What We Believe

We are a community, a church, a group of people who believe in God.
We believe in a tangible relationship with God and with one another.
We believe in love, mercy, and grace for all.
We believe in the relentless pursuit of diversity and equality, and all are beloved children of God.
We believe that Jesus is with us always.
We believe in the teachings of Jesus that we are to live courageously and boldly as a reflection of God’s amazing love.
 We believe that the church is the people.
We believe in the power of prayer, the connection of service, worshipping together, and sharing of our resources.
We believe in meeting people where they are at, loving them as they are.
We believe in asking questions and knowing there is a mystery of faith that only God knows.
We believe we are a connectional system with open hearts, minds, hands, and doors.
We believe we can do Kingdom building as co-collaborators with God.
And we believe that we are a community of faith that is stronger together.

The following are the core beliefs of the United Methodist Church.

We believe there is one living and true God who is eternal, holy, all powerful, all knowing, and ever present. God is the maker and preserver of all things — both what is seen and what is not seen. In the unity of the Godhead, there are three persons in one — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We believe Jesus was born of a virgin. Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human. Jesus is the very Word of God and the savior of all humankind who came to earth to live, to teach us how to love, and to restore us to God. Jesus willingly endured the suffering, shame, and death on the cross in order to pay the debt for humanity’s sin. He then rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Jesus is acknowledged as the way to salvation

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity. The Spirit is at work in the world and the lives of individuals. It transforms, empowers, and guides believers. Through the Holy Spirit, we experience the fruit of the spirit and spiritual gifts.

We believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead, walked the earth, ascended to heaven, and will come again to judge all humanity and establish his reign over the earth.

We believe grace is the unearned and undeserved favor of God extended toward all humanity. United Methodists believe in three forms of grace: n Prevenient grace that is at work in our lives drawing us to God prior to salvation. n Justifying grace that brings us into right relationship with God through faith in Christ. n Sanctifying grace that continues to work in us to transform us into the image of Christ.

We believe the mission of the Christian life is summed up in the two great commandments of loving God and loving our neighbors. Scripture informs us that this is lived out as we love mercy, seek justice, walk humbly with God and “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

The Bible is the inspired word of God and is the primary source for Christian doctrine. It contains all things needed for salvation and living a life unto God. The Bible is foundational for our beliefs, but United Methodists also look to the traditions of the Church, reason, and experience to help inform our faith and help interpret scripture.