What We Believe…
As United Methodists, we believe the church exists so that people far from God will find new life in Christ.  We’re all on a journey and the Body of Christ (the Church) is a great place to discover what you believe in, to belong to something greater than yourself and to become the person God created you to be. To be more specific about our theology: we share a common heritage with all Christians.  Listed below are a few statements that guide our spiritual formation and help us understand the world.
 
Trinity
We describe God in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature of God. Sometimes we use other terms such as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
 
God
  • We believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it.
  • We believe God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe.
  • We believe God is loving. We can experience God’s love and grace.

 

Jesus
  •  We believe Jesus was human. He lived as a man and died when he was crucified.
  •  We believe Jesus was divine. He is the Son of God.
  •  We believe God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today.
  •  We believe Jesus is  our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins.
  •  We believe 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 God created human beings in God’s image.
  • We believe humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God.
  • We believe all humans need to be in a relationship with God in order to be fully human.
 
The Church
  •  We believe the church is the body of Christ – an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the
          world today.
  •   We believe the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
  •   We believe the church is “the communion of saints;” a community made up of all past, present,
          and future disciples of Christ.
  •   We believe 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 the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
  •  We believe the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
  •  We believe Christians need to know and study both the Old and New Testaments.
 
The Reign of God
  •  We believe the kingdom, or reign, of God is both a present reality and a future hope.
  •  We believe wherever God’s will is done, the 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 the fulfillment of God’s kingdom – complete restoration of creation – is still to come.
  •  We believe 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 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 creation.
 
Sacraments
With many other Protestants, we recognize the two sacraments in which Christ himself participated: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
 
Baptism
  •  Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God’s love and forgiveness of our sins.
  •  Through baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere.
  •  Persons of any age can be baptized.
  •  We believe sprinkling, immersion, or pouring are all acceptable modes of baptism.
  •  Since baptism is from God, we believe one baptism is enough for a lifetime.
 
The Lord’s Supper (Communion, Eucharist)
  • The Lord’s Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine (or juice) 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.