What We Believe

United Methodists affirm what our Book of Discipline calls “Basic Christian Affirmations.” These are essentially things all Christians believe.

There are many things all Christians believe which are too numerous to list here. Basic examples include:

• We believe in a triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (The Trinity). We believe in God who is in heaven and who is the Creator of all. Jesus is God in human form, who died on the cross and rose again for our salvation. The Holy Spirit, God with us, in our hearts and in our mind and in our midst.
• We believe that God will one day judge each one of us, but that our sins have been covered by the blood of the lamb Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice and death paid the price for our sins, a debt we could never pay ourselves.
• We believe that Jesus Christ established the Church. He taught His disciples His message, and sent them out to teach it to others. When He ascended to heaven, He gave them the Great Commission, the calling to spread the gospel to all people everywhere.
• We celebrate the sacraments of baptism and communion. Through baptism we are initiated into the family and fellowship of believers in the Church. While baptism does not save us, it is an important part of experiencing the presence of Christ in one’s spiritual journey. We recognize the authority of the Scriptures in matters of faith.

What Distinguishes United Methodists From Other Denominations?

We believe in free-will and that God’s grace is freely offered to all, and that God gives us the ability to choose for ourselves whether or not to accept His grace. Some choose to accept God s grace; others do not. Some denominations believe in pre-destination, which means that God determined in advance whom God would save and whom God would not. They believe this is pre-determined, but United Methodists believe in free-will.

We believe in ecumenism which essentially means trying to get all Christians to work together as one to accomplish God’s will and work in the world. The United Methodist Church has long been one of the leaders of the ecumenical effort that is trying to bring Christians together to talk and be in mission together and to emphasize our common beliefs instead of our differences.

We believe that we are saved by grace and not by good works. We believe that our good works cannot save us, but that they spring forth naturally from a faith that is sincere and alive, and growing. Our good works are “fruits of faith.”

We believe salvation is through faith alone that God’s grace made possible in Jesus Christ.

We believe that Holy Communion is open to all. In The United Methodist Church, we believe Christ’s sacrifice was for all, and for that reason, communion is offered to all. In Communion we remember Christ’s sacrifice, participate in His risen presence, and are nourished for faithful discipleship.

Jesus told us when we are receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion that we are to take it in remembrance of Him. Communion is a means of grace by which we draw closer to God and He to us.

We believe Christians should be striving to grow to be more like Jesus Christ every day, to strive for “perfection” in the way we live as Christ was perfect. For us, we believe the Christian journey essentially begins when you personally embrace Christ as your personal Savior. This often happens for youth who go through Confirmation.

Additionally, we believe we should be helping each other throughout our lives to study the life of Christ, know Christ personally, and grow to be more like Christ every day. 

United Methodists recognize the same passage of Scripture can speak to two different people in different ways. All Christians recognize the authority of Scripture, however, we believe two Christians can disagree with one another and still love each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. We believe that such people can learn from one another.

United Methodists do not have a single leader we believe to be infallible who tells people what to believe, nor do we have strict interpretations Christians must follow, with one exception: “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Him” (John 14:6). This is the root of Christianity.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement in America, said “As to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think.”

So if you’re looking for a church where we believe all the fundamental foundations of the Christian faith, while still recognizing that people can disagree with one another and learn from one another and still love one another, then a United Methodist Church could be the church for you.

What Are You Looking For In A Church?

• We strive to be a church that both touches the heart and stretches the mind. Our hearts should grow in love for both God and neighbor, but we also need to study God’s word through Christian education and Bible study. Some churches lean heavily one way or the other. We emphasize both. After all, we are called to “Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength” (Luke 10:27).
• We strive to be a church that accepts people as they are, yet challenges them to change and grow. None of us are perfect or any more loved by God than anyone else. In God’s eyes, we are all sinners, yet all God’s children.
• We balance that by not leaving people where they are, but helping them to grow into the people God wants them to be.
• We strive to be a church where people gather to worship and study, then go forth to share and serve.
• We come together to worship and experience God’s love and power, but we challenge people to carry that love and power out into the world in mission.
• We strive to be a church that gives people opportunities to help and serve others, and thus to live out in practice what we experience in worship.
• We want to put our faith into action in the way we live our lives.

This is what we believe.