Summary of Our Doctrinal Beliefs…
John Wesley and the early Methodists of the 1700’s were particularly concerned about inviting people to experience God’s grace and to grow in their knowledge and love of God through disciplined Christian living. They placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and love into action. That’s making faith relevant to real life. This emphasis was what Wesley referred to as "practical divinity" and still influences our beliefs today.
We share a common heritage with all followers of Jesus Christ. 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, yet one God—one essence in three persons. This is the great paradox of Christianity, true. It’s like “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It’s both—a paradox, but true.
God, the Father—We believe in one God the Father, who created the world and all that is in it. We believe that God is sovereign; the ruler of the universe. We believe that God is loving, and we can personally 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. We believe Jesus will come again.
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 the Christ-life.
Human Beings—We believe that God created human beings in His own 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. It’s about relationship, not religion.
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, reach the world for Christ and support those who participate to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
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, both personal and social. God is Lord over all creation, Lord over the church and Lord over each follower of Christ. We should work towards knowing Christ and making Him known to the nations starting at home. Jesus implied that we should begin living now as citizens of heaven.
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 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. 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 (Holy 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.
