What We Believe

WHAT DO UNITED METHODISTS BELIEVE ABOUT GOD?

We describe God in three persons (the Trinity) as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe in one God who created the world and all that is in it. God is sovereign, the ruler of the universe. We believe that God is loving and that everyone can experience His love and grace.

WHAT DO UNITED METHODISTS BELIEVE ABOUT JESUS?

We believe that Jesus is divine and that He is the Son of God. Jesus was human. He lived as a man and died on the cross for all people. God raised Jesus from the dead, and the risen Christ is alive today. We believe that Jesus is our Savior. Through Him we receive forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. We believe that Jesus is our Lord, and we are called to be His disciples.

WHAT DO UNITED METHODISTS BELIEVE ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT?

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us. The Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need. It convicts us when we stray from God. The Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live faithfully and obediently.

WHAT DO UNITED METHODISTS BELIEVE ABOUT THE BIBLE?

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice. We believe that every Christian needs to know and study the Old and New Testaments.

WHAT DO UNITED METHODISTS BELIEVE ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS?

God created human beings in God’s image. Humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God. Humans need to be in relationship with God in order to be fully who we are created to be.

WHAT DO UNITED METHODISTS BELIEVE ABOUT THE CHURCH?

The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today. The church is a community made of all past, present and future disciples of Christ (the community of saints). The church is called to worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith.

WHAT DO UNITED METHODISTS BELIEVE ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

The reign of God is both a present reality and a future hope. We believe that wherever God’s will is done the kingdom of God is present. We believe that the fulfillment of God’s kingdom is still to come. We believe that the church is called to be both a witness to God’s kingdom and a participant in bringing it to completion.

We as United Methodists seek to remain true to the Gospel and to God’s calling upon our lives. Four main criteria are used to establish our doctrine of beliefs: scripture, tradition, experience and reason with a primary emphasis on scripture.

(Adapted from www.umc.org and What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Theology.)