What We Believe
Grounded in Wesleyan tradition, open to all.
United Methodists are Christians in the tradition of John Wesley. Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Open Communion
Everyone is welcome at the Lord’s Table here, and we come to it every week.
John Wesley called Holy Communion “the grand channel” through which God’s grace reaches us, and he received it several times a week himself. He asked only two things of anyone who came forward: a real intention to keep God’s commandments, and a sincere desire to receive his promises. Not membership, and not having it all figured out.
So our table is open, and it is set every Sunday. Communion is not a reward for the worthy. It is a means of grace, an ordinary practice that, like a whetstone, sharpens us a little each time into people who look more like Christ.
God
We believe in one God, whom we know as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three persons and one God. This is a mystery, and we hold it as the church has always held it.
Jesus Christ
Jesus is fully God and fully human. He lived among us, taught and healed, was crucified, and rose from the dead. Through his death and resurrection, forgiveness and new life are offered to everyone.
The Holy Spirit
God is present with us still. The Spirit convicts us when we are wrong, comforts us when we are hurting, gives each of us gifts to use, and makes a gathering of people into a church.
The Bible
Scripture is our foundation. It contains everything necessary for salvation, and we do not ask anyone to believe as a matter of faith what cannot be found there. We read it prayerfully and carefully, and we read it together.
Salvation
We are not saved by being good enough. We are saved because God loves us and forgives us, and we receive that by faith. But real faith shows in how a person lives. Methodists have always insisted on both.
Grace
Grace is God’s love, given before we have done anything to deserve it. Wesley taught that it comes to us in three ways. God is already at work in us before we ever turn toward him. God forgives us and gives us a new beginning when we do. And God keeps working in us for the rest of our lives, making us more loving than we were.
Baptism and Communion
We practice two sacraments. Baptism is God’s promise to us rather than our promise to God, so we baptize infants and adults alike, and we baptize only once. The Lord’s Table is open to anyone who loves Christ or wants to. You do not have to be a member.
How we live
Wesley gave three simple rules: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. We keep them through prayer, worship, Scripture, communion, and the company of other Christians. We believe faith is meant to be carried into the world and not kept private.
How we are connected
United Methodist churches do not stand alone. Pastors are appointed by bishops rather than hired by congregations, churches share ministry and resources through annual conferences, and matters for the whole denomination are settled by General Conference.
Our social witness
Our Social Principles speak to poverty, peace, care of creation, work, and the dignity of every person. They are meant to guide and persuade rather than to bind, and faithful United Methodists disagree about some of them.
Who We Are
You're welcome here