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Our
Beliefs
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.
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 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
- 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 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
relationship with God in order
to be fully human.
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 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.
The
Bible
- 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).
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 fulfillment
of God's kingdom--the complete
restoration of creation -- is still to
come.
- 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.
Sacraments
- With
many other Protestants, we recognize
the two sacraments in which Christ
himself participated: Baptism and
the Lord's Supper.
Baptism
- Through
baptism we are joined with the church
and withChristians
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.
- We
baptize by sprinkling, immersion or
pouring.
- A
person receives the sacrament of
baptism only once in his or her
life.
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.
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