reflect critically on our biblical and theological inheritance, striving to express faithfully the witness we make in our own time.
The way we reflect critically on matters of faith is somewhat unique. Our primary source for encountering God and understanding faith is Scripture. If our beliefs or understandings of God's activity in the world run counter to Scripture, they cannot be sustained. Although Scripture is primary and authoritative, it is not the only way to encounter God or to come to an understanding of faith. We begin with Scripture and also use the Christian tradition (creeds, affirmations of faith, belief statements, hymns), our own experience (personal and collective) as well as our ability to reason (think). All of these sources work together to help us decide matters of faith.
Scripture, tradition, reason and experience also serve as ways we can encounter and know the living God. Through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, we can encounter the Risen Christ in so many ways - worship, the sacraments, bible study, prayer and Christian fellowship, to name a few.
Grace pervades our understanding of Christian faith and life. By grace we mean the free, undeserved, unmerited gift of God's love for us in Jesus Christ. In that gift of gracious love we are forgiven for our sins, reconciled to God and empowered to live free from domination of sin and fear of death.
United Methodists believe that we are saved by God's grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is both a moment and a process. We are saved from our sins and given the assurance of eternal life when we profess our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. This moment begins a lifetime of growing more Christ-like and becoming more and more able to truly love God with our heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as we love ourselves.
The Sacraments
Like most other Protestants, United Methodists recognize only those sacraments which Jesus Christ specifically instituted through his own actions. These two sacraments are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Of course we also recognize and share in a number of highly sacred moments in life such as marriage, healing, prayer, reconciliation, confirmation, and ordination. Although most of the major denominations of Protestant Christianity share the basic theological doctrines of the faith, there are differences in the ways we share in the sacraments.
Baptism, is the sacrament of initiation that joins us with the church and with Christians (the Body of Christ) everywhere in the world. United Methodists understand it as a symbol of new life, a promise of God’s saving love, and a sign of God’s forgiveness for our sins. Because we believe this celebration is an act of God reaching out to bring people into a life of faith, infants, children, and adults can be baptized. Also, because we believe that baptism occurs at God’s instigation, a person receives this sacrament only once in his or her life. Water is used as the symbol of this sacrament and we are allowed to baptize by sprinkling, immersion, or pouring water over a person in a symbolic way.
Holy Communion or the The Lord’s Supper recalls the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God’s family. It is a holy meal of bread and wine (or grape juice) that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ. By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins and receive grace to empower us to move forward in our Christian living. Like Baptism, we believe that the Lord’s Supper offers an invitation from God to come into a closer relationship with our Creator through Jesus Christ. Therefore, the table is open to all who wish to come and share, regardless of age or church membership.
A Common Vision
United Methodist also share a vision of life for all humanity. We believe that the role of the family is to nurture people in mutual love, respect, and fidelity. We believe that God’s world is one world and that war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Jesus. We believe we are called to work toward a society where each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened. We believe that human beings are the stewards of the earth and are called to protect its natural resources. For United Methodists social consciousness has always gone hand in hand with faith. Methodists have been at the forefront of every major social movement to advocate for basic human rights. These included working against slavery, illegal traffic of liquor, gambling, industrial exploitation, and the exploitation of women and children. We continue to work for the rights of men, women, children, youth, the aging, and persons with disabilities; for the improvement of the quality of life; and for the rights and dignity of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities. We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people in the world.
For more details on the specific beliefs of Methodism, click here.
They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." - Acts 16:31
