The United Methodist Church is an historic and spiritually strong global church that seeks to advance the kingdom of God as manifest in Christ Jesus in many ways. One way it does this is by opening hearts, doors and minds through active engagement with our world.
Our founder John Wesley and the early Methodists placed primary emphasis on Christian living, by 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.
United Methodists share a common heritage with all Christians. According to our foundational statement of beliefs in The Book of Discipline, we share the following basic affirmations in common with all Christian communities:
We describe God in three persons. *Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature of God.
God the Father
- 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 the Son
- 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—God’s anointed.)
- 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.
- We believe the Holy Spirit encourages and inspires us to be the followers of Jesus we are called to be.
*Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
Relationships
The church is also about relationships, vertical (us and God) and horizontal (us and neighbor). It is important, therefore, that we understand who we are, what we are, and what lives we live out here on earth.
Human Beings
- We believe that God created human beings in God’s image.
- We believe that because we are given free-will, 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
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, while realizing all within it are flawed, broken, and redeemed is “the communion of saints,” a community made up of all past, present, and future disciples of Christ.
- We believe that the church is called to worship God and support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith and then to reach out to those beyond the church to love and serve.
We believe that the Bible is God’s Inspired 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).
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 kingdom is a present reality, the fulfillment of God’s kingdom – the complete restoration of creation – is still to come in God’s time.
- 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 through the work of the church.
Sacraments in the United Methodist Church
With many other Protestants, we recognize the two sacraments in which Christ himself participated: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Sacraments are outward and visible signs of an inward and invisible grace
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, although traditionally we baptize infants.
- We baptize by sprinkling, immersion or pouring.
- A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life, therefore we will not re-baptize anyone, regardless of where or when they were baptized.
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. No one is refused.
