What We Believe
United Methodists
Believe...
WE BELIEVE that God is understood in three distinct forms.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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 that God created human beings in God’s image. We
believe that humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God. We
believe that all humans need to be in life-giving relationship with God in
order to be fully human.
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 for the transformation of
the world. We believe that the church 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 to support those who participate in its
life as they grow in faith.
WE BELIEVE that the Bible is God’s 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).